14
Your source of the latest FANTASY news from Reddit.. Powered by @reddit2telegram & @r_channels
Grim/Dark Fantasy with big emotional depth/ emotional available characters
Hello fantasy people,
I love emotional impact in books and for me personally, that can only happen when I _feel_ deeply with the characters. I am looking for darker and more grim books/series than will grab me and throw me into angony. I am not looking for misery porn, but for emotional available characters (esp. men!) in the first place. Plus Points if it has purple prose! (fine without). Double plus points if its somehow found family, but don't _need_ that aswell.
I don't need a happy ending, sometimes its great, sometimes misery is the better ending.
Stuff I liked, dark or not:
\- Empire of the Vampire series
\- Malazan (I assume, not too far in)
\- Poppy War trilogy
\- Fionavar Tapestry
\- Farseer
\- Green Bone Saga
\- Darth Bane Trilogy
Stuff I disliked:
\- Priest of Bones Series (too flat)
\- Shattered Sea Series (too YA)
\- The Failures (characters)
\- Bound and the Broken (lame)
\- Between Earth and Sky (couldnt connect)
\- Broken Empire Trilogy (too flat)
\- First Law (I liked it, but it was too flat for what I am looking for here)
Stuff I am unsure about but haven't read yet:
\- Prince of Nothing Series (too much SA for SA-sakes?)
\- Black Company (too war-y?)
I am sure the hive mind knows more than me! I am open to discuss the books on my lists aswelll, if you want to proof me wrong, please do.
Thank you alot <3
https://redd.it/1to0jnn
@r_fantasy
King Sorrow- A Review
“Ask any novelist—an unstable, violent personality is a wonderful thing for advancing the plot.”
King Sorrow is the first novel I’ve read from Joe Hill and I came in with fairy strong expectations, he is after all the son of my favorite author. I can say that those expectations were mostly met, and that King Sorrow is a delightful homage to fairy tales, dragons and the monsters which kept us up at night as children.
King Sorrow, this nearly 900 page epic, is essentially about a group of friends deciding it would be a good idea to attempt to make a pact with a Dragon after being threatened by some lowlifes. Long story short, making a deal with an entity thousands of years old who has a kink for blood is a bad idea and the group of friends have to pay for their mistake over the course of decades. Now I’ll say right off the bat that King Sorrow may not be for everyone, and it does have characters that are fairly flat for a book to this length, but it’s also a really good time! I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters, I loved their friendship and watching the decades pass with them. The themes were also quite good in this book, especially the central theme about reading what you sow, I won’t go into detail but I think Hill is essentially trying to show that evil can’t wash out evil, even if it’s in the name of a good cause. I also loved the writing, Hill also certainly has a great ability to get you to imagine the impossible and uses the vocabulary in this book to great effect.
The best thing about this book however is King Sorrow himself. I love dragons, I won’t say they’re my favorite mythical creature, but they’re near the top and I’ve read a lot, I mean a lot of interpretations over the years. From Arthurian, to Asian inspired, to mech, I dare to say I’ve read nearly every version of a dragon there can be, and yet King Sorrow may just be my favorite I’ve read. I absolutely adore this evil, arrogant and cruel drake. He is without a doubt probably one of the most fun villains I’ve read in a long time, and every scene with him in it is an absolute highlight of this novel. There is just something about a truly evil, unrepentant, self serving entity of total destruction that I can get behind, it it my belief that dragons should feel mythical, they should feel ancient and most of all they should feel dangerous and oh boy does The King tick all those boxes in spades! Just an exceptionally well written villain.
So overall King Sorrow by Joe Hill is a very entertaining and enjoyable book. I can’t say I loved the characters as much as I had hoped, I think they’re decent but nothing to worry home about, but the way Hill shows off his love for fairly tales and dragons more than makes up for it! It also has probably my favorite take on a dragon I’ve read in ages, so that helps a lot! 8.5/10
https://redd.it/1tnvm8z
@r_fantasy
Completed 2026 book bingo
I couldn't find a submission post for this year yet so here is what I did for each of the 25 prompts of Book Bingo. Attached is the image I created of it all filled out but this is what I did as follows, some I was able to pull off hard mode, others, not so much
1. Trans or non-bianry protagonist- When the Tiger Came Down from the Mountain by Nghi Vo - read May 5. I think this qualifies for hard mode as it is more of a medieval setting
2. Judge a book by its title - the Archive Undying read April 16
3. Translated - Volume 1 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm by Hiromu Arakawa read April 17
4. Small or independent publisher- Guardian by Kate Korsak read April 16 hard mode completed, at time of reading there were less than 100 reviews
5. Unusual transportation- The Scar by China Mieville finished May 13
6. The Afterlife - Once was Willem by M. R. Carey finished May 10
7. Game Changer - Sharps by K J Parker finished April 3. This involved the sport of fencing
8. Vacation spot - The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong finished April 2
9. 5 short stories- Unfettered 2 edited by Shawn Speakman. Finished May 2. This is hard mode because it is a collection of short stories from many different authors
10. Older Protagonist- Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett- read April 20. Hard mode as the protagonists of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are human, just old ladies
11. Duology part 1 - Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay - finished May 20
12. Fantasy book Club- The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts - read April 29
13. Published 2026- The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee - finished May 13
14. Explorers and Rangers - Streams of Silver by R A Salvatore - finished May 25
15. Duology part 2 - A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine - finished April 22. Hard mode completed since it is not the same author as part 1
