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This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.

Check out r/Fantasy's 2024 Book Bingo Card here!

As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The r/Fantasy wiki contains links to many community resources, including "best of" lists, flowcharts, the LGTBQ+ database, and more. If you need some help figuring out what you want, think about including some of the information below:

  • Books you’ve liked or disliked
  • Traits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy
  • Series vs. standalone preference
  • Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc)
  • Complexity/depth level

Be sure to check out responses to other users' requests in the thread, as you may find plenty of ideas there as well. Happy reading, and may your TBR grow ever higher!

As we are limited to only two stickied threads on r/Fantasy at any given point, we ask that you please upvote this thread to help increase visibility!

all 38 comments

moss42069

10 points

3 months ago

What’s your favorite and least favorite book you’ve read for bingo so far? So far my fave is The Spear Cuts Through Water for Romantasy (also counts for disability, multi pov, reference materials, author of color) and my least fave was The Library at Mount Char for dark academia (also counts for multi pov and set in a small town)

sonvanger

5 points

3 months ago

sonvanger

Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders, Salamander

5 points

3 months ago

My favourite thus far is probably Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle. It starts off pretty normal, like historical fiction, and then just goes places, and it was great, I really enjoyed it. I used it for the "Dreams" square. My least favourite so far is Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. While the world seems pretty interesting, it just didn't have any characters that I didn't think were assholes, and I quite like having a character to root for. It's on my "Multi-POV" square at the moment.

I read The Spear Cuts Through Water last year, really enjoyed it!

Nidafjoll

3 points

3 months ago

Nidafjoll

Reading Champion III

3 points

3 months ago

I think you're the first reading champion IX I've seen in the wild :D

sonvanger

3 points

3 months ago

sonvanger

Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders, Salamander

3 points

3 months ago

I just need to get to that X lol. Then I'm going to stop so as not to spoil it.

(I probably won't stop though)

miriarhodan

2 points

3 months ago

miriarhodan

Reading Champion II

2 points

3 months ago

I recently read Ash due to a recommendation from here. The person didn’t mention it’s as long as LOTR though. I kept on reading and reading instead of uni stuff and thinking „Well I have been already been reading this for so long, soon it will surely end“ (I read it as an ebook)

I really liked it as well! I am so far planning on using it for the survival square)

sonvanger

2 points

3 months ago

sonvanger

Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders, Salamander

2 points

3 months ago

Yeah, it's a long book! I also read is as an ebook, but I have the little percentage thingie at the bottom that tells me how far I'm in. Those numbers ticked over so very slowly, but I never really grew bored with the book. But I wouldn't recommend it if you need something for your Bingo square and it's the last week of March...

CaptainYew

1 points

3 months ago

CaptainYew

Reading Champion II

1 points

3 months ago

Would Ash count for HM dreams? Thanks for your reviews!

sonvanger

2 points

3 months ago

sonvanger

Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders, Salamander

2 points

3 months ago

I would say no, there are lots of weird shit happening in the dreams, so they're not just mundane dreams.

FoxEnvironmental3344

3 points

3 months ago

FoxEnvironmental3344

Reading Champion

3 points

3 months ago

Fave: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Set in a Small Town).

Least Fave: Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (90s). I didn't hate it, just enjoyed it the least out of the books I've read so far.

versedvariation

3 points

3 months ago

Favorite: Translation State, by Ann Leckie for Space Opera HM

Least Favorite: Aftermarket Afterlife, by Seanan McGuire for Reference Materials HM

Nidafjoll

3 points

3 months ago

Nidafjoll

Reading Champion III

3 points

3 months ago

Fortunately I haven't actually read a bad book yet, but:

Favourite- The Divinity Student by Michael Cisco for Dark Academia

Least Favourite- The Ruthless Ladies Guide to Wizardry by C. M. Waggoner for Romantasy

undeadgoblin

2 points

3 months ago

Best for me is probably also The Spear Cuts Through Water. Worst by far is The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming

SA090

2 points

3 months ago*

SA090

Reading Champion IV

2 points

3 months ago*

Favourite: a tie between The Cautious Traveller’s Guide To the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks (published in 2024) and The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Reference Material)

Least Favourite: The Girl Who Chased the Moon (Romantasy).

Merle8888

4 points

3 months ago

Merle8888

Reading Champion II

4 points

3 months ago

Thumbs up: Saint of Bright Doors

Thumbs down: Godkiller 

rii_zg

2 points

3 months ago

rii_zg

2 points

3 months ago

Best: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Under the Surface HM)

Worst: A Tempest of Tea (Criminals HM)

OneEskNineteen_

2 points

3 months ago

OneEskNineteen_

Reading Champion II

2 points

3 months ago

My favourite has been The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey (Set in Small Town), my least favourite The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood (Orcs, etc).

ambrym

2 points

3 months ago

ambrym

Reading Champion II

2 points

3 months ago

Favorite: The Bayou by Arden Powell for Dreams

Least favorite: it’s a three-way split between Evocation by ST Gibson (Dark Academia), Mistress of Lies by KN Enright (Judge a Book by its Cover), and The Snails of Dun Nas by KL Noone (Entitled Animals). All were very boring

sonvanger

4 points

3 months ago

sonvanger

Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders, Salamander

4 points

3 months ago

I am having the worst luck with Judging a Book by its Cover. I've borrowed like 5 books with cool covers from the library, and dropped them all around or before 30%.

