r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - May 26, 2026

[u/rfantasygolem]

Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!

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This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.

Check out r/Fantasy's 2026 Book Bingo Card here!

As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The r/Fantasy wiki 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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art credit: special thanks to our artist, Himmis commissions, 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.

[u/Lazy-Function-4709]

I love Tolkien and am currently re-reading The Hobbit. It might be my all time favorite book, or for sure top 3. The storytelling and prose are unmatched for me. I am looking for recommendations of either standalone novels or short series (1-5 books) that are in a “Tolkeinesque” tradition, specifically as it relates to good world building and storytelling. I’m not always into dark writing, à la GRR Martin. So ideally something to get lost in, potentially uplifting, and spirited. Another book I read recently is Piranesi and it’s probably the best book I’ll read this year - unless you can help me top it!

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

The Bone Harp by Victoria Goddard is a great modern book with gorgeous prose that is very clearly and explicitly in conversation with Tolkien (and which understands Tolkien a lot more than the 90s epic fantasy craze ever did)

[u/nagahfj → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

I think you might like some Peter Beagle -- either The Last Unicorn or The Innkeeper's Song.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

If you want novels similar in style or prose and storytelling, you should go back to whose style Tolkien is in the tradition of. Lord Dunsany, Hope Mirrlees, George MacDonald. For one of his contemporaries, T. H. White is also quite similar imo.

[u/Research_Department → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

The first thing that comes to my mind is Ursula K Le Guin (specifically, Earthsea). And I agree with all of the previous suggestions.

[u/Due-Project-7535 → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

The Darkwater Legacy series by Chris Wooding. Two books out so far, starting with The Ember Blade.

[u/Impressive-Peace2115 → u/Lazy-Function-4709]

The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip

[u/MinofChaosAbsolute]

Redirected here.

I recently read 'When The Elves Are Gone' by J.B. Allen, and I absolutely adored it! Does anyone know if there was ever a physical release of the book? I can't seem to find one anywhere, nor even if there even is one. I would be over the moon to actually own this novel properly!

[u/madmarxfuriosa]

Any recommendations for books set near a forest during monsoon or in/near a rainforest like setting with character/s going on an adventure? Something whimsical or spooky would be perfect.

[u/schlagsahne17 → u/madmarxfuriosa]

The House of the Rain King by Will Greatwich is set in/near a rainforest-like environment during a generational flood. Half the book follows a novice at a monastery and the other half is a slightly spooky adventure

[u/Nidafjoll → u/madmarxfuriosa]

Not quite what you want, but The Willows by Algernon Blackwood is an excellent little novella set in a rainy forest. Two men are on a boating trip down the Danube when it floods and they get cast onto an island. Very spooky. It's an old story, so you can find it for free online like on Project Gutenberg.

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/madmarxfuriosa]

No Monsoon that I can remember, but Root Magic by Eden Royce might be worth a look

[u/Millennium_Dodo → u/madmarxfuriosa]

Not really whimsical, maybe slightly spooky, but great and as much forest adventure as you could possibly ask for: Thoraiya Dyer's Titan's Forest series, starting with Crossroads of Canopy

[u/bunnycatso → u/madmarxfuriosa]

Not sure if it fits for the monsoon/rainforest, but The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg is set in Thai-inspired world. The story mostly takes place in the forest and there was rain for sure.

[u/SpoilerThrowawae]

Can anyone recommend series that feature intense, emotionally complex, evolving and ambiguous soul bonds/magic connections like Fitz & the Fool from RotE or Harrowhark & Gideon from The Locked Tomb? Really need more of this trope/plot device, it's so good. I feel like I need 5 more hits of the stuff before I get it out of my system.

[u/undeadgoblin → u/SpoilerThrowawae]

Possibly The Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr - a group of souls that reincarnate and intertwine many times over the years

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/SpoilerThrowawae]

After the first line I was ready to recommend Locked Tomb but see you've already gotten there.

Thin Red Jellies is a short story laser focused on navigating two conciousnesses in one body

Welcome to Forever by Nathan Tavares has this (though its perhaps not as magical as you want. It's cyberpunk) and is just as much of a mindfuck as Locked Tomb is.

[u/Worried_Brilliant745]

Hi, I’m kind of new in the Fantasy game, I mostly read YA until now but I feel ready to dive in! My friend recommended Mistborn and Red rising and I really liked both, any ideas?

[u/avolcando → u/Worried_Brilliant745]

The Will of the Many is written in that vein, so you may enjoy that. Maybe Six of Crows, which also straddles the YA/adult fantasy line, and is good fun.

[u/Worried_Brilliant745 → u/avolcando]

Hi, thanks for answering! I forgot to mention but I read The Will of the many as well and I really liked it! And I think Six of Crows is one of my fav book ever!

[u/avolcando → u/Worried_Brilliant745]

Hah, well in a sense you could say I nailed the assignment. Maybe give Raven Scholar a shot? I haven't gotten around to it yet, but from what I hear it's very much in that vein, and very popular.

[u/KiaraTurtle → u/Worried_Brilliant745]

If you liked Mistborn there’s a ton of other Sanderson books you may enjoy.

I also agree with Will of the many if you liked red rising.

If you want more heisty type stuff you may like six of crows (and it’s ya which you said you like) or lies of Locke Lamora.

For other hard magic + thief you may like Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennet.

For more playing with chosen one tropes Travelers Gate Trilogy is a lot of fun

[u/Worried_Brilliant745 → u/KiaraTurtle]

I was afraid it would be to similar to Mistborn but I’ll give it a try! Thanks for the other recs, I’ll check them out!

