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Best recent debut fantasy novel?
What are some of the best fantasy novels written by debut authors? Specifically written in the past 20 years or so.
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Fantasy audiobooks that are good as audiobooks?
I read a lot and prefer reading physical books because I think I can understand the prose better (as in the actual style of the prose, not the content), but I want to consume more than I have time for. I listen to audiobooks often, preferring them over tv or music when cooking or cleaning or doing menial tasks.
I am about 1/3 the way through the Tigana audiobook and I have to stop it. I don't know what it is about this book but I cannot retain anything about it as I listen. I've done LotR as audiobook without issue, but I'd already read it before. I've done Great Expectations as audiobook without issue, The Terror without issue, The Shining, Misery. Like I've done big books with large casts no problem, I swear I'm not a moron and struggle to understand, but Tigana I'm constantly lost and I think I have to read it to understand the story. The chapters are so insanely long and seem to switch POV mid-chapter without any notice in audio format, so I'm constantly confused. I'm fine switching to paper format because I know the prose is supposed to be amazing and I would like a chance to appreciate it more. I think it's just not meant to be an audiobook, and for some books that is the case.
So any recommendations for fantasy books that work as audiobooks? Like the formatting makes it easier to actually follow along? Game of Thrones, for example, works well in my opinion. The POV is the chapter name, so you're aware and the chapters are not two hours long. There are tons of fantasy series I want to read, but only some of them are worth consuming in audiobook format I think. So I am not looking for best fantasy books, but specifically best fantasy books in audio format.
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Im about to finish Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles and I already crave something similar
I'm afraid I ll never find something as good after finishing it.
This has been the best audiobook Ive ever listened to, and I preferable want another series that has good audiobooks.
Is there anything quite like this? Historical but with low fantasy elements?
https://redd.it/1rb33jd
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Review Banners of Wrath (Dreams of Dust and Steel 3) - Michael Michel | Distorted Visions
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
---
To all those who lament that modern fantasy authors have moved away from grandiose settings like the classic fantasy stories on which we grew up, allow me to recommend Michael Michel’s Dreams of Dust and Steel series. Banners of Wrath
(https://www.hcnewton.com/irrreader/2025images/BannersofWrath.jpg) is the third entry in the series. This is dark fantasy. On an epic scale.
This is EPIC dark fantasy!
The deeper I wade into dark fantasy and grimdark fantasy spaces, the more I have come to appreciate the strong presence of indie/self-published authors, trying to cut their way through a subgenre that has largely been shunned by mainstream audiences/publishers. In the effort to support new indie authors, I picked up the first entry in the Dreams of Dust and Steel, titled The Price of Power, when it released, and was instantly impressed by the sheer scope and depth that author Michael Michel brought to the table. I highly rated the sequel, A Graveyard for Heroes, picking it up on release day, and got involved in the author’s committee. I was flattered to receive a review copy of the newest entry, Banners of Wrath, to sink my teeth into.
With changing audience attention spans, the modern fantasy book has shortened in word-count, scope, and expanse. The “classic” sprawling epic fantasy of The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and in the darker side, The Black Company, and of course, the unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire series, there has been a shortfall of truly epic dark fantasy series in the market. Which is why Dreams of Dust and Steel feels both nostalgically familiar, yet surprisingly fresh in its broad world.
This third entry, The Banners of Wrath, continues the tale of brewing tensions between nations, each with their own internal politicking, plotting, and good ol’ fashioned murderin’! The impending invasion of Scothea into the only-recently-liberated Namarr looms on the horizon, but both nations have their own demons to contend with, literally and figuratively.
The book follows seven, yes SEVEN concurrent storylines, each with their own main and side characters, locations, subplots, internal and external conflicts, emotional turmoil, and of course, more murderin’! The “main” protagonist (if there can be one in this epic cycle), Prince Barodane Ironlight, with his trusty templar bodyguard Garlenna, continue his quest to find himself, his purpose, and the titular “banner of wrath” to return to Namarr and take his rightful place on the throne. His niece, Ishoa, now a bloodied veteran, but still a child in the eyes of the ruling class, has to navigate courtly politics to secure her own place on the throne, if only to repel the impending Scothean invasion. The loyal Gyr faces direct consequences of his capture at the end of A Graveyard of Heroes, forced into captivity by the barbaric Kurgs, and must use every ounce of his grit to escape. The wily cook Zadani, determined to avenge the murder of her husband at the hands of her treacherous duke, bides her time, laying the pieces to bring ruin to everything the duke cares for. The Awakened Thephos, with his bonded knight Pintarian, face their own struggles as they chase clues to locate the whereabouts of Prince Barodane. Thephos fights his own internal war against the eldritch being inside him, intent on being released to bring ruin upon the world.
