There’s one specific Fantasy Book a lot of people who aren’t neceesarily harcore fantasy novel fans are waiting for. Alas, it doesn’t seem like it’ll come out in 2017, but there’s a wonderful crop of new fantasy books to enjoy in the progressing new year.
Political fantasy is a trending topic which isn’t surprising, but there’s a little bit for everyone on this list: From Neil Gaiman’s new novel retelling stories of Norse Mythology, to Hugo Award winners Elizabeth Bear and N.K. Jemisin, as well as the conclusion of some terrific series like Peter V. Brett’s the Demon Cycle and Robin Hobb’s Fitz and the Fool. Oh, and there’s even a new Tolkien book about Middle-Earth. Yippie!
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
The third and final part in Schwab’s ‘A Shade of Light’ trilogy, which takes us back to the Maresh Empire and the conclusion of one of the best series in recent years in terms of worldbuilding and the overall handling of something that many writers struggle with in fantasy books: The balance of magic and its existence in the specific fantasy universe.
Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly
Donnelly has made her name by writing short fiction stories, but has a very good shot of showing her long-read chops with Amberlough: A more political fantasy book, with plenty of spy thriller elements.
American War by Omar El Akkad
Political fantasy is the trendy topic in 2017, and the actual events and ideas of our current time ripple through art, including El Akkad’s debut novel, American War, which discusses the events of a 2nd Civil War taking place in 2074, focusing on Sarat Chestnut and her Louisiana family, her evolution into a lethal weapon, and her decisions having great consequences for her family and the nation.
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb closes yet another trilogy (Fitz and the Fool) inside the Realm of the Enderlings universe, telling the tale of prince Fitzchivalry Farseer, this time vowing to reach the city of Clerres and exact his revenge on the Servants of the Four. Once again, Hobb’s latest novel seems like something special and different in the crowded field of fantasy novels, setting a standard few can follow.
Beren and Luthien by J.R.R. Tolkien
It’s sometimes impossible to comprehend the amount of work J.R.R. Tolkien managed to do while crafting the always intriguing world of Middle-Earth. This time, a tale shaped into a novel by Christopher Tolkien about the impossible love between a mortal and an elf. Beren is tasked by Luthien’s father with something impossible: Stealing a Simlaril from Morgoth.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
There’s really no need to introduce Neil Gaiman, who seems to be onto another best seller with Norse Mythology, staying true to the myths of Odin, Loki and other Norse gods and tells their story through a more novel-istic prism, giving these timeless stories a new life and exciting angle that you’ve probably never thought about.
Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
Ada Palmer creates an interesting, tense world in Seven Surrenders, which is a story that revolves around Mycroft Canner and his place in a grand conspiracy to keep a seemingly utopian world running smoothly, and how a special child with the power to bring inanimate objects to life plays in all of this. Political intrigue, only with a much more interesting, fantastic spin.
Skullsworn by Brian Staveley
Brian Staveley finished the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, but isn’t done with the universe of the emperor’s blade. Skullsworn follows Pyree Lakatur, an assassin-priestess, who has a 10-days, 10-deaths trial to complete, while she struggles with the notion of feeling love for the first time, in a terrific stand alone that gives a different look into a universe and world that has an endless amount of stories to tell.
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
In Spoonbenders, Daryl Gregory tells a terrific tale about a family of psychics that has run out of magic, withdraws from the world until it is faced with a trifecta of threats from the CIA, mafia and the general public of skeptics, just as the grandson of the family’s patriarch stumbles upon some old magic within himself; just in time to protect the family.
The Core: Book Five of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett
The 5th and final installment in the Demon Cycle series, The Core is still quite the mystery in terms of what it’ll be about, but Peter V. Brett has confirmed it won’t be the last story he writes that is set in the world trying to battle the demons known as Corellings, first introduces to us in 2008, and only getting better with time.
The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear
Elizabeth Bear did an incredible job with the Eternal Sky trilogy, and The Stone in the Skull is the first book in a new trilogy, set in the same world. This time, an automaton (The Gage) created by a wizard works as a mercenary, and along with a broken soldier, ends up being caught up in a war fought over what remains of a once huge empire.
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
The conclusion of the Broken Earth trilogy, which started with The Fifth Season, winner of the Hugo Awards in 2016. Jemisin broke fantasy genre tropes with her previous books, and expectations are running high for the third book in this series, which focused on the belief in good and second chances against a more pragmatic approach: What is corrupt can only be destroyed, not fixed or cleansed.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
Theodora Goss is mostly known for her terrific work in short fantasy stories. In The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, she brings her talent into a bigger canvas, writing an exciting tale that retells the story of some of the genres most popular characters, which begins with Mary Jekyll beginning to investigate her father’s mysterious past, leading her to Diana Hyde and a group of women created by terrible experiments. A classic tale turned upside down, and reimagined in the most wonderful way possible.
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
Walkway is a story about two people who have had enough with the crumbling of modern society (a futuristic one, of course), in a world where people can print up anything they need. The other part of the world – neglected, forgotten, dangerous, harbors one thing that is important enough to fight over, and ignite war: The power to cheat, or cure, death.
If you’re into Science Fiction as well, check out our recommendations for the best sci-fi books in 2017.
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