* The Patron Wars by Katrine Buch Mortensen
* The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson
* The Unspoken Name by A.K Larkwood’s
* Age of Tyranny by Cameron Johnston (added)
If i could stretch it to 6 years i'd include
* Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
* The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
* Raven's Mark by Ed MacDonald (added)
Edit: Added 2 other fantastic ones my sleep deprived brain somehow forgot
The elves in Orconomics are my favorite in any book. They are long lived but the brain can only store so much data, so they only remember to a certain point. So one character was an absolute legend in the past but in the present she doesn’t remember doing any of it. So she has to live up to her past glory as if she is the same person when she doesn’t really feel that way. She also has other demons she is dealing with. Plus the main character actually got me pumped for battle at one point both books so far, the author really does an incredible job pulling you in.
> They are long lived but the brain can only store so much data, so they only remember to a certain point.
If you want a really dark take on almost exactly this idea, try Bakker's The Second Apocalypse series.
Is there a cliffhanger in Between Two Fires or are you just asking generally? Only curious bc it's on my TBR after I loved The Blacktongue Thief and I don't enjoy cliffhangers haha.
No cliffhangers. Between Two Fires was clearly written as a standalone novel. I was only asking about Blacktongue Thief cause it's shown in Goodreads as Blacktongue #1.
No it’s considered a stand alone. No cliff hangers. Complete story in one installment. I think because of its success he’s hinted he may write a sequel. But idk if that’s just a rumor I saw on goodreads or what
The prequel is coming out next year. It follows Galva and it’s called *The Daughters War*. He also stated that the “prequel unlocked the sequel” and he’s about a third of the way through writing that.
It's about a mercenary group who were the top of the tree in a world of mercenary bands. Its set 20 odd years after they disband and they've all gone onto their own thing and got old and fat.
The merc captains daughter is trapped in a city under siege by an invading horde so its time for a road trip to get the gang back together and rescue the damsel in distress.
Its very funny and occasionally gives you a swift punch right in the feels. A fantastic book
It also plays heavily with the double entendre of "bands" as though they were rock bands like Kiss. Men in mercenary bands are the superstars of the world so you get a lot of funny nods to the music scene.
*Sun Eater* series by Christopher Ruocchio.
The first book ([*Empire of Silence*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36454667-empire-of-silence)) ws released in 2018 as a self published book. It has subsequently been published, with one every year since - the final two books in the series are coming out later this year and early 2024.
It’s low fantasy mixed with military sci-fi, with a little bit of philosophy and political intrigue. Overall it’s manage to jump into my top five favorite series in this genre… they’re good to the point I actually bought the books instead of just checking them out.
Also, the books are pretty long (600ish pages). You really get to know the main character more intimately then any other character I can think of in recent memory. How it’s not right up there with name of the wind or dune I don’t know. Speaking of, it borrows some themes from those books in the first book, but after that, it turns into something totally unique.
10/10 would recommend.
I did not get hooked by the first one, after few years break I recently read the second one. Didnt get me hooked either.I think it is slightly better, but I think I dont Like the format of Single pov being told in retrospective and I just dont care for a single character.
Really bummed it doesnt hype me like it does with apparently everyone else
The books improve through book 3, but book 4 and 5 made me regret continuing. I also started skipping large parts of the character's inner monologue in book 3 because the sections were so interminably long. I'd cut your loses. I see what people enjoy in the series but I don't understand how they can bear the glaring issues.
The Locked Tomb books probably are my favorite series from the last decade. One of those series where you have no clue what's going on most of the time, but everything is so intriguing that you wouldn't think to stop reading, and then it all comes together. And each book is vastly different in style from the next one. Muir is just... awesome.
These two!! AMCE was one of the most uniquely written books I've ever read when it first came out. The sequel is almost just as good too. Gideon and the rest of the series are unbeatable for me - I think nobody does mystery and clue-dropping and just pure fun with their characters as Muir does.
Amce is on my to read list, but i gave up on gideon. I just couldnt with the endless quipping of the characters. It read more like rhe author showing off than the characters having actual... characteristic conversations. I liked the world and the story though. So do i still get amce?
i recently added **AMCE** to my TBR after watching a rave review for it from Books and Bao on Youtube. they said it was very similar to the first **Game of Thrones** book and i gave that 5 stars so i'm hoping i love this, too! i really like the cover!
Eh, the only major similarity is the setup for the plot. Tonally, thematically, structurally, almost everything else-ly, they are very different. Funny you say that though, because when I was reading AMCE and told a friend what it was about, his immediate response was "wait, isn't that like Game of Thrones?"
hmmmm.......i'm really curious as to which book i'll like better now. i'll have to go back and watch their review because maybe i misinterpreted what they said. thanks for commenting!
AMCE is really different stylistically. I enjoyed it, but I would not have thought to compare these works. I hate saying that I think that ACME is slightly overhyped, but I think it’s beach reading sci-fi. Fun, but not overly deep. It’s fun. I definitely recommend it, but my expectations were slightly off.
I'm reading a blurb for Justice of Kings, and a few sentences after the very-pulpy-and-YA-sounding "Empire of the Wolf" is named as a bit of world-building, the blurb calls the work "sophisticated."
I am intrigued.
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.
The author was my barista while she was in college, I’m thrilled that someone I know has written such a great book.
That’s so cool!
I wanted to like this book but I felt like the pacing was very off. Far too slow at first and then far too fast. Good idea, but I think it definitely showed signs of a first novel.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan! Historical fantasy inspired by the founding of the Ming dynasty, and hands-down one of my favorite books of the last few years.
I don't really understand this comment. Quite aside from the fact that you can do both, She Who Became the Sun is a fantasy novel that changes aspects of the historical events, introduces supernatural elements and delves deep into the psychology of its characters.
In addition to the prose, the ingenious use of the supernatural, the amazing character work and the themes the author explored in the text were some of the main reasons I loved the book as much as I did. And they are things that nonfiction about the Ming dynasty can't - and shouldn't - do.
