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Books with a strong sociological focus — recommendations?
I’m on the hunt for fantasy books that dive into societies with unusual or interesting setups, kind of like the author is running a big social experiment with their worldbuilding.
For example, in Ursula Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, the people don’t have a fixed sex, and the whole culture grows out of that idea. I love when a book takes a unique premise like that and really explores how it affects politics, traditions, relationships, power dynamics and so on.
Got any favorites that fit this vibe?
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Which modern fantasy series will remain or grow in popularity?
By modern, I’m thinking of series that started in the past decade.(e.g. Red Rising, Hierarchy, Fourth Wing, etc)
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@r_fantasy
books set in magical universities with adult protagonists
i have a rather particular request i haven’t been able to find out on my own, so i kindly ask for your help
i am fascinated by the endless possibilities of magical academia. research, gathering of knowledge, experiments and quests originating from a personal desire to figure out some kind of mystery.
the hard part is that i want adult protagonists and the secondary world setting.
i haven’t been able to figure something with all three:
1. magic
2. adult protagonists (at least 18+)
3. secondary world (e.g. not our world)
my request rules out the kingkiller chronicles and deadly education (too young), the incandescent, jonathan strange and mr norrel babel (not a secondary world) and sci-fi (no magic)
i have also already read
- the magicians by lev grossman,
- the bards of bone plain,
- perdido street station,
- the bone shard daughter (was just meh),
- the empire of the wolf (the protagonist is an understudy, not at an university, but the vibes at the beginning are similar to applied law school lol),
- the fifth season (there are sections set at a university),
- the wizard of the earthsea (classic),
- penric and desdemona,
- discworld,
- vita nostra,
- the library at mount char
i haven’t read piranesi, but i think it fits the desire for knowledge and mystery, even if it’s not set in a magical university, and it’s the next one in my to-read list.
given the ones i read, can you recommend more? i can give up on “only fantasy” requirement is the technology is sophisticated enough to feel like magic.
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What was the last book that really HOOKED you towards the beginning?
Its been awhile since ive been super invested in a story and needed to know what happens next. I love books like that. I think Blood over Bright Haven or Empire of the Vampire was the last book like that for me. What's yours?
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Entire Mistborn Trilogy 99p on Kindle (UK)
Grab a bargain! Believe this offer expires tonight.
https://redd.it/1pbdreq
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - December 01, 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
——
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!
——
[^(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/1pbc7vc
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Announcement
Midway Discussion \- December 15th
Final Discussion \- December 29th
Feminism in Fantasy: Returns in January with The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Run by u/xenizondich23, u/Nineteen\_Adze, u/g\_ann, u/Moonlitgrey
[Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1p1a1oe/fif_book_club_our_january_read_is_the_everlasting/)
December Fireside Chat: TBC
New Voices: Returns in January
Run by u/HeLiBeB, u/cubansombrero, u/ullsi u/undeadgoblin
December: [Final Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1p5ke22/new_voices_book_club_final_discussion_for/)
HEA: Returns in January with Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
Run by [u/tiniestspoon](https://www.reddit.com/user/tiniestspoon/), [u/xenizondich23](https://www.reddit.com/user/xenizondich23/) , [u/orangewombat](https://www.reddit.com/user/orangewombat/)
Announcement
Beyond Binaries: The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy
Run by u/xenizondich23, u/eregis
[Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1obvhxm/bb_bookclub_our_december_read_is_the_sapling_cage/)
Midway Discussion: December 16th
Final Discussion: December 30th
Resident Authors Book Club: The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston
Run by [u/barb4ry1](https://www.reddit.com/user/barb4ry1/)
Announcement
Short Fiction Book Club:
Run by u/tarvolon, u/Nineteen\_Adze, u/Jos\_V
[December Announcement & November Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1p6cj89/short_fiction_book_club_presents_november_2025/)
'Carolyn Ives Gilman' Session: December 3rd
'Winter Holidays' Session: December 17th
Readalong of the Sun Eater Series:
Hosted by [u/Udy\_Kumra](https://www.reddit.com/user/Udy_Kumra/) [u/GamingHarry](https://www.reddit.com/user/GamingHarry/)
Announcement & Schedule
Readalong of The Sign of the Dragon by Mary Soon Lee:
Hosted by u/oboist73 u/sarahlynngrey u/fuckit\_sowhat
[Announcement & Schedule](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1nl6kyh/the_sign_of_the_dragon_by_mary_soon_lee_readalong/)
Readalong of The Magnus Archives:
Hosted by [u/improperly\_paranoid](https://www.reddit.com/user/improperly_paranoid/) [u/sharadereads](https://www.reddit.com/user/sharadereads/) [u/Dianthaa](https://www.reddit.com/user/Dianthaa/)
Announcement & Schedule
https://redd.it/1pb7wp3
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Is there anything you can think of that scratches my specific lord of the rings itch?
