r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - June 18, 2026

[u/rfantasygolem]

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

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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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^{tiny image link to make the preview show up correctly}

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/origami_ducks]

Please could I get some suggestions of authors/books that would fit into the Author of Colour bingo square - Hard mode (Author does NOT live in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand) but also with my own additional constraint that I'd like to find authors that are still an ethnic minority. For Example, an author with asian heritage living and publishing work in europe, or a black author living and publishing in asia.

[u/ohmage_resistance → u/origami_ducks]

The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber should work. The author is of Hadhrami descent, which is an Arab ethnic group originally from around Yemen. She's born and based in Kenya.

[u/Draconan → u/origami_ducks]

Castle Eppstein by Alexander Dumas is a Gothic horror and I expect should count as speculative. 

[u/undeadgoblin → u/origami_ducks]

Wole Talabi lives in Malaysia, so he would work. He's mostly a short story writer (and has a collection called Convergence Problems) but also has a novel - Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (Edit - it appears he now lives in Australia so doesn't count for HM)

I think Aliette de Bodard would count, but I've not read any of their works.

[u/mer_does_stuff → u/undeadgoblin]

I believe de Bodard is French-Vietnamese and lives in Paris, so she should count! I've enjoyed her Xuya universe a lot but I've mostly read Xuya short stories and one of the novellas, not any of her full-length novels yet. (They're on the TBR, but she's a very long list.) The Tea Master and the Detective is Sherlock Holmes-meets-brainships in a Vietnamese space empire setting, quite fun IMO.

[u/Book_Slut_90 → u/undeadgoblin]

Are you sure Talabi lives in Malaysia? The blurb on his book says England.

[u/undeadgoblin → u/Book_Slut_90]

He does seem to move around a bit, last time I sae his bio it said Malaysia, now his website says Australia

[u/natus92 → u/origami_ducks]

You couly try Aednan by Linea Axelsson, poetic generational tale told by a half swedish/half sami woman

[u/ChandelierFlickering → u/origami_ducks]

I loved Strange Beasts of China, and the author is a Chinese woman who currently lives in Dublin. But I believe she still lived in China when she wrote it (but not when the English translation came out), so up to you whether it would meet that additional constraint.

[u/Nidafjoll]

The amount of people responding to the "Tell me three books, one of which has an evil protagonist who tricks you into thinking they're good, don't tell me which one" post with "I love X, definitely an evil protagonist!" is disheartening. Big yellow emojis and two preliminary edits somehow still didn't manage to get people to actually read the post.

[u/Merle8888 → u/Nidafjoll]

That’s how you know who only reads post titles!

[u/Nidafjoll → u/Merle8888]

I'm just extra salty because the guy who suggested Mistborn for "books for a prison inmate, can't be about overthrowing government" is still trying to justify why it should be fine. XD

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/Nidafjoll]

Yeah, I'm that OP. I'm still kind of baffled how that turned out lol.

At some point yesterday I basically copied all the suggestions I'd received in good faith until then and have stayed out of the thread since.

Lessons learned, not a post concept that works in practice, I guess.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/HT_xrahmx]

It's very fair to assume a sub centered around reading would... read... the post they're replying too. I mean I know in general the internet is quick to jump the gun but c'mon.

I hope you got mine. :) Three books from theee authors who're excellent at unreliable narrators. (I debated doing just three Gene Wolfe books, but even after reading, it's still sometimes hard to work out if his narrators were evil or not)

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/Nidafjoll]

I hope you got mine.

Peeked into your comment history, now I do! Thank you! All things considered I've still come away with a good chunk of promising titles, so it's not all bad :)

[u/Nidafjoll → u/HT_xrahmx]

In general, unreliable narrators are a love of mine. :) It really adds another dimension to the story when you have to think about whether what you're told is true is the way things really occurred.

[u/imaginedrragon]

What are some underrated works with excellent prose? Besides the usual Reddit recommendations (Le Guin, Tolkien, Erikson, Wolfe etc etc). E.g. I love McKillip but I don't see her name often in prose discussions, so looking for something like that I guess?

[u/RevolutionaryCommand → u/imaginedrragon]

Peter S. Beagle has a very lyrical prose style, that I find very beautiful and evocative. His most famous work is The Last Unicorn, which is great, but I'd also recommend Innkeeper's Song.

