An author has named five of her favourite books of all time. Anna Fiteni’s debut romantasy novel, The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire, draws inspiration from Welsh mythology and is a must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black.

The story revolves around Sabrina Parry, a young woman living in a Welsh mining town where her father is imprisoned and she is burdened with the task of finding a wealthy suitor for her ailing sister, Ceridwen. When Ceridwen mysteriously disappears into the woods, it falls upon Sabrina to embark on a perilous journey into Eu Gwald, the fairyland, to rescue her sister, encountering dangerous deals, an exciting quest and a captivating fae prince along the way. To celebrate the launch of her debut novel, Anna has shared her top five book recommendations, ranging from romantasy to non-fiction, reports the Mirror.

Anna’s first choice is Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, a thrilling tale about a young girl named Lyra who lives in a world where humans’ souls are embodied by animal companions called daemons. As children start to vanish without a trace, Lyra’s quest for answers leads her on a dangerous adventure that extends beyond her own world.

“This is the book that made me truly fall in love with reading – it was also the first book I remember where I felt like the main character, Lyra, was someone I understood and saw myself in,” Anna said. “It’s one of those classic fantasy stories that doesn’t get old, no matter how many times you come back to it.”

In a tranquil village cast in shadow by a sinister and perilous Wood, the inhabitants receive protection from a mighty sorcerer known as the Dragon, who demands a maiden from the settlement every 10 years in exchange.

Agnieszka dreads the moment the Dragon selects her dearest friend Kasia, yet when this year’s selection takes place, it becomes apparent she had been frightened of the wrong outcome.

“To me, this is the definitive romantasy book,” Anna said. “Uprooted is a modern fairytale that balances everything I love in a story; a complex female protagonist, a coming-of-age narrative, an eerie but beautiful setting, and a delicately handled romance.”

Jude, a human girl dwelling in the High Court of Faerie, battles to discover her position in a realm of splendour, authority and brutality. Resolved to gain recognition amongst the fae, she becomes embroiled in palace conspiracies and treacherous feuds with the potential to transform the court permanently.

Speaking about her love for the series, Anna said: “It’s just YA fantasy perfection. The plot is propulsive and full of intrigue, the characters (especially the protagonist, Jude) are multi-faceted and sharp edged, and the Fairyland presented in this book is so imaginative and unique. The second book is actually even better!”

Four people arrive at the enigmatic Hill House with a reputation for paranormal activity in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. As they remain longer within its confines, the boundary between reality and terror becomes increasingly blurred.

Anna explained: “I read this in high school and then came back to it as an adult, where I found a deeper appreciation for how Jackson writes about isolation, and manages to create a location that only exists on the page but feels unsettlingly real. It’s a classic for a reason, and I can probably recite the first page by heart.”

The Indifferent Stars Above chronicles the true story of a young woman and her family who departed Illinois in 1846 and subsequently joined a group of emigrants guided by George Donner.

Anna commented: “Though this is a nonfiction book about the Donner Party and survival cannibalism, somehow the author managed to provide facts and figures while recounting the human side of the incident so vividly and empathetically that it feels like being told a story around a campfire. It’s the only nonfiction book I’ve ever reread.”

You can buy The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni from Waterstones or Amazon now.