I have been thinking lately about how nothing quite scratches the itch when I think about lord of the rings. Here are the qualities I associate with it:
1. The prose, it’s a level above most everything else out there. It could also just be that me being an American I can feel transported by the British writing
2. Scale/depth, the worldbuilding is so vast and it really reflects in how realistic but otherworldly it feels
3. Optimism, I don’t know how to express this exactly but nearly all of the main cast feels optimistic while also feeling distinct. It’s not quite believable and definitely fantastical, but it makes sense in the world. I don’t think most series are written like this these days, most things go try to be a bit more realistic with characters that are a bit more grey (morally, dimensionally, etc).
4. Maturity, I was trying to limit myself to 3 but I think it’s hard for me to not acknowledge that there’s a level of maturity in the way it’s written and I’ll have an example below.
Now I’ve read a lot of series but not much really comes close to hitting all of these. I think the closest is maybe Discworld but it’s a bit cartoony which is why I added #4, maturity. Asoiaf is also very close but it definitely lacks that optimism quality where the world shines in the sun. I’d say WoT misses a few points. Realm of the Elderlings I think doesn’t scratch my scale itch, across 16 books it only covers maybe 5ish groups of people and the lore of the world doesn’t go nearly as deep as LotR. Malazan, also doesn’t tick the optimism box for me. I could keep going but you get the idea.
So I’m wondering if anyone has found something that really hits all these areas. Even if it’s super derivative of lotr, or fan fiction that’s been rewritten to be its own thing or even just fan fiction that’s actually that good. Is there anything quite like it out there?
Late edit but if I was gonna put a 5th point it would be an element of traditional/hard fantasy. Otherwise GGK also ticks many of the boxes above (like Lions of Al-Rassan I would say basically scratches that itch or comes very close) but most of his good stuff is very light on the fantasy so it isn’t quite what I mean. I haven’t read all of his works tho so maybe I need to keep going.
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What fantasy has the best one-sentence selling point?
Let me explain what I mean. Fantasy series are often and usually, particularly by online forums, divided and characterised by a number of things, most notably either sub-genre (epic, grimdark, flintlock etc), or narrative structure (story driven, character driven etc). These labels can get muddled and confusing and never really properly sell you on what the series is about if you’ve never heard of the series. Every fantasy has a setting. Every fantasy has characters. But to make a series really pop it has to offer something in particular. So what I want to know is which series has the coolest one sentence selling point. For example, the Witcher might be ‘mutant monster hunter in a medieval polish world’, ASOIF could be ‘court and political intrigue in an allegorical wars of the roses setting’, and gentleman bastards might be as simple as ‘heist story in a renaissance Venice inspired city’.
Sell me some series my wonderful fantasy nerds
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Must-Read Fantasy Series?
Hello folks.
Ive always considered myself a fantasy enjoyer, but recently I did a little head count and discovered Ive only read YA fantasy with some notable exceptions. which is fine, i enjoyed it but now Im looking for reccomendations. Ive read almost all of Brandon Sandersons books (except mistborn era 2 and the last two books of SLA). Really really love the hard magic and the extensive focus on worldbuilding and history and the science of the universe.I know it's not for everyone but the super slow buildup followed by the sanderlanche to me is so fun. Would prefer something with mildly more interesting prose where I migt actually need to infer something.
Above all though I kind of just want a required reading list for the genre. defining series and books, things that every fantasy fan has to have read at least once
https://redd.it/1pb0rdv
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Bingo 2025 Reviews Part 1
I've finished a row and a column for Bingo! Here are my reviews so far. I tend to be a high rater unless I really don't like something. As you'll see.
High Fashion: The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick
Ren grew up in a gang of thieves, and she's determined to secure her future by ingratiating herself with a wealthy, noble house. This book is full of scheming, twists, and Dickensian contrasts between rich and poor - kind of like a magical version of The Count of Monte Cristo. loved the divination system especially. 4.25 stars.
Also: Down with the System, A Book in Parts
Last in a Series: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
Emily and Wendell return to the kingdom of the Fae, where they must overcome a curse laid on the kingdom by Wendell's vengeful stepmother. I love this series so much, and the final volume was a worthy conclusion. 5 stars.