16. One word Title - Ruin by John Gwynne - finished April 27. Hard mode completed since it is not a proper noun.
17. Non-Human Protagonist- System Collapse by Martha Wells - finished April 28
18. Middle Grade - The Goldem Compass by Phillip Pullman - finished April 22. My chosen reread
19. First contact - A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burrows - finished May 14
20. Murder Mystery - Mushroom Blues by Andrian M Gibson - finished May 25
21. Cat Squasher - Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb - finished April 6
22. Feast your eyes on this - Volume 1 of Delicious in Dungeon finished April 22
23. Published in the 70s - Elric of Melnibone Vol 1 - Michael Morcock - finished May 24
24. Politics and Court Intrigue - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold - Finished May 4
25. Author of Color - The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart - finished May 20
https://redd.it/1tnnlt6
@r_fantasy
Which Games Do You Think Do Necromancers Best?
I think out of all your classic fantasy charecter archtypes, my favorite has to be the necromancer. Especially the campy skeletor-style one cackling while surrounded by swirling spirit energy type, but I enjoy all flavours. And I think gaming has some of the best examples of the necromancer becuase, unlike non-interactive media, the necromancer is less likely to be religated to being strictly the main villian.
But I was thinking, with how widespread the charecter archtype is in media and gaming, which games do necromancer best? Which games have the best lore for how their magic works, and which games fully capture the range of gameplay otions a necromancer can bring to the table?
https://redd.it/1tnncd3
@r_fantasy
Book Review: Making Money by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #36)
Moist von Lipwig has whipped the Ankh-Morpork postal service into shape and is enjoying the fruits of his success...or rather he is bored out of his mind and in danger of falling into bad old habits as he tries to stave off boredom. The Patrician hits on the idea of giving Lipwig a new task: rescuing Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint and associated bank, and turning them into a lean, dynamic operation fit for the Century of the Fruitbat. Unfortunately, the ossified staff and lunatic members of the family that owns the bank have other ideas, as does Lipwig's own girlfriend (or person adjacent to that position), whose quest to find golems and bring them to Ankh-Morpork may have succeeded rather more thoroughly than she was expecting.
Making Money is the thirty-sixth Discworld novel, originally published in 2007. The book is also the sequel to an earlier Discworld novel, Going Postal. In that book, conman Moist von Lipwig was rescued from the gallows by the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, Lord Vetinari, and set to work restoring the Post Office to its former glory. He succeeded handsomely.
Making Money opens a year later. The Post Office is a roaring success, but Moist is feeling a little bored, and has taken to breaking into his own bedroom to keep his skills fresh. The Patrician seems to have concluded that Moist would make an excellent troubleshooter to sort out Ankh-Morpork's other failing public services and tasks him with getting the Ankh-Morpork Bank back on its feet after the former chairwoman passed away, leaving her dog, Mr. Fusspot, to inherit the role of chairman. Moist is initially reluctant, but soon relishes the new challenge. Unfortunately, a family who own a share in the bank, the Lavishes, are not so keen on Moist's appointment and are soon digging into his dirty past to find something to use against him. Thrown into the mix are lots of golems, an undead necromancer with an eye for the ladies, a very dedicated bank clerk and a lot of clockwork items of an intimate nature.
As usual, the book is an effortless read. Pratchett's prose sparkles and flows as easily as ever, although careful reading is required to catch every observation and piece of satire as it flies past. Pratchett's typical approach of standing back, putting a mirror in front of something we take for granted (banking, in this case) and saying, "Look, this is a really daft system on quite a few levels," is again quite successful here. As with the other later Discworld novels, the broad out-and-out humour takes a back seat to more wry observations, although a comical interlude involving a dog becoming attached to a new "rubber chew toy" that in this case has fallen out of a cupboard of erotica, and then playing with it in polite company, shows that Pratchett still has time for a good old-fashioned piece of outrageous farce. That said, as with a number of other Pratchett novels the ending is somewhat contrived and the characters get out of the various fixes they're in with some fast-talk, handwaving and a nod from the Patrician, which is a resolution that has perhaps been used a few too many times in this series.
On the other hand, the book does feature Pratchett providing a wonderful take on how the advent of AI (or here, the golems) will impact the standard capitalist model of Ankh-Morpork, which is presented in both a funny and thought-provoking way. One could perhaps accuse Pratchett of jumping on the bandwagon, save he was doing this sixteen years before the release of the first commercial LLM models and nine years before his own departure from this plane. Pratchett's prescience is, not for the first time, impressive.
