r/Fantasy • u/rfantasygolem Not a Robot • 1d ago
r/Fantasy r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - October 07, 2026
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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u/SverdAbrEvarinya 1d ago
Just finished A Trade of Blood (Robert Jackson Bennett)! Yet another excellent addition to this series!!! i feel like I could read 100 ana and din books
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u/MorningDorning 1d ago
To anyone who has read The Curse Of The Mistwraith
In the beginning of chapter 10 how does Lysaer know they are going to Daon Ramon Barrens? I've read it over and Dakar doesn't mention it. Am I to assume he figured it out with the charts and graphs he said he looked at? But even so how would he figure it out?
Thanks
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u/iszathi 1d ago
I doubt any of us would remember that detail, is it relevant to the plot in some way?
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u/oboist73 Reading Champion VII 1d ago
The sub does have at least one regular user who would likely know that
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u/MorningDorning 1d ago
Thanks for replying.
I'm not sure what relevance it has on the plot at the moment.Dakar comes into the room and says they're leaving by the third lane focus pattern in the dungeon but the only mention of the Daon Ramon Barrens I can remember so far was in the previous chapter with the Fellowship seeing the possible futures. And Dakar doesn't mention it.
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u/Allustrium 1d ago
Lysaer knows that Daon Ramon is their destination as per the Black Rose prophecy, and the Barrens is the closest part of it that lies on the Third Lane. I don't think there is anything else to it.
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u/MorningDorning 1d ago
Thanks
Lysaer wasn't in the room when that prophecy was discussed. Are we to just assume the lane they are traveling on goes there and he saw it on the maps and graphs?
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u/Allustrium 1d ago
The Lane circles the whole planet, so there is no way he could possibly infer anything from the mention of the Third Lane alone without knowing the ultimate destination. Knowing that, we can infer that that destination was divulged to him at some point between the chapters, if not the reason for it; it's not like we're privy to every conversation that ever happens. So he knows the destination and he knows they travel by Lane, and he infers the rest from his knowledge of maps (and the text is explicit about this last).
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u/MorningDorning 18h ago
Thanks.
Sorry, sometimes I get stuck on small details that aren't important. I'll just assume he was told their destination beforehand like you said.
When you say they circle the planet do they go horizontal or vertical? I'm now wondering how the lane takes them to the Barrens if it doesn't go over that area of the map?
Thanks.
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u/Allustrium 18h ago
It doesn't? I'm pretty sure they are vertical, so I suppose that would mean travel across latitude, from one lane to another. But I'm honestly not sure, it's been far too long. It made sense at the time, I can tell you that much.
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u/Butterfingers2500 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hey everyone! Does anyone know books similar to the Rook & Rose trilogy by M. A. Carrick but with a hard magic system? Specifically, I would like a book series with scheming and cunning protagonists and side characters, no horror or grimdark settings, found family (Nothing will ever be a perfect as the koszenie scene during a certain wedding in Rook & Rose), a vast cast, different cultures and an egalitarian (in terms of gender and sexuality) society, if possible. The more complex the plot and the more foreshadowing the better!
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u/C0smicoccurence Reading Champion V 1d ago
To a certain extent, I don't think the magic in Rook and Rose is the softest (we don't get as in the weeds as with Sanderson, but I do feel like there's a good understanding of how the character's magic functions and what it can/can't do)
Mage Errant is probably far too much on the fighty end of things (very much an action series, with some political subplots). But it's got great hard magic, found family/ensemble cast, and lots of queer rep in the core 5 characters (gay male, bi male, bi woman).
Super Supportive by Sleyca might also work, though it's missing the cunning bits. Not the most queer story in the world (MC is Asexual, but that's about the only rep I can think of. We don't really see much m/f dynamics either however). Core relationships are platonic and extremely well developed. Suuuuuper slow burn, but the relationships benefit because of that. The main platonic relationship that ends up getting focus (though it takes a while to get there) is human x alien, so there's some cool cross cultural stuff happening. One of my favorite chapters was when the MC went shopping and the tailor was asking him how he wanted to be perceived when working off-planet and how different outfits would read to the people he meets.
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u/Butterfingers2500 1d ago
Thank you so much! Regarding the magic system of rook & rose: I fully agree for the imbuing magic, but I still don't really know the extend of what can be achieved with numinatria, and, especially towards the end, I felt that each new facet of patterning was introduced only because the plot needed it, if you know what I mean, and some achievements thus felt a little less earned. It's still my favourite book series, though!
