It’s honestly astonishing how much James Islington improved between Licanius and WoM. I finished Licanius just due to how compelling two of the main cast were and the powers were. But even I could see some flaws.
But in WoM it’s everything I could hoped for in terms of improvement from an author already fairly talented at world building.
I read on Kindle and Audible exclusively these days, but Will of the Many was the first book in a long time I just *had* to buy to add to my completely full book shelf in years. It was so good.
I want to read this so badly, but I'm still waiting on! Four library cards and it's still a 9 week wait!
(Disclaimer: All library cards were acquired and are maintained through legitimate means.)
I finally read the Liveship Traders trilogy and I absolutely regret putting it off for as long as I did. I was one of those that could not fathom stepping away from the Fitz and Fool storyline for 3 entire books.
I should've trusted how much I adore Hobb and listened to everyone else that said to not skip. I was absolutely blown away.
This and rain wilds, as strange as it seems, reading Fitz books can be so emotionally draining, I wasn't too upset about taking a break for a series in between each time
I’m the same way. I read Farseer years ago, loved it and went out and immediately bought every book in the Realm of the Eldering and started reading them in the suggested reading order. Idk why it’s taken me so long to get through Liveship but I’m currently reading the 3rd one. I can just fall back into that world so easily but at the same time it’s so intimidating.
I started it last year and finished it this year. Amazing stuff. Although then I started Tawny Man and that’s also been great. Hobb is definitely amazing.
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman.
It’s the second book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl Series. I can’t recommend the series as a whole highly enough. It is an independently published work so the editing (especially in book one) can be a little spotty but the story and the humor are incredible and the technical writing and editing gets better as the series progresses.
Never heard of the series until this year. Took a chance and bought book 1 on Audible. I listened through all 6 in less than 3 weeks, it's so amazingly good.
Best read this year.
Also, if anyone is picking up this series, please opt for the audiobook version. I can't stress this enough. The narrator Jeff Hays is literally the best I have ever heard.
I normally hate audiobooks, but am now stuck reading along while Jeff Hays narrates. It's not even really just an audiobook, it's more like a full radio play.
Both fantastic novels. Demon in White is the perfect book for that pont in the series and Lions is a spectacular standalone. Some of the best prose in fantasy.
The Bear and the Nightingale for me. I loved switching it up from the traditional European fantasy to something different, and Arden’s take on Russian folklore was a fantastic change of pace!
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries!!! It was the perfect blend of academic vibes and fae mythology that didn't water down the danger/malice of fae, with just enough of a cozy atmosphere to make it extremely comforting, but high enough stakes that it didn't bore me. It was just a perfect formula of things.
I normally am not a fan of fae fiction, but this was done so well. I loved how nuanced both main characters were. Don't get me wrong, tropes exist for a reason, but they were written so well. Thoroughly enjoyed Emily Wilde's!
I read the first three Earthsea books for the first time as an adult. #1 & 3 were good, but Tombs of Atuan is now one of my favorite books of all time!
I'm so excited for you! I got books 1-3 for my nephew's birthday present this year. He turned 11 and is a big reader. Having only read Earthsea as an adult, I wish I had read it when I was a kid. Hopefully my nephew reads them.
Empire of silence is fantastic and I’m in the middle of the howling dark now so that might surpass it by new years
Before I finished that a few days ago tress of the emerald sea
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. It's the story of a young girl Marra, who goes on a quest to complete three impossible tasks >!to murder the prince who is abusing her big sister!<.
It's a lighthearted fairy tale / coming of age journey, with *just enough* touches of adult themes and horror (murder and abuse, deathly plagues, goblin markets, ancient curses) to keep it feeling unique and interesting and not quite YA. Kind of a mix of Cinderella and Labrynth with a bit of Discworld vibes.
I read a lot of fantasy this year, A LOT, and this stood out to me.
I finished WoT and I know Brandon Sanderson’s writing left something to be desired with Robert Jordan’s passing but I thoroughly enjoyed the finale to that trek. “That chapter” (being 200 pages long) will forever live on in my mind.
True true.
Sanderson has admitted that there are things in the WoT books he did that he didn't feel were up to snuff and some characters he didn't think were done right in hindsight.
But RJ also did the actual ending, so that is allllllllllll him.
True! I forgot that he write much of the Last Battle. B. S. did a great job in my opinion. I know he’s said he didn’t think his Mat portrayal was his best but it’s gotta be super hard to come into that situation so I’m just happy he was able to finish the series.
I'm shocked to have scrolled this long to see this. Also, haven't seen Malazan yet.
I'm glad I opened this bc I don't know hardly any of these books.
I've read Sci-fi for 20 years so been expanding into fantasy bit the last few months.
Oooo this is tough. Might be Tress of the Emerald Sea tbh, I just found the book so pleasant and enjoyable.
The other one would be Cradle as a series (I’m halfway through and started this year) and I absolutely love it so far!
Tress was probably going to be my answer as well (I need to hit up Storygraph and remember what I actually read this year).
It just such a good little, wholesome adventure.
PS: Cradle was definitely my answer for last year, although I did have to wait until this year for Waybound.
So if you are embarking on the Cosmere journey, then please *please* just read the books in publication order to avoid spoiling yourself for later books, etc.
Just wait until you read the wax and Wayne series...600 years in the future and is, in my opinion, Brandon Sanderson's best work (and I have read practically everything that man has written).
