I Read Fantasy Like It’s My FT Job - Here Are My Top Must-Reads
for the fantasy girlies
As lame as it is, whenever I’m scrambling for a fun fact to share about myself, the first thing that comes to mind is “I like reading” (so dumb, I know). But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: before 2020, a years-long reading slump saw me finish maybe two or three books total—not very “reader” of me at all. However, after my friend pestered me about fantasy books for months and BookTok harassed me with A Court of Thorns and Roses videos, I finally caved and picked up book one of the series.
I was hooked from page one. I soon entered a frenzied state akin to my addiction to Press on Nails in March 2020, where I read every single Sarah J. Maas book I could get my hands on. Every other hobby and responsibility fell way down my personal priority list—I was in the zone. And I didn’t stop there. I soon read fantasy book after fantasy book as if my life depended on it. When I say I read fantasy books like it’s my full-time job, I mean it.
Granted, my love of the fantasy genre started young, so it was easy for me to fall back into the habits I’ve had since my aunt gifted me my first Harry Potter box set way back when. Fantasy might not be your first choice, but I’m here to tell you that the genre has a little something for literally everyone.
Here are my recs!
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity. Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done. When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary.
Powerless is the first in a three-book series, followed by Reckless and Fearless, which releases in April 2025.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
I read this book last year as part of a book club and I loved it! It is a fascinating historical fantasy with mystery and magical realism. Time travel is also a big part of the storyline, and you need to pay attention so you don't lose the thread of the plot as it weaves through different generations. The author did an amazing job with her writing style, and it made me feel like I was right there with June as each piece of the puzzle was revealed. The scenery and settings were detailed enough to give the atmosphere of each event. The story revolves around the Farrow family curse, which causes madness to run in their bloodline. June Farrow is determined not to let the curse take hold of her, even though she starts experiencing strange visions and feelings that she can't ignore. June avoids falling in love and having children since the curse will pass on to her female offspring, so she is doomed to a lonely life. Her grandmother had raised her, as her mother disappeared when she was young. When her grandmother leaves her a cryptic message, she wonders if she can break the curse by stepping into a red door that appears in the fields. She had no idea where it would lead. I loved the balance between leaving us in suspense and giving us details to try and work out what was happening to June. At no point did I think I had this all figured out and that proved to be very true by the end of the book.
The Unmaking of June Farrow is a standalone.
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands – that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper – an unlikely magical connection forms. Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love? An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
Divine Rivals is the first book in the series, followed by Divine Vows.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue remains one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read, it’s epic, heartbreaking, and compulsively readable.
It’s 1714 in France, and in a moment of pure desperation Addie LaRue makes a bargain to live forever—but it comes with a curse. Everyone she meets will forget that she exists. Thus begins Addie’s extraordinary life. It’s a dazzling adventure that spans centuries and continents. 300 years after she makes her bargain, Addie’s invisible life is thrown off course. She meets someone who remembers her.
The Invisable life of Addie LaRue is a standalone.
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back. Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. And it’s been foretold that such magic will unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate. Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she has sworn to protect.
A Fate Inked in Blood is a series, however, no other books have been released.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Belladonna is gothic-meets-Knives Out-meets-Bridgerton and I absolutely devoured the entire series. It’s fun, a little campy, and romantic.
Orphaned as a baby, Signa Farrow has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her fortune than her wellbeing. The last remaining relatives she has are the Hawthornes, who live at the eccentric Thorn Grove manor and are reeling from their own tragedy. When Signa is visited by the ghost of Mrs. Hawthorne, who claims she was poisoned, she learns that the family she has come to depend on, and even love, is in danger—and she’s the only one who can solve the mystery. However, it’s going to take an alliance with Death, the disarming shadow that has followed her everywhere she goes, to save the Hawthornes.
Belladonna is book one of a three-book series, all of which have been released.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
The series that reignited my love of reading did so for one reason: the high-stakes, star-crossed, swoon-worthy romance. Yes, the story is set in a complex fantasy world, but the romantic elements will have readers hooked from the very beginning.
When Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, she doesn’t realize she has actually taken down a shape-shifting Fae. A mysterious figure soon hunts her down and takes her captive as retribution for the Fae life she took. She’s then whisked away to Prythian, the Fae realm she’s only heard about in legends. As she spends more time in this beautiful, magical world—and with her captor, Tamlin—she learns those legends didn’t tell the whole story. But not everything is rosy in Prythian. As Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship blooms, Feyre learns she holds the key that could save—or doom—Prythian forever.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is book one of a five-book series, with more to come.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
The Ex Hex is romance first, fantasy second (the only thing that puts this book in the fantasy category is that the characters are witches).
9 years ago, Vivi and Rhys’ relationship ended on terrible terms, and Vivi nursed her broken heart in the most relatable way: with a bottle of vodka and an attempt to curse Rhys. The curse was meant to be a joke, but when Rhys returns to Graves Glen years later, it becomes clear Vivi’s silly little hex worked. What was supposed to be a quick trip turns into so much more as Rhys and Vivi work together to undo the damage of Vivi’s curse.
The Ex Hex is book one of a three-book series, but each one can be read as a standalone.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
This was my favorite read of 2022. I’m big into cozy fantasy stories, and this one checked everything off my wishlist.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she must live in secret, but that doesn’t stop her from “pretending” to have magical powers all over the internet. Unfortunately for Mika, her ruse is uncovered and she is asked to travel to a remote part of England to teach three young witches how to control their magic. When she gets there, she slowly finds her place in the home, and in the family. She just can’t crack Jamie, the grumpy librarian who doesn’t trust this newcomer.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a standalone.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
If it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done, I would climb on top of my roof and shout at everyone who comes within earshot to read this book. It singlehandedly made me rethink every 5-star review I’ve ever given and I need everyone to experience it. In Fourth Wing, Violet Sorrengail is forced into the deadly Basgiath War College Riders Quadrant, despite the fact that she is small, frail, and has trained her entire life to be a scribe. It’s Divergent meets The Hunger Games and has dragons. I really shouldn’t have to say more. If you’re looking for a good time, this is it.
Fourth Wing is book one in a five-book series, three of which have been released.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
So you want romance, adventure, and a mystery to solve? Throne of Glass has all of that in droves. I recommend reading A Court of Thorns and Roses first, as it’s a better introduction to Sarah J. Maas’s writing style, but if you find yourself wanting more after—and you will—this is where you should start. In Throne of Glass, renowned assassin Celaena Sardothien is given one chance to earn her freedom. All she has to do is defeat 23 deadly killers just like her. Sounds simple enough, but soon Celaena is thrust into an ages-long conflict that is so much more than she signed up for.
Throne of Glass is book one in a seven-book series, all of which have been released.
Which one will you read next? Have you read any of these? Or have you read them all? Should we start a support group? 😂
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