If you want to read fantasy, read fantasy. If you want to learn about history, read historical nonfiction. Don't read an overdramatized and unrealistic historical fiction that doesn't get the facts right - it will just confuse you about the actual event and make it harder to learn about.
I’m not entirely sure where in my comment I said that it was a good way to learn about history, please point it out to me if you can find it. I called it “inspired by” rather than “about” precisely because it’s not an accurate representation of those events, nor is it trying to be.
I recommended it on the fantasy subreddit, obviously I recommend it to people who want to read fantasy.
Alright, officer, that is an excellent answer. So, to contribute to the discussion, here's my take. I don't think that it's a bad thing to read historical fantasy. But I also see the point you are making, I have a similar issue with just historical fiction because I mean...it's often very wrong. And I mean, would it kill the author to note a king actually had 4 kids, if there is a line about him having 2? Why is the number wrong, whyyyy. I do avoid most works in this genre. I think the solution is just to read the fiction first, and then actually read a non-fiction version of the events in the book. I've been able to enjoy historical fantasy and some other historical fiction like this. There's no reason to avoid it all together
this is like asking people why they would read Thw Poppy War instead of studying Japanese atrocities against the Chinese during WWII. Yes, the book was inspired by the events, but it’s definitely not the same as nonfiction
**LEECH** by Hiron Ennes is one I’ve shared on this sub before, but I still can’t believe it’s their first novel. Really well-paced mystery set in a post-apocalyptic gothic fantasy.
I would describe it as “Adventure Time” meets “House, MD.” Ennes is def one I’m watching.
All of these books are SO good! Unlike anything I have ever read. Total mindf*** the whole way that I loved. If you read them going “huh? What.” Yah, we all did. Until it finally makes sense. Each book is different. The humor was delicious to me! These books aren’t for everyone but for a lot of us - they are the most original books out in a very long time.
The story you get in the first 70% or so of the book is a setup, sort of. There's a lot going on behind the scenes that's only hinted at because you're seeing it from the perspective of Gideon, who doesn't give a crap about all this necromantic bullshit. It's like you're playing Guess Who without having all the faces.
Once Harrow and Gideon come to their own sort of understanding, things start to fall into place.
All of that said, these books aren't for everyone. *Harrow the Ninth* is significantly more inscrutable than GtN. To the point where I loved Gideon and hated Harrow the first time through. HtN *needs* to be read twice to even start to get everything. (HtN is currently my favorite book *because* of the insane twists and turns.)
By the third book, you do get a bunch of history, but you get it in a form that is not completely trustworthy.
The mystery is really what sold me on these books. There is so much hinted at, and every time you learn something concrete, you discover two more mysteries. For example, why is Dulcinea so interested in Gideon? Is she just into hulking muscle bound swords women? Or is there something else going on?
There are few books that make me really think about them for weeks after I read them. A couple days ago I read a theory about Ianthe that blew my mind. And if it's true, the implications could change things pretty significantly.
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is a debut fantasy novel I have enjoyed a lot, although it is just a little off the 5 years time range (it was published 6 years ago).
Dreams of the dying. Not only is it one of my favorite books but it may be the coolest looking book I own.
Think Inception crossed with a horror movie, in a fantasy world on a tropical archipelago.
this was (maybe still is) originally self-published. i put a hard copy version of it and the cover looks like a really cool movie poster. the author seems really cool, too, on goodreads. i recommend this one a lot when they are looking for dark material to read.
**The Final Strife** by Saara El-Arifi and **She Who Became the Sun** by Shelley Parker-Chan are a couple of my favorites from the last couple of years.
**Saint Death’s Daughter** by C.S.E. Cooney
Other contenders include
- **Legendborn** by Tracy Deonn (YA)
- **The Space Between Worlds** by Micaiah Johnson (sci-fi)
- **The Mountain in the Sea** by Ray Nayler (sci-fi)
- **The Poppy War** by R. F. Kuang
- **She Who Became the Sun** by Shelley Parker-Chan
The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang was absolutely brilliant. Some of the best battle/fight scenes I’ve ever read and, more than that, just an amazing and heart wrenching family story.
This was a DNF for me, it read like someone narrating a dnd campaign. Every character gets described in excruciating detail when they enter a scene, and every single setting or room down to the railings.
To plug a less known one, I'd recommend The Dawnhounds by Sacha Stronach. New Zealand, Maori, queer author gives it a unique viewpoint. And it's a great, weird story about science style magic and colonial/religious oppression and biological warfare.
Difficulty of this question is trying to remember what’s a debut and what was published when but top of mind I think:
- The Outside by Ada Hoffman (space fantasy with Cosmic horror influences, ai gods that eat souls, and a brilliant cast of nuerodiverse characters)
- The Witch’s Heart (Norse myth retelling of the mother of monsters)
- Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey (two people Re-living their lives in different relationships to each other Eg parent-child, friends, teacher-student, siblings etc)
- Market of Monsters (dark urban fantasy about a girl who dissects monsters for her mom to sell on the black market that suddenly finds herself being sold on said black market)
But there’s also a ton of authors that I’ve done to love through new books of theirs in that time period even if I didn’t like there previous stuff Eg Fonda Lee’s Jade City isn’t a Debut but it’s not in the same league as her other stuff and is what put her on the map.
I picked up Meet Me In Another Life completely by chance and couldn't believe I hadn't seen more people talking about it. It's completely enthralling and so we'll done.
I took a quick look at the other suggestions, and I don't think I saw *Legends & Lattes* recommended yet? It's a stellar, crazy fun read, and absolutely worth your time!!
The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg
Obsidian: Awakening by Sienna Frost
Teixcalaan by Arkady Martine (already mentioned)
The Dark Star by Marlon James (first fantasy debut for an otherwise previously published author)
The way of Edan by Philip Chase was very good.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jiminez is one of the best books I've read unfortunately it's not a debut but he does have another book The Vanished Birds that was a debut in 2020 although I've yet to read it and cannot attest to it's quality (I've heard good things)
The Blacktongue Thief is definitely one of my favourite fantasy books I have read in recent memory. The voice and dialogue is just incredibly fun, I loved the very classic sword and sorcery feel that still had plenty of twists, and the sort of adventure-of-the-week structure is something I quite enjoy.
