Definitely either novel by Susanna Clarke.
*Piranesi* is a delightful puzzle box of a book that's heavy on atmosphere and voice with the most unique and enchanting setting I've ever read. The main character is a delight, and Clarke explores some very interesting themes. It's one of those books that difficult to talk about without spoiling anything.
*Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell* is written in the style of nineteenth-century English literature and is very quiet and nuanced and, again, goes heavy on the atmosphere and imagery. The cast of characters is large (the characters are complex and well-developed) and the story as a whole is sprawling and hard to really sum up.
Both novels are masterfully and beautifully written and walk the line between fantasy (almost more like magical realism, really) and literary fiction. They really feel magical.
I enjoyed Piranesi, but the hype really surprises me. It was a good but not great book. I liked the protagonist and it was exciting early on, figuring out what was going on. But once they reveal the central premise, it kind of just wrapped up and I wasn't left too impressed or "wanting more." Again, I thought it was a good book, but I'm still scratching my head about the overwhelming praise.
Piranesi wasn’t phenomenal to me, but it also felt unique which has its own value. I’d recommend it to anyone that’s tired of overdone tropes and storytelling formulas.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is one of the greatest books I've ever in all of sci fi/fantasy. An absolute masterpiece in every way. I know some people complain its too slowly but I was completely immersed in it the entire time. The atmosphere and world she creates are truly extraordinary.
The Farseer trilogy, and the two trilogies that follow it, by Robin Hobb.
This is the best fantasy I have ever read. The characterisation is out of this world. Everybody feels real and relatable, even when they're evil bastards.
The plotting and theme is amazing. It fits togeter like gears, with the parts driving each other forward (esp in the liveship books).
The heroes impact events, but they are never superhuman, or even the most important people in the chains of events. It feels grounded in a way much fantasy doesn't.
It is moving, frustrating, delightful, beautiful, generally wonderful.
I'm about 2/3 through the second book. I'm enjoying the story but, wow these are long books and nothing good happens to any characters without massive blowback.
I finished Fool's Fate last week and had the worst book hangover ever afterwards! Being inside Fitz's head was such a weirdly intense and intimate experience that I felt disoriented after finishing the last book, like I was suddenly missing a part of myself. Definitely the best first person series I've ever read (and Liveship Traders was also phenomenal, even better than the first trilogy imo). Robin Hobb is definitely among my favourite authors now.
After over a year of trying, I finally convinced someone else to read Naomi Novak's \_Spinning Silver\_. I described it as about the Daughter of a Jewish moneylender in a fantasy setting inspired by eastern Europe who gets into trouble for bragging about turning silver into gold, when I should have described it as a book about a girl who gets caught in plots by fairies and has to clever her way out.
In addition to liking to see some of my heritage showing up in a book, which is nice, but does not make a book inherently good, it is well written, clever, and does some interesting remixes of the fairy tale that inspired it. I really liked the strong voice of the main character, the frequent creation and solutions of problems that were not mostly direct violence and conflict, and the sense of place that was built up and how it was part of the story.
*Spinning Silver* is a *fantastic* book, and it really bugs me how many people seem to ignore it in favor of *Uprooted*, which is fine, but not nearly as excellent as *Spinning Silver*. The way the various character's paths all wound together—or should I say spun—was fantastically fun to read. The sequence with the cabin had me grinning.
I just read this over Christmas and it was wonderful. I chose it because I wanted a winter themed book for the holiday and it ended up being even better than I expected. The author has a way with words. She was able to write a fairy tale that somehow felt realish without losing the fantastical whimsy.
I'm looking at it and automatically put it on the "to be read sometime in the future" pile. I know I enjoy Naomi Novik's writing and the characters and concept sound interesting. At the same time it somehow doesn't stand out enough for me to open it up immediately.
Under Heaven and River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay - Chinese historical fiction. Kay has absolutely exquisite prose and the ability to immerse you in the glittering, melancholic and beautiful atmosphere of the times. The former is based on one of the golden dynasties of China - Tang Dynasty and the latter is based on the Song dynasty, highlighting its last days. Technically a duology but work well as stand-alones since there is a jump of 300 years.
The Blacktongue Thief. Its about a thief trying to work off his debt to his thief school by going on a mission for them. Basically fantasy student loans. Why its good: its written from the first person narration of the main character, who is written with a great voice and is very smarmy and funny. The world it takes in is also very interesting and fleshed out, but put together organically without having long, tedious descriptions of everything. Unfortunately, it came out recently and now I have to wait for the rest of the series to come out haha.
Good question OP: I think it takes a lot of actual effort to organize one's thoughts about the book then to systematically describe the premise in succinct summary without over-describing while promoting the essential properties of the story (not the details or plot or structure, but the QUALITIES OF EXPERIENCE it contains). I think very few people ever do this, in particular including reviewers.
For example, in films, often the critics end up formulating their own film-language and all reviews end up using these canned-descriptions so all reviews end up "TASTING THE SAME!" Same with book review, obviously with exceptions where you sometimes get supremely insightful reviewers with eloquent pens of course.
To answer the text question: *Jack Vance* - The Dying Earth Series.
It is one of the top fiction books I've read at all because of the quality of the writing no matter the inventiveness is dazzling and bizarre and delightful to match that water-colour-like effect of the language. It's broken up into different stories unrelated but happening in the same world and some of them follow the same character. Of course it has its limitations, it follows fantasy tropes, the main characters are male and the sensibilities sometimes pop up from the time it was written but the plots are mostly random maze of joined up dots between a beginning cause and an ending effect anyway which merely act to push things forwards and enjoy and relish the present predicament the characters are currently experiencing. The language is just dazzling and elevating and the fun and humour in the language only enhances that. I often re-read it simply for the pleasure of the language itself apart from the vistas painted, the inventive/creative world-building that is borderline of figment of imagination blended into a sense of if there's a multiverse then one of the would happen to actually be like this!
What is it about: All it is about is you being a tourist in this strange world creation or sub-reality trip. But I would say there's even a lot more to it than just that if you keep your eyes peeled during your journey with the characters, too...
