If you loved how Aerin ignores court whispers, teaches herself to fight, and proves everyone wrong by slaying Maur and riding back on Talat against all expectations, you'll click with Alanna disguising herself to become a knight. Like Aerin pushing past palace scorn and relying on grit (and a little kenet ingenuity), Alanna faces bullies, duels, and the sorcery of Duke Roger to forge her own path—complete with tight friendships and a complicated first love that echoes Aerin and Tor's bond.

If Aerin and Talat's trust—those long, quiet rides after disaster, and the way Talat steadies her before the final confrontations—was your favorite thread, you'll love Ani and Falada. When Ani is betrayed and exiled, her horse's counsel becomes her anchor, much like Talat’s unwavering loyalty. The story blends court danger and folklore with the same gentle strength and resilience that carry Aerin from the practice yard to Maur’s lair.

If Aerin’s relentless push—from mixing kenet to facing Maur to marching on Agsded—hooked you, Uprooted delivers that same propulsive drive. Agnieszka is thrust into training with the Dragon (a prickly wizard) and must take the fight to the malevolent Wood, a force as insidious as the old powers Aerin challenges to recover the Hero’s Crown. It’s a determined stand against an ancient blight, with wild magic that feels as untamed and intuitive as Aerin’s instincts.

If you admired how Aerin, the king’s overlooked daughter, refuses to stay sidelined—training in secret, outmatching courtiers, and returning triumphant after Maur—Katsa’s journey will resonate. Gifted with a deadly Grace, she breaks free of King Randa’s control, uncovers a conspiracy, and channels her strength to protect the vulnerable, much as Aerin turns scorn into resolve and chooses her own future beyond the palace’s expectations.

If Aerin’s quiet alienation at court—whispers about her Northern mother, the pull of old magic, and her ultimate claim to the Hero’s Crown—moved you, Tenar’s arc will, too. As the priestess Arha, she serves ancient powers in a shadowed labyrinth until she confronts their cost and chooses herself instead. The intimate focus and austere, mythic magic echo Aerin’s inward courage as much as her outward battles.