Winter is my favorite time to binge read, so I’ve spent a lot of this season jamming through some hit fantasy books/series, ensconced in my nook with a hot beverage in hand.  Here are some fun things I read in the past few months.

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If you like these books recs, stay tuned for more. Coffee recs will be coming a little later this month!

The Will of Many by James Islington
The first book in Roman Empire-esque fantasy series, this book is classic hero’s journey type stuff. It’s one part Star Wars, one part Sparta, one part Hunger Games and one part Memento. Very fun, action packed, and a quick read. Can’t wait for the next in the series because this book ends right when it really starts to get good.

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Crushed this trilogy about a rage filled peasant girl who climbs her way to the top, accessing powerful shamanic skills as she becomes an instrument of vengeance and destruction. Although it’s a fantasy book, it addresses the ugly side of war with a brutality that hits hard, with events similar to Hiroshima and the Nanjiang Massacre, reminding you that real life is sometimes just as bad as you can imagine. What makes this series great is that stark reminder, but it also makes it a sometimes difficult read. The ending of the series left a mark on my heart. 

The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne
A fun fantasy series full of battles, giants, Nephilim, sorcerers and magical warriors. It’s a feel-good epic about a young boy hero and his motley band of companions. Not the heaviest/meatiest read, which made it exactly the best kind of book series to burn through and feel great at the end of.

Fourth Wing (and the Empyrean Series) by Rebecca Yarros
Bestselling romantasy about dragons, dark rebel true loves, and Battle Royale type fighting. I guess the Hunger Games just normalized young people training/fighting to the death in YA/NA books. Would some people call this book junk? Yes. Did I devour it and all its subsequent books? Yes. Was it as good as Hunger Games? No. Was it less annoying than some of the Sarah Maas stuff? Yes. Do I feel smarter after reading this? No. Did I thoroughly enjoy it with zero shame? Absolutely.

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
When I love a book, I will return to it over the years and savor it, making each time I experience the story as rich or sometimes even richer than the first time. Returning to this book brought the joy of re-discovering a treasure. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic Africa, the story follows Onyesonwu, a young woman with magical powers, on her quest to kill her sorcerer father. This book tackles themes of violence, war, racism, sexism, and the triumphant, deeply moving power of women and their unique magic. There is a scene about love in this book that will sear your soul.