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Is Conan an Easy Character to Dive Into and If So Where to Start?
So I've read LOTR, Hobbit, the Silmarillion as well as Between Two Fires, The Blacktongue Thief (Currently reading the Daughter's War) but that's mostly it for Fantasy. I typically read horror but have been doing a deep dive into fantasy and want to know if Conan has any good Storyline series to jump into. Or any other staples of the genre I must read?
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I discovered I dread and hate the necessary 'bad stuff happens' call to adventure. Any books that don't do this?
I understand the necessity of the town getting raided and destroyed, the parents getting killed, the love interest getting kidnapped, and so on but sometimes I want to just read about life in a fantasy world without the upheaval. Does this exist?
I want people solving more mundane problens that don't involve gods or saving the town/city/continent/world. Give a story about a guard doing the rounds and the weird shit they come across. I want to see the blacksmith falling in love, without her lover getting killed and having to discover a well of strength that destroys neighboring towns.
Ffs please someone give me a story that is about a princess who just wants to work in a dragon sanctuary without the threat of war, pestilence, or famine involved.
I am tired of high stakes fantasy. Does anyone have recommendations for well-written fantasy that doesn't need to break the protagonist or their world for the story to be engaging?
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many times as I can. It didn't push me as a reader. It was pleasant, enjoyable, and without any concrete or overt flaws that would give me pause in bringing it up as a recommendation. But there was a piece of soul missing. The story ended, and I thought 'so what?'. I couldn't find the analogy to our lives, or any purpose beyond showcasing the extraordinary experiences of a single man in a very cool world. To be clear, that's enough in it's own right, and not every book has to push on what it means to be human. I couldn't help but feel like this book should be pushing though, and that it wanted to push, but never really took that idea anywhere as interesting or novel as the world itself. There were times where I saw Tchaikovsky trying to thematically connect Kilnish life with resistance movements against oppression. Thematically a good comparison, but unremarkable because of how little we actually saw of resistance movements at a large scale in this universe. Even more unremarkable because the Hegemony was as vividly imagined as a peanut. When one half of a thematic connection is blowing your mind and the other half feels more generic and uninspired than a ChatGPT response, that link becomes deeply unremarkable.
A slightly less essential complaint I have was the repetition we saw in describing how Kilnish ecosystems worked. The vivid details of new species never grew old, but the long extended metaphors began to grate with how often they arrived and how similar they felt. How often do we need to hear Daghdev ruminate about the wonders of an ecology that functions, in my mind, like Lego bricks? There came a point about 3/4 of the way through the book where I skipped forward because I didn't need yet another explanation of how wonderous and different this life was from the way that humankind exists.
One of two things needed to happen to this book for me to give it 5 stars. Trim the fat, and remove enough plot points to turn it into a novella that ruthlessly focuses on the alien ecoystems with a small hint of systemic opression against a generic fascist society. Alternative, blow it up into a trilogy and make the first book an engaging portrait of Arton's fall from academia and life on the run, with a lot of editing to make The Hegemony something compelling and realistic. Then perhaps the deeper themes about resistance against oppressive forces would shine through. As it stands, the book was enjoyable to read, but likely a forgettable title for me in the long term.
Conclusion: an addictive read, but one without the thematic depth to match the imaginative worldbuilding
Want More Reviews Like This? Try my blog CosmicReads
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Fantasy books with brotherhood themes written by male authors?
Hey guys, I hope this specific inquiry is welcome here. I am currently researching on some fantasy books about brotherly bond that may or may not be interpreted as queer subtext?
I am an mlm queer guy, myself, who's working on a passion project. I am a huge fan of stories with romance being a second plot that is lowkey, not upfront, or not obvious at all. Even if there's no gay romance in it, I'd like anything that has a brotherly bond. Sworn enemies, childhood bestfriends, etc. Preferably about knighthood and camaraderie, or lonely warriors. A great story example would be one of my favorite movies, The Eagle. It's not even explicitly gay, but I really loved the enemies to brotherhood dynamic in that story. I also really like Final Fantasy XV's character dynamics, just a group of baddass guys on a mission.
I was also looking for like a lone warrior type of stories (heavy on Berserk, or some sad depressed warrior/knight vibes). Anything really that has a similar feel to all I've mentioned.
I hope I can find these stories specifically written by male authors. As I am looking for a more authentic depiction of the male psyche dealing with grief, loneliness, defeat, inner rage, and brotherly bond. While all expressed in a classic high/low fantasy setting. I'd love some of your recommendations, thank you!