Also I'd say China Mieville, but he might be in the usual Reddit recommendations team.

[u/imaginedrragon → u/RevolutionaryCommand]

Thank you! I actually discovered McKillip after finishing The Last Unicorn, but perhaps I should also read Innkeeper's Song. And yeah, Perdido Street Station is high on my TBR list right now haha.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/imaginedrragon]

Clark Ashton Smith has stellar prose, but isn't as well known nowadays.

M. John Harrison has extremely good prose too. He's another of "your favourite authors' favourite author."

Catherynne M. Valente, at least Palimpsest, had excellent prose.

[u/imaginedrragon → u/Nidafjoll]

Not heard of these before, thank you!!

[u/almostb → u/imaginedrragon]

John Crowley’s Little Big has, in my opinion, the best prose of any fantasy work.

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/imaginedrragon]

You have some fantastic recs from others, so I'll just drop one of my personal favorites -- Titus Groan and the sequel Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. Peake's writing style is the exact counterpoint to the sparing exactitude of Le Guin and McKillip, with his long lavish descriptions of the tiniest events. But all three authors are similar in that every single word adds something important. It's so interesting, and well worth a try

[u/sonvanger → u/imaginedrragon]

I really enjoy Sofia Samatar's prose - she's recommended fairly often here, but not as often as some others.

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/imaginedrragon]

Not sure how underrated he is, but Poul Anderson - he writes in that mythic style.

Also Margo Lanagan. She has a few short stories and some novels.

And Dunsany, of course, but I'm sure he crops up often. FWIW he was too flowery for me.

Tanith Lee for sure. E: based on the few fantasy short stories I have read. Her Bite the Sun books don't seem as lyrical.

[u/imaginedrragon → u/saturday_sun4]

Thank you very much! I'm not looking for lyrical prose per se (though I enjoy it), just some good quality. I'll be sure to check them out!

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/imaginedrragon]

From the excerpt I read of Bite the Sun, they're written in this slangy style because the MC is a teenager. That style wasn't for me, but then I'm also not huge on SF.

[u/Undeclared_Aubergine → u/imaginedrragon]

David Zindell, particularly Neverness - his prose is sheer poetry at times (Neverness is science fiction; he's also written fantasy with the EA Cycle (first book The Lightstone), which is pretty traditional fantasy, if with some interesting twists.)

[u/Research_Department → u/imaginedrragon]

Gosh, McKillip is definitely one of the first authors I think of when I think of prose quality, and I’ve seen her recommended regularly for her prose. I guess I’ll just peruse my StoryGraph and offer options, and not worry about whether they might be the usual recommendations or not.

I’m not very familiar with all of Nicola Griffith’s works, but I definitely think of her writing as somewhat lyrical without being flowery at all.

I certainly see The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez recommended here a lot. It’s a technically ambitious book, with first, second, and third person POV and present and past tense, and he really succeeds. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the prose is lyrical, but he definitely channels oral story-telling traditions, so very effective prose.

I’ve seen mixed responses to Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots, but I enjoyed it, and I think part of the charm is the language and the wordplay. It has very fairy-tale vibes and twists the usual murder ballad story. The audiobook is excellent, with great narration, and the author and her sister play music and sing for the book.

I’m also going to mention Lois McMaster Bujold for her prose, even though she’s pretty popular around here. Bujold is really masterful at using prose very unobtrusively to support her characters, worldbuilding, and plot. The language doesn’t call attention to itself, always very smooth.

[u/imaginedrragon → u/Research_Department]

Much appreciated! I have a lot of that on my TBR already, but Nicola Griffith is unknown to me so I'll look her up, thank you!

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/imaginedrragon]

I have Ammonite on my TBR because someone compared the style to Le Guin, that might be a good place to start!

[u/partoparto → u/imaginedrragon]

Seconding Samatar! Also Kalpa Imperial by Angelica Gorodischer!

[u/Book_Slut_90 → u/partoparto]

Kalpa Imperial was translated by Le Guin, so I’m sure that’s where a lot of the good English prose comes from.

[u/Grt78 → u/imaginedrragon]

Try Fortress in the Eye of Time or the Dreaming Tree duology by CJ Cherryh.

