Comment under this post naming five of your favourite fantasy reads this year, regardless of when they were published, to win a signed (and/or dedicated) Emperor of Thorns trade paperback or The Liar’s Key US hardback. The winner will be randomly selected by Mark from the entries.
You may add a few lines telling us what made those books special for you, but you don’t have to. Also while it’s always nice to see Mark Lawrence titles among your favourites, including any or not won’t affect your chances of winning.
The giveaway will be closing on 19th December!
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Please note: your email address will be required for the submission but will NOT appear on the website!
(Alternatively you can also log in with your WordPress/Facebook/Twitter account)
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Wishing you the best of luck,
Agnes
This giveaway is now closed, many thanks to everyone who took the time to enter!
Mark has selected a random winner, who is Tracy Erickson. Congratulations!
Photo by @bookwnoname
that thorn guy 
I don’t think I can order them, but:
Blackwing by Ed McDonald, Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (not creeping, I swear), The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark, and (struggled to remember it was this year, but sure it was) Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien De Castell.
(I’m sure there would be others I might have to move around, but the last few months I have been a slow reader).
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1. The Red Queen’s War Series by Mark Lawrence – a way lighter and funnier come back to Mark Lawrence ”Thorn” universe, instant classic status in the contemporary fantasy genre.
2. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson – we all love these old-school 1000 pages volumes in a 10-book series.
3. Powder Mage by Brian McLellan – very original magical / skills system and fast-paced, action-oriented story.
4. Fall of Light by Steven Erikson – just the next marvelous piece in the Malazan universe. Such a shame that the last book in this series is put on hold due to market reasons. So much people just have no idea what to read nowadays. Dan Brown-similar stuff, etc. Really, people?!?
5. Assail by Ian Esslemont (the whole 6-book series) – not so great series as the original Malazan, yet definitely a must-read for every Malazan fanatic.
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1 – Blackwing by Ed McDonald.
1 – Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher.
3 – The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.
4 – The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett.
5 – Blood Song by Anthony Ryan.
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1. King of Thorns, Mark Lawrence
2. The Lies of Locke Lamore, Scott Lynch
3. Before they are Hanged, Joe Abercrombie
4. Lord of the Flies, William Godling
5. The Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield
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Oops *Lies of Locke Lamora
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The painted man
The daylight war
The core all by peter v Brett
The blood mirror by Brent weeks
And finally The red sister by some guy whose books I’ve read before what his name .. Mark something.. wrote the broken empire books too 😂😂
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1) A War in Crimson Ashes by Alex Marshall
2) The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith-Spark
3) The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence
4) The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan
5) The Builders by Daniel Polansky
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In no particular order 1). The Last Mortal Bond by Brian Staveley – could have lost around 100 pages (particularly in Kaden’s chapters), but still a great end to a very well written trilogy. 2). Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames – hilarious, yet incredibly moving at times. 3). Wrath by John Gwynne – old school perfection. 4). Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron – fast paced romp with the most amusing insults and name calling in fantasy. 5). Saint’s Blood by Sebastien de Castell – has a hero ever endured as much as Falcio Val Mond?
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1) Faithless by Graham Austin King
2) Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher
3) The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
4) Valour by John Gwynne
5) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
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1. Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
2. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence
4. Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
5. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
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1. ‘Oathbringer’ by Brandon Sanderson
2. ‘Words of Radiance’ by Brandon Sanderson
3. ‘Deadhouse Gates’ by Steven Erikson
4. ‘A Memory of Light’ by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)
5. ‘Kings of the Wyld’ by Nicholas Eames & ‘Skullsworn’ by Brian Staveley (tied)
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– Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner. I love this series, it’s almost exactly the kind of book I want to write one day. I’ve been waiting for the 5th in the series for many, many years (5-7 years between her books, unlike Mr. Lawrence!) and when it finally arrived, it did not disappoint!
– A Conspiracy of Kings By Megan Whalen Turner. Also part of the above series, previously my favourite one because I really connect with the main character, Sophos. Re-read this year in preparation for the latest one’s release.
– Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. Obviously.