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What's the most original concept you've read in a fantasy book?
I am looking for an idea that's essentially the closest thing to a true epistemic break, one so profound it changes my understanding of the world. I read a lot of books and I found nothing of the sort. Feel free to share even if it doesn't come close to what I want.
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - September 21, 2025
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**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 [2025 Book Bingo Card here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_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!
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[^(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.
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Death gate cycle
I've been reading Death gate cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and I have not hated it so far!
I've read a lot of Dragonlance books from Hickman and Weis, and while Deathgate is a bit different feel, I've still been having some good time so far.
I'm reading the third one, Fire Sea, and I really like how the society of Necromancers is presented.
Eversince I played The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion I've had a weird interest in Necromancers but I don't recall reading many books with Necromancers in them. Maybe some books where the good guys are like "Ugh raising the dead bad!" But in the Fire Sea book there is a society of Necromancers just living in their world, keeping the dead around to help them and "Preventing them from being forgotten".
It's sort of fun to read about some of thw hijinx a society with many dead members has to deal with.
One thing I have to say about this book is that either the writers, or the guy who made the translation must have been real thirsty because some descriptions of characters feels a bit extra. They are constantly describing how the prince has lean, muscular young body and because he is sweating, his lips must taste salty. Like okay cool it mate :D This is starting to sound like a bad fan fiction at this point!
If someone has recommendations for books with more "Life impaired" people, I would love to read more.
I just had to create this post because I have been enjoying reading more lately.
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Why are there so many stories about maidens saved from being sacrificed to entities or sea monsters, but never their male equivalents?
You can see many cases like these even in modern literature and media. Even though you may reply: "I didn't see damsels in distress for a long time", it still doesn't answer to the dudes' questions. Why hasn't anybody ever thought of sacrificing fair bachelors in similar ways?
I think more men should be shown in helpless and vulnerable situations, since they think they'll be only valued for their strenght and providing capabilities. The ideal would be a male character who's capable, but also needs rescuing.
The problem is that men can be chivalrious knights, gentlemen thieves and such, but I rarely see them in binds.
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Characters who are too powerful?
Hello! I’m looking for books where the main character is so powerful that it becomes an impediment.
Some examples:
* A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
* The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (anime)
* Superman
In each of the examples above, the main character has to work extra hard so their huge amount of power doesn’t cause issues for themselves or others.
I’d like to read more stories with characters who are already powerful and trying to figure out how to use or not use their power, whether it’s magical or political.
New or very underrated authors only please! I’ve already read the Dune series, everything by Sanderson, Game of Thrones, Malazan, and Wheel of Time :)
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What's a Fantasy novel, show, movie, etc you really enjoyed that no one else seemed to be into?
Like th title says, what's a piece of Fantasy material that you really got into, even moved to a certain extent, that no one else really connected with?
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I read Farseer Trilogy and loved it but it was sad as fuck. Should I read more or is it sadder?
I enjoyed the series greatly but jeez what a sad end. The last trilogy I read was Memory, Sorrow and Thorn which had a muchhhhh happier ending.
I know there are further series in this world and Tawny Man Trilogy in particular continues Fitz story.
Should I read that is it any happier at the end or should I tap out now?
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Any books where the main character is the manipulative advisor?
Just looking for some books that follow advisors and talk about kingdom politics, economics etc. (something along the lines of the first Foundation book from Isaac asimov), inclujding interpersonal royal court stuff, from the perspective of an advisor character (chancelor, second hand, main henchman, etc). Someone like Grima Wormtungue.
The advisor can be evil or good doesn't matter.
If such a thing even exists I would very much like to read it :3
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Just finished Assassin’s Quest… are the rest of Hobb’s books this heavy?
Just finished Assassin’s Quest. Just… wow. What an incredible series this has been.
I’d always heard that Hobb pulls on your heartstrings and that these books are known to be heavy…oh man, is that ever true.
I’m a huge fan of emotionally dynamic and dense fantasy. Music, games, books. I love when my media makes me feel deeply, and this trilogy more than delivers on that front.
That said, every book felt like a bit of a climb. Not in the Malazan sense of density or confusion, but in the way I was constantly bracing for whatever terrible thing might befall poor Fitz. These stories are difficult to stomach at times, just because of how attached I’ve become to the characters.