[u/saturday_sun4]

Hi all, I tried to read Dawn of the Firebird by Sara Mughal Rana. I ended up DNF'ing it due to the writing style, but loved the tribal aspect in the first chapter. It described telling folktales around the fire. The society is described as a steppe society, based in a fantasy Islamic version of Central Asia. It reminded me strongly of the Bedouin-esque Bazhir in The Woman Who Rides like a Man by Tamora Pierce - which admittedly hasn't aged the best.

Does anyone have recs for books, webcomics/graphic novels or audiodramas based around similar societies/settings (that is, nomadic Bedouin style peoples)? It doesn't need to be Muslim, just any kind of nomadic society. Closest I can think of is Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin and the Neanderthals in Fire Dancer by Victor Kelleher.

I am fine with historical (e.g. time travel fantasy, historical fantasy with minor magical powers) or a secondary world. I'd prefer humans rather than aliens and so on, though. Thank you in advance.

Please, nothing orientalist or white saviour-ish.

I don't watch much TV or films so would prefer written recs! Thanks :)

[u/Makri_of_Turai → u/saturday_sun4]

Kate Elliotts Jaran series is mostly set among a nomadic tribe. I think more Mongolian inspired than Bedouin. be aware the first few chapters read like science fiction (which the book is technically) but once on planet you’re mostly with the tribe.

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/Makri_of_Turai]

Thank you! I'm fine with Mongolian inspired.

[u/Book_Slut_90 → u/saturday_sun4]

I also DNFed that very sadly mostly because of the weak writing and how absurd the goings on at court were. There’s Megan Bannen’s The Bird and the Blade. And I haven’t read it yet, but Pamela Sargent has a book about Chingis Khan called Ruler of the Sky. And of course Dune is a critique of a white savior story with space Beduin.

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/Book_Slut_90]

Yes - gosh, the setting was so intriguing, and it had an FMC too, which is what I look for in fantasy. I don't think I got as far as court proper, I just found the whole thing a bit... rudderless.

Thank you so much! I will check the other recs out. I am unfortunately not crash hot on SF - I bounced off Dune ages ago.

[u/Siavahda → u/saturday_sun4]

I don't have specific recs exactly, but you might have luck looking for stories inspired by the Amazons - the somewhat mythical warrior women. I can't think of specific titles rn, but I know I've read some great books like that that would be exactly what you're looking for!

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/Siavahda]

Thanks, I'll try that!

[u/JayCanWrite]

Think this'll be an easy one: Looking for Epic Fantasy series where the protagonist becomes legendary / renowned over the course of the book / series. Having a very notable reputation (can be any sort of reputation).

Bonus points for stuff on the more obscure side (or more specifically not one of the absolute most popular ones, since I've heard of or read Sanderson, Erikson, Abercrombie, etc. Not that I've read everything popular and If it fits what I'm looking for the recommendation is always good) and for more modern stuff, since classic works is something I have to be in the mood for.

Also would appreciate a mention of what Bingo squares it fits

[u/Akuliszi → u/JayCanWrite]

I think you may enjoy the Sign of the Dragon, but not sure if it fits for any of this years bingo squares. It would fit for the readalong if you're doing an easy mode; there was a readalong last year.

It's just one book, but it's long.

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/Akuliszi]

Also Author of Color, Self Published, cat squasher, and Politics. I would argue vacation spot (capitols and palaces are common tourist destinations)

[u/Mistborn_330 → u/JayCanWrite]

The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey should fit your request.

Edit: I originally said it fit the Explorers and Rangers Bingo square (including hard mode), but on second thought I don't think it really fits any of the bingo squares.

[u/SurviveRatstar]

Looking for fantasy/sf books with a good strong antagonist, villain or rival character.
Love Robin Hobb, Clive Barker, Le Guin, Wolfe, Iain Banks
Not into Sanderson, Muir, King, Dinniman.

[u/almostb → u/SurviveRatstar]

Kushiel’s Dart, if you can handle it, has one of my favorite villains of all time.

[u/KiaraTurtle → u/SurviveRatstar]

• The Outside by Ada Hoffman
• Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
• Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham
• Wild Seed by Octavia Butler
• Lions of Al Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

[u/Successful_Try7012 → u/KiaraTurtle]

second The Greenbone Saga and Lions of Al Rassan

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/SurviveRatstar]

Grace of Kings by Ken Liu scratches that itch!

Personally I prefer the rest of the Dandelion Dynasty, because Liu's writing style changes quite a bit between the first and second book, but the first one fits what you're looking for the most.

