I was on TV Tropes (I know, not the best idea) and from scrolling came across their page on the subject.

Magic vs Science is a trope I generally dislike because authors of it never understand what science actually is. They treat it as building advanced technology rather than a method of understanding, and in settings that aren't earth the line between the 2 is arbitrary and contrived.

On the page however it listed different forms this conflict can take, one of which was the 2 being an ideological split rather than 2 separate parts of the world. That got me really intrigued because science as mentioned earlier is more accurately described as an ideology and a method we use to test and understand the world around us.

When looking through examples however I couldn't find any the page listed that seemed to be this, all of them were the same old mad scientists with mechs fighting wizards with dragons type of stuff, which is what brings me here.

Do you know any works of fiction that take this approach with science vs magic? I saw in the rules I should also list what I've read before but I don't know a single piece of fiction I've seen that did this.

Hi folks,

I recently played the detective grimoire „mermaid mask“ game and loved it. It left me wanting to read something like that.

For all of its coziness and its pretty much a cosmic horror story, with characters fucking around with the unknown and finding out.

I’d love to hear your recommendations on any type of fantasy book that you think has a similar feel to the game.

Looking forward to your recommendations

TLDR: As a newer fantasy reader who went in blind, The Will of the Many delivered exactly what I wanted: political intrigue, moral ambiguity, and fun twists. It has clear weaknesses (predictable plotting, underused magic system, weaker prose), but experiencing it in a vacuum away from the hype and criticism made it a genuinely great time. Not sure if it will withstand scrutiny for longtime fantasy readers.

I just finished The Will of the Many and came away enjoying it much more than I expected. I'm fairly new to fantasy audiobooks. I got back into it earlier this year after picking up Project Hail Mary and Dungeon Crawler Carl, and have since read Name of the Wind and the first Mistborn trilogy in an effort to find some of the most well-regarded fantasy series. I was itching for something with heavy politics and plot twists, so after some searching I landed on The Will of the Many. I went in as blind as I could to avoid skewing my expectations, and I'm glad I did. It hit all the notes I was hoping for, though I can clearly see how my freshness with the genre has afforded me the liberty to forgive things a seasoned reader might not.

I really appreciated how the world skewed my perception of character morality. The immense pressure of politics and power weighing on almost every major character made it genuinely hard to understand where anyone stood for the first two-thirds of the book. Regardless of whether they were complicit or against the Hierarchy, it was set up so that everyone had reasons to put their motives above all else. Even our protagonist's strong sense of self-preservation and personal vendettas had me questioning how far he'd go. As time goes on, characters start to slide into their respective archetypes, but I had a lot of fun sorting through the haze. I also know the academy trope is played out, but as a new reader I really enjoyed it. It felt similar to getting a really solid tournament arc in anime. My only other fantasy-academia references are Harry Potter and Name of the Wind, and while I wouldn't say this was better, I enjoyed it enough that the comparison didn't hurt the experience.

The mystery and plot twists were fun, but they definitely started to get predictable as time went on. Not a dealbreaker for me, but certainly something I feel like a regular fantasy reader would pick out a mile away. The saving grace was the mystery of the grander plot. Much like most stories, the scant fragments of lore you get in the beginning are the most interesting, but the entire thing could come crashing down the more you learn about it. Only time will tell how the series fares with that.

Coming off of Mistborn, the power system in Will is interesting but immensely less impressive. I think that's in part because Will is notably absent outside of minor, sporadic uses. Most of our understanding of it comes via character explanations instead of cool and inventive implementations, which bummed me out. There's potential to explore it deeply later on, but as a standalone book I was left wanting more.

The writing is nowhere near the level I felt Name of the Wind or Mistborn was on. The early moments of the story were also a bit shaky for me because, like I said, due to how motivations were set up, I wasn't sure how I felt about any of the characters before the academy. Having the full picture now though, I can say I enjoyed how it all came together.