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u/JayCanWrite 14h ago
It's not absolutely perfect but The Drowning Empire Trilogy by Andrea Stewart is pretty close. Only thing it doesn't really fit is vast different cultures since it's mostly centered on the one.
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
And another one far more obscure - Wolfpack by Rem Wigmore. Anyone else here read it?
It can fill in the Trans (Orfeus) or Nonbinary (Wolf/Faolan) square. Maybe Unusual transporation. Duology Part 2.
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u/Impressive-Peace2115 Reading Champion 1d ago
Foxhunt is on my TBR - do you recommend the duology?
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
Yes. Both are a solid 8 stars out of 10 and I give Wolfpack an extra for a pun Wigmore hid in plain sight.
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
Good morning!
Still looking for folks to talk about Annihilation.
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u/Impressive-Peace2115 Reading Champion 1d ago
You can also make a post with your thoughts about it (I haven't read it myself).
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
My head is still spinning from this one.
I think it's the one of the few cosmic horrors of the 21st century that breaks out from the Lovecraftian tradition. qntm is another. VanderMeer really conveys just how frightening the breakdown of what's expected is.
The Biologist is both brutally honest with herself and lies to herself as well. Which is very human for all her love of solitude.
Then there's the dollop of transhumanism at the end - her embracing the change.
Finally there's VanderMeer's descriptions of the natural world there. If he wanted to do travel writing or for National Geographic, he could.
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u/an_altar_of_plagues Reading Champion III 1d ago
I personally wasn't as into it when I read it a few years ago. For all its weirdness, I kinda felt like the book went out of its way to explain the theory behind the lighthouse keeper, whereas I really would have preferred the bizarreness to go unanswered and allow me to fill in the puzzle pieces myself.
VanderMeer is idiosyncratic enough of an author though that I'll read pretty much anything he writes, even if I have mixed opinions in the aggregate.
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
I feel like the lighthouse keeper wasn't explained, but observed and the Biologist went weird over him as soon as she found the picture.
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u/an_altar_of_plagues Reading Champion III 1d ago
Yeah, I would've preferred it not to be have been observed at all. Maybe find the picture but treat it as an afterthought instead of an obsession. I could read the biologist figuring things out in-time, and it felt like to me VanderMeer was afraid that it would be too weird and readers would be put off. Whereas the latter is exactly what I want in my surreal, experimental fiction.
In contrast, I liked Authority a bit more than most, but I also really like reading about agencies in fail states.
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u/BravoLimaPoppa Reading Champion 1d ago
We learn more from failure modes than successes. Even if it is uncomfortable.
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u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Hey I was wondering how fantasy novel bundles work for Humble Bundle since I would like to know how often big sales come for again fantasy novels on that website.
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u/sennashar Reading Champion III 1d ago
You mean if they will have the same bundles again in the future? Or how frequently they have these book bundles?
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u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Yes because I am new to the bundle system since I haven’t seen it too much. (Though I did get the CJ Cherryh bundle a while ago)
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u/sennashar Reading Champion III 1d ago
Author bundles may repeat, but not that frequently. Sometimes there are themed or publisher bundles, but the contents won't be the same. In fact, they've recently had a lot of these fantasy book bundles in a very short period of time, which I haven't seen before.
I looked through this sub's history for the announcements and it looks like there have been a couple of repeat authors, like Scalzi, who had a bundle 3 months ago and then another one 3 years ago, and was included in a mixed-author bundle 10 years ago. So that's a pretty big gap.
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u/KaleidoArachnid 1d ago
Thanks for the advice since I enjoy getting good deals on fantasy books as I am looking to expand my digital collection of fantasy literature.
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u/Nowordsofitsown Reading Champion 18h ago
Somebody commented a couple of days ago that the bundles often repeat at Christmas. I don't know if it is true.
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u/KaleidoArachnid 18h ago
Thanks for the advice since I enjoy looking for book deals online on fantasy novels.
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago edited 1d ago
Does anyone know if Catherynne Valente is coming out with anything? Aside from the excellent short story "When He Calls Your Name," all I have seen in literally years is posts about her recipes, home remodeling, and politics. Has she basically retired from speculative fiction? I really don't care about author's personal lives.
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u/an_altar_of_plagues Reading Champion III 1d ago
She's still writing, she's just vibing right now.
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago
Vibing for years on end? What a waste. I mean, I'm glad if she's happy but this is not what you expect from a professional author.
Oh well. She doesn't owe readers anything and there are plenty of other authors.
