Time for a new FANTASY recommendations thread

[KateESal]

So, I finally started reading The Final Empire (Book 1 of the Mistborn series) by Brandon Sanderson and I'm enjoying it immensely. I hadn't read Sanderson before, but the name comes up a lot on here, hence my interest.

Other books in the fantasy genre (including epic fantasy, low fantasy, dystopia and everything else that's not firmly rooted in reality) that I've read recently and enjoyed:

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Moths by Jane Hennigan (dystopia)

And more besides, but I'd love other Litopians to add to the list and I look forward to making more discoveries

 

[RK Wallis]

My favourite topic

That's so funny, @Ancora Imparo just told me she's going to try The Final Empire (I know it as Mistborn, but that's just because I can't read covers, lol). I'm planning on buying it for my daughter for Christmas, as she's said she's heard good things too.

The Cruel Prince is great. I enjoyed that whole trilogy. And I enjoyed Shadow and Bone. After @Nmlee recommended it, I went on to read Seige and Storm too. Interesting thing about the Netflix version of Shadow and Bone - it's a combination of the books Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows.

I go through stages of what I like. Recently, I've adored The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - retellings of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White - all one big overarching story, but each book is from a different character perspective. And get this, Cinder was published in 2013 but there's a worldwide plague (it's only a thread). Definitely, a series to read if you want to study one technique for writing a series.

Another favourite is VE Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. It jumps around like Time Traveller's wife from Paris to New York and between centuries, but it's basically about a deal made with the devil. Schwab is a poet, so there's a lot of rhythm to her writing.

 

[Ancora Imparo]

Thanks for those recommendations @KateESal and @RK Capps – yes, I'm hoping to start Mistborn/The Final Empire soon.

I also loved N.K. Jemisin's The Broken Earth series. I loved book I, The Fifth Season, and have ordered the final two in the series. I can recommend the first. I'm just hoping the other two hold the story.

Joe Abercrombie's The First Law was good too, though I was a bit disappointed by book III. Seems to me even the best of writers can find it challenging to keep the story fresh and interesting for three books.

Not fantasy, but Shougie Bain by Douglas Stuart also looks great – lovely writing. But that's a Christmas present for someone else so I'm not allowed to touch it! Currently trying to sneak a peek without opening the pages much

 

[Hannah F]

I absolutely loved Laini Taylor's Trilogy, "Daughter of Smoke and Bone", "Days of Blood and Starlight", "Dreams of Gods and Monsters".
Enjoyed Bex Hogan's "Viper". Looking forward to reading the next 2 in the trilogy.
Enjoyed Naomi Novik's "Uprooted". Absloutely loved her "Spinning Silver".
Adored Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" and can't recommend enough her "The Starless Sea" = one of the best books I've ever read.
Going back a bit, but loved Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders trilogy: "Ship of Magic", "The Mad Ship", "Ship of Destiny".

 

[Nikky Lee]

* Takes a deep breath, cracks knuckles *

Some of the standouts I've read in the last couple years:

• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (second world)
• The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (middle eastern, historical fantasy)
• Sixty-One Nails by Mike Shevdon (urban fantasy)
• Blackbirds Sing by Aiki Flinthart (historical interconnected short stories)
• The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker (grimdarkish, second world)
• If I Wake by Nikki Moyes (urban, magic realism)
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (alt-history, humorous)
• The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (second world, assassin story)
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Second world, rags to riches. Trilogy unfinished, and probably won't ever be finished, but the first to books are well worth it).
• Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan (second world/multiple world)
• Circe by Madeline Miller (historical/myth)
• Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (grimdark, second world, assassin story)
• Sabriel by Garth Nix (second world, YA)
• The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (urban fantasy/paranormal, YA)
• Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter (grimdark, second world).
• The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells (second world, no human characters at all)
• Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen (rural, historical fantasy drawing on American folklore)
• Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (grimdark, second world, assassin-nun story)
• Enchantée by Gita Trelease (retelling of Cinderella).

 

[Nikky Lee]

Enjoyed Naomi Novik's "Uprooted". Absloutely loved her "Spinning Silver".
Adored Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" and can't recommend enough her "The Starless Sea" = one of the best books I've ever read.
Going back a bit, but loved Robin Hobb's The Liveship Traders trilogy: "Ship of Magic", "The Mad Ship", "Ship of Destiny".

I second all these too. Though, I've yet to read The Starless Sea—it's still in my TBR pile.

 

[Nikky Lee]

If you're willing to delve into science-fantasy arena there's also Red Rising—the first book is basically Hunger Games set on Mars but after that it goes into new territory (my top sci-fi/sci-fantasy by far)—and Gideon the Ninth (necromancers in space).

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Well, most of what I'd recommend has already been mentioned, but I can also add The Chronicles of Elantra series by Michelle Sagara. There are a gazillion books in the series, and I haven't read them all. To be honest, after the 4th or 5th book I got bored with the slow pace of the overarching plot (lots of action in each book, though!), but I really enjoyed them from a world building and character development perspective.

 

[KateESal]

Another favourite is VE Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. It jumps around like Time Traveller's wife from Paris to New York and between centuries, but it's basically about a deal made with the devil. Schwab is a poet, so there's a lot of rhythm to her writing.

Ah yes, I loved A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab. Definitely going to read more of hers!

Damn, @Nmlee that's a heck of a list! *doffs cap*
I've read the Rothfuss (LOVED those books!) but not the others. A feast of fantastical delights is in store!

Cheers also for all the other recommendations! Some great stuff to dive into

In the speculative fiction/magical realism end of things, I've also read and enjoyed Bone Clocks and it's companion novel Slade House by David Mitchell. Mind-twisting stuff.

Keep adding, folks! Doesn't have to be recent...

 

[RK Wallis]

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

Yep, that's good, but Addie steps it up a notch. It was released October last year and already has 29K almost 5 star reviews. Even The Cruel Prince only has 10K almost 5 star reviews, released 2 years earlier.

 

[Hannah F]

Magical Realism: "The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock" by Imogen Hermes Gower. At least I think it's magical realism. Jolly good anyway.