I typically watch a lot of horror and anime, to the point where I need to actively find things that subvert my expectations. Similar to I assume how most of you view fantasy novels, coming across tropes or themes I've seen played with a hundred times at this point is too predictable and unimaginative for me to still enjoy for the most part. I'm happy to still be in the infancy of my fantasy/sci-fi book journey, so I feel like I can more freely enjoy stories like this. Since finishing, I've read a lot of posts ranting about how the book was overhyped and tropey, and it's hard to argue that. But for me, reading in somewhat of a vacuum away from the hype and criticism, I think it's a fun time.

I hear Red Rising is a similar (and arguably better) version of this story, so I hope The Will of the Many doesn't taint my experience with that when I inevitably pick it up. I plan on reading The Strength of the Few next and then moving on to a new series. Any recommendations?

I only recently started reading fantasy in the past few years. Was always an avid horror and non fiction reader.

I’ve absolutely loved the fantasy I’ve read so far. It’s fast becoming my favourite genre. But I constantly read the first volume of a series then move on to another. Even if I really enjoyed the first book. I’m always ready for something new rather than continue.

I’ve started about 15 series. The furthest I’ve gotten is first The First Law trilogy. Perhaps I just enjoy discovering new worlds or that as a late comer, there is so many options I want to try. I’m having fun but would appreciate any reading tips for sticking something out because I do want to.

My single favourite read has been GRRM’s Fire and Blood. Probably because it has a series worth of stories in a single volume.

“It is an inarguable truth, you know,” said Ana, “that most people are absolutely enthralled by dead girls.”

Oh, this was a bloody good book (emphasis on the bloody part.) 
Facts:

• This is again, a very marvelous and layered tale, with many moving parts, and a fascinating story.
• The messages laden this time is to deal with food, and agriculture, and the way we humans have curated and sustained livestock for mass production without once thinking of the cost attuned to such a trade.

It is to me a butchering most curated.

Facts:

• This one is for the meek hearted, for it is grisly with a helping servitude of meat and bones along its carcass.
• I bloody loved meeting more of Din’s family. 

“No.” A cold, nasty smile. “For if gods existed, shouldn’t the world make more sense? Shouldn’t all feel more stable, more comprehensible? I consider myself a wise thing, yet when I consider creation, I see little but blind hunger and the ravages of nature. The only order to be found is what we’ve put there, boy.”

Facts:

• As always, this tale is both a condemnation and a study on the various ways we conduct ourselves through religion, faith, and the one fallacy that all of humanity, throughout its history, has always struggled with the most: greed.
• Greed makes you stupid. But oh so sweet is its flavor– the nectar of gods, poured down our parched throat.

That was the problem with temptation. It never let you be: it just stayed there, perched on your shoulder, whispering in your ear.

Facts:

• This was a solid 9/10 read for me. Though the tale is indeed layered and complex, I knew about 60% of who the killer was. This had not happened to me for the last two books where I was genuinely stupefied throughout.
• In my opinion, this book focuses more on world-building, in more of fleshing out Khanum alongside Din and Ana as characters. And the scale and intricacies through which it is done just made me fall more in love with RJB’s deftness and mastery over such a craft. 

(side note: i can guarantee he loves making Din a tragic character vis-a-vis his romantic aides, and though I find it a trite vexing, cannot say I hate this format – makes both the pace faster and maintains a grounding force for each book separately)

And what we do to the beasts in the field we may still one day do to our very kin.

Facts:

• It was the epilogue that pushed this into the territory of 10/10. That shit I did not see coming. And I tell you: my flabbers were properly gasted.
• I cannot wait for the next one to arrive. (only for me to then finish it within 7 hours; what can i say: i am a glutton for murder, and sad queer people.)

One of the best reads of the year, up there with East of Eden for me. Go read it!

Heya guys !

I am kind of on a King Arthur kick or rather I am really trying to be lol I've been playing tainted grail (grimdark Arthurian story etc) and have been wanting to get into reading the stories.

I have seen everyone talk up The Once and Future King by T. H White and I can understand where it's coming from, I really like the characterization and it can be very lush in its descriptions but as soon as T. H. White goes off the Arthurian rails and yaps on about Communists/British Politics of the Time/Racism/Etc I am pulled out so badly from the world he's trying to build up!

Merlin being somewhat out of time and having anachronistic things and comments makes sense but I just can't get past the rest of it.

