EDIT: Nominations are in! Our winner will be announced soon!
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Greeting Factioners! If you are in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you are not, happy Thursday! But wherever you are, today is an exciting day! It’s time to help us pick the best fantasy novel of 2018!
Traditionally published, indie published, self-published, if it came out in 2018 it qualifies. Each person can nominate as many books as they like, but please do not nominate yourself.
We look forward to having a massive list of your favorite reads to choose from! Thanks in advance and Happy Reading!
Geoff Matthews
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
The Winter Road – Adrian Selby
City of Lies – Sam Hawke
Tower of living and dying- Anna Smith Spark
I assume we post them here, so here goes in no particular order:
The Winter Road, by Adrian Selby
The Fires of Muspelheim, by Matt Larkin
Ravencry, by Ed McDonald
A Study in Emerald, by Neil Gaiman
City of Lies, by Sam Hawke
Wolf’s Head, by Steven McKay
Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Poppy War, by RF Kuang
The Grey Bastards, by Jonathan French
Hey Jennie, it’s only books published for the first time in 2018, right?
So 18 paperbacks from 17 don’t count?
I’ll have to check, the majority of what I read is usually from previous years.
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames.
Bloody Rose
Ravencry
King of Assassins
We Ride the Storm
Kings of Paradise
Jade City
A Time of Dread
The Iron Ghost
Godsgrave
Wrath of Gods
Good list, but Kings of Paradise was published in 2017 (else it would be on my list as well!)
The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston
I’ve really enjoyed:
The Belles – Dhonielle Clayton
We Ride the Storm – Devin Madson
Foundryside – Robert Jackson Bennett
The Beast’s Heart – Leife Shallcross
Aching God – Mike Shel
Kingshold – D.P. Woolliscroft
Banebringer – Carol A. Park
Master Assassins – Robert V.S. Redick
The Monster Baru Cormorant – Seth Dickinson
The Shape of Water – Daniel Kraus
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
King of Assassins by R.J. Barker
Lancelot by Giles Kristian
The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French
The Poppy War by Rebecca F. Kuang
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
Circe, Madeline Miller
The Poppy War, RF Kuang
The Diminished, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Freyja’s Daughter, Rachel Pudelek
The Cruel Prince, Holly Black
A Reaper at the Gates, Sabaa Tahir
Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri
The Memory of Fire, Callie Bates
Bruja Born, Zoraida Córdova
Torn, Rowenna Miller
So many good books this year!
From Unseen Fire – Cass Morris
The Bitter Twins – Jen Williams
Priest of Bones – Peter McLean
Blood of Assassins – RJ Barker
The Land: Predators by Aleron Kong
From Unseen Fire
Ben Aaronovitch – Lies Sleeping
‘Chasing Graves’ by Ben Galley
Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand!
Bad Faith by Jon Hollins
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
The Isle of Gold by Seven Jane
The Tower of Living and Dying – Anna Smith Spark
The Bitter Twins – Jen Williams
Standouts for me were
Master Assassins (top billing) by Robert VS Redick
A Time of Dread – John Gwynne
Priest of Bones – Peter McLean
Sure to be on my list for next year (and read as ARCs this year)
The Hod King – Josiah Bancroft (so damn good)
For the Killing of Kings – Howard Andrew Jones
grey sister -mark Lawrence
chasing graves – ben galley
lancelot – giles Kristian
cold iron – miles cameron
Chris Wooding – The Ember Blade
RF Kuang – The Poppy War
RJ Barker – King of Assassins
The Empyreus Proof by Bryan Wigmore
The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston
The Imbued Lockblade by MD Presley
Removed The Imbued Lockblade – got date wrong on that.
Add
Blood of Assassins – RJ Barker
Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi
Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik
Empire of Sand – Tasha Suri
Just the best?
Grey Sister
By Mark Lawrence
Jade Ctiy
Grey Bastards (does it count?)
Edinberg Seer
Son of a Liche
Paternus: Wrath of the Gods
Cold Iron– Miles Cameron
Grey Sister– Mark Lawrence
The Traitor God–Cameron Johnston
Early Riser – Jasper Fforde
The Traitor God – Cameron Johnston
Here be Dragons – David Macpherson
The bitter twins – Jen Williams
The Fall of the Phoenix – Daniel Kelly
The Traitor God – Cameron Johnston
Sam Hawke – City of Lies
Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik
King of Assassins – R J Baker
Bloody Rose – Nicholas Eames
New Magic – Joseph Malik
Black City Dragon – Richard Knaak
In no particular order:
Marked – Benedict Jacka
Last Dragon Standing – Rachel Aaron
Wrath of Empire – Brian McClellan
Vengeful – V.E. Schwab
Spinning Silver – Naomi Novik
Spark City – Robert J Power
Hmm,
Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
But I haven’t read much from ’18 yet, to be honest…
So here are my favourites (in descending order)
Grey Sister – Mark Lawrence
Foundryside – Robert Jackson Bennet
Beneath the Sugar Sky – Seanan McGuire
The Disappearance of Winter’s Daughter – Micheal J Sullivan
Binti Night Masquerade – Nnedi Okorafor
The Ember Blade – Chris Wooding
Master Assassins – Robert VS Reddick
Bloody Rose – Nick Eames
Grey Sister – Mark Lawrence
Aching God – Mike Shel
We Ride the Storm – Devin Madson
The Silver Sorceress – Alec Hutson
Skyward – Brandon Sanderson
Hero Forged – Josh Erikson
The Poppy War – RF Kuang
Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
Also The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden (though this might have been very late 2017? Not enough time to get on many best of 2017 lists!)
Favourite – The Winter Road by Adrian Selby
The rest – in no particular order
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson
Chasing Graves by Ben Galley
The Fires of Muspelheim by Matt Larkin
Shadow of the Exile, by Mitchell Hogan
Ravencry by Ed McDonald
Wolf’s Head by Steven A McKay
City of Lies by Sam Hawke
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Poppy War by RF Kuang
The Ember Blade – Chris Wooding
Grey Sister – Mark Lawrence
Bloody Rose – Nick Eames
Aching God – Mike Shel
We Ride the Storm – Devin Madson
The Poppy War – RF Kuang
Bloody Rose – Nicholas Eames
Foundrside
Ravencry
Empire of Silence
The Poppy War
Only Human
Armistice
Wrath of Empire
Grey Sister
Iron Gold
Vengeful
City of Lies
Grey Sister – Mark Lawrence
Wrath of Empire – Brian McClellan
Foundry Side – Robert Jackson Bennett
The Tower of Living and Dying – Anna Smith Spark
The Traitor Baru Cormorant – Seth Dickinson
Master Assassins – Robert V.S. Redick
The Bitter Twins – Jen Williams
The Armored Saint / The Queen of Crows – Myke Cole
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – no contest IMHO
Most of mine this year have been weirdly enough, SF, but the two fantasies that impressed me most were Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames and The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French.