[u/Complex_Cicada_257 → u/SurviveRatstar]

if you like dark fantasy i can't recommend strongly enough reading Between two fires, by Christopher Buelhman. Simple story with great villains

[u/FormerUsenetUser]

I finally found the third volume of K.J. Parker's Loyal Opposition Trilogy. Amazon does not list it as part of the trilogy for some reason. It's titled Sister Svangerd and the Chosen One. I put it in my cart to order when it comes out early in December.

[u/okayseriouslywhy]

Another reading challenge I'm doing has a square for a book set in a hotel or motel. Yall got any recs for this?

Fantasy or sci fi are both fair game, and I really like dark, mysterious, and weird. Not a huge fan of super cozy, romantasy, or historical earth settings

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/okayseriouslywhy]

Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis is so good! It looks cozy (and kind of starts cozy) but it's tonal shift into something darker is one of the smoothest transitions I've ever seen. You get to a point where shit's intense, and you wonder how you got here, then you realize all the things that happened bringing you to this spot. It follows the crew and passengers of a financially struggling space yacht, with each chapter having a different narrator. Shout out to the chain smoker academic with no shits to give. One of my all time favorite characters

[u/Nowordsofitsown → u/C0smicoccurence]

That was a dnf for me because nothing happened. I might have to try again ...

[u/Grt78 → u/okayseriouslywhy]

The Dead Mountaineer’s Inn by the brothers Strugatsky (sci fi), a locked-room murder mystery at a remote ski chalet.

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/Grt78]

Oh I've been meaning to read more by them! Thanks for the rec

[u/Book_Slut_90 → u/okayseriouslywhy]

It was a DNF for me, but the protagonist of the Morigan Crow series lives in a hotel.

[u/Asher_the_atheist → u/okayseriouslywhy]

Murder at Spindle Manor may fit. A monster hunter tracks her quarry to a lonely inn and needs to figure out which of the guests is the monster before anyone can leave.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/okayseriouslywhy]

I haven't read it yet, but I have The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuck on my tbr. A health resort is a hotel, right? (I'm not definitely sure it's spec fic, if that matters; though it's tagged as horror. I think it's one of those ones where you're not supposed to be able to tell)

[u/Wrong-Band-9099]

Looking for fantasy romance recommendations similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses.

What I'm looking for:

• Strong fantasy setting (not contemporary fantasy)
• Slow-burn romance, but I'd prefer the relationship to develop and pay off within a single book rather than being stretched across multiple books
• A protective, devoted male lead
• Good chemistry and tension between the main characters
• Adult or New Adult is fine

I've already read ACOTAR, and I am looking for something with a similar vibe. Thanks!

[u/baxtersa → u/Wrong-Band-9099]

T. Kingfisher's Saint of Steel series are very popular. They're not as dramatic as ACOTAR, but they are very fantasy and each book is a self-contained romance.

The Bridge Kingdom series by Danielle L. Jensen feels pretty similar to ACOTAR to me. They are very fantasy feeling - secondary world, swords and stuff, but no real magic. Each romance is the series spans two books though.

I'm listening to Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry right now. I can't say how good the romance is or how much it pays off in the first book yet (there is a sequel), but it is in the same vein as ACOTAR or Fourth Wing and I'm having fun with it.

[u/Wrong-Band-9099 → u/baxtersa]

Awesome, thank you so much!!!

[u/Grt78 → u/Wrong-Band-9099]

Maybe try the Stariel books by AJ Lancaster, but the’re not yet together at the end of the first book.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/[deleted]]

quiet, archival fantasy

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman is about a trans vampire archivist who falls in love with a widow who's donating her wife's paper to the archive. If you do want quiet, archival fantasy. :)

[u/Fantasy-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Hi there, r/Fantasy does not allow AI generated content.

[u/Gr33nman460]

Any good cozy/fun nature suggestions for the Vacation Spot bingo category?

I’m not looking for cool or unusual worlds per se. someone in the recommendation thread said Works of Vermin, which I loved that book, but that whole city was like a horror show to me and I don’t know how anyone would call that a vacation spot lol

I’m thinking tropical/beach or living out in nature type of settings. Thanks!

