The May 2024 r/Fantasy_Bookclub/ book will be The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.

Nomination and Voting: See here

Goodreads Link: See here

A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

A groundbreaking work as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out.

Bookfinder Link: See here

Thriftbooks Link: See here

The first discussion for this book will be posted on May 15th covering the first half of the book. The final discussion will be posted on May 31st covering the entire book.

We're currently reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern for April's book of the month, and this discussion will be on the first part of the book.

Please only discuss up to the end of Part II: Illumination.

Anything in Part III, IV, or V must be put in spoiler tags.

Remember that even saying something like "you'll find that out soon enough" is considered a spoiler, so if you aren't sure if it's a spoiler - use spoiler tags to be safe!

I'll post some questions to go along with the reading, but feel free to comment about anything else or start your own comment thread.

Please use the comments to nominate books for May's book of the month. You can then upvote any of the book(s) that you would like to read. The comment with the most upvotes will be the selected book. The post will start in contest mode so that submitted entries are randomized and the upvotes are hidden.

You can make your nomination using the following format in top-level comments:

Book by Author

A short explanation explaining why the book is being nominated and why it is worth reading.

A link to Goodreads or the author's website with a description of the book can also be helpful but is not mandatory to nominate a book.

Voting will be closed on the 20th of the month to allow everyone a chance to get the book.

I'm leaving the nominations open again for May, the only thing I ask is that nominated books have good enough availability for everyone to be able to get it.

Recent or of all time, and you can say more than one. I’m looking for ideas to add to my list of books to read and maybe hear of something that jumps to the top of my list! I’ve read Brent Weeks The Black Prism, The Blinding Knife, and I intend to read more of that series. I love Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time is one of my favorite series ever. I also just purchased Murtagh, as I am a fan of Eragon. Thanks for posting!

Keep in mind that english isn't my first language,and i don't want to get into big series while not being able to process them properly.i wanted to start with the obvious,the lord of the rings,but i heard that it's a bit slow paced and the writing is a bit hard.is the earthsea trilogy a good place to start?i heard it's a children's book that adults can enjoy too.

Hi fantasy books I love, but I’ve been getting bored and haven’t found what I’m looking for. I want a book with a diverse cast of characters. Characters of different ages, sexual orientations, races, abilities, religions, etc. and 1 or 2 people in the book or series. Often times when I look for diverse book or characters, the suggestion is just change the race or sexual orientation and that’s cool but I want the book version of Brandy/Witney Houston’s Cinderella.

Any recommendations??

Greetings, fellow book enthusiasts!

I'm on a quest to find an unpublished fantasy novel that has eluded my memory, and I'm hoping you can assist me in this literary pursuit. Here's what I remember about the novel:

• The story revolves around kingdom building, starting with a humble nobleman who rises through the ranks.
• The protagonist inherits a mysterious system from an ancient scroll brought by their father from Andrews Empire.
• The world in the novel is embroiled in a conflict between monarchies and republics, with the Sandra Kingdom leading the charge against the republics.
• Our protagonist ties the knot with the princess of their kingdom, who later ascends to the throne as the queen.
• A captivating element is the existence of swordmasters, and in the protagonist's kingdom, there is a particularly noteworthy one, possibly named Duke McArthur or Duke Arthur.
• To everyone's surprise, the protagonist and their enemy, the Fuhrer from the most powerful republic, form a temporary alliance to fight against the Andrews Empire. However, the enemy's attempt to betray the protagonist ultimately fails.
• The triumph over the Andrews Empire results in the transformation of the Lester Kingdom into an empire itself.

I recall this novel being an independent and unpublished work of fantasy.

If any of these details ring a bell or if you have any leads that might help me identify this captivating tale, I would be immensely grateful for your assistance!

Additional Information: The novel explores themes of political intrigue, kingdom building, and the clash between monarchies and republics. It is likely that the protagonist's last name is "Miller" or "Millan."

Thank you kindly for taking the time to read my inquiry, and I eagerly await any insights or suggestions you may have.

Warm regards, [Unknown]

Hey all,

I just finished Heartless Hunter, which I absolutely adored and it broke my heart. I now cannot stop thinking about it and really want a fantasy - can be just fantasy OR romantasy - to break my heart.

I am not really looking for YA unless it has adult themes. I like a lot of risk in my books where authors are not afraid to kill characters, break characters up, etc.

