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Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read some entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic fantasy What are some of your favorite fantasy reads? unexpected attractions to each other and the uncovering of weighty secrets, the group works to unravel the mysterious Faizal The first installment in Faizal's Blood and Tea series offers intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery Tempest of Tea . 06 Bride by Ali Hazelwood Ali Hazelwood brings her wonderful banter and an intriguing mystery

I was taken with the premise of conflicts and mystery in a post-colonial West African city, but I didn't In Tochi Onyebuchi's fantasy mystery, main protagonist Boubacar is a war veteran and a private investigator But when a young woman shows up bleeding at his home, then mysteriously disappears, he is shocked into Harmattan Season  is a dark, broody, mysterious fantasy story that takes place in an unnamed city in As Bouba explores recent mysterious events, he realizes that the upcoming election is corrupt and has

Six More Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read lots of entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic fantasy in the past year--enough to make up multiple Greedy Reading List roundups. You can find other lists of favorite fantasy reads from past years here . And you can c lick here for other science fiction and fantasy books I've reviewed on Bossy Bookworm. What are some of your favorite fantasy reads?

Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I knew I was reading some gooood science fiction and fantasy, but didn't and one of fantasy alone. Jess Kidd is the author of Things in Jars, a mystery I gave four Bossy stars--and listed in two Greedy Reading Lists, Six Spooky, Gothic Tales and Six Historical Fiction Mysteries Sure to Intrigue You. talking) creepy-crawlies in this middle-grade novel, you'll find a noble quest, unlikely heroes, a mysterious

excited to read this final installment in Freya Marske's Last Binding trilogy, a queer historical fiction fantasy-mystery unexpected attractions to each other and the uncovering of weighty secrets, the group works to unravel the mysterious and compromise, and Marske's storytelling is yet again charming, funny, sometimes dark, and always fantastic

Frances White's debut is a locked-room mystery on a magical ship full of uncertain alliances, deadly If you're interested in other Bossy reviews of fantasy mysteries I've enjoyed, check out the titles at

Kingfisher writes my favorite kind of fantasy novel: a wonderfully oddball main protagonist, a strange adventure, a mystery to be solved, and simmering romance with No Swooning or Annoying Drama whatsoever Kingfisher imagines richly imagined fantasy worlds, and within them she slots fantastically imperfect This is my fantasy sweet spot. More Kingfisher and other Fantasy Novels T. You can find my Bossy review of A Sorceress Comes to Call   here and reviews of other fantasy titles

Favorite Fiction Reads Last Year Six More of My Favorite Fiction Reads from the Past Year Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year Six Four-Star Historical Fiction the suspicious circumstances surrounding Bryn's parents' long-ago deaths, and an extended family with mysterious He searches for her, then receives a mysterious note: "Still looking for your friend? But the trail Ollie finds himself on leads to darkness and danger in a mysterious underworld.

The second book in Marske's series is an irresistible queer magical mystery thriller with Edwardian England A Restless Truth is the second in Freya Marske's queer fantasy mystery Last Binding trilogy that began A Marvellous Light was full of details of life in Edwardian England, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful By doing so, Maud aims to help her beloved older brother resolve a magical mystery that's been decades A Restless Truth is fun and quirky yet has depth, an appealingly complicated mystery, and a satisfying

, while an unorthodox, brilliant investigator and her stalwart new assistant work to solve a murder mystery fiction-feeling story, a Sherlock Holmes and Watson-type investigatory relationship, and fascinating otherworldly fantasy The leviathans are grotesque, and their natures and motivations are a mystery. Ana is Sherlock Holmes-esque in that she holds many of the answers to the mysteries that abound--but

She's been cobbling together enough to get by, but when a mysterious draw to the spooky Starling House The supporting characters are fantastically odd, fiercely loyal, and a heartwarming support for a girl

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to Tochi Onyebuchi's dark, broody fantasy mystery, Harmattan 01 Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi In Tochi Onyebuchi's newest fantasy mystery novel, main protagonist But when a young woman shows up bleeding at his home, then mysteriously disappears, he is shocked into Harmattan Season is a dark, broody, mysterious fantasy story that takes place in post-colonial West

The first installment in Faizal's Blood and Tea series offers intriguing secrets, a swirling mystery, , hidden feelings, and wonderfully complex relationships in this mystery. The cover artwork, palette, and the book's title felt off to me; they seemed to indicate Cozy Mystery