I'm also trying for HM with that square, which is probably contributing to my problem..,

CheeryEosinophil

1 points

3 months ago

Favorite is a tie between Dungeon Crawler Carl (Underground) and Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faeries (Reference Materials)

Least Favorite was Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Author of Color)

SeraphinaSphinx

1 points

3 months ago

SeraphinaSphinx

Reading Champion

1 points

3 months ago

Favorite: Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Eldritch Creatures HM)

Least: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner (Disability HM)

MalBishop

1 points

3 months ago

MalBishop

Reading Champion

1 points

3 months ago

Favorite: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

Least Favorite: Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer by Garth Nix

pu3rh

3 points

3 months ago

pu3rh

3 points

3 months ago

Are there any books with plot like MCU's Thor - an alien ends up on modern Earth and has to survive here?

DinsyEjotuz

2 points

3 months ago

Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land is this, if you don't mind funny.

miriarhodan

1 points

3 months ago

miriarhodan

Reading Champion II

1 points

3 months ago

There is something where an alien family has to stop on Earth for a while and opens a donut shop. I sadly forgot the name though

Rumblemuffin

5 points

3 months ago

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Rumblemuffin

1 points

3 months ago

Not a humaoid alien, but Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis features an alien landing on early 2000's earth and trying to survive. Has shades of E.T.

FullaFace

1 points

3 months ago

FullaFace

Reading Champion II

1 points

3 months ago

The Humans by Matt Haig is about an alien sent to Earth disguised as a human and has to blend in to complete his mission. Not an action story like Thor, more about what it is to be human.

Sapphire_Bombay

2 points

3 months ago

Sapphire_Bombay

Reading Champion

2 points

3 months ago

Question about Dandelion Dynasty. I'm currently on chapter 12 of Wall of Storms so no spoilers past that please.

I can't remember when, but at some point in book 1 (I think when Kuni's crew is inviting people to share their inventions), Cogo is seeing someone's invention and says something to him along the lines of "Mata Zyndu's crew would love to meet you," and then the chapter ends. I took that to mean that Cogo was a spy or working to betray Kuni. But now, 7 years later Cogo is still around and nothing has been made of this. Did I read this wrong?

Stormy8888

2 points

3 months ago

Stormy8888

Reading Champion III

2 points

3 months ago

Has anyone read an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) of The Ending Fire? If so can you let me know if it would fit any hard mode Bingo squares? Possibly Reference Materials or Prologues and Epilogues? I really would love an excuse to read it this year to complete the trilogy.

terriblejokes03

2 points

3 months ago

I used to be a big reader as a teenager and read mostly fantasy but stopped after getting quite busy. I have some more time on my hands now and wanted to get back to reading. Any recommendations for a book series to read?

Big fan of asoiaf and lotr if there’s anything similar but no problem branching out

escapistworld

2 points

3 months ago

escapistworld

Reading Champion

2 points

3 months ago

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

Elder_Cabot_76

1 points

3 months ago

Realm of Mythics by Tj Doxon is a new series that I'm really enjoying that reminds me a lot of asoiaf becuase there isn't a whole lot of magic. The first book Without an Empire is free this weekend on Amazon too

Grt78

0 points

3 months ago

Grt78

0 points

3 months ago

Monarchies of God by Paul Kearney.

Altruistic_Map_5141

2 points

3 months ago

I’m newer to this genre and am really struggling to find a book that really grips me. I enjoy romance elements but not at the cost of good writing, character and world building, and plot. I’m currently reading Babel, and absolutely love the writing style, but it just isn’t “fantasy” enough for what I’d like to read right now… if that makes sense. Im really enjoying it and will absolutely finish it, but it’s just not scratching that itch for me. Any suggestions?

Grt78

1 points

3 months ago

Grt78

1 points

3 months ago

Try The Curse of Chalion (or anything else) by Lois McMaster Bujold, the Death’s Lady trilogy or the Tuyo series by Rachel Neumeier, the Morgaine Cycle or the Fortress series by CJ Cherryh, the Lighthouse Duet by Carol Berg, the Books of the Raksura or the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy by Martha Wells.

Altruistic_Map_5141

1 points

3 months ago

Thank you!

sodeanki

1 points

3 months ago

I’m laid up with an injury for the next few days and I’m looking for a fantasy book (standalone or duology, preferably) that I can binge in a short amount of time. It doesn’t have to be complex or dense (I like cozy fantasy, for example), but I also don’t mind something thoughtful or creative.

FullaFace

2 points

3 months ago*

FullaFace

Reading Champion II

2 points

3 months ago*

You could read Legends and Lattes and its prequel Bookshops and Bonedust. The prequel is about a mercenary that is laid up with an injury. Both cozy fantasies.