On the Scothean side, General Valka struggles with maintaining his internal rebellion against the fanatic cult growing around the mystical child Siddaia, the Arrow of Light, the major antagonist of this series. He must bring untold suffering unto his own people to unite them behind the magical boy-tyrant, to invade Namarr and usher in a new age of Scothean dominance. The other-half-of-Siddaia, the awakened boy Akyris must learn his true purpose by going into the past to steel himself against the war-outside-the-plane-of-reality with the Arrow of
My recommendation: Kings of the Wyld is a perfect book for fantasy readers
I genuinely think Kings of the Wyld is an incredibly fitting recommendation for this community and a perfect fantsy book.
I just finished it, and what an absolute ride.
The book is about a legendary band getting back together for one last tour, except the band is made of aging mercenaries carrying scars, regrets, legendary reputations, and just enough stubbornness to make spectacularly bad decisions.
You get everything that makes fantasy fun:
• A brotherhood that feels real, messy, and deeply earned
• Dragons, valkyries/daeva, named swords, and an endless parade of wonderfully bizarre creatures
• A chaotic, gladiator-style arena packed with magical monsters and brutal spectacle
• Heroes past their prime who are somehow more compelling because of it
• Bards, road adventures, and a world where mercenary bands are treated like rock stars
• A hilariously cuckold king who somehow makes the journey even more entertaining
But beneath all the chaos and humor lies the emotional core:
• Two fathers willing to take on the world for their daughters, and for each other’s daughters
• The quiet, powerful theme of parental love driving impossible courage
• A son carrying deep resentment toward his father, adding tension, tragedy, and genuine emotional weight
What surprised me most is how funny the book is. The humor lands constantly, not as parody, but as pure personality. The banter feels like old friends who know exactly where to poke (or when to stay silent), and that emotional undercurrent makes the quieter moments hit just as hard as the battles. I almost cried at one point and would have stopped but I was out and kept listening to it. Thank the gods for that!
There are many things I haven't mentioned so as not to spoil the fun for y'all.
I split the experience between reading and audiobook (Narrated by Jeff harding, I think all the narrators with the name of Jeff are fucking awesome), and both were fantastic. The story has momentum, heart, absurdity, and genuine warmth. It never takes itself too seriously, yet still delivers stakes that matter.
Most importantly, it reminded me of why fantasy is fun in the first place.
Definitely one I’ll reread (or relisten).
In Pip’s words: it’s classic.
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Need help with the Eternal Champion series
One of my favorite bands (Blind Guardian) primarily makes songs about fantasy books and stories (and some sci-fi). They've got a couple songs about the Eternal Champion series by Michael Moorcock, notably The Quest for Tanelorn and Tanelorn (Into The Void). I've fallen in love with numerous books because of their music, so I've been wanting to take a crack at this series... but there's something really confusing about it. I have no idea where to start with the series, since it seems like it's a multiverse shenanigans type deal with multiple protagonists? Anyone read the series that could help?
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Super powereds
Oh man. Ive been a huge fan of Drew Hayes' Fred the vampire accountant series for a while now. With that series finally over I got into his super powered series. I admit I was a bit worried bc the whole super powers thing has been a bit over done and saturated thanks especially to the dc/marvel movies.
Oh man I was so wrong!! This has been a great adventure and all the twists and turns have been great! Ive been consuming via the audiobooks and the narrator, Kyle McCarley, has been amazing!
Next up is NPCs!!
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logical plane but it would have been interesting if we could have had more conversations between Steve and Carolyn when they had begun to finally understand each other.
—On that note, Steve’s complexity as a character felt a little flattened towards the ending. Maybe people like Carolyn and Father discussing Steve as a person cannot be in any way other than flat and 2D because of the aforementioned not-understanding thing, or maybe the complexity at which they have begun to operate at is simply beyond any mere mortal’s but... A little more something to the end of his arc could make the bow tie up tighter and redder.
—Some conversations, while believably written, can be a little too long and languish in confusion of characters while refusing any worthwhile information to the reader. Yes, this makes the mystery of the plot gain an edge but sometimes it’s a little overdone. Just sometimes, though.