I am not a vampire fan and I've read Serpents and Wings of Night. Currently on my list to read is:

• An Education in Malice
• The Reanimator's Heart
• Imperfect Illusion
• Faebound

Please shoo me away if I am in the wrong subreddit 😊

The April 2024 /r/Fantasy_Bookclub/ book will be The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Nomination and Voting: See here

Goodreads Link: See here

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Bookfinder Link: See here

Thriftbooks Link: See here

The first discussion for this book will be posted on April 15th covering the first half of the book. The final discussion will be posted on April 30th covering the entire book.

Hello Everyone, I am looking for a new book series to start and I have three in mind that I was wondering in anyone's read them and could give me input on them and if they're worth the time.

1. The City of Brass by S. A Chakraborty
2. The witch wood crown by Tad Williams
3. The priory of the orange tree by Samantha Shannon

These are just three that I've had in my wish list for a while now but if anyone has read a great series recently please recommend them, my only request is that the audio book is 18 hr + !

Hello, all! I read some time ago very interesting book series. I remember parts of the first one, but I can't remember the name or the author. I would be very grateful if someone can help. It was about a young woma, the daughter of the alpfa, but she can't shift. She was kidnapped in some kind of caverns turned to something like a home. She fell in love with her kidnapper who was some kind of beast. I am almost sure some ppl called him the Beast. In the end I think she managed to shift in a snow white she-wolf.

This may sound weird, but I know I read this one fantasy book and I remember key details but can't remember the name of the book or anything online. I forget the exact story, but I remember that people would "ride" eagles by dangling from their chest and using ropes to control them. I believe it was more medieval because they were using swords and such. I believe there was also this one black gryphon (maybe an eagle too? I forget that exact detail) that was a main character, with his human flier who used to be military. I'm sorry it's not much to go on but if anyone could help it would be much appreciated. It was more of a teen fantasy novel I believe.

Please use the comments to nominate books for April's book of the month. You can then upvote any of the book(s) that you would like to read. The post with the most upvotes will be the selected book.

For this month, I'm not going to be selecting any sort of theme. The only things I'll ask is that the book is somewhat widely available and that it's not a book in the middle of the series.

I'm thinking of running this post on the 10th of every month, and then wrapping up the nominations and voting on the 20th of every month. This will give users about ~10 days before to be able to acquire the book.

For now, we'll just stick with comments and upvoting to decide which book wins the nomination. If there are any issues with that, we can switch to a poll if needed. I'm open to any other methods of nominating and voting as well!

Hi everyone, I'm going to be relaunching this subreddit and looking for your help in doing so. It seems that over the years, this subreddit became a dumping ground for spammy self-promotion and mostly off-topic things that vaguely fit the topic of the subreddit. I'm hoping that we can promote some quality discussion and create a small community here that's based on the original ideas of a monthly book club for fantasy readers.

For now, I'd like to start with a single book of the month, and depending on how the contributions and engagement goes with that, I'm open to adding more.

I'm completely open to any suggestions or feedback from anyone and everyone, or even any cool ideas that people have for book club themes or any additional fun things we can use this subreddit for.

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Hello. I found an excerpt from a book in one of those «pay per chapter»-app Facebook ads. I’ve read the book the link lead to, and know the excerpt is not from that book. I have found many previously on kindle/google, but no luck yet on this one. Has anyone read the chapter below and know what book it’s from??

