Top 30 Fantasy Books -
New Books 2025
"We are always more afraid than we wish to be, but we can always be braver than we expect."
Welcome to Cozy Book Cafe 🖤​​ Discover the best new books 2025 for your Book Clubs.
​
Fantasy books are a type of literature that incorporates magical elements, mythical beings, and fictional worlds. These tales frequently include grand adventures, brave heroes, and conflicts between good and evil, providing readers with an opportunity to step away from reality and dive into intricately crafted universes. Additionally, fantasy can mix with other genres like romance, adventure, or science fiction, resulting in various subgenres that attract a broad audience.
​
Every link on our site is completely secure, enabling us to suggest books available on Amazon.com through the Amazon associate program.
★ BOOK CLUB TOP PICK ★
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Bersun the Brusque has come to an end.
In the dizzying heat of midsummer, seven exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists compete to replace him.
When one of them is murdered, it falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer and fight for the throne.
Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.
If she succeeds, we will win an empire. If she fails, death awaits her.
But we won’t let that happen.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Academia, Mystery Thriller, Magic, New books 2025.
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him.
But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters.
The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort.
With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Horror, Fiction, Adult, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, New books 2025.
The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott
Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.
When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen—once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall—is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.
When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.
The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?
​
Tags - Fantasy, High Fantasy, Witches, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adventure, New Books 2025.
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
Thierry Villar is a well-known—even notorious— tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power.
He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be caught up in the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.
But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane.
And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as political struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.
As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one.
He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king—and help his forces in war.
A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Alternate History, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, New books 2025.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.
Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.
At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.
As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Science Fiction, Crime, Published 2024.
Heretical Fishing by Haylock Jobson
A world abandoned by the gods, mystifying cosmic forces, unimaginable power for those willing to ascend, and a hero who would rather . . . go fishing???
​
When summoned to a fantastical world and granted powers by a broken System, most freshly minted protagonists would strap on their big-boy boots and get ready for their stats to start climbing. But Fischer isn’t like most MCs. In fact, he doesn’t want to be a hero at all.
​
Fame? Fortune? Power? He had enough of all that in his old life. Discovering forbidden fishing techniques and petting every cute animal that comes within scritching distance? Now that’s a good time.
​
Unfortunately for Fischer, cosmic forces rarely care for mortal feelings. He’s hounded on all sides by inept cults, conspiring nobles, and more magical misunderstandings than those of a preteen relationship. Even his dutiful pet crab is firing energy blades like an anime antagonist.
​
So grab your fishing rod and a good snack, and pet your dog for me. The catch of a lifetime awaits!
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Adventure, Speculative Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Published 2024.
A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan
The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule. Until now.
​
Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path.
​
Thera of the Blackspear, favored servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar – the treasure room of the gods – and win the Sister Queens’ favor at his sister’s expense.
​
Both siblings – along with a brilliant young scribe and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power – will play a part in the coming storm. ​The Age of Wrath has begun.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, Published 2024.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.
I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.
But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.
And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.
To survive though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them, and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.
And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Dark Academia, Mystery, Science Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Published 2023.
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
A new door opens...
Once there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London.
After a desperate attempt to prevent corruption and ruin in the four Londons, there are only three:
Grey London, thriving but barely able to remember its magical heritage
Red London, ruled lately by the Maresh family, flourishing and powerful
White London, left to brutality and decay
Now the worlds are going to collide anew―brought to a dangerous precipice by the discoveries of three remarkable magicians.
There's Kosika, the child queen of White London, who has nourished her city on blood and dreams―and whose growing devotion to both is leading her down a dangerous path.
Then there's Delilah Bard, born a thief in Grey London, who crossed the worlds to become a legend far from there. She's an infamous magician, a devious heroine, and a risk-taking rogue, all rolled into one unforgettable package. Having disappeared to seek new adventure, an old favor now calls Lila back to a dangerous port, to join some old friends who need more help than they realize.
Last there is Tes, a young runaway with an unusual and powerful ability, hiding out in Red London while trying to stay out of the limelight.
Tes is the only one who can keep all the worlds from unraveling―if she manages to stay alive first.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Adult, Magic, Historical Fiction, High Fantasy, LGBT, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2023.​
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.
For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fuelled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to become the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.
When Sciona finally achieves her ambition and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome – and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.
What neither Sciona nor her peers realise is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.
At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever – if it doesn’t get them killed first.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Dark Academia, Fiction, Adult, Magic, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2023.
