Here’s our now traditional Review of the Year, pointing out what we liked most. To begin with:
Part 1: Fantasy Books
(Part 2 will look at Horror Books, Part 3 will look at SF Books, Part 4 will look at Film and TV.)
To start with, Rob Bedford’s selection:
The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown #1) by Hannah Whitten – covers a lot of bases, there are political elements; faith & belief; trust; Whitten touches on parental abandonment issues on a couple of potent levels; there’s a romance triangle between Lore, Gabriel, and Bastian; the plot follows something of a mystery thread, it has the feel of a city fantasy and almost urban fantasy even though set in a secondary world. She pulls these elements together masterfully for a unique story. The milieu in which the story takes place has enough details as well, there’s a mythology/religion that provides a strong foundation, but also seems to have more details yet to be revealed.
The Sapphire Altar (Vagrant Gods #2) by David Dalglish – Dalglish has a knack for crafting despicable villains, too. Last novel it was Magus who took the spotlight, here in the second it is the “Heir-Incarnate” Galvanis. He’s great because he speaks convincingly of the truth from his point of view and has charisma. On the other hand, Galvanis is such a punchable, stabbable villain and proves to be a great nemesis for Cyrus. That’s what makes Galvanis such a fantastic villain, he’s multi-faceted and believable. In The Sapphire Altar, Dalglish has managed to craft a second book of a series that improves upon the original in layers of world-depth, character building, and stakes. It doesn’t merely tread water waiting for the next volume of the trilogy. I’d call this more of the Second Chapter of the Vagrant Gods series than anything else.
The Tyranny of Faith (Empire of the Wolf #2) by Richard Swan – I’d seen good things about the first book in Swan’s series here through my good friend Mark (a.k.a. Hobbit) and elsewhere so I was please the publisher sent me both books in the series so I could catch up. Swan’s execution is very precise and measured. The building of the world, the fleshing out of the characters, the narrative drive, and the plotting all flow together from the pen and keyboard of a master. He constructed an extremely impressive foundation in The Justice of Kings and built on it admirably here in The Tyranny of Faith. What he accomplished is even more impressive considering how high the bar was. Helena was already a fantastically drawn character, but here she became more fleshed out. Konrad is still at a bit of a remove from Helena, but their relationship grows through some emotional turns.
Son of the Poisoned Rose (Kagen the Damned #2) by Jonathan Maberry – For all of his output, when he launched his Kagen series, it was his first published Epic Fantasy and damn was it great. Kagen is a great study in dealing with dread and post-traumatic stress … he witnessed his parents killed, his kingdom conquered, felt his gods abandon him, and learned the identity of the Witch King. He blames himself for many things that have befallen the world. A good chunk of the early narrative focused on Kagen’s self-doubt, fears, and not-so-positive coping mechanisms. He “recovers” and gains more focus. He comes to realize he was drugged so he couldn’t fulfill his duties of protecting the youngest children and heirs to the throne and also learns they were not actually killed. The Cthulhu/Lovecraftian elements become even more prominent and I loved it. I said about the first volume how well Maberry interwove horror elements into Epic Fantasy framework. That intermingling worked to an even greater degree in Son of the Poison Rose because he was enhancing and building upon a strong foundation with intriguing details.
Cover design by Shawn T. King
The Bloody Chorus by John Marco – From the opening pages, I was hooked. I found the pacing and plotting to be extremely engaging. [The Protagonist] Haru’s plight pulled me along very strongly, but then John Marco would switch it up to chapters spotlighting Liadin and other supporting characters and the pacing didn’t slow. The story took a few pleasantly unexpected turns along the way as well. The world-building in The Bloody Chorus is another strong element of the story. The long history of the world is implied and Haru’s Cryori people of the Nesenor in the conversations of the characters, monsters like sea serpents and dragon-whales(!), shapeshifters, magic, while the living Kaiju/Cthulhu like gods were fascinating and characters in and of themselves with almost human motivations. Marco does a nice job of making them Other from the Cryori and humans while also imbuing them with enough emotion to make them relatable to regular people like us.