Whilst it's not up there with the series at its best, and the tendency for characters who are intelligent and forthright in their own books to come across a bit as bumbling when appearing in cameos outside them (in this case various members of the City Watch) is a bit overdone, Making Money is a solid addition to the series and adds a lot to the
The actual exploring doesn't happen until the end, but look I'll take what I can get
5. Duology: Second Book: Dagger and Coin by Kathy MacMillan: A young ruler has to navigate the politics of a new system of government. Not bad but nothing special. HM
# Row 4
1. One-World Title: UnDivided by Neal Shusterman: The conclusion to the Unwind dystology, in which a group of teens escape being potentially unwound, or taken apart and having every part of them given to other people. A satisfying end
2. Non-Human Protagonist: The Son of Summer Stars by Meredith Ann Pierce: The conclusion to The Firebringer trilogy, in which a group of unicorns must fight to take back their ancestral land that was stolen from them. I had a great time with this
3. Middle Grade: Last Wishes by Victoria Schwab. In order to earn her wings, a young guardian angel must help out a young girl who feels conflicted about dance. Very sweet
4. First Contact: Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart by Steven Erikson: An SF writer is abducted by aliens, and she becomes the spokesperson for humanity. People don't believe her until strange things start happening. I was a fan. HM
5. Murder Mystery: The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes: A murder mystery involving an imaginary friend. A book that really works because it takes its bizarre premise very seriously. A good time
# Row 5
1. Cat Squasher: Sapphire's Flight by K.S. Villoso. The ending of The Agartes Trilogy, where we read about the adventures of those who aren't the heroes or the villains, just regular folks. Good, but I know the author goes on to write better books
2. Feast Your Eyes on This: A Slice of Mars by Guerric Haché. A group of friends/mutual acquaintances want to open a pizza parlor on Mars. A young man from Earth arrives. A slice (heh) of life book that delves into some deep topics. This isn't a cozy read, and nothing really happens in terms of plot excitement. And yet I devoured (intentional) it. Was very impressed. I'll do HM later when I have to go to the store again
3. Published in the 1970s: The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart: An account told by Merlin of Arthur ascending to the throne. I liked it well enough to want to check out the other books in the series but don't think it'll end up being a favorite series. King Arthur stuff rarely ever works for me, but hey I'll always give it a shot! HM
4. Politics and Court Intrigue: Dances of Deception by J.C. Kang: Book 3 in the Dragon Songs series that follows a young girl who wants to bring back dragon songs. A fun read but not one that'll stick with me
5. Author of Color: Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez: Book 2 in a duology that I think can be read in either order. A young woman with the power to see the future in the stars (though not very well) is fleeing in the jungle when she's rescued by a young man. Meanwhile, another group living in said jungle is suffering and needs help before they're wiped out. Beautifully written
https://redd.it/1tni4nl
@r_fantasy
Fantasy books published in your (non-English speaking) countries you wish English speakers could read?
Inspired by a similar thread on r/books.
I feel like the popular global market for fantasy/sci-fi is extreeeemely heavy in books/series published originally in English that then get translated locally to other languages (with which local fantasy/sci-fi authors have to compete in publishing). I don't think there were many big non-English global breakthroughs more or less recently other than the Witcher and the Three Body Problem?
That being said - what are some books that were published in your countries that haven't been translated but you wish other fantasy/sci-fi readers that speak English could read?
Poland has given the world the Witcher series and recently some Dukaj's sci-fi works, but the book I think I wish could be read by English speakers is Baśń o Wężowym Sercu (which would translate to A Tale of Snake's Heart) by Radosław Rak. This is a very loose and magical retelling of a story or Jakub Szela, a historical figure that headed the peasant uprising against Polish aristocrats in 1840s in Galicia (territories occupied by Austro-Hungary after the partitions of Poland). It's kind of fairy-tailish in a way that some of old Slavic legends are, and it seamlessly combines the real world's grittyness with folk mythology elements. The prose is spectacular, very smooth and poetic - there's a chapter in there that's written from the perspective of a tree growing and aging and experiencing the forest around and it's just breathtaking.
Curious to hear of other titles!
https://redd.it/1tngk1g
@r_fantasy
Is just me or brandon sanderson's female characters feels the same???
Don't kill me first of all but am currently reading warbreaker and siri is giving me so much of shallan, serene, lift, rsyn vibe??
Like that same witty sarcastic humor, disrespecting others, rebeling and all.
Which was the main reason i have to drop oathbringer for a while and started with warbreaker thinking it would be fresh breath but man here i found another shallan. Like omg in stormlight archive it's been 3 books and shallan still the same :((
And it doens't mean i sanderson can't write good female characters. Vin, navani, marasi, steris and shai are my one of favourite ones. Though shai and steris still little feel same.
But is just me or anyone else felt like that too?
Maybe it's because of sanderson's YA Writing??
https://redd.it/1tneo1u
@r_fantasy
r/Fantasy Monday Show and Tell Thread - Show Off Your Pics, Videos, Music, and More - May 25, 2026
This is the weekly r/Fantasy Show and Tell thread - the place to post all your cool spec fic related pics, artwork, and crafts. Whether it's your latest book haul, a cross stitch of your favorite character, a cosplay photo, or cool SFF related music, it all goes here. You can even post about projects you'd like to start but haven't yet.
The only craft not allowed here is writing which can instead be posted in our Writing Wednesday threads. If two days is too long to wait though, you can always try r/fantasywriters right now but please check their sub rules before posting.
Don't forget, there's also r/bookshelf and r/bookhaul you can crosspost your book pics to those subs as well.
https://redd.it/1tn71ho
@r_fantasy
r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - May 25, 2026
https://preview.redd.it/l2cosnpoixbg1.png?width=3508&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb9f4a2807499edc796351cc28ec39b3aea4d7c2
**Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!**
Stickied/highlight slots are limited, so please remember to ~~like and subscribe~~ upvote this thread for visibility on the subreddit <3
——
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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/)'s [2026 Book Bingo Card here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1s9n3e6/official_rfantasy_2026_book_bingo_challenge/)!
As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The [r/Fantasy wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/recommendations) 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!
