We all face challenges and trials and find different ways to cope. Recently I have found that a fictional example of bearing others pains and being strong has given me a mote of inspiration when I find my own resolve wavering.

Thank you, Shield Anvil Itkovian. (Malazan)

Do you guys have any examples of characters from whom you draw strength? A light in the dark places?

By Walter Wangerin

I’ve had this book on my shelf literally for 40 (!) years but just never got around to reading it. It’s a beast fable (like Animal Farm or Watership Down) that draws its inspiration from medieval stories and Christian themes (but it neither proselytizes or makes explicit references to Christianity so don’t let that dissuade you).

The story takes place in a world without humans where animals can talk and lands are ruled by roosters. An evil threatens one particular rooster (on the way to trying to destroy the world).

I listened to the Audible version and I think the author’s drawing upon medieval texts really shines here as it felt like a work that really works when recited orally. It’s very easy to imagine this tale being told like one would hear the Canterbury Tales or Beowulf (but in modern English, of course).

Strong recommend…great characters and story.

I just finished watching the second season of the tv show "Why Women Kill" and I really enjoyed the way the main character slowly lost her moral compass and became the villain one small choice at a time until she was fully 'evil'. I like fantasy novels so I'm hoping to now read something with this same concept.

I'd prefer that the POV or a POV character have this character arc but as long as we really get to see the character's trajectory on the page, I'm open to giving the book a try.

Thanks for the recommendations!

Looking to read some classic fantasy, and I have been looking at these 3 books: Green Rider; Daggerspell; Lark And The Wren. Also open to other suggestions: I'm looking for something more focused on adventure and fun than political drama.

I guess I would prefer something that focus more on the MCs adventures and progression than some epic wars. And bonus points if it's easier to stop or jump off mid-series.

bloodborne is probably one of my favorite games, mainly due to the atmospheric details, and its lore i would prefer a female protagonist if possible, and i don't really mind dark themes. i do already have empire of the vampire on my tbr (i have heard it is similar). thank you all :)

Waiting for dcc (don't suggest it) like bobiverse, like mistborn read them all not in the mood for stormlight archive liked magic 2.0 listened to infinite realms current listening to wanderinginn and a avid royal road reader what should I get

That's it really. I want to read some good fantasy about being a cleric and what it means and the problems and benefits of being so in a world where other forms of magic are present.

I have read most popular fantasy books and even a few obscure ones, so please throw in any suggestions you might have.

Here is my Finished 2024 bingo, with additional notes. I started a book club with some friends last year (2023) (technically it’s a spin off from a trivia meetup we also do) and that really helped stretch what books I read to cover the items. I realized I read a lot more books this year with dragons in them then normal.

*I replaced indie/self publish with a square from the 2018 bingo ( novel published before you were born ). I could have put the replacement anywhere but i didn't want to go through all my books to see which were indi (i know many of them are)

** reread is Hogfather

*** NOT going for Hard Mode

----------------

1^(st) row

1st in series:

-        For the Emperor; Ciaphas Cain #1 (W40k) : Mitchell Sandy

Alliterative Title

-        The Silver Spike (Black Company #3.5): Glen cook

Under the surface

-        Dragon Champion (Age of Fire, #1): Knight, E.E.

1^(st) quarter of the book is in the dragon nest bellow the mountains

Criminals

-        Jade War & Jade Legacy: Lee, Fonda

I read the first book last year for the friend’s books club and finished the series this year. One of the best series I read this year

Dreams

-        Dune: Herbert, Frank

After watching the movies I finally finished it. I also read Dune Messiah but decided not to continue with the series

2^(nd) row

Animals in title

-        Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, #5):  Novik, Naomi

#1 was for the Friends book club; we all ended up reading the rest of the series independently. (up to #3 was reread, I had read them when they were originally coming out in high school and fell off due to collage)

Bards

-        All the Weyrs of Pern (Pern, #11): McCaffrey, Anne :

Finaly got around to it. I do want to see another author tackle the idea of dragons, being flying fire-breathing creatures, being uniquely suited to protect people

Epilogues and prologues

-        Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5): Sanderson, Brandon:

I liked it but it had issues. My feel is pretty similar to u/Udy_Kumra recent review of it. If the entire rest of the series was out I probably would put it on my list of series I have partially read and never pick it back up. It could have been 50% the length, most Fantasy trilogies are shorter than this was.