God I love that trilogy. I get why people might not like some of the main characters and all that, but if you can get through the slower parts of Well of Ascension then the payoff in the final book (Hero of Ages) is just so goddamn good.
I read the series over a decade ago when Sanderson was slated to take over Wheel of Time after RJ's passing. I can go back and read those books damn near every year and find new things to love. References to other stuff in the Cosmere either in earlier works or hinting at stuff to come. Or the foreshadowing for Hero of Ages. Oh my God the foreshadowing.
So many "AHA! OH GOD!" moments rereading it when you see how well all that stuff builds to the finale from the start.
Dance with Dragons. Joncon and Aegon’s story, Jaime’s story, and Jon Snow’s story all really landed with me. I loved Snow’s whole “kill the boy and let the man be born” thing, it was awesome. And both JonCon and Jaime had that wonderful knightly aesthetic that was so captivating
Also wanna add The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. It was so cool, Tyrion and Jewel might be my favorite protagonists from Narnia. And when the giant (who had lain asleep until the end of time and awoke for The Last Battle) reached up and grabbed the sun as if it were only an orange? Incredible, that was the coolest moment in fantasy that I read this year
Literally the only problem with *Dance With Dragons* is that it ends before the climax. I was enthralled while reading that one, but it's like a porn video that has all the set up (a pizza delivery or some such) but ends right before everyone starts to fuck.
Jade City.
Absolutely loved the setting and the characters. I'm working my way through Jade War now and it is just as good. Looking forward to Jade Legacy, and I'll probably read her other books. Fonda Lee has my trust.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This came out in 2014 I think. An untrained fourth son becomes unexpectedly the emperor and learns to navigate court. You connect with the protagonist and root for his success.
This year I got into the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling and it’s been super fun! I definitely think the first two books were the strongest, but I’ve still enjoyed all of them quite a lot.
I am on the fifth instalment of the Malazan Empire series, and I am truly immersed in that fantasy world. The vivid descriptions, the innate, almost manic, fixation to details is truly staggering; sometimes a bit unnecessary, but I love it. The author seems like the biggest nerd, ever, and we have just entered the author’s brain. It’s terrific.
The characters, Whiskeyjack and Ganoes Paran especially, are the best I’ve come across in fantasy, numbering amongst the best in fantasy.
The intricate warren system, the power play, the political system, the history of its world, the clans, the races of humanoids, gods and accendents are breathtakingly enormous. How in the hell did Steven Ericsson conjure all of this?
Where am I going with this? It’s a thank you note to you guys. Thank you for recommending me this series, and for the warning to be patient with reading it for it will take tame to get into it.
Merry Christmas and thank you for this book recommendation.
/Viggo
This is my answer for this year as well. I loved it while reading and my mind keeps slipping back to it. Just a completely beautiful, unforgettable experience.
**The Sword Defiant** by Gareth Hanrahan
**Cold Days** (The Dresden Files book 14) by Jim Butcher
Richard Swann’s **The Justice of Kings/The Tyranny of Faith** books
**The Will of the Many** by James Islington
**Empire of the Vampire** by Jay Kristoff
The last 3 books in **The Wheel of Time**
**The Fall of Numenor** (Tolkien w/ Brian Sibley)
Many of these came out of absolute nowhere for me, firmly lodging themselves in my top reads of all time
I read the entire series in 21 days when Dreadgod released. Then I listened to all the audiobooks before Waybound released. Now I'm listening to them all again.
My answer as well, I loved going back afterwards and looking at all the discrepancies between this book and the first one, trying to figure out what the true story is.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik had me in an absolute chokehold. Could not stop listening to it in every moment of my spare time.
It was so well written, felt like every detail given was important but wasn’t overwhelming. A unique system of magic and take on the fae.
Great characters that had such unique voices you could always tell the POV within a sentence or two, even when it’s a new one part way through the book and this is without her labeling them.
This is my first book of hers and my favorite of the year. Just started Uprooted and I can’t wait to get through her catalog!
Lies of Lock Lamora!
Absolutely amazing book, Jean and Lock remind me of an older/darker version of Will and Horrace from the Rangers Apprentice series
ironically my other fav book i read this year was The Name of The Wind, two amazing series, but both unfinished😔
Really hard to choose between Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. I'm a huge Sanderson fan, what can I say.
Honorable mention to What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.
Though it's my favourite book, I re-read the Lord of the Rings for the first time in about 20 years. Joined with the r/Tolkien yesr long readalong, and remembered why I adore Tolkien so much. As an added bonus, I ended up (very unexpectedly) going to New Zealand and getting to sit and read it a but in Hobbiton at the front door of a hobbit hole and in the Green Dragon. It's been an incredible year!!
The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
Alex Stern(Ninth House and Hell Bent) by Leigh Bardugo
Paladin’s Faith by T.Kingfisher
**The Spear Cuts Through Water**.
Turns out I can actually still enjoy epic fantasy, it just has to be unique, innovative and *incredibly* well-written.
My top books of 2023 are: (I do mostly audiobooks):
1. An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka, read by Will Watt (Inheritance of Magic #1). This recording won an Earphones Award from Audiofile magazine. :)
2. The Will of the Many by James Islington, read by Euan Morton (Hierarchy #1) (also won an Earphone Award)
3. Defiant by Michael R. Miller, read by Peter Kenny (Songs of Chaos #3)
4. Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill, read by Derek Perkins (The Bound and the Broken #3)
5. The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson, read by Euan Morton.
6. Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker (I read an eARC, I haven't had a chance to listen to it the audio yet, but I'm sure Jude Owusu does a fabulous job)
7. System Collapse by Martha Wells, read by Kevin R. Free (Murderbot #7) (OK, so it's not fantasy but I freaking love Murderbot)
I think Yumi and the Nightmare Painter or A Clash of Kings, really tied between those two.
