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expectations following her transformation into an old woman helps make this a whimsical delight in the first half, though an overly intricate plot tamps down the energy at the close.
* **Rating:** 15/20.
# High Fashion: [Daughter of the Forest](https://www.tarvolon.com/2026/03/02/fantasy-novel-review-daughter-of-the-forest-by-juliet-marillier/) by Juliet Marillier
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Stranger in a Strange Land.
* **Mini-Review:** If you’d told me this was a romantic fairy tale retelling, I might not have tried it. And yet it was among my favorite reads of Bingo, with absolutely tremendous storytelling, a harrowing recovery arc, and shockingly good secondary characterization.
* **Rating:** 18/20.
# Down With the System: [Psychopomp](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/04/12/sci-fi-novel-review-psychopomp-by-maria-dong/) by Maria Dong
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Author of Color, Small Press, Published in 2025.
* **Mini-Review:** A compelling dive into the mind of a traumatized lead becomes muddled by a proliferation of subplots in a thriller without enough time to breathe.
* **Rating:** 12/20.
# Impossible Places: [Fourth Mansions](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/12/29/fantasy-novel-review-fourth-mansions-by-r-a-lafferty/) by R.A. Lafferty
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Gods and Pantheons, Hidden Gem (hard).
* **Mini-Review:** There’s a lot of social commentary that has stayed relevant more than 50 years later, and it has symbolism for days, but ultimately this is a book that I love for the words. It’s just a rollicking good time in almost every scene.
* **Rating:** 20/20.
# A Book in Parts: [Station Eleven](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/12/28/sci-fi-novel-review-station-eleven-by-emily-st-john-mandel/) by Emily St. John Mandel
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Epistolary.
* **Mini-Review:** A multiple-timeline pandemic novel, this one flits back and forth between apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, following a robust cast of perspective characters without ever feeling overwhelming or overstuffed. While not everyone is likable, their stories are all fascinating.
* **Rating:** 19/20.
# Gods and Pantheons: [The Fire-Moon](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/11/15/fantasy-novella-review-the-fire-moon-by-isabel-pelech/) by Isabel Pelech
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Self-Published (hard), Hidden Gem (hard).
* **Mini-Review:** A short novella aimed at a younger audience, this hits a lot of classic fantasy tropes—albeit in a non-European setting—and handles them with aplomb.
* **Rating:** 15/20.
# Last in a Series: [Clay’s Ark](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/11/20/sci-fi-novel-review-clays-ark-by-octavia-butler/) by Octavia E. Butler
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Published in the 80s (hard), Parents (hard), Author of Color.
* **Mini-Review:** About as bleak as they come, yet featuring characters who want to be better than they are. Even when the reader can see inevitable disaster, the tense struggle of characters fighting for control of their own mind makes it hard to look away.
* **Rating:** 18/20.
# Book Club or Readalong: [House of the Rain King](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/10/01/fantasy-novel-review-house-of-the-rain-king-by-will-greatwich/) by Will Greatwich
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Hidden Gem, Down With the System (hard), Impossible Places, A Book in Parts, Gods and Pantheons, Self-Published, LGBTQIA+ Protagonist.
* **Mini-Review:** A fascinating story of a young acolyte becoming jaded with the religious authorities while remaining utterly convinced by the foundational texts. The dungeon crawl secondary plot isn’t quite as strong, but it all comes together nicely.
* **Rating:** 15/20.
# Parents: [The Merge](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/11/09/sci-fi-novel-review-the-merge-by-grace-walker/) by Grace Walker
* **Other 2025 Squares:** A Book in Parts, Published in 2025 (hard).
* **Mini-Review:** A claustrophobic dystopian thriller that stands out for its portrayal of an Alzheimer’s patient and her daughter and the ways neither can fully trust the testimony of their own memories.
* **Rating:** 17/20.
# Epistolary: [The
Completed 2025 Bingo: Spotting the Titles
https://preview.redd.it/gjqk7tna90og1.jpg?width=791&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=809845e707f56d9e4c330fce6a80a2bfa302d929
I learned about r/Fantasy Book Bingo in early 2020, and this is the sixth consecutive year that I have filled out two cards. My first one is themed, and my second is cobbled together from whatever is left.
For the last couple years, I’ve been rabble-rousing in the Bingo threads for a square that I think would be a lot of fun: Spot the Title. That is, the title of the book also appears somewhere within the text of the book. The kneejerk first reaction is often that the suggestion sounds too difficult to plan. And because I am nothing if not persistent (and maybe a touch petty), I decided to prove it could be done by filling out an entire Bingo card exclusively with Spot the Title books. That’s 25 books (by 25+ authors) for 25 different squares on the 2025 Bingo board, where every single one contains a title drop. And it's not like I've done it merely by collecting short titles. A full 40% of my card has titles of more than two words, and there are a pair of six-word titles in the mix.
On the whole, I was very happy with how this year’s Bingo turned out. My theme gave me an excuse to reread one of my all-time favorites, R.A. Lafferty’s Fourth Mansions, and I also had the opportunity to pick up some strong recommendations that I ended up adoring in Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest.
One of my favorite things about Bingo is the way it churns the TBR, especially when I read a perfect Bingo title that I realistically would’ve never tried otherwise. It’s always a bit tough to evaluate what I would’ve read without Bingo, but Jon Bois’ 17776, Rachel Neumeier’s Tuyo, and Tracy Townsend’s The Nine were all long-time TBR items that I finally got around to after seeing how wonderfully they fit this year’s card. All three are really excellent. And after bouncing hard off Wild Seed, I feel confident in saying that Octavia E. Butler’s Clay’s Ark would’ve languished on the shelf for years if I hadn’t needed a Last in a Series pick. I’m so glad I gave that series another chance, as the final entry is my favorite of the lot.
