My 38 favorite books of 2023
No, these aren't all books that were released in 2023, but they are all books I read in 2023.
I love fantasy books, and this year I fell hard for many, many books. If you love fantasy too, then there are close to 20 books and comics you can read for free behind my paywall, including my free-to-read portal fantasy series, The Godsverse Chronicles, which updates every week.
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I don’t even know how many books I read a year. I used to track it, but I stopped a long time ago. I know I’ve listened to at least a hundred audiobooks this year, and I’ve probably read more than that in both comics and novels. I know for sure it’s over 200, and it’s probably significantly higher than that ridiculous number. Perhaps you are the same?
I do know that most books I read wash over me, but some sit with me and stay with me for a long time. It might be ridiculous to fete close to 20% of the books you read in a year, but I really, really loved all of these enough that they deserve it. In contrast, I’ve already read over a dozen books this year and haven’t felt like any of them were worthy of putting on a best-of list.
So, I’m not just some casual book slut or anything 👀. I mean, I guess I will read just about anything, but I am very picky about those I love enough to talk about, even if it doesn’t seem that way.
The problem is I read across so many genres and I wanted to include them all, and enough of them to mean something. Like, how can you read Yellowface AND Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in one year and not talk about them both? Impossible, so I refuse to choose.
This year, I fell in love with Chirp. I fell in love with audiobooks last year, but now I spend so much money on Chirp.
With my chronic migraines, it’s hard to read as many books, so I’ve been loving reading audiobooks. I’ve also found that some books I didn’t like while reading came alive in audio.
These aren’t all books that came out this year. Some came out long ago, but I found them all this year. These are the ones I keep thinking about, and the ones I recommend to others.
As you’ll see, I like light books and heavy books, but I definitely prefer fantasy books, and specifically portal fantasy books.
Is this too many books to include in a best of list? Oh, heck yes. It’s way too many. Ask me if I care, though? Or, just enjoy the list.
Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation.
Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.
When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.
Why I loved it: I actually read both Atlas Six and the sequel Atlas Paradox this year, and I’m not sure this would have showed up on my top tist without the sequel to cement some of the concepts in the first book. However, together they create an absolutely riveting story in the tradition of The Magicians.
Hellbent by Leigh Bardugo
Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell in #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent.
Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.
Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.
Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.
Why I loved it: You can’t really talk about Atlas Six without talking about the sequel to Ninth House. I really enjoyed Ninth House, but like with Atlas Six I needed the second book to really create something I absolutely adored. If you liked the first book, this is a great one.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for...
Why I loved it: Please everyone drop what you’re doing and write more cozy fantasy books. I’ve always loved paranormal cozy mystery, and I love love love these cozy fantasies.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.
Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.
Why I loved it: This is the year that Naomi Novik became one of my favorite authors. It’s very, very hard to join the list of my favorites, but I have loved everything that she has ever done from Scholomance to her twisted fairy tales like this one.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.
Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.
Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.
A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.
Why I loved it: Stephen King is not an author that resonated with me until I started to listen to him on audio and fell in love with his work. This is easily my favorite of his novels, aside from the Dark Tower series.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
Christopher is seven years old.
Christopher is the new kid in town.
Christopher has an imaginary friend.
We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.
Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.
At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.
Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers everywhere feel infinite. Now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror, years in the making, whose grand scale and rich emotion redefine the genre. Read it with the lights on.
Why I loved it: This book is dark in all the best ways, and it has a great twist. I love me a “child stuck dealing with powers they can’t control” tale, and this is one of my favorites. I can’t get enough of subversions of the chosen one narrative.
The Gifts by Liz Hyder
It will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .
October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in the English countryside as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.
In London, rumors of a "fallen angel" cause a frenzy across the city, and a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger...
The Gifts is an astonishing novel, a spellbinding tale told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.
Why I loved it: This book lingered with me for weeks after I read it. I thought about it, and the lessons it showed me about power, descending into madness, and kindness through horrible viciousness brought on by what somebody thinks is righteous actions.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.
