The most recommended new fantasy books

Who picked these books? Meet our 259 experts.

Joe Barrett Author
Silvi Simberg Author
Kayti Nika Raet Author
Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Author
Nicole Kimberling Author
Sierrah M. Strange Author
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259 authors created a book list with a new fantasy book, and here are their favorites.

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Romance Fantasy romance Action & adventure Mythology Fairy tales Historical fantasy Epic fantasy Contemporary Lgbtq+ Contemporary fantasy Paranormal Dark fantasy Supernatural High fantasy Horror

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Magic (supernatural) Folklore Queer Vampire Witchcraft Romance (love) Worldbuilding Monster Europe Fairy Fairy tale Witch Paranormal Magic realism Supernatural

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Breakable Things

By Cassandra Khaw,

From C.'s 3 favorite reads in 2024.

By C. S. E. Cooney Author

Why did C. love this book?

This collection of short stories spans Khaw's early career. You can see them learning how to a write a short story. The early work is mostly "vibes," dark and romantic and melancholy and rageful. The later work is fully realized, ambitious, nuanced. It's all worth reading. All of it. Khaw's language is deeply interesting. It's visceral. It feels everything. It's also horror, so... CW for guts.

Breakable Things

By Cassandra Khaw,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breakable Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cassandra Khaw's dynamic and vibrant debut collection, Breakable Things, explores the fragile and nebulous bonds that weave love and grief into our existence. This exquisite and cutting collection of stories showcases a bloody fusion of horrors from cosmic to psychological to body traumas.
“Khaw (Nothing but Blackened Teeth) packs a gruesome punch with the 23 bite-size horror stories ... the distinctive authorial voice and uncanny atmospherics will surely find some fans.” Publishers Weekly

“A delicious bowl of razor blades. With coiled prose and whetted instinct, Khaw’s stories put a finger on the dark pulse of being human.” Rich Larson, author…

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Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

By A F Steadman,

From Linda's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

By Linda Chapman Author

Why did Linda love this book?

It’s probably not a surprise I like a book about unicorns and magic, given I write about those things so much, but these are unicorns for an older age group – magnificent, powerful, wild – and often frightening.

The story follows the journey of thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith in his quest to become a Unicorn Rider. He has to hatch and bond with a unicorn, learn how to help it use its magic, deal with being at a new school where not all the students and teachers are friendly, and, if that’s not enough, he also has to defeat a powerful enemy.

It’s gripping, thrilling and full of exciting battles and magic. I can’t wait to read the next installment!

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

By A F Steadman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Skandar and the Unicorn Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

HEROES AND UNICORNS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. The first book in the award-winning, international hit fantasy adventure series for children age 9+, and fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Fireborn.

WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022
WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023!

'Steadman has a vast imagination, her world-building is a joy, the battle scenes are thrilling and her characters charm.' - The Times Children's Book of the Week
'Pacy, enthralling and epic, a gripping read.' - Louie Stowell, author of Loki and Otherland
'A dazzling feat of imagination. I loved every breathless moment…

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Finding Jimmy Moran

By Tom McCaffrey,

From my list on people who don’t take themselves too seriously.

By Joe Barrett Author

Why did Joe love this book?

I loved all of McCaffrey’s The Claire Trilogy books and recommend reading them first, but Finding Jimmy Moran will always occupy a special place in my heart.

McCaffrey is a born storyteller – he pulls you into his world and makes it feel like your own. The book is gritty, hilarious, sometimes gut-wrenching and (while allegedly fiction) it is also one of the most accurate representations of the wild west reckless abandon enjoyed by New York kids growing up in the 1970s and ’80s.

It’s the type of book that makes you want to break out a bottle of good Irish whiskey and read in a single sitting.

Finding Jimmy Moran

By Tom McCaffrey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Finding Jimmy Moran as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Prequel to the bestselling novel, The Wise Ass.

"The Claire Trilogy gives us Jimmy Moran, resurrected mob lawyer turned alien godfather of a crew of mystical misfits, including Claire the Mule. Finding Jimmy Moran shows the world the magical origins that make Jimmy tick. Don't miss this." -Ivy Logan, author of Broken (The Breach Chronicles)

Who is Jimmy Moran? It starts with a lucky penny. Then a muse who bestows a mystical gift. Or maybe a curse? Family, friends, and fights abound as Jimmy breaks the law, looks for love in all the wrong places and experiences loss that transforms…

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Nell & the Netherbeast

By Adi Rule,

From Marty's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

By Marty Kelley Author

Why did Marty love this book?

Adi is a friend and a terrific author. On top of being very funny, her books have a deeper way of connecting with the reader. She is masterful at plot development and creating authentic voices for each of her characters.

This book is a funny, supernatural jaunt with over-the-top villains, vengeful ghosts, useless adults, and a cat who is very clearly not actually a cat.

It’s an enjoyable read that kept me reading “Just one more chapter…” before shutting off the light and going to sleep.

Nell & the Netherbeast

By Adi Rule,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nell & the Netherbeast as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

The Netherbeast, a slinking creature with an overwhelming stench, impossibly charms young Nell. Befriending this shapeshifter propels Nell into an unforgettable summer. A beast, a haunting, a fire, and a basement that should be avoided at all costs are just part of the adventures Nell didn't ask for. This story is equal parts heart-pounding and heartwarming.