Other Bingo highlights include Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky, There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, The Merge by Grace Walker, and as always, a curated selection of Five Short Stories that fit my theme. For more on those and the rest of my card, read on. Links in the headers go to full reviews of the individual entries, except for the Short Story square, where they go to full stories.
# Knights and Paladins: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Other 2025 Squares: A Book in Parts, Parents, Epistolary, Book Club.
Mini-Review: The readability and excellent prose are a given with Harrow, and there’s some compelling exploration of propaganda, despite a relatively flat villain. A bit too much fate driving the romance holds me back from a higher rating.
Rating: 16/20.
# Hidden Gem: [The Nine](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/10/28/fantasy-novel-review-the-nine-by-tracy-townsend/) by Tracy Townsend
Other 2025 Squares: A Book in Parts (hard), Epistolary, Small Press, Gods and Pantheons.
Mini-Review: Truly the perfect fit for this square, delivering so many hallmarks of 2010s fantasy—grimy cities, myriad factions, thieving leads—with exemplary execution, yet bafflingly dropping entirely off the popular radar.
Rating: 17/20.
# Published in the 80s: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Other 2025 Squares: Impossible Places (hard), Book Club, Cozy.
Mini-Review: The lead taking entirely too much pleasure in the social
Best Villain Monologues You've Ever Read?
You know the drill. What's your favourite?
https://redd.it/1rown7a
@r_fantasy
Iron Age influenced fantasy/historical fantasy
Hi, I've recently been interested in the ttrpg Stonetop, and am looking for stuff with a similar vibe or setting. Fantasy worlds influenced by the culture and history of the Iron Age, or historical fantasy set during it (or just straight up historical fiction, but that might be outside of the sub's remit).
https://redd.it/1rodo80
@r_fantasy
to one. This one had jousting. That was so much fun! The jousters horses have cool names, they enter to rock music and the announcer was highly amusing. This was just like walking into A Knights Tale.
Pirates - Carnival - a Firefly novel by Una McCormack. Always been a big fan of the show and the novelisations are just like getting new episodes. Also hard mode, because while the crew of the Serenity are pirates/smugglers, they're space faring pirates.
https://redd.it/1ropbxv
@r_fantasy
Finished Bingo with reviews
https://preview.redd.it/tszxi0q9jxng1.png?width=1722&format=png&auto=webp&s=331ab8a1c46a389e5089ad2059ad8d0ca9ea305b
I finished Bingo! This is actually my second time, but I only joined the sub this year.
Here's some short reviews:
Knights & Paladins - The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. This has been kind of polarising, but I loved it. It is Abercrombie having some fun, and not in his usual First Law setting, but it is unmistakably Abercrombie, with all of his usual hallmarks.
Substituted Hidden Gems for First in a Series - The Long Way Down by Craig Schaefer. The first of his Daniel Faust series. Daniel is a sorcerer operating in Las Vegas and on the less than legal side of society. I've since read all 11 of the currently published books and am waiting eagerly for the 12th, so yeah I liked it.
Published in the 80's - On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. I was kind of underwhelmed by this. It may have been because it dealt a lot with Blackbeard and his associates and since Our Flag Means Death I simply can't think of that particular branch of piracy without bursting out laughing.
High Fashion - Shadowstitch by Cari Thomas. I really liked the opener and have enjoyed the 2 novellas. Far too much of my least favourite character Effie in this. It was also to my way of thinking overwritten. Some ruthless editing would have turned this into a good tight 300 page book instead of the 600 or so pages it was.
Down With the System - Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. I first discovered Emily Tesh with The Incandescent and that was my favourite book for 2025. Some Desperate Glory is absolutely brilliant. Time travel, space opera and a kick ass protagonist that goes through some real character growth. What is not to like?
Impossible Places - Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler. I loved the first one and Wexler nailed the sequel. Kinda sad this is a duology, because I could read a lot of books narrated by Davi. As the book takes place in what seems to be some of video game world, it fits for Impossible Places.
A Book in Parts - A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan. The first Ryan book that hasn't really worked for me. It's a follow up to his Covenant of Steel trilogy, but set in a different part of the world with different characters. It was largely a viking culture, and despite loving Abercrombie's Northmen, that particular setting and people don't gel with me.
Gods and Pantheons - The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. This nearly knocked The Incandescent off top spot for 2025. Adored Neema and her fish out of water role as the unlikely champion.
Last in a Series - A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. I read most of Wheel of Time years ago, in fact I read most of them more than once, but for some reason I never got around to finishing it with the Sanderson ones, so when I saw this Bingo square I thought 'you bewdy!' It was a good ending. I think Sanderson did a good job pulling it altogether and giving us all some closure.
Book Club or Readalong - The Poet Empress by Shen Tao. I couldn't stop reading this once I started it. I polished it off over a weekend. It just dragged me through and it was quite an emotional experience.
Parent Protagonist - The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis. I knew I'd like this from the moment I saw the title, and it did not let me down. The parents find that they have a daughter who is a werewolf and this totally upends their lives. While the book dealt with the parents and their daughter trying to fit into a new life and community, I felt it was a metaphor for what anyone trying to break into a new society can go through.
Epistolary - Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales. This could have also worked for Last in a Series and Impossible Places and possibly Cosy. They're a lot of fun. In this one our intrepid scholar Emily and her colleague and love interest Bambleby find themselves fighting to survive in faerie. It's written as a series of diary entries.
