Best Fantasy of 2025
Including The Devils
Alice Wybrew profile
Place of birth: Hertfordshire
Alice Wybrew's 42 reviews
CTRL S by Andy Briggs
The future is a better place. Global warming is gone and the bees are back. To add to the joy, humans now have SPACE, a virtual-sensory universe where anyone – including Theo - can be almost anything they like for a few hours a day. However, it’s not long before criminals start exploiting SPACE, kidnapping people in the real world, h...
7.3/10
Sanctuary by Vic James
When star quarterback Daniel Whitman plummets to his death at a house party, the small town of Sanctuary is rocked to its core. Though it might look like an accident, it’s not long before rumours start to surface of a spurned ex-girlfriend (Harper) and her witch mother (Sarah) having a grisly hand in the incident. Whether in fi...
7.6/10
The Crying Machine by Greg Chivers
Science documentary producer Greg Chivers’ first novel is a delightful combination of sci-fi, politics, and the three strange characters ensconced within them.Chivers’ future Jerusalem is a city all but ignored as irrelevant by the world’s leaders, and in its anonymity the Holy City has become a haven for smugglers, exil...
7.5/10
Kin by Snorri Kristjansson (Helga Finnsdottir)
Icelandic author Snorri Kristjansson’s latest Viking venture is a murder mystery-cum-family drama, aptly named Kin. Set on a farm in a secluded valley, the story revolves around the long awaited family reunion of Viking Warlord Unnthor Reginsson. Rumoured to have piles of treasure hidden on his land, each of his greedy children arrive with...
5.5/10
Smoke Eaters by Sean Grigbsy
Firefighter Sean Grigsby’s near future debut sees the world infested with dragons risen from beneath the ground. The wingless wyverns rise up to destroy cities and take lives, leaving only the shadows of people - ‘wraiths’ - behind. It’s up to the ‘smoke eaters’ – those special few born with the ability ...
8.0/10
Witchsign by Den Patrick (Ashen Torment)
It's a bleak start to Den Patrick's latest fantasy adventure and the first instalment of his Ashen Torment trilogy. It's been a tough year in the village of Cinderfell and Blacksmith Marek is struggling to make ends meet for him and his two children. But feeding his family isn't his only problem. His daughter Kjellrunn has always...
8.5/10
The Memory Chamber by Holly Cave
With the premise of Holly Cave's new novel, you could be forgiven for thinking it's a literary version of The Good Place. But Heaven Architect Isobel is no omnipotent Ted Danson, and The Memory Chamber no comedy. Cave's idea here is an interesting one. After you die, your consciousness is transferred to a 'heaven'...
6.2/10
The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
Lynn McBride has learned much since society collapsed in the face of nuclear war and the relentless spread of disease. As the memories of her old life continue to haunt, she’s forced to forge ahead in the snow-drifted Canadian Yukon, learning how to hunt and trap and slaughter. Shadows of the world before have found her tiny community - mo...
9.0/10
Blackbird by ND Gomes
It’s New Year’s Eve when the beloved and popular Olivia goes missing on the Orkney island that was her home. Of all her friends and family, it’s her little sister Alex, who takes it the hardest. Blackbird is the claustrophobic account of Alex’s life immediately following her sister’s disappearance. Her s...
8.0/10
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
The best thing about Amanda Foody’s debut lies in the title itself. Her ‘Burning City’ is an immersive, sensory experience that rivets from the very first page. The smoke from her travelling circus wafts off the page, the dirt and ash from the trodden ground almost tangible on the tongue. The ‘freaks’ that adorn the...
6.8/10
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
The Company has destroyed the city, and in its ruins roam the deformed outcasts of its experiments. Children with claws, invisible foxes and the overlord of them all: the enormous, flying bear, Mord. Huddled in this chemically blighted, life-draining landscape, Rachel and Wick persist at living - he makes biotech to protect their lair, she s...