Why I loved it: More cozy fantasy. I love me some faeries and this is just such a charming cozy fantasy tale. If you’re looking for something light and lovely, I highly recommend this one.
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Why I loved it: First, I loved this whole series. It’s charming and gritty in equal measure. I love paranormal cozy mystery, but sometimes I want something a little harder, where the stakes are real. However, I don’t want to go the whole Graham Masterton route, either. This was just charming enough to feel cozy and just dark enough that it kept you on the edge of your toes.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Set in the days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time—from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains—this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet.
Why I loved it: If you’ve read Katrina Hates the Dead, you know that I have a special place in my heart for post-apoc novels. After all, an Apocalypse is the crux by which the whole of The Godsverse Chronicles revolves. However, as I’ve grown older I have become less and less able to stomach the dystopian gloom of post-apoc novels, which is why I love Station Eleven so much. It’s a relatively newish category of hopeful post-apoc that sees people in general trying to do the best they can and rebuild societu.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe.
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once.
That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.
As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.
Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy.
Why I loved it: OH MY GOD!!!!! This might be my favorite book of all time. I love Ninth House and Atlas Six, but this surpasses even those classics and, y’all if you pick up one book on this list, make it this one. If you love The Magicians or any of the books I mentioned above, it’s so good. It’s bonkers that the only other things this author has written are non-fiction coding manuals. And yes, I did just say this might be my favorite book of all time. I stick with it.
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.
Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.
Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.
The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.
Why I loved it: If you like China Meiville, Haruki Murakami, or Jason Pargin, this is very much in the same vein. However, but with tighter storytelling. I love the other three authors I mentioned, but they love to veer off into tangents just because they want to explore their weird world. In the same way, Chuck Palahniuk likes to one truly heinous plot point in every book that makes me want to wretch and throw the book away. This book does none of those things and manages to create a tight mystery-thriller set in a world of horror and magic while still making it feel vibrant and unique.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Under the streets of London there's a world most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet.
"Neverwhere" is the London of the people who have fallen between the cracks.
Strange destinies lie in wait in London below - a world that seems eerily familiar. But a world that is utterly bizarre, peopled by unearthly characters such as the Angel called Islington, the girl named Door, and the Earl who holds Court on a tube train.
Now a single act of kindness has catapulted young businessman Richard Mayhew out of his safe and predictable life - and into the realms of "Neverwhere." Richard is about to find out more than he ever wanted to know about this other London. Which is a pity. Because Richard just wants to go home...
Why I loved it: I will listen to anything Neil Gaiman reads, and of all the books in his catalog, this is probably my favorite, aside from Good Omens. It’s messed up, weird fantasy that keeps you guessing. It’s filled with characters you love and I love me a good underground portal fantasy where the poor and maligned get a fantastical world to inhabit.
Did you read any of these ones? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.
The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso
The mage-marked granddaughter of a ruler of Vaskandar, Ryx was destined for power and prestige at the top of Vaskandran society. But her magic is broken; all she can do is uncontrollably drain the life from everything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers.
Then, one night, two terrible accidents befall her: Ryx accidentally kills a visiting dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle.
Ryx flees, seeking a solution to her deadly magic. She falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts investigating the disturbance in Vaskandar—and Ryx realizes that her family is in danger and her domain is at stake. She and her new colleagues must return to the family stronghold to take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world.
Why I loved it: When I first started using Chirp, this series was one of the first that I came across and it’s the best one I’ve bought on a whim. It’s a trilogy of books. It’s dark and moody and romantic and messed up. It reminds me of Fullmetal Alchemist mixed with a twisted fairy tale, which is totally my mood.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.
But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.
Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.
Why I loved it: I’m not huge on sword and sorcery as a genre, but the protagonist is so compelling and the way they tell the story keeps me guessing and draws me deeper into the world. I love love love this one mainly because the narrator is so compelling and the voice is so strong.
A Demon in Silver by Richard S. Ford
In a world where magic has vanished, rival nations vie for power in a continent devastated by war.
When a young farm girl, Livia, demonstrates magical powers for the first time in a century there are many across the land that will kill to obtain her power. The Duke of Gothelm’s tallymen, the blood-soaked Qeltine Brotherhood, and cynical mercenary Josten Cade: all are searching for Livia and the power she wields.