——
[^(tiny image link to make the preview show up correctly)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ITpGPzWOOd7MHhCY2d6Zv_6MWsntfT3s/view?usp=sharing)
art credit: special thanks to our artist, [Himmis commissions](https://himmis.carrd.co/), who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.
https://redd.it/1tn73cn
@r_fantasy
The Reasons I Like Fantasy
Not sure if this is a great place for this but why not xd
I hear people like fantasy because of 'This Magic Is Cool' or 'This Creature Is Cool' things like this. I really like fantasy because it feels like they are more in touch with nature than real life is. I love when I can go on a walk in the woods, especially when there is a light drizzle. That feeling feels so whimsical. Fantasy makes that feeling even more in touch for me. Even if its from a game, book, or movie. The dream of being able to live in the woods makes me feel so nice. Cup of tea, slight drizzle, surrounded by forest, in a cute cabin sounds amazing. I don't hear this reason a whole lot and I just needed to put it out in the world.
https://redd.it/1tn4gqo
@r_fantasy
Spears of the Woodchuck and the Quest for the White Duck trilogy. Some the Kent Montana books are fantasy/horror comedy.
Magic series by Scott Meyer
The Mall of Cthulhu by Seamus Cooper
Master Li and number 10 Ox saga by Barry Hughart
Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson - short stories collection by George Alec Effenger.
Millennial Contest trilogy by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckly
Monster World series by Mike Ploof
Myth series by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye
Never Mind the Princess Save the Dragon and others by Michael Angel
NPS series by Drew Hayes
The Part About the Dragon Was Mostly True by Sean Gibson
Precinct Series by Keith RA Decandido
Reluctant King Trilogy and other books by L Sprague deCamp
Robert Rankin - multiple books
Ronan Series by James Bibby
Sagamore series by Kara Dalkey
Seventh Sword series by Dave Duncan
Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster
Storyteller's Curse by Patricia Srigley
Stranger Times Series and others by the McDonnells
T Kingfisher - multiple books
Tales of Kell Trilogy by Kevin Hearn
Terribly Twisted Tales - Short story collection by various writers.
This Quest is Broken series by J P Valentine
Thraxas series by Martin Scott
Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson.
Tom Holt - multiple books
Tricksters Tale Series by J Pal
Tyme Trilogy by Megan Morrison
Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward
Waldo Rabbit series by Nelson Chereta
Wandering Monsters series by Elliott Kay
Warlock Holmes series by G S Denning
Warning! Fairy Tales by Robert Thier
Wizard in Rhyme series by Christopher Stasheff. Some of his other series though they're a mix of Fantasy/ SF.
Yurt Series by C Dale Britain
Xanth Series and Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony
https://redd.it/1tmvaz8
@r_fantasy
Recommend What fantasy series has your favourite display of simple, but strong, pure adventure?
Was thinking earlier how I was in the mood for something a sense of rambunctious fun, not fixated on grimey realism, or political moral greys. Something loud, colourful, full of character, Star Wars-ish. Like, OT Star Wars, before the post-modernism of the later movies.
It's not trying to be super original or complex. It just knows what it thinks is fun and it's doing it good.
https://redd.it/1tmw0mi
@r_fantasy
What are some books that have a larger cast of what is essentially a D&D party.
Obviously there's stuff like Fellowship, Kings of the Wyld, etc.
But what are some other fantasy books with a larger cast of 5+ characters that could be considered a D&D party with archetypes and different specialities and so on.
Like the strong guy, the specialist, the healer and so on.
Fantasy or sci-fi.
Thanks!
https://redd.it/1tmrm3y
@r_fantasy
Petty Politics in a Crisis: An ARC Review of Radiant Star by Ann Leckie
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Radiant Star was released on May 12, 2026.
I missed the boat on the Imperial Radch series when it first came out, but after enjoying a standalone within the Radch universe (Translation State) and Ann Leckie’s Hugo-nominated novelette (“Lake of Souls”), I decided to try my luck with another Radch-adjacent standalone and pick up Radiant Star.
Radiant Star takes place on an icy rogue planet brought under Radchaai control in the time between the first and second chapters of the book. For readers of the original trilogy, the rest of the book takes place around roughly the time period of the end of Ancillary Justice. Big things are happening, and while the events of Radiant Star don’t have much impact on the outside world, the reverse is very much not true. And so a tiny community dedicated mostly to the fringe religion of the Radiant Star, along with its shiny new Radchaai governor, must reckon with massive disruptions to its way of life, all while caught up in its own petty squabbles.
Radiant Star is written as if being told as a history to an unknown audience much more familiar with Radchaai culture than with the Radiant Star. It’s a style that creates emotional distance between the readers and characters, and it isn’t long before the logic behind this choice becomes clear: there is no real attempt to build emotional connection to the main characters because the main characters are generally unsympathetic. With the exception of a boy whose sale into servitude was interrupted by the arrival of the Radchaai, the major point-of-view characters are almost all figures of great political or religious influence (sometimes both). The narrator tries to provide reasons for their actions, but she makes little effort to cast them as sympathetic. There’s a deep skepticism about the entirety of the Radiant Star religion—even when characters report having visions that seem to be genuinely prophetic—and while the most powerful religious figures are characterized as being genuinely devout, their motivations are almost invariably based in desire for money, power, or status.
For readers who enjoy seeing the rich and powerful get the comeuppance that they were so sure couldn’t happen to them, Radiant Star may well be an engaging read. Delivering poetic justice certainly isn’t the only goal of the novel, but it does feel like the driving force. Unfortunately, that requires spending a lot of time reading about characters who are eminently dislikable and whose motivations are banal. It’s genuinely difficult to care about many of the major characters, and that makes the first half a real slog. The action picks up in the back half, and seeing the high brought low does offer some entertainment value, but had I not known I liked reading Leckie, there’s no way I’d have made it past the midway point. An entertaining finish is well and good, but the opening drags it way down.