8.0/10
The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock (The Skyscraper Throne)
Pen's life is all about secrets: the secret of the city's spirits, deities and monsters her best friend Beth discovered, living just beyond the notice of modern Londoners; the secret of how she got the intricate scars that disfigure her so cruelly - and the most closely guarded secret of all: Parva, her mirror-sister, forged from her ref...
8.8/10
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (The Lotus War)
At first glance, Jay Kristoff's new Japanese Steampunk novel almost looks too good to be true. Japanese Steampunk?! I really didn't know what to make of it. Being someone who has read manga since 5th grade and a constant Japanese related addict, I wasn't sure how to accept a westerner's interpretation of the Asian world, simply b...
8.0/10
Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri (Shattered Kingdoms)
A generation has passed since the Norlanders' great ships bore down on Shadar, and the Dead Ones slashed and burned the city into submission, enslaving the Shadari people. Now the Norlander governor is dying and, as his three alienated children struggle against the crushing isolation of their lives, the Shadari rebels spot their opening and ...
8.0/10
The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham (The Dagger and the Coin)
The dragons are gone, the powerful magics that broke the world diluted to little more than parlour tricks, but the kingdoms of men remain and the great game of thrones goes on. Lords deploy armies and merchant caravans as their weapons, manoeuvring for wealth and influence. But a darker power is rising - an unlikely leader with an ancient ally t...
7.8/10
The Killing Moon by NK Jemisin (Dreamblood duology)
In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers - the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe… and kill those judged corrupt. But when a conspirac...
9.3/10
The Armageddon Rag by George RR Martin
Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has travelled far from his radical roots in the '60s - until the bizarre and brutal murder of a millionaire rock promoter draws him back. As Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself on a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrecte...
7.2/10
Unclean Spirits by MLN Hanover (The Black Sun's Daughter)
The first novel in a bold and fast-paced new urban fantasy series starring Jayné Heller, a young college student who inherits a string of houses across the world, several bank accounts, and a very unconventional business from her murdered uncle. And it turns out Uncle Eric has been fighting to rid the world of supernatural riders - demons...
7.8/10
Fated by Benedict Jacka (Alex Verus series)
Hidden in the lanes and byways of Camden London sits a shop, just a little shop, but if you know where to find it and have need of something a little magical, then the Arcana Emporium is the place for you. The owner already knows you are on the way; being able to see into the future helps with that.Alex Verus has hidden from the world for...
7.5/10
The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn (Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist)
Kismet Knight is a young psychologist with a growing clinical practice, and she's always looking for something to give her the edge in her chosen career. When her new client turns out to be a Goth teenager who desperately wants to become a vampire, Kismet is inspired to become the vampire shrink, offering her services to people who belie...
4.2/10
The Dragon Arcana by Pierre Pevel (The Cardinal’s Blades #1)
“Give me a world where dragons and magic are real but everything else is historically accurate with France of the mid-17th century, and I’ll be hooked on the premise alone.”I wrote that almost a year ago when reviewing Pierre Pevel’s second book translated into English, ‘The Alchemist in the Shadows’, a...
8.7/10
The Order of the Scales by Stephen Deas (Memory of Flames)
As the various factions fight for control of the Adamantine Palace mankind’s nemesis approaches. The realms’ dragons are awakening from their alchemical sedation and returning to their native fury. They can remember why they were created and they now know what mankind has done to them. And their revenge will be brutal.The stre...
7.8/10
The City's Son by Tom Pollock (The Skyscraper Throne)
Expelled from school, betrayed by her best friend and virtually ignored by her dad, who's never recovered from the death of her mum, Beth Bradley retreats to the sanctuary of the streets, looking for a new home. What she finds is Filius Viae, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London, who opens her eyes to the place she's never truly s...