But Livia finds that guardians can come from the most unlikely places… and that the old gods are returning to a world they abandoned.
Why I loved it: I’m a sucker for high fantasy, especially when conniving gods are involved. I loved this whole trilogy, and I’m so glad it had a satisfying resolution. Additionally, there is a mythology both based on some gods you know, some new gods, and interesting twists on a pantheon all around.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.
But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.
Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.
Why I loved it: “Oh wow, Russell. You love one of the most popular books of the year. What a surprise!” True, but also, this is the best depiction of building a creative business I have ever seen. Any creative trying to build their own name in the world should read it.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family's library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection--a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.
For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements--books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.
All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries...
Why I loved it: I did not expect much from this book when I got it. I mean, I expected it to be the kind of thing I would get into, but it blew me away. The characters also have a very Magicians, magic is messed up vibed to it that kept me wondering what horrible thing would happen next, and it all comes to a head in this incredible way that I love. When somebody can make multiple point of view characters mix and mingle in satisfying ways, I’ll probably love their work.
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
One of Alasdair Gray's most brilliant creations, Poor Things is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter - a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter's scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless's jealous love for Baxter's creation.
The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be "the whole story" in the hands of a lesser author (which in fact it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter. Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between the desires of men and the independence of women, from one of Scotland's most accomplished author.
Why I loved it: The movie is amazing, but the book blew my mind. The introduction and how the author set up the book is enough of a masterclass in writing to be worth the read, but how every section builds and contradicts the previous parts while building out a work is fascinating.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody.
White lies
When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song.
Dark humour
But as evidence threatens June’s stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
Deadly consequences…
What happens next is entirely everyone else’s fault.
With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.
Why I loved it: This is a very inside baseball book written by an author who has been in publishing a long time and it shows. It was freaky how accurate this was to how the publishing industry at large and an author career in specific works, but hopefully with less cultural appropriation and stealing the work of dead authors.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Author Brandon Sanderson expands his Cosmere universe shared by The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn with a new standalone novel for everyone who loved The Princess Bride.
The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
Why I loved it: This is the first of Brandon Sanderson’s “pandemic books” and I think it’s one of the strongest ones I’ve read from him. It’s so odd in a way that the best Brandon Sanderson books are, and the voice is so strong that the comedy is never played for a joke. It all weaves into one incredible world and story.
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson meshes Jason Bourne and epic fantasy in this captivating adventure that throws an amnesiac wizard into time travel shenanigans—where his only hope of survival lies in recovering his missing memories.
A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?
Why I loved it: This is the second Brandon Sanderson book of the year. Don’t worry, this is the last one. I haven’t had a chance to read the other two, but this one is so different from the last book that I had to add it. It has a very Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold! vibe. In fact, the vibe is so strong that if Sanderson stood in front of me and swore to God he was not influenced by it I wouldn’t believe him.
Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey
Thora and Santi are strangers in a foreign city when a chance encounter intertwines their fates. At once, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit—someone who shares their insatiable curiosity, who is longing for more in life than the cards they’ve been dealt. Only days later, though, a tragic accident cuts their story short.
But this is only one of the many connections they share. Like satellites trapped in orbit around each other, Thora and Santi are destined to meet again: as a teacher and prodigy student; a caretaker and dying patient; a cynic and a believer. In numerous lives they become friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies. But as blurred memories and strange patterns compound, Thora and Santi come to a shocking revelation—they must discover the truth of their mysterious attachment before their many lives come to one, final end.
Why I loved it: I absolutely thought I was going to get a different book when I started it. I thought I was in for a book not unlike A Dog’s Purpose, which was sad I couldn’t finish it. This one had a very 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle vibe, which was one of my favorite books from last year. Anytime you can pull the wool over my eyes like that, I’m gonna love you.
The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson
If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today?
Ringmaster — Rin, to those who know her best — can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. And the circus they lead is a rare home and safe haven for magical misfits and outcasts, known as Sparks.
