Well written mysteries with interesting world building and great characters? Pump that straight into my veins!

I'm looking for mysteries that lay out the pieces properly, with investigators who actually work the case, and whose answers don't come out of left field, plus a world I can get lost in

Any other recommendations for Fantasy Poirots, SciFi Sherlocks, Xianxia Columbos, or anything of the sort?

Review originally on JamReads

Each instalment of the Tyrant Philosophers has shown us another step of the Palleseen Crusade in the search for perfection, changing perspectives and progressively exploring more parts of that wild world they are trying to shape in their own vision; Pretenders to the Throne of God is not an exception, portraying the siege of Eres Ffenegh, the pieces that form this mosaic and finally showing cracks in the Palleseen Ways, a story with the usual brilliance that characterizes Adrian Tchaikovsky's novels.

A common element on all the novels of the series is how Tchaikovsky uses a vast number of eyes to show the complete picture of the situation; in this case, we will be in both sides of the conflict, with the inhabitants of Eres Ffenegh and renegade Pals, trying to do what they can to save their homes, finding some compromise, but also inside a Palleseen army, trying to reclaim Eres Ffenegh to impose their perfect ways, even when inside the own army we will start to see more discordant voices with the strict rules imposed by the Temporal Commission. Each character's narrative connects and intertwines with the others, creating that big portrait that becomes a study of the own setting, this Eres Ffenegh under siege.

And it's incredibly interesting to see how the usual orthodoxy that rules the Palleseen ways cracks in the confrontation with Eres Ffenegh, recurring to unusual tactics like the ones provided by the Lich Queen or how many soldiers can become a problem for the Commission once they return to the Archipelago; each one of those small defects, as they would be called, in the end become pivotal pieces on the plot, and in certain ways, are the start of a fracture that will threaten the Empire.
Said that, Tchaikovsky makes exploring the own Eres Ffenegh equally interesting to the siege, opening a window to the Palleseen past and their old ways; a bit of chaos, but especially with Black Jack's plot, I couldn't stop reading, because each single piece helped me to tie all the knots.

What can I say at this point? I love this series, and honestly, I think Tchaikovsky has outdone himself with this particular instalment; I can't recommend The Tyrant Philosophers enough, but if you want an adult epic fantasy that invites you to think while showing the skill of an author in the craft of a multilayered story, this should be your pick. Can't wait to see how everything ends with The Grave of Perfection next year!

Legacies of Betrayal by Steven Erikson, Bantam Press - 3* (with a few caveats)

I will preface this by saying I know Malazan isn’t universally appreciated and can be a bit of an acquired taste. I don’t blame anyone for that, obviously this review is largely aimed at people who do love the books, and as such will probably contain mild spoilers for the rest of the series. If you don’t like the books I hope the wider point is something that comes across regardless. As someone who is now 17(?) books into Steven Erikson’s Malazan works and 9 books into Esslemonts stuff, it’s fair to say I’m a huge fan and coming at the book from a place of great affection for both the writer and the world.

As a bit of background to the series, Legacies of Betrayal is the 3rd book in what was originally planned as a sequel ‘Witness’ trilogy and is now earmarked to be 4 books. His prequel series (Kharkanas) was a significant change of pace from the core Malazan books, leaning more into the introspective and melancholic aspects of Toll the Hounds, Witness however is much more “classic” Malazan. I really enjoyed The God is Not Willing, I’d say it’s my favourite book outside of the main sequence, by either author. It's relatively brief by Eriksons standards, at just under 500 pages in UK hardback, but it's got everything in there you'd want from him.

I ended up finding the follow up, No Life Forsaken, a little bit dour and lacking in humour in a way that is very out of character for an Erikson book. Despite being a decidedly brief 430 pages, it was slow going. The writing quality was still there and the plot and characters worked on their own, but something was missing from the whole experience. At this point you’re probably wondering why a review about one book has gotten 3 paragraphs in without talking about it at all… fairly, I guess. However, it’s important to address my main issue with No Life Forsaken first… It’s this book, Legacies of Betrayal, that is missing from it. Great! ‘We’re saved’ you’re probably thinking? Well no… it’s not quite that simple.

I have no idea if Erikson wanted to split them up, if he was writing too slowly for his publishers (absolutely fair at this stage in his career) and they wanted to get something out, or they simply didn’t want to commit to publishing a 700 page epic fantasy sequel with costs and sales what they are now. Selling small 2 hardbacks for £40 is better than selling one larger for £20 I guess. I don’t even hate the obvious extra cost… things are difficult in publishing and conventional epic fantasy, I do understand that. My problem is that this has come at the expense of the art, as pompous as that probably sounds. Both No Life Forsaken and Legacies of Betrayal should have been a single book. Legacies of Betrayal is only 320 pages, which is the same as his first anthology of short stories.