Chapter 1 “Never step out of this room, understand?!” Beta Ryan slammed the door shut after dragging his own daughter into a warehouse behind the pack house. He was furious when he found Abby roaming around the premises where the welcoming party for the King was being held. Abby nodded profusely. She trembled in fear when she saw how angry her father was. She wanted him to leave, so she agreed to whatever he said and accepted all the insults that were hurled toward her. “I don’t want to see your ugly face! Don’t ever let anyone see you or let them learn I have a daughter like you! You will ruin the chances for your sister!” “Y- yes, father…” Abby held back her tears. She bit her lip and stared at the dust filled and dirty floor beneath her feet. Her heart ached so badly. This was not the first time for her father to treat her like she was some trash, but of course, this wouldn’t be the last either. “If you dare to show your ugly face and your scar again in front of everyone and embarrass your sister, I am going to beat you up and chain your legs, so you will not be able to walk out of this room again!” “Yes, father. I understand.” Fat tears escaped her eyes, but Abby tried so hard not to let out a single sob, at least, until her father left her alone. Today, the new werewolf king was visiting their pack as part of his duty as the new sovereign of this realm. Their pack was the ninth pack that the King visited, which meant it was the last one. But, the purpose of this visit was not only to see his subjects, but also to find his mate. Yes, the new king was twenty nine and he had not found his mate yet. This was his last attempt at finding her before he would resort to getting a chosen mate and decide one woman to be the Queen by his side. That was why, all the women in the packs were going crazy, thinking even if they were not the King's destined mate, the King would pick one of them if they left a great impression on him, including Abby’s little sister, Hanna. Hanna was very beautiful, she was the beauty of this pack and there were many men smitten with her, yet, even though she had reached the age of twenty, she had not yet found her mate. That was why their father put all of his bets on this. He wanted everything to be perfect, and Abby would always be a scourge in his eyes. “Take a step out of this room and I will break your legs, so you will not be able to walk again!” Abby nodded until her neck hurt so badly. She didn’t dare to register the disgusting look on her father’s face. Even after years of being treated unfairly like this, she still couldn’t get used to it. After hurling a few more insults, Beta Ryan finally spared his daughter by leaving her alone. He slammed the door shut very harshly, until the debris and dust fell from the roof. And once she was really alone, Abby slumped to the floor. She hugged herself and cried her heart out. No one would be able to hear her. The loud music out there would drown out the lonely sound of her sorrows. Her dress was ruined and her hair was unkempt, but she couldn’t care less about that. No one would think she was beautiful with the ugly scar on her face no matter what she wore and no matter how immaculately she got her hair done. Abby cried herself to sleep, something that she got used to. She had lost count of how many times she did this. She couldn’t even remember the last time she fell asleep with a light heart and a smile on her face. And when she woke up because the ground was too cold and the chilly wind breezed through the gaps in the wooden walls, she heard the loud music was still in full swing in the distance, while her surroundings were very dark. No one cared enough to light up the fireplace in the warehouse. “

Hey, I need help finding a book I started reading in school around the year 2014-2016. I never finished it, but I remember enjoying the plot and the characters, particularly one character. I want to find it again now to continue.

I believe it fits into the fantasy genre? It starts off introducing around 3-4 children, who will be the ones forming a group later on. In this world, some lucky or fated people are assigned animals, that, fall from the sky, or just appear, I don't exactly remember. One boy finds out he's the lucky one to get a wolf companion, he kind of gives of the main character vibes in my memory. One girl, who I remember being black, and in quite a high ranking from where she lives, gets a tiger. One boy, who had some kind of issues with anger and forming bonds, self esteem problems hidden in that I guess? He was partnered with an eagle. As I love birds, and troubled characters are the most interesting to me, I liked this boy the most. I want to find the books again so I can find out how this boy, and the groups journey goes. I only mentioned 3 characters, honestly couldn't remember if there was a 4th or 5th. Maybe a 4th character had a bear or something. The plot is hard to remember, but they end up having to band together, if it's a fated thing they have to do, I'm not sure. But they need to fight something, a force, I think. And so they start travelling at some point, with a group of people, or an army? At some point there is fighting, with who or what the enemies are, I don't remember. That is all I really have.

Book covers can be different with some productions, as I have seen with another series I used to read. But the book I read had the cover, in a mountainous area, with all the characters shown, in a realistic, if not just straight up real photo shoots of kids, with their fated animals by their side. The boy with the wolf I believe was blond, the boy with the eagle had short black/brown hair. And the girl with the tiger had hair on the shorter hair too I believe.

Hi im doing a little public survey so i would appreciate if you could engage with this question.

Just got done reading the shawl by cyntia ozick. Beautiful & heart touching novella. I love a good book that makes me sit down and think. If anyone has read it what do u think the shawl means to rosa? ( im a chair of a book club so i love discussing about books like this, dont think im weird haha)

Hello there! I'm trying to find this older book that I downloaded to an OG Kindle (the ones with the physical keyboard) I believe around 2005-2010. It was a multi book series. It's set in a fantasy world where there are two main races where the smaller ones are resigned to be eaten by the larger race. Story A was on a member of the large race who was trying to stop the eating and killing of the smaller ones - who grew weaker until she found an alternative. Story B was a romance between a large one and a small girl that was saved from a breeding program designed to create more food for the large ones who were in charge. I think in a second or third book there was a C story where one of the smalls was trying to form a rebellion and kill off all of the big ones.

