LOOK AT ME DOING A POST ON TIME! This is for Wyrd & Wonder hosted by @deargeekplace @imyril  & @joriestory

For the purpose of this post under-rated = books I think more people should be reading. Links go to my full reviews. This is my favorite subject for making lists, so buckle-up for a long one

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

Beautiful, wholesome and heartwarming, it is well known but there are still people who haven’t read it and this must be remedied. A classic fantasy story of a good man trying to do what’s best at great personal sacrifice.

The Dark Abyss of Our Sins by Krista D Ball

The Demons We See and The Nightmare We Know, the first two books in The Darsk Abyss of Our Sins series, by Krista D Ball. I inhaled The Nightmare We Know, finishing it less than 24 hours after I read The Demons We See. I loved the characters, relationships, wit and social commentary in this series.

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

Come for the rich magic atmosphere, stay for the sweet focus on consent in a very complicated relationship.

Queens of the Wyrd by Timandra Whitecastle

I absolutely loved it, and it very much surpassed my expectations of “ a fun KotW but with women vikings”, going full speed on the feel train.Although it started out looking like a fun little adventure, getting the band back together etc, Queens ended up complex both in scale, and in all the little ways it called out various bullshit, both between the characters, and general perceptions. 

The Bone Ships by RJ Barker

I loved it so much that I ended up rereading it two months after the first time. The worldbuilding is great, the eerie magic lights, the sea-dragon-bone ships and the matriarchal society with some pretty bonkers views.My favourite character was the tragic Gullaim, a navigator bird-like magical creature (windseeker)  I liked how otherworldly he was, and the story of his people broke my heart. 

Witchmark by CL Polk

I was expecting a nice chill love story between two men, maybe some sort of fantasy of manners. I was not prepared for the wild ride this book had in store for me. Yes there was a love story and it was very sweet and I liked it, but oh boy was there a lot of story beyond that, and it got seriously dark.

A Magical Inheritance by Krista D Ball

Turns out, I love regency fantasy. A Magical Inheritance was witty and delightful to read, I loved the geeking out over books, the fantasy of manners style, and the great characters. We might all moan about the size of our TBRs, but Miss Knight’s doesn’t even fit in her house.

The Hanged Man by KD Edwards

The first book is awesome, the second is excellent, there are 9 books planned in this series, the sky’s the limit. TLS was fun, funny, fast, action packed, with great magic and characters. THM had everything TLS did, and added creepy and gut wrenching ghost scenes, had all the previous relationship grow beautifully, Rune make great personal progress and introduced Lady Death who is just great.

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden is sci fi story taking place on a living spaceship. A  huge, goey, often disgusting, beast flying through space with humans modifying it so they can live inside. A lot of the focus is on the ship itself, all the challenges it poses, and on the society that inhabits it. 

Mid-Lich Crisis by Steve Thomas

Mid-Lich Crisis is the story of Darruk Darkbringer, hero of legend, evil undead necromancer despot, lich and entrepreneur, prophesied  to save the world by sacrificing to the blood moon. When his nemesis, Brynn Brightstorm the barbarian, foils his attempts to save the world yet again, he’s forced to try a different approach. If people keep calling him the e-word he’s gonna do his damnedest to prove that he’s not. 

The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

This book is a like a warm hug, only sometimes you’re getting that hug as you’re hiding in a dark basement and you hear heavy footsteps on the stairs. I was not prepared for the dark themes, which I think were handled very well. At the end it did leave me uplifted, but in the process it gave me all the feels, and a lot of them weren’t happy ones. 

Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko and Sergey Dyachenko

I don’t know who to recommend this to and who to say it might not be a good fit for, on paper it’s a terrible fit for me, stressful, complicated, hard to follow at times, dark, but I absolutely loved this weird mindfuck of a book and I think it’s going to be one of the books that stays with me for a long time. 

Spirit Caller series by Krista D Ball

It’s and urban(rural?) fantasy about Rachel, who can see ghosts and has moved to a very small town in Newfoundland, dealing with various ghostly threats to herself and the town. It’s got parts that are scary, intense and deals with some dark themes, but also much cosy awesome friendships and a dopey crush. I like light with my darkness, and this book shines. 

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson

I read this last year, but I’m super excited to reread it next month for its trad-pub paperback launch. I really liked the story from the beginning. It starts distant, with the wandering warriors (Rah), moves to a personal perspective (Cassandra) with hints of a plot and foul play, then shifts to the imperial/political plane (Miko).

The Mage-Born Anthology by Kayleigh Nicol

A short storie anthology following 7 very different siblings, having to hide the same secret.

Changing Faces by Sarah Lin

I think this could be a good choice for some people looking check out some LitRPG, but aren’t really that familiar with game mechanics. Bloodwraith, formally an undead necromancer, switched bodies with the adventurer that almost killed him.Now finds himself reincarnated in the adventurer’s body, starting out in The Forest of Beginnings, where he is plagued by accursed boxes

They Mostly Come Out at Night by Benedict Patrick

TMCOAN was one of those books that sucked me in instantly and completely, I think it took less than two pages for my kindle to disappear and my vision to be flooded by a wonderful, mysterious and creepy world. And I’d somehow missed the fairytale mixed with horror info before jumping in. Normally I stay away from horror, and this was giving me seriously creepy vibes, but I couldn’t physically put it down till way past my bedtime.

Orconomics by J Zachary Pike

What happens in a world where the 40% of the economy is based on loot from monsters, when you start running out of loot? You could say Orconomics is just a book of adventuring fun on a background of a financial crisis, but that would be selling it short. It’s a great commentary on the unsustainability of any economy based around a bubble.

Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin

Probably the one closest to my heart. It’s the most hopeful thing ever, brimming with optimism and humor. Set in and around Camelot it’s a great little adventure with lovely characters such as a reformed evil wizard and a shrinking giantess.

What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank A Fantasy Lover’s Food Guide by Krista D Ball

I loved it, a fun history book, mixed in with a cookbook, sprinkled with great images of Krista making a mess of her kitchen, to her dog’s delight.It was really interesting, filled with very detailed information and very fun and easy to read.

The Djinn Falls in Love & Other Stories, antology, edited by by Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin

Some great stories in this one, very magical and immersive. I recommend this to anyone curious about Djinn that hasn’t seen them pop up often enough. Their settings range from traditional hot desert setting, to vivid cities, dystopian futures and modern day drone warfare.I loved how dangerous and alluring the djinns are.

Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

Cosy mystery set in modern day Oxford. It’s cute, comforting, interesting, fun and a quick read. MC is a 27 year old that doesn’t know what to do with her life that ends up having to figure out her gran’s mysterious death, while vampires knit in the basement and shady figures try to buy her shop.