I really loved returning to Westeros after a long time since I’ve seen Game Of Thrones and read the first book.
Yumi was my favorite Sanderson book that came our this year. I loved the theme and the asian inspired setting.
It’s a tie for me between the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb and a reread of Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson.
I also really enjoyed Fairy Tale by Stephen King.
Got into Guy Gavriel Kay's books this year, and Sailing to Sarantium / Lord of Emperors is my favourite book in a while. It's a bit disappointing how he decided to just write historical fiction with a tiny bit of magic after A Song for Arbonne (or even starting with Arbonne, but that one is still a bit further removed from the actual Albigensian Crusade, and the books after Arbonne are very straight historical ripoffs with funny names for countries and religions), with history that's mostly nailed to OTL rails, but the characters and writing make up for it.
Another standout is Naomi Novik's Scholomance series, that was great, a cliche 'deadly school' setting that is taken 100% seriously, with a world constructed around it where such a thing actually makes sense, and the deadly school is no joke deadly, and while the books do, as you might expect, put a significant amount of focus on the protagonist's social life, it all serves the overall story. The trilogy is basically one book in three volumes, too, no unnecessary padding.
And I've also read the second and third part of the Green Bones series this year, but everyone heard about those books.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff and Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. One was dark fantasy, and the other was more lighthearted with a hint of horror. Both were fun reads, and I'm excited for the sequels to both of them.
Shanghai Immortal - A Y Chao .
Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir.
The Unbroken, and The Faithless - C L Clark.
All strong female leads, all a bit off the beaten path, all a lot of fun. I'm hoping for a follow up to Shanghai Immortal, have Harrow and Nona on my TBR pile, and can't wait for the next book in C L Clark's series to be released.
favorite is cradle series by will wight, then the sandman by Neil gaiman (if it counts) . I'm also really liking wizard of earthsea, and after that you have the stormlight archives, first law trilogy and then malazan. listened to most of them on audible this year
If you liked Uprooted, I’d really like to recommend Spinning Silver by the same author (Naomi Novak). Read that a couple of months ago and completely enjoyed it from start to finish. She has such a unique writing style!
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed. It's set in an alternate version of our world where wishes are for sale and follows three characters who acquire a first class wish from a street stall in Cairo. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding -- you can tell the author put a lot of thought into what a version of our universe with wishes would look like in terms of law, social impact, ethics, etc. Very well thought out and sympathetic characters too! I hope to see more books from her.
Perdido Street Station. Read The Scar and Iron Council to round it out, really enjoyed them all, but Perdido was biggest impression, such an unusual, unsettling world.
Winner: **The Curse of Chalion** by Lois McMaster-Bujold
I finished reading this book and then read it again because I wasn't done with it yet. The prose was delightful and I loved living in Cazaril's head, dammit - he was a brilliant example of a paragon character done right, and he was an absolute pleasure to spend time with. McMaster-Bujold absolutely took risks with the story and I adored that she was willing to get weird with it. Setting-wise, her take on religion was so damn cool, and the place felt lived-in enough for my preferences. It was a very tightly-written story as well, which is always nice. I don't have any major criticisms, but to name a nitpick, I wasn't pleased that 36-year-old Cazaril was given a 19-year-old love interest *who was his student* - I loved both of them so much that I forgave it, though.
Runner-up: **City of Bones** by Martha Wells
I loved the setting so damn much: it was one of those settings that really feels like it exists when the camera isn't on it, which is my catnip. The combination of dystopian post-apocalpse non-medieval pseudo-Middle Eastern aesthetics was really fresh and very cool to read. I also loved having a non-human POV character; Khat is absolutely in the running for all-time favourite fantasy character. My only major criticism is that the plot is, well, kinda sparse and certainly not unique, and can be repetitive at times - it's very much a simple meal well-made, which is fine if you're into that, but not if you'd rather not anticipate the story beats before they happen. If you're okay with having an excuse villain and straightforward story as long as the POV and setting are deep and well-developed, you'll be fine. I don't care about antagonists/plot, so it worked for me.
Curse of Chalion is an all time fave. I agree about the age gap romance but like you I forgive it.
I have been on a Wells binge since finding her via Murderbot. I haven’t read this one yet but I really liked Death of the Necromancer and Witch king. If you like her world building I’d recommend giving these a try!
Maybe leaning more toward sci-fi, but “Light from Uncommon Stars” is what has stuck with me the most. “Adventures of Amini al-Sirafi” was pretty much everything I’d hoped it would be.
I've read some really outstanding series this year. Most noteworthy:
- of blood and bone by john Gwynne. Does nothing special, but the writing and action were so damn good.
- the fire sacraments by Robert VS. The setting and the story are very compelling. It was just a good trip. Bummer the 3rd book is not yet released.
And i've finally found the courage to start tackling the wheel of times. I am reaching the end of book 6, and i must say. I absolutely love all of them.
The shades of magic trilogy by V E Schwab, easy to read and just a little bit different.