Published in 2025 - When the Moon
Sir Terry Prachett's Wikipedia page
For some reason I missed out on Pratchett's work, I was born the same year as he was but have only now started reading his books. After reading a few I decided to take a look at his Wikipedia page. It has a very moving comment by his assitant Rob Wilkins:
AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.
Terry took Death's arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.
The End.
https://redd.it/1rogxnm
@r_fantasy
What are the most interesting depictions of a Hell you've read?
I was wondering what some of the most interesting depictions of Hell/Hades/Gehenna/Hel/etc. people have read are? I read Dante's Inferno last year, and I'm currently reading Paradise Lost by Milton, and I was enjoying comparing their two depictions of Hell.
Really, my question is twofold-- I was surprised that Milton's depiction of Hell doesn't seem to share much DNA with Dante's, despite coming later, and also that I can't think of any other depictions where Hell is cold, as in Dante's ninth circle. I know Hel in Norse mythology is cold, as are parts of Islamic Hell I believe. But there are there many other stories where Hell is freezing, not fire (Dante retellings or not)?
And then just more broadly, I was thinking of cool depictions of Hells. I recently read a novella, Daedalus is Dead, where Hades for Daedalus was a labyrinth, like the Labyrinth he built. I know Katabasis has Hell as a university, and A Short Stay in Hell has hell as an infinite library. What are some of the other coolest concepts of a Hell people have seen?
https://redd.it/1rog3p8
@r_fantasy
**Midway Discussion** \- March 16th
* **Final Discussion** \- March 30th
**Feminism in Fantasy:** Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta
Run by [u/xenizondich23](https://www.reddit.com/user/xenizondich23/), [u/Nineteen\_Adze](https://www.reddit.com/user/Nineteen_Adze/), [u/g\_ann](https://www.reddit.com/user/g_ann/), [u/Moonlitgrey](https://www.reddit.com/user/Moonlitgrey/)
* [Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1qhyq1m/fif_bookclub_our_march_read_is_mad_sisters_of_esi/)
* **Midway Discussion** \- March 11th
* **Final Discussion** \- March 25th
**New Voices**: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
Run by [u/HeLiBeB](https://www.reddit.com/user/HeLiBeB/), [u/cubansombrero](https://www.reddit.com/user/cubansombrero/), [u/ullsi](https://www.reddit.com/user/ullsi/) [u/undeadgoblin](https://www.reddit.com/user/undeadgoblin/)
* [Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1r9s4oz/our_new_voices_march_read_is_the_poet_empress_by/)
* **Midway Discussion** \- March 16th
* **Final Discussion** \- March 30th
**HEA:** The Disasters by MK England
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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1qaxkfi/hea_book_club_for_march_2026_is_the_disasters_by/)
**Beyond Binaries**: returns in April with The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
Run by [u/xenizondich23](https://www.reddit.com/user/xenizondich23/), [u/eregis](https://www.reddit.com/user/eregis/)
* [Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1r6mdts/beyond_binaries_bookclub_our_april_read_is_the/)
**Resident Authors Book Club:** On hiatus
Run by [u/barb4ry1](https://www.reddit.com/user/barb4ry1/)
**Short Fiction Book Club:**
Run by [u/tarvolon](https://www.reddit.com/user/tarvolon/), [u/Nineteen\_Adze](https://www.reddit.com/user/Nineteen_Adze/), [u/Jos\_V](https://www.reddit.com/user/Jos_V/)
* **'Locus List' Session:** March 4th
* **'Aftermath of War' Session:** March 18th
**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://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1nqa0qs/the_magnus_archives_readalong_announcement_and/)
https://redd.it/1rjjxyw
@r_fantasy
Grounded Fantasy Books Like 'A Song of Ice & Fire'?
I'm not much of a reader but would love to get more into books. I've always thought fantasy is my favourite genre and yet it's so often too much for me. It is clear that I prefer a more grounded fantasy world. My favourite books to date are anything from the World of Ice & Fire by GRRM. Perhaps I could detail the key aspects I like so much from it and people can recommend accordingly:
1) Characters. The single most important important aspect to any story for me. If I'm not drawn to the characters then I struggle to stay invested. For example, ASOIAF has literally hundreds of characters throughout its history that are all fascinating to read about, from the POV leads, even down to the most insignificant side characters that come and go quickly. Would love more of this.
2) Worldbuilding. The setting is essential for me. One that I can escape into in my own mind and think about for hours. For example, ASOIAF is so detailed in history within the world that every town has a great story behind it, and even places that you never even get to visit are fun to read about and imagine.
3) Grounded Fantasy. When the fantastical elements of a series are so different to our own, I simply struggle to get invested as much. For example, ASOIAF has dragons and white walkers riding giant ice spiders, I know, but they are not commonly found throughout the world. Westeros is essentially people living in medieval England, and these great fantastical elements are believed to be extinct. Characters are mostly motivated by human emotion and politics and are shocked when they witness the dragons, or magic, just as they would be in ours. So I am not against fantastical elements, I would just prefer them in moderation. I also love the Harry Potter books, which I know revolve entirely around magic, but because Harry comes from our ordinary Muggle world, all his reactions to this new world are very believable and relatable. I hope I explained this point okay.
Please try and recommend as closely to my criteria above. That would be greatly appreciated. I have been recommended the Brandon Sanderson books before, but they sounds very heavy, is that true? My mum recommends 'The Pillars of the Earth', which I do plan to read, although that is literally just historical fiction. 'Dune' is already on my list, although that is more Sci-Fi. The only other book series that has caught my eye is 'The Faithful and the Fallen Series' by John Gwynne, do you think this fits my criteria?