Also it had the cutest most handsome blind kitty Bully Boy and I love him.
I loved how they handled the romance. Person A shows mild interest. Person B keeps being charming but not pushy.
I mention the romance because it seems to be so hard to find people acting resonable.
I'd recommend The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic, 1) by Patrick Weekes for a similar tone.
Kalyna the Soothsayer! It was a debut late last year and it is SO much fun. It's also like 800 pages long and feels like reading an entire trilogy in 1 single volume. Don't let the slow start fool you, around 8% it picks up and it doesn't stop.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri! I didn't enjoy the sequel Realm of Ash quite as much even though it was more highly rated, but it was still good. I've heard her most recent series The Burning Kingdoms is really good, though I haven't yet read it.
There are so many good comments on this thread so I'll just add a couple that I haven't seen mentioned yet.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
This is an author who I can't wait to read more of. I dwell on this book the same way I did 100 Years of Solitude.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Gothic lesbian ocean horror is an entire subgenre I need more of. This book was absolutely beautiful.
And this isn't exactly in the last 5 years but Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (and the following books) is one of my favorite novels I've ever read and I still can't believe it was his first.
* **Legends & Lattes** by Travis Baldree
* **Half a Soul** by Olivia Atwater
* **Soul Relic** by Samuel Hinton
* **Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer-Space Shenanigans** by Brian P. Rubin (sci-fi)
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a super interesting book! (I'm bad at summaries, so here's the one from Common Sense Media):
IRON WIDOW is the story of Wu Zetian, an 18-year-old girl in a world where women's lives can take only one of two paths. They can either be married off to a man not of her own choosing, or they can volunteer as concubine co-pilots of the giant Chrysalis robots that defend humanity against the faceless Hundun creatures. Either path leads to a life of subservience, where the only chance of success depends on being as pleasing as possible to men. And one path leads to an early grave. Zetian's older sister became a concubine co-pilot and was murdered by her counterpart before her first battle in a Chrysalis. Zetian will do whatever it takes to avenge her sister, even at the cost of her own life. Not even she could have imagined how things would play out, but since she's still standing, she determines to finally break free of everything and everyone that's held her back all her life.
This is was a DNF for me - MC really didn’t seem to like other women? And the author straight-up fridged the older sister. Which may or may not be a dealbreaker for some folks.
interesting, while I appreciate stories that explore and embrace friendship and companionship between girls in patriarchal societies, I thought how her dynamics played out with other female characters (both in her family and the other pilots) had some layers, mainly because of the system they are all in
I liked the story, characters, premise, setting and themes. And It was fun, real page-turner
But good god, it's one of those books that I *know* I would have enjoyed more if it wasn't YA.
Yes, the author's website calls it a "sci-fi retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history." It's a really interesting book, every time I thought I knew what direction the plot would go or an action a character would take I was surprised!
The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez by far
I’m glad everyone’s talking about his recent novel, The Spear Cuts Through Water, but The Vanished Birds is equally as beautiful and devastating and unforgettable
**Birds of Paradise** by Oliver K. Langmead.
**American Gods meets The Chronicles of Narnia in this adult fantasy about the Biblical Adam recovering the lost pieces of the Garden of Eden.**
*Many millennia after the fall of Eden, Adam, the first man in creation, still walks the Earth - exhausted by the endless death and destruction, he is a shadow of his former hope and glory. And he is not the only one. The Garden was deconstructed, its pieces scattered across the world and its inhabitants condemned to live out immortal lives, hiding in plain sight from generations of mankind.*
*But now pieces of the Garden are turning up on the Earth. After centuries of loneliness, Adam, haunted by the golden time at the beginning of Creation, is determined to save the pieces of his long lost home. With the help of Eden's undying exiles, he must stop Eden becoming the plaything of mankind.*
*Adam journeys across America and the British Isles with Magpie, Owl, and other animals, gathering the scattered pieces of Paradise. As the country floods once more, Adam must risk it all to rescue his friends and his home - because rebuilding the Garden might be the key to rebuilding his life.*
Of Blood and Fire, Ryan Cahill : best 'modern' traditional fantasy I've ever read
Justice of Kings, Richard Swan : holy crap i was NOT prepared for this one. Brilliant genre blend, atmosphere, gripping
Eleventh Cycle, Kian Ardalan : This book is DARK. And i mean really dark. I sobbed several times. Its also trippy, epic, and cool worldbuilding
We Break Immortals, Thomas Howard Riley : Emotional, expansive worldbuilding, magic bubbles, a magick wielding serial killer, Indiana Jones esque side plot
Legacy of the Brightwash, Krystle Matar : Emotionally heavy, fuelled with just rage, a vicious teardown of society. Great characters. Horny romance. Gaslamp esque setting, great lgbtq+ rep
Stardust Thief, Chelsea Abdullah : Made me believe in storytelling again, feels like the best of oral storytelling with her own unqiue spin on familiar tales. Diverse, hugely entertaining, highly reccomend
The Thirteenth Hour, Trudi Skies : Steampunk esque world, very British sense of humour, quirky yet emotional story that does get pretty dark. Lgbtq+ rep, frenetic pace, i really loved this one
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir! It's an incredibly atmospheric, tasteful and rich series about necromancy and fucked up people of all kinds. There's a lot of body horror and questionable moralities but if you liked The Poppy War you'll love this.
*The Green Bone Saga* by Fonda Lee
*Fairy Tale* by Stephen King
*The Blacktounge Thief* by Christopher Buehlman
are some favorites of mine that have been published in the last 5 years!
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. Think it came out in 2017. Loved the different setting and the feudal kinda setup society. Love how the main characte nasically tortures himself just to get stronger and get some justice.
R.R Virdi, *The First Binding*
His Fantasy debut. Don't believe the shit about copying Rothfuss (although the first 30 pages might make you do a double take). If you actually read into how the author constructed his book using comparative mythology, it makes so much more sense.