– Graceling by Kristan Cashore. Another re-read, because I love this series. It’s fun and the villain is a bit scary and the world is interesting!
– That’s Not My Meerkat! By Fiona Watt. My daughter’s favourite book. I know it by heart, and I really feel for the mouse as he searches for his friend. 10/10 can recommend.
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Red Sister, Kings of the Wyld, Tyrant’s Throne, Blackwing, Nevernight.
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1. Blackwing
2. The Heroes (re-read)
3. The Wheel of Osheim
4. Kings of the Wylde
5. Elric of Melnibone (re-read)
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In no particular order:
1) Gospel Prism by Gerald Weaver
2) The Illearth War by Stephen Donaldson
3) Fly by Night by Jenny M Jones
4) I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
5) The Gate of Ivrel by C J Cherryh
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1 – Red SIster – It’s like Harry Potter on steroids with warriors instead of sissy mages, so it’s better.
2 – The Fall Of Dragons by Miles Cameron – Read the whole series this year, but I’ll have to choose the last book because I believe it’s more difficult to end a series than to start one
3 – Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff – Coming of age story with assassins aaand sarcastic characters
4 – Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – Even though I didn’t enjoy the liveships arc, this was really a great ending to the series
5 – Skullsworn by Brian Staveley – I liked Staveley’s CotUT original trilogy, but I actually think this one’s better than all of them
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In no real order as all have been great.
Prince of Fools.. Prince Jarlen does a runner and it does not end well… By some bloke called Mark
Kings Of The Wyld… Getting the band back together for one last gig.. By Nickolas Eames
Dirty streets of Heaven… Angels in downtown California.. By Tad Williams
The Beast of The North… Norse mythology inspired fantasy.. By Alaric Longward
The Emperors Blades.. Betrayal and murder, like all the best stories… By Brian Staverly
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And a very very special has to go to FALL OF DRAGONS.. A stunning ending to a simply awesome series…
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The Gradual by Christopher Priest
A Man of Shadows by Jeff Noon
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
Unholy Consult by R Scott Bakker
Last Days of New Paris by China Mieville
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Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
Blackwing by Ed McDonald
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
Morning Star by Pierce Brown
Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
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1. The Core by Peter Brett.
2. Chronicles of The Black Company By Glen Cook.
3. Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
4. The Books of the South by Glen Cook.
5. The Wit & wisdom of Tyrion Lannister. By George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Jonty Clark.
The last one realy gave me a good laugh 😀
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In order of when I read them…
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (he says it’s not fantasy but it has a dragon in it so I’m counting it)
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Hannah Green and her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith
Prince of Thorns by Whatsisname
Fingers firmly crossed for winning this giveaway as I’ll have the complete trilogy then ^_^
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1. Trump’s collective tweets
2. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
3. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
4. King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
5. Cast Under an Alien Sun by Olan Thorenson
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1. The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson
2. Toll the Hounds – Steven Erikson
3. Paladin of Souls – Lois McMaster Bujold
4. The Emperor’s Knife – Mazarkis Williams
5. A Darkness at Sethanon – Raymond Feist
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1. Hunters & Collectors – Matt Suddain
2. Between Two Fires – Christopher Buehlman
3. The Guns of Empire – Django Wexler
4. The Mirror’s Truth – Michael R. Fletcher
5 . City of Miracles – R.J. Bennett
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Nice, another “Hunters & Collectors” fan!! I talked about it, but didn’t put it in my top 5 since it’s not exactly fantasy… but damn, what an incredible, incredible book.
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True, this one is more SF but it was such an amazing book i couldn’t resist.
also saw some other SF titles here (Scalzi,Children of Time ) so i decided to sneak this one in.
BTW, I read his “Theatre of the Gods” right after, also great fun. This guy is brilliant
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1. Kings of the Wyld – Nicholas Eames
2. Providence of Fire – Brian Staveley
3. Traitor’s Blades – Sebastien de Castell
4. Shot Gun Arcana – R.S. Belcher
4. Queen of the Darkness – Anne Bishop
5. Royal Assassin – Robin Hobb
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Red Sister Mark Lawrence, City of Miracles Robert J Bennett, Assassin’s Fate Robin Hobb, With Blood upon the Sand Bradley P Beaulieu, The Legion of Flame Anthony Ryan.
