Hello, my friends! Welcome back! I have a super fun post for you this week. I love writing book lists, but this time around wanted to stick with one genre. In June, you might have seen my post on 10 books you need to read for Pride, but for that post I added several different genres. This time, I’m going to tell you about 10 of the best fantasy books you need in your TBR.
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A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I’m not sure any top ten list, especially for the best fantasy books, could be complete without ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas. Yes, fans refer to it by it’s initials, because to call it “A Court of Thorns and Roses” every time is REALLY hard. It’s just too much. I grabbed book one from Netgalley, based on hype I had seen from others on Instagram and Twitter, and loved it so much. Even though I haven’t read the rest of the series yet, I’m planning to very soon. I did write a full review of ACOTAR, and would love a comment or two letting me know what you think! No spoilers, please, but if you feel like judging me for not reading the whole series yet, feel free. I can handle it.
The Shadow Demons Saga: Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon
I’m still salty about not knowing there was a book 12 to the Shadow Demons Saga until the end of book 11. It hasn’t released yet, and at this point I’m not sure if it ever will. My husband did remind me, however, that when book 12 finally does release, it will be the excuse I need to read the series again. So, can’t be mad about that. I reviewed this series as well, even though I stuck mostly to book 1, so I could avoid any potential spoilers. There was a LOT shoved in these books, and it’s so worth your time to check them out.
Between Mountain & Sea by Louisa Locke
I am sad to admit that Between Mountain and Sea sat for too long in my Kindle. I had grabbed it from BookBub, I believe, but for some reason the cover didn’t strike me as a fantasy book, and it took a while for me to get in the mood for it. Now that I’ve read it, however, I’m a little obsessed. The book was SO good, and when I found out it’s basically a metaverse, with several different authors writing in the same world, well, lemme tell ya, I’ll be buying every book I can get my paws on. I did write a full review, so I hope you check it out!
I want to read Between Moutain & Sea!
The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
I think The Black Witch was a book I grabbed from Prime Reading (sort of like Kindle U, but for Prime Members and has different books) and was enthralled from the beginning. Elloren has absolutely no magical ability, but at the same time, she’s almost a doppleganger of her grandmother, the Black Witch who drove back enemy forces during the Realm Wars. Because Elloren herself carries no magical ability, and the culture she lives in prizes magical ability over everything, it is highly unlikely that Elloren will follow in her grandmother’s footsteps. Instead, she is given the opportunity to study at Verpax University as an apothecary, but things might be more deadly and complicated there than anywhere else.
I loved Elloren’s inability to give in. When she arrives at Verpax, she’s bullied, forced to live with creatures who want to kill her, and is basically left out of everything. Yet, despite the fact that she wants to give in at least once a day, she never does and grows stronger every day. I love that about her. I’m hoping to finish the series eventually, so I can write my full review. I hope you’ll check it out!
Take me to The Black Witch on Amazon
The Feyland Series by Anthea Sharp
I was obsessed with The Feyland Series almost immediately. I read it a bunch of years ago, but it totally belongs on a list of the best fantasy books. Unfortunately, I kept forgetting to write a full review of book one. I don’t want to review the full series on this one, because spoilers are a very real risk. I do highly recommend the series, however, so check it out! Here’s a small synopsis of book one:
Jennet has been playing Feyland, the most immersive Sim game ever created, against her father’s wishes. Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that Feyland wasn’t ready for the public. When she reaches the end of the game, she’s attacked by the queen of the Dark Court, and part of her soul is stolen.
She’s convinced that Feyland is a portal to the land of Fairie, and when she’s told she has to have a hero to fight for her in order to come back, she goes hunting for the best sim player in her new school. She finds Tam, who has enough going on in his life without a spoiled rich girl getting in his business. Can they work together to save Jennet, or will the Dark Court steal everything from Jennet… including her soul?
I’d love to read Feyland! Take me to Amazon!
A Curse So Dark & Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
I’m sure some of you on social media have seen my opinion on Beauty & The Beast Retellings (Jae Glass’ book Undergrounder is the only one I don’t think counts) because I don’t think romanticizing what basically amounts to Stockholm Syndrome is ok. I know many of you may disagree, but I just struggle with it. I honestly think more people have problems with The Little Mermaid than they do Beauty & The Beast, and that makes no sense to me.