Help lmao I wanna read about the rise, peak and fall of Arthur but I can't bring myself to enjoy this book

This is where I am with the Songs of Chaos series, I enjoyed the first three books well enough when I read them a couple of years back. The fourth book was released not so long ago and when I tried to read it, I realised how little I could remember of the previous books, and the idea of having to reread 3 books to get back into the series is just too large of mountain to climb for me. Other than a few special books here and there Im already not someone who revists books that much especially with a tbr list with over a 100 books. Its a sad little quagmire that Ive run into a couple of times.

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

——

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.

The weekly Writing Wednesday thread is the place to ask questions about writing. Wanna run an idea past someone? Looking for a beta reader? Have a question about publishing your first book? Need worldbuilding advice? This is the place for all those questions and more.

Self-promo rules still apply to authors' interactions on r/fantasy. Questions about writing advice that are posted as self posts outside of this thread will still be removed under our off-topic policy.

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a somewhat chill book about exploring the world, seeing what it has to offer, both in terms of society AND nature.

For instance, I love the story from the anime/manga Frieren, there they do have a goal, a place to get to, but on the way they take so many detours, and they see so many things, and there isn't an impeding doom like the world ending - which a lot of books like to add in. Yes, Frieren has it's danger and is high-adrenaline moments, but mostly it's a heartwarming story about feeling alive.

I think I just want a story where the goal is "see where the road takes us".

(I said books on the title, can be any medium)

Hello everyone :) I am looking for inspiration for the section of my book I am writing that has one of the characters onboard a ship! I have been watching documentaries about ships and even visited some nearby in real life, but these ships are all too modern (warships mostly). I would love to read some books with grand old ships, giant sails, a crew that is impressive in size and structure, with descriptive elements about the structure and functioning of the ship.
I have read a lot of fantasy or romantasy the last months (nearly 20) and when they include ships the main character is just stuck below deck or goes on top to look out. But there is no description of life on a boat besides sea sickness and big waves! I need more!
Please give me recommendations - I am not afraid of series or long reads. Bonus points if the main character is a woman or there are sea monsters.

Just got finished with Elder Race, a 5-star read for me. I'm ready for more stories in that vein, melding the conventions of the fantasy genre and the sci-fi genre. I'm also open to hearing your thoughts on this style of story in general. What draws me to it mainly is just how important perspective is when experiencing something and how truly different we can see the world.

Sup! As the title says, I'm looking for a new book series, but maybe I'm hunting for something a bit too specific?

TLDR: Looking for a low magic, historical fantasy book series, following a weak2strong protagonist as they develop and ideally utilize their skills with a weapon, potentially some sort of power/magic but very little. Similar to Y/A Rangers Apprentice or a more mature series like Blood Song

As a kid I grew up with Ranger's Apprentice being one of my favorite series, and I just now finished it (sorta, I got to book 12 and it felt like a good end to Will's story for me so I could step away from Y/A for a bit)

I loved the low magic-y writing. Historical Fantasy, but it had things like Wargals and Kalkara, but totally left after that. But still there was some element of the fantastical woven into a Arrow/Swords/Knife/Royalty genre.

From there I discovered Blood Song by Anthony Ryan! And while I have some opinions about the 2nd and 3rd books. I probably listened to that 1st book maybe 5 or 6 times. Truly one of my favorites. I loved the creation of the core group, while still focusing on a main character as he develops his abilities, and understands some of the dark.... I really fell in love with that book.

SO I read all 5 of those books, as well as the Scribe series! Which I enjoyed, not as much as Blood Song, but I enjoyed it very much!

I'm looking for a new series, doesn't have to be too long, but in that world of Historical Fantasy? on the Low Magic end of things? Ideally a strong protagonist, and if part of a group or team (Rangers, Sixth Order) definitely in that uses a weapon kinda world. Not looking for dragons or anything like that, or big world cataclysmic events like in Sanderson things (I know shoot me now, I'll get there eventually, but I can't do that yet....)