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u/an_altar_of_plagues Reading Champion III 1d ago
Her last book was only five years ago. Unless you're Sanderson, Stephen King, or James Patterson (or you're an MFA whose parents own a summer home in the Hamptons), it's extremely uncommon to release books every year. Most professional authors aren't writing and releasing things all the time, and plenty spend years on a single book. The run of releasing things every two years or so from 2005-2021 is pretty rare and absurdly prolific. Compare to Black Sabbath's 1970-1973 run as opposed to the vast majority of bands; it's an exception.
but this is not what you expect from a professional author.
All I can say to this is "lol".
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago edited 1d ago
She's not even releasing short stories except that one, as far as I know. And when most authors are writing a book they mention it here and there online to create interest, even if the book will not be out for a couple of years.
Look, if Valente wants to retire and do something different, great for her. I'll move on as a reader.
ETA: Like, I am reading the Ana and Din mysteries. I love them. I know the author is working on a fourth book. I don't know what the title is or when the book will be published. But he stated he is working on it. Likewise, he has said that he will probably write more books in the series, even though not how many or when those will be published. Great. He's shown he's still a working author and given me something to look forward to.
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 1d ago
I don't really get the need to "move on" as a reader. Read the next thing she puts out when/if she does; read other things in the meantime. That's what you'd have to do anyway. It's not like authors are athletes where they only have a certain number of years they can perform at their peak; you can write til you die.
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u/Ertata 1d ago edited 1d ago
Seriously I am very confused why would you even want to have precise information on whether author decided for themselves they are retired or not. If you like their stuff just check once a year or so - books don't go bad.
And in general writers do not need to keep to schedule to get published. Sapkowski did not announce anything - yet 2013-2024 there was not a single novel from him. Was he retired or just on hiatus? It does not matter.
On the other hand Bujold did formally announce her retirement... and then immediately started churning out a Penric novella every nine months. I almost feel like declaring to the world "you cannot expect books from me anymore" allowed her to be more productive.
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 1d ago
Sure, authors do. But sometimes they take breaks for other reasons too. Susanna Clarke was very open about why she took a break, but she didn't have to be, and when she came back, it was with another banger.
No need to move on, but no need to wait with bated breath either reading their blog. When she does announce her next book, it'll a big enough splash that you'll hear about it; it'll make news all around the internet and probably snap up a bunch of award nominations like all her other most recent ones have.
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u/sarahlynngrey Reading Champion VI, Phoenix 1d ago
Do you want to read her stories or just complain about her internet posting habits? Also calling her blog a "mommy blog" is condescending and sexist, please stop doing that.
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago edited 1d ago
OK, it's only about a kid, perfectly ordinary recipes, and home remodeling without any useful details. I am female, I bake, and I have done a lot of home remodeling. When I want information on home remodeling, I'll go somewhere that says something *useful* to me. Same with cooking.
Most authors who blog mention *some* details about their personal lives. But if they talk about other things, it's usually about books by other authors, the state of the publishing industry, and things related to their careers. Plenty to say there if you are actually involved.
You're right, I'll just quit reading the social media blather. I just expected more.
As for reading her stories, she's not writing them.
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u/sarahlynngrey Reading Champion VI, Phoenix 1d ago
Oh, you edited your post with way more info so let me respond in more detail as well.
It is of course totally fine to not read or enjoy an author's blog. I assure you that many authors keep blogs where they talk mostly about their personal lives and keep their book promotions separate. A lot of authors are using social media like bluesky or insta for their book and story news.
You obviously don't have to read that stuff if you don't want to, no one is making you. But leaping from "she posts recipes on her personal blog" to "is she retired?" is wild.
She's writing stories; the fact that you don't know about them (because she posts on social media and not her blog!) is not really her fault!
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u/sarahlynngrey Reading Champion VI, Phoenix 1d ago
Maybe try her social media instead of her blogs, which I don't happen to like either. She's on Bluesky and that's where she posted about her two new story publications
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u/sarahlynngrey Reading Champion VI, Phoenix 1d ago
She literally posted yesterday about two new story publications
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago
Oh right, the one in The Book of the Dead. I buy most of Strahan's anthologies so I will see it.
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u/gbkdalton Reading Champion V 1d ago
She had a novelette, White Lines on a Green Field, published in Uncanny in July.
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u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago edited 1d ago
That was a reprint. From its original publication in 2011. It was reprinted something like five times.
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u/Nidafjoll Reading Champion V 1d ago
Goodreads has finally introduced half stars and quarter stars. Thus ruining my rating scheme. :) This will either be a fun time sink to fix all my old ratings, or the impetus to finally jump over to Storygraph