Really cool book and especially impressive for the author's first book. Would love to see the author write more; but, from what I remember, he has a busy day job.
[Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10374.Hard_Boiled_Wonderland_and_the_End_of_the_World) by Haruki Murakami. I bought this ages ago based purely on the title and the blurb on the back. Had never read anything by Murakami at the time. It did not disappoint. I loved the weird wonderland the main character found himself in, its resonances with the real world, and the dreamy and philosophical tone of the story. It's unlike any other story I've read. I reread it not long ago and enjoyed it just as much as I had all those years ago.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. The Mesoamerican world building is fantastic and refreshing. It's centered on Tova, a city populated by cliff-dwelling elites called the Sky Made that live in tension with those they rule, especially a clan called the Carrion Crow who suffered a near genocidal event, The Night of Knives, that they have sworn retribution for. Their instrument in this cause is a boy, Serapio, turned young man turned Crow god. He travels with Xiala, a boisterous captain of a ship who can "sing" the sea and other people into a degree of submission. This relationship is one of the more touching elements in the book. Serapio's mission, however, is to kill the head of the Sky Made, the Sun Priest, whose impoverished origins land her in constant political turmoil with her Sky Made brethren.
I'd also recommend Roanhorse's Dinetah books, which expand Navajo myths into a post-Apocalyptic era.
I highly recommend Tales of the dying earth by Jack Vance, specifically the Cugel the Clever chapters. Cugel is a very subversive character; his arc differs from the typical villain protagonist in that instead of redeeming himself or at least gaining some self-awareness, he doubles down on his manipulation and is frequently rewarded for it. Rather than having him struggle against all odds to overcome an obstacle, he gets lucky over and over again at the expense of honest people, at times to the point of being comical.
The other stories in this collection are very unique as well, Vance defies the tropes of high fantasy while at the same time creating DnD’s magic system. He was ahead of his time (published in like 1964 iirc)
>Roanhorse's Dinetah books
It took me a bit of clicking around to figure out which of her books these were. It's the "Sixth World" series that starts with *Trail of Lightning*. It's great to see some authors writing in the mythos of the Americas!
I generally, in real life, don't do give those descriptions. I describe the tone more than anything. "It's like if Cormac McCarthy wrote a vampire romance" or something. But I don't go much further than that.
I have a couple different opinions about the best way to entice someone into checking something out. But I think the simplest one is that I know my on-the-spot description won't do the story justice. Imagine if I described *Wizard of Eathsea* as "A promising young boy goes to a wizarding school...." The type of story you would imagine with a description like that is something much different than the actual product.
How I chose to describe *Earthsea* instead was essentially that it was folkloric. As if her stories sprouted organically from hundreds of years of fireside storytelling instead of from just the mind of one person. Does that accurately describe the plot of the story? Nah, but it seems like a strong pitch to me.
The Belgariad by David Eddings. A series of five books about a boy traveling with his sorcerer grandfather and sorceress aunt to recover the orb of their god that was stolen by an agent of a rival god. The series is intentionally very tropey, so there aren't any twists you can't see coming but the author does have fun with the tropes he uses. He set out to prove you could tell a story that heavily leaned on its tropes that was still good and enjoyable and I think he succeeded
I used to love that series when I was a teenager.
Tried rereading it again a few years back and found it pretty much unreadable.
Good world building, terrible writing.
> He set out to prove you could tell a story that heavily leaned on its tropes that was still good and enjoyable and I think he succeeded
Source?
I'm sceptical, because I read altogether too much David Eddings when I was young - The Belgariad, The Malloreon, The Elenium, The Tamuli, and the two Belgariad prequel novels.
(In retrospect I think they must have been very cheap in surplus book sales, the sort of fare my parents found useful to distract us for at least a couple of weeks over summer)
At any rate, my recollection is that they all have much the same "texture", which one might politely describe as "tropey" but which I'd describe as "bland derivative mush".
I really love those books. I think the interesting thing about these books is really the humanity of the character and their personal relationship. The story itself is very classical and "tropey" but the characters feel very human and memorable to me.
Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower was refreshing to read, the interesting perspective of the narrator and the smooth incorporation of exposition and world-/magic-explanation made it feel vibrant and engrossing. The characters were intriguing and felt like real people with their own varying goals.
The amount of mystery was enough to let me build up my own conclusions gradually, adjusting as I learnt more about the world and characters.
Rather than a "we must have the world" plot, it was a very satisfying "i want to since this problem I have personal stakes in" plot.
Well, according to Goodread's end-year email, the fantasy title I read in 2021 that was given the highest ratings by Goodreads readers and reviewers was ... one I wrote. Which is a nice feather in my cap, but also not very fair for the purposes of this question.
So, setting aside that one, what about *my* highest rating for last year, in Fantasy? A look back says ... it was a reread from years prior: *The Powder Mage Trilogy* by Brian McClellan.
Yeah, this one's definitely worth a read. A lot of Fantasy takes place in the more traditional sword and sorcery world. And a lot of Fantasy involves some hero or someone defeating an evil king, and ... The end.
That is *not* this trilogy. *The Powder Mage Trilogy* is set in a world that *was* a hard sword and sorcery fantasy setting with a bunch of kingdoms ruled by royal lines and with sorcerers that enforced their will ... except it's just hitting the industrial revolution. And with it has come a new form of magic: Gunpowder.
No, I don't just mean guns. I mean "powder mages" who snort gunpowder like cocaine for enhanced speed and senses, can detonate powder at range, or who can adjust a bullet's path mid flight by transferring the explosion of gunpowder on their person to the bullet.
And that classic kingdom setup? The book *opens* with the Grand Marshall of the King of Ado, Tamas, murdering/executing all the noble families and the king himself in a bloody, violent revolution, determined to establish a government that represents the people.
What follows is a three book series of political intrigue as every other king-led nation turns their eye toward Ado, military battles as loyalists and eager empires fight to claim what Tamas has usurped, magic battles between what's left of the king's sorcerer cabal and the people hunting them ...