Still, I fell completely in love with this series. Even the slower pacing never bothered me. I found myself savoring the quieter moments of Assassin’s Quest just as much as the big, devastating ones.
This has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy series ever. But here’s my question:
Are the rest of the Realm of the Elderlings books this heavy? I’m eager to dive right into Liveship Traders, but part of me wonders if I should take a lighter palate cleanser first, the emotional hangover is real.
Either way, I’m excited to keep going. Hobb has already pulled me in completely.
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Review: Forgotten Beasts of Eld, a different take
First, 5/5. A treasure of a read and completely unlike anything in the world of fantasy.
The book is, at first, unusual. But it sits with you and stews and becomes something wonderful. I think t there is a particular way to approach this book as a modern reader. Written in 1975, it's often assumed that Beasts is told in a style common to that area. I don't think that's the case at all. I believe it's intentionally written in a style that reflects the main character's view of the world. A stunted, arrogant, simplified view of the world. She's an unreliable, highly flawed narrator who believes she's a flawless hero.
Quick summary: mid-20s Sybel is arguably the most powerful person in the world, and possibly the most beautiful. She can control anyone's mind, which is the main magic in the book. She's a reclusive wizard who lives with talking animals, reads books all day long and enjoys stealing rare books from other wizards. The story centers around her journey from an arrogant, emotionally infantile hermit to an adult in the real world.
So, the writing style: it's clipped and sometimes reads more like wikipedia than a novel. It's instantly unusual and disorienting and avoids description of the world around Sybel and, more importantly, her interior thoughts. Everything is fast. Everything is subtle. Everything requires reflection from the reader. If this story was told by a modern author it would be four times as long.
I believe the writing works because the style reflects Sybel's view of the world. She speaks in clipped sentences. She thinks in absolutes. She has zero filter. She is aloof and alienating and arrogant. The book is how she sees the world, and she's the hero of this world. She assumes everyone sees the world as she sees it and becomes upset when her view is challenged. She can control anyone's mind from huge distances. She even controls the living embodiment of fear and death. It's regularly said that she could conquer the known world if she wanted to. But, ultimately, that's beneath her.
I think the book works so well because Sybel is so unbelievably flawed in a way that takes time for the audience to really understand and appreciate. Only towards the latter third of the book does she recognize she has serious faults. I think it takes most people (myself included) time to really come to appreciate Sybel's massive swing from a completely broken person to someone made whole.
In the beginning, we're presented with a Sybel that believes her life is perfect and enviable and should never change. But then she's delivered a baby related to her. Within a day, she says she loves the child more than any of her talking magical creatures who have lived with her her entire life. She is, in fact, stunningly lonely and desperate for human contact but is absolutely determined never to admit it. Whenever she meets another person, she instantly reacts with fascination and compassion. She aggressively denies she's lonely, and we're never told she's anything but perfect, but every action she takes reflects a deep depression.
The forgotten beasts: they are, simply, her captives. She presents them more as willing companions. But she controls their minds and seeks to control the mind of the rarest beast of all, a bird she cannot locate. Her interior journey is framed around the captivity of these creatures. Hence, the title. And she's one of the forgotten beasts, at least thematically.
The real arc of the book is recognizing she shouldn't force animals and people to do as she wants. She also comes to recognize her many problems, including the unintended use of her magic. Her power has consequences. Life is messy and can't be controlled. And she absolutely rejects this fact.
Her other main dilemma is coming to terms that she's completely powerless in other ways. She's being constantly pursued by a variety of men. She is, after all, the most powerful person in the world. Or so she believes. And beautiful. And yet, she's let people into her life, and people can be
Does the hermit witch ever get her own book?
I am hoping for recommendations because I really want to read the story of the witch. The Baba Yaga, Red Riding Hood's Nan, Granny Weatherwax, Hansel and Gretel's baddie, the hermit in the woods. You know the one that's in every single fantasy novel at some point - the heroes have to trek through the deep dark forest getting progressively more creeped out until they find the neat little house and the garden (usually with bees) and the woman who lives there completely alone who is always somehow the only person in the world with the magic or the prophecy or the potion or whatever that they need to save the world?
She's always so ridiculously powerful that nobody can take the thing off her, they have to beg and bargain and call in favours to convince her. And she's always grumpy and demanding and generally pissed off with everyone's complete idiocy and relentless pestering... But she always has exactly what they need to save the day and somehow also knew they were coming. She's only ever a plot device but I want to read her story.