The second half also brings out some thematic concerns that add a little more depth to the narrative. The tendency to assume that a new crisis will be resolved without undue burden because one historically has not felt the effects of other crises earns a scathing rebuke that’s undoubtedly inspired by seeing similar attitudes all too often in the real world. And there are multiple interpersonal relationships with drastic power imbalances, where the less-powerful person tends to assume that the imbalance and its effects are the natural state of things instead of a contingent dynamic that is both unhealthy and possible to change. Again, these points are well-taken and feel like moments where the book is trying to say something deeper than “isn’t it great when bad people get their just deserts.”
The ending of Radiant Star offers closure on most of the big plot threads, and—with the possible exception of the big religious questions—generally does justice
My fellow non-US Redditors, what is a book series from your country that you think deserves more recognition? Or that you feel would be famous if it were American
As a Brazilian, I must admit I really like the Angélica tetralogy written by Eduardo Spohr. It is a series made up of The Battle of the Apocalypse, a standalone book that was the first to be released and is probably the best known, and a trilogy called "Filhos do Éden" (Children of Eden) set in the same universe (plus an illustrated guide that explains the timeline, political system, RPG stats, etc.). It’s a fantasy series featuring angels in modern times, as well as portions set in medieval times, the future, and so on.
My personal favorite is Filhos do Éden: Anjos da Morte (Angels of Death), which shows an angel working as an informant for the celestials during World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War (since angels do not have a complete view of the human world).
Since I'm not that great with words, here is the synopsis for each book:
The Battle of the Apocalypse tells the story of Ablon, a celestial general expelled from paradise for defying the tyranny of the archangels, incredibly powerful beings who took control of heaven. Relegated to Earth, Ablon travels the world for over five thousand years, meeting sorcerers, mortals, and gods while observing the evolution of the planet, until he is summoned to fight the great Battle of the Apocalypse, which marks the end of days and the awakening of the Almighty.
In Filhos do Éden: Herdeiros de Atlântida (Heirs of Atlantis), we follow the journey of Kaira, a fire angel who loses her memory during a mission on Earth. With the help of other celestials, she recovers her senses and continues the task she was originally assigned: to find the ruins of Atlantis and uncover the mysteries of this ancient civilization. The plot is set against the backdrop of a civil war raging in paradise between the tyrannical forces of the archangel Michael and the revolutionary troops of Gabriel.
Filhos do Éden: Anjos da Morte (Angels of Death) focuses on Denyel, a cherub tasked with infiltrating human armies and tracking the wars of the 20th century, reporting back to the archons—scholarly and wise angels who record the course of the world and the singularities of the universe. Disguised as a soldier, Denyel witnesses not only the major battles of history but also the degradation of governments, from World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Filhos do Éden: Paraíso Perdido (Paradise Lost) brings together old and new heroes in the fight against a common enemy: Metatron, the most powerful of the angels, who managed to escape his prison in heaven and now threatens the planet. Dubbed the King of Men on Earth, Metatron plans to end the tyranny of the archangels and prevent the apocalypse, aiming to become the one true god of the world. Paradise Lost takes place across two distinct timelines: in the present, following Kaira and Denyel's journey to destroy Metatron, and in the past, following General Ablon, who holds the task of defeating and imprisoning this dangerous adversary.
https://redd.it/1tnxazl
@r_fantasy
I'm Mahmud El Sayed, author of Arabfuturist novel THE REPUBLIC OF MEMORY. Ask Me Anything!
Hi everyone! I'm really excited to be doing this AMA. I've been on reddit for years although not under this new ahem "official" author username.
A bit about myself: I'm a British-Egyptian writer based in East London. A former translator, a former journalist, a former librarian, a current and hopefully continuing author. THE REPUBLIC OF MEMORY is a science fiction novel set on a generation ship and inspired by the real-world events of the Arab Spring. It's full of linguistic shenanigans (including a made-up language) and Middle Eastern culture and food and is available from Gollancz in the UK and Saga Press in North America.
The AMA is open now – 01:00 UK time (no, I can't sleep!) and 20:00 EDT – and I will be back at 3 PM local time and 11 AM EDT – to answer your burning questions.
Hit me with your best shot!
https://redd.it/1tnqu5o
@r_fantasy
Last Contract of Isako Review
This was a great fun sci-fi genre mashup with bits of murder mystery, politics, the last job of an old pro, some cyberpunk aesthetics that all came together quite well. I'm surprised to not have seen much about it after it came out given Fonda Lee's popularity.
(For reference I adore green bone saga, this isn't that but nothing is. But also I haven't really liked any of Fonda's other work until this one which was great.)
Some thoughts:
worldbuilding: it didn't quite work for me, I felt there was alot that didn't make sense that I just had to except. But in typical Fonda Lee fashion the characters feel so much like they lived in and grew up in this world that those aspects work really well together. I always appreciate how well she mixes character and setting, rather than it feeling like they were created seperately. People are a product of where they grew up and Fonda is a master of making that feel real, which enhances both the characters and the setting
Characters: as I said, very well done. They feel real and empathetic even when doing amoral things, or even just decisions I could never myself want to do.