This and in general the Stormlight Archive ranks well bellow his Magnum Opus, Mistborn Era 1

 indie/self publish

replaced with ( From 2018 bingo ) : novel published before you were born

*yes I know that many of my books on here are indi

-       The Broken Lands: empire of the east #1: Saberhagen, Fred

This was for the Friends book club. This book felt troppy, old
and felt like it lacked substance. Felt like he saw A New Hope and
used that as the plot (it came out 2 years latter). Thankfully it did not have
any of the massive sexism or racism of older stuff from that era

Romantasy

-       fourth wing: Yarros, Rebecca

3^(rd) row

Dark academia

-       the magicians: Grossman, Lev

Multi pov           

-       Waybound(Cradle, #12): Wight, Will

I also read Cradle #9-11 this year;  I loved these

2024 publish

-       The Fury of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #3): Gwynne, John

Of all the books I read this year that where an ending (I’m including SA 5) , this
one was my favorite. Im planning to read his other series. My fingers can's stop mistyping it as Furry of the Gods

Disability

-       The Tainted cup: Bennett, Robert Jackson

(Dinios couldn't read, severe dyslexia ). I really liked the ecology aspect of it, that was my favored part. I am always a sucker for detective stories. Bennett, Robert Jackson continues to be one of the authors I keep on my radar for their next release. Eagerly waiting #2 next February

1990’s publish

-       Hogfather (reread): Terry Pratchett

This is an every December reread. I convinced my book club group of friends to do it last December and they all loved it (for many it was their 1^(st) discworld book). I always do the audio and this year I tried out the new recording, it is really good.

4^(th) row

Orcs, trolls, & goblins

-       The Changeling: LaValle, Victor

Was a friends book club book. I did not like it at all, though I’m not the audience.

Space opera

-       Starship’s Mage #1 omnibus: Stewart, Glynn

Author of color

-       Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle, #1): Deonn, Tracy

Survival

-       From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court (Yarnsworld, #4): Patrick, Benedict

Judge book by cover

-       Godkiller (Fallen Gods, #1) : Kaner, Hannah

Its been a while since I had the opportunity to pick a book like this. I like being able to do it. Pretty cover, also good book to. I also read #2 Sunbringer and am waiting on #3 of the trilogy Faithbraker next year

5^(th) row

Small town

-       Dragon Heist: Kane, Alexander C.

This is an audible original. 5 / 5

5 short stories

-       Otherworldly - A Genre Fiction Anthology - Volume 1

My roommate grabbed it at a convention they went to and gave it to me, as well as an Omnibus of a
series Blood Mercenaries by Wolf, Ben.

Eldritch creatures

-      Dragonfired (The Dark Profit Saga, #3): Pike, J. Zachary

I really did like it, I was impressed with the twists with the dragon. The first 2 books
feel like a duology and it felt like this book reopened mostly closed plot threads to firmly finalize them. I think he forgot that Burt the kobold was a core part of the crew in book 2.

Reference materials

-       A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1) : Brennan, Marie

this was for the friends book club. Listening at least a little to the audiobook was the difference between any of them either loving it or thinking it was just ok. The one exception read a lot of stuff from the 1800’s (and loved the book having only read, not listen to it).

Book club

-       The Adventures of Amina Al-Siraf: Chakraborty, Shannon

I was worried when I started this one that I would DNF it, since I realized that most ship based books I have read I have DNF. I didn’t here and loved it.

------------------

-Other Fiction books I had also read

Unseen Academicals:

The final discworld book I had not read yet. This was meh

Blood Mercenaries Origins : by wolf, ben.

My roommate grabbed it at a convention they went to and gave it to me. The volume I have is an Omnibus of a few prequel short stories (not whats in the square above) as well as the trilogy. I'm in book 1 right now, its typical ensemble quest fantasy, except one of the main characters has a wyvern.

Notable DNF’s

Red Sister

In general I can’t do school books an reaching 50% and realizing that only a week
had passed made me dnf it. the world seemed interesting

Gideon the 9**^(th)**

Was not clicking, I got to when they got to the mansion/ building on the planet (~20% ) and it still was not clicking.

Top books of the year (not counting rereads) (in no order)

The Tainted cup

The Fury of the Gods

Dragon Heist

Dragonfired

The Adventures of Amina Al-Siraf

Green bone Saga

Currently reading The Will of the Many by James Islington. I’ve read 15 chapters so far and have yet to be grabbed into the story. Does it get better? How much longer? Really considering just DNF but it has so many good reviews.

I am currently looking for books as the title suggests is about monster hunting. I've read the Witcher but want to find some more, maybe something similar to Van Helsing. Horror is also welcome.

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this week's bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

This week you get a twofer! Last minute recommendations for a couple of squares for those who don't have them filled already.

Today's topics:

Reference Materials: Read a book that features additional material, such as a map, footnotes, glossary, translation guide, dramatis personae etc. HARD MODE: Book contains at least two types of additional materials.