Also: Epistolary, Stranger in a Strange Land
Author of Color: White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
Miri and her twin brother live with their widowed father in their mother's ancestral home - until Miri disappears without a trace. The events leading up to her disappearance are told from multiple perspectives - including that of the malevolent house itself. There's something about Oyeyemi's writing that is unputdownable for me - even when I only have a tenuous grasp of what's going on. Truly unsettling. 5 stars.
Also: LGBTQIA+ Main Character, A Book in Parts
Five Short Stories
"The Tomb" by H. P. Lovecraft - 3 stars
"What Was It?" by Fitz-James O'Brien - 4 stars
"I Was a Teenage Space Jockey" by Stephen Graham Jones - 3.5 stars
"Skinder's Veil" by Kelly Link - 3.5 stars
"The Red Mother" by Elizabeth Bear" - 3 stars
I realized in completing this square that I prefer novels!
Not a Book: Annihilation (2018 Film)
I loved the Southern Reach trilogy and hadn't realized there was a movie version of the first novel. While the movie's plot is quite different from the book, I thought it did an amazing job of capturing the sense of dread, terror and wonder the novel had. The visual effects were both beautiful and horrifying. 5 stars
https://redd.it/1pauqkc
@r_fantasy
tales involving involuntary relocation (like “A Seder in Siberia”). Leah Andelsmith’s “Within the Seed Lives the Fruit” would’ve paired perfectly with the magical realism-flavored transformation stories like “Skittering Within” or “To Drive the Cold Winter Away.” Then again, both of those stories were published in Reckoning, and including both would’ve given the publication more entries than any other source of fiction anthologized here. I may quibble about which Reckoning story was truly the best of the year, but the anthology’s diversity—both of original publishers and of varied approaches to the major theme—is one of its biggest strengths, and it would have been undercut by leaning too heavily on any one venue.
Another thing I love about this anthology is the inclusion of a 15-item Recommended Reading section at the end. As of yet, I’ve only read two of the fifteen included, so I can’t comment much on the quality of recommendations—even if I grouse slightly about not seeing “A Move to a New Country”—but the additional recommendations come from sources just as varied as the ones that made it into the anthology, and for fans of the curation of ECO24, the list will undoubtedly be a rich source of further reading.
On the whole, Marissa van Uden’s tastes lean a little darker and stranger than mine do, so ECO24 isn’t loaded front-to-back with Stuff Tar Vol Likes. However, the entries are invariably well-crafted and often beautiful. Even when they’re not my thing, it’s clear that they’re somebody’s thing. Combine that with the balance of unity and diversity in the anthology’s theming, the remarkable range of sources, and a trio of fantastic entries that I never would have otherwise read, and this is an anthology that was exciting to read and is easy to recommend.
Recommended if you like: dark, strange, ecological short fiction.
Can I use it for *Bingo*? It’s hard mode for Five Short Stories and is Published in 2025.
Overall rating: 16 of Tar Vol’s 20. Four stars on Goodreads.
https://redd.it/1pas6jj
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Strange, Beautiful Ecofiction: An ARC Review of ECO24, Edited by Marissa Van Uden
https://preview.redd.it/33z9yv4fcg4g1.jpg?width=323&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ed510d9ac8218fdd78bca34348bef34b4c53bcc
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review and can also be found on my blog. ECO24 was released on November 18, 2025.
I read a lot of short fiction, but I tend to be a bit wary of climate fiction. Not because it’s bad—on the contrary, there’s a climate-focused story on my favorites list almost every year—but because I see stories praised as brilliant and visionary when the main selling point is the way the world could go wrong. (For the record, I feel the same way about dystopias). There’s plenty of room for rich storytelling, but it’s an area where I often feel like I’m looking for something different than so many other genre readers. So when I was offered a review copy of ECO24: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. But while ecofiction and climate fiction may be related, they are certainly not identical, and I was impressed by the wide range of outlets that had stories selected. And so I decided to take a look at Marissa Van Uden’s curated anthology of ecofiction gems from 2024.
ECO24 consists of 23 stories from a staggering 21 different venues, with only Clarkesworld and Strange Horizons represented twice. The anthology doesn’t publish word counts, but a few of the original magazines do, and the entries fall predominantly within the short story range, the longest approaching 7,000 words and the shortest just a hair under 2,000. It’s also being released by a fairly new imprint, Violet Lichen Books, a sister imprint of Apex Book Company that styles itself as home for dark, literary, and weird books, with a focus on “speculative ecofiction, Weird and New Weird, and moody science fiction with uniquely memorable characters.”
Readers of Apex Magazine will recognize the overall vibe here. And while Apex can sometimes be a touch too grotesque for my tastes, they publish beautiful stories and regularly have entries landing on my annual favorites list. Similarly, while ECO24 is sometimes a bit darker or weirder than I prefer, it’s certainly not an anthology that’s going to sit back on depressing worldbuilding and call it a job well done.