Yume Kitasei I loved the futuristic space-mission capabilities, smart and strong all-woman crew, the mystery Asuka must find the real culprit before accusations surrounding the mystery destroy her. Yume Kitasei offers plot and mystery, but this is primarily a wonderfully character-driven story--with I really liked this, but I was surprised by how light it felt on fantasy elements. She's been cobbling together enough to get by, but when a mysterious draw to the spooky Starling House

I adored the romantic setup and seemingly ill-fated attraction in Saft's young adult fantasy-mystery, I loved the setup of Saft's romantic young adult fantasy novel Down Comes the Night. Meanwhile she's desperate to solve the mystery of her fellow soldiers and friends who keep disappearing I felt dissatisfied with the logistics surrounding much of the resolving of the mystery--as well as with Saft is also the author of another romantic young adult fantasy novel, A Far Wilder Magic.

Six Great Bossy Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads The Obsessive Wrap-Up of Favorite Reads continues! You can click here for other science fiction and fantasy books that I've reviewed on Bossy Bookworm. I listened to the first installment in Shannon Chakraborty's Amina al-Sirafi fantasy series, The Adventures Then a mysterious, wealthy matriarch preys upon Amina's need for funds--and her desire for one final, & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree The first in the Legends & Lattes series is a cozy fantasy

The mystery of why June left a past timeline is intriguing and keeps the story going.

The first book in Hodgson's trilogy is smart, mysterious, charming, and layered. to Neema and to the plot, and they become a mysterious, mischievous, sometimes sulking, often confusing There is a romantic element, but this is, happily for me, a richly built fantasy and not a romantasy. More from this Author--and More Fantasy Novels I've Loved Antonia Hodgson is also the author of the Thomas You might also be interested in other fantasy books I've read and reviewed .

The romantic aspect is less essential than the fantasy elements, which I appreciated. Gillig builds a layered fantasy world on elements of stone and water, and the moth symbolism changes characters' energy is spent on pining and obsessing, where dramatic declarations overshadow a novel's fantasy The Knight and the Moth is built on a spare yet satisfying fantasy world with a limited number of characters For more fantasy/science fiction stories I've loved, please check out these titles .

Wang is also the author of The Sword of Kaigen  and the YA fantasy series The Volta Academy Chronicles

Novik's newest work, Buried Deep ,  is a collection of thirteen stories that span the worlds of her fantastic Naomi Novik is the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted Novik has also written a series of nine fantastic books about dragons, the Temeraire series. battles within the books' alternate history, and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic

Fairy Tales and Retellings For this list, I focused on books with fantastical elements; clear good-and-evil boast forces Miryem into a position of meeting the tsar's impossible challenge, she finds that the mysterious interesting read. 05 The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo The Night Tiger is a wonderful historical fiction mystery I also listed this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You . and airborne dragon battles within the books, and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic

White's And I Darken , the first book in her Conquerer's Saga series, has cover art that to me evokes fantasy This blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and paranormal continues with LaFevers's Dark Triumph , Mortal relationship growth. 04 The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black The Folk of the Air is a young adult fantasy

Tale of Two Cities offered a compelling story of redemption and self-sacrifice with a significant fantasy In this historical fiction-fantasy, characters from Dickens's tale are plunged into a dark, powerful But in Parry's novel he must also reckon with his fantastical origin story (stolen by faeries and pressed

In Kuang's dark academia fantasy novel Katabasis , Alice Law is a postgraduate student in a ruthlessly This is a clever, strange, dark, and often darkly funny fantasy.

The first in the Legends & Lattes series is a cozy fantasy story about new beginnings, the transformative This is a sweet, cozy fantasy story that feels like a big hug; it's a love letter to coffee, to the beauty

When a neighbor in their rural (seemingly English but unspecified) town dies mysteriously, Cordelia's For more fantasy novels I've loved, please check out the titles at this link .