—Too. Much. Gratituous. Mention. Of. >!Butt-Fucking (and things of adjacent nature).!< Like it gets to a point. 😭😭
Anyway, those were my little, itty-bitty gripes. But please, if you’re a fan of this genre of books, do yourself a favour and read this. It’s fun, dark, clever and amazingly weeeeeeird. If you’ve read it, I would love to hear your thoughts, too!
https://redd.it/1ra2edj
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Name of the wind
About 3/4 of the way done with it. Started out really strong and I still like it. Its a good book for sure and I love kvothe but damn am I tired of hearing about denna lol
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Tyrant Philosophers
IMHO The Tyrant Philosophers series is one of the most slept on Fantasy series of all time. INCREDIBLE WORLD BUILDING!!! Top tier prose (not as flowery as Kingkiller but i would argue almost as good). Some really interesting characters. And so far (i have not yet read book 4) it has maintained an excellent level of quality. It manages somehow to be grimdark and comedic. I haven't read much else from Tchaikovsky. (Only shards of earth) but this series alone has rocketed him to one of my favourite authors.
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Question about ASOIAF, Gentlemen bastards, and kingkiller chronicles.
So I wanted to get on here and ask about these three series. I have heard them called the holy trinity of unfinished books. I am constantly finding these recommended to people despite them being unfinished. I haven't read any of them for the main reason they are unfinished.
I really just wanted to ask, for those who know, what are the creative obstacles each author has run into when it comes to finishing their respective series? Is each author in a pretty similar situation as the other, or are they all facing unique challenges? And do you see any of these actually being finished?
Also, do you recommend reading them even though they aren't finished?
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I cannot believe it took me this long to find and read Le Guin’s Earthsea cycle.
I’m pushing 40 and I am a very proud nerd and have been all my life. The Harry Potter series hit me at the exact right time in my life to be probably THE most formative books of my teenage years (and it continually makes me sad that the author turned out to be a bucket of turds). LOTR to this day occupies a very important place in my relationship with my partner. He recommended Robin Hobb to me about a decade ago and I burned through her stuff and loved it.
I kept seeing Earthsea come up in other people’s discussions about what to read next, so I put the six-book mega-volume on hold at our library. It took like four months to come in (understandable when I saw the thickness of the tome and the teeny text inside).
I JUST finished The Other Wind about twenty minutes ago. I am emotionally wrung out. This series hit me so hard as a woman, as a mom, as a teacher. I can’t believe how relevant it still is, and IMO the prose in it is only second to Tolkien. The world just seemed so vast and beautiful. The characters felt like friends. And I was astonished to find that the books, especially the later ones, center older adults in main roles. I’m not elderly but I’m also not young any more; reading these made me feel like, “Hey, that’s me.” Gave me a chance to see myself in the protagonists again, which I haven’t done in a good long time.
I’m going to have to take a break before I start another book because… how can you follow that?!
If you’ve been thinking about reading the Earthsea cycle, please take this as a sign.
(And please, good people of Reddit, if you know of anything that can fill this new hole in my heart, drop the rec!)
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Lies of Locke Lamora was excellent in terms of set-up, but frustrating in pay-off
This book is fun, funny, and at times quite emotionally compelling. It has a fairly straightforward but gripping plot, and the author does an excellent job of setting up scenarios where the characters are put into impossible situations with no way out.
As much as this makes the book a page-turner, I think it also results in some pretty unsatisfying moments. Spoilers ahead:
We are constantly told of how smart and clever Locke is, and so when he is backed into a corner, we expect him to use his wits to get out of these binds. And yet time and time again, the resolution to these set-ups is either a product of something out of Locke's control, or is the simplest, least clever solution. There are at least three examples that come to mind:
>!When the Capa arranges a marriage between Locke and his daughter, we expect Locke to have to figure out a way to wriggle out without having his secret stash revealed. Instead of Locke coming up with a solution, he is let off the hook when Nazca is killed!<
>!When Vorchenza and the Salvaras spring a trap on Locke at Raven's Reach, Locke doesn't know it. He walks into a tower hundreds of feet in the air where there is no escape, and is poisoned. How does he survive? He punches Vorchenza, snatches the antidote which is handily right there, and jumps out a window.!<
>!When Locke and Jean are trapped by the Falconer, an all powerful wizard who can control characters just by writing their names down, Locke has to deal with not only fighting off Jean, whose mind is controlled, but also the scorpion hawk who can kill individuals instantly. He survives because the Falconer got his name wrong!<
In all three of these examples, Locke's narrow escapes are not real demonstrations of his quick thinking or cleverness. I guess maybe you could argue he exploits mistakes made by his opponents, but to me, this feels cheap. It deflates the tension of the book, and weakens an otherwise great character. It's also a shame because there are plenty of other examples of the book succeeding on this front. I thought the chapter where Locke steals the banker's clothes was fantastic and a great display of planning on the fly, only for this too to be a disappointment when the banker recognizes Locke at Raven's Reach.