I don’t need her to be a good person, don't care if it's dark or spicy or just bonkers but surely there are stories about that sort of character? The more slice-of-life the better. I want the minutiae and the whole chapters about a single magical herb she's gathering, the details about why her house has its own magic and why she is happiest alone and why she's so terrifyingly powerful and mostly just what she actually does all day!
I would love to hear about these women as major characters, but I am so hoping someone knows of one where she is the main character. Not her origin story where she's off in the world being a clever young woman or whatever but the story of her in all her age and power. Her epilogue, but as the whole book.
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So I just finished reading Name of The Wind...
And it doesn't really go anywhere. I think the prose is beautiful and somehow easy to read at the same time. But the 700 pages I just read seems like the first 3 episodes of a 15-episode season 1 of a show.
It doesn't reveal or answer anything. It doesn't even raise that many questions. The book felt like an introduction to the world through Kvothe's backstory.
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I'm glad I gave Terry Pratchett another shot
I've read the Colour of Magic and the Light Fantastic a few years ago, and I was underwhelmed. Yes there are some funny lines here and there, but the constant randomness prevented me from caring about anything that happened. For example (minor spoiler) in the Colour of Magic, the characters are falling from a dragon and to their death. Then they get teleported into an airplane in our world, and back into the Discworld, and because of the conservation of momentum, they are now above water. I get it's meant as a joke, but when the story is this deep into "anything can happen" territory it's hard for me to take anything seriously.
I like comedy, but if I'm not invested in the characters in the first place, it gets little laughs from me.
I got recommended Guards! Guards! as a better entry point to the Discworld and I couldn't agree more. I instantly fell in love with the characters. They have exaggerated traits but I still believed they were actual people, and the dialogues between them are so delicious.. After a moment I realised I just wanted to see them exchanging and doing stuff, regardless of what they were doing. It took me a few weeks to finish the Colour of Magic, but Guards! Guards! took me only five days (and I already ordered Men At Arms).
Just throwing that to share my pleasant surprise, in case there are other here who weren't convinced by the first two novels. You can give the Discworld another shot, it's worth it \^\^
Thanks for reading me, I hope your pillow is cold tonight.
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Alien Clay: An Addictive Read that Feels Unremarkable Where It Counts
For someone who reads as much as I do, the fact that I've gotten so far through life without reading a single Tchaikovsky novel is astounding. I blame my father in part: he stole Children of Time from me while visiting and never returned it. Alien Clay arrived as part of my never ending processional of Libby Audiobook holds, most of which get shunted back another few months until I have time for it. And I see why Tchaikovsky is so popular. I understand why it was nominated for a Hugo, and why it didn't win. I liked it, but didn't love it, and suspect that if I read Tchaikovsky he'll be a reliably good author when I need a solid page-turner to get me off a reading slump. I'm hoping some of his other books are a bit more thematically ambitious, since the ideas and prose are both engaging enough to make something truly great.
Elevator Pitch:
Mildly rebellious Xenobiology professor Arton Daghdev has been caught by the Hegemony. As punishment, he is sent to Kiln, a extrasolar planet with the most advanced forms of life yet discovered. While there, he falls in with former rebel contacts, grows fascinated with the interchangable nature of Kilnish biology, and wonders what the point of life is when he'll never be able to return home.
Does it Bingo? Yes! It easily fits Down with the System, Book Club/Readalong (Hugo Readalong 2025), Stranger in a Strange Land (the alien life isn't sentient in the same way humans are, but as the book progresses, it clearly counts).
I think there's also a case to be made for High Fashion (their paper thin protective suits are a continual plot point). Similarly, I could see an argument for Biopunk, though I'm not well-versed enough in the subgrenre to feel comfortable making a call myself.
https://preview.redd.it/z4vln4k1jkqf1.jpg?width=325&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba25c951ef7ef4292811756c14ef3852cd0b4bc3
What Worked for Me:
The ideas in this book were simply delicious. I know that Tchaikovsky is known - at least in part - for his creative imagining of alien life. Kiln was very evocative, especially against the bog-standard (and ill defined/thought out) hegemonic empire we see in so many science fiction stories. Parasitic in the extreme, Kilnish life is always on the lookout for new ways to recombine parts to create new macrospecies. An eyeball isn't part of an organism, it is an organism, able to slot into any number of different other parts or pieces to live in symbiosis, all of which are relatively compatible with each other. I loved this idea, and thought that Tchaikovsky really brought it to life. He struck a lovely balance of horror and wonder. The thrill of discovery mixed with the horrors of what happens when you let this alien life inside you (execution for traitorous behavior is usually very public displays of being injected with alien biomass and letting the labor force see what happens). It was creative, and unlike anything I'd seen before.