While I review a lot of short fiction, this is actually my first time reviewing a Year’s Best anthology, so be patient while I find my bearings. That said, the first thing I’m looking for in any anthology is a story (ideally more than one) that makes me want to go find friends to shove it at. In ECO24, I got that in the form of A Seder in Siberia by Louis Evans. Originally published by Grist—a climate news organization that is not predominantly speculative—I wouldn’t have even known it existed without the anthology reprint. And it’s a wonderful story, with the layers slowly peeling back on family drama and family sins, all intertwined with a religious ritual that both echoes and reinforces the contemporary narrative. This one’s a gem on multiple levels, and it’s one of those stories that on its own make me glad I have picked up the anthology.
There are a couple other excellent tales from more familiar outlets whose reprints in ECO24 forced me to take a well-deserved second look. While I’ve enjoyed Renan Bernardo’s work in the past, The Plasticity of Being looked like one of those “see how bad the world could be” stories that I often dislike. Instead, it’s a remarkably nuanced and character-focused look at a world in which technological advancement allows people to survive by eating plastic. The lead initially runs PR for the technology, despite objections from her mother, only later returning to those modified people and finding a complicated combination of responses that make the whole thing feel remarkably real.
To Drive the Cold Winter Away by
I wouldn't say its amazing in any way. I am watching marvel movies for the action scenes and funny banter. This story was more along the lines of friendship and kindness is a stronger tool than super powers and muscle.
**Even Shorter Short Story Reviews:**
*Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy* by Martha Wells - 3/5 - A fine short story in the Muderbot Universe but not as good as any of the Main novellas I've read.
*Sixth of the Dust* by Brandon Sanderson - 5/5 - Reread that I didn't actually need to do before Isles of the Emberdark. Great story, highly recommend!
*Dreamer* by Brandon Sanderson - 4/5 - Sanderson's only(?) foray into horror, a little jarring if you go in expecting a normal Sanderson tale, but very good none the less.
*Firstborn* by Brandon Sanderson - 5/5 - Ender's Game vibes, very good!
*Castles Can't Fly* by John Bierce - 5/5 - Great story set on Anastis, if your a Mage Errant fan definitely worth reading but it doesn't really require any knowledge of the story.
https://redd.it/1paoqqy
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online discourse around the book, the ending seems to be a bit controversial with some people not being the biggest fan of how happily it ended. I couldn't disagree more. Call me cheesy but I love a cosy, happy ending. I did cry when Yumi accepted that she was gonna die but I cheered so much when Nikaro painted her back to life. Absolute Cinema.
8. Also, I have to praise just how good the Graphic Audio production was. This was the first time I've listened to anything by them and I sure as hell will try to listen to their version of any book I plan on reading if they have it. Any recommendations?
The Bad-
1. The start was pretty rough if I'm being honest. I think I really only got hooked about halfway into the book.
2. Hoid's voice can be a bit too strong at times. This isn't as much of an issue towards the middle and end but it was in the beginning for me.
3. I guess I've been spoiled by how awesome the magic system in everything else Brandon has written that the magic in the book ends up feeling really lacklustre. I do really appreciate the non-magical, artistic aspects of stacking stones and painting tho.
4. Worldbuilding feels very shallow and exists only to serve the story. Can't fault it too much with how short the book is, but still, with me reading Stormlight very recently, I can't help but compare. It is really unique, I'll give it that.
Overall, I really liked the book and I think it was such a good little palate cleanser between heavier reads. I think it'd be fair for me to give it a 4.75/5 Stars. Probably my favourite standalone fantasy book.
https://redd.it/1paomey
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Bingo review: Piranesi
Epistolary square
I finally got to it!
Piranesi is a beautifully strange novel that uses its epistolary format to full effect. Through Piranesi’s journal entries, the House—an endless labyrinth of statues, tides, and echoing halls—unfolds with a sense of wonder that feels almost sacred. Piranesi himself is a remarkably kind, curious narrator, and his gentle voice gives the story some much needed emotional warmth.
As the book progresses, what starts as peaceful exploration subtly shifts into a mystery with a quiet, thriller-like tension. Clarke moves between genres with impressive restraint, keeping the atmosphere contemplative even as unease creeps in.
The ending, while thematically perfect and true to the novel’s tone, lands a bit softly. It’s satisfying in concept but doesn’t quite deliver the emotional punch the buildup hints at.