Altogether, I think Scott Lynch is excellent at writing set ups that feel organic and perilous, but falls flat in writing resolutions to those set ups. It's a bit of an impossible task though, because on the one hand, we want our heroes to succeed, but on the other, we don't want those victories to feel cheap. So, is it more satisfying as a reader to have a character narrowly escape an impossible set up? Or, if the writer can't find an answer to an impossible set up, should that set up be rewritten? What are some series/books where main characters face appropriate consequences for their mistakes?
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The Poet Empress - Shen Tao - Review
This is a solid debut by Chinese-Canadian author Shen Tao. Entertaining, well crafted, visually interesting world. It tells the story of a peasant girl who becomes concubine of the Emperor's Heir, a vicious, violent Prince who uses his magic to cause pain. How can she save the Empire from him.
One of the reasons I wanted to review this book is because on it's cover it is being comped as being RL Kuang v Madeline Miller and I don't think that is an accurate representation. Subject matter wise, yes there is a comparison to the The Poppy Wars*, but vibes wise it feels completely different. I feel like the audience for this are people taking the next step moving from YA to Adult Fantasy. So I would put it more with ML Wang, Leigh Bardugo and Shelly Parker-Chan.
I think the book had a very strong start and very strong ending I think the middle was 90% but I had a few micro-bumps as it went along. There were some small inconsistencies with the characterisation in that mid part. Where I found myself feeling like the MC had not earned certain things. Where her emotional reactions were not as vivid as I would have liked. I also really enjoyed the visuals in the start and the end, but it felt as if these were forgotten in the middle part of the book. But a strong plot allowed me to ignore those little irritations and keep going to the satisfying ending. For me it lacked the *sparkle sparkle* that elevates a book to a five star, but it was the sort of good solid escapism that merits a four star.
* I don't hate The Poppy Wars btw, it's just the wrong comp for this book.
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - February 15, 2026
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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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Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang: it is a mirror
Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang broke me to a level that no other book has ever done. I know it sounds extreme to say this, but the parallels to our current real-world situation are unavoidable. The political tension, climate change, corruption, misogyny, moral policing, and religious propaganda along with the power dynamics of historical colonization in the name of "progressiveness" and capitalism all show how history is modified to serve those in power and the plight of the helpless people who see everything but can’t change anything.
With everything being debunked around me geopolitically, I am not sure I believe in this world anymore. I don’t know if this book has completely radicalized me, but it has surely planted a seed. Of almost all the good books I have read, none of them featured a "good" government, righteous religious practices, or truly moral and honorable men in power.
What it has taught me is that history is never discovered, but created. The present is not "living" we are surviving. And the future is not something we are dreaming of; we are merely hoping that it won't be that bad, even though we all know it is. No wonder people who believed in one-dimensional ideas burned books and destroyed libraries; they knew those books held power and gave people the power to change the world. But I know nothing would change, the world is as good as it gets.
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I’m seriously considering reading A Song of Ice and Fire, even knowing that we’ll probably never get an ending.
"a knight of the seven kingdoms" pushed me to want to read the magnum opus of dear ‘I’m-stuck’ Martin. Maybe it’s a bad idea, because I’ll probably grow attached to characters whose endings I’ll never know.
Is it worth it?
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Light.
Even reading the brief summary of the varying plotlines should give you an idea of the immense scope of this series. Banners of Wrath continues to wow us with the rich diverse settings, with barren deserts, to the high seas, from palace intrigue, to warcamp brutality. Michel really throws everything he can at us. Dune-esque desert mysticism? Sure! Pirate shenanigans? Aye Matey! Palace intrigue a la Game of Thrones? Of course!
