Books of the Year 2016
Best of 2016 – Part 1
It’s that time of year when, as we have done for the last decade or so, we have dragged ourselves from the revelries here at SFFWorld to try and put some sort of order to our favourite (and not so favourite!) stuff from 2016.
And so, in the finest traditions of trying to reduce our lists to five in each category, here’s the first part of our attempt to show what we liked (or didn’t) this year. Taking part are Rob Bedford (Rob), Mark Chitty (MarkC), and Mark Yon (MarkY).
Part 1: Fantasy / Horror
In no order, Mark Y’s top 5 Fantasy/Horror books for 2016:
The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp
This one seems to have become a best seller in the UK this year, gaining great sales and national radio coverage on its publication. A very entertaining contemporary Horror story that combines demonic possession with the cult of celebrity and even combat magic! Though the ending seemed to divide some readers I thought it was great fun, and one to compare as a UK version of a book mentioned in my list later.
This was another surprise for me that punched well above its expected weight. Couldn’t put this tale of arachnid invasion down. The only thing that spoilt it slightly for me was the cliff-hanger ending, which happened just as things were starting to get really interesting. One to buy the arachnophobe of the family for Christmas!
It wasn’t quite perfect for me (I know Rob Bedford enjoyed it much more), but there was a lot to like about this apocalyptic heavyweight. Seems to have been Joe’s breakout novel here in the UK, which is well deserved.
What Hope and Red lacked in originality it gained in having a rapid pace and likable characters that you really cared about. The fact that I was still remembering it at the end of the year, having read it more than six months ago, made this Fantasy novel worthy of the list.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
This one I know was out in the US last year, but here in the UK it was my read just before Halloween. It worked a treat. A subtly clever book that plays with our expectations and ‘knowledge’ of teenage exorcism. The ending nearly made me drop the book and I wanted to read it again as I finished it to see if I could understand it more. Randy Money, our Halloween guide, also enjoyed it as well. Interestingly, I felt that it was similar to Jason’s book (mentioned above) in its use of social media to tell the tale, which I thought gave this and Jason’s a different slant to many novels using a similar narrative.
Honorable Mention: Of Sand and Malice by Mr Bradley Beaulieu. A welcome return to Ceda’s world, but only a brief revisit as a novella prequel to Twelve Kings (one of my favourites of last year.) Made me wish for the next proper novel, with Brad’s wonderful mix of Weird Tales horror and Sword & Sorcery Fantasy.
Rob’s top 5 (alphabetical by author)
City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett
Every year that Bennett has published a novel, it has been a top 5 for me. 2016 and City of Blades is no exception. This a deep, thoughtful novel that begs for multiple readings. Maintaining excellence is just as challenging (and some would say more challenging) than an initial explosion with excellence, but Mr. Bennett has spoiled me as a reader, and that is the mark of a gifted writer and storyteller. I’ve come to expect such excellence Mr. Bennett’s fiction and I’m pleased those expectations were met. City of Blades, even though a sequel to City of Stairs can be read on its own or before City of Stairs. I also wonder if Bennett is playing a tricksy game with his readers and giving readers a trilogy that can be read in any order. Knowing that a third (and final?) installment is on the horizon, I wonder how Bennett can top himself again. Time will tell and I can’t wait to find out.
Javelin Rain continues Myke Cole’s outstanding track record of delivering novels that balance entertainment and thought provocation. Few novels I’ve read capture the military life and life of war as well as Myke’s novels. Of course, I say this as a person with zero experience in the military. One of the many things that made this such an excellent novel is how Cole made the “supporting” characters of Dadou, Eldridge, and even Jawid, come across as protagonists of their own story. This may be his darkest novel and the one filled with the smallest slivers of hope, but knowing this one takes place years before Control Point, is hope enough that the characters introduced in the novel preceding this one (Gemini Cell, a standout novel in 2015 for me) may have a sort of peace by the time their stories come to a conclusion.
