We all know that fantasy has been increasingly popular, dominating the mainstream more than ever. We see new fantastical ideas emerging every day in media like a Netflix series or even in children's shows. There is more need for new ideas, and even more for those that transport us to different realms. Perhaps it is a result of a generation plagued by escapism, maybe neurodivergent folk are finally getting a say in what gets digested by the masses - either way, there is more fantasy-based media to delight and engage you.
I may be biased, but plenty of that starts out in book format. Take a look at some new fantasy books that have been published this year with stellar reviews.
Onyx Storm
If you haven't read the first two books in this series, you are missing out. The highly anticipated third book has high marks, but read the reviews before diving headfirst into this story. This series follows Violet Sorrengail who is a skinny, scholar-to-be being thrust into dragonriding by her hard-as-nails mother - who's also the general. The only way that she will survive in this quadrant is by bonding with a dragon, but with her small stature and brittle bones she is more likely to be eaten, incinerated, or otherwise destroyed than be bonded. She has to use her wits, speed, and tenacity to get through to graduation, and all while fighting her growing attraction to her worst enemy - Xaden Riorson. This book continues the struggle against the new evil that rises, navigating complicated relationships, and our protagonist's struggle to learn control over her overwhelming power.
Sunrise on the Reaping
A prequel to the first Hunger Games book, it follows Haymitch Abernathy as he is called as a tribute for District 12 and shuttled to the Capitol. Twice as many tributes are taken from their homes this year, including one of Haymitch's friends who is like a sister, a compulsive oddmaker, and a stuck up girl from his own district. Highly anticipated and filling in the gap where the previous series left us hanging, this book has been hitting high marks so read it for yourself and see what the hubbub is all about.
The Knight and the Moth
A gothic tale of a prophetess and a knight unraveling the mystery of her disappearing sister Diviners. Sybil draws her powers from Omens, six unearthly figures in her dreams, which can predict terrible things before they occur. Just as her and her sisters near their end of service, they begin disappearing and she must rely on the mysterious, just-arrived knight to accompany her outside her cloister, to solve the mystery. If you are looking for something reminiscent of a medieval Pan's Labyrinth, this book can fill that yearning while also having an immersive, lore-filled world. Add in a tension-filled romance, and you have a spectacular romantasy must-read.
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
An exiled witch Sera Swan, after resurrecting her aunt from the dead, losing most of her magic in the process, decides to help her run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, Great Britain. An icy magical historian appears, though wanting to remain uninvolved, decides to help her in her plans to restore her power via a secret spell. By reclaiming her lost power, running the inn, and staying one step ahead of the Guild she was exiled from, Sera learns that the family she found may be the best magic of all. If you want a cozy and whimsical read, this book will hit the marks for you, and of course mix in the romance and wholesomeness and you got a recipe for goodness.
Rose In Chains
I have come to really appreciate the Harry Potter series and knowing that the author wrote this book originally as a Draco X Hermione fan fiction just made me raise my brows. Could it work? Will it read like it's own story? I think so! With their hero dead and her castle overrun, Briony Rosewood is taken captive and sold to the highest bidder which just so happens to be Toven Hearst. He is part of a family known for its cruelty and horrors, but as she tries to navigate her new world and the role she must play in it, she realizes that hope is not all lost - it may arise from the most unlikely of places. Look, if this doesn't sound like it could be strangely fulfilling based on the idea of it starting as Harry Potter fanfic, then give it a try solely on its good reviews.
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
A standalone romantic fantasy, if you enjoyed Daughter of the Moon Goddess like I did than you are sure to enjoy this. The princess Liyen is destined to ascend the throne and serve the immortals who protected them in the past. Then, she's poisoned and Liyen's grandfather steals an enchanted lotus flower, provoking the immortals to attack them. After her grandfather dies, Liyen ascends and promises to cut ties with the immortals. However, she is summoned to the immortal realm and begins a tenuous alliance with the God of War in order to safeguard her people. Liyen must risk her people, safety, and even her own heart to accomplish her tasks. Will she succeed, or will she fall into darkness? If you like lush, fantastical worlds with Chinese mythology driving the story along, as well as, rival to lovers/enemies to lovers tropes, then this will be right down your alley.