However, the strengths of this series, and Banners of Wrath also belies its shortcomings. As the third of five books, Banners of Wrath heavily sags under the weight of its own ambition. With seven individual plot arcs, only a few of which show leanings of convergence in the final chapters, this book features the maximum divergence and separation of the plot arcs as the characters spread out, sometimes to different countries, before they will inevitably crash together in the final books. While Michael does a near-superlative job maintaining an even interest over the seven (SEVEN!) plotlines each with their own themes, and subgenre, it is nearly impossible to maintain an even pacing for every arc, and give equal depth to every character. In this, some of my favorite character arcs, namely Zadani and Valka, feel like a step back in pacing and emotional weight than previous entries. Valka’s arc of plotting rebellion against the seemingly invulnerable and now-obviously-malicious Arrow of Light were amongst my favorite sections of previous entries in the series. In Banners of Wrath, Valka does a lot more “biding his time, while inflicting atrocity” than would have been prefered. The dive into the past in Akyris’ chapters slowed the pace of the book, but added important character details to side characters. To compensate, Gyr’s chapters were a delight to read. Overall, some characters/plotlines hit harder than others, as expected in all multi-POV epic fantasy series.
While each subplot in Banners of Wrath is carried on the backs of compelling characters, with their own motivations and conflict, I couldn’t help but be underwhelmed by the predictable nature by which each of these narratives progressed. For veteran audiences, we are continuously looking for plots to go off the beaten path, albeit in believable ways. Sadly, none of the plots in Banners of Wrath truly surprised me in a memorable way, even at their twistiest-and-turniest moments. As the third book in the series, we see a lot of pieces being moved to better configurations to set up final showdowns in future books, rather than tell meaningful self-contained, exciting stories.
Still, I am downplaying how much praise should be given to author Michael Michel for creating this expansive world, populating it with so many moving plots, keeping track of so many disparate stories, while still maintaining a decent pacing, with action-packed brutal setpieces, while attempting to tell a grandiose, interconnected, and heartfelt story of survival in the face of overwhelming evil. To do this with the meager resources available to indie authors, is commendable!
Overall, Banners of Wrath keeps its hand on bloodied blade, ramping up the stakes, putting the “epic” in Epic Dark Fantasy, propelling my interest in the Dreams of Dust and Steel series. It sets up the board and key players for a ramped up crescendo in future entries. Now comes the (hopefully, not very) long wait for the fourth book. Back to my vigil.
---
Read this review and more on my Medium Blog: Distorted Visions
Socials: Instagram; distortedvisionsblog">Threads ; GoodReads
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Moving away from Romantasy
I feel like I'm on the edge of going on a reading slump again. I keep on getting disappointed. And just when I thought I found a great book series, (Daughter of No Worlds), I'm getting bored in the second book to the point Ive stopped caring about the romance. I'm giving it another 20 pages because apparently halfway is where the second book gets interesting, but I think I've gotten so bored that I've stopped caring anyway.
I don't think the sub reddits here have much else to offer other than what I've already heard. I tried Threads for suggestions but it looks like a sea of tropes that blur into the same kind of books. I don't think it's nessecarily the genre's fault, but I feel like nothing is exciting me anymore. I have a Romantasy bookclub, and have a WIP in Romantasy which I adore writing, but I guess I'm tired of doubting every book I want to read. Out of the 22 Romantasies I've read, I was only really into 3: Fourth Wing (even this one I wasn't into the romance), Daughter of No Worlds, and the Spellshop (I was pleasantly surprised, despite the low stakes) . So I figured Id go into fantasy because I know between romance and fantasy, fantasy is the genre that got me into Romantasy in the first place.
Idk exactly what I'm looking for, but I just got finished watching Avatar and the Last Airbender, and I'm currently rewatching Merlin BBC with my family. Both are so good! I'm really adoring the fated friendships more than the romances at this point. Their friendships really balance each other out so nicely, and they are so cute! I think I also loved this about Kpop Demon Hunters, with Huntrix being a badass cocky friend group that slays demons. I think maybe I want a book that prioritizes the friend group? With a subplot of romance? I love angst, with pain and fears and a lot of emotion. I would love for it to be Adult Fantasy too.
Edit: I don't want to completely trash Romantasy, so I'm sorry if I'm coming across as harsh. I'm just disappointed because I thought I was gonna love it, and idk what I'm looking for anymore besides a few general things. 🥲
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The kingdom of lotus
One of the 4 kingdoms on the continent of Silvarin its a coastal kingdom ruled by the lysvarin family the family is well known for producing some of the most talented and feared warriors the Queen is the main one in power followed by the Council of nine (the queen's 9 daughters) then is the 9 daughters children (total 15) the 15 children defend and protect the kingdom while the council and Queen make decisions during the main story only 7 of the 15 are in active duty the oldest 2 are abroad while the rest are too young for duty
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - February 21, 2026
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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!