AND:

Prologues and Epilogues: Read a book that has either a prologue or an epilogue. HARD MODE: The book must have both.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Published in the 90s, Space Opera, Five Short Stories, Author of Color, Self-Pub/Small Press, Dark Academia, Criminals, Romantasy, Eldritch Creatures, Disability, Orcs Goblins & Trolls, Small Town, Under the Surface, Bards, Survival, Dreams, Judge a Book by its Cover

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

• What are your favorite books that fit these squares?
• Or, just give us the list of books you've already read for bingo this year that count.
• What are some books that use prologues, epilogues or reference materials in an especially fun, creative, or impactful way?
• What are your best recommendations for Hard Mode?

I'm looking for something that isn't lone hero or 4 person party saves the world. I'd like something with a large cast of people coming together. Akin to the latter WOT books (which i have read). Thanks!

I’m looking for some high fantasy “farm boy saves the world” books or series. Feel free to recommend tropey books. However, I do enjoy well written characters and DnD-party like casts.

I really enjoy the dark lord trope as well.

By high fantasy I specifically mean taking place in a world that’s not our own (IE middle earth or roshar)

Please do not recommend Sanderson. I love reading him but he’s not what I’m looking for.

Final thoughts on Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

*Spoilers for the whole trilogy*

What I Liked:

- Call me a sucker, but I really do like happy endings. Especially tropey ones. The whole thing with Simon becoming King and marrying the princess was great. As is the fact that certain characters go to live. I thought Joshua being alive was great (and the fact that it was his iron shackle that saved his life was a bonus) Also, I don’t know why, but I really thought Binibik was going to die… So glad he didn’t!

- This world is so beautiful and big. The prose really helps of course. It feels like a world that you could write a hundred stories in, with such a detailed past. The stuff with the Sithi in particular was quite well done, and I liked that a lot of the past as the characters knew it was kind of a lie, or exaggerated over time.

- I don’t tend to like battle scenes a whole lot, but WOW can Tad write battles. The battle at the Stone of Farewell was the best battle I have read in a fantasy book–the way it portrayed the panic, the gore, the realism… It was so good.

What I Didn’t Like:

- After a VERY slow book, the ending felt rushed. I didn’t mind how the villain was defeated, but there was a lot of character payoff that is only resolved in the final chapter. Miri and Simon make up and there’s not much dedicated to this romance that was so prevalent throughout the series. Simon became king a little too easily… And we spent so many chapters waiting for Rachel to reunite with Simon, and it was so brief!

- Miri spent three whole books being just awful to poor Simon. She leads him on constantly, makes him miserable, and never shows affection towards him. While Simon is fighting for his life thinking only of her, she is off sleeping with another guy (the first time was consensual, but afterwards not). Hell, when he leaves to get Thorn, she flees to Nabban and doesn’t even leave a note or anything for him… And when she tells him about Aspitis, she basically attacks him with it… She never apologizes for anything, and I swear she never even tells him she likes him back (even if in a non-romantic way), until the VERY end. By the third book I wanted to smack Simon and tell him to just find a girl who actually likes him back…

- It just felt like a few major plotlines were a little pointless or needed to be edited down. (Maegwin’s stuff in the mines could have been replaced easily… As could Miri’s pointless journey to Nabban--I really hated the pointless rape plotline... And Cadrach in general, as I thought his character would have a better story/importance…) And these weren’t small plotlines. These were several books long.

Future Books:

- I’m curious how much I will like the sequel series. I definitely want to spend more time in the world. What I’m hoping is that the sequel will (1) do a little better with pacing, (2) give the villains a little more “screen” time, and (3) make Miri more likeable, given that she is an adult finally… (I love Simon so much and just really want to see him with someone who treats him well)

Book Ratings:

Dragonbone Chair - (4.75/5)

Stone of Farewell - (4/5)

To Green Angel Tower Pt 1 - (4.75/5)

To Green Angel Tower Pt 2 - (4.25/5)

When I google debut fantasy authors I typically find YA authors and I’m just not interested in that genre. I’m an aspiring author and I like to stay up to date with what is trending as well as support new authors.

I'm looking for an epic new series to read and was wondering what people's opinions were on Ken Liu's eastern-inspired series. Is it actually good?

I meant I want no spoilers, don't know why it was tagged with spoilers.

I will start first. Please let me know your thoughts as well. These can be tropes, settings, character types, plot archetypes, anything.

I’d like to see more fantasies inspired by other places in the world besides medieval Europe. Don’t get me wrong, medieval Europe is an interesting place and I understand writers being inspired by that period, but there are so many other rich places in the world. I would love to see fantasies inspired by Bronze Age or Medieval North Africa, Pre-Columbian Meso-America, Mesopotamia, even south east Asia!

I am tired of the insufferable girl boss we are forced to like. Can we at least give these type of characters likable qualities?! Also it’s ok for them to struggle and grow.