Plot: It was a fun plot. I figured out the murder mystery pretty early, not that there was a better way to resolve it, but it may have been nice if it wasn't built up as this big reveal given that. There were some other surprises that made perfect sense in hindsight and I liked how the story resolved over all.
Structure: this is probably where I most would have liked to see change. The first chunk of the book is from the mc's point of view. Then sometime after the halfway point we get a small chunk from another charachters pov going back in time, and then we get back to the mc to finish off the book. That didn't really work for me since by the time we get to the second pov it feels like you've already told me the story, I don't need a restart from earlier in time and even though his story was good and it added a ton to get his perspective and plotline, I was just very impatient to get back to the present. I think it would have been much better to intersperse his chapters throughout the book rather than putting it all after the majority of the plot has already happened.
Bingo Squares: older protagonist (hm) (sidenote I feel like coincidentally I've been reading alot of these this year), published in 2026, murder mystery (hm), cat squasher, politics, author of color
Would love to hear other thoughts!
https://redd.it/1tnjhck
@r_fantasy
evolution of Discworld and Ankh-Morpork (which is now starting to get its own underground rail network, the Undertaking), which by this point is firmly establishing itself as the most well-explored and established city in the entire fantasy canon (or at least up there with Lankhmar, Waterdeep, Sigil and Minas Tirith).
Unusually for the series, the book also has an ending setting up a future Lipwig adventure, Raising Taxes...though Pratchett could never figure out how to make a book about taxes funny, so instead pivoted to the railways with Raising Steam later on. Perhaps more regrettably, this was the last book Pratchett completed before received his medical diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's, the shadow of which would hang over all the subsequent books he wrote.
Making Money (****) is an enjoyable addition to the Discworld mythos, even if it doesn't do anything too spectacularly new.
https://redd.it/1tnl8rm
@r_fantasy
New Voices Book Club: Final Discussion for The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe
Welcome to the book club New Voices! In this book club we want to highlight books by debut authors and open the stage for under-represented and under-appreciated writers from all walks of life. New voices refers to the authors as well as the protagonists, and the goal is to include viewpoints away from the standard and most common. For more information and a short description of how we plan to run this club and how you can participate, please have a look at the announcement post.
# This month, we are reading The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe
>In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name.
>Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble.
>At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.
>Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes—LA’s most prominent Filipino activist—turns her world upside-down.
>Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?
Bingo Squares: Published in 2026 (HM), Book Club (HM), Murder Mystery (HM), Author of Colour, Politics and Court Intrigue (HM)
# Today's discussion encompasses the entire novel.
# Please join us next month, when we will be reading If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Cho-yeop, translated by Anton Hur
https://redd.it/1tngjk4
@r_fantasy
2026 Bingo Card Complete
(Look, I just have been reading voraciously.) My theme was: Books that fit the squares. Hold for applause. But I did prioritize books I either already owned or had been meaning to read. Below, find the card along with brief reviews of each book; if I remember whether they fit Hard Mode, I'll mention it.
The card
# Row 1
1. Trans/Nonbinary Protagonist: Sword Dance by A.J. Demas: A M/NB...slightly annoyed by each other? to lovers Romance set in a secondary world implied to be equivalent to our time of antiquity. So...yes HM? An enjoyable read with fun banter and moments between the MCs
2. Judge a Book by Its Title: Scent of Magic by Andre Norton: A young woman has a really good sense of smell and must use it to save the day. (It's both as ridiculous as it sounds yet somehow also not.) I got this book a while back solely because of its title (along with other books called Scent of Magic, fun fact). I never looked into what it was about, so HM.
3. Translated: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica: A woman in a convent in a dystopian world starts questioning her memories of how she ended up in said convent. A book where I kept turning the pages. HM
4. Self-Published/Indie Publisher: The MineralTail (or Mineral Tail if you search on Goodreads or Amazon) by Justin Robertson: How the greatest album ever made was created. By far the most bizarre book I've read for this card and just in general. Surrealism to the extreme, and I was so into it. Also fits non-human protagonist square (HM if I recall correctly)There's a companion album on streaming that shouldn't be too hard to find. HM
5. Unusual Transportation: House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones: A young woman has to look after her Great-Uncle's strange house. Just an all around good time. Unknown if HM?
# Row 2
1. The Afterlife: A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck: A man dies and ends up in a Hell, but anyone is free to leave once they find the book that is the perfect summary of their life. Another one I couldn't stop reading. Unknown if HM; there's the implication that everyone ends up in this place, but it's not explicitly stated unless I'm misremembering
2. Game-Changer: The Three-Body Probem by Cixin Liu: Aliens are planning on invading Earth. It was fine.
3. Vacation Spot: An Arrow's Flight by Mark Merlis: Achilles' son is a gay go-go dancer and male escort. Set in a modern-day (for the time it was written) esque New York-feeling Ancient Greece. There is maybe less than a paragraph of anything actual magical or fantastical happening; blink and you miss it. It reads more like a regular fiction book, but I thought it was so interesting. CW for homophobic slurs.
4. 5 Short Stories: Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck. Various short stories by the author. Felt like lots of vignettes, often "get in, get to the point, get out" type of stories. Not bad. HM
5. Older Protagonist: The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee. A woman named Isako's boss retires, and she wants to follow in his footsteps. But then she's offered one final contract that sucks her into a corporate mystery. So good! HM
# Row 3
1. Duology: First Book: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. A young man realizes that he can't remember anything about a magical land, except that maybe it was called Weep. He intends to uncover the mystery. HM
2. Book Club or Readalong: The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe: A young apprentice is exiled from his home. I didn't mind it. Not my favorite, but I can see why it's beloved.
