Below you will find a list of the fantasy books published in 2019 that we enjoyed most. Click on a book title to read the full review.
A 10/10 book. We don't get many of those. The second Kay book on the list for the reason our reviewer Adam gives: 'A Brightness Long Ago is a masterpiece; perhaps the finest work of one of the world’s greatest living storytellers'. Here, here.
Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a lyrical, stunning love letter to the power of stories and the magic of "elsewhere." Set in the early 1900s, it follows January Scaller, a young woman who discovers a book that speaks of literal doors between worlds. The novel is fantastic because it treats the "portal" not just as a plot device, but as a metaphor for freedom and self-discovery. Harrow's prose is lush and poetic, transforming a traditional adventure into a deeply emotional journey about belonging and the courage required to walk through a door into the unknown.
Muir delivers a "lesbian necromancers in space" masterpiece that defies easy categorisation. It is a locked-room murder mystery set within a decaying, gothic space station. The narrative voice is irreverent and modern, contrasting beautifully with the ancient, bone-crunching magic of the Nine Houses. Gideon is a hilarious, sword-wielding protagonist, but the heart of the story lies in her complex, toxic, and deeply moving relationship with Harrowhark Nonagesimus. It is witty, gory, and eventually heartbreaking.
Stuart Turton's "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" is a breathtaking evolution of the "locked-room" mystery. The protagonist, Aiden Bishop, must solve a murder while inhabiting the bodies of eight different guests during a recurring day at a decaying estate. It is a fantastic read because it treats time and identity as forensic puzzles. The "body-hopping" mechanic creates a complex layer of psychological and physical constraints, forcing the detective to piece together the truth from fragmented, often unreliable perspectives. It is a high-concept, atmospheric masterpiece that perfectly blends Agatha Christie's precision with a dark, supernatural loop.
Alternate timelines, manifestations, Hands of Glory, alchemy, Doctrine of Ethos and immortality and and and GODDAMN. McGuire provides a clinic in storytelling with Middlegame. This is her magnum opus (so far!) It’s magical... truly magical. I could not love it more!!!
Sometimes you find that perfect book, the one that hits you at the exact right moment. Everything aligns. The writing, the characters & the world-building just makes your soul sing. A Little Hatred is that for me. It's beautifully, authentically First Law. Joe Abercrombie has done it again. Goddamn.
Beneath the Twisted Trees is rich in detail, which allows us to follow this large cast of characters and how their actions interweave with each other. The size of the book can be a bit overwhelming but the stories move quickly between one chapter and the next. There are lots of mini cliffhangers that leave you wanting to catch up with what happens to various characters. Although this does also mean that some characters' stories do move faster than others.
There are so many emotional scenes, amazing set-pieces, and charming intricacies that fill The Hod King to the brim. Bancroft is a world-class literary author and I can't think of another writer who is better or more consistent right now. I can't wait to see how this all concludes in the series finale.
Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House is a hauntingly sophisticated entry into the "Dark Academia" branch of urban fantasy. Set within the ivy-covered walls of Yale University, it reveals a world where secret societies manipulate occult power to influence global politics and wealth. The story follows Alex Stern, a survivor who can see ghosts, as she polices these groups. Bardugo's brilliance lies in her atmospheric prose and the way she grounds arcane rituals in the cold reality of privilege and trauma. It is a visceral, intellectual, and often brutal exploration of power that feels chillingly possible behind closed doors.
This is a breathtaking, psychedelic reimagining of "Journey to the West" on a galactic scale. Gladstone throws a brilliant modern inventor into a far-future universe ruled by a tyrannical, god-like Empress. The world-building is exuberant, featuring cloud-cities, sentient nanotech, and pirates made of light. It moves at a breakneck pace, balancing high-octane action with philosophical questions about power, legacy, and the courage required to break a cycle of eternal control.
The Sword of Kaigen is a breathtaking masterpiece that proves heroic fantasy can be deeply emotional and character-driven. While it features stunning martial arts and elemental "whispering" battles, the story's true strength lies in its intimate exploration of motherhood, repressed trauma, and the cost of propaganda. M.L. Wang deconstructs the "warrior culture" trope by showing the devastating reality of defending one's home against an overwhelming empire. It is a rare, self-contained story that balances high-octane action with a gut-wrenching domestic drama, leaving readers transformed by its powerful themes of sacrifice and legacy.
Perfect as a gift for that Pratchett fan in your life, or as an addition to your own never-ending Pratchett collection, The Ankh-Morpork Archives: A Discworld Anthology – Volume 1 might be a little unnecessary, it is nevertheless beautiful and a wonderful return to one of the most endearing cities in literature.
Fallen is a high-water mark for Benedict Jacka’s ‘Alex Verus’ series and a challenging benchmark for other urban fantasy writers. Compelling, un-put-down-able, emotional, and with gripping prose that at times takes you right into the bloody room, Fallen serves as a significant signpost towards this series’ end game. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, then I wouldn’t necessarily suggest you jump into book ten (of what is expected to be a twelve-book series), but by gosh it’s been a fun ride to get here, and it only keeps getting better.
The Secret Chapter was yet another brilliant inclusion in Genevieve Cogman’s ‘The Invisible Library’ series. Filled with fast paced action, thrilling heist moments, great character development – for both primary and secondary characters – and with a tantalising mystery to continue unfolding in future books, The Secret Chapter brought everything to love about great fantasy.
Including Katabasis, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, A Drop of Corruption, The Devils & more.
Including The Tainted Cup
Including Hell Bent
Including Babel, Fairy Tale
Including She Who Became the Sun, The God is Not Willing, A Marvellous Light and The Shadow of the Gods
Including The Unspoken Name, Age of Empyre, The Once and Future Witches and The Trouble with Peace
Including A Brightness Long Ago, The Raven Tower, The 10,000 Doors of January and Beneath the Twisted Trees
Including Circe, The Ember Blade, The Fall of Gondolin and The Poppy War
Including The Fall of Arthur, The Stone Sky, Godsgrave and Tarnished City
Including All the Birds in the Sky, Nevernight, Wrath and Fellside
Including The Hollow Boy, Ancillary Mercy, Half the World and Ruin
Including The Slow Regard of Silent Things, Fool's Assassin, Words of Radiance and The Oversight
Including Emperor of Thorns, The Shining Girls, The Republic of Thieves and The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Including Some Kind of Fairy Tale, King of Thorns, The Wind Through the Keyhole and The Killing Moon