16 fantasy & scifi books I recommended for the 12 book challenge

1:40 pm | | Comments 3

My TBR is too much of a chaotic mess for me to participate in the 12 book challenge (original template by Shadowbooker), but I did rec a bunch of books to my friends on twitter and discord. This is a pretty amazing list, if I do say so myself, so I thought I’d share.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

I love it because …

Of everything it does, this was the hardest I’ve fallen for a book in a long time and I’ve been shouting it from all available rooftops. I love the way the MC’s grief at losing her mother is shown, the way the Arthurian legend mingles with modern and past racism, the way everything comes together so satisfyingly. My review

Stariel by AJ Lancaster

I love it because …

It’s a fae romance novel where the adults act like adults, talking to each other, so sexy, and the fae are dangerous, and also pretty damn sexy. The estate management aspect is also surprisingly fun. My review

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

I love it because …

Of the beautiful, vivid African-inspired world-building and the found family vibes. My review

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I love it because …

The protagonist is such a fun, clever zombie-slaying badass, and the book does such a good job at pulling the rug from under me. My review

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

I love it because …

It’s probably my favorite case of mixing past and present timelines, and I loved following these characters. My micro-review

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

I love it because …

Yadriel and Julian are the most precious and I love them. Also how cool is it to have a big happy family living in the cemetery? My review

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

I love it because …

It has such a cool take on parallel worlds, lots of sapphic pinning and some unexpected Mad Max vibes. My micro-review

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

I love it because …

It’s so original and weird! A matriarchal polyamorous society living inside giant space beasts! My review

Mid-Lich Crisis by Steve Thomas

I love it because …

Goat facts in the footnotes! And I love the humor and voice it has. Daruk is a fun MC and there’s just lots of silliness. My review

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles

I love it because …

The romance works so well! (but also turns out it’s way steamier than I’m comfortable listening to on audio). My review

The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

I love it because …

It’s wholesome and imaginative and I would die for Tippy. It achieves such a great mix of being comforting and dealing with serious hurt. My review

The Unbroken by CL Clark

I love it because …

Of those arms. And plot and stuff too, but Touraine and her arms are very important to me. My review

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

I love it because …

This book was love at first sight, such lovely characters, great world, flows so well. It’s good people dealing with tough shit. My review

 

I haven’t read these last 3 yet, but friends had the requirement that I had to pick from their owned TBRs which really narrowed things down:

  • Call of the Bone Ships by Rj Barker
  • Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno Garcia
  • The Wizard Hunters by Martha Wells

 

 

Comments

  1. Oh, this is a great idea! I rec’d the same two or three books to everyone for this challenge haha but it’s fun to read these snippets of why you picked each book. Will let you know when I get to Raybearer 😀

  2. Lexlingua says:

    I’ll add Wizard Hunters to my own TBR. And we have chatted before on Stariel and Chalion, I think — I love those books too. 🙂

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