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In no set order or preference, my favorite reads this past year are:
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastian de Castell
The Core by Peter V Brett
The Age of War by Michael J Sullivan (read in beta)
The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter by Michael J Sullivan (read in beta)
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1. The Last God – Michael McClung
1. Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb
1. The Baker’s Boy – J.V. Jones
1. The Black Prism – Brent Weeks
1. Arm of the Sphinx – Josiah Bancroft
😉
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*Copping out and not picking a favourite, but I read the Mark Lawrence Library(TM) this year. He’s a pretty good author, guys, you should check him out!
*Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay [same may argue this isn’t fantasy enough, but it worked for me]
*Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb
*Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
*This is _space_ fantasy and in game fiction (you can read online: http://www.ishtar-collective.net/categories/books-of-sorrow ), but The Books of Sorrow from Destiny is just amazing.
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In no particular order:
– Blackwing by Ed McDonald
– Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
– Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
– Cry Havoc by Mike Morris
– The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
Choosing only 5 was incredibly difficult. My “To Read” list has also significantly grown after reading the other entries!
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In no order: Red Sister – Mark Lawrence; The Word is Murder – Anthony Horowitz; Mageborn – Stephen Aryan; The End of the Day – Claire North & You’re Never Wierd on the Internet (Almost) – Felicia Day
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Ooo, top five…
(I had to go run through my goodreads to check and see what exactly I had read this year.)
[In no particular order]
1) In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle- I’m a sucker for any and all Beagle books and was very exited to get into this one.
2) A Wise Man’s Fear by Rothfuss- I’m late to the game with this one, but still, read it, loved it, and I’ve joined the ranks of fans waiting on the next book.
3) The Broken Empire trilogy by Lawrence- it feels like I read that years ago, but turns out this obsession started around March, surprise.
4) Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson- another one that I too am surprised only happened this year.
5) A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab- I finished this trilogy this year, because apparently this has been a year for trilogies.
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Red sisters
Drawing of the three
Wolves of the cala
The name of the wind
The hobitt
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Assassin’s Fate, Oathbringer, The Core, Iron Gold, and Red Sister (Of Course)
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In alphabetical order by author’s last name (because I still believe in the Dewey Decimal System), my five favorite fantasy reads of 2017 so far (the year isn’t over and I’m still reading):
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Divine Cities series by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Armored Saint by Myke Cole
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Not a fantasy book, but really well written speculative dystopian fiction all the same, was Meg Ellison’s The Book of Etta.
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correcting an author’s name, The Book of Etta is by Meg Elison and her Road to Nowhere series deserves to be correctly attributed to her. Thanks!
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The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst
Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Red Sister by That Thorn Guy
The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear
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Just 5? So hard…
In no order:
Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb
The Stone Sky – N.K. Jemisin
Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
The Ninth Rain – Jen Williams
Ash: a secret history – Mary Gentle
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Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb (need I add anything to this? just beautiful!)
Requiem for the Wolf – Tara Saunders (stunning – but heavy going – but so worth the read)
A Mighty Dawn – Theodore Brun (fantastic first half – more historical fantasy than fantasy – the second half was a bit weird! but good weird – I think)
The Malice – Peter Newman (it might just have been the goat that did this one for me – again, not an easy read but well worth the slog!)
Red Sister – Mark Lawrence (obviously)
This year I read and reviewed books outside my comfort zone and found both some amazing stuff, and quite a bit of rubbish.
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No particular order…Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff, Swarm & Steel by Michael Fletcher, Fifth Empire Man by Rob Hayes, the Bear and the Serpent by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and my pick for roundabout kiss-assery (lol), Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft!