The Blood of the Lion by C.D. McKenna
Destiny is irrefutable. And Syra, Morei, and Cyrus all have something in common: death.
The Demon Killer, once responsible for the Diyrặllian Massacre, has been found after being lost for centuries. Millions of lives fell victim to this treacherous relic . . . and now Syra holds it. Torn from the sanctuary of her home, she must learn to live on the run in search for freedom, hunted by forces known and unknown.
Fate can be cruel, and Morei Geral knows this firsthand. As the king and sole heir to his bloodline, Morei must hide the twisted truth of who he is becoming. But as the king slips further into his curse, war becomes inevitable, and he will have to make a choice that could undo everything he’s worked for.
Meanwhile, as chaos rages and fear grips the heart of all, attention is turned on the first Dragon Rider to rise in nearly eight centuries. Cyrus wants nothing to do with prophecies and war. But he will protect his dragon, Sozar, above all else. His only choice is to cast aside the life he once knew and traverse the mysterious Releuthian Mountains, said to be the home of the God of Darkness himself.
Everyone has a destiny. No one can be trusted. Not even the Gods.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Dragons, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Published 2022.
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
Action, intrigue, and magic collide in this epic fantasy following Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor's Justice, who is a detective, judge, and executioner all in one—but with rebellion and unrest building, these are dangerous times to be a Justice . . .
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.
Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.
When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Mystery, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Published 2022.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
From holy cup comes holy light; The faithful hand sets world aright. And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, Mere man shall end this endless night.
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.
Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.
Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:
The Holy Grail.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Vampires, Horror, Fiction, Paranormal, Adult, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Published 2021.
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
After the gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrið.
​
Now a new world is rising, where power-hungry jarls feud and monsters stalk the woods and mountains.
A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out.
​
As whispers of war echo across the mountains and fjords, fate follows in the footsteps of three people: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman who has rejected privilege in pursuit of battle fame and a thrall who seeks vengeance among the famed mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn.
All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods....
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Dragons, High Fantasy, Mythology, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2021.
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.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Horror, High Fantasy, Adult, Adventure, Magic, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Published 2021.
Kingdoms at War by Lindsay Buroker
As a cartography student, Jak has always dreamed of finding the lost dragon gate and exploring and mapping distant worlds.
​
Developing magical powers and becoming a powerful wizard? Not a chance.
​
Wizards are cruel and inhumane, warring with each other from their great sky cities and keeping most of humanity enslaved. Jak wants nothing to do with them.
​
But when he and his archaeologist mother unearth the gate, they attract the attention of the very wizards they sought to avoid. Even more troubling, Jak starts developing magical powers of his own, powers that could rival those of the great rulers.
​
Fate may have given him the opportunity to change the world.
​
But the wizard rulers don’t like change, and when they detect threats, they send their elite assassins to eliminate them.
​
If Jak can’t unlock the power of the gate, and the powers within himself, the world will remain enslaved forever.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Dragons, Magic, Fiction, Adult, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2021.
The Empire's Ruin by Brian Staveley
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin.
The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used.
In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks.
Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
But time is running out. Deep within the southern reaches of the empire and ancient god-like race has begun to stir.
What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever. If they can survive.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2021.
The God is Not Willing by Steven Erikson
Many years have passed since three warriors brought carnage and chaos to Silver Lake.
Now the tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands. The town has recovered and yet the legacy remains.
Responding to reports of a growing unease among the tribes beyond the border, the Malazan army marches on the new god’s people. They aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing.
And in those high mountains, a new warleader has risen amongst the Teblor. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god even if he has to cut a bloody swathe through the Malazan Empire to do so.
Further north, a new threat has emerged and now it seems it is the Teblor who are running out of time. Another long-feared migration is about to begin and this time it won't just be three warriors. No, this time tens of thousands are poised to pour into the lands to the south. And in their way, a single company of Malazan marines . . .
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, War, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Published 2021.
The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
Fifteen years have passed since the end of the war with demons, creatures of darkness who have hunted the night and plagued humanity since time out of mind. The heroes of humanity’s hour of need have become legend, and those who remain struggle to escape their shadows.
Olive Paper and Darin Bales have grown up in this new peaceful world. Demons have been all but destroyed, but dangers still lurk for the children of heroes.
Olive, princess of Hollow, has her entire life planned out by her mother, Duchess Leesha Paper: a steady march on a checklist to prepare her for succession. The more her mother writes the script, the more Olive rails against playing the parts she is assigned.
