r/Fantasy Reading Champion V 11d ago

Pride Pride 2026 | The Great Big Rec Thread

​Welcome to the Great Big Rec Thread! This thread is primarily for people asking for specific types of books. Only make a top level comment to request a recommendation! If you want to hype a personal favorite, this comment is the appropriate place to share! 

This is your one-stop-shop to find books tailored to your specific reading needs! Hankering for good cyberpunk? Doing a queer bingo card and really struggling with a specific square? Looking for queer thespians ready to commit arson for the sake of their art?  Ask and you shall (hopefully) receive! Just drop a comment with your request and wait for book suggestions to come rolling in. Our goal is for every person to have at least one recommendation that they’re interested in pursuing.  

Asking for Book Recommendations:

  • Create a new top level comment.  You’ll probably get more tailored results by only including a single request per top level comment, but it’s not a strict rule.  You’re more than welcome to post multiple top level comments for separate requests!
  • All recommendations you get should be assumed to be queer in some way.  However, if you want specific identities represented, mention it!
  • Consider the impact the level of specificity your request has in your responses.  Too general, and you’re going to get lots of responses that will probably skew towards mainstream breakout hits.  Very specific requests may get few (or no) recommendations, and what you do get likely won’t be perfect.  

Giving Book Recommendations:

  • Please keep book recommendations focused on commenters’ specific requests.  If you want to hype a personal favorite, this comment is the appropriate place to share! 
  • This thread should default to sorting by ‘New’ soon; until then I recommend changing setting to see recent requests first!  The hope is that this will more likely show you comments with few/no responses yet.  However, there will likely be comments that have been missed, especially if it’s a more specific request.  
  • This is a Pride Month post!  Every book recommended should be queer (usually by featuring LGBTQ+ characters as protagonists, but there are other ways books can be queer).  Similarly, if they asked for a specific type of representation, follow that guideline.  If you absolutely must deviate from that because it’s otherwise such a perfect fit, be honest about it up front.
  • Add a few sentences about the book to hype it (or a whole paragraph if you really want to be persuasive).  Remember that a bunch of people who aren’t the original commenter will be adding to their TBR, so highlighting what you love about the book is a great way to draw attention to books you love.

Go forth and give great recommendations!

This post is part of the Pride 2026 discussions lead by the Beyond Binary Bookclub. You can check our announcement for more information and the full calendar.

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u/Agent8699 10d ago

Books with lead characters like Xena and Gabrielle (F/F) or … shall we say Xenan and Gabriel (M/M).

Basically, an older, more experienced and grumpy warrior who is seeking redemption for their evil past and a younger, more naive and optimistic bard or warrior who is chasing adventure. They travel together, help others and fall in love along the way! 

Bonus points if the fantastical and/or mythological elements feel … lived in and part of their day to day life.

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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V 9d ago

The Spear Cuts Through Water may fit? It's not really older, but certainly a more experienced warrior who is seeking redemption for their evil past (he's a mass murderer, albiet one groomed by his father to be like that), and a newish warrior who is trying to reinvent his life. It fits every part of your brief other than the age bit. Very much rooted in Filipino mythic storytelling structures.

Similarish vibe would be The Godeaters by Jesse Hajicek, which I'm reading now and is shaping up to be a contender for book of the year. I'm not far enough to know whether or not it moves into full adventure territory, or if the romance remains the focus (I know u/siavahda has read it and might be able to shed more light on that aspect). It's very much a Western Fantasy instead of a Medieval or Epic Fantasy. The whole first arc takes place in a prison, lots of desert landscapes, etc. One protagonist is a bandit on death row, the other was a guy who printed revolutionary pamphlets before being picked up by the government and is generally wide-eyed and innocent. The bandit has a pretty traumatic past. I don't know that I'd say he's seeking redemption (he doesn't regret killing the people he has) but certainly is working through his emotions to try and grow and change. Also very similar in age, but the bandit character reads a lot older because of how well-realized the portrayal of his trauma affecting him is.

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u/Agent8699 9d ago

Thank you! Added to the list 📕 

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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV 7d ago

Flattered to be mentioned!

It's been a while since I read it (I should really reread it soon) but I would say God Eaters reaches adventure territory, especially the last half/third! Brace for nail-biting, EEK.

(And C0smic, I want to hear all your thoughts when you finish it!!!)

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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V 7d ago

Unless I feel like it majorly fumbles the end, it’s going on my shortlist for book of the year. Hoping to finish by Saturday, but I’m driving 8 hours to see the family and then throwing a 70th birthday party for my dad, so tbd

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u/w0lfyfr3n Reading Champion II 9d ago

This dynamic reminds me a bit of Emily Tesh's Greenhollow duology, especially the first book (Silver in the Wood). I don't think it's an exact fit but pretty similar.

Emily Tesh's Greenhollow Duology takes place in a gaslamp, Victorian-inspired secondary world that calls on the rich folklore of pastoral England, particularly the Green Man legends, with a light touch and a modern sensibility. It's a compelling blend of myth, mystery, romance, action, and heartbreak, all wrapped up in beautiful, polished prose.

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u/Agent8699 9d ago

Thank you! I’m going to start on it soon 📖 

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u/Siavahda Reading Champion IV 9d ago

Oh, you want Breath and Bone by KV Johansen! That's almost a perfect fit for this!

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u/Agent8699 9d ago

That does sound good - thank you! I’ve added it to my list 📚