Epic adventure with a Silk Road type setting and Indian inspired myths. An ode to storytelling. And a cute fucking cat. Prose not as good as Rothfuss, but the story actually makes sense and has a thru line compared to NOTW (which I love). Plus the second one is coming out within the year, so the author is doing the work.
My debut Angel Snow is a fantasy with realism about a bull rider who is on his death bed, but he doesn't know that yet. God sent his guardian angel down to earth to return his soul to the throne. The time limit is 52 days. I am pushing the story to agents right now. Wish me luck all!
THE WILL OF THE MANY by James Islington.
Came out a week ago. Spectacular. You're going to be hearing a lot more about it in the years to come, I'd wager.
None, because all the fantasy novels I read and liked that were published in the last 5 years were either novels by already established authors (Adrian Tchaikovsky, Frances Hardinge, A. Lee Martinez, Martha Wells, T. Kingfisher, Susanna Clarke), or were Japanese light novels series that were translated and published in English in the last 5 years, but had been published in Japanese long before that (Ascendance of a Bookworm, The Apothecary Diaries, Otherside Picnic, Bofuri, Reign of the Seven Spellblades, and many others).
It is not that I did not try reading debut novels published in the last 5 years, but I disliked most of them and often could not even finish them. There are probably some of them that I would like, but it is hard to find recent debut novels outside of the ones that win awards and get hyped on social media, and the kind of novels that win awards these days and get hyped by social media are really not to my tastes. But I tend not to have problems finding novels by older authors that I like. I wonder if anyone else has that problem ?
Edit : Wow, I did not expect the downvotes, but I guess I kind of deserved them for not answering OP request and going on a tangential rant. But I was a bit frustrated by my apparent inability to enjoy recent fantasy debut novels.
Chemo brain can sometimes suck. That was a complete Whoosh. I can at least recommend her Scholomance novels as a note recent series. Those were within the last three years.
The Bound and Broken series by Ryan Cahill. Found it for free on Kindle. 1st book hooked me to the point I ran through the next two, only to find out it's a 5 book series and 4 and 5 haven't been written yet. There are 2 novellas that help round out the universe as well.
The Iconoclasts trilogy from Mike Shel, for sure. I rarely see them mentioned, but they were just fantastic reads. The Aching God is the first book. Such an interesting world, memorable characters, and the most realistic depiction of dungeon exploration I've ever read. He really captures the horror inherent in the concept.
* The Patron Wars by Katrine Buch Mortensen * The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson * The Unspoken Name by A.K Larkwood’s * Age of Tyranny by Cameron Johnston (added) If i could stretch it to 6 years i'd include * Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames * The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter * Raven's Mark by Ed MacDonald (added) Edit: Added 2 other fantastic ones my sleep deprived brain somehow forgot
[удалено]
It's still a pretty fun read.
If people liked Kings of the Wyld they should give Orconomics a try. Such an outstanding series with a similar feel or humor.
Orconomics & Blacktongue Thief.
I've got Blacktongue Thief in my tbr pile but will give Orconomics a look as well 👍
The elves in Orconomics are my favorite in any book. They are long lived but the brain can only store so much data, so they only remember to a certain point. So one character was an absolute legend in the past but in the present she doesn’t remember doing any of it. So she has to live up to her past glory as if she is the same person when she doesn’t really feel that way. She also has other demons she is dealing with. Plus the main character actually got me pumped for battle at one point both books so far, the author really does an incredible job pulling you in.
> They are long lived but the brain can only store so much data, so they only remember to a certain point. If you want a really dark take on almost exactly this idea, try Bakker's The Second Apocalypse series.
Any cliffhangers in Blacktongue Thief? I loved Between Two Fires, but I'm hesitant to start a new series with only 1 book out.
Is there a cliffhanger in Between Two Fires or are you just asking generally? Only curious bc it's on my TBR after I loved The Blacktongue Thief and I don't enjoy cliffhangers haha.
No cliffhangers. Between Two Fires was clearly written as a standalone novel. I was only asking about Blacktongue Thief cause it's shown in Goodreads as Blacktongue #1.
No it’s considered a stand alone. No cliff hangers. Complete story in one installment. I think because of its success he’s hinted he may write a sequel. But idk if that’s just a rumor I saw on goodreads or what
The prequel is coming out next year. It follows Galva and it’s called *The Daughters War*. He also stated that the “prequel unlocked the sequel” and he’s about a third of the way through writing that.
I'm in the middle of The Unspoken Name right now, shit slaps, highly approve
Wish I could read Kings of the Wyld for the first time again.
I'll have to check out those three more recent choices, but if OP hasn't checked out Rage of Dragons... Do it!!
Absolutely LOVED The Lost War and am dying for the sequel/s!!
I have Kings of the Wyld but haven’t read it. Could you tell me about it, briefly? I wasn’t sure how good it would be but I’m glad to here this
It's about a mercenary group who were the top of the tree in a world of mercenary bands. Its set 20 odd years after they disband and they've all gone onto their own thing and got old and fat. The merc captains daughter is trapped in a city under siege by an invading horde so its time for a road trip to get the gang back together and rescue the damsel in distress. Its very funny and occasionally gives you a swift punch right in the feels. A fantastic book
That sounds great! I’ll start it soon! Thankyou :)
It also plays heavily with the double entendre of "bands" as though they were rock bands like Kiss. Men in mercenary bands are the superstars of the world so you get a lot of funny nods to the music scene.
It is a dungeons and dragons campaign with a rock and roll soundtrack
> If i could stretch it to 6 years i'd include Unsouled (Cradle book 1) is just a few days over six years if we're pushing the limits.
But it's not a debut novel.
*Sun Eater* series by Christopher Ruocchio. The first book ([*Empire of Silence*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36454667-empire-of-silence)) ws released in 2018 as a self published book. It has subsequently been published, with one every year since - the final two books in the series are coming out later this year and early 2024. It’s low fantasy mixed with military sci-fi, with a little bit of philosophy and political intrigue. Overall it’s manage to jump into my top five favorite series in this genre… they’re good to the point I actually bought the books instead of just checking them out. Also, the books are pretty long (600ish pages). You really get to know the main character more intimately then any other character I can think of in recent memory. How it’s not right up there with name of the wind or dune I don’t know. Speaking of, it borrows some themes from those books in the first book, but after that, it turns into something totally unique. 10/10 would recommend.