3. Published in 2026: When the Museum is Closed by Emi Yagi. A woman is hired to talk to a statue of Venus in Latin in a museum. A quiet sort of book. While reading I was enjoying it, but I'm unsure how well it'll actually stick with me.
4. Explorers/Rangers: The Dungeoneers by Jeffery Russell: A group of dwarves are hired for various jobs. A fun, fast-paced read.
I did not particularly enjoy the prose in Gideon the Ninth?
Is it just me? I enjoyed the humour, I liked the subdued and minimal worldbuilding, I really liked the cast of characters. But the writing itself, I really don't know what it was. The sentence structure, the prose just didn't "flow" in a natural way. Many times I felt like I wasn't reading sentences but disjointed phrases loosely connected together with commas and semicolons. I have read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, even those with very heavy technical jargon. With no other book have I ever felt the need to go back and re-read almost every other sentence because I couldn't get it on the first read through.
Now I know a lot of this has got to do with the very unique (and honestly, enjoyable) voice of the titular character, Gideon. The dialogue between characters was great, but everything that was not dialogue, everything that was just Gideon narrating to the reader, felt like a completely unreadable mess. And it was surprising to me because I had quite a lot of people recommended this book as "light reading" for beginners into fantasy, but it wasn't light for me at all. It felt like I was fighting against the writing half of the time, trying to figure out which part was important and what exactly Gideon was trying to convey through like 5 layers of humour and by the time I reached the end of the sentence through so many comedic detours and random tangents and disjointed phrases, I struggled to remember where the story was and what I was even reading about.
Is it just me? Did I just happen to read the book when my ADHD was especially bad, or what?
https://redd.it/1tnfkop
@r_fantasy
Are there any novels that parallel the drama surrounding the Panchen Lama + China and Tibetan buddhism in general?
Realistically the idea in itself sounds like a fantasy plot. An expansionist empire attempting to kidnap the divine reincarnation of an influential figure in order to convert and co-opt his power for their own means. Like does that not sound pretty epic?
https://redd.it/1tndkfe
@r_fantasy
Inconsistent and extreme seasons caused by binary star system or elliptical orbit
Hello! 👋
I'm looking for a fantasy (or sci-fi) book set in a world situated in a binary star system or with an elliptical orbit, causing extreme and/or inconsistent seasons that impact directly on the story. Something like ASOIAF where the seasons take years, for example (though it has thoroughly disappointed me in seasonal terms).
Any fantasy story with extreme seasons/climate will do, actually.
Thanks!
https://redd.it/1tn9pmp
@r_fantasy
Excellent Piece on Pratchett in the Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/05/author-terry-pratchett-film/687253/?gift=JQnAejJD3bvQcS_W9LRwyOWdPvl6OdvIAFSygqMpaQ0
https://redd.it/1tn5nb4
@r_fantasy
Feral or savage MC. Civilization be damned. (book request)
What am I hearing? An mc from the big capital, or a noble who finds his path?
None of that, I want to see a nobody. Someone who enjoys nigths at the tavern and has hunting as a hobby. Someone who isn't afraid of swear words or vulgar language. A savage man for a savage world.
But d'ya know what'd be better? A literrally feral mc, who has lost any sign of civilized behavior. He doesn't know why he should wear clothes or why he shoulp pay for his food when he could just kill a doe in the forest.
Any books like this I'd like. Please, any suggestions?
https://redd.it/1tmw3as
@r_fantasy
Comedy Fantasy
So, when i went searching, I've seen numerous posts asking for recs, and I've checked out the Goodreads lists, but they all seem to be missing a lot of titles. Goodreads seems to always include multiple books from the same series as well as SF books.
So instead of recs, I'm going to try to make a list of as many as I can, including some books that never seem to be mentioned as well as the more common ones..
Sticking to both traditional fantasy and urban fantasy mainly. Also a bit subjective - maybe a more serious book with small comedic scenes in it or a comic sidekick made the list.
Hopefully others well chime in and I can add more to the first post of the thread.
Listed in kind of an alphabetical order
Edit - A lot more than I thought are out there. I left out the YA books on one end and the Harem books on the other. I probably missed some of the LitRPGs as well. I left some of the writers very general since that had a lot of books but they weren't in a series.
Hopefully you'll see something new here that might grab your interest. I've already saved off the list as a txt file to go over later
24/7 Demon Mart series by D M Guay
A Lee Martinez - multiple books
A Name to Conjure with and its sequel by Donald AAmodt
Antiheroes series by Jacob Peppers
Balumnia Trilogy by James Blaylock
Bathrobe Knight series by Charles Dean
Beware of Chicken Series by Casual Farmer
Bored of the Rings by Harvard Lampoon.