Thanks all.
https://redd.it/1ri5s58
@r_fantasy
r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - March 01, 2026
https://preview.redd.it/l2cosnpoixbg1.png?width=3508&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb9f4a2807499edc796351cc28ec39b3aea4d7c2
**Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!**
Stickied/highlight slots are limited, so please remember to ~~like and subscribe~~ upvote this thread for visibility on the subreddit <3
——
This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.
Check out [r/Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/)'s [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/1rhwr0n
@r_fantasy
Raymond Feist Essential Read Order (Where origins of Gods and the Universe are concerned) Should I read past Rage of a Demon King?
There are a few reddit threads already out there similar to this, but none answer my specific question.
Firstly, the list I've deemed essential reading goes as follows-
* The Magician Trilogy
* Krondor the Betrayal
* Prince of the Blood
* The Kings Buccaneer
* The first three books of the Serpent War Saga
After reading all of the above books in that order, I feel like the main story has been wrapped up rather nicely. (I also read the Empire Trilogy but have since learned it has little to do with the main story, it's more standalone.)
The bits of intrigue I really loved, like all the mystery and questions surrounding the origin of magic, the gods and the universe were all explained quite well in The Rage of a Demon King and left me with no want to continue the series.
Are the gods and the magic system explained in any further/meaningful detail in Shards of a Broken Crown and Magicians End? Are they worth a read for that reason alone or are they just story expansions?
Thankyou in advance : )
https://redd.it/1rhrfhf
@r_fantasy
resolution of the story’s mystery hurt my heart more than a little, but I felt hopeful at the end of the book that Mags’ acceptance of herself would finally allow her to grow and continue on to better days. This was overall a good and enjoyable graphic novel, and I always enjoy Ostertag’s work and of course LOVE the art. It wasn’t my absolute favorite thing he’s written, but I had a good, quick, interesting read nonetheless.
OKAY that’s it for me for now!! I will be back probably in the next couple of weeks with the next five as soon as I finish editing those reviews into semi-readable walls of text rather than incomprehensible walls of text. Lmk if y'all liked or didn’t like any of these books and if you have recs! <3
https://redd.it/1rhryvf
@r_fantasy
kid get somewhere safe, but that isn’t exactly possible with the kinds of horrifying and nightmarish monsters that are coming after him. I was immediately gripped by the story, and didn’t want to put it down at all out of sheer need to find out what happens next. That being said, did I enjoy it….? Difficult to say. I found the level of violence and gore engrossing in an I-can’t-look-away-from-this-trainwreck kind of way. More importantly, the mystery of the cause behind the monsters coming after our main characters was compelling, and while I immediately had theories, I kept wanting to know more. To be clear, it was generally pretty easy to work out what was going on (at least for me), but as soon as Cassidy confirmed one thing about the plot, it seemed like there were three or four other details that had come up that were new mysteries to unravel. It walked what was for me a nice line between keeping me interested enough that I wanted to keep reading, and then giving me a chance to feel vindicated about being able to solve those mysteries by confirming them. I can’t say that I exactly loved the main character Jess, but I felt sympathetic toward her for the most part. There were moments when I found her a tad annoying, but if I’d been having the kind of day she was, I too would not be at my best. She does a lot of navel-gazing. The kid who propels the plot forward was heartbreaking, and I really did find him very sympathetic, and wanted the best for him. I will warn that this book deals very heavily with themes of (CONTENT WARNINGS CONTAIN SPOILERS) >!child abuse, trauma, neglect, and on Jess’s part, parental abandonment by her father.!< If any of those themes, or likewise, depiction of >!graphic gore, violent death, body horror, needles and/or imagery of infection from dirty needles!< bother you, I would steer clear of this book. The end of the book was pretty good, though I did see some of it coming. As I said, horror is not my most-read genre, but I thought this was a good horror book and a fast-paced, gripping read. I would definitely pick up another Cassidy book after reading this.
12: Epistolary
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
THREE AND A BIT STARS
This is a novella by a sci-fi author that I really enjoy. I read a digital copy from my library’s Libby catalog, so frankly I was surprised that it was a novella, since I didn’t realize how long it was without holding a physical book in my hand! I really enjoyed it nonetheless, and my only (and still just half-real) complaint is that I wish it was longer. The main characters are the members of a scientific exploration crew sent out from Earth, and the novella takes place on their ship and on the planets they set down to do research on. The crew, especially Ari, who narrates the dispatches that we read, were three-dimensional and instantly likeable to me. I enjoyed Ari’s narration, and liked the balance of introspection to actual scenes with the other characters. I really like Chambers’ character-focused approach to science fiction in general, and I think this was the work I’ve read from her that dealt the most with science that feels realistic (or most within grasp of our near-ish future, rather than a future several hundred or a thousand years advanced from us). I really enjoyed the descriptions of what the minutiae of incredible scientific discovery might be like on alien worlds! And because I like Chambers’ prose, the whole novella was a treat. The descriptions of >!the lights under the ice!< stuck out to me in particular, but I always feel like I can really visualize what Ari and the other characters are seeing and experiencing. I have to say I didn’t quite predict the twist at the end. The epistolary structure of the novella becomes plot relevant because >!Ari and the crew have decided to send a communication to Earth. They make the decision to allow the survivors of the human race to choose their fate: whether they should keep exploring for the sake of discovery, stay in comas until they die, or return to an uncertain future on Earth and share
How to find hidden gems?
