Six magical schools you wish you could attend

Sasha Peyton Smith grew up in the mountains of Utah surrounded by siblings, books, and one very old cat. She attended the University of Utah and the George Washington University where she studied biology and public health. She is not a witch, though she does own a lot of crystals and always knows what phase the moon is in. She currently lives in Washington DC.

Her debut novel is The Witch Haven.

At Tor.com Smith tagged six favorite "books that take place at magical schools, some more wish-fulfilling than others." One title on the list:

Sinegard — The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

When Rin, a war orphan, aces an empire-wide test that lands her in The Academies, she’s as shocked as everyone else. Taken to Sinegard, the most elite military academy in Nikan, she soon finds not only is she extraordinarily gifted, her gifts have made her a target. A thrilling fantasy set in a world so vivid you can feel it, The Poppy War stressed me out so badly I had to keep getting up and walking around my room. Kuang deftly intertwines military history, magic, and vengeful gods into a book so good it deserved to be called, not only one of the best fantasies of 2019, but of all time.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Poppy War is among Aigner Loren Wilson's five thrilling SFF books to motivate you while exercising, Megan Whalen Turner's eight SFF books featuring deities, Jennifer Giesbrecht's top five fantasy books steeped in history, and Ross Johnson's twenty-five epic fantasies for fans of Game of Thrones.

The Page 69 Test: The Poppy War.

--Marshal Zeringue