The Queen of the Blood by Sarah Beth Durst
Talk about a novel that took me by surprise. The premise seemed interesting enough, but after chatting with the publisher’s publicist for this book at New York Comic Con, I knew I wanted to dive into it even more. Boy was that publicist spot on. The bones of the story are relatively straight-forward, but what Durst does with the framework is very powerful, evocative and quite simply, elegant. Queen of the Blood upends gender expectations, with only one male primary character, and a couple of supporting male characters. Much of epic fantasy that focuses on a youthful, “chosen one” protagonist focus on a young man, not so here in Queen of the Blood. While I suspect this was very much intentional on Durst’s part, nothing about it felt forced or shoe-horned. The story felt natural and perfectly told built on great characters and their developing trust for and in each other.
The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood
Most fantasy readers know who Todd Lockwood is, he’s one of the pre-eminent artists in the genre, having created many, many iconic images. He very easily could have coasted on his name alone, but the novel more than surpassed my expectations. It has all the hallmarks of classic, secondary world fantasy: youthful protagonist, magic and fantastic creatures, and a deep, richly detailed world with a long history. Those elements are a cohesive whole when woven together with Mr. Lockwood’s wonderful storytelling. The novel definitely takes to heart the classic tropes of the genre and has a refreshingly optimistic tone despite the darkness that is creeping into the world. It is very clear Todd Lockwood has a love of the fantastic and where he could have easily just created a slavish homage to the Epic Fantasy of the past couple of decades, he imbues the tale with a great deal of heart and modern sensibilities. In short, this will please longtime fans of the genre while also having great appeal as a “gateway” to the genre.
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
This is the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic. In these books. Victoria Schwab posits parallel worlds with varying levels of magic and a couple of wonderful characters at the center of the storylines – Delilah Bard, thief and trickster; and Kell, an enigmatic mage. Where A Darker Shade of Magic set the foundation for the parallel worlds and their various levels of magic, A Gathering of Shadow works more as a character piece. Together, the two novels work marvelously well. Much as I enjoyed A Darker Shade of Magic, I loved the sequel and have this as a must-read series as I impatiently wait for the next (final?) installment.
Honorable Mentions: The Copper Promise by Jen Williams, although it published in 2016 in the US, it was released a couple of years ago in the UK, I loved this classic Sword and Sorcery with modern sensibilities. Another unique read was Teresa Frohock’s Los Neflim trilogy of novellas, the first published in 2015 electronically, the second two as eBooks in 2016, with a print omnibus of the three released in the spring. Excellent dark fantastique bordering on horror. I was also enthralled by Seanan McGuire’s Tor.com novella/short novel Every Heart a Doorway, which asks what happens to those kids who return from fantasylands?
In no order, Mark C’s top Fantasy/Horror books for 2016:
Bloodmage & Chaosmage by Stephen Aryan
I’ve read Bloodmage this twice this year, it’s that good. It’s some really good fantasy, different from the first in the trilogy, Battlemage (review), and in many ways it’s a much stronger novel. A combination crime/thriller novel with a narrower focus on one city with a plot to kill the queens of two nations, and all wrapped up with an ongoing investigation into magically charged murders. Chaosmage is the third and final book in this trilogy, bringing events a much stronger magical focus on a broken and mostly abandoned city. With the search for the mysterious force behind the Warlock and Fleshmages, and the emergence of the forsaken in the city who are taking down the survivors camp by camp, there is a real sense of urgency and danger. Aryan really has delivered a solid series here, and I can’t wait to read further stories in this world given the rich history peppered throughout these books.
End of Watch by Stephen King
King’s conclusion to his Bill Hodges trilogy, and this one takes on a much stronger fantasy theme after the first two were more straight-forward thrillers. Very satisfying in all the ways a King novel can be.
The Rogue Retrieval by Dan Koboldt
I wasn’t sure where to list this – fantasy or sci-fi – because it’s essentially a portal fantasy set in the modern day. However, given the world it’s set in is full of real magic it seemed like this would be the better genre. Regardless of these minor details, The Rogue Retrieval is an excellent novel, full of action and intrigue, presenting a very interesting setting that has much to offer. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel.
The Nightmare Stacks by Charles Stross
A return to form for Stross’ Laundry Files despite not having Bob Howard as its main protagonist. Still, this has all the hallmarks that make these books so much fun to read, and it makes you wonder just what will happen next…
And that’s it for this time around. Hope there’s something there that takes your fancy! Next time it’ll be the Science Fiction books of 2016 we liked.