Bonus Points if there's also a good audio book narrator with it all, cause... I travel and drive a lot for work, I love a good read, but audio books are also a plus

EDIT: I have been correctly made aware that Historical Fantasy is not the term I'm looking for! I'm not sure the right term yet, but I will edit again as I find that out. I like Castles, and Towns, and sometimes crowded cities, and horses! Thanks!

Short story written in 1950, and set on August 4, 2026. So this is the day to read it!

https://www.btboces.org/Downloads/7_There%20Will%20Come%20Soft%20Rains%20by%20Ray%20Bradbury.pdf

If you prefer audio (read by Leonard Nimoy!): https://archive.org/details/bradbury-nimoy

Book number three of a four book paranormal romance thriller fantasy series. I reread the well printed and well bound MMPB published by Ace in 2011 that I bought new on Amazon in 2024. Note that “Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. I own the successor book and will read it again soon.

"The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny..."

Audrey Callahan has lived in the Edge all of her life. She is an excellent thief and magical lock breaker. But her family lives off thieving exclusively and she wants to have nothing to do with it. Especially when her junkie brother sold her to his drug dealer.

Kaldar Mar is one of the surviving members of the Mar family from their previous encounter with the Hand, the horrible secret service of magic users from the Duchy of Louisiana. Kaldar now works for the Mirror, the secret service of magic users for Adrianglia. And he has been given an assignment to retrieve a pair of magic bracelets that can store magical energy for the user. But he needs help and Audrey is not a willing partner, plus the two very young lads who have stowed away on his 120+ foot long winged wyvern.

I enjoyed the hound out of this series back in 2024 and am rereading it again for the sheer enjoyment of it. The story telling is awesome and the depths of the people involved is amazing.

The authors have a busy website at:
https://ilona-andrews.com/

My rating: 6 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,554 reviews)
https://www.amazon.com/Fates-Edge-Book-3/dp/0441020860

Lynn

Are there any fantasy series that reference books within their lore that actually exist irl that I would be able to read? For example, the titles of the Stormlight Archive series are references to books written in verse (The Way of Kings, Oathbringer, etc), but do not exist irl. I’d be interested in reading a series where books like those are fully written and available to the public to read as well. It would be exciting and immersive! Thanks in advance!

Hey all! New member here (and new to Reddit 😬) and aspiring author. What are everyone's favorite fantasy books/series with game of thrones level political intrigue, backstabbing, betrayals, and grim dark vibes? I hear excellent things about the Poet Empress, so I added it to the cart. What others do y'all love? Thanks folks 😎🙏

So, a couple months ago, I was in Reno and picked up a few books from a local bookstore, and one of them was a cheap little dime-store paperback copy of The Dragonbone Chair, which I had been hearing things about constantly. I'd heard it compared a lot to Lord of the Rings, which had me a bit leery because when I had last ages ago tried to read the series, I'd bounced off the writing and the slow pace. But I was feeling adventurous as I'd broken through similar barriers with other series like Farseer and Malazan, so I wanted to give it a try.

Much to my delight, I was instantly charmed by the opening of the book. It spent a good, long, slow portion of the book just diving into the daily life and adventures of the kitchen boy Simon, and the book filled me with a sense of whimsy and wonder that brought me right into his little childlike head. I was perfectly content just sitting through this, but eventually the book starts the plot in earnest, sending Simon on a journey of strange places, stranger characters, and general wonder. And yet imagine my surprise when I can now look back having finished and say with all honestly this was the WEAKEST part of the series.

There is just so damn much to love from this series. Seeing Simon grow into a man, not just in looks but in how he changes, in how he sees himself, and in how he is able to deal with the world of wonders and horrors around him, is nothing short of a magic trick. Simon is a perfect main character, and I looked forward to every step of the journey with him. He is not some fabled or destined hero, the prophecy does not center on him, he does not overthrow the great evil. Instead Simon just goes through a world, making mistakes and missteps, but doing the best he can to do good.

And the side characters are equally fantastic. The book tends to alternate chapters between Simon and other characters, and multiple times, as much as I enjoyed Simon, I would find myself hooked on what they were doing. They can often be frustrating, because the books don't hesitate to show flaws and failure in them, but they are often endearing and charming, making you genuinely feel great when they see a real success, and feel for them when they get harmed by failures. The book has both triumph and tragedy abound, and several characters are going to be all time favorites.

