Hi! I am not sure if this is the right subreddit, but like it says above I am looking for some fantasy book recommendations. I am relatively new to the fantasy genre and am not super sure where to start.

I really like listening to fantasy or adventure audiobooks in the gym with strong female leads, because it inspires me to workout harder and push myself in my own training. However, I recently got out of a very toxic and abusive relationship, so anything with too much romance or like romantasy where that is the main focus has been making me really emotional recently. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on anything I could try out!

Thank you in advance!

Hi Reddit, I'm Victor Ladis Schultz! I've published a bunch of short stories over the years and am an editor for the Chicago Review of Books. Last week my debut novel, a fantasy called THE BOOK OF THE JAGUAR, came out with the small but mighty Fairwood Press and I couldn't be more excited about it!

THE BOOK OF THE JAGUAR is set in New Serraña, where a dead soldier's body must be brought home by a member of their unit. Our narrator, Álbaro, is the only surviving member of his company's massacre. Now we accompany him as he chronicles his journey through a decaying empire, bringing home his comrades' remains. In the process he'll reveal how the bloodletting unfolded--and how he lived.

I just got back from launching the novel at Worldcon and had a blast meeting tons of brilliant writers, publishers, and fans. I'll be doing a Chicago launch of the novel Thursday, 9/10, at the Book Cellar. Come on by!

Today, throw me questions about THE BOOK OF THE JAGUAR--its writing process, its publication journey, its awesome cover, its origins, themes, etc--or my other fiction or my editing or any of my too many other interests (other people's books, old bluesmen, old hip hop, boxing, baseball [go White Sox!], American football [go Dolphins 😔], beer, D&D, copyeditorial wonkery, sports management simulations, um, my awesome dog, etc). AMA!

This is the first book I've read from R.J Barker, but it won't be the last since I pre-ordered the sequel!

The protagonist

The main character, Irody Hasp, is a mortedant, meaning he's can "read" dead people's soul by touching their dead body to get some kind of "last words". They are typically employed by people who want some solace after the parting of a loved one, or who want to know where they buried their secret gold stash ;)

Mortedant's are not popular among the population, because their religion seems to celebrate death, but also because some mortedants are frauds or scammers who will happily profit from the dead person's secrets.

‘It is simply the law, Grand High Mortedant,’ said the vex, ignoring his digression. ‘This man was the last to see the victim alive and cannot name us a killer. As such he is very likely the murderer and must be executed.’

After discovering the murder of his apprentice and being immediately accused and convicted of the murder, Irody is enrolled into leading a murder investigation to prove his innocence, or face execution.

The setting

The city where the book takes place is the embodiment of class warfare, where people are judged for coming from "lower tiers". The city is literally divided into tiers, where upper tier people are richer and down tier people are their servants, street urchins, people barely managing. The city might also be ruled by a mythical being called Niofa, which people are unsure exists or not, how mysterious :)

On top of holding his fair share of prejudice against people of the lower tiers, our protagonist Irody is also a bit racist against the "People who dream of the sea" who are "violent savages who hired themselves out as bodyguards to the rich", also known as "urcans" or for most of the book the slur "oster", and obviously is saddled with one of them as his "guard". Despite this is it quickly apparent Irody has a good heart, and when he gives people a chance, he is open to changing his mind.

The tone

I loved how snarky the prose and Irody's internal monologue are, here are a few examples:

He sniffed and spat onto the ground. Habits like that were one of the reasons I did not let him put my bags down on the streets of Elbay,

or

Mirial, you remain here.’ ‘I will not,’ she said, because she was a most impertinent and headstrong child.

Pacing and Plot

The pacing of the book was excellent, each chapter leaving to wanting to read the next one.

I don't think it's fair to see this book as "only" a murder mystery. There's incredible world building and a great found family cast forms around the protagonist over the course of the book. And the stakes are higher than a typical murder mystery, closer to Epic Fantasy in my opinion.

Rating: 4.5/5

Funny, Mysterious, great world building: This is my jam.

Bingo square: Unusual Transportation

The book has Spirit-powered transportation, and it's not a minor element of the book but integral to the plot and setting. Most of what makes the city work is powered by spirits in the same fashion.

It is also eligible for the Murder Mystery, The Afterlife, Published in 2026, Politics and Court Intrigue.

I know that the original Frankenstein novel started so many genres of fiction. But I’ll ask this group: are there any recently published novels on Shelley’s basic themes? Or am I asking too much of today’s publishers?