I just finished watching Daniel Greene's video on the disappearance of mass market paper backs, and he mentioned that they were a great tool for discovering new authors because the barrier to entry was so low. I often struggle to find new books to read, but I'm not asking for book recommendations. I instead want to know how everyone here finds lesser known books and authors.
I love reading new books, but I've found that reading enough books in a row I don't vibe with really kills my motivation to read consistently. I've traditionally relied on recommendations from this subreddit, trusted reviewers, and friends, but books I find from those tend to all be the same few authors and at this point I've tried most of the popular options.
I'm open to suggestions of other subreddits, specific reviewers, blogs, or other less known mediums. If you feel like you have a unique method of finding vetted books then please share. Thanks!
Edit:
I appreciate everyone recommending the library or used book shops but to reiterate:
I don't want to put in the leg work of reading a bunch of obscure or lesser known books and authors until I find one that suits me. I want a place to go for recommendations, either a person or subreddit or the equivalent that specializes in recommending lesser known books.
The library and used book stores are great places and I often use my local library, but I am specifically looking for resources that specialize in recommending hidden gems. I get burnt out of reading easily if I'm not reading something that's up my alley. Thanks.
https://redd.it/1rhnf5y
@r_fantasy
Completed 2025 Bingo: Spotting the Titles
https://preview.redd.it/gjqk7tna90og1.jpg?width=791&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=809845e707f56d9e4c330fce6a80a2bfa302d929
I learned about [r/Fantasy Book Bingo](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_2025_book_bingo_challenge/) in early 2020, and this is the sixth consecutive year that I have filled out two cards. My first one is themed, and my second is cobbled together from whatever is left.
For the last couple years, I’ve been rabble-rousing in the Bingo threads for a square that I think would be a lot of fun: Spot the Title. That is, the title of the book also appears somewhere within the text of the book. The kneejerk first reaction is often that the suggestion sounds too difficult to plan. And because I am nothing if not persistent (and maybe a touch petty), I decided to prove it could be done by filling out an entire Bingo card exclusively with Spot the Title books. That’s 25 books (by 25+ authors) for 25 different squares on the 2025 Bingo board, where every single one contains a title drop. And it's not like I've done it merely by collecting short titles. A full 40% of my card has titles of more than two words, and there are a pair of six-word titles in the mix.
On the whole, I was very happy with how this year’s Bingo turned out. My theme gave me an excuse to reread one of my all-time favorites, R.A. Lafferty’s **Fourth Mansions**, and I also had the opportunity to pick up some strong recommendations that I ended up adoring in Emily St. John Mandel’s **Station Eleven** and Juliet Marillier’s **Daughter of the Forest**.
One of my favorite things about Bingo is the way it churns the TBR, especially when I read a perfect Bingo title that I realistically would’ve never tried otherwise. It’s always a bit tough to evaluate what I would’ve read without Bingo, but Jon Bois’ **17776**, Rachel Neumeier’s **Tuyo**, and Tracy Townsend’s **The Nine** were all long-time TBR items that I finally got around to after seeing how wonderfully they fit this year’s card. All three are really excellent. And after bouncing hard off *Wild Seed*, I feel confident in saying that Octavia E. Butler’s **Clay’s Ark** would’ve languished on the shelf for years if I hadn’t needed a Last in a Series pick. I’m so glad I gave that series another chance, as the final entry is my favorite of the lot.
Other Bingo highlights include **Shroud** by Adrian Tchaikovsky, **There Is No Antimemetics Division** by qntm, **The Merge** by Grace Walker, and as always, a curated selection of **Five Short Stories** that fit my theme. For more on those and the rest of my card, read on. Links in the headers go to full reviews of the individual entries, except for the Short Story square, where they go to full stories.
# Knights and Paladins: [The Everlasting](https://www.tarvolon.com/2026/02/21/fantasy-novel-review-the-everlasting-by-alix-e-harrow/) by Alix E. Harrow
* **Other 2025 Squares:** A Book in Parts, Parents, Epistolary, Book Club.
* **Mini-Review:** The readability and excellent prose are a given with Harrow, and there’s some compelling exploration of propaganda, despite a relatively flat villain. A bit too much fate driving the romance holds me back from a higher rating.
* **Rating:** 16/20.
# Hidden Gem: [The Nine](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/10/28/fantasy-novel-review-the-nine-by-tracy-townsend/) by Tracy Townsend
* **Other 2025 Squares:** A Book in Parts (hard), Epistolary, Small Press, Gods and Pantheons.
* **Mini-Review:** Truly the perfect fit for this square, delivering so many hallmarks of 2010s fantasy—grimy cities, myriad factions, thieving leads—with exemplary execution, yet bafflingly dropping entirely off the popular radar.
* **Rating:** 17/20.
# Published in the 80s: [Howl’s Moving Castle](https://www.tarvolon.com/2025/10/16/fantasy-novel-review-howls-moving-castle-by-diana-wynne-jones/) by Diana Wynne Jones
* **Other 2025 Squares:** Impossible Places (hard), Book Club, Cozy.
* **Mini-Review:** The lead taking entirely too much pleasure in the social
Which fantasy hero would actually be insufferable to know in real life?
I'm not talking about villains, but about real heroes, the ones you're supposed to root for, according to the plot.
I have two such characters from books I've read recently, and the first is 100% Kvothe, and I think most people who have read the books already know why.
I just imagine that in real life, Kvothe is the guy at every party who has a story that surpasses yours. You remember having a difficult childhood, but he was an orphan on the streets. You learned to play an instrument, but he mastered it in a few weeks. You had a complicated relationship, but his was a tragedy of cosmic proportions. And he'll tell you all about it, in detail, under the guise of modesty, as long as you listen...