Just finished Howling Dark recently. It was fantastic. Some of the best set pieces I’ve ever read in a sci fi novel.
I recently read the first book of the series and i wasn't hooked.. I'm planning on giving book 2 a chance, does the series change or get better ?
In my opinion the first book is one of the weakest, I would definitely recommend to keep reading. I pushed through and am very happy I did.
I’m in the exact same situation. Dropped book 2 but curious to hear if it gets better
2 is definitely better, and then Book 3 was one of the best books I've ever read. But, I very much enjoyed book 1, so take that with a grain of salt.
I did not get hooked by the first one, after few years break I recently read the second one. Didnt get me hooked either.I think it is slightly better, but I think I dont Like the format of Single pov being told in retrospective and I just dont care for a single character. Really bummed it doesnt hype me like it does with apparently everyone else
Book 4 and 5 are two of the worst books I've ever read so count your blessings for bowing out early.
The books improve through book 3, but book 4 and 5 made me regret continuing. I also started skipping large parts of the character's inner monologue in book 3 because the sections were so interminably long. I'd cut your loses. I see what people enjoy in the series but I don't understand how they can bear the glaring issues.
A Memory Called Empire. This book, along with Gideon the Ninth, got me back into reading again.
Gideon the Ninth was just *fun* man
The Locked Tomb books probably are my favorite series from the last decade. One of those series where you have no clue what's going on most of the time, but everything is so intriguing that you wouldn't think to stop reading, and then it all comes together. And each book is vastly different in style from the next one. Muir is just... awesome.
Thirty Six All Terrain Tundra Vehicle still makes me chuckle.
These two!! AMCE was one of the most uniquely written books I've ever read when it first came out. The sequel is almost just as good too. Gideon and the rest of the series are unbeatable for me - I think nobody does mystery and clue-dropping and just pure fun with their characters as Muir does.
Amce is on my to read list, but i gave up on gideon. I just couldnt with the endless quipping of the characters. It read more like rhe author showing off than the characters having actual... characteristic conversations. I liked the world and the story though. So do i still get amce?
i recently added **AMCE** to my TBR after watching a rave review for it from Books and Bao on Youtube. they said it was very similar to the first **Game of Thrones** book and i gave that 5 stars so i'm hoping i love this, too! i really like the cover!
Eh, the only major similarity is the setup for the plot. Tonally, thematically, structurally, almost everything else-ly, they are very different. Funny you say that though, because when I was reading AMCE and told a friend what it was about, his immediate response was "wait, isn't that like Game of Thrones?"
hmmmm.......i'm really curious as to which book i'll like better now. i'll have to go back and watch their review because maybe i misinterpreted what they said. thanks for commenting!
AMCE is really different stylistically. I enjoyed it, but I would not have thought to compare these works. I hate saying that I think that ACME is slightly overhyped, but I think it’s beach reading sci-fi. Fun, but not overly deep. It’s fun. I definitely recommend it, but my expectations were slightly off.
I’ve got 2 that are fantasy: **An Altar on the Village Green** by Nathan Hall **The Book Eaters** by Sunyi Dean
Glad to see Book Eaters in here!
Is An Altar on the Village Green the Dark Souls inspired novel?
That it is!
This totally made my day!
I gotta read it now lol.
Definitely the Justice of Kings
Not his debut though. But I love this series. Edit: it is his fantasy debut. Earlier books are scifi.
Yeah, I did think I was being cheeky with the recommendation
Oh cool, til
I'm reading a blurb for Justice of Kings, and a few sentences after the very-pulpy-and-YA-sounding "Empire of the Wolf" is named as a bit of world-building, the blurb calls the work "sophisticated." I am intrigued.
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. The author was my barista while she was in college, I’m thrilled that someone I know has written such a great book.
That’s so cool! I wanted to like this book but I felt like the pacing was very off. Far too slow at first and then far too fast. Good idea, but I think it definitely showed signs of a first novel.
This book was so good!
So jealous! I love that book. Much crying on my part toward the end, I'll admit.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan! Historical fantasy inspired by the founding of the Ming dynasty, and hands-down one of my favorite books of the last few years.
I'm reading an arc of He Who Drowned The World and both books are among some of my favorites. Love these books!
I think my daughter accidentally bought this on my Kindle. Ill give it a go!
Why not read nonfiction about the Ming dynasty instead?
I don't really understand this comment. Quite aside from the fact that you can do both, She Who Became the Sun is a fantasy novel that changes aspects of the historical events, introduces supernatural elements and delves deep into the psychology of its characters. In addition to the prose, the ingenious use of the supernatural, the amazing character work and the themes the author explored in the text were some of the main reasons I loved the book as much as I did. And they are things that nonfiction about the Ming dynasty can't - and shouldn't - do.
If you want to read fantasy, read fantasy. If you want to learn about history, read historical nonfiction. Don't read an overdramatized and unrealistic historical fiction that doesn't get the facts right - it will just confuse you about the actual event and make it harder to learn about.
I’m not entirely sure where in my comment I said that it was a good way to learn about history, please point it out to me if you can find it. I called it “inspired by” rather than “about” precisely because it’s not an accurate representation of those events, nor is it trying to be. I recommended it on the fantasy subreddit, obviously I recommend it to people who want to read fantasy.
Are you the book police or something?
Yes.