The first book in Marske's duology is full of Edwardian England detail, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful Robin and Edwin's love is romantic and sweet and heartbreaking and sexy; the mystery at the heart of

While I probably should stop reading "romantasy" because I prefer my fantasy and romance to remain separate I probably need to stop reading "romantasy" or "romantasy"-adjacent books, because I love fantasy stories and I love romantic comedies , but for me, the intersection of romance and fantasy is often unsatisfying The Mystery of Dani Francis This is the first book by Dani Francis, and her anonymity on social media

I love a historical-fiction-feeling fantasy story like this one, and Blood of the Old Kings sets up

and the gutsy characters facing wartime struggles and challenges, but I was surprised that the book's fantasy I really liked this, but I was surprised by how light it felt on fantasy elements.

the worldbuilding and the headstrong, powerful loose cannon of Nahri, as well as the Middle Eastern fantasy The only thing that isn't a lie is her mysterious ability to instinctually, instantaneously heal others character Nahri, the complex cultural backgrounds clashing in the book, and the Middle Eastern-based, fantastical I listed Amina in the Greedy Reading List Six Four-Star (and Up) Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads I

uncharted territory--and suddenly finds that he has a strange new future ahead, in the Aerial Corps as master battles within the books' alternate history; and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic Naomi Novik is also the author of richly wrought fantasy novels featuring main protagonists I love: Uprooted

The dark humor is fantastic. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this book or other fantasy books you've loved!

I'm Reading Now I'm reading A Restless Truth, the second book in Freya Marske's historical fiction fantasy mystery duology; I'm reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt's novel about a widow's unlikely mystery Last Binding series that began with A Marvellous Light. A Marvellous Light was full of Edwardian England detail, gay love, mystery, magic, wonderful dialogue to an elderly woman on an ocean liner (so she can help her beloved older brother resolve a magical mystery

Then a mysterious stranger arrives--seemingly drawn by her wavering between life and death--and promises

in a panic, she makes a magical deal in which she lives on...in the world of her sister's favorite fantasy Sarah Rees Brennan is also the author of the fantastic character-driven young-adult fantasy In Other

In this return to the world of Elfhame (Folk of the Air trilogy), Holly Black takes us deeper into the story of characters Wren and Oak as they determine whether they can trust each other as they attempt to save Madoc. As a child, Wren read lots of fairy tales. That’s why, when the monsters came, she knew it was because she had been wicked. In The Stolen Heir, the first book in Holly Black's Stolen Heir duology, the story returns to the world of Elfhame. (It's important to first read the Folk of the Air trilogy--see link below in order to understand the plot and character development). Suren (Wren), changeling child queen of the Court of Teeth, is forced to band together with the charming, untrustworthy Oak (fae brother of Jude), to try to save Madoc from Lady Nore's Ice Needle Citadel. Wren and Oak were once betrothed, and Wren isn't sure how much of Oak's appealing vulnerability and honesty is real--or if she's being played for a fool. But Wren isn't content to let her fate be shaped by a beautiful, magical prince. She's going to need to wrest control of her own destiny. I didn't feel drawn in by Wren, who feels lost throughout much of the story, and I didn't feel as though Oak was as fully developed as I wanted him to be. I loved the return of the storm hag Bogdana! I listened to this as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Click here for my review of Black's The Queen of Nothing; I mentioned the great Folk of the Air trilogy in the Greedy Reading List Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Down Comes the Night, a young adult fantasy story featuring magical 01 Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft I love the setup of Saft's romantic young adult fantasy novel Meanwhile she's desperate to solve the mystery of her fellow soldiers and friends who keep disappearing In Fugitive Telemetry, Murderbot attempts to solve the mystery of a murder--while generally annoyed and

