I am not a fan of regular horror, but I like medieval horror especially with a veneer of religion.
And this book doesn’t disappoint. It’s weird, gross and fascinating at the same time.
I highly recommend if you like Between two Fires

Found at my local B&B

Listen I understand these guys sometimes sign hundreds of these in one sitting, but this seems a little lazy.

With the release of a new translated volume in the Condor Heroes series - A Love Illicit: Return of the Condor Heroes Volume 2 on 17 November. I thought it would be a good opportunity to find new fans who would be interested to this gem of Chinese literature: wuxia stories.

In China, wuxia is very influentional genre and literary tradition with deep cultural roots. Jin Yong is often referred to as the Tolkien of the East.

Wuxia takes us into the world of jianghu a world of martial artists, wandering heroes, rival schools and sects, personal codes of honour, and philosophical conflicts. It explores what it means to be a hero, what justice really is, and where personal morality stands in relation to the rules of society.

Wuxia can be seen as one of the precursors to modern progression fantasy and several other fantasy subgenres. But what makes it particularly fascinating is how martial arts and personal development intertwine with Chinese culture, traditions, philosophy, and history. It based in Three Teachings - Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It's so much deeper peo than people fighting with swords. Unlike high-fantasy genres, wuxia is typically grounded in historical or pre-modern Chinese dynasties, with fantasy limited to martial arts prowess. So you get politics, power struggle, epic fights, travelling, adventures and heroes are driven by a strict moral code of honor, loyalty and justice. Every time I personally read any wuxia story they gave me sense of freedom, free spirit characters living according to their law and rules.

Western fantasy has J.R. Tolkien, but we Asian fantasy authors have Jin Yong's stories in our DNA. The debt we owe him is immeasurable" - Shelley Parker-Chan

"if you haven't read Jin Yong's work, you haven't fully experienced fantasy genre" - Fonda Lee

For anyone interested in exploring the genre, here are some of mine recommendations:

Wuxia:

- Condor trilogy by Jin Yong

- The Eleventh Son by Gu Long - A classic wuxia novel by one of the genre's most influential authors compare to Jin Yong he is less idealistic and his stories often focus less on traditional heroic ideals and more on flawed individuals, moral ambiguity and the darker side of the jianghu.

- Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong – shorter less epic novel centric around one epic duel

- Thousand Autumns by Meng Xi Shi – One of the newest modern author, every sect represent Three Teachings - Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. set during China's Northern and Southern Dynasties period. It focuses on a protagonist who, after being betrayed by his own sect, has lived a secluded life, determined not to involve his sect in political struggles or power games. However, circumstances force him to confront his own shortcomings and step into a world of political intrigue, power struggles, and competing martial arts factions. It is mostly translated because it also features a love story between two powerful sect leaders, but don't expect an explicit or sweeping romance. It stays very much within the tradition of classical wuxia. At its heart, the story is about two people with fundamentally opposing views of human nature, morality, and what it means to be good. Their worldviews are almost complete opposites, and throughout the novel, they constantly challenge each other's beliefs and assumptions. Through their relationship, the novel explores whether kindness is just product of favourable circumstances or a conscious choice and a form of strength, even in the face of betrayal and suffering, Dostovesky character study in wuxia setting. It examines these opposing philosophies without trying to see one as right or wrong.

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu – This on eis not traditional but a wuxia-inspired that blends Chinese martial arts traditions with Western fantasy. It turns the traditional Chosen One trope. A boy raised to be the prophesied hero destined to defeat an immortal god-king turns do not fullfill this expectations. When the prophecy falls apart, an unlikely group of characters must find their own way to save the kingdom. But has interesting wuxia elemenmts as an ageing martial arts grandmaster, political intrigue, magical martial arts and epic fight scenes.

Wuxia-inspired:

- this genre inspired so many popular stories in fantasy world like Poppy War by RF Kuang, Cradle, urban fantasy Jde City by Fonda Lee or even popular game Where Winds Meet, which is an epic open-world action- adventure RPG rooted in the rich legacy of Wuxia. Set during the turbulent era of tenth-century China.

I really hope this little introduction to one of my favourite genres finds some new fans! Whether you enjoy elegant martial arts fights, character progression, historical fiction, political intrigue, complicated love stories or stories about heroes and villains from a time when honour, loyalty, and personal codes mattered, I hope some of you will find something here worth reading.

What's a fantasy book/series that completely pulled you into its world?

The kind where you get so immersed that you look up after a few hours and realize you've basically had a movie playing out in your head, as vivid as anything you could watch on a screen.

Which book/series gave you that experience?

Worked for 10s

Hello! I’m looking for a new book series to get into, ideally one that focuses on character development and has some dense, well-written prose.