9.0/10
The Door to Lost Pages by Claude Lalumiere
On her tenth birthday, Aydee runs away from home and from her neglectful parents. At first, surviving alone on the streets is harsh, but a series of frightening, bewildering encounters with strange primordial creatures leads her to a bookshop called Lost Pages, where she steps into a fantastic, sometimes dangerous, but exciting life. Aydee grows...
8.5/10
The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams
There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that marks each victim with a fragment of a greater design. And as the geometric patterns cover the skin, so the victims fall under the power of the Pattern Master. The lost prince Sarmin, the emperor’s only surviving brother, lies locked in a hidden room. As the pattern ...
8.7/10
The Revenge of the Dwarves by Markus Heitz (The Dwarves Trilogy)
Life has not been easy for battle-weary Tungdil the dwarf. But this heroic warrior can’t rest yet, as he must now face the most formidable enemy the kingdom has ever encountered. A new evil is terrorising the land of Girdlegard. Monstrous hybrid creatures are on the rampage, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They are out to ste...
6.2/10
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (Broken Empire)
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence is a book steeped in controversy - a book that seems to have divided the Science Fiction and Fantasy community with regards to what is acceptable for people to like and enjoy. The book has been out for a couple of years already, the arguments for various perspectives have already been well established, but I hop...
9.0/10
The Measure of Magic by Terry Brooks (Legends of Shannara)
Terry Brooks’ follow up to his first in the Legends of Shannara duology possesses a somewhat different feel from its predecessor. With the final bearer of the black staff Sider Ament out of the picture, the responsibility of protecting the people of the valley falls to young tracker Panterra Qu. But with the demonic ‘ragpicker’...
6.3/10
The Scar-Crow Men by Mark Chadbourn (Sword of Albion)
After his friend Kit Marlow is killed in a pub brawl, Will Swyfte makes it his mission to track down the killer and uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the playwright’s death. With the plague ravaging London and the Unseelie Court poised to strike their most vital blow yet, Swyfte becomes an enemy of the state and must work in...
8.8/10
Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan (Wolfsangel)
MD Lachlan’s Wolfsangel is a story about a lot of things. It’s a story about mythology, love, the power of belief and the path to maturity. Above all these however, it is a story of transformation, of humanity’s link to nature and our inability to separate ourselves from it – no matter how hard we try.Lachlan&rsquo...
8.1/10
The Key to Creation by Kevin J Anderson (Terra Incognita)
The Key to Creation sees an end to Kevin J Anderson’s terrific Terra Incognita trilogy. It had a tough act to follow thanks to the superb The Map of All Things which set up an impressive array of plot threads in need of resolution. Suffice to say that Anderson resolves everything succinctly here.Unfortunately though, Terra Incognita...
7.5/10
The Necklace of the Gods by Alison Goodman (Eona series)
Anybody who’s read Alison Goodman’s The Two Pearls of Wisdom will know that her books are a little bit special. Not your traditional fantasy fare, Goodman’s first ‘Eona’ novel mixed dragons and danger with social, sexual and political commentary. More than just a pleasant romp in the reading world, The Two Pearls of...
9.2/10
Altered Creatures Trilogy by Anthony G Wedgeworth (Altered Creatures)
Young Polenum Thorik Dain lives contently in the village of Farbank, learning from the scrolls and trying to be a good student to his teacher Fir Brimmel. But when the mysterious human Ambrosius arrives, Thorik’s world is turned upside down as he is catapulted onto a journey to save the Dovenar Kingdom and the lives of those he loves......
7.4/10
Shadow's Lure by Jon Sprunk (Shadow series)
After helping his lover Josey claim her throne as Empress, troubled assassin Caim sets out on a path of personal discovery to uncover the truth about his parents murder.Anyone familiar with Sprunk’s first book, Shadow’s Son, will know that Caim is not your everyday wall hugging, knife-wielding assassin. This assassin has contr...