Honorable Mentions: Engines of Chaos by R.S. Ford; Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, Emperor of Ruin by Django Wexler.
Mark Yon’s selection:
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Although it came out in 2022 in the US, it was 2023 here in the UK. (The cover for the US edition is awful though, in my opinion.)
Loved this book when I read it – seems to have been one of the key books in the ‘cosy fantasy’ subgenre. It involves coffee, cakes and biscuits and a likeable group you are willing to do well. I think that its appeal is that it’s a quick read, with no real challenge but one that’s difficult to put down. In my review I said that “the reader pretty much gets what they want and expect. There’s not much bite here, but a lot of charm. The point that the book left me wanting more is a sign of its winnable charisma, and the extra short story at the end of the copy I got showed me that this scenario has further potential.” (Although since writing that, I perhaps should also say that the second book, published this year, was a major disappointment.)
This one was much anticipated, the sequel to Ninth House. This urban fantasy did what is needed in a second book and was bigger and bolder in its telling. Whereas Ninth House was about the set-up, this one focusses on developing characters. I said that “With characters you’ll engage with, situations that you’ll marvel at (or wince at!) Leigh really has raised the bar on this one.“
This one seems to be on many ‘best of’ lists this year. I can see why, and generally enjoyed it, but it’s not without its issues for me. I said that “… Babel is a book created to tell an exciting tale of communication, academia, love and friendship, linguistics and anti-imperialism, but at the same time deals with treachery, betrayal and deception. It is perhaps a Dickensian-style novel of a character’s progress through life but written for the woke generation. It reads like a revised, updated version of a Charles Dickens novel, where Phillip Pullman’s Dark Materials meets David Copperfield, perhaps. As it bridges old perspectives with new, I can see why this one has been popular with those who rarely read genre fiction as well as those who do.” It is in my list for that last point.
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix
The first collection of stories in my list this year. I really liked the old-school Weird Tales vibe this one gives, which hints of ancient histories gods and events, as well as the idea of a chivalrous knight and a possessed puppet. My favourite Garth Nix to date. I said that “In an imaginative world that is creepy, dark and unpleasant, the light relief brought by the pleasingly competent Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz is a joy to read. One of the best double-act pairings of characters out there. More, please!”
In These Hallowed Halls Edited by Marie O Regan & Paul Kane
My second story collection this year. This one is an anthology of all-new stories that deals with the current trend known as ‘dark academia’. I said that “In These Hallowed Halls delivers an eclectic range of stories from many of the newest and brightest genre writers. It is a book ideal for settling down with on a colder Autumnal night, or indeed dipping into as you start that new educational journey. (Cup of tea optional!) If you are a fan already , I think you’ll love it, or if you’re looking for somewhere to start, to try the subgenre, I can think of nowhere better at the moment.”
The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
Rob’s already mentioned this one! My favourite Fantasy novel of the year, although I must warn that it is another sequel and one that I think you’ll need to read the first book (The Justice of Kings) before reading this one. Like Hell Bent, The Tyranny of Faith ups the setting of the first to give a pleasingly complex tale of the wider world that Justice Konrad Vonvalt, his clerk and protegee Helena Sedanka, his bodyguard taskman Dubine Bressinger and retainer Sir Radomir inhabit.
Looking back on it now, I’m also realising that it’s another story of knights and magic, a theme for my selection this year! I said that “Complex political machinations, detailed settings, epic and gory battles, dark magic and flawed characters that you grow to love and care about, these elements allow us to focus on a bigger, bolder and more complex story here. I found it was all you would hope a sophomore novel would be.”
And literally as I type this, the third book in the series, The Trials of Empire has just arrived as an ebook for review. Due in February, but this may just be my Christmas read!
And that’s it for now. Part 2 will be up in a couple of days and will look at Horror Books, Part 3 will look at SF Books, Part 4 will look at Film and TV.