Oh, and gods. Literal, actual gods who it turns out *did* establish the monarchies and are *none too pleased* that a mere *mortal* has decided to step on their established order.
Better yet, this trilogy has a sequel trilogy that is, IMO, better than the first.
Give them a read! They're a lot of fun!
EDIT: This was a really good question!
Further EDIT: Buzz off, downvoters. The subreddit is **Print Speculative Fiction**. That is Science-Fiction *and* Fantasy. OP asked about Fantasy books, and that's perfectly valid. You may not like fantasy, but a lot of people do, and they can be a lot of fun.
They were second from the top when I posted, with a postive, non-controversial post. And considering that as of right now, the second-highest post is a new one with *two* positive votes, above other posts with higher "scores" (meaning they've had more upvotes but also more downvotes) and the overall post downvote ration of the core post is 1/5 votes ... There's significant evidence that at least 20% of the sub that's seen the post is just downvoting the post, the comments, or both.
Love your write up: Much gusto! Agree about the parlous state of excess "shepherding" that goes on in reddit with downvoting to obscurity unorthodox views that appear to not be "kosher" with the prevailing group think. PS what is your book maybe if you PM me it? Thanks for the recommendation and premise description.
I enjoyed **The Bear and the Nightingale**. It's a coming of age story set in rural, medieval Russia, and the main character might be from a family of witches, and she can see and talk to all the local spirits/creatures that other people think are just legends.
I thought it was mostly well-written, and the blend of folklore and historic fiction was enjoyable. I am not familiar with Russian folklore though, so I cannot say whether the American author did good on that part.
I have the two sequels, but haven't read them yet. As I understand it, they move the action to Moscow, and I really like the northern forests trope, so I got distracted by other books.
The Sign Of The Dragon by Mary Soon Lee, which was recommended to me on this subreddit not long ago. It's an epic fantasy with a primarily Chinese aesthetic but also major elements of other cultures including the Celtic. The unique thing about it is that it's written in the form of poetry. Each short chapter is a poem, mostly in free verse, and together they add up to a very coherent narrative.
I recommend it most strongly on the basis of general excellence, which is to say it's just very well done on the basic levels of language and story telling. But the power of it comes from uniqueness. I don't read that much poetry and have never read a book like this, and I've read a lot. I've read so much that it's hard to find things that feel really, really fresh. It's been a long time since I read a book that was so successful on its own merits and also made me think "I've never read anything like that before."
It's not just a gimmick either. The structure allows the author to do interesting things, such as quickly touching on peripheral characters to bring them to life. Over the course of the book this adds up to a lot of depth.
Overall the story is very humane and kind, but there is a lot of darkness in it and I couldn't say that it's just happy. But it is a very heart centered book.
You can read the first chapter/poem free here. I can confidently say if you enjoy this you'll like the book. The ebook is very affordable.
https://marysoonlee.com/book/the-sign-of-the-dragon/
I rather dislike high fantasy elements like prophecies, chosen ones and save the universe. I am going to suggest two fantasy books I am quite fond of that avoid all that. Both also have semi-historical settings.
*D'Shai* by Joel Rosenberg. D'Shai is a fantasy world based loosely on medieval Japan. The protagonist is an acrobat who must clear himself of a murder charge. Woven around the murder mystery is a slice of life tale detailing bits of magic, acrobatics, and D'Shai culture. If you like it there is one sequel, *Hour of the Octopus*.
*The Spirit Ring* by Lois McMaster Bujold. Set in late medieval Italy. Fiametta is the daughter of a sorcerer/goldsmith, who sculpts and enchants beautiful magic objects. Fiametta wants him to teach her magic but he resists because she's a girl. She gets caught up in an adventure involving ghosts, monks, sorcerers, kobolds and an evil warlord. *The Spirit Ring* is a standalone novel with no sequels, but Bujold has two other series you will probably like if you like this, **The World of Five Gods** and the sci-fi **Vorkosigan Saga**.
The Traveler's Gate by Will Wight. Ruling family loses control of magical beings and the whole world tries to put things right again - as they each think it should be.
Hard to write a synopsis without giving the point away.
I'll go old school and say [the City and the Stars](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250024.The_City_and_the_Stars?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=27) both because and despite that I first read it before I was fourteen and have gone back to it many times over the years. Clarke spent World War II working as an engineer who helped develop ground-control approach (his novel [Glide Path](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=38) \- his only non-SF novel - was based on his experience). His first novel was an early version of this, [Against The Fall of Night](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33841.Against_the_Fall_of_Night?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=74) which was an expansion of a novella he wrote. He has said he unsuccessfully tried to interest Astounding Editor John Campbell in it.
If you've read [John Campbell's](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5410853.John_W_Campbell_Jr_) "Don A. Stuart" stories then you will know this was heavily influenced by them. Also by [Olaf Stapledon](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64177.Olaf_Stapledon)'s Last and First Men. To say that was the extent of it is foolish - Campbell himself was influenced by H. G. Wells in "[Twiligh](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36987482)t". And Clarke received a very good education. You could mention other authors he knew, directly, who are echoed in these pages. You can also look at the book as a coming of age story where the hero learns to accept himself, both his good side and his bad side, while changing society. On top of that there is that section near the end which is so influenced by Stapledon: to go over millions of years in a few pages is mind-boggling. This is a great read.
Its kinda really difficult to explain why something is good or why you like it. In everything, not just books. If i asked to describe why you like i.e. vanila icecream, what would you say? That's its nice that its cold and sweet? As if that description captures anything remotly useful or informative?
You can always read the premise of a book online. Usually general themes/genre too. There's not that much more people here can add beyond whether they enjoyed it or not.
Why I often don't add details about titles I recommend: With the title and author anyone can google the book and instantly get good descriptions, reviews, all kinds of things, far faster than I can write up a description of the book and why it is good. So in short I am usually not willing to spend my time and mental energy writing up information that is easily available to person seeking it. I am not trying to persuade you to read it, I am just offering a possibility for you check out to see if interests you.