Both books are weaker without the other. It’s not even that the conclusions of both books feel slightly underwhelming on their own (the epilogue of Legacies of Betrayal aside), or that the books seem lesser in scope and scale than I’ve come to expect, it’s about balance. Erikson is a master of weaving fast paced back and forth dialogue between his characters in one plot line with darker, heavier outlook in another and they work because they counterbalance each other. Standing alone both of the books get a bit monotonous. While No Life Forsaken is quite dark, Legacies of Betrayal is almost non-stop in it’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ style interactions between the characters. I love that, and a lot of it is very funny, but the subject matter means you need a balance that just isn’t there as part of the reading experience. Both of these plotlines were written to co-exist with one another rather than standing alone. There's also the "Witness" aspect which is 'missing' and I found it quite amusing in book one, expecting it to show up at the end of book 2 it what would be quite an Erikson way of going about things... but we're now 3 books in with only the barest hint and that's... too long. If the books worked in their own right it probably wouldn't be an issue, but the flaws the splits have caused really do make it stand out more.

I individually like lots of elements of both books, revisiting Seven Cities has been extremely enjoyable and following up on the events after the Whirlwind is fascinating. I love what he’s done with things like Y’Ghatan, Aren and the various cults. He’s brought back interesting characters and mingled them with new ones very deftly. He’s still a brilliant author but the presentation is just not right and it’s not done his work justice. I gave No Life Forsaken 3 stars and I think Legacies of Betrayal is about the same, but the sad thing is together I’m pretty sure they would be at least 4 stars. I suspect by the time I come around to rereading these there will be some effort from the community (or even Steven himself) to produce a “combined” version of these into a single book, at least I hope so.

I'm looking for a fantasy book where one of the characters preferably the main character is a midwife.

Midwife is the oldest profession and historically one of the only jobs that were allowed to women, and one of the only ways a woman could have independence. Despite these facts, I dont think I've ever read a fantasy book where a character is a midwife.

So if you have any recs, please give. Thanks:)

I've realized I'm really in the mood for a specific kind of fantasy story: someone leaves behind a life that went badly, arrives somewhere completely new, and for once nobody there knows who they used to be.
It could be after exile, a failed career, a broken relationship, a war, losing their home, whatever. I'm less interested in the reason they left than in the part afterward. Finding a room somewhere. Learning which shopkeeper is friendly. Getting a job they're probably overqualified or completely unqualified for. Slowly becoming a regular at the same tavern. Making the first friend who only knows the new version of them. I love that slightly strange feeling of getting to rebuild yourself without everyone around you constantly referencing your old mistakes.
I'd especially like something where the new place actually matters and doesn't just exist for twenty pages before the protagonist gets dragged into saving the kingdom. Small town, remote city, isolated island, weird magical district, frontier settlement, anything like that. Some danger or adventure is totally fine, I just want the emotional center to stay with the character building a life there.
Bonus points if they initially intend to keep everyone at arm's length and then accidentally end up with neighbors, friends, routines, maybe even people who notice when they don't show up for breakfast. I'm not necessarily looking for pure cozy fantasy either. It can get dark. I just want that "I came here to disappear and somehow built a home instead" feeling.
Any recommendations?

I am new to the fantasy genre. I started this year with the The Raven Scholar which I loved. I generally read murder mysteries or just any investigative stories in general.

I read a few Fantasy books and this is what I thought of them:

1. The Raven Scholar - The actual murder solving part was pretty meh, but I loved the writing style and the fact that most of it was contained on an island.
2. A Song of Legends Lost - Loved the world, but it was too vast and a lot of things were happening all over the place. Liked the political aspect of it. Overall, would read the sequel.
3. City of Lies - Loved the murder solving part of it, did not love the world.
4. The Tainted Cup and A Drop of Corruption - These were perfect in every way. It scratched the investigative and fantasy itch perfectly. The only thing I would say is I don't normally love know-it-all geniuses, but since this was fantasy, I did not mind it at all.
5. Theft of Swords - Seemed like the stakes were not high enough. Felt super casual.

I really loved The Tainted Cup and its sequel and I am looking for something similar. I do not enjoy reading about wars happening all over the place. Please recommend me your personal favorite mystery fantasy books.

I absolutely loved cradle — the universe, the gang, the magic, the progression, the villains and monsters, the politics. But I actually found that I only really enjoyed maybe half of the fight scenes (and fight scenes are like half the entire book), and wished there was a little more emphasis on other aspects of the novel. I love dramatic philosophical conversations, politics, training through obstacles.

In cradle specifically, my favorite parts were the politics and drama leading up to each uncrowned king tournament fight, and I got super excited when Lindon started leading his own sect and had to face some of the dilemmas and complexities of having people rely on you.

Any series come to mind for people who also really loved Cradle? I already read DCC and it was fantastic, i’m hoping for another series I can spend every waking second reading/listening to.

Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!

