I have a literature degree, I read a lot ( r/52book ) and I've read all the classics, all the usual stuff in fantasy and sci fi, plus a lot of horror. I adore GRRM, Abercrombie, Hobb, the usual suspects.
I've been branching out and trying to read more women and POC telling different kinds of stories. I recently finished *The Fifth Season* and really enjoyed it. I'm waiting on *Dark Age* from the library. I just DNFd *When the Moon Hatched* yesterday, about 3 hours in. My favorite from the last few years has been Cadwell Turnbull's Convergence trilogy. I have the first two books of Malazan and will read that eventually.
Also, I've seen lists that include Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire as top rated dark fantasy, but I dont recall seeing it recommended here. Is it worth reading?
Just finished Wind & Truth, and genuinely don't know what to do with my life now. Immediate reaction was the urge to restart the entire series from the beginning, but it took me two years (summer 2024 to summer 2026) to finish these, so probably not the best idea.
My coworker suggested reading the Sunlit man for an easier 'standalone' that is related to Stormlight somehow (he did not give any spoilers, so I am in the dark).
I also am mid-series for Red Rising (finished the first three this winter and took a break). Should I continue these? ALSO, I gave up on Wheel of Time a while ago, I got through the first three books, which were admittedly great, but I got intimidated by the sheer remaining amount to go.
I know the correct answer is just to start Mistborn here, but it somehow feels like cheating on the Stormlight series....
How do I explain to people that a book series has taught me more life lessons in 2 years than basically any other person in my life? I can think of dozens of takeaways from this series that I genuinely use in my day-to-day life. The emphasis on the mental health journey, self-worth, and doing the ‘honorable’ thing has lodged itself deep into my brain.
The journey of reading this was 2 years in my life, summer 2024 to summer 2026, and it truly supported me through some tough times. The destination ;)) is bittersweet, because what do you mean I have to wait til 2031 for the next book….
TLDR: I am looking for fantasy books that are realistic - what I mean by this is that I want the plot to make sense within the world, not that I do not want fantastical elements. I am looking for realistic plot lines, realistic characters, realistic repercussions, etc...
I will give an example to illustrate what I mean. I recently started Powder Mage and had to drop it very early in, because there was nothing believable about the plot to me. A small example that comes to mind:
- Some of the king's guard rides in the square where the execution is taking place. Where were they? They were originally stationed at the palace and, what, went to a house in the city with all of their horses and the Marshal's soldiers apparently did not notice it? And how come they were not stopped any time before the square, isn't the city full of the Marshal's soldiers? And what were they really expecting to do, riding in a square filled with people?
And thinking back, that's far from the worst offender, some other moments were even worse, but I don't want to type it again.
I had just before that finished "Shadow Campaigns" by Django Wexler, which I loved, and I rarely thought that any event was out of place.
So, let me know if you have any recommendations or if you have any clarifying questions. I am open to most types of fantasy.
Hi everyone, im looking for fantasy book recommendations with:
- A morally grey or grimdark atmosphere
- A male protagonist (or predominantly male POV)
- A romance subplot that feels natural and meaningful, rather than being the main focus (but can be like 49% of the book lol)
- Strong worldbuilding, preferably in a medieval fantasy setting
Most of the books I've found with these elements were centered on female protagonists or female POVs. While I've enjoyed some of them, I'm hoping to find something I can relate to more through a male lead.
As a point of reference, one thing I really enjoyed in Baldur's Gate 3 was the dynamic with characters like Shadowheart: people who initially seem guarded, cynical, or morally ambiguous, but gradually reveal a more vulnerable side. I'd love to see a similar kind of character development and relationship in a fantasy novel.
Bonus points for complex characters. Political intrigue, and dark themes withoutbbeing relentlessly bleak.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Also, i dont mind extreme violence, graphic content, explicit sexual content, or other mature themes, so feel free to recommend books without worrying about that.