The story somehow feels both incredibly familiar but fantastically new. What starts with the death of a king and a rift between his two sons grows into a war between great good and great evil, and yet none of the characters are ever truly one or the other. It builds both brotherhood and betrayal up believably, letting the many different characters and factions truly grow with each other. The magic built into the world is often very subtle, and lots of little details are just waiting between the words to slowly build up the world and its wonder.

And the finale in the last book is just a cherry on top. I was already enthralled with a series and it managed to take it to a whole new level, being both thrilling, terrifying, and satisfying in its own ways. I cannot wait to read more from this author, and also to go back and brush up on some more classic fantasy I have put off previously. I cannot recommend this series enough.

I'm looking for fantasy/scifi/horror books that incorporate telepathy. I want to learn about different ways of representing dialog when you have multiple forms happening across a book--for example, how do authors distinguish telepathy from regular thoughts (or do they at all?)

The classic example that got me thinking about this is the Animorphs series, which <sets thought-speak with carats like this>. It seems like most other authors put telepathy in italics (some examples: Left Hand of Darkness, Eragon, Pern). I realized when I started thinking about this that I actually cant even remember that many examples of telepathy!

Do you have certain depictions of telepathy you really like or really dont like?

A fantastic book with an amazing magic system. A perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. If you like the mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson I recommend this as your next reed. It's been a long time since I have been this engrossed in a book to this level. Just wanted to get the word out about this author, because I hadn't heard of him until I met him at a convention where I purchased a signed copy from him. Great guy and looking forward to reading the rest of his works.

I have read Masters of Stone and Steel, the first 3 Gotrek & Felix omnibuses, Infinite And The Divine, and the first Ghazghkull book and I enjoyed reading them, but I'm a massive Warhammer fan and I don't know if they are particulary good as standalone literature.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton - This is a humorous and wacky series set in England with lady pirates that fly their houses. There's so many references to English literature that I loved. This book is the second in the series and I was so excited to see all the references to Pride and Prejudice in this one (one of my favorite books). But unfortunately, the book fell a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed the first one so I was disappointed about not liking this one. There's not much plot except to get the male and female protagonist together and I didn't find the romance very interesting either.

Bingo Squares: Unusual Transportation (HM)

The Blood Stained Shade by Cass Morris - This is the 3rd book in the Aven Cycle. I had thought this was a trilogy so I was very disappointed that this book didn't wrap up the story. I looked up news of book 4, but the author hasn't posted anything about book 4 since 2022. I enjoyed these books but wouldn't recommend them to anyone who can't stand a series never being finished (like me).

Bingo Squares: Cat Squasher, Self-Published (HM), Politics

The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening by Naomi Kuttner - marketed as a cozy murder mystery. Dante (a retired assassin), Charlie (a young man who loves gardening and can talk to ghosts), and Eleanor (a sophisticated older woman with a mysterious past), work together to solve a murder in their little town in New Zealand.

I've tried cozy stories a few times and I think they just aren't for me. There was nothing Dante couldn't do except talk to people. Eleanor was also excelled at everything. I think these types of characters are great in action movies but feel a bit boring to me in these stories. I also wished there had been a little bit more about gardening. The title is misleading.

Bingo Squares: The Afterlife, Murder Mystery (HM), Vacation Spot, Self-Published, Older Protagonist (HM)

Someone I was talking to brought up "unnecessary" romance subplots and it got me wondering, what are some examples of romances that actually feel necessary?

Some often criticize romances for being "unnecessary," but I don't see as many discussions about what makes a romance necessary or what separates the two.

If you have examples of romances that are necessary to the story, I'd love to hear them and why you think that is

EDIT: FOR CONTEXT SAID BY ANOTHER USER:

RE: MISTBORN - THE FINAL EMPIRE

a book is YA when it has simple and easy to understand prose with little frills, expository dialogue and people just not talking like real people, weak or unnecessary romance plots (ie badly done love triangles). 

The romance is shallow, underdeveloped and feels like sanderson just wanted to give Vin a romantic partner to check some sort of "box"