Destined for Greatness: 7 Stories of the Chosen One

For generations, the deadly Shadow Fold has terrorized the people of Ravka. Inside the pitch-black ravine, monstrous creatures called volcra prey on those who attempt to cross through. When Alina Starkov’s army regiment is sent to the Shadow Fold, she knows there’s little hope for survival. But when the volcra attack, Alina summons powers that she was unaware of — powers that have been considered a myth for centuries. Now Alina must leave her regiment behind and become the savior her country has been waiting for.

In case you hadn’t heard, this book series has been topping the bestselling charts for weeks thanks to its brand-new Netflix adaptation. With the announcement of a new upcoming season, now’s your chance to catch up on Leigh Bardugo’s world of the ‘Grishaverse.’

Arthurian legend collides with modern urban fantasy in the alluring new book Legendborn — but Bree Matthews has other things to focus on besides supernatural events. She’s still reeling from her mother’s sudden death and is hoping that her enrollment in a gifted high schooler program at UNC-Chapel Hill will take her mind off things. But on her first night on campus, Bree’s a witness to a magical attack against a student. Yet despite the dozens of other people around that night, no one else seems to remember what they saw.

Then Bree receives a mysterious message from a group of “Legendborn” students — members of what turns out to be a secret society of monster-hunting students. They want to recruit Bree as a member of their team, and train and hone her talents. But Bree is more valuable than any of them realize, and the more she learns about the Legendborn society, the darker the discoveries become.

In a world devastated by callous gods, humans are clinging to the last bits of civilization they have left. Amid all this chaos is Carling, a young girl who values kindness and love despite all the darkness around her. She has faith in the Sentinels, supernatural beings who are trying to protect humanity and beat back the darkness.

Then Carling makes a shocking discovery. Her whole life, she’s been raised by her mother and father — or so she thought. But it turns out that Carling’s been born with an incredible power, one that she inherited form her true bloodline.

Now Carling is hailed as the savior of all humanity, the one who can defend them from the personification of chaos itself. All she has to guide her is her faith in humanity — and the hope that order will be able to rise above all the destruction.

For sixteen-year-old Deka, everything hinges on her village’s upcoming blood ceremony. If her blood runs red, she’ll be considered normal, and welcomed to the community. If her blood runs the unnatural gold, she’ll be ostracized for the rest of her life.

Deka is desperate for a place to belong, but the test betrays her and marks her as an outcast. Shunned from her village, Deka takes up an army recruiter’s offer and joins a regiment of girls just like her. Known as the alaki, the girls serve an emperor who promises them acceptance and security in exchange for their undying loyalty.

Desperate for a place to belong, Deka hopes that she will find kindred spirits in her sisters-in-arms. But Deka is more special than she knows — special even for an alaki. Her unique abilities make her a powerful weapon for the crown, but Deka will have to decide if the role of the chosen one is worth the cost of friendship and family.

In his spellbinding Infinity Cycle series, Adam Silvera reimagines New York City as the epicenter of this daring urban fantasy. There, twin brothers Brighton and Emil witness the brutal fighting between celestials — those born with magical powers — and the specters that feed on magical essence. Brighton has always idolized the Spell Walkers, a group of vigilante celestials who are dead set on wiping all specters out. But while Brighton wishes he had the magical powers necessary to join the Spell Walkers, Emil can’t stand them. Their brutal tactics to hunt down specters have taken a toll on the entire city, making it hard for anyone to remain safe.

But when the brothers are caught up in a violent clash between the two groups, it’s Emil whose latent powers come out in full force. Now he is the face of this movement to fight against the specters, the same role that Brighton has always desperately wanted. Read what we had to say about Infinity Reaper, the second book in the Infinity Cycle duology, here.

In a land where elves and humans wage war against each other, Jaevid Broadfeather has always had to hide his mixed heritage. Sheltered from the rest of the world, it’s a miracle that he’s offered a spot at Blybrig Academy to train as a dragonrider of the king’s forces. Attending the academy is an incredible opportunity, but a dangerous one — dragons are notorious for flinging riders off, and they can’t stand being used as mounts for the king’s forces.

When Jaevid approaches a dragon, the beast unexpectedly bows down and chooses him as its rider. The entire academy is shocked and has no choice but to accept Jaevid into their honor guard, even with his elven heritage.

But things aren’t all good fortune at Blybrig. Jaevid’s favorite instructor, Lieutenant Sile Derrick, goes missing in the dead of the night, and suspicions seem to be pointing to the king’s private guards. Torn between personal loyalty and allegiance to the crown, Jaevid must decide if he should stay and fight for his country or use his talents to find his mentor.

In their compelling novel Sister of the Chosen One, co-authors Colleen Oakes and Erin Armknecht subvert the classic “Chosen-One” trope into a truly unique story about sisterhood and self-worth. Twin sisters Valora and Grier Rigmore have lived in the shadow of a prophecy their entire lives. According to the ancient text, Valora is the hero of the prophecy and is fated to fight against the evil entity Erys. Valora has always lived in the limelight thanks to her destiny and has the adoration of thousands, but as the battle draws near, the pressure is taking its toll.

Grier, meanwhile, is tired of being viewed as a disappointment. When one boy shows interest in Grier’s own powers, however, his curiosity snowballs into a possible new discovery about the prophecy. As the showdown with Erys draws closer and the whole world hangs in the balance, a vital question still hasn’t been answered — which sister is truly the Chosen One?