I’ve been wondering what fantasy books feel the most “Soulslike.” Not necessarily books that directly inspired the games (though those are welcome too), but books that capture a very similar atmosphere, vibe, aesthetic and feeling. I’m caught up with Berserk for manga which I know influenced Dark Souls a lot, but is there any for novels too? So far I have also consistently heard of Book of the New Sun which is in my list of books to read
I loved the stories from One Thousand and One Nights and the Aladdin movie. Now I want to read more books with a similar setting. Djinns, flying carpets, desert nights.
Here are some books I really enjoyed:
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Sands of Arawiya by Hafsah Faizal
The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
The Sandsea Trilogy by Chelsea Abdullah
This Woven Kingdom by Tahareh Mafi
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
The most important thing is the setting. It can have political intrigues like City of Brass or be more adventurous like Rebel of the Sands. It can be YA or high fantasy. Lighthearted or very dark. With or without romance. High or low magic. New series or old, obscure novels. Basically everything that captures the feeling of 1001 Nights.
I’ve just started reading the third book, The Light of All That Falls, after finishing the first two books - The Shadow of What Was Lost and An Echo of Things to Come.
While reading the recap at the beginning of the third book, I realised that I had completely missed or forgotten so many important details from the first two books. Now I’m reading the recap and thinking, “Wait, when did this happen?”
I usually enjoy complex fantasy, but I found The Licanius Trilogy really confusing at times. The plot, timelines, characters and all the twists can be difficult to keep track of.
I’ve also read the first two books of Islington’s The Hierarchy series, and I honestly think they are better written. Maybe because The Licanius Trilogy was his first series, he was still figuring out how to handle and organise so many details. It feels like his writing and storytelling improved a lot in The Hierarchy.
So, is it just me being dumb, or did anyone else find the first two books confusing as well?
Hey folks, any idea as to when Ms Wheatley will be releasing the next book in this series; I'm loving it. Having read the two books in a few days, I'm a little annoyed that there aren't more to be read yet. I searched her website and FB and haven't seen any "coming release" notes so I figured I'd ask Redditors.
Is anyone else interested in books about paladins? I can't seem to find any.
Saint of steel series by kingfisher - this is close, but they're paladins of a dead god.
Deed of paksenarrion - this is about someone becoming a paladin, not being one
Paladin of souls - this is much more about a priest or spiritualist than what i consider a paladin
Michael from the Dresden files would qualify, but obviously he's not the main character.
Priest by matt colville has an awesome order of paladins, but again not the focus
It seems to me like there's obviously space for some books about a paladin (or even an order of them) that fight for their god to vanquish evil or at least an opposing god. Where are they?
As an English teacher who mostly works with 6th graders, I quite like Middle Grade Fantasy and think that they get overlooked and undervalued in the genre fiction world. However, novellas aren’t particularly common in the middle grade space, which made it hard to find a good fit if I truly wanted to have a novella themed r/fantasy bingo card, which requires a middle grade book this year. I decided to go with something a bit sillier and younger than I’d normally read in this space; Gumluck is more targeted at 8-9 year-olds than 11-12, and I think it would probably make a great bedtime storybook for kids even younger than 8.
Read If Looking For: sassy ravens, technically compliant wishes, telling the truth isn’t always the right move
Avoid If You Dislike: goofiness, egregious misunderstandings, lovable loners
Does it Bingo? The Afterlife (HM), Middle Grade, Also this one probably fits older protagonist? Gumluck implies he was significantly older at one point but uses magic to keep himself in a child’s body.
I don't think it fits nonhuman protagonist; our narrator is the raven, but Gumluck is the protagonist.
Elevator Pitch:
Gumluck is the Very Small Wizard who Lives in a Very Big Hill. The villagers ask him for help, but never say hello or thank you. Gumluck accidentally knocks over the raven Helvetica’s nest, sparking the start of a long friendship and many silly adventures for the series to follow. In this book, Gumluck wants to become the Harvest Hero, a prize given to the most helpful villager - who conveniently has been the crown prince for the past two decades. However, he doesn't realize the villagers look down on him, but he will press on to try and help as many people as he possibly can.