For context, I’ve read and enjoyed:

Sun Eater

Hyperion

The Stormlight Archive

Mistborn

The Witcher

Books 1–4 of Malazan

I’m currently reading Toll the Hounds. I’ve had ups and downs with the Malazan series, but I’ve never quite found myself invested in the characters. The huge number of characters and constant POV shifts can take me out of moments that are supposed to feel important. (No spoilers, please!) Even when a major character died in book three—one of the few characters I’d grown attached to—I didn’t care much.

I’d just finished Sun Eater before starting Malazan, and I think I appreciate the gradual development of individual characters and deep, philosophical prose more than a huge, overarching story. I can really appreciate a good slow burn, and I don’t mind a few Sanderlanches as long as they pay off in a satisfying way. Sun Eater really grabbed me in this regard.

I’m considering Realm of the Elderlings, The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, and Red Rising. Would you recommend one of those over the others? Are there any other series I should look into?

Thanks!

Ohayo, it’s me again. So some or most must’ve seen my post on The Devils so yeah, just wanted to update my fellow book lovers on my next read. Don’t ask why I’m doing another horror title for my 5th book after reading Abercrombie’s The Devils; even I have no idea. Guess my reading journey is just meant to be that unconventional. Having started this today, yeah, Lee Turner unsettles me A LOT. Gotta hand it to Kylie, got no clue what is going on but I’m hooked. May take me a week to finish because of work but I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated. Arrivederci!

P.S- I’ll be texting my dad after this. I think I’ve now come to realize I really should talk more to him. I blame Lee Turner lol.

Hi all,

I'm a little nervous writing this, but I wanted to share something I've spent a great deal of time creating.

I'm an independent author writing under the pen name AR Vance, and my first fantasy novel, The Unseen Spark: The Iron and the Ledger, is now published.

I don't know how many of you have ever tried to build an entire fictional world in your imagination and then turn it into a book. For me, it meant countless hours thinking about a city, its people, its history, its struggles and all the little details that make a place feel real.

That city is called Highwood.

Highwood is a city built on iron, machinery and carefully maintained systems. Its strength lies in the structures that hold it together, the institutions that govern its people and the secrets buried beneath its foundations.

But what happens when the things everyone trusts to stand firm begin to reveal their weaknesses?

At the heart of the story are Vespera and Kaelen, two people drawn into events far greater than themselves. Vespera possesses an unusual ability to recognise weaknesses hidden within structures that others believe are sound. But seeing what is broken is not the same as understanding what caused it—or what might happen when those weaknesses are finally exposed.

As buried truths emerge and powerful interests begin to close in, the fate of Highwood becomes increasingly uncertain. And sometimes, the greatest danger isn't what threatens a city from the outside, but what has been hidden within it all along.

This is a story of ancient power, industrial fantasy, secrets, difficult choices and people fighting to hold on to what matters when the foundations beneath them begin to shift.

I know there are many wonderful fantasy books out there, and I'm not expecting anyone to pick mine simply because I've written it.

I just hope that someone looking for a new world to explore might find something they enjoy in Highwood.

If you'd like to take a look, here's the link:

📖 The Unseen Spark: The Iron and the Ledger

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP8CMX2W

It's available in Kindle and paperback, and the Kindle edition is also included in Kindle Unlimited.

Whether you decide to read it or simply stop by to say hello, thank you for giving my little corner of the fantasy world some attention.

I'd genuinely love to discuss if anyone has time.

— AR Vance

Just came off the first Dragonlance, book. Never read much as a kid but remember growing up in the 90’s and seeing them everywhere. After enjoying fantasy as an adult, it was a slog to get through. Just not enough depth.

With that in mind, help me choose my next read! Was leaning towards Red Rising after hearing a movie was greenlit.

The others have been on my list for a while, and have heard amazing things about them all.

These are probably the most definitive adult African-inspired fantasy series being published right now. Which do you personally prefer?

I’ve attempted to read Rage of Dragons several times now and while the bare bones of the world-building and the Bronze Age aesthetics are fascinating, it feels like most of the book is focused on just repetitive fight/battle scene after fight/battle scene with a ton of military jargon that goes completely over my head.

Black Leopard Red Wolf and Moon Witch Spider King on the other hand I absolutely love and have endlessly re-read. They’re a hell of a lot denser than Rage of Dragons but in the best ways possible. Much more fleshed out world-building, with deeply layered histories/lore and fantasy races. Much more interesting characters. Much deeper plotting. And I love Marlon James’s lyrical prose; much more immersive to me than Evan White’s mechanical Sanderson-esque prose

TL;DR: I was a big fan of the Cosmere until getting burnt out by the slogs that were Rhythm of War and Wind and Truth, but The Sunlit Man was phenomenal, and reaffirmed my opinion that Sanderson can still write A- and S-tier novels.