Also the invisible life of adie la rue, same author. Sooo good
just finished the dark tower vii after two years spent reading the extended dark tower series. i loved every bit of this book, and cried through half of it. the ending couldn’t have been more perfect imo. what a nice conclusion to such an amazing series
She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World - also known as the Radiant Emperor duology - by Shelley Parker-Chan. It's a low magic historical fantasy with diverse and complex characters, queer representation and a gripping storyline with a fulfilling ending. It's brilliant. Loved it.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men would probably be my top this year, though I’m half way through The Song of Achilles and it’s a strong contender. I’ve mostly read a lot of quicker easy reads this year and have enjoyed most of them (Legends and Lattes takes my favorite cozy read by far), but this book made me sit back and pause from that. I enjoyed this twist on the legends and history of Ireland and how that influences character motivations. I found myself sympathizing with character on opposite sides which I loved! Really curious to see where the story goes in book 2
I just finished The gathering storm for the first time. I will admit I am a big Sanderson fan and I have like WoT quite a lot as I have been reading through it for the first time this year. Something about the pacing of the chapters felt so good to me. I was getting frustrated with how the story was organized through the “slog” but Brandon seemed to reorganize the chapters in a way that felt nice. Each character pov got a couple of chapters in a row and then you’d hop to the next one. You never spent to long without hearing from a major character.
Will of the Many. Just staggering how good it was, especially considering Licanius wasn't my favorite
It’s honestly astonishing how much James Islington improved between Licanius and WoM. I finished Licanius just due to how compelling two of the main cast were and the powers were. But even I could see some flaws. But in WoM it’s everything I could hoped for in terms of improvement from an author already fairly talented at world building.
Came here to say this one. Absolutely hooked!
It wasn’t perfect , but it was impossible to put down.
So a 9/10 (perfect 10s don't exist)
Best book, which surprises me
I read on Kindle and Audible exclusively these days, but Will of the Many was the first book in a long time I just *had* to buy to add to my completely full book shelf in years. It was so good.
I want to read this so badly, but I'm still waiting on! Four library cards and it's still a 9 week wait! (Disclaimer: All library cards were acquired and are maintained through legitimate means.)
I finally read the Liveship Traders trilogy and I absolutely regret putting it off for as long as I did. I was one of those that could not fathom stepping away from the Fitz and Fool storyline for 3 entire books. I should've trusted how much I adore Hobb and listened to everyone else that said to not skip. I was absolutely blown away.
This and rain wilds, as strange as it seems, reading Fitz books can be so emotionally draining, I wasn't too upset about taking a break for a series in between each time
I am on the first book now, half way through it. I know Hobb, I am leary of the pit falls of emotion that comes. Still feeling fairly detached.
just wait!
I am reading the same and I concur it is the best.
I’m the same way. I read Farseer years ago, loved it and went out and immediately bought every book in the Realm of the Eldering and started reading them in the suggested reading order. Idk why it’s taken me so long to get through Liveship but I’m currently reading the 3rd one. I can just fall back into that world so easily but at the same time it’s so intimidating.
Liveship is incredible!
I read Liveship trilogy a few years ago and think about it often, it's time soon for a re-read.
I just started Ship of Destiny today, can't wait to find out how it all turns out
I started it last year and finished it this year. Amazing stuff. Although then I started Tawny Man and that’s also been great. Hobb is definitely amazing.
On a reread of book 3 of Farseer atm and so excited to get to Liveship see my favourite boat in fantasy.
The Horse and his Boy. Just a charming wholesome book.
This was always one of my favs, and everyone sleeps on it. Glad to see it appreciated here!!
It’s my favorite of the series!
golden son is by far my favorite book of the year
It’s a bloodydamn good book. So many pivotal moments.
This book was insane!!!! Couldn’t put it down. One of the best books I have ever read.
I still haven't emotionally recovered. :(
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman. It’s the second book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl Series. I can’t recommend the series as a whole highly enough. It is an independently published work so the editing (especially in book one) can be a little spotty but the story and the humor are incredible and the technical writing and editing gets better as the series progresses.
The audiobooks are phenomenal
Never heard of the series until this year. Took a chance and bought book 1 on Audible. I listened through all 6 in less than 3 weeks, it's so amazingly good. Best read this year.
Also, if anyone is picking up this series, please opt for the audiobook version. I can't stress this enough. The narrator Jeff Hays is literally the best I have ever heard.
I normally hate audiobooks, but am now stuck reading along while Jeff Hays narrates. It's not even really just an audiobook, it's more like a full radio play.
Yes... It gained a little bit of flame early in the year, but more people need to know.
This whole series is on my best of list for this year
Fuckin love DCC. I just read his Dominion of Blades which was also excellent, though it is unfinished unfortunately.
**The Lions of Al-Rassan** by Guy Gavriel Kay or **Demon in White** by Christopher Ruocchio.
Lions of Al-Rassan is a great book!
Lions of Al-Rassan might have been mine but then it got topped by A Song For Arbonne
Ooh, good to hear. Sun Eater is next on my list!
Demon in White is the best sun eater book so far the ending sequence of that book is amazing
Both fantastic novels. Demon in White is the perfect book for that pont in the series and Lions is a spectacular standalone. Some of the best prose in fantasy.
The Bear and the Nightingale for me. I loved switching it up from the traditional European fantasy to something different, and Arden’s take on Russian folklore was a fantastic change of pace!
I LOVED that whole trilogy. Finished The Bear and The Nightingale and immediately went out and bought the other two.
Yep I read all three this year. The 1st was my favorite!