Still, Piranesi is unlike anything else—part fantasy, part fable, part puzzle—and entirely worth reading. Solid 7 out of 10, only dragged down by the ending.
https://redd.it/1pbutjx
@r_fantasy
Whats the most bingeable fantasy book you've read?
Hi everyone!
I’m in a bit of a reading slump right now and I cannot, for the life of me, pick my next read. I want to finish a few more books in December before the end of the year, but I’m so indecisive that I just keep staring at my shelves instead of actually reading 😭
I mainly read fantasy (any subgenre), but I also love a good romantasy when the pacing is strong and there is a plot. Right now I’m in the mood for something fast-paced and completely unputdownable the kind of book where you look up and suddenly it’s 3am.
These are some of the books on my radar, but I’m not fixed on any of them and completely open to any recommendations:
- Red City by Marie Lu
- Alchemised by Senlinyu
- Metalslinger by Rachel Schneider
- Nightshade by Autumn Woods
- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
- The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker
- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
- The Will of the Many by James Islington
- Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
I also have all the Broken Binding fantasy book boxes, so if there’s a BB book you think is a guaranteed page-turner, I’d love those recs too.
Really appreciate your help im picking my December TBR.
Thank you!
https://redd.it/1pbqg41
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Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames for Kindle on sale for $2.99 (US)
https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Wyld-Band-Nicholas-Eames-ebook/dp/B01KT7YTXW
https://redd.it/1pbhyma
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I'm Joe Abercrombie, Ask Me Anything.
I'm Joe Abercrombie, author of the First Law, Age of Madness, and Shattered Sea Trilogies, along with Best Served Cold, the Heroes, Red Country, and The Devils, which came out in May this year.
Most recently I've partnered up with Lit Escalates to do a special hardcover edition of the First Law trilogy via Kickstarter, with art by Joel Daniel Phillips, which will look something like this:
https://preview.redd.it/4lwq0lsd7m4g1.jpg?width=2231&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=872c0b6d52d1a7873328922a761c4fe989829ab8
The original plan was just to provide signed hardcovers for readers in the US, but since there's never actually been a proper US hardcover release outside of some book club editions and some long ago sold out limiteds from Subterranean Press, the ambition expanded and we thought we'd try and make one ourselves.
PLEASE NOTE: I usually get quite a lot of questions, so I'm putting this up 24 hours beforehand, and I'll return at 16.00 GMT on Tuesday 2nd December to start answering, likely with the top rated questions first. We'll see how far through I get...
https://redd.it/1pbh3zr
@r_fantasy
Reading traditions/favourites around the holiday season?
Every year on December 1st, I start The Hobbit, read 25 pages every day and end on the 24th (well, 26 pages on the last day but I digress). It is my favourite book to read in winter and around Christmas time.
Do you have any comfort books or series that you like to read around the holiday season or any winter traditions, I would love to hear them! (bonus if they are winter themed as I love winter)
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@r_fantasy
What is a trope you should hate but secretly love?
I know some tropes are overused. I know I should be tired of them, I am not what is yours?
https://redd.it/1pb8fu1
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r/Fantasy December Megathread and Book Club hub. Get your links here!
This is the Monthly Megathread for December. It's where the mod team links important things. It will always be stickied at the top of the subreddit. Please regularly check here for things like official movie and TV discussions, book club news, important subreddit announcements, etc.
Last month's book club hub can be found here.
Important Links
New Here? Have a look at:
[Subreddit Rules](https://new.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/rules)
A guide to our many lists & resources
[Recommendation Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/recommendations)
ICYMI - r/ Fantasy originals
You might also be interested in our yearly BOOK BINGO reading challenge.
Special Threads & Megathreads:
[r/Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/) [2025 Top Novels Results](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1jjif55/rfantasy_top_novels_2025_results/)
State of the Subreddit Discussion Post
[Pride Month 2025](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1ky947o/pride_month_2025_announcement_calendar/)
2025 BOOK BINGO CHALLENGE
[2025 BINGO RECOMMENDATION THREAD](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1jowxu1/the_2025_rfantasy_bingo_recommendations_list/)
Compilation of Past Bingo Squares
[2023 Top LGBTQIA+ Books List](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/18etlox/rfantasys_2023_top_lgbtqia_books_list/)
2024 Top Standalone Books List
[2024 Top Podcasts List](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1cx7cj7/r_fantasys_top_podcasts_results/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
2025 Top Self-Published Books List
Recurring Threads:
[Daily Recommendation Requests and Simple Questions Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=Daily%20Recommendation%20Requests%20and%20Simple%20Questions%20Thread&restrict_sr=1&t=day)
Monday Show and Tell Thread
[Review Tuesday - Review what you're reading here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=Review%20Tuesday%20-%20Review%20what%20you%27re%20reading%20here!&restrict_sr=1&t=week)
Writing Wednesday
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Dealer's Room: Self-Promo Sunday
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# Book Club Hub - Book Clubs and Read-alongs
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Goodreads Book of the Month: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Run by [u/fanny\_bertram](https://www.reddit.com/user/fanny_bertram/) [u/RAAAImmaSunGod](https://www.reddit.com/user/RAAAImmaSunGod/) [u/PlantLady32](https://www.reddit.com/user/PlantLady32/)
Has anyone else noticed how some fantasy worlds treat seasons like optional DLC
I have been on a long binge of secondary world fantasy this year and something weird kept popping up. It feels like a lot of worlds treat seasons as a kind of background texture that only shows up when the plot needs a dramatic snowstorm or a poetic autumn leaf moment. The rest of the time the climate just sits there in a sort of permanent late spring where people wear the same cloak for eleven straight chapters. I didnt notice it before but once I saw it I couldnt unsee it.