——
[^(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/1raqkff
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Piranesi was wonderful and deeply resonant on a personal level for me
I first read Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell back in university, in the late 2000s. I remember being pretty blown away by it, at this mix of Regency literature, urban fantasy and character drama. Since then, I'd been eagerly awaiting pretty much anything by Clarke. I know she deals with a lot of physical ailments so I just figured it'll happen when it does. For multiple reasons, I wasn't able to jump right into Piranesi when it came out.
I kinda forgot about it for a while, until earlier this week, when I came across it in my local library. FINALLY decided to pick it up and blew through it in like 2 days.
As I expected, it was excellent. Susanna Clarke just has this innate ability to create such a wonderful mood and atmosphere, an almost dreamlike feel to immerse you in. It's even more impressive that she does it here in this teeny little book under 250 pages. Piranesi is as mysterious and unknowable as Jonathan Strange was detailed and granular. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot at first, as a lot of the book is just following Piranesi as he explores the House. But Clarke is such a great writer at a technical level, and her command of atmosphere is so great, that this is still compelling to read.
The mystery slowly starts to reveal itself, and it ends up being one of the better variations I've seen on the parallel-world narrative. I loved the concept of the other world messing with your memories, and the statues being representations of people in the "real" world. The book seemed to me a love letter to knowledge and learning itself, but also exploring the hubris that comes with exploiting that knowledge for your own gains (not too different from Jonathan Strange, actually).
Also, a lot of the story really resonated with me on a personal level, as someone with severe ADHD, anxiety and a touch of the 'tism. In many ways, the House felt like to me as the representation of the kind of calming, peaceful safe space a neurodivergent like me may have from the stressors of the real world. Like Piranesi, I also find solace in learning, exploring, journaling and cataloging my thoughts and findings. Like Piranesi, I've also been manipulated by people like the Other and just haven't been able to see it or do anything about it because of my conditions, and like Piranesi, I was able to find that person to support and believe in me, like Sarah Raphael. Susanna Clarke likely didn't write the book as a metaphor for suffering weirdo neurodivergents lol but hey, that's what great art does, right? It has enough depth for the reader to interpret it however they want.
Piranesi was absolutely worth the wait and is yet another banger by Susanna Clarke. Health comes first obviously, and I hope she feels well enough at some point in the future to bless us with more of her genius.
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The Library at Mount Char: A very gripping and absurd read.
I had this in my TBR for a long while and finally picked it up two days ago. Started it, read the first chapter, and kept reading and reading till I had to finally sleep. Two days later, I’m basking in the afterglow of having read a book that hits just right.
Thing is, while this book came highly recommended to me and I enjoyed it thoroughly, I do have my nitpicks even as I was reading the book. But let me get the positives out of the way (this is besides the obvious: well written, decently characterised, tightly plotted, believable dialogue):
This book rewards you with ample foreshadowing and trails to follow if you pay attention. I’m someone who likes to bookmark and theorise along the way, and pounce on any clues, so while some of the reveals didn’t come off as surprising (and I think most of them weren’t meant to be; beyond a certain point that is), they did unfold satisfactorily.
The humor in this can be very laugh-out-loud at times, and really lighten up the mood in what can otherwise be a very dark read. It’s still fucked-up humor but some of it is also quite pleasantly dry and straightforward.
The POVs are diverse and uniquely laid out, which I loved, and the book takes the time to build characters that usually would not get much significance in another more conventionally told story.
There is a lot of nuance (both well-delivered and well-attempted) for the characters and their decisions, mostly concerning the main character, Carolyn, Father, and David. Morality isn’t tethered to the human perception of it and the book does try to probe at the philosophical implications of it, somewhat. The main character kind of reminded me of the MC of Blood Over Bright Haven, in terms of the broadstrokes of their characterisations and also plot-related actions but the latter I read a couple years ago, so it’s a fuzzy comparison.
In general, now that I have read it, I would recommend this book to basically everyone who wants a weird, fast-paced, uniquely written fantasy with some very dark elements that can be thrown in rather offhandedly at times, and more seriously at others.