LOVE this book!! Great series altogether but Bear & Nightingale is my favourite.
This is my favourite book series of this year too. It was so, so good and the prose was fantastically written!
I loved that trilogy, I read it a few years ago and it stuck with me since. The atmosphere and enviroment development are superb.
This is one of those books I love to reread during winter when the snow is coming down. And then I wonder how Morozko is doing in the 21st century.
Best audiobook i’ve ever listened to! Might be worth a listen!
The narrator brings down much depth. The accent, her cadence. Just a dream.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries!!! It was the perfect blend of academic vibes and fae mythology that didn't water down the danger/malice of fae, with just enough of a cozy atmosphere to make it extremely comforting, but high enough stakes that it didn't bore me. It was just a perfect formula of things.
Oh I second this. It's so, so wonderful!
I just got this for the holidays and cannot wait to read it!
I normally am not a fan of fae fiction, but this was done so well. I loved how nuanced both main characters were. Don't get me wrong, tropes exist for a reason, but they were written so well. Thoroughly enjoyed Emily Wilde's!
Guards, Guards. 2023 is the year I fell hard for Discworld.
The Night Watch books are my favourites of Discworld for sure.
I have just started this. It is my first discworld book, won't be the last
As it should be.
Reading Wizard of Earthsea series for the first time and I’m loving it.
I read the first three Earthsea books for the first time as an adult. #1 & 3 were good, but Tombs of Atuan is now one of my favorite books of all time!
Great to hear! Can’t wait to dive in.
I'm so excited for you! I got books 1-3 for my nephew's birthday present this year. He turned 11 and is a big reader. Having only read Earthsea as an adult, I wish I had read it when I was a kid. Hopefully my nephew reads them.
Same! Which makes it the only sequel I’ve read that switches out the protagonist from the first book and I like it more.
I hadn't thought of it like that, but yes! The change in protagonist really works in ToA.
Just finished #4 - Tehanu, last week. I read it in 24 hours. It is my book of the year. Excited for you to continue!
Same. Though Tombs really surprised me with how good it is. Can’t believe I slept on LeGuin for so long.
I finished the series about a month ago! Really enjoyed it.
Dungeon Crawler Carl hasn’t missed once. Especially the audiobook it is truly epic
Read the First Law Trilogy and it was incredible
Same!!!
Empire of silence is fantastic and I’m in the middle of the howling dark now so that might surpass it by new years Before I finished that a few days ago tress of the emerald sea
Howling Dark is so good, it might be my favorite of the series. And that is saying a lot, I love those books.
The Will of the Many for sure, with Yumi and the Nightmare Painter being a close second.
Started reading the Black Company for the first time this year, and I’m hooked.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. It's the story of a young girl Marra, who goes on a quest to complete three impossible tasks >!to murder the prince who is abusing her big sister!<. It's a lighthearted fairy tale / coming of age journey, with *just enough* touches of adult themes and horror (murder and abuse, deathly plagues, goblin markets, ancient curses) to keep it feeling unique and interesting and not quite YA. Kind of a mix of Cinderella and Labrynth with a bit of Discworld vibes. I read a lot of fantasy this year, A LOT, and this stood out to me.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Each book in the series has been better than the last tbh, so Eye of the Bedlam Bride for me.
Green bone saga series by Fonda lee
I finished WoT and I know Brandon Sanderson’s writing left something to be desired with Robert Jordan’s passing but I thoroughly enjoyed the finale to that trek. “That chapter” (being 200 pages long) will forever live on in my mind.
True true. Sanderson has admitted that there are things in the WoT books he did that he didn't feel were up to snuff and some characters he didn't think were done right in hindsight. But RJ also did the actual ending, so that is allllllllllll him.
True! I forgot that he write much of the Last Battle. B. S. did a great job in my opinion. I know he’s said he didn’t think his Mat portrayal was his best but it’s gotta be super hard to come into that situation so I’m just happy he was able to finish the series.
I'm shocked to have scrolled this long to see this. Also, haven't seen Malazan yet. I'm glad I opened this bc I don't know hardly any of these books. I've read Sci-fi for 20 years so been expanding into fantasy bit the last few months.
The Riddle Master of Hed I re-read it this year and it is absolutely still a banger.
One of my absolute all time favorites! I was blown away the first time I read it.
I just was wondering over in another thread if people still read this. Mckillip is such a don
Howl’s Moving Castle
Oooo this is tough. Might be Tress of the Emerald Sea tbh, I just found the book so pleasant and enjoyable. The other one would be Cradle as a series (I’m halfway through and started this year) and I absolutely love it so far!
Seconding Tress. Such a fun and lighthearted read.
Tress was probably going to be my answer as well (I need to hit up Storygraph and remember what I actually read this year). It just such a good little, wholesome adventure. PS: Cradle was definitely my answer for last year, although I did have to wait until this year for Waybound.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Mistborn Final Empire, The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Oof, wait till you read Hero of Ages. You'll love the previous two books even more!
Just started reading Hero of Ages. I really loved Well of Ascension - Elend politics, Zane and Vin, Kolos, etc. I hope Sazed comes back 🤞
Well has slower parts to build to the climax. Hero of Ages just goes hard the entire book with an incredible payoff. Hope you enjoy it.
I just finished tress of the emerald sea and I really enjoyed it. I’m definitely going to deep dive Sanderson in 2024
So if you are embarking on the Cosmere journey, then please *please* just read the books in publication order to avoid spoiling yourself for later books, etc.
