254 ratings | 61 reviews | avg rating:4.21

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A.J.’s Year In Books

A.J.’s 2025 Year in Books

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A.J. Ponder’s Followers (256)

A.J.’s Bookshelves

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A.J. Ponder

Goodreads Author

Website

https://ponderbooks.com/

Twitter

ajponderbws

Genre

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children's

Influences

J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Wynne Jones, Frances Hardinge, Roald Dahl, E.B. ...more

Member Since

April 2012

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USA Today bestselling author, and winner of the Wright-Murray Residency 2021, A.J. Ponder (BSc, Dip Teach) is the author of numerous novels and short stories including the award winning Frankie and the Netball Clone, Dying for the Record, The Sylvalla Chronicles, Wizard's Guide to Wellington and more.

A.J. lives in a hundred year old house overlooking Wellington harbour with three cats and a family all obsessed with games, books and dungeons and dragons. A.J. has a head full of monsters, and recklessly spills them onto the written page. Beware dragons, dreadbeasts, taniwha, and small children—all are equally dangerous, and capable of treading on your heart—or tearing it, still beating, from your chest.

You can find A.J. at ponderbooks.com, ...more

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Combine Editions
A.J. Ponder’s books

Average rating: 4.22 · 900 ratings · 368 reviews · 36 distinct works • Similar authors

	Quest (The Sylvalla Chronicles, #1) 3.90 avg rating — 90 ratings — published 2018 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Secret Child (The Sylvalla Chronicles #0.5) 4.13 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wizard's Guide to Wellington 3.62 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Into FaerLand 4.16 avg rating — 19 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Prophecy (The Sylvalla Chronicles, #2) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dragon Transport & Pacification Society: An Almost Cosy Fantasy with Trolls and Dragons (and the Occasional Demon) (The Dragon Society Papers Book 1) 4.73 avg rating — 11 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Secret Story 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Into Brocéliande (Blood of the Fae Book 2) 4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Omens (The Sylvalla Chronicles, #3) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2019 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Sylvalla Chronicles: Quest, Prophecy & Omens 4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by A.J. Ponder…

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A.J. Ponder's Blog

The World is Spinning

The world, my friend, is spinningAround a fire as hot as hellAnd the thread that keeps you down to earth Is a gravity well But if the Earth was hangingBy a silken thread
Would you cut it? For we can see the scissors in the scienceAs we watch some money-grubbing foolsSnipping away At the blanket that keeps us cool And so the fates would have us hanging
Witch, Female, Girl, Fantasy Girl

By a single silken threadSo, will you cut it? Read more of this blog post »

View more on A.J. Ponder's website »

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Published on July 08, 2025 01:07

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Series by A.J. Ponder

The Sylvalla Chronicles (3 books)
by

A.J. Ponder (Goodreads Author)

3.98 avg rating — 154 ratings

Blood of the Fae (3 books)
by

A.J. Ponder (Goodreads Author)

4.25 avg rating — 32 ratings

A.J. is Currently Reading

A.J. is currently reading

Nothing More Than Zero (The Dragon's Honor #1)

by C.H. Smith (Goodreads Author)

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Dec 05, 2025 03:26AM

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The Rebellious Fae And Her Irresistible Rival (Cozy Fae Guides)

by Ariana Jade

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Nov 12, 2025 04:37AM

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The Tea Witch's Secret (Purple Oak Oasis #1.5)

by Laura Greenwood (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 11, 2025 03:32AM

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A.J. finished reading Climbing the Ranks 1 (Climbing the Ranks #1) by Tao Wong (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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On The Same Page : Papua New Guinea/Polynesia	4	9	May 28, 2023 11:00AM

A.J.’s Quotes

“Where is your sense of patriotism?"

I keep it hid away safe, along with my sense of trust, Mr. Clent. I don't use 'em much in case they get scratched.”
― Frances Hardinge, Fly by Night

53 likes

“So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

tags: decisions, gandalf, steadfastness, truths

607 likes

“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.”
― Eugene Victor Debs

tags: authoritarianism, deception, exploitation, fundamentalism, nationalism, oppression, patriotism, religion, totalitarianism, tyranny

502 likes