With the world still reeling from World War I, Rin and her troupe — the Circus of the Fantasticals — travel the midwest, offering a single night of enchantment and respite to all who step into their Big Top.
But threats come at Rin from all sides. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their show and everyone in it. And Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow she can’t fully escape.
It takes the form of another circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. Rin's circus has something he wants, and he won't stop until it's his.
Why I loved it: This is everything The Night Circus should have been and more. Listen, I think Starless Sea, her second book, is a masterpiece, but I did not get into The Night Circus. This book on the other hand was everything I wanted from a magical circus filled with weird magical creatures and misfits.
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
In the 1990s, heavy metal band Dürt Würk was poised for breakout success -- but then lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom as Koffin, leaving his fellow bandmates to rot in rural Pennsylvania.
Two decades later, former guitarist Kris Pulaski works as the night manager of a Best Western - she's tired, broke, and unhappy. Everything changes when she discovers a shocking secret from her heavy metal past: Turns out that Terry's meteoric rise to success may have come at the price of Kris's very soul.
This revelation prompts Kris to hit the road, reunite with the rest of her bandmates, and confront the man who ruined her life. It's a journey that will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a Satanic rehab center and finally to a Las Vegas music festival that's darker than any Mordor Tolkien could imagine. A furious power ballad about never giving up, even in the face of overwhelming odds, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul...where only a girl with a guitar can save us all.
Why I loved it: Grady Hendrix is hit or miss for me. I loved The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and How to Sell a Haunted House, but not The Final Girl Support Group. This one is one I loved and might have loved more than all of the others.
The Coward by Stephen Aryan
Who will take up the mantle and slay the evil in the Frozen North, saving all from death and destruction? Not Kell Kressida, he's done his part...
Kell Kressia is a legend, a celebrity, a hero. Aged just seventeen he set out on an epic quest with a band of wizened fighters to slay the Ice Lich and save the world, but only he returned victorious. The Lich was dead, the ice receded and the Five Kingdoms were safe.
Ten years have passed Kell lives a quiet farmer's life, while stories about his heroism are told in every tavern across the length and breadth of the land. But now a new terror has arisen in the north. Beyond the frozen circle, north of the Frostrunner clans, something has taken up residence in the Lich's abandoned castle. And the ice is beginning to creep south once more.
For the second time, Kell is called upon to take up his famous sword, Slayer, and battle the forces of darkness. But he has a terrible secret that nobody knows. He's not a hero - he was just lucky. Everyone puts their faith in Kell the Legend, but he's a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone...
Why I loved it: As I mentioned above, I don’t love sword and sorcery, but I do love characters dealing with the ramifications of their actions. Like The Blacktongue Thief the narrator is uber compelling, but for the exact opposite reason. While that character was a smarmy, roguish trickster at the top of his game, this narrator is a disillusioned, over-the-hill, down-on-his-luck adventurer who is scarred and damaged from a quest he thought would bring him honor and glory.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.
Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.
Pursued by demons, and in the midst of a burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.
Why I loved it: The type of fantasy I love most are those stories of humans against gods, of incredible struggle to regain your fate in a world that is desperate to take your agency away from you. This is the main thematic undercurrent of most of my books, especially The Godsverse Chronicles. I especially love it if the author can wrap that heady theme into a character driven story, and I love every character in Godkiller. I came to this book late in the year, after being swayed to buy it on Chirp after seeing it on several best of lists, and I was not disappointed.
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster.
The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.
When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene's temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge--on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon's actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude.
Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon...
In Stone Blind, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes turns our understanding of this legendary myth on its head, bringing empathy and nuance to one of the earliest stories in which a woman--injured by a powerful man--is blamed, punished, and monstered for the assault. Delving into the origins of this mythic tale, Haynes revitalizes and reconstructs Medusa's story with her passion and fierce wit, offering a timely retelling of this classic myth that speaks to us today.
Why I loved it: I’ve never met a story featuring Medusa that I didn’t love, but this one is head and shoulders above anything else I’ve ever read. One of the main characters in The Obsidian Spindle Saga is a gorgon, so I’m always interested in sympathetic retellings of Medusa. Also, if you make a compelling, sympathetic story about any mythological monster, I’m probably all over it.