I know this may be a long shot but thank you to anybody who looked into it!

Picture a planet, giant Earth-swallowing sphere, swaddled green with the color of life, the glare of its giant blue star glistening off its atmosphere in colorful, almost aurora-like, bursts of light. Picture three moons in an eternal cosmic dance around this large orb, the smallest colored the blue of Earth's sky, the next the green of deepest seas, and the largest the yellow of your own home star. Picture the swoop and whirl of these satellites as they leave no part of that orb with a moonless night, yet also none with the multiple romance of more than one. Picture a planet all filled with magic, mystery, and utter strangeness.

Picture Maldene.

Situated in the center of Space, at the Doorway to Time, on the precipice of Fate, such is Maldene. Birthed by the Power of the Eternal Flame, seeded by Chaos, nurtured by the Olden Gods, and brought to fruition by the knowledge of the Ancients, it lies centerwise in a galaxy far from any stars known to the Man of Earth.

Fate and Power of Awesome proportions focus down upon this innocent yet mysterious realm, awaiting for the unfolding of events that will lead the way to the Fate of All.

**********

Thus begins the Preface for Maldene, the first novel in my 13-book series of the same name. Yes, you read that right; a triskadekology, one that clocks in at around 5.2 million words and a couple hundred characters in total. A bit of a saga.

Anyway, it begins simply enough, with some people on a quest for a presumed treasure guarded by a dragon. Of course there's more to it than that, because the main three characters behind the trip were told by a blind gold-skinned fortune teller that they had an entwined destiny ahead of them and it all begins on that island with the dragon. Events there lead them on to the far greater plot in the rest of the book as they are introduced to how truely large and awe-inspiring is their world of "Maldene".

Maldene is a world of magic and science, wizards and dragons, a plethora of varied intelligent species, portals to other worlds, but also home to an increadible secret. A secret jealously guarded by History's most villainous being: Miro. He has brought down civilizations just to keep this secret until he can make it his own. Naturally, our main characters' destiny involves stumbling upon the first clue to this secret, lost within the ruins of the old kingdom of Thïr Tÿorca.

In the meantime, Miro has continued to be the nightmare of gods and men alike, with the world in his thrall and some to wonder what exactly he wants while being afraid to stand up to his power and cunning.

Enter Sabu, Eldar, and Sindar who, along with their companions, are directed onto a course by that old fortune teller that will lead them in search of answers to Miro's villainy and purpose. For they are destined to lead a new battle against this most ancient of evils, to gather all beneath the banner of a mysterious King and face the unfaceable...

There is just one problem: Miro is counting on their success.

www.maldene.com

I have just finished The Will of the Many and it is right up there with my favourite books - the Name of the Wind, Red Rising and the Stormlight Archive (particularly Kaladins arc) - there is definitely a common theme with these books so I was wondering if there are any other similar books out there?

Hello,

There was a book I remember from 15 years ago that was a picture and description book of monsters. Some of the specific monsters/legends that were in it included Bloody Mary, a monster that tickles you to death, a cannibalistic head that rolls around eating people, a monster that targets hunters that kill large amounts of animals, and a monster that can be distracted at night because it has OCD and has to count grains of rice / broom hairs.

I'm searching for a trilogy I read five years ago. I don't remember the name, but certain details have stuck in my memory. The story revolved around two siblings, a girl and a boy, aged around 17 and 18. Accused of having magical abilities, they were suddenly kidnapped by an organization, leading to the capture of their parents as well. Held in a prison, they had to perform dangerous tasks for sustenance. The boy had a deceased girlfriend existing in a separate dimension, through which they eventually escaped. In a mall, they discovered they were chosen to defeat the villain of their world. I recall a character named Victor who was transformed into a weasel. That's the extent of my recollection.

I'd like to read about someone who gets attacked and bite by a werewolf, and then has to learn how to deal with lycanthropy and the trauma of the attack.

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Wattpad user: AIVtales

Hey I would love a critique just hit 500 views and 30k words! On all sites almost 3k but not many commenters so I'd love someone to pick apart my story good or bad✌🏾😬

I don't mind criticism at all so lay it on me.

Book blurb and link!