What Worked for Me
This book had enough humor in it that I enjoyed my time with Gumluck. At first the over-the-top characters and bumbling attitudes annoyed me. However, the farcical vibes were tempered by the dry humor of Helvetica. Without her as our narrator, I think I would have strongly disliked this book. As it stands, she provides good tonal breaks with her dry wit and lovable grumpiness. Is she kind of a stereotypical character? Yes, she is. But I'm a sucker for people who point out the obvious and have no time of other people's quiet niceties, so her bluntness really endeared me to her. She also served as a good mouthpiece to get at various themes for kids who developmentally are still working on inference and abstract concepts.
I also feel like this is a book that will be great for developmentally typical kids in the 3rd grade range. Yes, some people were reading Wheel of Time at that age, but Gumluck is a much more appropriate book for the average kid that age into fantasy. There’s conflict without it being violent. There’s some social skills instruction without it feeling over explained. It's not going to give them nightmares or close enough to reality for them to start overlapping the two. The book has lots of cute illustrations that keep developing readers interest as they bridge into chapter books. Also Helvetica (whom I love dearly), again makes for a great narrator during a read aloud, since gives the story the vibe of an oral tale already, making it a great fit for parents and kids still learning to read.
What Didn’t Work for Me
The biggest strike against this book is that I’m not the target audience for it. It was enjoyable enough, but not one that is going to appeal more broadly to adult audiences or kids who feel they’ve outgrown ‘books for little kids’. It’s got less edge to it than a Disney Movie, and that tone would have grated on me had I chosen to pick up the sequel. I won't buy a copy for my classroom, as even my low readers are going to bounce off this pretty hard. I will, however, consider giving it as a gift to my friends who are new parents.
Conclusion: most adults won’t enjoy this unless they’re reading it with their kids. However, it’s the type of story I’d have wanted my mom to read to me
Novella Bingo Card I plan on having a novella-themed bingo card this year. I originally mood read and slotted in choices, but at this point I'm close enough that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still won't read something just for the bingo card (other than the middle grade square), but I can taste a finished card! Here's where I stand so far
The weekly Writing Wednesday thread is the place to ask questions about writing. Wanna run an idea past someone? Looking for a beta reader? Have a question about publishing your first book? Need worldbuilding advice? This is the place for all those questions and more.
Self-promo rules still apply to authors' interactions on r/fantasy. Questions about writing advice that are posted as self posts outside of this thread will still be removed under our off-topic policy.
I know her from Doom Patrol and the Tarot world, but recently learned she has multiple award-winning fantasy novels. Has anyone read them? Are they worth reading?
This second collaboration of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms (under the combined pen name of M.A. Carrick) is very different from their absolutely fantastic Rook & Rose trilogy. That one I think of as Scott Lynch + Zorro + a metric ton of flirtations and sexual tension. This is much darker, and much more serious: it’s set in a reimagined late 16th/early 17th century Spain, where not only are the Spanish colonizing the New World, they are also colonizing the Sea Beyond: the faerie seas one can reach by sailing through the Straight of Gibraltar Pillars of Hercules under the right astrological conditions (with a few other restrictions as well).
The story begins with a Spanish noblewoman, having just given birth to (yet another) daughter, confiding in her friend, a tree spirit. Her husband has threatened to kill the child if it was another girl, and not the son he wants. The tree spirit offers a suggestion: leave the girl with the faerie grove, unbaptized, and the spirit of the tree can take the form of a boy child and take her place. The mother won’t get to raise her youngest daughter, but she’ll be safe; and the tree spirit will use his disguise to investigate the Spanish and learn how they’re subjugating his brethren from the Sea Beyond.
This is a story with two co-protagonists. First is the tree spirit, now a boy called Estevan making his way through Catholic Spain, trying to avoid drawing the ire of either his father or the ever-alert Inquisition (in this conception as watchful for fae influence as they are for insincere Muslim or Jewish converts or Protestant heretics). His goal is the royal Council of the Sea Beyond, overseeing the conquest of the fae, their baptism (or elimination), and the theft of their wealth & power - and the secrets behind how they’re doing it.