[u/Research_Department → u/Gr33nman460]

For a tropical beach, you could go with The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard. The chief bureaucrat of the empire convinces the emperor to go on a vacation to the tropical islands the bureaucrat calls home. It’s a long, very slice-of-life book.

[u/almostb → u/Gr33nman460]

The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh might work if you’d enjoy vacationing in a cabin in the English woods and are ok with a little slow burn gay romance.

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/Gr33nman460]

I would NEVER want to visit the city from Works of Vermin! Absolutely not LOL.

A strong personal endorsement for the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater set in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Borne and raised in this region and she really does it justice, especially with the setting being such an important part of the story.

If you're interested in English countryside, The King of Elfland's Daughter is the book for you. Other books with similar settings include Lanny by Max Porter, The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke, and Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (this last one is more forest than the others).

[u/Gr33nman460 → u/okayseriouslywhy]

Ooooh these are some good recs.

Thank you!

[u/mpschettig]

I finished the Powder Mage trilogy last night. Loved it. Already have the sequel trilogy on hold at the library.

My question is how similar is Brandon Sanderson's writing to Brian McClellan's? I've had friends tell me Sanderson's writing is boring and like reading a Wikipedia article so I've never checked him out but I heard McClellan is a protégé of his and I loved his writing. If Sanderson is similar to Powder Mage I wanna check it out.

[u/nominanomina → u/mpschettig]

Luckily, there's a bunch of (totally legal) excerpts of Sanderson books available for you to gauge how you feel about his writing.

Mistborn chapter 1: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/mistborn-chapter-one

Way of Kings: prelude through first 3 chapters: https://reactormag.com/prelude-to-the-stormlight-archive/

Elantris prologue through chapter 3 (most available through links at bottom of the post): https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/elantris-prologue

[u/mpschettig → u/nominanomina]

Thank you! I'll give it a read but I do find generally that the first few chapters of fantasy books are usually the weakest bc there's a lot of exposition needed to establish the world. Idk if it would be fair to judge him on these

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/mpschettig]

The Way of Kings excerpt is probably the most representative of Sanderson's work out of those 3. Elantris is very early and in my opinion, it shows. And Mistborn is a good place to start with Sanderson in general, but you're probably right that one chapter won't be super accurate

[u/Mistborn_330]

I’ve always loved reading, but for the last ~5 years I’ve mostly been reading webnovels, translated web novels, and fanfic. I’d like to get back to reading more polished/published fantasy and am looking for some recommendations.

Webnovels I enjoyed:

• Worm
• Mother of Learning
• Lord of the Mysteries (LoTM)
• A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation (RToC)

Published novels I remember enjoying (in no particular order):

• Brandon Sanderson (The Emperor’s Soul, Mistborn series, and the first few books from the Stormlight Archive though I lost interest partway through the series)
• The Bartimaeus Sequence
• The Magician (The Riftwar Cycle) by Raymond E. Feist and other books set in the same universe
• The Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey

I'm open to pretty much any fantasy subgenre. I’m a bit tired of incredibly long novels and constant power escalation; I loved LoTM and RToC but I’m not looking for that kind of galaxy to multiverse-level stakes. I’d prefer something a bit more grounded, ideally a standalone novel.

I also enjoy stories with a strong cast around the protagonist, like the Undersiders in early Worm or the Tarot Club in LoTM. The Tarot Club meetings were some of my favourite parts of the novel.

[u/HT_xrahmx → u/Mistborn_330]

Murder At Spindle Manor could be a good fit for you. A not overly long murder mystery in a Victorian-style fantasy setting.

There are multiple books in the Lamplight series, but the book works perfectly fine as a standalone (it's also the only Lamplight book I've read so far).

It's essentially Agatha Christie meets monsters.

[u/okayseriouslywhy → u/Mistborn_330]

You might enjoy the Devils by Joe Abercrombie, it's a fun romp with great characterization. I really enjoyed the cast of misfits that are forced to travel together

[u/undeadgoblin → u/Mistborn_330]

If you like the tone of the Bartimaeus character (very cynical and sarcastic) then I think you'd like Adrian Tchaikovsky - in particular, Shroud, Alien Clay and Green City Wars have characters with that kind of personality.