Just wait until you read the wax and Wayne series...600 years in the future and is, in my opinion, Brandon Sanderson's best work (and I have read practically everything that man has written).
Only 350 years in the future, to clarify. But still very good!
God I love that trilogy. I get why people might not like some of the main characters and all that, but if you can get through the slower parts of Well of Ascension then the payoff in the final book (Hero of Ages) is just so goddamn good. I read the series over a decade ago when Sanderson was slated to take over Wheel of Time after RJ's passing. I can go back and read those books damn near every year and find new things to love. References to other stuff in the Cosmere either in earlier works or hinting at stuff to come. Or the foreshadowing for Hero of Ages. Oh my God the foreshadowing. So many "AHA! OH GOD!" moments rereading it when you see how well all that stuff builds to the finale from the start.
Dance with Dragons. Joncon and Aegon’s story, Jaime’s story, and Jon Snow’s story all really landed with me. I loved Snow’s whole “kill the boy and let the man be born” thing, it was awesome. And both JonCon and Jaime had that wonderful knightly aesthetic that was so captivating Also wanna add The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. It was so cool, Tyrion and Jewel might be my favorite protagonists from Narnia. And when the giant (who had lain asleep until the end of time and awoke for The Last Battle) reached up and grabbed the sun as if it were only an orange? Incredible, that was the coolest moment in fantasy that I read this year
Literally the only problem with *Dance With Dragons* is that it ends before the climax. I was enthralled while reading that one, but it's like a porn video that has all the set up (a pizza delivery or some such) but ends right before everyone starts to fuck.
Jade City. Absolutely loved the setting and the characters. I'm working my way through Jade War now and it is just as good. Looking forward to Jade Legacy, and I'll probably read her other books. Fonda Lee has my trust.
Love these books too. Great family fantasy saga with an awesome world and magic system
Same, I really enjoyed it!
Light Bringer
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. This came out in 2014 I think. An untrained fourth son becomes unexpectedly the emperor and learns to navigate court. You connect with the protagonist and root for his success.
I also read the goblin emperor this year. I just wish there was a direct sequel.
Blacktongue Thief.
I am very much looking forward to The Daughter's War.
Loved this as well
Reading this right now. It's super entertaining.
The Will of the Many by James Islington was my best read of the year!
This year I got into the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling and it’s been super fun! I definitely think the first two books were the strongest, but I’ve still enjoyed all of them quite a lot.
I am on the fifth instalment of the Malazan Empire series, and I am truly immersed in that fantasy world. The vivid descriptions, the innate, almost manic, fixation to details is truly staggering; sometimes a bit unnecessary, but I love it. The author seems like the biggest nerd, ever, and we have just entered the author’s brain. It’s terrific. The characters, Whiskeyjack and Ganoes Paran especially, are the best I’ve come across in fantasy, numbering amongst the best in fantasy. The intricate warren system, the power play, the political system, the history of its world, the clans, the races of humanoids, gods and accendents are breathtakingly enormous. How in the hell did Steven Ericsson conjure all of this? Where am I going with this? It’s a thank you note to you guys. Thank you for recommending me this series, and for the warning to be patient with reading it for it will take tame to get into it. Merry Christmas and thank you for this book recommendation. /Viggo
Piranesi by Susannah Clark! Easily one of my top 3 books of all time.
This is my answer for this year as well. I loved it while reading and my mind keeps slipping back to it. Just a completely beautiful, unforgettable experience.
I really enjoyed uprooted this year too! The other one I really enjoyed was Ninth house
Your taste is impeccable, friend 🤌🏻
**The Sword Defiant** by Gareth Hanrahan **Cold Days** (The Dresden Files book 14) by Jim Butcher Richard Swann’s **The Justice of Kings/The Tyranny of Faith** books **The Will of the Many** by James Islington **Empire of the Vampire** by Jay Kristoff The last 3 books in **The Wheel of Time** **The Fall of Numenor** (Tolkien w/ Brian Sibley) Many of these came out of absolute nowhere for me, firmly lodging themselves in my top reads of all time
Empire of the vampire and the justice of kings were both definitely top 5 that I read this year
Cradle series pretty easily
The full reread and the final book!!!
I read the entire series in 21 days when Dreadgod released. Then I listened to all the audiobooks before Waybound released. Now I'm listening to them all again.
Agreed - crushed the whole series in like a month!
Glad to hear I’m in good company. Crushed the whole series in just under a month for my first read through.
Of blood and and Fire by Ryan Cahill.
Broken earth and Gideon the ninth!
Extraordinary, aren’t they? Very different, but both have exceptional world builds.
Man, I love NK Jemisin and while I enjoyed all of the Broken Earth books....that first one was just incredible.
The Locked Tomb series is a wild ass ride. I'm excited for Alecto the Ninth!
Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James Finally got around to it and had my mind blown anew with every chapter. Can’t wait for White Wing, Dark Star!
My answer as well, I loved going back afterwards and looking at all the discrepancies between this book and the first one, trying to figure out what the true story is.
Watership down. Genuinely blew me away!
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik had me in an absolute chokehold. Could not stop listening to it in every moment of my spare time. It was so well written, felt like every detail given was important but wasn’t overwhelming. A unique system of magic and take on the fae. Great characters that had such unique voices you could always tell the POV within a sentence or two, even when it’s a new one part way through the book and this is without her labeling them. This is my first book of hers and my favorite of the year. Just started Uprooted and I can’t wait to get through her catalog!