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It’s tough to call as I’ve read many amazing books this year but my top five are…
Ed McDonald – Blackwing
Rob Hayes – The Fifth Empire of Man
John Gwynne – A Time of Dread
James Patterson – 1st to Die
Ian C. Esslemont – Deadhouse Landing
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My reading was slower than usual this year, but here are the five that stood out amongst the few I managed to read:
– Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
– Reset by Kirk Dougal
– Paternus by Dyrk Ashton
– The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley
– Dragonship by JP Ashman
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1. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
2. `Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
3. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
4. City Stained Red by Sam Sykes / Black Prism by Brent Weeks
5. Gemini Cell by Myke Cole
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1. Gemini cell by Myke Cole
2. Red Sister
3. My beat friends exorcism by Grady hendrix
4. Dr Strange and the Sorcerer Supremes
5. fifth season by nk jemisin
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5. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
4. Small Favour by Jim Butcher
3. Godblind by Anna Stephens
2. The Blood Debt by Duncan M Hamilton
1. Spellslinger by Sebastian De Castell
(Excluding the usual re-reads notably the annual Drenai re-read)
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Faithless by Graham Austin-King
Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
The Siege of Abythos by Phil Tucker
The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French
Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastian de Castell
Faithless, Grey Bastards, and The Siege of Abythos were three incredible indie books from this year, and it was hard to whittle my list down to just these. Nicholas Eames’ Kings of the Wyld, Will Wight’s “Cradle” series and Ed McDonald’s “Blackwing” were also really high on the self-pub list.
Library at Mount Char was funny, horrific, and incredible… bits of Seanan McGuire’s “Wayward Children” series mixed with “Paternus” & “American Gods” – a wild, unpredictable, original read.
Hunters & Collectors by M. Suddain would’ve made this list, but I think it’s more sci-fi than fantasy. It’s about an incorrigable intergalatic food critic with synesthesia trying to track down the perfect meal, only to get caught up in a living nightmare. It’s like “Hitchhiker’s Guide” meets “Confederacy of Dunces” meets “Event Horizon.” Yeah… go read this.
And Tyrant’s Throne, de Castell’s brilliant ending of the Greatcoats series. Everything built up to this, and it made me laugh uncontrollably while ripping my guts out on the next page.
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Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb
The Court of Broken Knives – Anna Smith Spark (I had issues with the second half but the first half is perfect and I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful the writing was)
Strange the Dreamer – Laini Taylor
The Bedlam Stacks – Natasha Pulley
Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
I’m a sucker for pretty, stylish prose, which is the common denominator for all of these.
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A Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
Soul of the World by David Mealing
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Godblind by Anna Stephens
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
(Also: The Empire’s Ghost by Isabelle Steiger, A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab)
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1. Oathbringer by. Brandon Sanderson
2. Way of Kings by. Brandon Sanderson
3. Kings of the Wyld by. Nicholas Eames
4. King of Thorns by. Mark Lawrence
5. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by. Susanna Clarke
Honorable mentions:
Words of Radiance by. Brandon Sanderson
The Blade Itself by. Joe Abercrombie
The Court of Broken Knives by. Anna Smith Spark
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In no particular order:
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (duh)
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
Scion of Cyador by L.E Modesitt Jr.
The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
The Black Elfstone by Terry Brooks
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In no particulat order
-Red Sister
-The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
– Emperor’s Soul
-The Emperor’s Blade
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The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo by Been Costa and James Parks
The Vagrant by Peter Newman
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Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
Mistborn: The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson
Theft of Swords – Michael J. Sullivan
A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. LeGuin
Pyramids – Terry Pratchett
This really showed me how little I read this year. Really disappointed in myself now…
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In order:
Red Sister (I know, but it’s the truth)
City of Miracles
Tyrant’s Throne
The Fifth Season
Changes
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Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
The Last Unicorn (again) by Peter S. Beagle
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
Emperor of Thorns (oh look you squeaked in there, hehe 😉)
I’m yanking your chain, that is one of the best endings to a trilogy in a long time, mi amigo.
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1. Best Served Cold – Joe Abercrombie
2. Prince of Thornes- Mark Lawrence
3. Name of the Wind- Patrick Rothfuss
4. Dune- Frank Herbert
5. The Color of Magic- Terry Pratchett!
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1. The Belgariad series by David Eddings (I read this every year!)
2. Prince, King and Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
3. Blackwing by Ed Mcdonald
4. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
5. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
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In no particular order –
(1) The Blade Itself – Joe Abercrombie (The Bloody-Nine, Need I say more?)