Looking for some recommendations that are about am anti hero protagonist who is avenging something or has some sort of a purpose who is not a teenager.

Was recommended Prince of Thorns and started reading it to realise its about a teenage boy so will finish it one day. But for now I am a bit tired reading about very young MCs and need something a bit more grown up 😅

I only recently decided to get into John Gwynne’s books. I got about 50% into The Shadow of the Gods but tbh I wasn’t really feeling it. The world-building was taking its sweet time and I just wasn’t that invested.

Eventually i decided to switch to his debut series, The Faithful and the Fallen, and holy shit, I’m SO glad I did.

I’m currently on the third book, Ruin, and this series is seriously so damn good. I’ve never in my life given every book in a series 5 stars, but so far Malice, Valour AND Ruin have all been 5 stars for me.

Gwynne is ridiculously good at writing battles and combat. Usually with some authors i find myself getting lost in fight scenes because there’s just too much happening, but with Gwynne i can actually follow everything. I can picture the whole thing in my head and the fights feel brutal as hell without becoming confusing.

Also the dialogue is amazing. I genuinely love the way his characters talk to each other. And the inner monologues are so good too.

I still want to go back and give The Shadow of the Gods another shot at some point, but right now I’m completely locked into this one.

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!

——

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

art credit: special thanks to our artist, Himmis commissions, who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.

Welcome! In this thread, participants in the HEA Book Club will vote for the book we want to read next in November 2026. This month's theme is Asian fantasy romance!

Find the nomination thread here&restrict_sr=on&sort=new).

Voting:

There are 6 options to choose from:

A Crane Among Wolves by Jane Hur

Korean

June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.

Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.

When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever

Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.

• Goodreads

• Romance.io

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Chinese

A romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

• Goodreads

• Romance.io

Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

Hawaiian (the author is Japanese-Hawaiian)

HAMMAJANG | adjective. Definition: In a disorderly or chaotic state; messed up. Chiefly in predicative use, esp. in all hammajang. Etymology: A borrowing from Hawaiian Pidgin. Source: Oxford English Dictionary.

Edie is done with crime. Eight years behind bars changes a person - costs them too much time with too many of the people who need them most.

And it's all Angel's fault. She sold Edie out in what should have been the greatest moment of their lives. Instead, Edie was shipped off to the icy prison planet spinning far below the soaring skybridges and neon catacombs of Kepler space station - of home - to spend the best part of a decade alone.

But then a chance for early parole appears out of nowhere and Edie steps into the pallid sunlight to find none other than Angel waiting - and she has an offer.

One last job. One last deal. One last target. The trillionaire tech god they failed to bring down last time. There's just one thing Edie needs to do - trust Angel again - which also happens to be the last thing Edie wants to do. What could possibly go all hammajang about this plan?

Ocean's 8 meets Blade Runner in this trail-blazing debut science fiction novel and swashbuckling love letter to Hawai'i about being forced to find a new home and striving to build a better one - unmissable for fans of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

• Goodreads

• Romance.io

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Indian (the author is Indian-Filipino)

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

• Goodreads

• Romance.io

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish (Novel) Vol. 1 by Bi Ka Bi

Chinese

bingo squares: the afterlife, author of color hard mode, translated, judge a book by its cover, politics and court intrigue

An arranged marriage will become the perfect career opportunity for one would-be doctor—that is if a curse doesn’t get in the way.

Ten years of exhaustive study and sleepless nights have suddenly been rendered meaningless for aspiring Imperial Physician Lin Qingyu. In the midst of his education, he’s instructed to set everything aside and marry Lu Wancheng, the sickly son of the marquis—all in the hopes that this union will heal the illness that plagues the young master.

However, Lin Qingyu quickly discovers that Lu Wancheng isn’t just an ill-fated aristocrat. In fact, the man has a mysterious sixth sense that could help Lin Qingyu outmaneuver anyone, even royalty. Thus, Lu Wancheng proposes an idea to his new male bride, one that will help send Lin Qingyu back home to continue his studies and fulfill his dreams…both benign and dastardly.

Yet as feelings bloom between these new allies, a dark truth threatens to rip them apart in both sickness and in health.

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

Japanese & Mongolian

Even gods can be slain….

The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.

Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.

This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.

• Goodreads

• Romance.io

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Voting will stay open until Monday, 07-Sep-2026, at which point I'll post the winner and announce the discussion dates.

Reminders:

This month (September 2026), we're reading Celestially Yours by Al Hess&restrict_sr=on&sort=new). The midway discussion will be next Thursday, 10-Sep-2026.