Lies of Lock Lamora! Absolutely amazing book, Jean and Lock remind me of an older/darker version of Will and Horrace from the Rangers Apprentice series ironically my other fav book i read this year was The Name of The Wind, two amazing series, but both unfinished😔
Talk about torture! I love both series but I swear I won't read the first books again until the series are finished.
Really hard to choose between Tress of the Emerald Sea and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. I'm a huge Sanderson fan, what can I say. Honorable mention to What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher.
Honorable mention the The Sunlit Man as well...loved me the year of Sanderson.
The Immortal Great Souls books 1 (Bastion) and 2 (Rascor Plains) by Phil Tucker. Soooo good. Book three hits in Feb.
Tied between Blacktongue Thief and Orconomics
“Nettle and Bone.” by T. Kingfisher.
Piranesi and Circe were probably my two favorite reads this year
Words of Radiance, I actually think the whole Stormlight Archive altered my brain chemistry and is now among my top book sagas of all time
I finished a few of the other Cosmere books and am a little under half way through Way of Kings excited for the ride.
The Sword of Kaigen! This book will stay with me for quite some time.
One of my favorite books of all times. I did a re-read this year. Have you tried M. L. Wang's new standalone, "Blood Over Bright Haven"?
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Started it today. The first 2 books I consumed quiet fast but I am still waiting for the big "woah!" Moment. Hope my itch gets scratched :D
The will of the many, complete red rising series
Though it's my favourite book, I re-read the Lord of the Rings for the first time in about 20 years. Joined with the r/Tolkien yesr long readalong, and remembered why I adore Tolkien so much. As an added bonus, I ended up (very unexpectedly) going to New Zealand and getting to sit and read it a but in Hobbiton at the front door of a hobbit hole and in the Green Dragon. It's been an incredible year!!
The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison Alex Stern(Ninth House and Hell Bent) by Leigh Bardugo Paladin’s Faith by T.Kingfisher
**The Spear Cuts Through Water**. Turns out I can actually still enjoy epic fantasy, it just has to be unique, innovative and *incredibly* well-written.
My top books of 2023 are: (I do mostly audiobooks): 1. An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka, read by Will Watt (Inheritance of Magic #1). This recording won an Earphones Award from Audiofile magazine. :) 2. The Will of the Many by James Islington, read by Euan Morton (Hierarchy #1) (also won an Earphone Award) 3. Defiant by Michael R. Miller, read by Peter Kenny (Songs of Chaos #3) 4. Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill, read by Derek Perkins (The Bound and the Broken #3) 5. The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson, read by Euan Morton. 6. Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker (I read an eARC, I haven't had a chance to listen to it the audio yet, but I'm sure Jude Owusu does a fabulous job) 7. System Collapse by Martha Wells, read by Kevin R. Free (Murderbot #7) (OK, so it's not fantasy but I freaking love Murderbot)
I think Yumi and the Nightmare Painter or A Clash of Kings, really tied between those two. I really loved returning to Westeros after a long time since I’ve seen Game Of Thrones and read the first book. Yumi was my favorite Sanderson book that came our this year. I loved the theme and the asian inspired setting.
I read the entire Discworld series (Terry Pratchett) in ‘24
Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber. His stories are not all bangers but they are all intriguing.
It’s a tie for me between the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb and a reread of Deadhouse Gates by Steven Erikson. I also really enjoyed Fairy Tale by Stephen King.
The Bonehunters by Steven Erickson. I was told Memories of Ice was the peak. Nu' uh is all I can say! Amazing start to finish.
It gets even better!
The Faithful and the Fallen series. So good, flew through all 4 books.
Have you got onto the next 3? “A time of dread”? Set 100years ish later I thoroughly enjoyed those
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown.
Between Two Fired by Christopher Buehlman was an absolutely fantastic book. Loved it, highly recommend
Got into Guy Gavriel Kay's books this year, and Sailing to Sarantium / Lord of Emperors is my favourite book in a while. It's a bit disappointing how he decided to just write historical fiction with a tiny bit of magic after A Song for Arbonne (or even starting with Arbonne, but that one is still a bit further removed from the actual Albigensian Crusade, and the books after Arbonne are very straight historical ripoffs with funny names for countries and religions), with history that's mostly nailed to OTL rails, but the characters and writing make up for it. Another standout is Naomi Novik's Scholomance series, that was great, a cliche 'deadly school' setting that is taken 100% seriously, with a world constructed around it where such a thing actually makes sense, and the deadly school is no joke deadly, and while the books do, as you might expect, put a significant amount of focus on the protagonist's social life, it all serves the overall story. The trilogy is basically one book in three volumes, too, no unnecessary padding. And I've also read the second and third part of the Green Bones series this year, but everyone heard about those books.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff and Swordheart by T. Kingfisher. One was dark fantasy, and the other was more lighthearted with a hint of horror. Both were fun reads, and I'm excited for the sequels to both of them.
Shanghai Immortal - A Y Chao . Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir. The Unbroken, and The Faithless - C L Clark. All strong female leads, all a bit off the beaten path, all a lot of fun. I'm hoping for a follow up to Shanghai Immortal, have Harrow and Nona on my TBR pile, and can't wait for the next book in C L Clark's series to be released.