My first foray into the Cosmere was (accidentally) The Alloy of Law, because I read an outdated review saying it was a standalone novel in the Mistborn universe. When I realized where it landed in the story of Scadrial I went back and read the original Mistborn trilogy. I fell in love with Sanderson’s writing with those books. I went on to read Warbreaker, which had some rough spots, but overall was enjoyable. So I then decided to tackle The Stormlight Archive.

The Way of Kings was everything it promised to be - epic, creative, and engaging. Words of Radiance and Oathbringer were phenomenal, as well, and I found the two novellas, Edgedancer and Dawnshard to be fun and engaging, too.

But I stumbled at Rhythm of War. It started fine, and honestly, the ending was one of the biggest “Sanderlanche” moments of the series, with an insanely satisfying payoff - but that middle was a slog. I almost DNF’d several times, but pushed through just because I felt so invested in the Cosmere. But damn… there was a good forty or so chapters in the middle that just dragged. Wind and Truth wasn’t quite as bad, but neither was it ever as good as the good parts of Rhythm. The entire story just kinda… happened. There were some fun moments, but overall, it was… meh.

I read Shadows of Self, which was just as good as I remember Alloy being. Next, I went for Elantris. The first half was like the middle of Rhythm. I found myself reading and just waiting for “the good part.” The second half was much better, and I reasoned that it was his first published novel, so it would make sense to be a little rough… But then I had to stop. I was burnt out. Too much buildup, too much drag. Rhythm could easily have been 100,000 words shorter, and it felt like Sanderson was just writing to fill pages.

So I took a good long break from the Cosmere. I read Piranesi and the Kingkiller Chronicles, and I was reminded what magnificent prose felt like. I took a little break from Fantasy and read Jurassic Park, which was just fun all around.

Then I re-read The Final Empire. It’s the first time in my life I’ve fully re-read a novel, and it reminded me what Sanderson could do. So I took a chance, and read The Sunlit Man.

Nomad’s story reawakened the feeling of magic in the Cosmere, for me. It turned the typical Fantasy tropes on their heads, and at times it felt as much like a sci-fi story as epic fantasy. But what really made it an A- or S-tier novel for me was the character development. It made me care about this character who, last time he showed up in the Cosmere, felt like a forgotten footnote. He got lost in the plodding, dragging scope of the Stormlight Archive, but Canticle gave him new life. The prose in Stormlight also felt juvenile at times, and the way many of the characters were written made it feel almost more like YA fantasy than Adult. Sunlit has the maturity you’d expect from Adult fantasy, and it has it in spades.

I’ve had The Bands of Mourning sitting on standby for a while, and I guess it’s time to crack it open.

All this to say, if you’re a Sanderson fan who was also disappointed, burnt out, or bored by the last two installments of Stormlight, maybe give Sunlit a try. It’s well worth the read.

Finally got through deadhouse gates. What a journey. Drop your thoughts on what you thought of the second installment. Giving myself a break tonight before I tear into memories of ice tomorrow for my sunday read. My eyes need it 😩 😅

I'm looking for a book recommendation with exactly that! I don't care if it's romantasy or just a major plot point in a regular fantasy novel, it just has to be grim, dark, and manipulative.

I don't want the villain to be soft with her yet vicious with everyone else — he needs to be terrifying, through and through, whether or not he loves her.

I'd love for it to involve the villain deceiving his love interest, she finds out, and resists him as much as she can, but in the end she submits. World-ending stakes would be a plus.

Bonus points if he's some sort of ancient being and also wants to use her for magical gain!

Thanks so much for the suggestions :)

Hi Everyone,

I'm pretty new to reading books again (i've been reading every day for the last three months, but had at least a ten year hiatus from reading prior and was never much of a reader in the first place), and i've been somewhat disturbed by how slow my reading is compared to most other fantasy readers. For example, Red Rising's audiobook runs 16 hours and I took 20 hours to read it. I'm currently reading Morning Star, and its shaping up to take me even longer proportionally compared to its respective audiobook time.

It's worth noting that I read on my ereader with large font and I frequently will reread sentences and paragraphs if I feel like I didn't take in exactly what was being communicated. Maybe the one good thing about reading this slowly is that I never feel lost in the story and am almost always able to pick up on callbacks and hints that are subtly dropped by the author. I feel like if I where to read much faster, I wouldn't be able to fully imagine the setting and actions that are being described in the story. What do you all think? Do you have any experiences like this?