What is the HEA Book Club? Every odd month, we read a fantasy romance book and discuss! You can read about it in our reboot thread here.

Hi all, my eight year old niece is coming to stay with me for a few nights so that both her and her parents can get a break (they have another child with special needs). She is a voracious reader and wants to read more fantasy.

Could you kind people please provide some recommendations for fantasy books suitable for an eight year old? I’d like to avoid anything scary/creepy as she’ll be away from her parents and I don’t want her freaked out at night. I know she likes the Magic Faraway Tree books and reads those on her own. She also likes the firs three Harry Potters but found the 4th a bit too intense.

I won’t have time to pre-read the books so I would really appreciate recommendations that you’re confident are ok for an 8 year old. I asked at my local library and the librarian printed a list of books that included A Court of Thorns and Roses, so I couldn’t really trust anything else she told me, lol.

Hey all, I once borrowed the Memoirs of Lady Trent from my sister, loved the books and the interior illustrations.

Years later, I'm re-listening to them on audiobook through my library, but the illustrations aren't included (even as a separate .pdf).
Do y'all know where I can find the illustrations online?

For me it's both depending on the series. For me, most books I picture it as live action in my head (it's the default), but if the book is really fantastical, it's an anime or American cartoon in my head.

Live action:

Stromlight Archives (Favorite), Mistborn, Elantris - I imagined it as a Peter Jackson movie, or a TV show like Game of Thrones

Name of the Wind (most favorite) - same

Song of Achilles

Legend by David Gemmel, Waylander by David Gemmel - action packed 80's sword and sandals movie, with really great action

Riyiria Chronicles

Bobiverse - like the Star wars prequels, lots of cheesy CGI

Old man's war - same

The Martian - read it before movie came out, loved it, pictured a dry procedure movie

A Memory Called Empire - really did not like, pictured a really boring apple TV show

Dandelion Dynasty - didn't like it, but I pictured Romance of the Three Kingdoms CCTV show when reading

War arts by Wesley Chu - did not like, but pictured a wuxia kung fu movie (a really dumb really bad one)

Jade City - really did not like, pictured a HK kung fu movie. Great kung fu fights, but too much annoying family squabbling

Animation:

Warbreaker, Yumi and the Nightmare Princess - really artist anime, as these books have a huge emphasis on color

Mother of Learning - anime

Superpowereds by Drew Hayes - American cartoon

NPCS by Drew Hayes - same

DCC - American cartoon obviously

The Perfect Run by Maximum - anime

Cradle - really really did not like it. But when reading, I pictured an anime

I started reading the fellowship of the Ring at 35 years of age and although I have watched the movie, the book is an experience. I read the Hobbit book first but the Fellowship of the Ring hits differently.

You get attached to so many characters in the book and the whimsical story being told to common Folks. I think one of the best things about this book is there are so many different communities on the basis of their physique or physical features not on the basis of religion or ideology. I love the fact that despite many powerful people all around it was Frodo a common Hobbit who was responsible for such a big task

I know I am very far behind then others but I am glad I started it 💕

After how much I enjoyed my first experience with Robert McCammon's writing (Boy's Life, my Book of the Year for 2026), I was anxious to jump into more of his work.

Speaks the Nightbird is a very different, though equally well-written, novel.

It is, at its heart, a character-driven historical novel with an immersive setting and a genuinely compelling mystery.

We follow 20-year-old Matthew Corbett, a Magistrate's Clerk residing in Charlestown, South Carolina, in 1699. He and the magistrate are tasked with visiting a small settlement called Fount Royal to investigate claims of a witch who has cursed the town. The majority of the story involves this investigation and trial.

Although I would classify this book as a historical mystery with horror elements (rather than straight Horror, which is what McCammon is mostly known for), I do feel compelled to warn potential readers that there is still some shocking, bizarre, and (at times) terrifying content in this story. There are some scenes that are decidedly not for the faint of heart.

That said, I found the writing to be well-paced, and the characters compelling. Outside of Matthew himself, I truly did not know who to trust or what was real and what was not, and that made for an incredibly exciting and satisfying reading experience.

This is an 800-page book (31 hours in audio) that I finished in less than 10 days, which is unheard of for me.

McCammon simply does not miss. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction, mysteries, and addictive storytelling.

I should also note that, while this is technically Book #1 in a ten book series, it absolutely stands alone and ends satisfyingly.

