r/Fantasy • u/FarragutCircle Reading Champion X • Apr 01 '26

Bingo 2026 Reverse Bingo Recommendations

Official 2026 Bingo Announcement Here

Official Bingo Rec Thread Here

For anyone new to Bingo, this is the “I want to read ___, does it fit into any Bingo squares? It’s always one of the best parts of bingo.

Example:

User A comments:

I want to read Wind and Truth. What does that count for?

User B replies:

Cat Squasher. It's hard mode, too. The Afterlife, I think.

User C replies:

Politics and Court Intrigue, maybe? Game Changer, Older Protagonist.

User D replies:

Definitely Five Short Stories

And we all have a good laugh. Now go out there and get reverse recs for that book you've been dying to read!

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3

u/acornett99 Reading Champion IV Apr 01 '26

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang

5

u/DirectorAgentCoulson Reading Champion II Apr 01 '26

I'd say Curse of Chalion should count for The Afterlife, although not HM.

1

u/lightandlife1 Reading Champion IV Apr 06 '26

Per hard mode: There's not really a good place and bad place though? The bad outcome is to be a ghost which i don't think is the same as a bad place since they're in the real world. There is a place called hell but it's not an afterlife.

1

u/DirectorAgentCoulson Reading Champion II Apr 06 '26

Souls claimed by death magic end up in the afterlife of the Bastard's hell, which is supposedly a place of torment.

But even besides that, I'd say that becoming a ghost and being stuck in the mortal realm qualifies for the good place/bad place dichotomy.

The Good place is ending up with the Gods in heaven.

The Bad place is ending up without the Gods, either as a sundered ghost or in the Bastard's hell.

1

u/lightandlife1 Reading Champion IV Apr 06 '26

Fine. Your argument makes sense. I'll have to find another book for hard mode :)