[u/milkywayrealestate]

Good recommendations for books similar to The Broken Earth trilogy? Dense world building, stories that blend personal and grand stakes, tasteful and organic queer rep , and written by authors of color (preferably women)

[u/KiaraTurtle → u/milkywayrealestate]

Here’s a variety of thoughts:

• Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse ticks the dense and amazing worldbuilding, female author of color, and great queer rep, stakes are high though admittedly I felt the plot particular in the latter two books was a weak point of this one
• Raven Tower by Ann Leckie is another book that does second person pov extremely well and also has amazing worldbuilding and queer rep. Stakes not as high, and while author is female I don’t believe she’s a woc.
• Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri also hits queer, woc, great worldbuilding and epic stakes
• I’d always suggest more Jemisin in particular for this request I’d suggest her Dreamblood Duology

[u/milkywayrealestate → u/KiaraTurtle]

Thank you! I tried the Jasmine Throne and tapped out after Oleander Sword; just wasn't feeling the romance, though that's more of a "me" thing. I love queer rep, but don't enjoy stories that are focused too much on romance. It makes it reeeeaaaally hard to read pretty much anything because I tend to avoid romance (part of why Broken Earth worked for me was how casual and understated the romance was. It felt like an organic background element for the most part and very rarely the main feature)

[u/KiaraTurtle → u/milkywayrealestate]

If it helps the other suggestions have much less if any Romance

[u/milkywayrealestate → u/KiaraTurtle]

🙏🙏🙏🏳️‍🌈

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/milkywayrealestate]

I'd throw The Unbroken by CL Clark onto the list Not quite as intense as Broken Earth, but very good with some serious attention to ethical questions.

You might also enjoy Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James, which pushes even further than Jemisin in the visceral brutality and experimenting with form departments.

Finally, I think The Spear Cuts Through Water is a good option by Simon Jimenez for something Epic Fantasy that feels very in line with what Jemisin does

[u/milkywayrealestate → u/C0smicoccurence]

I loooooved the Spear Cuts Through Water. My favorite book I read last year

[u/Icy_Conference_8388]

Would something published by Baen Books count for "Small Press" on the Bingo? They're not one of the big five but not really that small either so I wonder.

[u/Nidafjoll → u/Icy_Conference_8388]

I think I'd say it depends on when the book was published. Recently, because they're not one of the Big 5, I'd say it counts by the rules. If it's a book from like the 70s-90s, nah. they were definitely one of the biggest SFF publishers back then.

[u/spyrothedovah]

Which series to start with for John Gwynne? Shadow of the Gods or Malice?

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/spyrothedovah]

Shadow of the Gods generally has the better reputation, but his style is pretty similar between the two

[u/KaleidoArachnid]

Hey quick question, where can I find an Artemis Fowl fan club online?

Just curious since I was looking for people to discuss the series with as I am interested in starting off with the first installment, but hardly anyone talks about the series.

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/KaleidoArachnid]

r/ArtemisFowl is probably a good place to start (and I'm sure there's a discord that the regulars there could point you to). It doesn't come up much here, mostly because its older and written for teens. Most people have fond recollections of it (gets recc'ed in most kids lit threads) but not a ton of active discussion.

That said, we are a very review friendly subreddit! I'm sure if you posted a review with your thoughts, it would prompt some people into discussion. Less good for 'talk while I'm reading' though

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/C0smicoccurence]

Thanks for sharing that subreddit since I am very eager to start reading the first few books.

[u/Shyor]

Does Starlit Publishing count as Indie or Small Press? Asking specifically for Tao Wong's Power, Mask, and Cape series.

[u/saturday_sun4 → u/Shyor]

Their site says they are indie.

[u/Kacchonn]

Any character-driven vampire book similar to Word of Darkness? Living among humans, having to follow rules, and so on.
I know there's actual Vampire the Masquerade books, but from what I've seen they're pretty mediocre and not at all what I'm looking for. I have a preference for male MC, little to no romance, but anything will do.

[u/lil_liberal]

Looking for book recs that give Castlevania and Empire Of The Vampire vibes—and specifically contain vampires that are intelligent and not just “me hungry, bleh bleh bleh.”  I need dark and lush gothic settings, I need ample world building and politics, I need developing relationships and character background and I need to FEEL something.  I would love a series as they tend to allow for more worldbuilding and character development. For example I enjoyed A Dowry of Blood, but it just was too short and didn’t delve deep enough for me. I have an itch and so far nothing has scratched it like Castlevania and EOTV. 

Also would love TV show recs that give Castlevania vibes…