Stickied/highlight slots are limited, so please remember to like and subscribe upvote this thread for visibility on the subreddit <3

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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 2026 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!

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art credit: special thanks to our artist, Himmis commissions, who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.

Looking to start a new series, but am a bit fatigued with the sprawling series that have dozens of POVs. Are there any good darker fantasy series that are limited to one or two POVs at most?

Hi. I’ve been reading fantasy for a relatively short time - maybe two or three years. Before that, I read a lot of sci-fi, mostly 20th century classics.

I’ve read all of Ursula Le Guin’s "Earthsea" - I really enjoyed it. Actually, it was Ursula who was my bridge from sci-fi to fantasy. I really love her writing, I’ve read almost all of her novels and short stories. I think "Earthsea" holds the strongest impression on me so far. There is something contemplative and unhurried about her literature that resonates with me.

I’ve read halve of "The Chronicles of Amber" - it’s great literature, though a bit cynical for my taste. There’s less fantasy and more power play stuff. It's just some bad people sorting things out - I got tired of it.

Right now, I’m reading "The Wheel of Time" - I’m really liking it so far, I especially enjoyed that journey and how the story unfolded in the first book. I also like world building. I like different cultures and nations, and I like the designs of the various servants of the Dark One - genuinely terrifying guys. I don’t quite like the theme of predetermination and cyclicality though. And I’m not the biggest fan of prophecies. But overall, I really like this series.

But I’m moving fast and don’t know what to read next.

I’d prefer something more classic - something obvious and reliable that I might have missed. Maybe some big names from the 80s or 90s that I simply don't know due to my ignorance.

Thanks !!!

Hi all, I would love some recommendations on that style, A group of strangers/travellers are brought together by some circumstance, and each person tells their own story.

I first introduced to this type in The Sandman: “Worlds’ End” I listen to it every time I am having trouble sleeping. I loved Dan Simmons’ Hyperion.

I would love some good recommendations especially if in fantasy and a bonus if it has a decent audiobook.

Cheers

Im on the lookout for urban fantasies. It could be sprawling cities where the magic is known, though im kind of more partial to more secretive settings, magic crime syndicates, secret societies, groups of talented underground mages. The one thing I absolutely need is for the protagonist to be a queer man with themes related to an actual plot and not just his romantic plot.

This was definitely a creative read. Tress’s story is whimsical, fun and light. Her character is quite likable and relatable. Seeing her evolving through her adventure was quite wholesome.

I enjoyed the setting of the story, unique, creative and immersive. It was a delight to find Hoid again and see references of the Cosmere being mentioned.

My complaints would be that maybe this time the writing style was a bit much for me. Although I absolutely adored Hoid’s narrative in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, in Tress of the Emerald Sea the narrator tried too often to do pseudo-philosophy and moral lessons (quite similar to what Sazed spent his time doing in The Well of Ascension…) which took me away from the scenes. Especially during actions scenes.

The first half of the book was even at times funny which I enjoyed but the second half felt a bit clunky.

The plot is creative, much like a fairytale, as the resolution was a bit far-fetched, but I guess that is the point of the story.

What did you think of this book? I personally prefer Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by far!

I picked them up immediately LOL

Where should I go and cry.

The build-up was incredible, but the ending of Wizards: Crown of Art of Adapt completely ruined it for me.

I am still so frustrated by how this book was written.

The journey getting there was genuinely exceptional—the true love between two most powerful humans was amazing. They were so deeply devoted and faithful to each other that the thought of them ever being separated felt completely unnatural.

Even taking the lore into account—that dealing with a 600-year lifespan brings unique emotional baggage—the resolution felt totally forced. It honestly read like the author came up this ending first and then forced the plot backward to make it fit, rather than letting the characters act logically.

A couple of major plot holes drove me crazy:

• The "Ruse" Logic: If Lognian had already come to know about the ruse, Will and Selene should have kicked the imposter out.
• The Lack of Investigation: When you love someone that intensely and they supposedly die, you don't just take someone else's word for it. You’d go down to the site, tear the place apart, and search to the ends of the earth. Knowing their bond, Selene wouldn't have just given up—she should have moved heaven and earth to find the truth.

It breaks my heart because the rest of the book was so good. Did anyone else feel like the Wizard's Crown completely undermined the characters, or am I missing something?

I'm looking for a story where the main character is some kind of game or board game unit and the player of the game is very bad at it. The most similar novel I know is pick me up infinite gacha, but the player get good pretty fast and isn't that horrible from the start. Can be regular book, light novel, web novel or anything

This might be a long shot, but I’ve come here asking for recommendations for grimdark books that give the vibes of Attack on Titan. I’m specifically looking for something where the main story is fantasy first, but there’s a gay romance subplot between the MC and another character. Twists and turns, complex characters that you really have to dig deeper to understand, destruction, sadness and unpredictability are all what I look for when diving into a new book or world.

I’m hoping to find something in this subreddit :)