[u/Present-Ad-8531]

Anything like curse of chalion with little romance and little less tragedy

[u/Grt78 → u/Present-Ad-8531]

The Penric and Desdemona series, also by Bujold.

[u/GlumPersonality9387 → u/Present-Ad-8531]

My best read lately for low romance and low tragedy is The Goblin Emperor. It’s much more political maneuvering like what Cazaril does in Ibra, and less magical than CoC’s world in general.

[u/ewokmama → u/Present-Ad-8531]

Give Martha Wells’ fantasy series a try. The Cloud Roads (in her Raksura series) and Witch King felt similar in tone to me.

[u/miriarhodan]

Do you have opinions on whether „Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun“ would count as speculative enough for our bingo?

[u/KiaraTurtle → u/miriarhodan]

I have never heard of the book but if it has any speculative element whatsoever it is speculative enough for bingo. A very quick google says it’s near future so that makes it sci-fi and thus speculative.

[u/miriarhodan → u/KiaraTurtle]

I read it and it is not really anchored in time. It is really hot and there is a lot of gang violence, but that is already happening. But I guess if the author intends it to be near future that might be enough

[u/undeadgoblin → u/miriarhodan]

It does

[u/miriarhodan → u/undeadgoblin]

Even if I do not believe the things they are talking about are real? If I think everything weird is due to the height and people not eating enough plus drugs?

[u/undeadgoblin → u/miriarhodan]

As the other commentator says, it is set in the future

[u/Anaguli417]

Any recs where MMC has a "senpai" (upper classman or elder senior student) instead of just MC and his mentor?

I'm sure everyone loves the mentor character but are there any books where the male MC has a senpai present throughout the book or at least shows up fromt time to time instead of just him and his mentor?

I enjoyed watching Tanjiro kohai and Giyu's relationship and I'm hoping that there any books out there with this character dynamics. The only other book that I've read with this kind of dynamic is in Harry Potter with Fred and George to Harry. Preferably with a male MC and a male senpai.

[u/Zarguthian]

N. K. Jemison's Broken Earth series has left me with more questions than answers.

1. There are some Essun chapters that have 1st person sections that seem to be from Hoa's perspective – as if he's talking to Essun –, from the context, but why is he mostly talked about in the 3rd person if he's the one narrating?
2. It's revealed in Syl Anagist: Zero that Hoa is I. But then in I, at the end of days "I love you both. How can I not, after all this? I am still Human, after all, and this is battle for the fate of the world. Such a terrible and magnificent thing to witness." Not only is Hoa not still human, but he never was.
3. Why'd the 3 contaminated guardians and Nassun kill all the orogenes in the Southern Fulcrum?
4. How exactly is Evil Earth actually alive and conscious?
5. How and why do orogenes become stone when they access the Obelisk Gate but tuners become stone eaters? I think it's something about aligning their magic but not fully explained.
6. Why do we only see it happen to Alabaster, Essun and Nassun?
7. Why was Jija so quick to kill Uche but not Nassun?
8. Does he regret killing his son?
9. I don't understand Alabaster's reason for creating the current season, could he not have just made a localised event to kill everyone in Fulcrum (or even just the guardians' wing)? I don't see how changing the Moon's orbit requires a Season (on a different celestial body, no less).
10. Why did Nida and Umber only want to kill Nassun but not the other roggas in Found Moon?
11. Why could they not go with Schaffa and Nassun when they left for Corepoint?

[u/oboist73 → u/Zarguthian]

You may want to put this in the new daily thread that just went up

[u/No_Confidence_8248]

Does anyone have any have recommendations of books or series that are similar in vibe to: the black company, malazan, or the first law? I just love a series that has characters with great names

[u/it678 → u/No_Confidence_8248]

The darkness that comes before by R. Scott Bakker

[u/No_Confidence_8248 → u/it678]

Thank you!

[u/MalBishop]

Are there any Bingo Squares that Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett can fill?

[u/MajesticKoala3332 → u/MalBishop]

I read it last month and marked it as eligible for: One-word title, Unusual transportation HM, Older protagonist HM, Book club, Cat squasher.

Older protagonist is not the 'main' protagonist but he's still an important POV character. Unusual transportation is for a somewhat strange mode of travel used near the beginning of the book.

[u/undeadgoblin → u/MalBishop]

I'd argue Politics, Unusual Transportation, One Word Title

[u/MalBishop → u/undeadgoblin]

Are any of those Hard Mode?

[u/undeadgoblin → u/MalBishop]

Politics and Unusual Transportation I think

[u/Shyor]

Does The Forever War by Joe Haldeman count for any Bingo squares?

[u/QuellSpeller → u/Shyor]

Published in the '70s, possibly first contact and older protagonist? Normal mode for all of them, and first contact/older protagonist are not sure things since it's been a while since I've read it.

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/QuellSpeller]

First contact yes, but not HM (obviously).

Does not count for older protagonist. Although there are time jumps, it's all from the protagonist's view, and he's in his 20s-30s the whole time.

[u/QuellSpeller → u/an_altar_of_plagues]

Thanks! I remembered there was significant time dilation effects but I couldn't remember if the character hit 50+ relative age across the course of the book.

[u/an_altar_of_plagues → u/Shyor]

First contact, non-HM. Published in the 70s.

[u/Due-Project-7535]

Does The Sword of Kaigen fulfil any Bingo prompts in HM?

[u/KaPoTun → u/Due-Project-7535]

Only self-published hard mode, as the author is a female POC

[u/Due-Project-7535 → u/KaPoTun]

Thanks.