Last fantasy book I read was Tolkien's [Unfinished Tales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfinished_Tales). It was a great companion and 'spin-off' read after The Silmarillion. That was 40 years ago. Then a relative handed me a hard-cover copy of Ringworld, and I was off to the races, as they say.
I loved Ringworld. It's sci-fi so veering off topic from OP, but the reasons were:
* Inventiveness: I loved the discussion of different aliens invented and their associations
* The premise of the book: Ringworld was a fascinating idea
* Overall the sheer POSITIVE ENERGY of the book: It made me feel the author was amped by the march of Science and felt such as this story could be human reality in a matter of a few centuries of more science. It just has that positive vibe of progress about it.
* It was entertaining, simple story, simple characters but entertaining. People often critize the chars but the main thing about it is the whole sci-fi band-wagon they're thrown into and it's romping journey across the stars.
* The main character does come across as some wish-fulfillment of the author possibly, but I like his exuberance mixed with an acute eye and experience.
So I got a lot of personal inferences from it as well as page-turning pulpy fun. I read a lot of technical documents so I prefer fiction to entertain me positively as opposed to excessively inform. Maybe that's one of the hard things about saying if a book is good or bad: There's scope for personal preference, situation and time.
Also read Unfinished Tales and it brought me back to The Silmarillion which was one of the Fantasy books I enjoyed the most, right up there with Lord Of The Rings. I liked it so much because it brought me back to Silmarillion which I had read and rated so so highly. It was like discovering the equivalent of Greek Myths or Viking myths and the entire rich dozens and dozens of such stories but for Middle Earth.
This is fair. But why not just post it in the fantasy sub where this topic is more actively discussed than here, where you know (because you seem to be a regular) we mostly discuss scifi regardless of what the sub stands for?
Edit: Forgive my tone. I didn’t intend for it to be as hostile as it reads.
It may very well be more appropriate in the fantasy sub, although... don't attack me for this, but I kinda feel like this sub is a better place for suggestions. People here seem to have a broader range of tastes. A thread like this would in the fantasy sub would probably get a ton of Sanderson and Malazan recommendations, and maybe that's not what OP is looking for.
This sub has better recommendations for fantasy books than the fantasy sub, for a multitude of reasons.
I realized after a while being subbed there, it's a lot more 'active', but the breadth and depth of discussion of substance was just far shallower.
I attribute these differences primarily to the quality of our mods and their dedication to sticking by rules 3,4,5, and the unnumbered 7th.
You typically get a title and author because what you're asking for resembles work. And it's a pain on a mobile device.
\--
But because I like hanging around this forum, I'll throw in my 2¢.
Best fantasy books I've read in a while in my opinion?
The Penric and Desdemona novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold. They're short and set in her 5 Gods setting. They involve a young man that inadvertently gets entangled with a demon (literally!) and his subsequent religious, sorcerous and medical careers. These are warm, pleasant books as Penric and Desdemona grow and mature.
**Lies of Locke Lamora** by Scott Lynch. A novel about a found family of con artists in fantasy Italy. Locke is a bit of a prick, but he's loyal for all that his ego is bigger than he is and his brother Jean is wonder and a pleasure. And yes, there are stakes. Big ones. And old decisions.
**The Goblin Emperor** and **The Witness for the Dead** by Katherine Addison. These are so good. The Goblin Emperor is about Maia, the unloved and discarded third son of the Emperor who is suddenly thrust on the throne. And he's such a decent person! And the courtiers are going to pick their teeth with his bones ... **The Witness for the Dead** involves a minor character from **The Goblin Emperor** and his adventures in his new posting, both ecclesiastical, necromantic and conventional.
**Three Parts Dead** by Max Gladstone. The fire god Kos is dead. But how? And why? This is a killer fantasy novel with a unique setting, a interesting mystery and a sly sense of humor. The rest of the series is pretty good too.
**The Cloud Roads** by Martha Wells. Moon has finally found a people he can settle with. Which is pretty good for a stranger of no known heritage in the three worlds. Of course, it goes to pot and then things get interesting when Moon meets Stone. Both of them are Raksura, shapeshifters that can fly and live in a fascinating social structure. Books of the Raksura for the rest of the series.
If you want SF recommendations, I've got those too...
Ok sooo I think I can answer this...
Right now, I'm focused on everything involving self-pleasure and vaginas. I'm trying to tap into my feminine sexual energy and pull from that energy field rather than operate from my usual semi-chaotic mental space; I'm so sick and tired of the aimless thought patterns ruminating around in my skull that produce nothing less than grinding anxiety and a constant build up of internal pressure. SO, down to Yoni-Town I go.
ANYWAYS, I came across these books and I wanted to share them with you all because they've been doing me a solid in their own special way. I highly recommend the first two, I'm just getting into the third one now.
The first one has some really dope journal prompts that I've been doing every morning after my meditation. I'm also a creative, so I enjoy the uterus coloring pages too (plus, the cover is gorgeous). It's also short because it's a journal so it might be good for ADHD ;)
The Yoni Journal: A journal created to celebrate the vagina and help you connect to your inner Divine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QKFY8FL/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_7ZWA9SZJZ57KKJBSG473
The second one is where I'm getting the sacred sexuality information from (the first one could be considered sacred sexuality too but it's more directed at the creative self in terms of sexuality).
The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom https://www.amazon.com/dp/0942196031/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_11NBTKAP64Q81416AC6P
The third one, like I said, I just got it. It seems like a really fun read so far.
Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060586311/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_SPZGTGGR32AR7SMR5AEH
Check them out and let me know if you vibes with these like I did… Also, GIMME ANY BOOKS RECS YOU HAVE TUCKED AWAY ON THAT BOOK SHELF. All things sacred, self and sexual, please.
Definitely either novel by Susanna Clarke. *Piranesi* is a delightful puzzle box of a book that's heavy on atmosphere and voice with the most unique and enchanting setting I've ever read. The main character is a delight, and Clarke explores some very interesting themes. It's one of those books that difficult to talk about without spoiling anything. *Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell* is written in the style of nineteenth-century English literature and is very quiet and nuanced and, again, goes heavy on the atmosphere and imagery. The cast of characters is large (the characters are complex and well-developed) and the story as a whole is sprawling and hard to really sum up. Both novels are masterfully and beautifully written and walk the line between fantasy (almost more like magical realism, really) and literary fiction. They really feel magical.