I’d like to see more obscure, cosmic horror like magic systems. The type of magic that is scary, forbidden, and dangerous. The type of magic that the reader and even the characters cannot fathom to understand, and if they did understand, they would go mad!

I am a philosophy guy, and would like to see more books explore profound philosophical questions and concepts. I’m not seeing much of that these days.

These are just a few but love to hear what you would like to see more of and less of!

I really enjoy fantasy and have read most of the big names. I first picked up Gardens of the Moon when I was like 16 and I couldn’t finish it. I’ve heard great things about the series and so I’ve picked the book up again. I’m about a quarter of the way through and it’s good. But it doesn’t seem like there is an actual plot. Other series that have multiple POVs have consistent plots. I just don’t really see where this book or series is going. Is this what I should expect for the rest of the book and series?

Does anyone have any type of info regarding Evan Winter? His 3rd book originally was supposed to come out like 3 years ago and it's been delayed over 2 years now basically, and anyone thats been following this book at all knows every published release date is not going to be the real release date. As far as i know he isnt writing anything else at all. Is he pulling a Rothfuss on us?

Let's get confused!

Hey, guys! I'm looking for books that showcase gods and divinity in the contemporary urban world. Books like The Magicians by Lev Grossman, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, or the entire corpus of Rick Riordan.

Hopefully, books written in the 21st century. The closer to the current year, the better. Mostly showing the se gods navigating the current society, and fighting with humans.

Thanks a ton!

It's probably a weird question, but I am wondering if The Suneater series is more like a fantasy in sci-fi setting or a hard-core sci-fi (or something in-between). On a side note, can someone recommend me longish hard sci-fi/space opera series? I'm new to the genre. So far I've only read The Revelation space series, The Algebraist (loved both) and Children of time (didn't care for it).

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.

Check out r/Fantasy's 2024 Book Bingo Card here!

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!

As we are limited to only two stickied threads on r/Fantasy at any given point, we ask that you please upvote this thread to help increase visibility!

I am not sure if this is the right sub for this(Though i think might be).

I saw a beautiful comment on a youtube video about faefolk. It was so interesting and really made me think of our place in nature now. Can anyone recommend me books that capture this kind of vibe? I am directly copy pasting the comment here.

A fascinating spin I saw somewhere is that to the animals, WE have become the Fair Folk:

-we live in private realms of eternal summer inside hollow hills,

• the area around us doesn't follow the usual cycle of day and night because of the lights we create,

-we help or harm on a whim or according to incomprehensible and arcane laws,

• those who eat our food often don't return to their family quite how they left,

-we have power over waking and sleeping,

-we live many generations of most animals without significantly changing,

-we can sense things happening out of our sight and always track down those bearing our tokens,

(Edit)- We change appearance and sometimes smell on a daily basis, using special objects. Our colours and silhouette can vary dramatically from one minute to the next,

-We can materialise food and other items from nowhere, etc.

Some animals who don't trust humans have even been known to turn to humans for help when they're desperate, knowing that we can be mysteriously benevolent. Much like going to the fairy court to beg for help in a hopeless situation.

I wanted to read some fantasy classics but am unsure where to start with the Elric books. Is there a reccomended reading order?

I read this fantasy book series a few years ago and can’t recall the name but I really want to read it again.

What I remember is: The main protagonist is “married” forcefully to a female character and they are linked to each other through their “earrings” (not sure if it really was earrings or something else). Because of the link, both of them could feel each others thoughts and feelings. The female character has an abused past and wants to help the main protagonist but the main protagonist hates her. There is another scene which I remember: The main protagonist is on a boat with his romantic interest and they have sex with each other. Meanwhile the female character is in another room of the boat but could feel every single thing happening with the main protagonist.

I can’t seem to get this book out of my mind but I also don’t remember the series name. Please help.

I am in search for inspiration because I am a dungeon master, what i am searching for Is something that has technology mainly similar to Zelda botw technology and Zelda skyward sword ancient robots. Basically anything that includes ancient technology abandoned by a dead society.

I just finished The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy and well as the Legacy of Paksenarrion series by Elizabeth Moon and was hoping for suggestions for similar novels. I loved Moon’s depiction of paladins. Also, as someone who served in the modern military, I really enjoyed her very modern take of women serving in mixed armed forces in a fantasy setting in a believable fashion. I’m also a sucker for books such as these with strong, well written woman protagonists. I’m a man, but I grew up with three sisters and have been married for a very long time, so I feel I usually have decent radar for r/menwritingwomen shenanigans and am generally off-put them when I spot them in the wild. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Just finished the Last Unicorn. The writing is just sublime. Any recommendations for other fantasy novels with impressive writing?

Please recommend me novels by which the MC is a cleric/priest of some kind and that said mc rises in Rank. That's all the requirement.