—Publishers Weekly (starred review). Reply. Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests, and the bright shining river. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. “A marvelous story of rebellion, exile, and survival.” After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims’ handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. —Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods. Fantasy. In Tira Virte, art is prized for its beauty and as a binding legal record of everything from marriages to treaties. Of those that answer a summoning, too many are black. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Perhaps because of that, we see the world she creates only in glimpses, but you know there’s plenty more going on beneath the surface. And all that is, ever was, and will be will end. In the year 1806, in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England, until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers and becomes a celebrity overnight. The two start out as mentor and student but are soon at odds, and their rivalry threatens to destroy them. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Kublai Khan has sensed the end of his empire coming soon. She’s seen her share of terrible things in those years, even died a few times herself. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity. The Devourers centers around the rape of a human woman by a male shapeshifter, and the brutality of that section had me struggling with the story. For if Maskelle cannot unearth the cause of the Wheel’s accelerating disintegration—if she cannot free herself from the ghosts of the past and focus on the catastrophe to come—the world will plunge headlong into the terrifying abyss toward which it is recklessly hurtling. He is drawn from his home in Northern California into the parallel world of Faerie, for, unknown to him, he is a pivotal figure in a war between certain of Faerie’s powerful lords and the rest of the strange creatures who live in this exotic realm. Satire. Shai’s only possible ally is the emperor’s most loyal councilor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent. And when he begins to work his magic, both the Grijalvas and Tira Virte may pay the price. “A spellbinding story of world-altering power and revenge… A wholly original, engrossing, disturbing, and beautiful book.” I nearly quit reading The Devourers early on, but I’m so glad I didn’t. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. So she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Written by Susanna Clarke, author of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, this book is a wonderfully-sculpted mystery that will drag you in, and spit you out. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. While there’s many, many exciting new books being released this year, we’ve picked a few titles that are releasing between January and June this year! https://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Robin-Mckinley/dp/0142411108/. Time is running out for Shai. I also decided that I was only going to list one book by each individual author, which meant making some tough decisions (especially when it comes to Neil Gaiman’s writing). Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are both killed in an accident. When I set out to create this list, I knew The Last Unicorn had to be on it—it is my favorite of all classic fantasy novels. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. This debut novel weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable into an inventive tale. Then preorder any book that strikes your fancy. by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson, and Kate Elliott – 1996. From epic fantasy and urban fantasy to paranormal fantasy, the options are limitless, which can make your "what to read" journey a little difficult. As someone who has read 20 of the 27 books on this list, let me say to you: Read The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford! Advertising for Burglars: Lord Dunsany’s “How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon the Gnoles”, Calling Evil Good, and Good Evil: Spiritual Abuse in C.S. Top New Fantasy Books June 2020 The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. “Magical. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape…, “[O]ne of those rare high fantasies that feels fresh and is filled with a sense of wonder.” If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos. I’ve read quite a few books where magic is tied to artistic creation, but the young adult novel Iron Cast outshines all the rest. The imagination, the tenderness, and the sense of wonder here is unlike anything I’ve come across anywhere. It’s a fiendishly clever novel that fully deserves its high renown. And there is no way to save her. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. She knew about the Others, of course. Realism. And even if you love series, sometimes it’s nice to read a standalone story that provides a satisfying resolution within a single book. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. McKinley writes Sunshine’s narration in the first person, unleashing a stream of consciousness that’s both hilarious and deeply personal. Eight of the nine Palm provinces of the Peninsula have been overcome by warrior sorcerers Brandin and Alberico. But then the narration is handed squarely to the woman, Cyrah, whose anger and determination make her voice unforgettable. Once she was the most enigmatic of the Voices, until cursed by her own actions. 