Darin faces challenges of a different kind. Though free to choose his own path, the weight of legacy hangs heavy around his shoulders. It isn’t easy being the son of the man people say saved the world. Everyone expects greatness from Darin, but the only thing he’s ever been great at is hiding.
When Olive and Darin step across the wards one night, they learn the demons are not all gone, and those that remain hunger for revenge. Events are set in motion that only prophecy can foresee as Olive and Darin seek to find their own places in the world in time to save it again.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, Demons, LGBT, Published 2021.
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for almost two hundred years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.
Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war.
Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land.
Only, he doesn't get the chance.
Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger.
Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.
​
​Tags - Fantasy books, Dragons, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, War, Published 2017.
Dancer's Lament by Ian C. Esslemont
It was once a land ravaged by war, minor city states, baronies and principates fighting for supremacy. But when the rival cities of Tali and Quon formed an alliance, Quon Tali came into being.
However that was generations ago, that dynasty has collapsed and the regional powers are now clawing at each others throats once more. But at the heart of Quon Tali lies the powerful city state of Li Heng which has for centuries enjoyed relative stability under the guidance of the powerful sorceress known as the "Protectress".
She is not someone likely to tolerate the arrival of two particular young men into her domain: one is determined to prove he is the most skilled assassin of his age; the other is his quarry - a Dal Hon mage who is proving annoyingly difficult to kill.
And now, under a new and ambitious king, the forces of Itko Kan are marching on Li Heng from the south. His own assassins, the Nightblades, have been sent ahead into the city, and rumours abound that he has inhuman, nightmarish forces at his command. So as shadows and mistrust swirl and monstrous beasts run rampage through Li Heng's streets, it seems chaos is come - but in chaos, as a certain young Dal Hon mage would say, there is opportunity . . .
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Adult, Published 2016.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution.
This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun.
It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter.
It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Dystopia, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, LGBT, Published 2015.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Dystopia, High Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Published 2015.
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission.
A legend in the making.
Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for, is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose.
Hired by an old wizard, they must steal a treasure that no one can reach.
The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm's most prized possessions.
But it isn't gold or jewels that the wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might succeed.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Published 2013.
Legend by David Gemmell
The Legend
​
Druss, Captain of the Axe: the stories of his life were told everywhere. Instead of the wealth and fame he could have claimed, he had chosen a mountain lair, high in the lonely country bordering on the clouds. There the grizzled old warrior kept company with snow leopards and awaited his old enemy, death.
​
The Fortress
​
Mighty Dros Delnoch, protected by six outer walls, the only route by which an army could pass through the mountains. It was the stronghold of the Drenai Empire. And now it was the last battleground, for all else had fallen before the Nadir hordes.
And hope rested on the skills of that one old man....
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Adventure, Sword and Sorcery, War, Science Fiction Fantasy, Published 2011.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Published 2010.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice.
It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult, Adventure, Published 2007.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Locke Lamora is a legend. But not under his own name.
They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he has a hand in everything that happens in the city. And they are wrong on every count.
Averagely tall, slender, god-awful with a sword but blessed with a quick tongue, Locke is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow thieves: the Gentleman Bastards.
Camorr is a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the dark parts of the city.
But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. One would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even a master of the sword such as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke...
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Adventure, High Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction Fantasy, Crime, Published 2006.
Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb
For fifteen years, FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him.
But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz’s mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny.
Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
Fitz, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in time for his betrothal ceremony, thus sparing the Six Duchies profound political embarrassment . . . or worse.
But even Fitz does not suspect the web of treachery that awaits him—or how his loyalties will be tested to the breaking point.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult, Magic, Published 2001.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.
​
Tags - Fantasy books, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, Dragons, Published 1996.
New Books 2025
Bestseller Books 2025
Romance Books
Summer Beach Reads
Psychological Thrillers
Historical Fiction Books
Fantasy Books
Science Fiction Books
Time Travel Books
Action & Adventure Books
Mystery Thriller Books
Horror Books
Popular Thriller Books
Legal Thriller Books
Crime Thriller Books
Dystopian Books
Apocalypse Books
Paranormal Books
Contemporary Books
Young Adult Books
Children's Books
LGBTQ+ Books
True Crime Books
Self Help Books
Autobiography Books
Classic Books
Poetry Books
A Comprehensive Guide to Book Genres: 30 Popular Genres Explained
An Ultimate Guide to Romance Books Subgenres 2025