Twelve-year-old Nell Stoker loves animals. She's been working toward becoming a junior volunteer at her local animal shelter for what feels like forever. But now it's summertime, and her parents are making her go to her Aunt Jerry's old bed and breakfast in Deer…

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The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

By Megan Bannen,

From Darlene's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

By Darlene Marshall Author

Why did Darlene love this book?

There was so much I loved about this follow-up to the fabulous The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy: The world-building and its incorporation of religion into peoples' lives, the glimpse of past characters and a peek at future characters in The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam, the villain, and, of course, the glitter dragons.

But what I really loved, more than anything else, was seeing middle-aged characters, bulges and softer bodies and all, having romance and sexy times and not settling. It was especially wonderful to see a woman who'd been a wife, mother and now, grandmother, wake up to demanding satisfaction in her personal life, including her love life. Twyla isn't going to be a chair anymore (you'll get it when you read it), and Frank is the hero she deserves.

The adorableness can seem a little over the top at times, but Twyla and Frank's issues are all…

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

By Megan Bannen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Undermining of Twyla and Frank as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy comes a heartwarming fantasy with a best friends-to-lovers rom com twist set in the delightful demigod and donut-filled world of Tanria.

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla’s rewarding career patrolling the strange land of Tanria remains a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla…

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Greenwild

By Pari Thomson,

From Patricia's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

By Patricia Cleveland-Peck Author

Why did Patricia love this book?

Daisy is searching for her mother, an eco-journalist who has gone missing in the Amazon. When I am wearing my other hat, I am a travel journalist who specialises in plants and gardens I could not fail to be intrigued by this situation.

Daisy finds a portal in Kew Gardens and enters a universe called Greenwild, where a group called The Botanists are preserving magical flora. Full of exciting adventures that children find entertaining, I loved this book because it nevertheless subtly indicates that plants are a very real source of magic.

Greenwild

By Pari Thomson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Greenwild as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself. Greenwild: The World Behind the Door is the first book in Pari Thomson's extraordinary fantasy series with an environmental twist.

'Greenwild is a thrilling adventure that takes seed in your imagination and runs wild!' - M. G. Leonard, author of Beetle Boy

Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, filled with plants and bursting…

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A Grain of Truth

By Jacek Rembis, Jonas Scharf (illustrator), Jose Villarrubia (illustrator)

From my list on to reduce anxiety about uncertainty.

By Silvi Simberg Author

Why did Silvi love this book?

Since I have been thinking in the direction of creating an RPG/Action/Adventure game out of the universe that I'm baking, I picked up something that has already achieved that (note: that's before the fancy TV series came out). Witcher is a messy book, and I'm not exactly in love with the characters (except for the vampire), yet, it is hard to put down. The events unfolding with and around the characters are... well, eventful, and the questions the author manages to bring up in my head need answers. The complex universe is complexly done—the lore is rich with earthen mysteries—suppose, Polish folklore and such attempts of folklore honoring or revival, to my mind, seem like an interesting thing to do – it is the untapped power of exoticism. I mean, aren't we all worn out by the most common, comic-book revived characters from the…

A Grain of Truth

By Jacek Rembis, Jonas Scharf (illustrator), Jose Villarrubia (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Grain of Truth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Geralt’s encounter with a beast reveals the truth behind fairy tales in this graphic novel adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's original short story.

Geralt takes a short cut down a beaten path, where he makes a grim discovery of two corpses. Backtracking their trail, he’s led to a derelict mansion secured with elevated walls and a gate—mysterious and ramshackle, yet adorned with a rare elegance Geralt could not ignore. He is met with the mansion’s owner—not quite human, but a beast with the faculties of a man. With Geralt unfazed by his monstrous appearance and displays of aggression, the beast invites…

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This Woven Kingdom

By Tahereh Mafi,

From my list on fantasy to make you swoon.

By Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Author

Why did Catherine love this book?

Mafi weaves her story with such poetry and lyricism that it’s impossible not to pause for a moment and take stock of how expertly a character or setting is introduced every couple of chapters. The romance here is a slow, aching burn, but the pay-off is certainly worth it. Inspired by lush Persian mythology, the chance meeting between Alizeh, a magical Jinn masquerading as a lower servant, and Prince Kamran, the king’s grandson, makes for a compelling forbidden romance that anchors the wider plot of political intrigue and betrayal, which is in some ways reminiscent of Game of Thrones.

This Woven Kingdom

By Tahereh Mafi,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked This Woven Kingdom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Instant New York Times bestseller
Instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller
Instant Indie bestseller
Instant USA Today bestseller

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people-New York Times bestselling author Tahereh Mafi's first novel in this epic, romantic fantasy series inspired by Persian mythology.

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant…

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The most recommended new fantasy books

Who picked these books? Meet our 259 experts.

What type of new fantasy book?

Why am I passionate about this?

Why did C. love this book?

In Human Shadow By Gregory J. Glanz,

Why am I passionate about this?

Why did Linda love this book?

Why am I passionate about this?

Joe's book list on people who don’t take themselves too seriously

Why did Joe love this book?

Why am I passionate about this?

Why did Marty love this book?

Why am I passionate about this?

Why did Darlene love this book?

Girl of Light By Elana Gomel,

Why am I passionate about this?

Why did Patricia love this book?

Why am I passionate about this?

Silvi's book list on to reduce anxiety about uncertainty

Why did Silvi love this book?

The Festival of Sin By J.M. Unrue,

Why are we passionate about this?

Catherine's book list on fantasy to make you swoon

Why did Catherine love this book?

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

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