With that said, A Curse So Dark & Lonely is such an amazing story. Harper, the MC, has Cerebral Palsy, which causes one of her legs to not work as well as it should. Despite her being physically slower, her mind is sharp, and she has such an amazing personality. When she’s randomly kidnapped and taken to the Beast’s castle, she has no intention of giving in without a fight. She attempts to escape on numerous occasions.
I can’t tell you too much about why I think this, but A Curse So Dark & Lonely is such an empowering story, despite it being a B&TB retelling. It’s different from the typical “woman gives herself up to the beast and even though she’s a captive, falls madly in love with him.” Curse is different, but I seriously can’t tell you much about why. I guess you’ll just have to read and find out for yourself.
Have you read it? Let me know what you think! And feel free to judge me for my B&TB issues. I don’t mind. Just be kind in your words.
Everlong by R. Raeta
I’m going to call Everlong a fantasy book, and I don’t care what you say. It has a vampire in it, and other vampire enemies, but it also has one of the sweetest love stories ever. I don’t read much romance, but when I read Everlong for The Golden Girls Book Club, I immediately fell in love with Lily & Sam’s story. It’s so beautiful, and well worth your time. Just don’t forget the tissues.
You can check out my full review, or head straight to Amazon to pick up your very own copy. I recommend both.
Oh! And if you like candles, you can find the Everlong inspired scented candle, and a gift set that includes a scented bookmark along with the book and candle, in my shop.
Shadowless by Randall McNally
I read Shadowless by Randall McNally back in 2020, and I still talk about it occasionally. It was one of my favorite reads of that year, and for anyone looking for new mythology and unique worlds, Shadowless is definitely for you! I remember telling my husband about it while I was reading, and being super grateful that I didn’t have to worry about spoilers, because almost everything is. The book has several POV, and spans about 1000 years, but is so immersive, you don’t feel cheated by the jumps in time. I promise, Shadowless is one of the best fantasy books, and is definitely worth your time. Check out my full review of Shadowless if you’re interested.
Shadowless is Available to Purchase on Amazon
Chosen Trilogy: Moutain of Souls by Marcus Lee
Marcus Lee, the author of The Chosen Trilogy, contacted me to beta read the first book in the series, and I’m so SUPER grateful! I absolutely LOVED the book. Enough that I asked him for copies of books 2 and 3, even though they weren’t edited yet. I just had to know what happened next!
When I found out that Marcus was part of a blog tour for the book, I jumped at the chance to participate. I was already planning on purchasing the series, and getting to talk about the book was so much fun! I hope you read my review for the blog tour, and if you prefer to go in blind, I hope you check out the book on Amazon. However you choose to support the series, and a truly amazing author, is totally fine. You won’t regret reading the series.
I need This Book! Take me to Amazon!
The Chronicles of Stratus: Infernal by Mark de Jager
No top ten list of best fantasy books would be complete without a book with an amnesiac protagonist who has to spend the book finding out who he is, and what happened to him. I absolutely did not see the ending coming, and I’m super sad that there’s only 2 books so far. I read book one in about 3 days (maybe less, I don’t remember) and immediately bought book two. Have I read it yet? Not yet, but I think that’s because I’m expecting more books, and love reading full series at a time.
Probably why I’m so mad about The Shadow Demons Saga.
I absolutely loved this book, though, and I can’t even tell you how many times I tagged the author on Twitter (can’t call it X, sorry, that’s dumb) to rant about the book. Of course, I made sure I was following Mark as well, so I could stay up to date on any more books in this universe.
I need The Chronicles of Stratus!
Conclusion
So, what did you think? Did I choose well for this list of the best fantasy books? Let me know in the comments! I love coming up with fun book lists! My next blog post is going to be a “book vs. movie” post comparing Knock at The Cabin with Cabin at The End of The World. Knock at The Cabin is an M. Night Shayamalan movie based on the book. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the book, I’m interested to see how M. Night handled the movie. I hope you’ll come back to read it! Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so grateful for all of you who come to check out my website and support my company. It means a lot to me, and I’m so happy to have you!
Until Next Time, Friends!