(2) Red Sister – That Thorn Guy “…the best…fantasy…” – Peter V. Brett)
(3) Hex – Thomas Olds Heuvelt (The Dutch are scary, who knew?)
(4) Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb (Hands down, best I’ve read.)
(5) To Green Angel Tower – Tad Williams (Old School Epic)
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So far my fav reads have been:
Words of radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Shades of Magic Triology by VE Schwab
Clash of Kings By George RR Martin
My tbr list is now longer thanks to all these comments! Some great books on here.
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Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
The Red Queen’s War by Mark Lawrence
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
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This year I found and loved Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series, so there were those.
City of Miracles, by Robert Jackson Bennett.
Kings of the Wyld, by Nicholas Eames.
River of Teeth, by Sarah Gailey.
The Stupidest Angel, by Christopher Moore.
Thank you for the chance to win.
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Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
Truthwitch – Susan Dennard
Prince of Fools – Mark Lawrence
Prince of thorns- Mark Lawrence
Shatter Me – T. Mafi
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In no particular order:
1. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson – One of the greatest main characters I’ve ever read
2. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – The closing to Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings was beautiful and strong
4. To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts – Pleasantly surprised by this one. Wurts sidestepped all the cliche tropes I loathe in this sort of story, and her prose is beautiful and unique.
5. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay
If I’d gotten around to reading Red Sister this year I’m sure it would have made the shortlist, but sadly I haven’t been able to find it in my country yet. Highly anticipating it’s arrival 🙂
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1. ECOS by Pam Muñoz Ryan
2. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
3. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
4. Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
5. The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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Prince,king,emporer of thorns. Red sister. The wheel of Osheim.
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Tough choices…in no particular order
Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb
Godsgrave – Jay Kristoff
Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
The Ninth Rain – Jen Williams
Tyrant’s Throne – Sebastian De Castell
Oh, and….
Damn, 5 book limit
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1. The soldier son trilogy by the queen Robin Hobb,
2. Gagner la guerre by Jean Philippe Jaworsky, very sadly untranslated in english yet but you all should ask for it,
3. Rois du monde, (a saga) also by Jaworsky,
4.Captive Prince’s novels by CS Pacat,
5. Blood song t.1 by Anthony Ryan.
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Red Sister, by that guy; All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders; the Eternal Sky trilogy, Elizabeth Bear; the Fifth Season, N. K. Jemisin; The Cormorant, Chuck Wendig
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1. Waylander, David Gemmell (re-read)
2. Pawn of Prophecy, David Eddings (re-read)
3. Red Sister, Mark Lawrence
4. Way of Shadows, Brent Weeks
5. A Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab
Top 2 are classics I always find myself going back to. Of the newer series Red Sister was amazing, fast-paced and kept me wanting more. I was truly impressed with V E. Schwab’s series, especially the adaptation of dimensions in her world. Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks was also amazing! I loved the character development, and the story flowed fantastically through the entire series!
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1) The name of the wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
2) The wise man fears, by Patrick Rothfuss
3) Red Sister, by Mark Lawrence
4) The Shadow of what was Lost, by James Islington
5) An Echo of Things to Come, by James Islington
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Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.. Red Sister by Mark Lawrence (honest answer).. The Core by Peter Brett.. Skullsworn by Michael McClellan.. and Deadhouse Landing by Esslemont which was very exciting for Malazan fans.
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3) Red Sister – Mark Lawrence When you start off with, “It’s important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.” I’m hooked
B) Leviathan Wakes – James S. A. Corey SciFi, I say it counts and I make the rules.
XII) Oathbringer – Brandon Sanderson
Platypus) Assassin’s Fate – Robin Hobb I’ll remember this with the depth of having lost a dear friend.
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1) Anna dressed in blood
2) Laura Caxton series (1-5) by David Wellington
3) Something from the nightside by Simon R. Green
4) Saga by Brian Vaughan
5) Broken empire series (1-3)
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I think I stuck mostly to fantasy rather than epic fantasy this year, here’s my list
1. Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
2. Monstress by Marjorie m. Liu
3. Plague of Angels by Sheri Tepper
4. Hawk by Steven Brust
5. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Not listing them in the order of preference. I loved them all.