Daghdev himself was competently written as well. He does have some main character energy: the chief of the camp is a wannabe scientist who sees Daghdev as a kindred spirit despite is rebellious philosophies. This connection opens and closes a variety of doors that singles Daghdev out both with the command structure and with other laborers. However, he isn't universally competent. He's not a good fighter, and he can magically use the biomass printing machines when the need arises. He's human. A remarkably smart human with a very specialized skillset. And most characters were like this, tangibly real in juxtoposition to the wildly imagined lifeforms outside their airlock.
What Didn't Work for Me:
Ultimately, this book felt joyful and immersive, but not terribly deep. It's the type of story I found myself sucked into, and certainly some isolated elements will stick with me (the aliens, to nobody's surprise). However, this book isn't going to sit with me, isn't going to nag me to recommend it as
What are you sick to death of seeing in fantasy novels?
This is intentionally an open-ended question. Maybe you're sick of vampire romance subplots, or ridiculously overpowered main characters who survive on plot armor, or maybe you're just tired of castles and dragons. One person I know will throw a book in the trash if it has medieval peasants who are cheerful instead of miserable.
What do you never want to see again in a fantasy book?
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Points of random derailment
Have you ever come across something that was treated completely offhandedly in a book that just had you wanting to stop the author and ask him personally for clarifications?
Two recent examples I came across (mild spoilers, I guess):
In Pet Sematary, when the main character, a loving husband and father of two, compares something he has to keep secret to the one time he went to visit a prostitute. Never mentioned again.
In Daughters' War, when Amiel meets the queen and they just smoke opium together. It was like Wet Hot American Summer's trip to town.
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I'm lucky . Read two incredible books in a row
I just wanted to share with people who get it .
Earlier this month , based off a comment here , I' picked up Piranesi. Oh my , the world building was exquisite. What beautiful setting. I could almost hear the tides go boom and see all the statues and the clear lakes where he fished. It took everything I expect from fantasy and turned it on its head in the most beautiful way. Yes of course it was predictable after a bit and there is some stuff that is missing, but overall it was a refreshing wave.
In the post good book withdrawal I reluctantly thought I'd try something I had downloaded ages ago. Jade city by Fonda lee. That was also recommended on some comment here. I was aching for a more defined magic system ( love Sanderson's magic , hate the Sanderlanche. It feels like I'm rewatching Dr House) .
Holy moly, loved it as well. I especially loved that while magic was integral to the setting, the story was much more about people , their emotions, trying to balance what they want and what they are good at vs other people's expectations for them. It captures the infuriating mix of emotions people feel towards family. I love that it was not just crash, bang boom fighting and businesses and money were involved as well. Shae taking over as weatherman was probably my favourite bit of badassery. If any of you are into the book too, I do have a few technical questions about it which are nagging me a bit - 1) why didn't Lan wear fake jade post his win? I don't think greenbones can perceive exactly how much jade someone is carrying exactly. Secondly, how exactly do stone eyes work ? If a stone eye holds jade, other people can't sense it ?
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Looking for recommendations for easy reading page turners.
Hi, Like the title says I'm looking for recommendations for some easy to read page turners. I'm happy with series or standalone, scifi or fantasy. I'd say the main requirements are that they have characters you root for and aren't to thinky.
Some examples of my standard go to authors when this is what i'm after are:
Elizabeth Moon
David Gemmell
Terry Pratchett
Dan Abnett
Any thoughts welcome! Thank you inadvance!
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Looking for 1980s fantasy that focuses on relationships, not quests
Hey all! I’ve been digging through older fantasy (1989 - 1980) recommendations, including the Bingo thread, but I’m having trouble finding books that really click for me.