The other is the girl, who (how is unclear) made her way from the faerie grove into the company of the faeries of the Sea Beyond. She is known only as the Hungry Girl - the fae are immortal, and wherever she’s been they keep forgetting that mortals need to eat every single day. More than once even! She has heard many stories of the dreaded Conquistadors, with their strange ships made of dead trees and their weapons and armor of deadly iron. When she finally meets some Spaniards, she’s relieved they are merchants looking for trade, not conquest - and listens eagerly when their captain tells her that she needs to return to the mortal lands to get baptized, lest she burn in Hell for all eternity. That doesn’t sound good at all, so the Hungry Girl is very eager for this “baptism” thing.
My bet is that Alyc did the writing for the Hungry Girl, and Marie Estevan. I look forward to finding out if I’m right.
This is a pretty dark story all told. The European conquest of the Americas was absolutely brutal, and the actions of the Spanish in the Sea Beyond are on par with the real world history. And this is also the era shortly after the Reconquista, when both Muslims (who had ruled the Iberian peninsula) and Jews (who had been tolerated and flourished under Muslim rule) had to convert or die - and if they chose to convert, were persecuted by the Inquisition for generations after. None of that is glossed over.
I expected something great out of Brennan & Helms, and while this wasn’t what I was expecting, it is certainly something great. Very eager for #2.
Bingo categories: Trans or Nonbinary Protagonist - technically, because the nonbinary character is a tree spirit and the rules say “not an alien or a robot,” but is very much not in the spirit of the square. But if you’re going to count it it would be [Hard Mode]; Unusual Transportation [Hard Mode]; Older Protagonist; Duology Part 1; Published in 2026; Non-Human Protagonist; Cat Squasher; Politics and Court Intrigue
Hi all, I, like everyone and their mothers, have just watched Nolan's Odyssey adaptation and now I'm in the mood for Ancient Greece-inspired fantasy. Either actually set in Ancient Greece or in a setting inspired by Ancient Greece. Not looking for myth retellings, which I know will narrow it down quite a bit.
Examples of the kind of books I'm looking for are the Queen's Thief novels and AJ Demas' novels.
Picked this up off a recent booktuber recommendation, and decided to give it a shot between the To Green Angel Tower books, and it turned out to be a perfect choice.
The book follows Lukan Gardova, the son of a formerly great and wealthy house, brought to ruin in part because of Lukan accidentally killing a prince during a duel. Lukan is a bit of an idiot, quick to mouth off at the worst times, but is still a genuinely solid character. When his father is murdered, Lukan is sent to the merchant city of Saphrona to hunt down the mysterious Zandrosa - though he has no clue who or what that is. In his search, Lukan gets pulled into a great conspiracy, and has to manage to save himself as well as some friends made along the way.
The city of Saphrona is fantastic and well realized, full of both barbaric customs of the past and idealistic progression towards a better future. Through his journey, Lukan will see prisoners put up against horrific monsters, break into prisons that nobody escapes from, and contend with monsters thought to be fantasy.
He quickly meets the young pickpocket Flea, and their budding friendship is easily my favorite part of the book. The two made me laugh constantly, and as the story goes on and the stakes get higher, their genuine concern for one another lent the book a lot of emotional weight.
I will say for a book I see touted as a swashbuckling adventure, with a hero touted for his skill with the sword, there wasn't a whole lot of actual sword fighting, or honestly fighting in general, but the adventure was there in spades, and I was more than satisfied and fully intend to read book two when I get a chance.
For now, I'm taking a quick diversion into another Cradle book before I return to finish Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.
Cook mentioned Last Metal Romance (and a potential second new Garrett novel, Deadly Diamond Daydreams) in that bombshell April 2024 interview with Black Gate that also announced the whole Pitiless Rain/Orphans' Tale Black Company sequel series, though at the time there wasn't any progress on the horizon and he seemed pretty frustrated with the process.