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1. Emperor of Thorns. (Well… my heart still hurts, so it had to be here).
2. The Winner’s Curse.
3. The Bell Between Worlds.
4. Monstress
5. Sword of Destiny.
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Not ranked in order of love because I can’t do it!
1. Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
2. La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
3. The Half Killed by Quenby Olson
4. Sapphire’s Flight by K.S. Villoso
5. A Star-Reckoner’s Lot by Darrell Drake
Honorable mention (meaning it wouldn’t fit) to Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft.
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In no particular order:
THE CORE by Peter V. Brett
RED SISTER by Mark Lawrence
SILVERLOCK by John Myers Myers
THEY MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT by Benedict Patrick
CITY OF MIRACLES by Robert Jackson Bennett
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There have been so many excellent fantasy reads in recent years!
All pretty familiar choices, and for good reason; they stand on their own as works of quality and offer much enjoyment:
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
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1. The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
2. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
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In no particular order:
1. The Core – Peter V. Brett
2. The Arm of the Sphinx – Josiah Bancroft
3. The Bear and the Nightingale – Arden, Katherine
4. The Changeling – Victor LaValle
5. Titus Groan – Mervyn Peake
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1) The Waking Fire (Anthony Ryan) – SEVEN HELLS this one took me be surprise and blew me away.
2) 50th Anniversary Edition of Dune – A classic; still a classic; will always be a classic.
3) The Price of Valour (Django Wexler) – Surprisingly a stunning third book which holds up every bit as well as the first and second novels did. Can’t wait to read more from Django!
4) Republic of Thieves (Scott Lynch) – Locke Lamora is a legend.
5) I finally read The Wheel of Osheim which was SO GOOD and continues to bring the exact tone of dark-fantasy that I was searching for when I stumbled upon Mark Lawrence; bring on Red Sister!
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The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews.
The Mortal Tally by Sam Sykes.
Traitor’s Blade by de Castel
The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
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This year I’ve read the following:
1) The Dwarves by Markus Heitz,
2) Blood song by Anthony Ryan
3) Black Prisim by Brent Weeks
4) The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooke
5)The colour of magic and the light fantastic by Terry Pratchett
6) The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien.
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Selin Ascends
Red Sister
The Grey Bastards
Assassin’s Fate
Men at Arms
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1. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
2. Blackwing by Ed McDonald
3. The White Song by Phil Tucker
4. Touch of Iron by Timandra Whitecastle
and of course:
5. Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
😁
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1. Brent Weeks’ Blood Mirror (because the narrative weft and weave is a tapestry of tension)
2. Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London series (because they’re all so realistic and original)
3. Neil Gaiman (finally got around to reading Neverwhere and American Gods, had profound, lasting impact on me)
4. Joe Abercrombie ‘Shattered Sea’ trilogy – never read YA material like it.
5. Scott Hawkins ‘The Library of Mount Char’ because its bizarre, full of mind-blowing concepts and plays with your emotions like a kitten with yarn.
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BOY ON THE BRIDGE BY M.R. CAREY
TYRANTS THRONE BY SEBASTIEN de Castell
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
All save for Boy on the BRIDGE will also be my Hugo picks for Best Series .
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Hi,
Just getting back into fantasy and have read over 35 books this year so I have many to choose from, ones that spring to mind.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Name of the wind. by Pat Rothfuss
The blade itself by Joe Abercrombie
American gods by Neil Gaiman
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•The Broken Empire
– Read and shared the whole trilogy, Jorg was an amazing refreshing character that I could read a thousand more stories about
•The Lone Drow
-the last Drizzt saga book I finished
•Inheritance
– reread to prove a point in an argument about the Eragon series
• Jurassic Park
– I really hope this counts as it is a amazing book
• Cirque Du Freak
– Great story believeable characters and I am currently using it as bedtime stories for my toddler
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* Nightwise – R.S. Belcher
* Red Seas Under Red Skies – Scott Lynch
* Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
* The Scar – China Mieville
*The City Of Brass – S.A. Chakraborty
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1. Red Sister – Mark Lawrence. (Clear winner for me, strong well defined characters but still with plenty of mystery behind them)
2. The Core – Peter Brett. (Better finish to the series, with such a fascinating world, than I expected)
3. The Rain Wild Chronicles (4 book series bundled – because they were available like that as a Kindle download!) – Robin Hobb, great story teller
4. The Red Wolf conspiracy; The Chathrand Voyage – R V S Redick.
5. And books 2 and 3 in the same series (Chathrand Voyage by Redick). Good story, getting more complex and interesting as it moves on.