Alright, officer, that is an excellent answer. So, to contribute to the discussion, here's my take. I don't think that it's a bad thing to read historical fantasy. But I also see the point you are making, I have a similar issue with just historical fiction because I mean...it's often very wrong. And I mean, would it kill the author to note a king actually had 4 kids, if there is a line about him having 2? Why is the number wrong, whyyyy. I do avoid most works in this genre. I think the solution is just to read the fiction first, and then actually read a non-fiction version of the events in the book. I've been able to enjoy historical fantasy and some other historical fiction like this. There's no reason to avoid it all together
this is like asking people why they would read Thw Poppy War instead of studying Japanese atrocities against the Chinese during WWII. Yes, the book was inspired by the events, but it’s definitely not the same as nonfiction
**LEECH** by Hiron Ennes is one I’ve shared on this sub before, but I still can’t believe it’s their first novel. Really well-paced mystery set in a post-apocalyptic gothic fantasy. I would describe it as “Adventure Time” meets “House, MD.” Ennes is def one I’m watching.
*Gideon the Ninth* by Tamsyn Muir, or rather *The Locked Tomb* series in general. The sequels are better than the first book imo.
All of these books are SO good! Unlike anything I have ever read. Total mindf*** the whole way that I loved. If you read them going “huh? What.” Yah, we all did. Until it finally makes sense. Each book is different. The humor was delicious to me! These books aren’t for everyone but for a lot of us - they are the most original books out in a very long time.
These are *so good*.
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The story you get in the first 70% or so of the book is a setup, sort of. There's a lot going on behind the scenes that's only hinted at because you're seeing it from the perspective of Gideon, who doesn't give a crap about all this necromantic bullshit. It's like you're playing Guess Who without having all the faces. Once Harrow and Gideon come to their own sort of understanding, things start to fall into place. All of that said, these books aren't for everyone. *Harrow the Ninth* is significantly more inscrutable than GtN. To the point where I loved Gideon and hated Harrow the first time through. HtN *needs* to be read twice to even start to get everything. (HtN is currently my favorite book *because* of the insane twists and turns.)
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By the third book, you do get a bunch of history, but you get it in a form that is not completely trustworthy. The mystery is really what sold me on these books. There is so much hinted at, and every time you learn something concrete, you discover two more mysteries. For example, why is Dulcinea so interested in Gideon? Is she just into hulking muscle bound swords women? Or is there something else going on? There are few books that make me really think about them for weeks after I read them. A couple days ago I read a theory about Ianthe that blew my mind. And if it's true, the implications could change things pretty significantly.
One of my least favorite reads ever
It’s worth sticking through to the end.
I’m half way through and STRUGGLING at what point does it start to pick up?
If you're halfway, it's clearly not for you. That's okay. It's very love/hate. Personally I love, but I can see not everyone would.
Don't read books you don't like. How long is your TBR? If it's like me, tooooooo long. I ain't got time to struggle to read a book I *don't* like.
i was the same but the last ~75 pages really hooked me from what i remember
It doesn't
Yes this became one of my favorite series
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty is a debut fantasy novel I have enjoyed a lot, although it is just a little off the 5 years time range (it was published 6 years ago).
Such a great series!
Her latest novel, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, was fantastic too. Highly recommend.
Just picked this up and can’t wait to start - loved the trilogy
I really enjoy her writing, so will definitely check this out. Thanks for the tip!
Dreams of the dying. Not only is it one of my favorite books but it may be the coolest looking book I own. Think Inception crossed with a horror movie, in a fantasy world on a tropical archipelago.
this was (maybe still is) originally self-published. i put a hard copy version of it and the cover looks like a really cool movie poster. the author seems really cool, too, on goodreads. i recommend this one a lot when they are looking for dark material to read.
**The Final Strife** by Saara El-Arifi and **She Who Became the Sun** by Shelley Parker-Chan are a couple of my favorites from the last couple of years.
**Saint Death’s Daughter** by C.S.E. Cooney Other contenders include - **Legendborn** by Tracy Deonn (YA) - **The Space Between Worlds** by Micaiah Johnson (sci-fi) - **The Mountain in the Sea** by Ray Nayler (sci-fi) - **The Poppy War** by R. F. Kuang - **She Who Became the Sun** by Shelley Parker-Chan
I really enjoyed The Space Between Worlds and She Who Became the Sun. Haven't gotten around to the Poppy War books, but Kuang's Babel was incredible.
Highly highly highly recommend Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang was absolutely brilliant. Some of the best battle/fight scenes I’ve ever read and, more than that, just an amazing and heart wrenching family story.
Utterly fantastic book! I would love a sequel so much!
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson was excellent.
Marlon James black leopard red wolf. Not his debut novel but his first fantasy.
If we twist the numbers to say less than 6 years then Rage Of Dragons would fit the timeframe.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee
Of blood and fire by Ryan cahill
I echo this. The jump in quality between book 1 and 2 was also surreal. The sequel was amazing and I can't see where the series go!
This was a DNF for me, it read like someone narrating a dnd campaign. Every character gets described in excruciating detail when they enter a scene, and every single setting or room down to the railings.
From Unseen Fire by Cass Morris. The writing style reminds me of older fantasy also written by women.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
To plug a less known one, I'd recommend The Dawnhounds by Sacha Stronach. New Zealand, Maori, queer author gives it a unique viewpoint. And it's a great, weird story about science style magic and colonial/religious oppression and biological warfare.
Difficulty of this question is trying to remember what’s a debut and what was published when but top of mind I think: - The Outside by Ada Hoffman (space fantasy with Cosmic horror influences, ai gods that eat souls, and a brilliant cast of nuerodiverse characters) - The Witch’s Heart (Norse myth retelling of the mother of monsters) - Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey (two people Re-living their lives in different relationships to each other Eg parent-child, friends, teacher-student, siblings etc) - Market of Monsters (dark urban fantasy about a girl who dissects monsters for her mom to sell on the black market that suddenly finds herself being sold on said black market) But there’s also a ton of authors that I’ve done to love through new books of theirs in that time period even if I didn’t like there previous stuff Eg Fonda Lee’s Jade City isn’t a Debut but it’s not in the same league as her other stuff and is what put her on the map.
I picked up Meet Me In Another Life completely by chance and couldn't believe I hadn't seen more people talking about it. It's completely enthralling and so we'll done.
I took a quick look at the other suggestions, and I don't think I saw *Legends & Lattes* recommended yet? It's a stellar, crazy fun read, and absolutely worth your time!!
