Since finishing up grad school last spring, I have been diving into the world of contemporary fantasy. I am mostly a novice to this world, though I have read the entire Wheel of Time series (and classics like LotR and The Chronicles of Narnia). Still, I haven’t read much or really any contemporary fantasy outside of WoT and wanted to dip into it and see if any of it was worthwhile. (Spoiler: yes!) So, here is a rundown of 5 books/book series that I have read, along with a general overview of what to expect and whether or not you should read it! 

Series: The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo

Books read (so far): Shadow and Bone

How many books are there in the series: Three! All of them are out now!

What is this book’s deal?: One of the reasons I was super interested in reading this series is because rather than a vaguely-European setting, this series features a world heavily inspired by Eastern Europe and Russia, in its climate, and in the names of places (Kibirsk, Ravka) and people (Alina Starkov, Malyen Oretsev). It was a nice breath of fresh air!

Basically, this book is about a young orphaned girl named Alina, and the kingdom of Ravka, which has been split in two by a vast darkness called The Fold or the Unsea. There is a mysterious magic user named The Darkling, and lots of angst and romance.

Magic? Say more about that: Okay! In this world, there are people who use magic called the Grisha. They each have their own special thing, and the Darkling’s thing is that he can manipulate darkness (hence the name). Other Grisha can spew fire or create magic items (essentially) but one of the things that really excited me is that one of the characters basically does magical make-up, making characters look “more” like themselves. It is an ingenious use of magic that I have never seen done before. 

Well, should I read it? Yes! Emphatically so! This book was easy to read and a true joy. The characters are believably written and it never feels like the author has to cheat the rules of the world so that the good guys can win. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Series: Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence

Books read so far: Red Sister, Grey Sister

How many books are there in the series?: 3! The last one is Holy Sister, which came out last spring!

What is this book’s deal?: This book can be succinctly described by the following two words: nun assassins. We follow a young girl named Nona, who is brought to the Convent of Sweet Mercy to train to become one of several orders of nuns, which mostly involves learning how to kill people. The emphasis on the religion of the world is interesting and well-done, showing the political power that often comes along with religious power in a way that many fantasy series just ignore. In a lot of ways, this series is a coming of age story at a boarding school, except with more violence and magic.

Magic? Say more about that: The magic system is known as The Path and mostly involves meditation and also awesome (as in, awe-inspiring) displays of power. Not all nuns can learn to walk The Path, but those who do can harness a lot of power. There is also some fun to be had with manipulating your shadow. Oh, also, demons can just live inside you.

Well, should I read it? If the idea of nun assassins sounds at all appealing to you, then you should check it out. At times, I found the books to drag a little bit, but as if reading my mind, the narrative would soon shift and I would be pleasantly surprised by what happens next. 

Series: The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Books I have read so far: The Way of Kings

How many books will there be?: 10! 2 sets of 5 books each! 3 have been released so far, with a fourth coming this November.

What is this book’s deal?: If you are at all familiar with modern day fantasy, then you probably know the name Brandon Sanderson. Suffice it to say, reading this series is a big undertaking, with each book clocking in at around 1000 pages. The world of the book is populated with frequent heavy storms (called highstorms) and it is an unequal society, with nobles lording over those below them, and even some taking slaves into their service. The book follows mostly 3 characters who seem to be unconnected (until they aren’t). There is a big war, an assassination, and someone who may just be a Chosen Person. How do we know? Magic. That’s how.

Magic? Say more about that: Where to start? This world has magical armor and swords, which have been passed down from ancient heroes, and which are fiercely fought after (the legends say if you kill someone wielding a magical sword in battle, you get to keep it!). There is also magic that can be derived from gems that have been infused with “stormlight,” i.e. have been left out in a highstorm. These allow certain people to manipulate the energy from these gems to enhance their own abilities or shift the world around them. It is dense and complex (and I might have gotten some of the details wrong, to be honest, because it has been a while since I read The Way of Kings), but it also feels like it has the greatest opportunity to be very satisfying as the books continue.

Well, should I read it?: If you are looking for a big book to occupy you for a few weeks (or months), then you should check this out for sure. If you are not interested in committing to a 1000 pages long book, then maybe not. But! The characters are compellingly written, the world is interesting and vast, and Sanderson has a good grasp on it. Quite frankly, this is the standard bearer for contemporary fantasy, and with good reason.

Series: Lightbringer by Brent Weeks

Books I have read so far: The Black Prism, The Blinding Knife (partly)

Books in the series: 5! All out now!

What is this book’s deal?: Hey, I feel like I can be honest with you. I picked this series because my D&D party (along with Mary’s) was called the Lightbringers. And I figured there must be a fantasy series with the same name. And there was! 

In this world, the Prism is both the most powerful magic user and also, basically, the Pope. Once again, this combination of magic and religion is very interesting, and the magic system similarly is interesting. There is also a character named Kip who is, arguably, the 2nd most important character, but he is also kind of boring and sucks. Unlike Gavin, the Pope, who is not boring but still kind of sucks. But he is the best at magic in this world.

Magic? Say more about that: In this world, people who are able to use a color of the spectrum of light are called drafters. Most people can only draft one color, and the corresponding color can change how you behave or how you view the world. The Prism can draft all colors. There is also a magic school. Would you guess that one of the main characters is inexplicably good at magic? You would be correct! 

Well, should I read it?: I really wanted to like this series (Lightbringers, remember?). The magic system is cool. The idea of a magical Pope-like figure solving the world’s problems is very interesting, and mostly avoids the clichés that the rest of the book tends to fall into. But the book lost me about 100 pages into the 2nd novel because the book is, frankly, kind of misogynistic in ways that I don’t think are intentional, but that became distracting enough that I decided not to finish it. The main characters constantly appraise the bodies of women they see, and there was a weird aspect of the magic system that is based in science--men often can’t see colors as well as women--but which let some of the male characters complain about how badly they are treated. Sorry, but I don’t have time for that.

Series: The Burning by Evan Winter

Books I have read so far: The Rage of Dragons

How many books will there be?: 4! The sequel to The Rage of Dragons, The Fires of Vengeance, comes out this November! 

What is this book’s deal?: Similar to The Grishaverse, this book is a different take on fantasy, more Black Panther than Lord of the Rings. But while The Grishaverse takes as inspiration for its setting Russia and Eastern Europe, Winter centers an African setting in his book. The Rage of Dragons concerns the Omehi people, who are constantly at war, and have developed a stringent caste system. Our main character, Tau, is near the bottom of this system, and he works hard to prove his worth. He often gets beaten down, but he keeps getting up, as all good protagonists should. To say more is to spoil it, but there is a lot of fighting and camaraderie to be had. Think the first episode of Band of Brothers, but with swords and spears.

But is there magic?: Yes! While we don’t get inside the head of people who can wield magic, called the Gifted, we do learn a lot about magic, and what we learn is fascinating. The Gifted wield the power of the underworld itself, and in doing so, also open themselves up to risk, for the underworld is crawling with demons who seek to devour any unsuspecting souls who risk coming to them. It is a different take on magic where the stakes and the power are both easy to understand.

Well, should I read it?: I would say yes! My only caveat is that if you don’t love fight scenes or descriptions of hand-to-hand combat or swordplay, then you might want to skip this. But, the fight scenes are well-written and easy to understand, and the characters are memorable and complex. Even when they are doing something you disagree with or which frustrates you, it makes perfect sense for what the character is thinking at that time.

That’s it this time for Todd’s Fantasy Corner. Have you read any of these novels? If so I’d love to chat about them with you in the comments! Have suggestions for other fantasy novels I should read? Let me know that, too, in the comments or via twitter!