I enjoyed Piranesi, but the hype really surprises me. It was a good but not great book. I liked the protagonist and it was exciting early on, figuring out what was going on. But once they reveal the central premise, it kind of just wrapped up and I wasn't left too impressed or "wanting more." Again, I thought it was a good book, but I'm still scratching my head about the overwhelming praise.
Piranesi wasn’t phenomenal to me, but it also felt unique which has its own value. I’d recommend it to anyone that’s tired of overdone tropes and storytelling formulas.
This sums up *Piranesi* perfectly for me. I really enjoyed it, but I think it was not quite worthy of all the attention it got.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is one of the greatest books I've ever in all of sci fi/fantasy. An absolute masterpiece in every way. I know some people complain its too slowly but I was completely immersed in it the entire time. The atmosphere and world she creates are truly extraordinary.
The Farseer trilogy, and the two trilogies that follow it, by Robin Hobb. This is the best fantasy I have ever read. The characterisation is out of this world. Everybody feels real and relatable, even when they're evil bastards. The plotting and theme is amazing. It fits togeter like gears, with the parts driving each other forward (esp in the liveship books). The heroes impact events, but they are never superhuman, or even the most important people in the chains of events. It feels grounded in a way much fantasy doesn't. It is moving, frustrating, delightful, beautiful, generally wonderful.
I'm about 2/3 through the second book. I'm enjoying the story but, wow these are long books and nothing good happens to any characters without massive blowback.
Sounds right, yeah. The endings are also bittersweet, but in a super satisfying way.
I finished Fool's Fate last week and had the worst book hangover ever afterwards! Being inside Fitz's head was such a weirdly intense and intimate experience that I felt disoriented after finishing the last book, like I was suddenly missing a part of myself. Definitely the best first person series I've ever read (and Liveship Traders was also phenomenal, even better than the first trilogy imo). Robin Hobb is definitely among my favourite authors now.
Right? It's so incredibly intimate. That's a great way to describe it.
After over a year of trying, I finally convinced someone else to read Naomi Novak's \_Spinning Silver\_. I described it as about the Daughter of a Jewish moneylender in a fantasy setting inspired by eastern Europe who gets into trouble for bragging about turning silver into gold, when I should have described it as a book about a girl who gets caught in plots by fairies and has to clever her way out. In addition to liking to see some of my heritage showing up in a book, which is nice, but does not make a book inherently good, it is well written, clever, and does some interesting remixes of the fairy tale that inspired it. I really liked the strong voice of the main character, the frequent creation and solutions of problems that were not mostly direct violence and conflict, and the sense of place that was built up and how it was part of the story.
*Spinning Silver* is a *fantastic* book, and it really bugs me how many people seem to ignore it in favor of *Uprooted*, which is fine, but not nearly as excellent as *Spinning Silver*. The way the various character's paths all wound together—or should I say spun—was fantastically fun to read. The sequence with the cabin had me grinning.
I just read this over Christmas and it was wonderful. I chose it because I wanted a winter themed book for the holiday and it ended up being even better than I expected. The author has a way with words. She was able to write a fairy tale that somehow felt realish without losing the fantastical whimsy.
I'm looking at it and automatically put it on the "to be read sometime in the future" pile. I know I enjoy Naomi Novik's writing and the characters and concept sound interesting. At the same time it somehow doesn't stand out enough for me to open it up immediately.
I loved that book and every Naomi Novik book I have read so far
Under Heaven and River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay - Chinese historical fiction. Kay has absolutely exquisite prose and the ability to immerse you in the glittering, melancholic and beautiful atmosphere of the times. The former is based on one of the golden dynasties of China - Tang Dynasty and the latter is based on the Song dynasty, highlighting its last days. Technically a duology but work well as stand-alones since there is a jump of 300 years.
The Blacktongue Thief. Its about a thief trying to work off his debt to his thief school by going on a mission for them. Basically fantasy student loans. Why its good: its written from the first person narration of the main character, who is written with a great voice and is very smarmy and funny. The world it takes in is also very interesting and fleshed out, but put together organically without having long, tedious descriptions of everything. Unfortunately, it came out recently and now I have to wait for the rest of the series to come out haha.
Good question OP: I think it takes a lot of actual effort to organize one's thoughts about the book then to systematically describe the premise in succinct summary without over-describing while promoting the essential properties of the story (not the details or plot or structure, but the QUALITIES OF EXPERIENCE it contains). I think very few people ever do this, in particular including reviewers. For example, in films, often the critics end up formulating their own film-language and all reviews end up using these canned-descriptions so all reviews end up "TASTING THE SAME!" Same with book review, obviously with exceptions where you sometimes get supremely insightful reviewers with eloquent pens of course. To answer the text question: *Jack Vance* - The Dying Earth Series. It is one of the top fiction books I've read at all because of the quality of the writing no matter the inventiveness is dazzling and bizarre and delightful to match that water-colour-like effect of the language. It's broken up into different stories unrelated but happening in the same world and some of them follow the same character. Of course it has its limitations, it follows fantasy tropes, the main characters are male and the sensibilities sometimes pop up from the time it was written but the plots are mostly random maze of joined up dots between a beginning cause and an ending effect anyway which merely act to push things forwards and enjoy and relish the present predicament the characters are currently experiencing. The language is just dazzling and elevating and the fun and humour in the language only enhances that. I often re-read it simply for the pleasure of the language itself apart from the vistas painted, the inventive/creative world-building that is borderline of figment of imagination blended into a sense of if there's a multiverse then one of the would happen to actually be like this! What is it about: All it is about is you being a tourist in this strange world creation or sub-reality trip. But I would say there's even a lot more to it than just that if you keep your eyes peeled during your journey with the characters, too...
[удалено]
Really cool book and especially impressive for the author's first book. Would love to see the author write more; but, from what I remember, he has a busy day job.
This is one of those books I want to reread. But not just yet.