The thing that pushed me over the edge was a book where the author mentioned the harvest festival three times but never once talked about planting anything. It was like the crops magically respawned off screen. And then in another series winter just refused to arrive even though the characters were supposedly traveling north. One guy kept complaining about the cold but everyone else acted like he was being dramatic. I kept flipping back thinking I missed a paragraph or something but nope. The weather was just vibing in its own dimension.
It made me think how much richness gets added when the world has a real internal rhythm. Stuff like migratory routes, seasonal shortages, weird midsummer superstitions, even simple things like characters grumbling about too much rain. It anchors everything in a way that makes the magic feel more alive. So now I am curious if anyone has favorite books where seasons actually matter. Not in a grimdark endless winter way but in a grounded worldbuilding way that makes you feel the place breathing.
Would love some recs because now my brain is stuck on this tiny detail and it wont let go until I find more examples that actually get it right.
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Help me pick a book/book series to read with my 12 year old
My daughter is 12 and a fairly advanced reader. We both like fantasy and are looking for more books to read together. She doesn’t like anything too “creepy” wants no/very minimal romance. She especially likes anything with animals. She doesn’t seem to care if the main character is male or female.
We’ve both enjoyed the Warrior Cats series, Nevermoor, and a wrinkle in time.
I think we’ve decided that Percy Jackson is next, but I’m looking for more recommendations. We are also open to suggestions for audiobooks.
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Cozy fantasy with horses
I just finished the realm of the elderlings and I am needing something cozy and comforting to fill the void in my heart. Looking for book recommendations for cozy fantasy. Can have some drama and medium stakes but not something that’s going to make my heart hurt and I would love it if it had horses, not necessarily be about horses but have them be an important part of the world
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Looking for a genre name or recommendations roughly equating to a post-post-apocalypse
So I've been reading a lot for years, but only recently did I find a really specific niche of a story concept that I seem to enjoy the most.
I called it post-post-apocalypse in the title, because it seems to be the closest to the general idea - a world that had a civilization (not necessarily humans) wiped out or nearly wiped out by an apocalypse, but the story itself takes place so far ahead in time, that the disaster itself and immediate after effects are gone and the civilization starts to rebuild (usually with a twist).
Best examples I found so far where it isn't spoilerific to mention it are game Nier (Replicant, maybe Automata too idk) and anime Shinsekai Yori. I was hoping to google some stuff with that postpostapo term but it doesn't seem to quite differentiate from regular postapo, so I wonder if any of you know a better name for it or some similar works, I'd love to learn about it.
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E. Catherine Tobler is another that hadn’t caught my eye when initially published in Strange Horizons, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it here. It’s an atmospheric, almost dreamlike piece in which the lead returns to her childhood home in hopes of beginning a project of rewilding the land. But while her sharp frustration with how humanity has scarred the natural ecosystem periodically bubbles to the surface, this is less an angry piece about environmental degradation and more a beautiful, mythic tale about setting out on a path that’s bigger than just humanity.
While these stories are the standouts, they’re far from the only looks at their major themes. ECO24 has no explicit groupings of stories, but the ordering tends to cluster small selections of tales that take similar approaches. “The Plasticity of Being,” for instance, is immediately followed by another story about poverty and microplastics, Steph Kwiatkowski’s Batter and Pearl. And “To Drive the Cold Winter Away” is preceded by another striking, vibe-heavy tale of magic and transformation in Kelsea Yu’s Skittering Within. In fact, the latter couplet opens a run of five straight that feel more mythic than scientific, and the anthology returns to the strangely magical transformation theme—on the whole, one of its most consistently compelling subjects—in the finale, E.M. Linden’s Mangrove Daughter. It’s a very nice balance that keeps the anthology as a whole feeling cohesive without ever feeling one-note. There are several approaches to almost every theme, and there’s never a point where it just feels like the same thing over and over. Just because they’re all ecologically-driven doesn’t mean they all have to be hard sci-fi tales of climate doom.