2 Comments on 27 Best Standalone Fantasy Books “The Neverending Story – The Ivory Tower” by concept artist Peter Bartels ... June 19, 2020 at 3:19 am As someone who has read 20 of the 27 books on this list, let me say to you: Read The Dragon Waiting by … And his wants are few. by Shreya Mali. I immediately fell under the spell of this immersive story about home, love, identity, and family. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. He’s pretty good at growing melons. From these texts arises the dark story of shapeshifters in Mughal India. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. —Library Journal. Sometimes you don’t want the commitment of a seven-book series with each book being over a thousand pages long. Of course, you don’t when they’re vampires. Soon, he finds himself swept up in a war waged on a scale he can barely comprehend, as powerful forces battle for control of the Library and the future of the universe itself. But Merlyn foresaw the treachery that awaited his liege: the forbidden love between Queen Guenever and Lancelot, the wicked plots of Arthur’s half-sister Morgause, and the hatred she fostered in Mordred that would bring an end to the king’s dreams for Britain—and to the king himself. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. After reading Foz Meadows’ glowing review, I rushed to find a copy of Ariah, a coming-of-age story that’s a spiritual sibling to The Goblin Emperor. Empire of Dreams is set in the same world as the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy but is a standalone novel. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. Steve tried hard to be an ordinary guy, and he’s been doing a pretty good job at it—until Carolyn shows up in his life with a tempting offer, a pair of red rubber galoshes, and exactly $327,000. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price. And several of her family’s best regular customers were from SOF—Special Other Forces—which had been created to deal with the threat and the danger of the Others. May 2020 comes with very interesting science fiction and fantasy books. A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril returns to the noble household he once served as page and is named secretary-tutor to the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. I invite you to scroll down and find out the details about them and see if one of them catches your attention. In a garden sit the aged Kublai Khan and the young Marco Polo—Mongol emperor and Venetian traveler. Fantasy fiction is best known for its giant, door-stopping series that come in trilogies or longer. Note: This list is in no particular order. FOR THE COMMITMENT-PHOBE . Five Stories in Which Great Power Is Not Always Used Responsibly. Apocalypse. However, no woman has survived recruitment year. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indomitable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a despondent monarch—and confronting the creature that would drive her kind to extinction…, “The Last Unicorn is the best book I have ever read. The air and rivers are thick with factory pollutants and the strange effluents of alchemy, and the ghettos contain a vast mix of workers, artists, spies, junkies, and whores. With so many great standalone novels and deeply fleshed-out series to choose from, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with options. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. Finally, The Devourers happens to be one of the queerest stories I’ve ever read, embracing fluidity of gender and sexuality. If you’ve already read it, you need to read it again.” True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. In New Crobuzon, the unsavory deal is stranger to no one—not even to Isaac, a brilliant scientist with a penchant for Crisis Theory. Perhaps most of all, I adore Iron Cast’s focus on female friendship, something which can be all too scarce in fantasy novels. With tensions mounting, the sorcerers become increasingly at odds as each decides where his own path—and that of the land—should truly lie. At night. You can follow her on Twitter. While Isaac’s experiments for the Garuda turn into an obsession, one of his lab specimens demands attention: a brilliantly-colored caterpillar that feeds on nothing but a hallucinatory drug and grows larger by the day. He wants peace and justice and brotherly love. https://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Robin-Mckinley/dp/0142411108/. With that in mind, I’ve set out to provide a list of ten fantasy stories that have all the thrills of a series but stand alone as a single volume. Hi everyone! Of course, not everyone wants to embark on a ten-book project. But on the other side, things seem different. Highly recommended.” He becomes Norrell’s pupil and the two join forces in the war against France. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review). Under the Pendulum Sun is a disconcerting read, with Catherine constantly in peril of falling under the sway of Arcadia’s insanity. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. The Devourers is a story about monsters and the monstrous ways we can treat each other, but it’s also a story that insists on holding its characters accountable for their actions. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the place he most fears: the royal court of Cardegoss, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. Finally, I wanted each of these books to be a true standalone with no sequel on the way. For a few hours, just to be published in 2020 missionaries go to fairyland to convert the?! Task: to create—to Forge—a new soul for the rest of her days, but the has... Succumb to madness and murder like his father perfect. ” —Neil Gaiman, author American... Great standalone novels and deeply moving novels I have read in a voyage Earth! 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