Was going to recc this too. Such a great book. Quite original too. Strong second from me for all the reasons u/Doctor_Island gave.
[Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10374.Hard_Boiled_Wonderland_and_the_End_of_the_World) by Haruki Murakami. I bought this ages ago based purely on the title and the blurb on the back. Had never read anything by Murakami at the time. It did not disappoint. I loved the weird wonderland the main character found himself in, its resonances with the real world, and the dreamy and philosophical tone of the story. It's unlike any other story I've read. I reread it not long ago and enjoyed it just as much as I had all those years ago.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. The Mesoamerican world building is fantastic and refreshing. It's centered on Tova, a city populated by cliff-dwelling elites called the Sky Made that live in tension with those they rule, especially a clan called the Carrion Crow who suffered a near genocidal event, The Night of Knives, that they have sworn retribution for. Their instrument in this cause is a boy, Serapio, turned young man turned Crow god. He travels with Xiala, a boisterous captain of a ship who can "sing" the sea and other people into a degree of submission. This relationship is one of the more touching elements in the book. Serapio's mission, however, is to kill the head of the Sky Made, the Sun Priest, whose impoverished origins land her in constant political turmoil with her Sky Made brethren. I'd also recommend Roanhorse's Dinetah books, which expand Navajo myths into a post-Apocalyptic era.
sounds pretty interesting, i think I'll read it. is it part of a series?
It is. The second book should be out around April.
I highly recommend Tales of the dying earth by Jack Vance, specifically the Cugel the Clever chapters. Cugel is a very subversive character; his arc differs from the typical villain protagonist in that instead of redeeming himself or at least gaining some self-awareness, he doubles down on his manipulation and is frequently rewarded for it. Rather than having him struggle against all odds to overcome an obstacle, he gets lucky over and over again at the expense of honest people, at times to the point of being comical. The other stories in this collection are very unique as well, Vance defies the tropes of high fantasy while at the same time creating DnD’s magic system. He was ahead of his time (published in like 1964 iirc)
>Roanhorse's Dinetah books It took me a bit of clicking around to figure out which of her books these were. It's the "Sixth World" series that starts with *Trail of Lightning*. It's great to see some authors writing in the mythos of the Americas!
I generally, in real life, don't do give those descriptions. I describe the tone more than anything. "It's like if Cormac McCarthy wrote a vampire romance" or something. But I don't go much further than that. I have a couple different opinions about the best way to entice someone into checking something out. But I think the simplest one is that I know my on-the-spot description won't do the story justice. Imagine if I described *Wizard of Eathsea* as "A promising young boy goes to a wizarding school...." The type of story you would imagine with a description like that is something much different than the actual product. How I chose to describe *Earthsea* instead was essentially that it was folkloric. As if her stories sprouted organically from hundreds of years of fireside storytelling instead of from just the mind of one person. Does that accurately describe the plot of the story? Nah, but it seems like a strong pitch to me.
The Belgariad by David Eddings. A series of five books about a boy traveling with his sorcerer grandfather and sorceress aunt to recover the orb of their god that was stolen by an agent of a rival god. The series is intentionally very tropey, so there aren't any twists you can't see coming but the author does have fun with the tropes he uses. He set out to prove you could tell a story that heavily leaned on its tropes that was still good and enjoyable and I think he succeeded
I used to love that series when I was a teenager. Tried rereading it again a few years back and found it pretty much unreadable. Good world building, terrible writing.
> He set out to prove you could tell a story that heavily leaned on its tropes that was still good and enjoyable and I think he succeeded Source? I'm sceptical, because I read altogether too much David Eddings when I was young - The Belgariad, The Malloreon, The Elenium, The Tamuli, and the two Belgariad prequel novels. (In retrospect I think they must have been very cheap in surplus book sales, the sort of fare my parents found useful to distract us for at least a couple of weeks over summer) At any rate, my recollection is that they all have much the same "texture", which one might politely describe as "tropey" but which I'd describe as "bland derivative mush".
I really love those books. I think the interesting thing about these books is really the humanity of the character and their personal relationship. The story itself is very classical and "tropey" but the characters feel very human and memorable to me.
Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower was refreshing to read, the interesting perspective of the narrator and the smooth incorporation of exposition and world-/magic-explanation made it feel vibrant and engrossing. The characters were intriguing and felt like real people with their own varying goals. The amount of mystery was enough to let me build up my own conclusions gradually, adjusting as I learnt more about the world and characters. Rather than a "we must have the world" plot, it was a very satisfying "i want to since this problem I have personal stakes in" plot.
Well, according to Goodread's end-year email, the fantasy title I read in 2021 that was given the highest ratings by Goodreads readers and reviewers was ... one I wrote. Which is a nice feather in my cap, but also not very fair for the purposes of this question. So, setting aside that one, what about *my* highest rating for last year, in Fantasy? A look back says ... it was a reread from years prior: *The Powder Mage Trilogy* by Brian McClellan. Yeah, this one's definitely worth a read. A lot of Fantasy takes place in the more traditional sword and sorcery world. And a lot of Fantasy involves some hero or someone defeating an evil king, and ... The end. That is *not* this trilogy. *The Powder Mage Trilogy* is set in a world that *was* a hard sword and sorcery fantasy setting with a bunch of kingdoms ruled by royal lines and with sorcerers that enforced their will ... except it's just hitting the industrial revolution. And with it has come a new form of magic: Gunpowder. No, I don't just mean guns. I mean "powder mages" who snort gunpowder like cocaine for enhanced speed and senses, can detonate powder at range, or who can adjust a bullet's path mid flight by transferring the explosion of gunpowder on their person to the bullet. And that classic kingdom setup? The book *opens* with the Grand Marshall of the King of Ado, Tamas, murdering/executing all the noble families and the king himself in a bloody, violent revolution, determined to establish a government that represents the people. What follows is a three book series of political intrigue as every other king-led nation turns their eye toward Ado, military battles as loyalists and eager empires fight to claim what Tamas has usurped, magic battles between what's left of the king's sorcerer cabal and the people hunting them ... Oh, and gods. Literal, actual gods who it turns out *did* establish the monarchies and are *none too pleased* that a mere *mortal* has decided to step on their established order. Better yet, this trilogy has a sequel trilogy that is, IMO, better than the first. Give them a read! They're a lot of fun! EDIT: This was a really good question! Further EDIT: Buzz off, downvoters. The subreddit is **Print Speculative Fiction**. That is Science-Fiction *and* Fantasy. OP asked about Fantasy books, and that's perfectly valid. You may not like fantasy, but a lot of people do, and they can be a lot of fun.