Carpet Diem by Justin Lee Anderson
Castle Perilous series by John Dechancie
Christopher Moore - multiple Books
Circles in Hell series by Mark Cain
Craig Shaw Gardner - Ebenuzum Trilogy, Wuntvor Trilogy and Sinbad Trilogy. Harder to find are the 6 or so short stories from the first 2 trilogies that appeared in various short story collections
Cups and Sorcery series by Greg Costikyan
Dan Shambles, zombie detective series by Kevin James Anderson
Dark Lord Bert series by Chris Fox
Dark Profit Saga by J Zachery Pike
David Eddiings - multiple series
Dianna Wynn Jones - multiple books
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Dragon and the George by Gordon R Dickson. He wrote more in the series, but for me they lost what was so special in the first book
Dragoncat Series by Chris Behrsin
Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Denniman
Eddie LaCrosse Series by Alex Bledsoe
Enchanted Forest series and others by Patricia J Wrede
Enchanter series by L Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt and others
Epik series by William Tyler Davis
Erik Flint - multiple books
Esther Friesner - multiple books
Everybody Loves Large Chest series by Morningwood
Fable for Tonight series by Mike Resnick
Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz leiber
Fantasy Gone Wrong - Short story collection by various writers.
Fish Wielder by Jim Hardison
Fool on the Hill by Matt Ruff
For the Loot by Han Yang
Garrett the Investigator series by Glen Cook
Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell
Good Guys series by Eric Ugland
Gortik and Felix Series - multiple authors
The Gnomewrench in the Dwarfworks by Nick O'Donohoe
Go Quest Yong Man by K N Bogen
Goblins trilogy by Philip Reeve
God of the Feast by Kevin Sinclair
Grunts by Mary Gentle
Hapless Heroes series by Sam Ferguson
Hell Inc series by Dick Wybrow
Help My Wizard Mentor had a Heart Attack by Aaron Hodges
Here Be Dragons by David P Macpherson
How to be an Adventurer by Damian Hanson
Infocom books by various authors - Zork, Enchsnter, Wishbringer
Jack Vance - multiple books
Jason Cosmo trilogy by Dan McGirt. Its been reissued with different book names but I'm not sure what has changed
Jeff Strand - multible books
Jeremy Moon Trilogy by Brad Strickland
Jig the Goblin trilogy by Jim C Hines
Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan Howard
John Moore - multiple books
Kedrigern the Wizard series by John Merrissey
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Earnes
Klondaeg series by Steve Thomas
Land of Dis series by Robert Kroese
Landover Series by Terry Brooks
L G Estrella - multiple books
Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brisn Lansky
Lingeria by Daniel Kozoh
Lionel Fenn - Seven
What was the first book/series you read? How was it?
First fantasy book I read was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I never really wanted to read it in the first place. I was 7 years old and my school crush would read it every time we had a library period at school, and I was obssesed with him so I thought by reading it he would be interested in me.
I was also living in another country at the time, so I had to read it in another language, therefore it took me a loooong while to finish it, but as I kept reading I understood it more clearly, and it actually entertained me, which I thought surprising considering I was only doing it for that boy.
Took me probably 5 months to finish it, and by that time I had already bought the other 4 Percy Jackson books and surprisingly wanted to read them.
https://redd.it/1tmtvf0
@r_fantasy
to what has come before. It may be like watching a slow-moving train wreck, but it’s entertaining, and it has something to say. Unfortunately, getting to that ending is a different story. The distancing effect of the narration, the dearth of likable characters, and the banality of the politics make for a story that drags badly through the first hundred pages or more. It gets better as it goes, but it doesn’t get so much better as to entirely redeem the slog of a first half.
Recommended if you like: hatefics with careful worldbuilding.
Can I use it for *Bingo*? It's hard mode for Politics and Court Intrigue, and it fits Feast Your Eyes, though I'd strongly recommend against hard mode. It also is Published in 2026 and features a handful of Trans or Nonbinary Protagonists.
Overall rating: 12 of Tar Vol's 20. Three stars on Goodreads.
https://redd.it/1tmquwk
@r_fantasy
I need some chonky epic fantasy/scifi recs (that aren't the usual ones + also let's talk about some of your favourite epics!)
Heyy
So it's been a while since I've read some epic (and with epic I mean the big ones, 4-5+ bricks of novels/too many characters and plots but also I would love it to actually be good because I can be a bit pretentious when it comes to my books) fantasy/scifi but the urge to spend way too long reading about the customs of some random fuckass city just struck again.
Now I've read like all the ones everyone always recommends, so no Sanderson/Eriskon Hobb etc. pls. Here's a list of some I've read and how much I like them so you get an idea of my tastes (and yes I'm going to spell them all out because I hate when people use acronyms for everything in public forums and then reading a post in a sub you don't frequent often feels like studying an ancient manuscript also if you like languages and puzzle games please play Chants of Seenar it's awesome):
I LOVE: Malazan, Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time (basically running on nostalgia alone atp but still), a Song of Ice and Fire, le Guin? tho I guess she doesn't really write epic fantasy but she belongs on every list if we're being honest
I like: Memory Sorrow and Thorn, Dune (don't like it enough tbh, movies are awesome tho), Shadows of the Apt
It's ok: most Sanderson (I like big battles and I cannot lie), Robin Hobb (only read like one it was fine), Wars of Light and Shadow (the first one was pretty cool but the second one was so bad I dnfd it twice)
It's bad: most Sanderson if I'm honest, Sun Eater, Red Rising, Bound and the Broken
I'm sure I forgot some also looks like not many women on here so please recommend me some. Would be great if they're finished but not a requirement. Any forgotten masterpieces, a saga that's coming out/came out recently and flew under the radar or just your favourite thing that you don't get to talk about otherwise: please let me know! Scifi is great as well, much less well read there so fire away.
Tldr: Looking for long epic fantasy/scifi sagas that aren't recommended all the time, any recs welcome thanks. Also use this to talk about your favourite epic stories!
https://redd.it/1tmphnx
@r_fantasy