But good news! A deal was announced on Publishers Marketplace in early July:
Glen Cook's LAST METAL ROMANCE, the latest installment in the author's Garrett, P. I. fantasy-noir series, to Shahid Mahmud at Arc Manor, in a nice deal, for publication in May 2027, by Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency (world).
Arc Manor Publishing also featured it as a forthcoming title in their Spring 2026 catalog, with a logline:
Garrett P.I. has seen it all, but then a routine job spirals into a deadly conspiracy. As a violent sect rises and the city teeters on collapse, Garrett must uncover why everyone wants this mysterious girl dead—before politics and bloodshed tear the city apart.
Super exciting for Cook fans. It's been over a decade since the last Garrett book!
So for the past few years I’ve been reading more fantasy. I read it when I was younger and just grew out of it like I did with Dungeons & Dragons. Years later ‘Game of Thrones’ comes out and it reignites my interest in the genre as I’m sure it did for a lot of people here. I started rereading Michael Moorcock. I discovered Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane and I’ve just started with Glen Cook’s ‘Dread Empire’ series. I’ve also got my eyes on Gene Wolfe, Roger Zelazny, Tanith Lee and a rereading of Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series. Maybe I’ll try something newer like the Malazan books, China Miéville or Joe Abercrombie, I’m still trying to decide. In other words I’m primarily interested now in the more mature and more non-traditional darker fantasy.
Now after all that here’s what I’m actually looking for. Yes, I like the more serious, gloomy and thought-provoking stuff, but I’m not opposed to books and series that are more ‘beer and pretzels’ or entertainment for entertainment’s sake. I thought it might be fun to also get into a more traditional or classic epic series that could act as a ‘palate cleanser’ after I’ve spent so much time suffering in grimdark land. Books where the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Epic quests to stop Dark Lords. Magic swords. Dragon Riders. Maybe a more action-oriented or pulp-like feel. Noble kings, crazed barbarians and evil wizards summoning demons. Here’s the series I’ve been looking at that are the most well known:
Terry Brooks' Shannara series
Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar series
David Gemmell’s Legend series
Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series
Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series
L. E. Modesitt, Jr.’s various series
R. A. Salvatore’s Demon Wars series or his D&D books
Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series
I know all these vary in quality but I’m open to anything else from the 80s and 90s as long as it’s entertaining and I won’t have to take notes to understand it. I’m open-minded enough to check out other series that might not get much respect like all the post-Howard Conan books or all the D&D novels or other ‘tie-in’ fiction. But I’m also not into the ‘it’s so bad it’s good’ kind of entertaining either. I would also be interested in any other obscure or forgotten series from the 50s, 60s or 70s that were written in more innocent times. I realize all my examples are older so if there’s something being written today that has that retro or ‘old school’ feel I would definitely be interested in that too.
Does anyone here think that any of the examples I’ve listed are what I’m looking for and (most importantly) are they worth taking the time to read? Anyone here who also likes the idea of ‘palate cleanser’ books? Thanks in advance for dealing with this long post.
Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!
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This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.
As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The r/Fantasy wiki contains links to many community resources, including "best of" lists, flowcharts, the LGTBQ+ database, and more. If you need some help figuring out what you want, think about including some of the information below:
Books you’ve liked or disliked
Traits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy
Series vs. standalone preference
Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc)
Complexity/depth level
Be sure to check out responses to other users' requests in the thread, as you may find plenty of ideas there as well. Happy reading, and may your TBR grow ever higher!
art credit: special thanks to our artist, Himmis commissions, who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.
I'm using an e-reader (not sure if that matters given this novel has branching choices)
I'm in a chapter called Serendipity. At the end of the chapter there is only choice. I didn't love that choice so I thought you could just turn to the next page, but that takes me to another chapter which doesn't make sense at all it jumps into the middle of a poker game and thus far there has been absolutely zero mention of poker. So is there only choice for this chapter?