Book number four of a four book paranormal romance dark fantasy series. I read the well printed and well bound MMPB published by Ace in 2012 that I bought new on Amazon in 2024.  Note that “Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team.  Unfortunately, I think that the series is complete now.  BTW, this series is related to the author's Innkeeper Chronicles series and the Breach Wars series.

"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..."

"Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird.  But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has brought her nothing but pain.  After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself.  Until Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, and Charlotte’s life is turned upside down once again."

"Richard Mar is a swordsman without peer, future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan—and he’s on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird.  So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them.  The slavers’ operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, Charlotte and Richard may not survive..."

The book concludes the four book series in an awesome manner as Richard and Charlotte fight the slavers, even to the top of the Adrianglian royalty.  I must admit that I like books even better when they are fighting a righteous cause.

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

My rating: 6 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (4,762 reviews)
   https://www.amazon.com/Steels-Edge-Book-4/dp/1937007820/

Lynn

I have realised that for some reason I enjoy the fantasy genre as audiobooks more than paper/kindle books. Recently finished The Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson and The Devils by Joe Abercrombie and enjoyed every minute. Currently going through The Tainted Cup by Bennett and am similarly enjoying it, with the rest of the Leviathan books lined up. I wanted to read The First Law books after that but for some reason the first book of the series is not available on Audible in my country.
So while I wait for that to be resolved I'm looking for some 10/10 no notes Fantasy Audiobooks.
My choices so far are straight from the Audie Awards winners list - Anima Rising by Christopher Moore, Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree, The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope, The City We Became by NK Jemisin etc.

Edit: Dungeon Crawler Carl is also on my wishlist.

But I'm looking for suggestions even outside that list and I've got 3 Audible credits burning a hole in my pocket.

Halp.

I want to hear people's takes on religion in fantasy novels.

I've always felt like religion in fantasy is treated like window dressing instead of what it is for most people-a way of relating to the universe. (Also a social club.) I don't mean to be insulting. There's often movements that read as modern-day fundamentalism while the most sympathetic characters are often skeptics.

Yet at least half the people I know say some kind of prayer during the day, whether it's saying grace in Christianity, chanting in Hinduism, the shahada in Islam, etc. It's just a normal part of their day. And religious violence and tribalism aren't exceptions in history, they're the rule. I'm pretty sure that most sixteenth-century European countries fielded essentially their own version of the Children of the Light.

I think part of the problem is that magic works in fantasy, so religion doesn't really need to be as complicated and full of leaps of faith as it is in our real world. The more mysterious and minimal magic is, the more religion can feel authentic--like the Starks praying in the godswood or other characters making offerings to the Seven feel authentic because few aSoIaF characters encounter the paranormal. And sometimes the whole idea of a god is redefined, like in Malazan where all the gods ascended from mortality, so even the priests of these gods say things that are essentially "my dumb god can't figure out a way to deal with this other more clever god." But at a certain point, if you don't have the equivalent of everyday routines and common parishioners, it starts to feel like a crucial part of the human experience is missing. I am neither Catholic nor religious at all, but I missed the invocation of Elbereth that Peter Jackson left out of the LotR movies; in a story with pure evil, there has to be a pure good.

What do you think? Does a working magical system automatically reduce the power and influence of religion? Are there more genuinely authentic religious characters in fantasy books I'm just not seeing? Is there a Wake Up Dead Man as fantasy and can I read it?

Obvs stay respectful. Also I haven't read Sanderson beyond Way of Kings and Elantris, so those references will go right over my head.

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster.

I got into reading fantasy as an adult for the first time a few years back, and have been making my way through what’s out there at a borderline alarming rate. As a result, I am somewhat predictably struggling pick out my next read more and more each time I finish a book. Would love some recommendations! 

A long (but not exhaustive) list of things I have read follows below, grouped by levels of enjoyment:

Absolute favorites:

• Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb
• Stormlight Archives - Brandon Sanderson
• Daevabad Trilogy — S.A. Chakraborty
• Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang
• Broken Earth - N. K. Jeminsen

Excellent, really enjoyed:

• Deadly Education - Naomi Novik
• Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - S.A. Chakraborty
• An Ember in the Ashes Series - Sabaa Tahir 
• Poppy War - R.F. Kuang
• Babel - R.F. Kuang
• Sword of Kaigen - M. L. Wang
• Wild Seed/Patternist Series - Octavia Butler
• The rest of Sanderson's Cosmere

Great:

• Tainted Cup Series - Robert Jackson Bennett 
• Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman 
• Temeraire Series - Naomi Novak
• Lies of Locke Lamora Series - Scott Lynch
• Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold
• Will of the Many - James Islington
• Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo