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1. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
2. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
3. Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
4. The Devil You Know by KJ Parker
5. Fool’s Fate by Robin Hobb
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In no particular order
1. Age of Myth (and Age of Swords) by Brandon Sanderson
– I wasn’t sure how I’d like going away from my favorite Riyria thieves but this bronze age prequel really set the bar high for his future writing.
2. The Kings Peace by Jo Walton
– A quasi-Arthurian series it contains familiar themes from the legend but presents it completely different than any other retelling. Something I really enjoyed as an Arthur enthusiast who’s read many different versions that follow the same path.
3. The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
– Not usually a steampunk guy but when it’s got flying ships and plenty of swordfighting in all in! (Plus Jim Butcher wrote it so you know it has to be good)
4. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
– Jorg’s unique character allowed him to say many (often morbid) insightful comments about human nature
5. The Skystone by Jack Whyte
– Another awesome take on the Arthurian legends but set during the fall of Rome (400AD). It includes many real people and events of the time while spanning 60+ years and three generations of Romans in exile creating Camulod (Camelot) to crowning Arthur.
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No particular order:
1. Red Sister obviously by Mark Lawrence
2. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson
3. Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
4. A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
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2017 was dominated by you for me. Top 3 are The Broken Empire then the other 2 would be 2 of the 3 from The Red Queens War but I can’t pick. Maybe Prince of Fools and Wheel of Osheim if I have to pick.
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I would have to say the first 4 for me would have to be The Faithful and the Fallen Series by John Gwynne (Malice, Valor, Ruin, Wrath). For me this series took me to another place. I found myself not able to stop reading them. I liked the way it was set up and how each chapter was a different person, which made me keep wanting to read so that I could find out what happens to that character. These books made me cry like a baby a lot of times, but they were great.
Number 5 – Road Brothers, mostly because I loved the Broken Empire series so much that it was so nice to have more stories from it.
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1- The Liar’s Key. Oh god this book broken me ! ran out of my psychological!
2- Kings Kage – Victoria Aveyard. Broken my heart.
3- Bird Box -Josh malerman. Is isane.
4- Glass Sword. Victoria Aveyard. My heart? Lol why????
5-The Boy Who Drew Monsters
by Keith Donohue.. Jesu! Inacreditable
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-*Oathbringer* by Brandon Sanderson…Being a cosmerenaut it wud be blasphemous of me to not have this!
-*The Blade ltself* by Joe Abercrombie…Cause the characters were as wonderfully dark as I am.
-*Emperor of Thorns* by Mark Lawrence…Cause Chella POVs were worth the wait.
-*Legend * by David Gemmell…Cause though being on my to-read shelf for sooo long, it wasn’t a little bit dusty⚒️
-*The Color of Magic* by Terry Pratchett…Cause it was funny?!?😂
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King and Emperor by That Thorn Guy
Lord of Ashes – Richard Ford
Half a War – Joe Abercrombie
The Dark Defiles – Richard K Morgan
Always been a fantasy fan but got bored with a lot of the grand old school style – discovered “Grimdark” and haven’t looked back, some fantastically twisted authors have come through in the last few years.
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1) half a king
2) wheel of osheim
3) The frogs (by Aristophanes)
4) Red sister
5) half a war
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My top five books this year has been (1) Paul Hoffman the hand of god trilogy, (2) Mark Lawrence the broken Empire trilogy, (3) Joe Abercrombie the first law trilogy, (4) K.J Parker the fencer trilogy, (5) Daniel Abraham the coin and the dagger series…..😃
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