That said—minor points that didn’t quite work for me but didn’t ruin my immersion/enjoyment of the book either (warning for MAJOR spoilers):
—The Librarians aside from Carolyn, David, Michael, Jennifer and Margaret can feel woefully underdeveloped. There was so little mention of Jacob that at one point I was convinced that Steve was the twelfth Librarian—a sleeper agent of sorts—because I could not recall Jacob being mentioned. Point is, I understand that some catalogs were perhaps not as impressive or powerful and that the cast of characters could become way too bloated, but a little more attention to them and their demise would have been appreciated.
—The ending can be a little dissatisfactory. For me, it was the fact that everything Father did, Carolyn repeated inevitably, even when the aim was to break away from the system created, or so I thought. Father had his two friends in service of him, the tiger and the child. The child was the Sun. Carolyn ended up with Michael at her side (Nobununga’s apprentice) and Steve as her Sun (the one who showed compassion to the prior Sun). The connections were built and modeling of Carolyn’s ending is not much different than Father’s. Maybe that’s the point. Yes, she gets rid of her heart coal, but what then was the difference between how Father lived and she lived that the book offers? Maybe her recruiting Erwin is her step towards meaningful friendships outside the courtiers of the very, very powerful that Father kept, but Carolyn is as self-isolating as Father, apparently. Maybe it’s simply that she quit while she was ahead, before she had emptied herself completely. But personally, I would have loved to see a bit more marrow on this philosophical bone. Infact, I loved the framing and setting of it, of Steve and Carolyn possibly butting heads with wholly different ideologies and life experiences. Yes, she operates on a different
Books where the villain wins?
I want to find a book/series thats follows a hero but in the end the villain wins regardless. I'm tired of reading about a hero going up against essentially a god and somehow finding a way to kill said god when it seemed impossible. I'm not looking for pov of the villain either I want to read about the hero failing their task.
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Announcement from Robert Jackson Bennett (Tainted Cup/Divine Cities)
https://imgur.com/a/bYMi6ah
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Anything newer that’s Pratchett adjacent?
Basically the title. Pratchett is probably my favorite author, struggling to find humorous books outside his works and Kings of the Wyld.
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I wish fantasy series had "Previously On" recaps like TV shows
Just picked up the third book in a series I started last year and I am completely lost. I remember the broad strokes but all the details are gone. Who betrayed who? What was the magic system again? Why are they going to this city?
TV shows figured this out ages ago. You get a quick 30 second recap before each episode and you're caught up. But with books, especially long fantasy series with months or years between entries, you're just expected to remember everything. Some authors put a summary at the start which is amazing, but most don't.
I've started keeping a notes doc for each series but honestly it takes the fun out of it. Reading shouldn't feel like studying for an exam. How do you guys manage this, especially with longer series like Malazan or Stormlight?
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Any Fantasy Series Like The D&D Setting Of Eberron?
I like the world of Eberron the mix of technology and medieval with your classic races. I know there are novels set in the setting and I'm slowly collecting them. But are there any other series that are being published like it? Indie specifically.
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Fantasy Series with LOTS of female characters that partake in the action?
Aside from The Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire I haven't read too many fantasy series where there's a lot of active female characters (by active I mean PoV and do more than just provide set dressing in court). I've read a few series with female protagonists (Like Enchanted Forest Chronicles) but looking for something a bit more ensemble with lots of interesting and unique female characters.
Bonus points for female warriors!
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How do Abercrombie fans rank 'The Devils' among his other books?
The Devils was the first book of his I read and while I enjoyed it somewhat, I can understand the criticism it gets. It feels like it was clearly written with the intention to make it into a blockbuster movie (and with Cameron already having announced to adapt it I think this has been the plan from the very beginning) like a fantasy version of Guardians of the Galaxy or Suicide Squad. All the jokes and quips felt exactly like that.There's nothing wrong with this (I know lots of people are disagreeing lol), but it did feel a bit shallow and predictable at times.
I guess I might watch the movie nevertheless. It will be fun popcorn entertainment for sure.
Comparing The Devils to my favourite fantasy works like e.g. Tad Williams' Osten Ard books, it's obviously in a completely different league. I'm sure The Devils (and its sequels, as it seems ther will be some) won't end up in my top favourites list, not even close.
On the other hand I kind of liked Abercrombie's style but maybe it will work better for me with a story that doesn't scream Hollywood at me on every page. So how about Abercrombie's other books?
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