Didn’t love: 

• Jade City -  Fonda Lee
• Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
• Red Rising - Pierce Brown
• Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
• Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (made it through 11 books, but at a certain point, had to realize I was only continuing on to get to the end, and put it down) 

A couple of notes: 

• The heavier on the character work, the better (e.g. RotE, Stormlight). To that effect, I don’t mind a story that’s a bit slower or meandering if it’s engaging on a more intimate/interpersonal level
• I tend to get the ick pretty quickly at poorly written/nuance-less female characters
• Don’t mind grimdark, but would rather avoid copious amounts of sexual violence (why I haven’t picked up Malazan or anything GRRM as of yet)
• Don’t mind romantasy if it’s well enough written and the fantasy elements are worthwhile (I liked Road of Bones and Daughter of No Worlds, FWIW) 
• Not daunted by volume— the more, the better :) 

________________________________________________________

EDIT/UPDATE: Super overwhelmed by the number and quality of responses here. r/Fantasy is good peoples. My TBR runneth over, & I rejoice. 

Re: Abercrombie, I did give him a go early on in my reading journey. Got about a quarter of the way in to The Knife Itself but IIRC, just couldn’t get into with the tone and vibe. But maybe I hit it too soon. Willing to try again and see if it resonates more!

I’ll confess to being somewhat intimidated by the scope of the Discworld universe. Still, it's always felt like a matter of time until I pick it up. Just have to buckle down and figure out what’s what first. Thank you for the starting point recommendations u/cozybooks1004 & u/RiSz-Turtle !

Beyond that, I think I’m going to start off looking at the following authors:

• Tad Williams
• Adrian Tchaikovsky
• Carol Berg
• Daniel Abrahams
• Tasha Suri
• Michael J Sullivan
• Guy Gavriel Kay
• Roger Zelazny 

Also, s/o u/iankstarr for the The Blacktounge Thief rec. It was one of the first things I could find “Available Now” for audio on Libby while doing chores last night. Utterly unhinged, but I’m having a great time.

Again, thank you all! Truly did not expect this level of response, and am grateful. 

I've read through my share of DNF posts to great satisfaction, shock, or catharsis. Haven't we all?

But, I've not yet seen (and I'll be the first to admit this may be credited to my very sporadic, chaotic browsing habits), anything of the opposite nature.

So, what are the prose y'all were reluctant to put down? Which stories made you want to start again the second you absorbed those last few words? What have you Finished so Many Times that you can basically recite it verbatim?

Give me you FMTs! (Finished Many Times)

Mine are:

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Attwood

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

I'm a huge fan of anime and manga and want to read fantasy books with that vibe?

I've always thought about this differently from the usual "which fantasy world would you live in?" question. There are plenty of worlds I'd love to see for a day, but I wouldn't actually want to live in most of them. The places that are fascinating from a distance tend to be absolutely horrible once you remember that you'd be an ordinary person without plot armor. I'd probably choose Middle-earth during a relatively peaceful period. I'd want to see the Shire, Rivendell and maybe Minas Tirith, experience the world for a day, eat some good food, and then leave before someone starts talking about an ancient evil returning. The idea of visiting a dangerous fantasy world briefly is much more appealing to me than actually living there. Dragons are impressive until you realize you're standing underneath one, magic is wonderful until someone decides to demonstrate it in your neighborhood, and medieval sanitation probably deserves its own horror genre. What fantasy world would you visit for just one day?

Just finished the Black Company... This seems like an underread, "grimdark", epic fantasy novel. While I enjoyed it I felt it was missing something.

First, I enjoyed the lore. I believe there are seven books in the series so this just scratches the surface I'm sure, but there is a much larger, epic in scale world just waiting to be discovered.

The story is good. Basically a group of mercenaries take a commission in the service of someone and a war ensues.

It is quite violent... Its weird, when I read something and lets say an arm gets hacked off or someone gets stabbed, it doesn't tend to register with me in the moment. It isn't until I think about it later it really sinks in the scene I just read. This is filled with violence, some gore and some kinda creepy/grotesque imagery.

Where I think this book fails and why it is not probably considered a fantasy classic, for me at least, is the characters seemed flat. This is a group of mercenaries as I said before. They live together, fight together and call each other brothers, but I never got the sense of a lot of closeness or comradery. Its certainly there, just lacking I feel like. Give this story to Abercrombie per say and I think he would knock the characters out of the park.

Wondering what others thought and if I should pick up the next book in the series. Thanks!