And the second character is Rand al'Thor. I thought that Rand in real life was a man who had gained enormous power, and then for years he made disastrous decisions and processed his feelings about them while everyone around him absorbed the consequences. In the story, his emotional journey is treated as the central event of the world. In real life, he's just a deeply suffering person who needed therapy but got an army instead.
Something like that. I was just reading and caught myself thinking about it. Who would you choose?
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Glen Cooks fantasy books give me the feeling of an 80s fantasy films Are there any other authors similar?
I just love his writing and the names of the characters. It kinda makes me feel like a kid in the 80s watching some fantasy film or tv show.
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I'm looking for Fantasy books I'd actually like!
I'm in a slump and I'm going to Barnes this week with 300 in gift cards and I'm looking for books I'd enjoy based on my taste in any genre...
My favorite books are The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Ried, House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, The Poisoner by I.V Marie & Six Deaths of a Saint by Alix E Harrow.
I love slow burn, atmospheric stories, fantasy, magical realism, historical fantasy, horror/gothic fantasy, marriage of convenience, ACTUAL enemies to lovers, interesting magic systems, religious themes, unreliable narrator, nature themes, Howl or Solas coded MMCs, pirate fantasy, potion making or Apothecary themes, Victorian and Steampunk, Ghosts, Sea Creatures.
Please Recommend me some, thanks in advance
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Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi. I read a few books published in 2025, but this worked for the square. An inconsequential piece of nonsense that I doubt I'll ever read again.
Author of Color - The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. This was the first and so far only book I've read by Jones. It was well written, but lost focus for me partway through and leaned more into the horror side of things than was really comfortable for me.
Small Press or Self Published - Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove. Another of my 2025 favourites. A great mash up of horror favourites and space. Fun and action packed, as well as featuring some really well drawn characters. Looking forward to what Truelove can do next.
Biopunk - A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennet. I'm going to go against the tide here and say that this didn't really do it for me. I enjoyed The Tainted Cup, but this fell flat for me. Din did all of the legwork and then Ana came in and magically solved the whole thing, because genius and left me wondering why we had to read a whole book of Din bumbling around when Ana worked the whole thing out in a matter of pages.
Elves and Dwarves - Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher. Okay, there's no dwarves, but there are elves and how could I leave this out? Kingfisher is a legend and this while it was her first 'adult' book under the pseudonym is close to one of her best. Shame it took me so long to get around to it.
LGBTQIA Protagonist - The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford. Another top 2025 read. I'd always liked Ford's Frost Files and so was eager to see this. The Rakada (the bone raiders of the title) are kind of like if we had a whole band of people who were all Tegan Frost just without the telekinesis. What they do have is a giant fire breathing lizard that may just save their way of life.
Five Short Stories by Naomi Novik A collection of short stories by Naomi Novik. Like most collections of this type it's a bit hit and miss. My personal favourites were the ones that were set in the same world as Temeraire. Lizzie Bennett (yes, that Elizabeth Bennett) dragon rider was my highlight.
Stranger in a Strange Land - Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire. McGuire never doesn't hit with her Wayward Children instillments and this one is no exception. Like every even numbered book in the series it isn't set in Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children and instead follows a girl who loses her world and then rediscovers it and has a much fuller life because of it.
Recycle a Bingo Square - The Valley by Chris Hammer. One of the things I read when it's not SFF are thrillers/mystery. Chris Hammer is an Aussie journalist who has written a whole bunch of books featuring journalist Martin Scarsden and the detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan. This is an Ivan and Nell book. They investigate a cold case murder that links to Nell's family history.
Cosy SFF - Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree. I really like these by Baldree. This one read kind of like an old D&D book. The protagonists get into all sorts of adventures, but at no stage is the reader really concerned for their safety. I love the goblin Zyll. Closest thing I've read to a Kender since Dragonlance.
Generic Title - The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. I'm counting this as hard mode, because according to wiki jasmine is also a colour. Being set in an Indian influenced world this was of interest, because you don't often see that. It started off well and then kind of wandered away from the main story and characters partway through, before getting back to them and I'd lost interest by then.
Not a Book - KPop Demon Hunters. Not at all the sort of thing I'd normally watch, but it was a lot of fun. The Kpop soundtrack is maddeningly catchy. This wasn't what I actually wanted to put in this square, though. However it wouldn't let me put anything that wasn't a book, film, TV show, game. My REAL Not a Book was a medieval festival I went to at Kryal Castle in Ballarat. We don't get a lot of Renfairs down here in Australia, and I'd always wanted to go
Book req: Looking for the princess bride-ish feeling. books with that magical feeling you get when reading a fairytale.
Nothing too cheesy or with a sickly sweet romance. I love soft magic systems. And the fairytale horror kind of stories. Where everything is beautiful but there is a creeping sense of horror, or something not quite right going on underneath. A lot of books in this category fall into the "just vibes" plot, but I'd prefer an actual well thought through narrative. What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance <3
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Best King Arthur Book Recommendation
I want to learn more about King Arthur’s saga, for my own enjoyment but also so I can authentically write a short story set in that time and maybe have a character in there like Gawain or Lancelot. To get an overview I just read the illustrated Robin Lister one, which is what my library had; seemed like a kid’s book but it didn’t sanitize things and was from Merlin’s perspective, which was cool. It was pretty comprehensive but still brief. I’m looking for more details and complexity.