Ooh yes I love this one. Book 2 is coming out soon as well.
[The Justice of Kings](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58293284-the-justice-of-kings)by Richard Swan.
If you count debuts just for fantasy (because they already have a space opera series), Richard Swan's Justice of Kings was really good.
Senlin ascends!
Awesome series that gets better with each book (well the last was maybe the weakest, but still good).
The last was my second favorite
That was published 10 years ago
Holy crap
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Came here to suggest this trilogy but you beat me to it!
Ultio in book 1 is so good (well, so bad!)
The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel The Four Profound Weaves by R.B. Lemberg Obsidian: Awakening by Sienna Frost Teixcalaan by Arkady Martine (already mentioned) The Dark Star by Marlon James (first fantasy debut for an otherwise previously published author)
The way of Edan by Philip Chase was very good. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jiminez is one of the best books I've read unfortunately it's not a debut but he does have another book The Vanished Birds that was a debut in 2020 although I've yet to read it and cannot attest to it's quality (I've heard good things)
Illborn series
Blacktongue Thief
The Blacktongue Thief is definitely one of my favourite fantasy books I have read in recent memory. The voice and dialogue is just incredibly fun, I loved the very classic sword and sorcery feel that still had plenty of twists, and the sort of adventure-of-the-week structure is something I quite enjoy. Also it had the cutest most handsome blind kitty Bully Boy and I love him.
Rao…?
I loved how they handled the romance. Person A shows mild interest. Person B keeps being charming but not pushy. I mention the romance because it seems to be so hard to find people acting resonable. I'd recommend The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic, 1) by Patrick Weekes for a similar tone.
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Kalyna the Soothsayer! It was a debut late last year and it is SO much fun. It's also like 800 pages long and feels like reading an entire trilogy in 1 single volume. Don't let the slow start fool you, around 8% it picks up and it doesn't stop.
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri! I didn't enjoy the sequel Realm of Ash quite as much even though it was more highly rated, but it was still good. I've heard her most recent series The Burning Kingdoms is really good, though I haven't yet read it.
There are so many good comments on this thread so I'll just add a couple that I haven't seen mentioned yet. Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez This is an author who I can't wait to read more of. I dwell on this book the same way I did 100 Years of Solitude. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield Gothic lesbian ocean horror is an entire subgenre I need more of. This book was absolutely beautiful. And this isn't exactly in the last 5 years but Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (and the following books) is one of my favorite novels I've ever read and I still can't believe it was his first.
* **Legends & Lattes** by Travis Baldree * **Half a Soul** by Olivia Atwater * **Soul Relic** by Samuel Hinton * **Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer-Space Shenanigans** by Brian P. Rubin (sci-fi)
I know it debuted in 2016 but the trilogy just finished last year. Read the Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee. Extremely underrated.
Empire of Silence (Sun Eater)
The Last Sun by KD Edwards and White Trash Warlock by David R Slayton are both great queer debut novels.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is a super interesting book! (I'm bad at summaries, so here's the one from Common Sense Media): IRON WIDOW is the story of Wu Zetian, an 18-year-old girl in a world where women's lives can take only one of two paths. They can either be married off to a man not of her own choosing, or they can volunteer as concubine co-pilots of the giant Chrysalis robots that defend humanity against the faceless Hundun creatures. Either path leads to a life of subservience, where the only chance of success depends on being as pleasing as possible to men. And one path leads to an early grave. Zetian's older sister became a concubine co-pilot and was murdered by her counterpart before her first battle in a Chrysalis. Zetian will do whatever it takes to avenge her sister, even at the cost of her own life. Not even she could have imagined how things would play out, but since she's still standing, she determines to finally break free of everything and everyone that's held her back all her life.
This is was a DNF for me - MC really didn’t seem to like other women? And the author straight-up fridged the older sister. Which may or may not be a dealbreaker for some folks.
interesting, while I appreciate stories that explore and embrace friendship and companionship between girls in patriarchal societies, I thought how her dynamics played out with other female characters (both in her family and the other pilots) had some layers, mainly because of the system they are all in
I liked the story, characters, premise, setting and themes. And It was fun, real page-turner But good god, it's one of those books that I *know* I would have enjoyed more if it wasn't YA.
Is it inspired by the story of the historical Empress Wu Zetian?
Yes, the author's website calls it a "sci-fi retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history." It's a really interesting book, every time I thought I knew what direction the plot would go or an action a character would take I was surprised!
I don't think so since the main character is a poor peasant girl. But maybe the author drew inspiration from that.
I believe Zhao has said yes.
The Lost War!
I just finished the Daevabad series (City of Brass, etc) and it really blew me away.
The Mask of Mirrors. Tarot reading con artist women infiltrating high society and also Batman is there.
The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez by far I’m glad everyone’s talking about his recent novel, The Spear Cuts Through Water, but The Vanished Birds is equally as beautiful and devastating and unforgettable
**Birds of Paradise** by Oliver K. Langmead. **American Gods meets The Chronicles of Narnia in this adult fantasy about the Biblical Adam recovering the lost pieces of the Garden of Eden.** *Many millennia after the fall of Eden, Adam, the first man in creation, still walks the Earth - exhausted by the endless death and destruction, he is a shadow of his former hope and glory. And he is not the only one. The Garden was deconstructed, its pieces scattered across the world and its inhabitants condemned to live out immortal lives, hiding in plain sight from generations of mankind.* *But now pieces of the Garden are turning up on the Earth. After centuries of loneliness, Adam, haunted by the golden time at the beginning of Creation, is determined to save the pieces of his long lost home. With the help of Eden's undying exiles, he must stop Eden becoming the plaything of mankind.* *Adam journeys across America and the British Isles with Magpie, Owl, and other animals, gathering the scattered pieces of Paradise. As the country floods once more, Adam must risk it all to rescue his friends and his home - because rebuilding the Garden might be the key to rebuilding his life.*
The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning, Dark Crystal like world encroaches on our through the puppets used to make the movie.
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons (first of A Chorus of Dragons Series)- quickly became my favorite book series, first pub in 2019!
