All the Stars and Teeth

Grace, Adalyn. All the Stars and Teeth. Book 1  of the All the Stars and Teeth series. 2020. 373p. 744 mins. ISBN 9781250307781. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Amora Montara is the first daughter and princess of the King of Visidia. Her family masters the magic of souls, and Amora and she has spent her whole life preparing to ascend the throne as the High Animancer. In this role, she will rule the islands that comprise Visidia with fairness, judging each soul on its merits. Each island is known for one type of magic, and all work together for the greater glory of Visidia.

However, not all is as it seems. The kingdom is plagued by a rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy. An entire island has been laid waste, its population now starving. When Amora fails the test designed to demonstrate that she masters the complicated soul magic, her life is immediately in danger. Her father has no choice but to imprison her until the royal council can determine what to do with her. Rescued by a handsome pirate named Bastian, and accompanied by Ferrick, her fiancee and magic healer, they depart Visidia. Bastian explains that a strange magic is at work in the rebellion, where people are wielding multiple kinds of magic instead of being limited to one. 

In order to regain her name and the right to rule the kingdom, Amora sets off to stop the rebellion, only to learn that there are far more powerful secrets out in the world she was never allowed to visit ...

Infinitum

 Fielder, Tim. Infinitum. 2021. 288p. ISBN 9780062964083.

The political marriage between King AjA Oba and of Queen Lewa resulted in the most powerful state on the African continent. United together, Oba's military skills and his physical strength, coupled with Lewa's political savviness, led to an era of prosperity and relative peace, and their names were known throughout the ancient world, from the Olmec in Central America to the Babylonians in the east. Unfortunately, the two of them were not able to conceive, so with Lewa's permission, Oba turned to Obinrin, a powerful witch, and together they had a child. When the child aged, Oba came to collect him, but Obinrin refused to turn him over. Oba kidnapped his own son and had Obinrin killed, but she cursed him that he would survive past the death of his loved ones.

Oba and Lewa lived a long time, watching their son grow and become a powerful ruler. Whereas Lewa and everyone around him grew old, Oba remained ageless, and soon saw the death of both his wife and his son. Oba's heart was crushed and he grieved for ages as his empire slowly crumbled around him. When his kingdom finally fell, Oba realized the extent of Obinrin's curse. He would live forever, and he could not be killed. 

Oba became a pilgrim, traveling the world and lending his strength where it was needed. He assaulted Rome with Hannibal, fought imperial wars in Africa, was enslaved and went to the United States, freed slaves, fought in the civil war, went back to Europe during the First World War and the Second World War, fought in Vietnam, and in Desert Storm. Throughout all of it he met people he loved, only to watch them die. Numbed to violence, Oba turned to the stock market and became rich, playing the long game. When faster-than-light travel was discovered, Oba turned his prodigious financial resources to building a new society on a faraway planet. Unfortunately, conflicts with aliens caused more destruction, and Oba once again found himself fighting, this time for humanity's very survival.