The groupings aren’t always clear, but there are often throughlines connecting one story to others around it. A set of six consecutive stories covering roughly the second quarter of the anthology includes a tale about ghosts, war, and trans identity (Nika Murphy’s The Ghost Tenders of Chernobyl), a sci-fi dog story that’s also a friendly-bot story (Swarm X1048 — Ethological Field Report: Canis Lupus Familiaris, “6” by F.E. Choe), a piece from the perspective of a clone with limited privacy rights facing a lot of discrimination (Bodies by Cat McMahan), and a small handful from the perspective of those still living after Earth’s surface has gotten much less livable. They come from different subgenres and focus on different themes, but all six include characters seeing a world of destruction and turning their attention to one thing—a project, a person, a fascination—that gives them focus, and perhaps a bit of hope. Some of them are designed to tug on your heartstrings (sci-fi readers do love them some dog stories), whereas others feature much less sympathetic leads, but they’re interesting to consider as a group of quite different tales that set out in such different directions that yet have that major thread of commonality. For me, it’s “Bodies” with the emotional and thematic depth to really stand above the crowd, but all six are well put-together, with something to offer the right audience.
Interspersed in the anthology are a scattering of ecological dark fantasies, the obligatory tale of climate refugees, and even a couple that abandon the terrestrial setting for tales in other worlds. Parasite’s Grief by Katharine Tyndall is fascinating story from the perspective of alien creatures with a strange lifecycle that evokes meditations on grief, guilt, and dependence, and The Colonists by Jennifer Hudak is an alien encounter tale that grabs the reader’s attention early and never lets it go in building to the inevitable conclusion. Every story hits the ecological theme, but it’s extremely far from a one-note anthology.
Of course, as someone who read a lot of short fiction in 2024, I have my own opinions about what was truly the best of the year. Dan Musgrave’s “A Move to a New Country” was one of my favorites and would’ve fit wonderfully alongside other tight family
Our December Goodreads Book of the Month is The Raven Scholar!
The poll has ended and this month we are reading The Raven Scholar for our published in 2025 theme!
# The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.
Then one of them is murdered.
It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.
If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.
We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.
Bingo Squares: Published in 2025
Reading Schedule
Midway Discussion - December 15th
Final Discussion - December 29th
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2025 Bingo Complete!
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Finished up Bingo so here is my recap and my remaining mini reviews. The first half of my reviews can be found in my half way post: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1lthhwd/2025\_bingo\_check\_in\_and\_mini\_reviews/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1lthhwd/2025_bingo_check_in_and_mini_reviews/)
Books Read During Bingo Period (to date): 41
Audiobooks used in Bingo: 9 of 25
Favorite Square: Recycle, as it gives so many options!!
Easiest Square: Small Press/Self Published, so many books I planned to read anyway fit for this!
Hardest Square: Last in a Series, but I fortunately had a trilogy started that I only had to read two books to finish. Also, 80s and, ironically, Generic Title I really had to venture off my TBR list to find.
Least Favorite Square: Short Stories, came very close to substituting this but I only needed two more short stories and I found a couple more to read!
Now I just have to remember to turn this card in come March!
**Mini Reviews:**
*The Knight* by Will Wight - This is book 3 of *The Last Horizon* series. I'm still of mixed feelings on this series. I really like the idea of this magic science fiction blend but this series is just not sucking me in very much and making me want to read the next one. I only read books 2 and 3 because I needed this book for the Bingo.
*The Color of Magic* by Terry Pratchett - The first book of *Discworld*. I had several people tell me to read other *Discworld* books like *Going Postal* or *Guards! Guards!* first and after reading I fully agree. Pratchett had not hit his stride at this point and this book just doesn't quite have the same magic to it that I have come to expect from him.
*A Deadly Education* by Naomi Novik - Cool setting, neat concept, and solid writing. I love a good magic school setting but I haven't decided if I am continuation with the series or not yet though. I think my main issue with this book is the main character. This girl needs to deal with some anger management issues. She is just angry the entire book, she recognizes that she is angry, and claims she knows the meditation to deal with it, but never seems to actually use it. I get she is a teenager in a very stressful situation but still.