In the warfare-devastated nation of Buriti Vasca, insurgent powers have decimated the small capital and political aristocracy, leaving Huck as the unlikely last heir to the throne and sole authority...Yet rather than hide in the countryside to lament his losses, he has a brazen scheme to force stability on his terms, even if it means spilling more royal blood. Global conflict brewing on the horizon.

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Hey, I would love a critique just hit 500 views and 30k words! On all sites almost 3k but not many commenters so I'd love someone to pick apart my story good or bad✌🏾😬

Content warning: gore, drug use, violence, and war-like scenarios

https://www.wattpad.com/story/358436182-in-huck%27s-hands

Way back in middleschool I had to read a book for silent reading, I chose a random book offered by the school because I thought it was interesting. I wanna read it again but can’t find it so I was hoping someone might recognize the plot. I only read the second book because they didn’t have the first one. I do slightly remember one of the covers. It was possibly red, with two women and a crow? But I could also just be remembering wrong.

(Spoilers for whatever series this is.)

PLOT

Main Character, is this young girl who was engaged to a guy, him and his people were fighting in this battle the MC was apart of, her friend dies and she gets taken by some men in a flying ship. -Ending of first book-

-Second book- MC spends a couple weeks to a couple months as a prisoner on this flying ship, she learns a bit of their language and overtime learns a few things from them and is(i think) allowed to help around the ship.

MC gets dropped at this castle, I remember it being empty except for the prince guy and a possible animal/magic/person companion that talks with her and provides company. The prince/love interest, doesn’t really talk with her or show interest, and they both just kinda exist together as she’s trying to escape and failing. Over time they warm up to each other and she eventually has to make a choice to either stay with him or escape and go back to her fiancé and people. Ultimately she leaves, And is able to get back, BUT THEN everyone thinks she killed their friend and left with the enemy making her a traitor. It ends with her being confused and trying to fix the misunderstanding. -END OF SECOND BOOK-

This is all my brain remembers reading. apologies if I say “I Think-“ too much, I read this book 8 years or so ago, so I’m not 100% confident with all the details. I wanna read the series cuz I’ve been curious about what happens and I regret not picking up the third book, Anything helps.

I live next to a library, and got back into reading some fantasy this year. I've been trying to mix it up, with mostly newish stuff and making a point to be at least 50/50 female/male authors. I've liked a bunch of what I've read, with Rooks and Ruin series by Melissa Caruso amongst my favorites.

I'm most of the way through Iron Fire (sequel to Fourth Wing), and I'm not sure I understand why this series is so much more popular than everything else? I've found it compelling enough to see where it goes, but also such that I don't think I want to read anything else by this author. Certainly surprised to see it as NYT bestseller, longest hold at the library, has TV show adaptation in the works level.

Looking for a rebound series, I’m really into the darker romantasy side with a really good world building system. For relation ideas, I’ve finished and loved all of Sarah J Maas’s books, I just finished the Gild series (and LOVED it), Fourth Wing, and both the series by Jennifer Armentrout. It doesn’t have to be really smutty but I love some good spice. I love high fae, dragons, action, corrupt government takedown stuff, kingdom hierarchies, magic systems, sword play, found family, fated mates, forced proximity, chosen family type stuff. Suggestions?💕

I've always heard that art and literature can appeal in different ways (or not at all) at different points in your life. And I've definitely experienced that with movie rewatches or book rereads.

After starting and stopping Gene Wolfe's New Sun series a few times over my life, for some reason THIS time it grabbed me. Currently wading through the first book and enjoying it immensely!

The book series is at least a trilogy. Think the old fantasy series covers, paperback, a smaller book but very thick/lots of pages. The details I have are scarce but I have one very vivid scene I remember.

The evil magician/sorcerer guy that works for the king and queen has gone into the queens room after drugging her/getting them drunk so that she'll think she became pregnant from her husband. He describes reaching up inside of her (using magic? And or his hands) to impregnate her with his own (magical?) child so he could contol/manipulate the son when he eventually would become king. He describes the breaking of strings or lines or something internally. It was a somewhat grafic scene and definitely not the only one of it's sort in the book.

The book is multiple POV and actually follows the story of a boy who figures out her has powers/is royal or something and shit in his small village goes wrong because of him (I think). Another POV we see is that of the son produced by the magician/queen scene. I'm pretty sure he is seen to be evil/different

I've read this book at least 10 years ago and have been searching ever since to try and find it. I feel like I will definitely know it when I see it