P.S- I've been loving the Red Rising Series. It's my first fantasy series ever.

Welcome to the Sunday Fantasy Roundup :)

What fantasy book did you finish this week and love?

• One book is enough.

• No reviews required.

• A sentence or two about why you loved it is perfect.

• Feel free to throw in a book cover as visuals are great!

This thread is about celebrating great reads and helping others find their next adventure.

👩‍🚀🚀👽 Reminder: If you love science fiction books, please join our sister subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/readscifi/

Ok so, I have read the latest Francis Hardinge book and I was scratching my head the whole time. In the fictional world (I believe the author loosely based it off medevial England), physics is a bit of a toss up. Castles 'jump' and are transported all over the continent based on the whims of the god like players. And there are unicorns. Unicorns suck. So there's God powers, and magical animals and some farmers-turned-rebels and some weird laughing magpies. It's a good book, I swear.

In this book the main characters go on a hunt for the local beast. And they aren't the most educated as they are simple farming folk from medieval Europe. So they guess it's a lion and that's what they call it. But every time it's references or seen it's very clear from description this is not a lion. And this animal comes later in the plot.

The entire time I was scratching my head. So I've finished the story and the plot has revealed what the mystery animal is. Here is your warning I will spoil it .

Reader it was not a lion. It was a Manticore

Due to the writing style. I loved the story so far, I got 200 pages in, but I cannot with the interview style. I know he’s retelling his story to the cold blood but it’s so distracting with the quotations and where the cold blood puts in his input. I feel really sad about DNF 🥲 am I going to regret it?

Hey there!

I just started reading John Gwynne’s newest book “The Wolves of War” and I stumbled upon something 10 pages in that I wanted to share and get your opinions on.

The picture in this post looks… odd? I feel like I’m either too brainwashed by social media or have just lost proper judgement but doesn’t this look kind of like AI? Am I losing my mind?
Particularly the “grainy” texture of the image rubs me the wrong way. Yes, there’s snow and all but it looks like one of those AI ads you see everywhere. Her face is also almost too anime-ish.

Please tell me if I’m just imagining this and that I don’t have a good eye for art! Thanks in advance!

I've been reading fantasy and Sci-fi for years and years now and as much as I love epic, long fantasy stories, I sometimes get daunted by the sheer amount of pages I'll have to get through to finish the story.

As a father (soon to have a second child) I find I have less and less time to invest in the big series, so I end up listening to them on audiobook (DCC, Malazan, Cosmere being the ones I've been into most recently).

I'm looking for Standalone books that I can get into and read in the evening.

My recent favourites have been:

• Guy Gavriel Kay's books "River of Stars", "Under Heaven" and "Lions of Al'Rassan",

• ML Wang's "Blood Over Bright Haven",

• Christopher Buehlman's "Between Two Fires",

• Steven L Peck's "A Short Stay in Hell".

Thank you in advance for any recommandations!

(PS, the books can be anything, Fantasy, Historical fiction, Sci-fi etc...)

I'm trying to get into reading to help me become a better writer, as it's been drilled into me that in order to write, I have to read, which makes sense. Some sort of fantasy adventure with magic is what I'm looking for. For visual media, the sort of stories that draw me in are Avatar: TLA, Black Clover, Naruto Shippuden...idk if that helps at all. Spent most of my 20s (I'm almost 30 now) reading fanfic of varying qualities. (No, I'm not effected by the Ao3 shutdown lol)

Currently, I'm pushing my way through Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn: The Final Empire" and I'm finding it hard to pick up over and over...I think the prose is very clunky, repetitive. The characters feel flat/stagnant, etc. I can keep going if it gets better, but I'm very unmotivated.

I thought about LOTR but it feels very intimidating.

I will state now that I am one of those people who is very bitter about T. Kingfisher's Astarion Book and I refuse to touch her works.

No need to worry about BookTok with me, because I don't go on TikTok anyway!

Thank you in advance! I really appreciate the help.

Hey there do you guys know any fantasy books about necromancers? any genre is okay, bonus if there are deep romances.

Hi everyone!

I got my boyfriend's brother for Secret Santa, and all I know is that he's REALLY into fantasy and sci-fi books. He's a big reader, so I'm guessing he's already read most of the popular titles. I'd love to get him something he'll genuinely enjoy!

What are your favorite underrated gems, hidden treasures, or must-reads that you think a fellow book lover would appreciate?

thank you all!

Just finished reading memories of ice last night and decided that I’d like to take a little break from reading malazan for now, really struggling to chose what to read next I’ve narrowed it down to these 6 books but I’m unsure, any suggestions would be appreciated lol