Unraveller by Frances Hardinge
A dark YA fantasy about learning to use your power and finding peace, from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
In a world where anyone can create a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them.
Kellen does not fully understand his talent, but helps those transformed maliciously—including Nettle. Recovered from entrapment in bird form, she is now his constant companion and closest ally.
But Kellen has also been cursed, and unless he and Nettle can remove his curse, Kellen is in danger of unravelling everything—and everyone—around him . . .
Why I loved it: If you love Neil Gaiman, you must read this book, and the whole series. She has made a whole universe that functions like a Neil Gaiman book. Every one is worth reading. They are haunting and wicked and just glorious. I read the whole series and love every single one of them. This is probably my favorite. For the most part, they can all be read as stand-alone. I would take them in the series order you can read them on her website.
Have you read any of the ones I’ve mentioned so far? Anything catch your eye? Let me know in the comments.
A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin
A gorgeous fantasy in the spirit of Pan’s Labyrinth and John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things.
Set in a world similar to our own, during a war that parallels World War II, A Green and Ancient Light is the stunning story of a boy who is sent to stay with his grandmother for the summer in a serene fishing village. Their tranquility is shattered by the crash of a bullet-riddled enemy plane, the arrival of grandmother’s friend Mr. Girandole—a man who knows the true story of Cinderella’s slipper—and the discovery of a riddle in the sacred grove of ruins behind grandmother’s house. In a sumptuous idyllic setting and overshadowed by the threat of war, four unlikely allies learn the values of courage and sacrifice.
Why I loved it: I love the emergent genre of cozy fantasy, and this was my favorite one of the year. It’s a very small story filled with amazing relationships and characters. If you’re looking for some low fantasy joy, then check this one out.
The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Child comes a hypnotic literary horror novel about a young boy trapped inside his own world, whose drawings blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
Ever since he nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, ten-year-old Jack Peter Keenan has been deathly afraid to venture outdoors. Refusing to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine, Jack Peter spends his time drawing monsters. When those drawings take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean, and she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper, who fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy’s only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the frightful occurrences as the outside world encroaches upon them all.
In the tradition of The Turn of the Screw, Keith Donohue’s The Boy Who Drew Monsters is a mesmerizing tale of psychological terror and imagination run wild, a perfectly creepy read for a dark night.
Why I loved it: Okay, confession. I disliked every character in this book. It was difficult to get through and I kind of wanted them all to die in the end, but holy crap what an ending. I can’t stop thinking about this book and I read it weeks ago.
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies the city of New Crobuzon, where the unsavory deal is stranger to no one--not even to Isaac, a gifted and eccentric scientist who has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before encountered. Though the Garuda's request is scientifically daunting, Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger. Soon an eerie metamorphosis will occur that will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon--and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it evokes.
Why I loved it: Like the previous book, I hated everything about this book…except that I can’t stop thinking about it even months and months later. The ending has haunted me since I finished it and I find myself randomly thinking about it, so I just have to put it on this list.
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.
Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.
Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.
As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.
If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.
Why I loved it: If you don’t love Alix Harrow, I’m not sure we can be best friends. She is one of my favorite writers of all time, along with Stephanie Garber, Melissa Albert, Madeline Miller, Naomi Novik, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and Lewis Carroll. I thought her last two books were good, but I absolutely adored this one. It was everything I loved about her previous books combined with a haunted house and a messed up love story. I mean, she checked all the boxes with this one.
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
“A Time-Twisting Delight” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club June ’23 Pick)
If you had the power to change the past…where would you start?
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now.
• She's just been dumped.
• She's just been fired.
• Her local café has run out of banana muffins.
Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.
“A great read-alike for The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, and The Boys by Katie Hafner.” —Booklist (STARRED)
Why I loved it: The writing is funny, the main character is charming and she uses time travel to fix banal annoying bits in her life and to avoid social anxiety. Finally, a time traveler I can relate to deep in my soul. If I could blink away conversations and fix annoyances, I’d be keen on it. I would also use it to eat banana nut muffins all day, so again, we are sympatico in all sorts of ways.
