Welcome to the first “Wolf Reads” post of the year. “Wolf Reads” is a weekly series in which we give book recommendations or write reviews of, you guessed it, books. This week, we bring you some of our favourite stand-alone fantasy books.

Uprooted

Goodreads rating: 4.13

Agnieszka loves her home: the quiet village, the forest, the winding river. However, on the border of the little village, there is a magical corrupted Wood which wrecks havoc on anyone who comes too close. The local wizard, the Dragon, picks a young woman every ten years in return for protection from these woods. Everyone thinks that the beautiful and perfect Kasia will be chosen this year. But when the choosing day comes along, it’s not Kasia who is selected.

Uprooted is a perfect blend of romance, adventure and magic. I felt that Novik crammed too much plot in four hundred pages. Although this does cause for a fast-paced story, there were times that the events blurred together. Regardless, Uprooted is definitely worth a read. It’s available in the KIS library for those who are interested.

Deerskin

Goodreads rating: 3.88

Princess Lissar is known only as being the daughter of the most handsome king and most beautiful queen of the seven kingdoms. From a young age, she has been told stories of her mother’s courting and her father’s heroic deeds. Then the queen suddenly falls ill and dies. The kingdom realises that Lissar is now the most beautiful woman, taking her mother’s place. When this comes to the attention of the deranged and devastated king, he is pushed to do the unthinkable. With her dog, Ash, Princess Lissar escapes from the castle with little memory of why she is running and her horrific past.

This is a dark fantasy novel–just a warning for those of you who do intend to pick this book up from the library.

The Secret of Platform 13

Goodreads rating: 3.93

Under Platform 13 at King’s Cross Station, there is a secret doorway which connects our world to the Island. Every nine years, this doorway opens up for nine days. When the infant prince of the Island is kidnapped to our world, an ogre, a wizard, a fey and a hag are sent, nine years later, on a mission to rescue the long-lost prince.

Many Potterheads have noted the similarities between this book and the Harry Potter series. Before you start throwing accusations, note that The Secret of Platform 13 was published three years before Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.