5.8/10
Black Halo by Sam Sykes (Aeons Gate)
Sam Sykes’ first book Tome of the Undergates belongs to a select group of debut novels that takes familiar fantastical tropes and transforms them into something completely new. Knitting together great characterisation with bloodthirsty adventure and shameless humour, Sykes’ debut made itself a tough act to follow.The sequel, B...
7.6/10
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Set some years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Darkness Becomes Her follows the story of adoptee Ari on the hunt to find her birth parents. Having always known she was different, Ari discovers that she's just one of a long line of women destined to die at 21. Determined not to meet the same end, she ventures into New 2, the cent...
7.1/10
Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov (Chronicles of Siala)
The second instalment in Russian author Alexy Pehov's Chronicles of Siala trilogy includes all the facets of a true high fantasy novel. Proffering a heroic quest with a smattering of grisly battle scenes to break up the various politicking and intrigue along with the requisite hostility between certain races, Shadow Chaser slots comfortably ...
6.9/10
The Deviant by Orren Merton
Heinrich Straus, an eight-hundred year old German vampire, is looking for a place to settle and Santo Paulo seems to have everything he needs: peace, quiet, and friendly people. But almost as soon as he arrives, a serial murderer embarks on a killing spree, and as the pale, leather-clad outsider, people look to Heinrich as the likely suspect......
5.9/10
Elf Love by Josie Brown Rose Mambert and Bill Racicot
As a staple part of the fantasy genre, whether it’s in folk tales, films or fantastical literature, elves have never failed to captivate their audience. From the dark elves of RA Salvatore’s infamous Drizzt series to Dobby the house elf and the elegant elves of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, few people have been able to resist their c...
8.4/10
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
At 24, Helen Oyeyemi is somewhat of a literary prodigy. Her previous works, The Icarus Girl (written when she was only 20) and The Opposite House did more than just get her noticed, introducing a bold new author with a unique style and confidence that set her apart from the rest. Unsurprisingly then, her third and newest book a...
7.6/10
The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd (The Twilight Reign)
One of the books that has always captured my interest whenever I saw it on a shelf at a bookstore was Tom Lloyd’s ‘The Stormcaller’. First in ‘The Twilight Reign’ series, the cover and typography of the front cover always had me intrigued. That, and the fact that SFX is quoted on the front saying “Shows how hi...
7.0/10
Blood Of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher)
Blood of Elves is chronologically the 3rd entry within The Witcher saga. Whereas previously all the short stories followed Geralt of Rivia working on certain monster assassination assignments, within Blood of Elves he is one of 3 or 4 main characters that we share the minds of. For the novels, you can start here but I wouldn't recommend it. ...
8.3/10
Best Fantasy of 2023
Including Hell Bent
Best Fantasy of 2022
Including Babel, Fairy Tale
Best Fantasy of 2021
Including She Who Became the Sun, The God is Not Willing, A Marvellous Light and The Shadow of the Gods
Best Fantasy of 2020
Including The Unspoken Name, Age of Empyre, The Once and Future Witches and The Trouble with Peace
Best Fantasy of 2019
Including A Brightness Long Ago, The Raven Tower, The 10,000 Doors of January and Beneath the Twisted Trees
Best Fantasy of 2018
Including Circe, The Ember Blade, The Fall of Gondolin and The Poppy War
Best Fantasy of 2017
Including The Fall of Arthur, The Stone Sky, Godsgrave and Tarnished City
Best Fantasy of 2016
Including All the Birds in the Sky, Nevernight, Wrath and Fellside
Best Fantasy of 2015
Including The Hollow Boy, Ancillary Mercy, Half the World and Ruin
Best Fantasy of 2014
Including The Slow Regard of Silent Things, Fool's Assassin, Words of Radiance and The Oversight
Best Fantasy of 2013
Including Emperor of Thorns, The Shining Girls, The Republic of Thieves and The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Best Fantasy of 2012
Including Some Kind of Fairy Tale, King of Thorns, The Wind Through the Keyhole and The Killing Moon