Best Fantasy Books of 2019

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.

  1. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay

    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.

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  2. The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

    The 10,000 Doors of January by Alix E Harrow book cover

    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.

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  3. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

    Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir book cover

    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.

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  4. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

    The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton book cover

    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.

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  5. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

    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!!!

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  6. A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie

    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.

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  7. Beneath the Twisted Trees by Bradley Beaulieu

    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.

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  8. The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft

    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.

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  9. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

    Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo book cover

    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.

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  10. Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

    Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone book cover

    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.

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  11. The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang

    The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang book cover

    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.

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  12. The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume One by Terry Pratchett

    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. 

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  13. Fallen by Benedict Jacka

    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.

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  14. The Secret Chapter by Genevieve Cogman

    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.

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