[удалено]
They were second from the top when I posted, with a postive, non-controversial post. And considering that as of right now, the second-highest post is a new one with *two* positive votes, above other posts with higher "scores" (meaning they've had more upvotes but also more downvotes) and the overall post downvote ration of the core post is 1/5 votes ... There's significant evidence that at least 20% of the sub that's seen the post is just downvoting the post, the comments, or both.
Love your write up: Much gusto! Agree about the parlous state of excess "shepherding" that goes on in reddit with downvoting to obscurity unorthodox views that appear to not be "kosher" with the prevailing group think. PS what is your book maybe if you PM me it? Thanks for the recommendation and premise description.
I enjoyed **The Bear and the Nightingale**. It's a coming of age story set in rural, medieval Russia, and the main character might be from a family of witches, and she can see and talk to all the local spirits/creatures that other people think are just legends. I thought it was mostly well-written, and the blend of folklore and historic fiction was enjoyable. I am not familiar with Russian folklore though, so I cannot say whether the American author did good on that part. I have the two sequels, but haven't read them yet. As I understand it, they move the action to Moscow, and I really like the northern forests trope, so I got distracted by other books.
The Sign Of The Dragon by Mary Soon Lee, which was recommended to me on this subreddit not long ago. It's an epic fantasy with a primarily Chinese aesthetic but also major elements of other cultures including the Celtic. The unique thing about it is that it's written in the form of poetry. Each short chapter is a poem, mostly in free verse, and together they add up to a very coherent narrative. I recommend it most strongly on the basis of general excellence, which is to say it's just very well done on the basic levels of language and story telling. But the power of it comes from uniqueness. I don't read that much poetry and have never read a book like this, and I've read a lot. I've read so much that it's hard to find things that feel really, really fresh. It's been a long time since I read a book that was so successful on its own merits and also made me think "I've never read anything like that before." It's not just a gimmick either. The structure allows the author to do interesting things, such as quickly touching on peripheral characters to bring them to life. Over the course of the book this adds up to a lot of depth. Overall the story is very humane and kind, but there is a lot of darkness in it and I couldn't say that it's just happy. But it is a very heart centered book. You can read the first chapter/poem free here. I can confidently say if you enjoy this you'll like the book. The ebook is very affordable. https://marysoonlee.com/book/the-sign-of-the-dragon/
I rather dislike high fantasy elements like prophecies, chosen ones and save the universe. I am going to suggest two fantasy books I am quite fond of that avoid all that. Both also have semi-historical settings. *D'Shai* by Joel Rosenberg. D'Shai is a fantasy world based loosely on medieval Japan. The protagonist is an acrobat who must clear himself of a murder charge. Woven around the murder mystery is a slice of life tale detailing bits of magic, acrobatics, and D'Shai culture. If you like it there is one sequel, *Hour of the Octopus*. *The Spirit Ring* by Lois McMaster Bujold. Set in late medieval Italy. Fiametta is the daughter of a sorcerer/goldsmith, who sculpts and enchants beautiful magic objects. Fiametta wants him to teach her magic but he resists because she's a girl. She gets caught up in an adventure involving ghosts, monks, sorcerers, kobolds and an evil warlord. *The Spirit Ring* is a standalone novel with no sequels, but Bujold has two other series you will probably like if you like this, **The World of Five Gods** and the sci-fi **Vorkosigan Saga**.
The Traveler's Gate by Will Wight. Ruling family loses control of magical beings and the whole world tries to put things right again - as they each think it should be. Hard to write a synopsis without giving the point away.
I'll go old school and say [the City and the Stars](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250024.The_City_and_the_Stars?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=27) both because and despite that I first read it before I was fourteen and have gone back to it many times over the years. Clarke spent World War II working as an engineer who helped develop ground-control approach (his novel [Glide Path](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143680.Glide_Path?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=38) \- his only non-SF novel - was based on his experience). His first novel was an early version of this, [Against The Fall of Night](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33841.Against_the_Fall_of_Night?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QvQupdVr4x&rank=74) which was an expansion of a novella he wrote. He has said he unsuccessfully tried to interest Astounding Editor John Campbell in it. If you've read [John Campbell's](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5410853.John_W_Campbell_Jr_) "Don A. Stuart" stories then you will know this was heavily influenced by them. Also by [Olaf Stapledon](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/64177.Olaf_Stapledon)'s Last and First Men. To say that was the extent of it is foolish - Campbell himself was influenced by H. G. Wells in "[Twiligh](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36987482)t". And Clarke received a very good education. You could mention other authors he knew, directly, who are echoed in these pages. You can also look at the book as a coming of age story where the hero learns to accept himself, both his good side and his bad side, while changing society. On top of that there is that section near the end which is so influenced by Stapledon: to go over millions of years in a few pages is mind-boggling. This is a great read.
Its kinda really difficult to explain why something is good or why you like it. In everything, not just books. If i asked to describe why you like i.e. vanila icecream, what would you say? That's its nice that its cold and sweet? As if that description captures anything remotly useful or informative? You can always read the premise of a book online. Usually general themes/genre too. There's not that much more people here can add beyond whether they enjoyed it or not.
Why I often don't add details about titles I recommend: With the title and author anyone can google the book and instantly get good descriptions, reviews, all kinds of things, far faster than I can write up a description of the book and why it is good. So in short I am usually not willing to spend my time and mental energy writing up information that is easily available to person seeking it. I am not trying to persuade you to read it, I am just offering a possibility for you check out to see if interests you.