I’m looking for:
Character-driven stories (not epic quests or sword-and-sorcery)
Emotionally rich relationships — found family, mentor/mentee, parent/child, slow emotional bonds
Minimal “save-the-world” plots or heavy worldbuilding
What I’ve tried (and why they didn’t work):
Daughter of the Empire, The Changeling Sea, Tea with the Black Dragon, Sailing to Sarantium, Black Company, Dawn, War for the Oaks, The Gunslinger, Guards! Guards., The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter — DNFed most; some epic/adventure, some character-driven but voice/pacing/tone didn’t land
What I’m hoping for:
Older fantasy (’80s) that actually feels intimate and character-first
Standalone or small, relationship-focused series are perfect
Bonus if it reads quietly and emotionally rich, even if older
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!
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Is the Fablehaven series a good read for an adult?
My little brother has the whole Fablehaven series and he no longer wants them. I’m thinking about taking them instead of him just getting rid of them, but I was wondering if they’d be a good read for an adult, or if they’d be too “childish” in terms of writing, stakes, dialogue. I read books like The Witcher, Way of Kings, Red Rising. I know none of these are comparable to Fablehaven lol. The concept of Fablehaven sounds interesting but I just want to know if they’re worth reading. Thanks in advance.
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Thoughts on 'House Of Open Wounds'
Just finished this one. Prior to reading I thought that, in theory at least, the novel would be "a fantasy version of M.A.S.H. with magic". However when reading I had a bit of a revelation. To me it also reads like Adrian Tchaikovsky channelling Glen Cook's Black Company.
Anyone else read it? Care to share your thoughts?
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The Bear and the Nightingale: Amazing
Wow - this book sat on a shelf for some time but when started I couldn’t stop! Finished the rest of the series within a week! Katherine Arden’s prose is lovely and her fantastical story featuring Russian folklore is absolutely poetic. The characters are full and morally gray, I loved everything about Vasya, and the relationship between her and Morozsco - swoon!! Anyone else read this? Between this and the Cruel Prince series (my last two reads) I have a major book hangover and no idea where to get my next fix!! Anyone else read recommendations for where to go from here??
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Books where the plot centers on hunting/survival?
I'm thinking like a small group of people who have to go out on a hunt for fantastical creatures and have to survive the elements
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manipulated, hurt and killed. In ways she can't control, despite her near infinite power.
When she's presented with a person more powerful than her, a man that will wipe her mind and control her in every way, she absolutely falls apart. She instantly goes from the arrogant assumption everyone should bow to her to begging and pleading and willingly offering both her body and abilities as long as she keeps her mind.
Her romantic relationship is, at first glance, strange, but it works in the wider context of Sybel's view of the world. We're given almost zero reason why she's attracted to this man. He's very flawed, especially in the beginning. But that's the beginning. Flawed people grow. And he, like Sybel, grows throughout the story. She doesn't describe her longing or attraction or anything like that. She simply assumes we'll understand that she's made a choice, and that's the right choice. And her attractions are private and uncomfortable for her to admit or describe.
There are elements of 1970's morals and thoughts, including physical altercations. But I think those are able to be understood in the larger context without ruining the story. And because Sybel is Sybel, her reactions to these events are treated in a very unreliable way, only that she's made decisions and she believes they're the right decisions.
Spoilers: Regarding the ending, her reversion to desiring to control the magic bird, the rarest and most desired of all creatures, is out of character with her journey -- she just freed all her creatures because it's wrong to control their minds. But now she wants to mind control another animal? However, I think her intellectual journey here is complex and intentionally unclear, because I think she's struggling with what she's about to do. In the end, she realizes she already controls the bird, who is, in fact, death and fear itself. Then she immediately releases it. I wonder if there are larger themes about death and accepting her own mortality given that she, in the final scene, flies away on a creature that is both the most beautiful and the most painful creature to ever exist. And she's physically leaving her flawless, isolated, eternal palace for a normal mortal world filled with people and conflicts and emotions and family. And she's doing it on the back of life and death itself. She's accepting her mortality.
In any case, 5/5, a unique treasure of fantasy.
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Books like Blood Song?
I liked that it had a male protagonist, coming of age, training academy, camaraderie, brotherhood and that he become known for being an accomplished fighter and leader of men. I’m not super into the magical aspects but don’t mind it too much, multiple povs is a big no for me, also would prefer a series. Doesn’t have to have all of these things, I’d appreciate any recs!
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - September 20, 2025
https://preview.redd.it/dpxu3ckyo7af1.png?width=3508&format=png&auto=webp&s=bae1b3b9d4dcf3eeebcd94024f01089bcdddb669
**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
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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 [2025 Book Bingo Card here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_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!
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[^(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.
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