This first installment in the series sets up an overlooked princess who becomes a heroine; deadly monsters who may be being treated unfairly; an enemies-to-lovers romance; and shifting loyalties. The dialogue is often dramaaaatic, but I'm in for the next book. Odessa is the oldest daughter of a king, but she has always felt like a placeholder; her father has always focused on vigorously teaching and training her younger sister May as his heir. You might predict that Odessa will be the unlikely heroine of this story when you find out that she has red hair . This character is not going to go along with the plans set out for her, everyone! (Her hair is dyed brown, and Odessa is given only gray clothing to wear by her stepmother, although she doesn't seem to have ever fought this obvious move to keep her in the background.) But wait! When a prince from another region arrives and demands a bride price for protecting the land that Odessa's family rules--and specifies that only Odessa will do--what she understood to be her destiny is upended. Her father frantically demands that she spy, steal, cheat, and lie in her marriage in order to protect her homeland. But the only ones who have ever shown her loyalty or respected her abilities are her unlikely new family and friends. Is she beholden to her origins or to her future? Dear reader, she is going to end up being brave, and finding love, and and Doing the Right Thing. I knew all of this was coming, but I didn't mind it. I did, however, grow weary of Dess's repeated rhetorical questions and revisiting of the same issues over and over, neither of which felt like it moved the plot forward. The dialogue is sometimes dramaaaaatic, but generally the pacing rolled right along in this one. This first romantasy in Perry's planned trilogy offers monsters, royalty, secrets, hidden identities, battle training, some oddly modern-seeming profanity, and, abruptly, some steamy scenes. The swearing felt modern, but the setting felt more medieval. Odessa questions the ethical treatment of (and killing of) the seasonally attacking and deadly monsters in the story, as they seem infected by a negligently manmade disease. A love interest is also affected by a condition he cannot control, so watch out, Odessa! This is all important in setting up book two. Startlingly, we hear (briefly) from the Guardian's point of view at the end of the book. I listened to this as a TWENTY-HOUR audiobook. Devney Perry is also the author of forty romance novels. More Books Like This I'm iffy on "romantasy," but for other books I've read along these lines, please check out this link .

Scholomance series and I realized I haven't posted a stand-alone review of some of Novik's other standout fantasy boast forces Miryem into a position of meeting the tsar's impossible challenge, she finds that the mysterious

with ballet, an orphan's struggles, and Depression-era Chicago, but once Nocturne shifted into dark fantasy In Alyssa Wees's slim (it's 240 pages) fantasy novel Nocturne, set in the Little Italy of 1930s Chicago The understated dark undercurrents felt powerful and mysterious. But once the fantasy elements became the focus, the story felt more like a series of ethereal concepts You can check out my Bossy reviews of other fantasy titles here.

He has been cursed for generations to serve a series of crooked masters and their offspring, with no I love a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, and while this novel isn't as layered and complex or

The cover is arresting, and the sparkles and art are a nod to the novel's fantasy genre.

I felt like the story started off slowly, but once the world was built and the background established, I was hooked on the interpersonal relationships, the dramatic conflicts, the creatures' magical abilities, and their evolving quests. Various demons work as mercenaries in Nine Hells, and Bex trusts only them to protect her. Over time, some of these demons have evolved into grumbling lackeys for the Eternal King, or bound slaves. But when Bex and her demons team up with a new client--a powerful male witch who's got it in for the king--it could change everything. The first part of the book felt clunky to me, bogged down by explanations of how Aaron's imagined world works and the basic history of various conflicts and groups (gods, demigods, demons, free demons, witches, warlocks, East Coast/West Coast, heaven, hell--I was reeling a little bit). Eventually the story seemed to hit its stride, and the various demons, magical powers, dark histories, missions--and the Bex-Adrian friendship, client-bodyguard relationship, and growing attraction--made me wonder what would happen next. Neither Bex nor Adrian is exactly what they appear, nor are they following the scripts set out for them. Together, they are more powerful and capable and creative than alone, and they make a formidable team that reimagines reality for their kinds. Now that the world of the books has been built, I expect the second installment to move along at a nice clip; Aaron's dynamic battle scenes were a strength here. I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book! Rachel Aaron is also the author of the DFZ Changeling series, the Heartstrikers series, the Crystal Calamity series, and other books. I listened to Hell for Hire  as an audiobook.

Six More Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Mystery Reads "Is she going to just keep rehashing all the big hits I recently posted about Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year. You can click here for other mysteries I've reviewed on Bossy Bookworm. What are some of your favorite mystery titles or mystery genres? A Restless Truth is the second in Freya Marske's queer fantasy mystery Last Binding trilogy that began

In Blanchet's young adult fantasy debut, Herrick's End, Ollie's only friend Gwen has disappeared. He searches for her, then receives a mysterious note: "Still looking for your friend? But the trail Ollie finds himself on leads to darkness and danger in a mysterious underworld.

I read the first in that series, The Magicians , for but me it was short on magic and fantastical elements

battles within the books' alternate history, and the human protagonists are wonderfully faulted and fantastic

The Everlasting involves jaunts through multiple versions of the same story, as our fantastic main protagonists This is the type of romantic fantasy I adore.