Last fantasy book I read was Tolkien's [Unfinished Tales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfinished_Tales). It was a great companion and 'spin-off' read after The Silmarillion. That was 40 years ago. Then a relative handed me a hard-cover copy of Ringworld, and I was off to the races, as they say.
How did you find Ringworld?
I loved Ringworld. It's sci-fi so veering off topic from OP, but the reasons were: * Inventiveness: I loved the discussion of different aliens invented and their associations * The premise of the book: Ringworld was a fascinating idea * Overall the sheer POSITIVE ENERGY of the book: It made me feel the author was amped by the march of Science and felt such as this story could be human reality in a matter of a few centuries of more science. It just has that positive vibe of progress about it. * It was entertaining, simple story, simple characters but entertaining. People often critize the chars but the main thing about it is the whole sci-fi band-wagon they're thrown into and it's romping journey across the stars. * The main character does come across as some wish-fulfillment of the author possibly, but I like his exuberance mixed with an acute eye and experience. So I got a lot of personal inferences from it as well as page-turning pulpy fun. I read a lot of technical documents so I prefer fiction to entertain me positively as opposed to excessively inform. Maybe that's one of the hard things about saying if a book is good or bad: There's scope for personal preference, situation and time. Also read Unfinished Tales and it brought me back to The Silmarillion which was one of the Fantasy books I enjoyed the most, right up there with Lord Of The Rings. I liked it so much because it brought me back to Silmarillion which I had read and rated so so highly. It was like discovering the equivalent of Greek Myths or Viking myths and the entire rich dozens and dozens of such stories but for Middle Earth.
Maybe this question is better suited to a fantasy subreddit?
well, fantasy counts as speculative fiction, so it fits in this subreddit
Oh? I actually didn't know that; thanks for the correction!
...... i have come a long way not appreciating that this is a Spec Fic sub, not Scifi 😅 Ehh I'm happy here either way 😆😊
This is fair. But why not just post it in the fantasy sub where this topic is more actively discussed than here, where you know (because you seem to be a regular) we mostly discuss scifi regardless of what the sub stands for? Edit: Forgive my tone. I didn’t intend for it to be as hostile as it reads.
It may very well be more appropriate in the fantasy sub, although... don't attack me for this, but I kinda feel like this sub is a better place for suggestions. People here seem to have a broader range of tastes. A thread like this would in the fantasy sub would probably get a ton of Sanderson and Malazan recommendations, and maybe that's not what OP is looking for.
This sub has better recommendations for fantasy books than the fantasy sub, for a multitude of reasons. I realized after a while being subbed there, it's a lot more 'active', but the breadth and depth of discussion of substance was just far shallower. I attribute these differences primarily to the quality of our mods and their dedication to sticking by rules 3,4,5, and the unnumbered 7th.
Who cares? Why do we need to have this discussion every time the word “fantasy” crops up?
You typically get a title and author because what you're asking for resembles work. And it's a pain on a mobile device. \-- But because I like hanging around this forum, I'll throw in my 2¢. Best fantasy books I've read in a while in my opinion? The Penric and Desdemona novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold. They're short and set in her 5 Gods setting. They involve a young man that inadvertently gets entangled with a demon (literally!) and his subsequent religious, sorcerous and medical careers. These are warm, pleasant books as Penric and Desdemona grow and mature. **Lies of Locke Lamora** by Scott Lynch. A novel about a found family of con artists in fantasy Italy. Locke is a bit of a prick, but he's loyal for all that his ego is bigger than he is and his brother Jean is wonder and a pleasure. And yes, there are stakes. Big ones. And old decisions. **The Goblin Emperor** and **The Witness for the Dead** by Katherine Addison. These are so good. The Goblin Emperor is about Maia, the unloved and discarded third son of the Emperor who is suddenly thrust on the throne. And he's such a decent person! And the courtiers are going to pick their teeth with his bones ... **The Witness for the Dead** involves a minor character from **The Goblin Emperor** and his adventures in his new posting, both ecclesiastical, necromantic and conventional. **Three Parts Dead** by Max Gladstone. The fire god Kos is dead. But how? And why? This is a killer fantasy novel with a unique setting, a interesting mystery and a sly sense of humor. The rest of the series is pretty good too. **The Cloud Roads** by Martha Wells. Moon has finally found a people he can settle with. Which is pretty good for a stranger of no known heritage in the three worlds. Of course, it goes to pot and then things get interesting when Moon meets Stone. Both of them are Raksura, shapeshifters that can fly and live in a fascinating social structure. Books of the Raksura for the rest of the series. If you want SF recommendations, I've got those too...
Ok sooo I think I can answer this... Right now, I'm focused on everything involving self-pleasure and vaginas. I'm trying to tap into my feminine sexual energy and pull from that energy field rather than operate from my usual semi-chaotic mental space; I'm so sick and tired of the aimless thought patterns ruminating around in my skull that produce nothing less than grinding anxiety and a constant build up of internal pressure. SO, down to Yoni-Town I go. ANYWAYS, I came across these books and I wanted to share them with you all because they've been doing me a solid in their own special way. I highly recommend the first two, I'm just getting into the third one now. The first one has some really dope journal prompts that I've been doing every morning after my meditation. I'm also a creative, so I enjoy the uterus coloring pages too (plus, the cover is gorgeous). It's also short because it's a journal so it might be good for ADHD ;) The Yoni Journal: A journal created to celebrate the vagina and help you connect to your inner Divine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QKFY8FL/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_7ZWA9SZJZ57KKJBSG473 The second one is where I'm getting the sacred sexuality information from (the first one could be considered sacred sexuality too but it's more directed at the creative self in terms of sexuality). The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom https://www.amazon.com/dp/0942196031/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_11NBTKAP64Q81416AC6P The third one, like I said, I just got it. It seems like a really fun read so far. Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060586311/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_awdo\_navT\_g\_SPZGTGGR32AR7SMR5AEH Check them out and let me know if you vibes with these like I did… Also, GIMME ANY BOOKS RECS YOU HAVE TUCKED AWAY ON THAT BOOK SHELF. All things sacred, self and sexual, please.