Fantasy is probably up there as one of my favourite genres, so obviously I'm going to have more than five books to rec. I mean, it was hard enough to cut it down to five in a particular category of fantasy, which doesn't bode well. So, in an attempt to actually keep to only five recs, I'm splitting into four categories: urban and high fantasy, crossed with adult or young adult lit. Hopefully, that's going to help me stick to five. I'll also be making an attempt to rec less well known books over more well known ones (even if I love them both equally). So, to kick off this series of fantasy recs: high fantasy in adult lit!
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Content Warnings: violence, attempted rape, discussions of rape
Synopsis: This is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city. A world transformed by a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous as breath can only be collected one unit at a time.
Comments: Brandon Sanderson is a world-building expert. Every book he writes has a fully realised and unique world and culture and it feels like it could be real. He also has this knack of creating characters you can't help but love, as is the case in this book. And then he'll go and break your heart, just because he can.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
Content Warnings: violence
Synopsis: Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.
Comments: It's been a while since I read this, but I remember it has some wonderful writing and world-building, and is centered mostly on political machinations in court - it's definitely one I would happily go back and reread. Plus, the idea of having the gods trapped to do your bidding is really unique.
A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson
Content Warnings: implied underage relationship, physical abuse
Synopsis: Long after the Towers left the world but before the dragons came to Daluça, the emperor brought his delegation of gods and diplomats to Olorum. As the royalty negotiates over trade routes and public services, the divinity seeks arcane assistance among the local gods.
Aqib bgm Sadiqi, fourth-cousin to the royal family and son of the Master of Beasts, has more mortal and pressing concerns. His heart has been captured for the first time by a handsome Daluçan soldier named Lucrio. In defiance of Saintly Canon, gossiping servants, and the furious disapproval of his father and brother, Aqib finds himself swept up in a whirlwind romance. But neither Aqib nor Lucrio know whether their love can survive all the hardships the world has to throw at them.
Comments: Oh man, Kai Ashante Wilson did a number on me with this one. There's really not much I can say about it without spoiling the end (you definitely have to go in blind with this one), but trust me when I say it's a doozy of an ending.
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Content Warnings: graphic descriptions of rape, violence, gore, torture, self harm, substance abuse, war related violence and gore
Synopsis: When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
Comments: Ok, so, this one's a bit of a cheat, because it's not actually out for a few more days (like, 4 or 5 I think?), but it's an awesome book. It's so intense and grabs you from the first few pages, and this is just the first book in a trilogy. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the author will take this next.
Cold Magic by Kate Elliott
Content Warnings: racism
Synopsis: As they approach adulthood, Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they understand the society they live in and their place within it. At a select academy they study new airship technologies and the dawning Industrial Revolution, but magical forces still rule. And the cousins are about to discover the full ruthlessness of this rule.
Comments: Imagine a world where the Romans had succeeded in creating a long-lasting empire, but where there's also magic and mages, and you'll have something like this book. This series is one of my all-time favourites - I love Kate Elliott's ability with world-building and creating characters, and the slowburn romance is like no other.
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