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The Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete--all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA...
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The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate

The Andalite Chronicles is the story of Aximili's brother, Elfangor, how he fought, hid, lived/loved, and returned as a hero. We learn more about Taxxons, Alloran's fate, and why Visser Three hates Elfangor. A solid prequel/midquel at the same time, don't miss it.

I'm appreciating on this read-through how the story threads pick up from the Hork-Bajir Chronicles to the Andalite Chronicles to create the conditions in the background when the whole Animorphs series starts. These should definitely be read where I have placed them if it's your first readthrough, but it is possible to read this as a prequel to the entire series if it's not your first time.

I really like Elfangor's story and how much it communicates by what he does and does not assume is normal. There really is a different perspective to the story when the narrators are not human, and this one is very well done.

As a mix between a prequel and a midquel, this is difficult to discuss without spoiling major revelations in the main series, but if you really don't care about series spoilers this could be read on its own as a self-contained (and really great) story.

A blue centaur-like alien (Elfangor the Andalite) stands with a sun framed behind his head

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