The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona
An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town. She hopes for solace and inspiration, but the muse she finds within is not what she expected.
Why I loved it: What was that thing I just said about twisted love stories and haunted houses? This one has everything, plus incredible art on top of it. Whether you’re a diehard comic fan or a new one, if you like horror, I highly recommend checking this one out.
Home Sick Pilots by Dan Watters and Caspar Wijngaard
In the summer of 1994, a haunted house walks across California. Inside is Ami, lead-singer of a high school punk band- who's been missing for weeks. How did she get there? What do these ghosts want? And does this mean the band have to break up?
Expect three chord songs and big bloody action as Power Rangers meets The Shining (yes really), and as writer DAN WATTERS (Lucifer/COFFIN BOUND) and artist CASPAR WIJNGAARD (Star Wars/Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt) delve into the horrors of misspent youth.
Why I loved it: Back-to-back-to-back haunted house books? Well, this is nothing like the previous two. It’s basically kaiju meets horror, and it’s just so bonkers, dark, twisted, and fun in a way I haven’t hard in comics in a long time, if ever.
Inkblot by Emma Kubert and Rusty Gladd
A powerful sorceress must attempt to correct her greatest mistake--the creation of a magical cat which can travel through time, space, and the seven realms of reality. The cat threatens to unravel the fabric of the universe, doesn't care, and just won't listen!
Why I loved it: I am so bummed this one only lasted two volumes, because it was basically Sandman if the main character was a cat. Granted, I’m pretty sure Sandman had at least one issue when they were a cat, but this is all the things I love about cats and everything I love about Sandman crashed together. Since they are standalone stories, it’s not like you’ll miss anything if you read the whole run and then it abruptly ends. I just love this idea and wish it kept going.
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood
Cartoonist Zoe Thorogood records 6 months of her own life as it falls apart in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how. IT’S LONELY AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH is an intimate and metanarrative look into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival.
Why I loved it: If it wasn’t for The Library at Mount Char this would likely be my favorite book of the year. I am obsessed with reading this book. Like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow it beautifully and perfectly shows what it means to be a creator with mental health issues trying to create and get out of their own way. It literally tells the story of making this book while she was making this book. It’s so meta and I love it.
Now, I’m throwing it to you. Did you read anything I mentioned above? Anything I missed? What was your favorite book of the year? Let me know!
If you love fantasy, then I highly recommend you check out my free serial, The Godsverse Chronicles.
Sadie was a changeling, which made her an excellent thief. She built a good life for herself off her incredible talents. After amassing a small fortune in the criminal underworld, she was ready to retire and live a simple life with her girlfriend.
Unfortunately for her, Sadie had a weakness for gobs of money made quickly. So, when a job came along that promised her $250,000 for a few days of work, she couldn’t say no.
All she had to do was track down an impossible-to-find dagger before the end of the week and she would be rolling in dough.
How hard could it be? Besides, she was the best…but even the best fall down sometimes.
Her mission will take her across the Cold War-era world and into the seedy underbelly of the demonic weapons trade. Can she avoid being caught by the most dangerous magical creatures in the world as she tracks her prize, or will she slip up and destroy her perfect little life?
Find out in the thrilling prequel novel to Magic, and an exciting introduction to The Godsverse Chronicle universe, in Change.
There are over 40 chapters posted, with a new one coming out every week.
If I had to choose one favorite favorite favorite, it would have to be The Library at Mount Char. It’s easily one of my favorite, if not my favorite book of all time, and encapsulates everything I love about fantasy.
So, what do you think?
Did you read any of my choices?
Are you going to now?
What were your favorites of the year?
Let us know in the comments.
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I love Naomi Novik so much! Spinning Silver was great.
Of these I only read the two Brandon Sanderson ones. I enjoyed all of his “secret projects,” but my favorite--of the secret projects and all books I read last year--is Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Now that I’ve seen this list I need to add to my TBR pile (and learn how to read faster).