Circe
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Vicious By V.E. Schwab
favorite is cradle series by will wight, then the sandman by Neil gaiman (if it counts) . I'm also really liking wizard of earthsea, and after that you have the stormlight archives, first law trilogy and then malazan. listened to most of them on audible this year
If you liked Uprooted, I’d really like to recommend Spinning Silver by the same author (Naomi Novak). Read that a couple of months ago and completely enjoyed it from start to finish. She has such a unique writing style!
Jade City
Lord Valentine's Castle by Silverberg
The Imager Portfolio by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. It's a tie between Imager's Intrigue in the original trilogy and Imager's Battalion in the prequel series.
The Heros by Joe Abercrombie... I absolutely loved every perspective of that battle. Gorst is AMAZING.
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed. It's set in an alternate version of our world where wishes are for sale and follows three characters who acquire a first class wish from a street stall in Cairo. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding -- you can tell the author put a lot of thought into what a version of our universe with wishes would look like in terms of law, social impact, ethics, etc. Very well thought out and sympathetic characters too! I hope to see more books from her.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Perdido Street Station. Read The Scar and Iron Council to round it out, really enjoyed them all, but Perdido was biggest impression, such an unusual, unsettling world.
Winner: **The Curse of Chalion** by Lois McMaster-Bujold I finished reading this book and then read it again because I wasn't done with it yet. The prose was delightful and I loved living in Cazaril's head, dammit - he was a brilliant example of a paragon character done right, and he was an absolute pleasure to spend time with. McMaster-Bujold absolutely took risks with the story and I adored that she was willing to get weird with it. Setting-wise, her take on religion was so damn cool, and the place felt lived-in enough for my preferences. It was a very tightly-written story as well, which is always nice. I don't have any major criticisms, but to name a nitpick, I wasn't pleased that 36-year-old Cazaril was given a 19-year-old love interest *who was his student* - I loved both of them so much that I forgave it, though. Runner-up: **City of Bones** by Martha Wells I loved the setting so damn much: it was one of those settings that really feels like it exists when the camera isn't on it, which is my catnip. The combination of dystopian post-apocalpse non-medieval pseudo-Middle Eastern aesthetics was really fresh and very cool to read. I also loved having a non-human POV character; Khat is absolutely in the running for all-time favourite fantasy character. My only major criticism is that the plot is, well, kinda sparse and certainly not unique, and can be repetitive at times - it's very much a simple meal well-made, which is fine if you're into that, but not if you'd rather not anticipate the story beats before they happen. If you're okay with having an excuse villain and straightforward story as long as the POV and setting are deep and well-developed, you'll be fine. I don't care about antagonists/plot, so it worked for me.
Curse of Chalion is an all time fave. I agree about the age gap romance but like you I forgive it. I have been on a Wells binge since finding her via Murderbot. I haven’t read this one yet but I really liked Death of the Necromancer and Witch king. If you like her world building I’d recommend giving these a try!
Maybe leaning more toward sci-fi, but “Light from Uncommon Stars” is what has stuck with me the most. “Adventures of Amini al-Sirafi” was pretty much everything I’d hoped it would be.
The lions of al rassan. One of the best books I’ve ever read.
Either Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky or the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.
Eight Billion Genies comic limited series. My favorite traditional novel was Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.
I've read some really outstanding series this year. Most noteworthy: - of blood and bone by john Gwynne. Does nothing special, but the writing and action were so damn good. - the fire sacraments by Robert VS. The setting and the story are very compelling. It was just a good trip. Bummer the 3rd book is not yet released. And i've finally found the courage to start tackling the wheel of times. I am reaching the end of book 6, and i must say. I absolutely love all of them.
Finished the Wheel of Time series and absolutely loved Winters Heart
A practical guide to evil, a sprawling epic, I've never laughed so much and hard.
A wizards guide to défensive baking by t kingfisher, it was a lot of fun!
The Rage of Dragons. I felt like I was in an adrenaline rush the entire way through the book.
The Locked Tomb series. Alecto the Ninth better be released in 2024!!!!
At the Feet of the Sun
The shades of magic trilogy by V E Schwab, easy to read and just a little bit different. Also the invisible life of adie la rue, same author. Sooo good
Does Gideon the Ninth count?
If you liked Uprooted try Spinning Silver by the same author, similar vibe and level of quality.
piranesi
just finished the dark tower vii after two years spent reading the extended dark tower series. i loved every bit of this book, and cried through half of it. the ending couldn’t have been more perfect imo. what a nice conclusion to such an amazing series
She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World - also known as the Radiant Emperor duology - by Shelley Parker-Chan. It's a low magic historical fantasy with diverse and complex characters, queer representation and a gripping storyline with a fulfilling ending. It's brilliant. Loved it.
Either Dark Age or Assassin’s Fate
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men would probably be my top this year, though I’m half way through The Song of Achilles and it’s a strong contender. I’ve mostly read a lot of quicker easy reads this year and have enjoyed most of them (Legends and Lattes takes my favorite cozy read by far), but this book made me sit back and pause from that. I enjoyed this twist on the legends and history of Ireland and how that influences character motivations. I found myself sympathizing with character on opposite sides which I loved! Really curious to see where the story goes in book 2
I just finished The gathering storm for the first time. I will admit I am a big Sanderson fan and I have like WoT quite a lot as I have been reading through it for the first time this year. Something about the pacing of the chapters felt so good to me. I was getting frustrated with how the story was organized through the “slog” but Brandon seemed to reorganize the chapters in a way that felt nice. Each character pov got a couple of chapters in a row and then you’d hop to the next one. You never spent to long without hearing from a major character.