I want a volume that covers everything, or at least most of it, that isn’t aimed at kids or sanitized and ideally in the public domain. I planned to get the one by Howard Pyle, but learned it was for kids and am wondering if it's been sanitized or anything. Maybe I'll give it a go. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro was really good, but took place a while after Arthur died and came out just 10 years ago. If I wanted to try and submit/publish what I write, beyond just doing fan fiction, I couldn’t lift any new elements/ideas from things not in the public domain, which the original medieval sources are i.e. Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, but I heard those are difficult to read.
Maybe a more recent book that just simplifies the writing style without changing much (Does T.H. White's Once and Future King fit this description? Or does that change things?). I want as much historical accuracy as possible but still a fantasy, not like the King Arthur movie from 2004.
I read Idylls of the King back in college and could just use that if it’s a well-rounded account of everything, I don’t remember. I will try that soon. Thanks for any help you can provide!
Update: Think I'll try Pyle's and The Once and Future King to start, and check out Thomas Malory's too.
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My 2025 Bingo Card!
https://preview.redd.it/d6s5la9lfvng1.png?width=1722&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed4eaed061440d8b11c6c0c8ce1befc429d7c28d
I finished about a month ago, but life's been busy. Many bangers this year, but some of the 4 stars here were more like 3.5.
My top 5 were Legendborn, Beloved, Circe, The Spear Cuts Through Water, and Assassin's Quest (really the Farseer Trilogy as a whole). Legendborn is a prime example of a book I would not have picked up if it weren't for Bingo. Hope to read the second book in this series for next year's card! Open to any recommendations based on my card. I plan to continue any series these books are a part of with the exception of the V.E. Schwab.
Is it April yet?!?!!
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r/Fantasy March Megathread and Book Club hub. Get your links here!
This is the Monthly Megathread for January 2026. 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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1qt4vjt/rfantasy_february_megathread_and_book_club_hub/).
**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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/f4o9ym/where_do_you_find_new_books_a_guide_to_using/)
* [Recommendation Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/recommendations)
* [ICYMI - r/ Fantasy originals](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/ha2vqm/icymi_rfantasy_originals_the_2019_top_novels_poll/)
You might also be interested in our yearly [BOOK BINGO reading challenge.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/w/bingo)
**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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1i84mak/rfantasy_state_of_the_subreddit_discussion_survey/)
* [Pride Month 2025](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1ky947o/pride_month_2025_announcement_calendar/)
* [2025 BOOK BINGO CHALLENGE](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1joxlrr/official_rfantasy_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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1jtnh71/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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1agicpw/rfantasys_2024_top_standalone_novel_poll_results/)
* [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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1ns0gzy/big_list_rfantasys_top_selfpublished_novels_2025/)
**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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=-%20Monday%20Show%20and%20Tell%20Thread&restrict_sr=1&t=week)
* [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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=Writing%20Wednesday&restrict_sr=1&t=week)
* [Friday Social](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=%20Friday%20Social&restrict_sr=1&t=week)
* [Dealer's Room: Self-Promo Sunday](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=Self-Promo%20Sunday&restrict_sr=1&t=week)
* [Monthly Book Discussion](https://new.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search/?q=%22r%2FFantasy%20monthly%20book%20discussion%20thread%22&restrict_sr=1&sr_nsfw=&t=month)
# Book Club Hub - Book Clubs and Read-alongs
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**Goodreads Book of the Month:** The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes
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/)
* [Announcement](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1rfch9l/our_march_goodreads_book_of_the_month_is_the/)
*
City of Stairs (The Divine Cities Trilogy Book 1) by Robert Jackson Bennett - eBook on sale for $1.99 (US)
https://www.amazon.com/City-Stairs-Divine-Cities-Book-ebook/dp/B00J1ISJFA
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looking for fantasy that balances politics and personal stakes
The Curse of Chalion and The Goblin Emperor both managed to keep political intrigue closely tied to character growth. I want adult tone and focused character arcs with limited POV shifts, and please avoid sprawling war epics; I recently finished a politics-heavy novel, which books maintain that balance effectively?
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Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce
I made a post on this sub asking for recommendations for books with noble characters doing noble deeds, emotional stories, and wholesome friendships, and someone suggested The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce.
For some reason, I can’t find that comment anymore - either I’m somehow overlooking it, or the redditor who recommended the books deleted it.
Whatever the case, I just want to thank the person who suggested this series to me. I’ve just finished First Test, and I absolutely loved it. It was exactly what I was looking for.
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the survivors’ fate, whatever it may be. The ambiguity of!< the ending, >!and the fact that neither Ari and the crew nor the reader gets to know what happened on Earth, who survived, and what they will choose for the main characters,!< was delicious, and just made me wish more that the novella was longer. Of course narratively the right decision was to leave it where it ended; as in so much classic sci-fi, the reader’s imagination fills in the most satisfying resolution.
21: Recycle a Bingo Square
Square recycled: 2024: 19) Survival: Read a book in which the primary goal of the characters and story focuses on survival. Surviving an apocalypse, surviving a war, surviving high school, etc. HARD MODE: No superviruses or pandemics. (EDIT: edited to be a less spoilery square from a different year so that the square title could be left visible!)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
FIVE STARS
I really loved this book. Probably practically everything that there is to be said about it has been said on this sub, especially recently because the movie is so close to being released, but I too also loved it. I read this for a book club and liked it more than I liked The Martian, which I read several years ago and deeply enjoyed. >!Rocky is amazing as a character, and one of the highlights of the novel for me was the development of his language and the Eridian culture.!< I also really enjoyed the natural progression of Grace’s character that occurs as he slowly >!regains his memory. In a way he’s learning who he is right alongside us as the readers, which was very interesting.!< The Big Twist was somehow absolutely wild to me and also I felt like it totally made sense: the whole time while reading, I was thinking, so how the hell did he even end up here? By the time Weir reveals that >!there’s a test for if you can safely enter the coma and that Grace is a person who could potentially survive it, I had an inkling that something might happen to the science specialists,!< and therefore assumed I had that mystery safely figured out. But because I thought I had it all figured out, the fact that >!he was actually physically forced into going on the mission!< was doubly surprising. This hit the perfect sci-fi spot for me: a great cast that I grew to care about deeply, interesting relationships, mystery, the joy of discovery, and a main character who is just trying their freaking best. I’m excited for the movie and really hope it lives up the spirit of the book as much as an adaptation can!
