The Fire Opal Mechanism, by Fran Wilde

[Single]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Dark Fantasy Time Travel; The Jewel Series) When the Pressmen come to shut down the last university, Ania escapes with a magic jewel, long thought lost, that may hold the key to freeing the people from the Pressmen. (35,560 words; Time: 1h:58m)

Although this is set in the Jewel Universe, the connection between stories is so loose that it doesn't matter what order you read them in. See related articles on Tor.com.

Ruby, Singing, by Fran Wilde

[BCS]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Dark Fantasy; The Jewel Series) Young Mira has a gift: gemstones sing to her. She wants to use it to help her family, so she leaps at the chance to join a young man who’s hunting for a long-lost ruby mine. (7,471 words; Time: 24m)

The Jewel and Her Lapidary, by Fran Wilde

[Single]

★★★★☆ Recommended

(High Fantasy; The Jewel Series) Two teenage girls, Lin, the last Jewel, and Sima, the last Lapidary, struggle to fight the invaders who've taken the kingdom by treachery. (16,850 words; Time: 56m)

Recommended By: 🏆Hugo+2 🏆Locus+2 🏆Nebula+2 👍RHorton.r+2 👍RSR+1 (Q&A)

See related articles on Tor.com.