*The Perfect Run III* by Maxime J Durand - This series, as I take it, is just the thought experiment of the author asking "What if someone had the ability to make save points IRL?" and then built a world for them to live it. I really enjoyed the mechanics surrounding this and the witty banter and pop culture references.
*Return of the Runebound Professor* by Actus - Average Joe school teacher get's Isekaied into the body of a scummy and lazy magic school teacher. It was an average first book at best, I might continue the series, might not. Nothing really captured my attention.
*The Two Week Curse* by Michael Chatfield - Another Isekai story, this time with a System and its two military vets and they get to bring their guns. Some city building/management which I typically am not a fan of but I think I'll keep reading the series now that I am done with Bingo.
*Exit Strategy* by Martha Wells - Another excellent installment in the Murderbot series. I really need to finish out this series as it is very good! Highly recommended.
*Beware of Chicken* by CasualFarmer - Classic cozy fantasy where the main character sits by the fire and the real main characters (the animals) do all the fighting. Maybe this is just a trope of this book and *Heretical Fishing* but I'm defiantly seeing a trend. Fun story but I don't know if I will keep reading the series.
*Blood Over Bright Haven* by M.L. Wang - Excellent storytelling, lots of focus on social justice. I think this book is a bit too much a social issue issue novel for my tastes but it was very well written and I would definitely recommend.
*Thunderbolts\** by Marvel Studios - Another meh entry into the post-endgame MCU. It wasn't a bad movie but
Yumi & The Nightmare Painter is amazing (An Honest Review)
I've basically been reading one series for the past month so I thought I'd take a break from it and read Yumi & The Nightmare Painter as a sort of palette cleanser. I didn't have my physical copy with me so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to finally try out Graphic Audio and oh my god, it was amazing. Despite the fact that it seemed to be fairly well liked, I had my doubts because I wasn't the biggest fan of the last Sanderson standalone I read (Warbreaker) but I found myself really enjoying the book. It has all the stuff I love about a Sanderson book: a unique world (two in this case), interesting characters, an awesome climax, amazing plot twists and fun, if unconventional, action. I also have to praise Graphic Audio again because their take on the book was amazing (also read the ebook while listening for about half of the book). But there were a few things about the book that I enjoyed that I didn't really expect to see out of Sanderson.
SPOILERS FROM THIS SECTION ONWARDS
But I think it is best to divide my review into what I like and did not like/felt like they were lacking from here.
The Good-
1. I don't hate Sanderson's approach to romance but I have never thought of it as exceptional. While I do avoid romantasy (as I'm not the biggest fan of the approach to romance in most books there), the romance aspect of a book can be the most engaging thing for me. And I have to say, the romance in this book was phenomenal. I know that Sanderson drew a lot of inspiration from anime for this book and you can absolutely tell as I get the same warm feeling in my chest that I used to get when I was in middle school watching romance animes. Yumi and Nikaro/Painter's relationship is like Jake/Sadie from 11/22/63 level for me. The process of them actually falling in love was beautiful to watch. I know I'm showing my own inexperience as a reader here but lowkey, this might be my favourite relationship in fantasy (haven't read Mistborn Era 2 yet so who knows as I heard Wax and Steris are a great couple). Also, one thing I thought was kinda funny was how, if I recall correctly, was the fact that the two of them never really explained to their friends that they aren't actually siblings (I could've accidentally missed that part tho) so it would've been funny to see how they reacted when they kissed in the end.
2. I know people find Sanderson's humour bland at best and while I mostly agree (only a moment or two from Stormlight has elicited a chuckle out of me, so far), I actually found Hoid's narration in the book to be quite funny at times.
3. While the representation of mental health struggles in the Cosmere has always been praised, there was always a certain distance between the characters and myself that I never quite realised was there in the first place. But Nikaro's struggles really struck a chord with me that I didn't realise characters like Vin, Kaladin or Shallan never struck with me. The more modern nature of his life and therefore, his struggles, is definitely a part of this but still, I relate with him more than any other Cosmere character.
4. I love worldbuilding based plot twists and I legitimately did not see the one in this book coming. The idea of Yumi essentially reliving the past, what was it? 1700 or so years? is absolutely terrifying to me. And to think that they were always so close together...
5. I think the book has some of the Cosmere's most emotional moments, the most obvious being Yumi accepting her death, but there were a lot of smaller moments I really appreciated. Yumi finding out about Nikaro's past and then accepting and comforting him, Nikaro reminding Liyun about who she was, etc. All of those were really well written.
6. The characters and character interactions in general were all pretty great. Outside of Nikaro and Yumi's relationship, I really liked Akane and her group. Liyun could feel frustrating at times but I ended up liking her too.
7. From what little I have seen in regards to the
