Best Fantasy Books of 2021

Below you will find a list of the fantasy books published in 2021 that we enjoyed most. Click on a book title to read the full review.

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan (The Radiant Emperor: Book 1)

She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang, the rebel leader who fought the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and eventually went on to found the Ming dynasty in 14th century China....

Published: 2021

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne (The Bloodsworn Saga: Book 1)

Now that the intro is out of the way, let me get to the subject I really wanted to talk about: Orka. One of the three main voices in the book and one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time ...

Published: 2021

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (The Last Binding: Book 1)

Let me put my cards on the table. I loved every part of this book. From the hoity-toity English to the queer romance to the UF style murder investigation - all of it was utterly perfect and so much...

Published: 2021

The God is Not Willing by Steven Erikson (The First Tale of Witness)

In the end, I don’t think you’ll find a better book to read: Not just a better fantasy book, but a better book. And if you have yet to dip your toe into the Malazan world crea...

Published: 2021

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Kinch quickly became one of my favorite first-person characters in as long as I can remember, and its supporting cast of deep, rich characters combined with Buehlman’s creativity and wit brou...

Published: 2021

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (The Burning Kingdoms #1)

The Jasmine Throne is a magnificent triumph. Suri creates a complex cultural experience rooted in South Asian mythologies. The hypnotic world-building of the Parijati empire, coupled with an authentic...

Published: 2021

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels World: Book 1)

I read the whole thing straight through and finished with a cry of disbelief. It couldn’t be the end... But it was. And so now begins the time of waiting. There is absolutely no way that Ilon...

Published: 2021

The Hand of the Sun King by JT Greathouse (Pact and Pattern #1)

Greathouse has written a memorable character in Wen Alder and Forbidden Cur. He is a man whose life has been divided in two since his birth and given no choices of his own along the way, and I foun...

Published: 2021

Master Artificer by Justin Call (The Silent Gods #2)

If Master of Sorrows established a fresh new mark on modern epic fantasy, then Master Artificer carves a brightly burning glyph that will attract a bigger and bigger following f...

Published: 2021

The Black Coast by Mike Brooks (The God King Chronicles #1)

The story's threads weave a bigger and bigger tapestry throughout the book as it covers all the major beats of what makes a memorable epic fantasy story. There are high levels of adventure, lov...

Published: 2021

Idols Fall by Mike Shel (Iconoclasts #3)

Mike Shel’s Iconoclasts series has shown a dramatic metamorphosis over its three volumes. Aching God drew me in with its layered history, narrow plot, terrific dungeons, and a well-d...

Published: 2021

The Free Bastards by Jonathan French (The Lot Lands #3)

Jonathan French is a Crafty one, wrapping up Jackal, Fetching, and Oats’ stories with the heart and loss and depth it deserves, but it also leaves the door open for more Lot Lands stories to ...

Published: 2021

Bacchanal by Veronica G Henry

Bacchanal takes the dark carnival/circus setting and reinvigorates it, blending the fantastic and the mundane with a perfect touch of horror....

Published: 2021

The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie (The Age of Madness: Book 3)

'The Wisdom of Crowds' is Abercrombie's most political book to date - some of it subtle, some of it banged over your head with the flat of a blade before it guts you with sharp commenta...

Published: 2021

Choir of the Damned by Steve McKinnon (The Raincatcher's Ballad #3)

Not only was it an exciting page-turner, but I was impressed at how deep the lore of the world was explored this time around. We were previously only given hints of what the outside world looked li...

Published: 2021

Risen by Benedict Jacka (Alex Verus series: Book 12)

Sad as I am to say goodbye, I think Jacka did his series justice, both in the high-action battles and in the character outcomes for all those who are left alive. At that, I'll say no more. A wo...

Published: 2021

The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft (The Books of Babel #4)

The Books of Babel is an original and brilliant saga that is even better on the second read-though. It has left an unmistakable footprint in the self-published and traditionally-published world of ...

Published: 2021