The book starts out with a girl with magic eye on a flying ship to catch magic sand only she can see. She has no memory of how she grew up. At the start of the journey a man destroys the ship, but safes her. During the book(s) it is reveled that the man and she herself are basically here to destroy humanity because humanity threatens magic. Instead she decides to destroy all magic herself at the end of the last book.
Edit:
Humanity retreated to safe parts of the world where magic isn’t as strong. I think these parts are mostly cities and used completely by humans. Because the magic found in the wild and the land itself is deadly to humans, they can only traverse it using flying ships. Further they use these ships to gather magic gathered in storms to power their machinery. There is also a part where she travels with the demon boy through the wilderness which is super magical and beautiful.
TBH, I threw your description to chatgpt to see what it could make out of it, this is the response I got. Check to see it managed to get it right…
Based on the plot you provided, it sounds like you’re describing the “Grisha” trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, specifically the first book titled “Shadow and Bone.” The protagonist, Alina Starkov, possesses a dormant power known as the “Sun Summoner” which she discovers when she is aboard a flying ship called the Volcra. She has no memory of her childhood and embarks on a journey to harness her abilities. Along the way, she encounters a man named Mal who saves her when the ship is attacked. Throughout the series, Alina grapples with her identity and the choice between using her powers to save or destroy humanity, ultimately deciding to destroy magic itself. The series also features elements of a magical world, flying ships, and a dangerous wilderness filled with magic.
Sounds very little like Shadow and Bone, but good try ChatGPT. Especially after the edit, so might have been an even better try initially.
It sounds like the world of Cinder Spires meets Shadow and Bone with a hint of Golden Compass, but not enough like any of them to remotely be a match.
Good old AI hallucinations
Sounds vaguely like the His Dark Materials books by Phillip Pullman.
Nah, it’s not this trilogy. IIRC, His Dark Materials is about a girl and a boy and people’s spirit animals, parallel universes, and smiting god (probably).
It was the magic sand only she can see (dust) that was the big similarity to me.
I would describe it less as “smiting god”, and more as “indirectly rescuing god from the control of the church”. Though even that is a bit simplistic.
The “she destroys magic to save humanity” bit does thematically feel very close to the ending of His Dark Materials.
Mortal Engines? Not quite but similar vein kinda?
Kinda, but less steampunky. The air ships are more like flying boats than airships I think.
This sounds like a good book to me, really hope you find it again as I know what it’s like to vaguely remember some show, movie, or book from years ago and not know what it was called or how to find it again.
Definitely would love to read it if you find it, that sounds like a great book.
Maybe the Air Awakens series from Elise Kova?
Definitely not although I can recommend that series for fans of young adult fantasy books
Unfortunately I dont think so. But thanks!
How was that series? I almost picked it up via Audible sale, but I wasn’t sure at the time. It looked like it could have hit a few different levels of quality.
Very late reply and not from the person you originally asked but personally I really liked the series.
It’s definetely young adult oriented and has a strong romance focus though so if you don’t like that you may want to stay away from it
Nice! I read another of her’s without realizing it: The Loom saga. I enjoyed it and would read more. It seemed a lot less YA, though. So if it lines up to get it again, I’ll see how she handles that audience.
And perfect timing, it’s been a few since I checked on Lemmy.
Commenting for later. Sounds like an interesting read.
Some parts of it sound like the Stormlight Archives series
True, but thats not it
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That sounds really familiar, but I think I stopped reading it pretty early on, and I have no idea what the name was.
Good luck!
Did you ever find out what the books name was?