23: Generic Title
The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag
THREE AND A HALF STARS
This was a graphic novel mystery with horror flavors that weren’t exactly overly graphic, but still filled me full of dread. Mags, the main character, has a dangerous secret that she will do basically anything to hide. The actual monster in the story, however, is >!her huge burden of responsibilities, coupled with her inability to accept herself.!< Her personality didn’t immediately click into place for me, but as we are introduced to her routine and everything that she has taken on, in caring for her grandmother, working, going to school, and more, it was easy to feel a growing kinship with someone who is doing a lot without getting much (or any) credit. I have personal experience working multiple jobs while trying to care for an elderly and ill relative, and Mags’s situation and isolation are familiar not only to me but to many young people across the world. It’s the feeling of desperately trying to do your best while feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances and unable to allow yourself to reach out to others. Nessa, the returning childhood friend, I liked fine as >!a love interest and!< rekindled friendship, and I was rooting for her to succeed in getting Mags to relax a little and let down her guard. One thing I will say is I didn’t get the impression that Mags and the other characters were still in high school at first; I assumed they were in college. That just emphasizes how adult Mags is forced into being, rather than just being allowed to be a kid. The
Book Bingo 2025 Reviews: My Third Five Completed Squares! SPOILERS!
HI ALL I am back with my third set of reviews for five completed bingo squares! Life got in the way of me actually attempting to write somewhat comprehensible reviews so I’ve read several more than these since I last posted but I will get to those in the next chunk. We are getting to crunch time bingo-wise ahhhhh lol. Sorry this post is going to be pretty long! I'VE TRIED TO TAG ALL SPECIFIC SPOILERS THOROUGHLY BUT BEWARE in case I've missed something.
For reference, I rate based on my own kind of personal rating system (which again I do not take feedback on lol, it works for me and it's not that deep):
0-1 stars: fuck this shit
2 stars: not for me but whatever
3 stars: okay yeah i like this fine
4 stars: i really really like this
5 stars: i LOVE this!!!
8: Gods and Pantheons
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
FOUR AND A HALF STARS
I love Pratchett and this book did not disappoint. The Discworld is always such a lovely place to return to that I’ve been reading his books as slowly as possible for years, trying to spread them out, and this was this year’s pick. It follows a young novice in the Omnian Church of Om, a god whose followers are heavy on punishment for nonbelievers, sinners, and basically anyone that gets in the way of Omnia’s conquering expansion. It also follows a turtle >!named Om, who may or may not be Om himself, depowered and!< unable to do anything other than cause static electricity and eat lettuce. Pratchett does such a good job of illustrating both the realistic and the absurd in the Church of Om as a religious and societal institution that, as usual, you’d have to be blind to miss the points he’s trying to make about the inherent flaws of institutionalized religion. Of course, the worst part is that everything is just as realistic as it can be absurd. Brutha, our main character, is immediately lovable. One note I wish more authors would take from Pratchett is that characters don’t need to be perfect to be likeable. In fact, the more weaknesses a character has, the more I tend to gravitate toward them. Brutha, of course, is a prime example of this. His strengths lie in his moral character, rather than in some kind of typical-fantasy-protagonist badassery. He starts out with a very flawed worldview, limited to the religious indoctrination he’s lived within his whole life, first with his grandmother and then within the actual structure of the Church of Om. But once he starts to have new experiences, he starts to understand how much he doesn’t know, and can start to come to new conclusions about the world. Om, meanwhile, is another fantastic character. As >!a god,!< he’s out of touch with >!his followers!< and the world around him, and like Brutha, has been working off of an incredibly limited (but far more privileged and self-serving) understanding of the world. He, too, learns and starts to grow in new and different directions as the story progresses. And I have a soft spot for Pratchett’s Death, who makes somewhat of a limited appearance and yet is amazing as always. Vorbis, a high up administrator/torturer in the Church, is great/awful as the antagonist, and serves the perfect narrative purpose as the judge, jury, and executioner of what he purports to be the will of Om. This is probably not my favorite Discworld book thus far, but it’s pretty high up there. If you like Pratchett’s style, and especially if you have a background growing up religious but have either a) moved away from that or b) take part in religion through a critical and discerning lens, you would very likely enjoy Small Gods.
11: Parent Protagonist
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
FOUR STARS (I THINK)
This was a recommendation from several coworkers who have also recently read it for a book club, and I haven’t read much horror recently so it was a bit of a shock to my system. The story follows a struggling actress who works as a waitress, and a small boy who she finds outside her apartment. All she wants is to do the right thing and help the
David Weber The Sword of the South
Hello! I picked up this book at the library having never read anything yet by David Weber. I am maybe 20% into the book and I've realized that apparently this is book 5 in a series? Nothing on the cover made that quite clear to me though, and google isn't giving me a clear answer (and I don't want to accidentally spoil something by google searching deeper). Should I put it down and start elsewhere, or am I okay to continue reading?
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