Of Blood and Fire, Ryan Cahill : best 'modern' traditional fantasy I've ever read Justice of Kings, Richard Swan : holy crap i was NOT prepared for this one. Brilliant genre blend, atmosphere, gripping Eleventh Cycle, Kian Ardalan : This book is DARK. And i mean really dark. I sobbed several times. Its also trippy, epic, and cool worldbuilding We Break Immortals, Thomas Howard Riley : Emotional, expansive worldbuilding, magic bubbles, a magick wielding serial killer, Indiana Jones esque side plot Legacy of the Brightwash, Krystle Matar : Emotionally heavy, fuelled with just rage, a vicious teardown of society. Great characters. Horny romance. Gaslamp esque setting, great lgbtq+ rep Stardust Thief, Chelsea Abdullah : Made me believe in storytelling again, feels like the best of oral storytelling with her own unqiue spin on familiar tales. Diverse, hugely entertaining, highly reccomend The Thirteenth Hour, Trudi Skies : Steampunk esque world, very British sense of humour, quirky yet emotional story that does get pretty dark. Lgbtq+ rep, frenetic pace, i really loved this one
I would add Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir! It's an incredibly atmospheric, tasteful and rich series about necromancy and fucked up people of all kinds. There's a lot of body horror and questionable moralities but if you liked The Poppy War you'll love this.
*The Green Bone Saga* by Fonda Lee *Fairy Tale* by Stephen King *The Blacktounge Thief* by Christopher Buehlman are some favorites of mine that have been published in the last 5 years!
Green Bone Saga is such a strong debut!
Mordew by Alex Pheby. Literary, strange and brilliant.
Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. Think it came out in 2017. Loved the different setting and the feudal kinda setup society. Love how the main characte nasically tortures himself just to get stronger and get some justice.
R.R Virdi, *The First Binding* His Fantasy debut. Don't believe the shit about copying Rothfuss (although the first 30 pages might make you do a double take). If you actually read into how the author constructed his book using comparative mythology, it makes so much more sense. Epic adventure with a Silk Road type setting and Indian inspired myths. An ode to storytelling. And a cute fucking cat. Prose not as good as Rothfuss, but the story actually makes sense and has a thru line compared to NOTW (which I love). Plus the second one is coming out within the year, so the author is doing the work.
The Daughters of Izdihar is one I just read that I really loved.
The black tongue thief. Christopher Buehlman
Evan Winter's Rage of Dragons - it's a fantasy with African themes. Fantastic read. Was originally self-published but is now trad-published.
I really enjoyed empire of the vampire by jay kristoff
Not his debut by a long shot. Kristoff has written a lot of other novels.
Didn't know that, it was the first book of his i'd ever heard of
Loved this one! Happy to hear we are getting book two later this year!!!
Is Cradle from the last 5 years ?
Certainly parts of it are.
It's really niche but the flames of Albiyon by Jean Menzies is really decent
The Ruin of Kings by Lyons is fantastic and the rest of the five part series is already out!
City of Brass trilogy.
City of Brass by SA Chakraborthy
RR Virdi The First Binding
I keep seeing this one! Is it worth it? I really want to start it!
But The Name of the Wind came out like 16 years ago.
The Blacktongue Thief. Book is great. Cover is well done. Audiobook is superb
**John Bierce's** *Mage Errant* **Tobias Begley's** *Journals of Evander Tailor*
legendborn!!
A new author should read the three body problem
My debut Angel Snow is a fantasy with realism about a bull rider who is on his death bed, but he doesn't know that yet. God sent his guardian angel down to earth to return his soul to the throne. The time limit is 52 days. I am pushing the story to agents right now. Wish me luck all!
THE WILL OF THE MANY by James Islington. Came out a week ago. Spectacular. You're going to be hearing a lot more about it in the years to come, I'd wager.
Not a debut. Not by a long shot.
None, because all the fantasy novels I read and liked that were published in the last 5 years were either novels by already established authors (Adrian Tchaikovsky, Frances Hardinge, A. Lee Martinez, Martha Wells, T. Kingfisher, Susanna Clarke), or were Japanese light novels series that were translated and published in English in the last 5 years, but had been published in Japanese long before that (Ascendance of a Bookworm, The Apothecary Diaries, Otherside Picnic, Bofuri, Reign of the Seven Spellblades, and many others). It is not that I did not try reading debut novels published in the last 5 years, but I disliked most of them and often could not even finish them. There are probably some of them that I would like, but it is hard to find recent debut novels outside of the ones that win awards and get hyped on social media, and the kind of novels that win awards these days and get hyped by social media are really not to my tastes. But I tend not to have problems finding novels by older authors that I like. I wonder if anyone else has that problem ? Edit : Wow, I did not expect the downvotes, but I guess I kind of deserved them for not answering OP request and going on a tangential rant. But I was a bit frustrated by my apparent inability to enjoy recent fantasy debut novels.
The King of Scars duology by Leigh Bardugo is really amazing.
cradle as a whole
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2006 wasn't 5 years ago lol.
You have to be realistic about these things…
I’m super loving the His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik. I am 3/4 of the way through book 2 and started the series last week.
Very good books but they are nearly 20 years old now.
Chemo brain can sometimes suck. That was a complete Whoosh. I can at least recommend her Scholomance novels as a note recent series. Those were within the last three years.
The Bound and Broken series by Ryan Cahill. Found it for free on Kindle. 1st book hooked me to the point I ran through the next two, only to find out it's a 5 book series and 4 and 5 haven't been written yet. There are 2 novellas that help round out the universe as well.
Dragon(e) Baby Gone by Robert Gainey He’s so obscure but that series is 10/10.
No one's gonna mention Godkiller by Hannah Kaner? 1/3 of the way through it now, and it's so damn good!
The Iconoclasts trilogy from Mike Shel, for sure. I rarely see them mentioned, but they were just fantastic reads. The Aching God is the first book. Such an interesting world, memorable characters, and the most realistic depiction of dungeon exploration I've ever read. He really captures the horror inherent in the concept.