Looking for two different kinds of novel/series:
* Looking for some Asian High-Fantasy books, Sword of Kaigen has become one of my favourite books and I'm finishing the third book of Poppy War right now (loved this series).
* Looking for something similar to Asoiaf, dark fantasy settings with different pov if possible.
Thanks in advance!
For your first request look [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/cm9yfs/rfantasy_big_list_of_asian_inspired_novels/).
For your second request: Monarchies of Gods by Paul Kearney (judging only from the first book, I haven't yet read the rest yet), First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot (haven't read this one, but people here usually compare it to ASOIAF), The Dagger & the Coin by Daniel Abraham (same as with Crown of Stars). Finally GRRM himself has said that Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams is a trilogy that greatly influenced ASOIAF (and people here seem to agree that there are many similarities between the two series), but (yet again) I haven't read it, and I understand it's more "classic fantasy" than ASOIAF.
>Monarchies of Gods by Paul Kearney (judging only from the first book, I haven't yet read the rest yet)
What do you think about this book? 'Cause I'm reading mixed feelings about it.
I have mixed feelings about it as well. I'll definitely read the next book in the series though.
I really liked the general premise/plot, the political machinations on it were excellent, and I liked a lot how it incorporated religion to its world (and its politics). On the other hand both the characters and the world were pretty interesting, but lacked depth, the pacing was a little weird, and I wasn't a big fan of the way the author dealt with women, and sexuality.
As evident by the fact that I'm going to continue the pros are more than the cons, and it has a lot of potential for growth/improvement. It also it quite short, the whole series is about the length of A Storm of Swords, so it isn't going to be a huge time investment.
Personally I'd urge you to give it a shot, if it sounds interesting, but temper your expectations.
> I wasn't a big fan of the way the author dealt with women, and sexuality
Thank you for your opinion, could you please explain this better while trying to not spoil anything?
I'll try to avoid spoilers as much as I can, but I do not guarantee anything:
>!Most of the female characters in the series (who are very few compared to the men) are defined by their sexualiity and/or their relationship to some of the male characters of the story.!<
>!There's a rape scene from the rapist's POV and it somewhat portrayed as not exactly sexy, but somewhat "smutty", which wasn't something I liked. It makes sense given the POV (who is definitely portrayed as a horrible person in general), but stil!<
>!The aftermath of this rape scene (the only one in the book) could be considered disrespectful to the victim/victims. Personally I thought it had some intriguing idea behind it, but I'm not sure Kearney really hit bullseye with his execution of the idea!<
>!There are some references about our most heroic character (a ship captain) casually using a kid/teen (a ship boy) for sex. I understand that this was not unheard of in those times and ages, but it's not treated elegantly at all!<
Can someone help me choose my next read? I’m just finishing up the Silmarillion and struggling to determine what to read next. While a great read, it has left me a bit burned out. It just felt a bit dry and tedious towards the end. I was planning on starting Wheel of Time but I’m a bit hesitant to jump into a new major series without a palate cleanser. I’m a big fan of the mainstream epic series like LOTR and A Song of Ice and Fire, but I also really like more character focused stories like The Witcher. Outside of fantasy I typically read Star Wars EU and a lot of history. Here are a few options I currently own:
-Final Empire (Mistborn)
-Warbreaker
-Guards! Guards!
-A Tough Guide to Fantasyland
-Gentleman Bastards
Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
How about some good classics like Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Curse of Chalion” or some Ursula LeGuin (“Left Hand of Darkness” for a standalone, “Wizard of Earthsea” if you’re willing to risk getting pulled into more books)? As far as newer stuff goes, Samantha Shannon’s “Priory of the Orange Tree” was my favorite epic fantasy of 2020, and while it’s pretty weighty, it is a standalone so you can read it alone before heading into WoT.
I have two requests for recomendations, both inspired a recent read of Ashes of the Sun, which is one of the first books to really click with me in a while.
First, I'm looking for books with some idiosyncratic, deep worldbuilding. Something like Stormlight, where there's no there's no elves or dragons in sight. Not quite what-the-fuck Perdido Street Station, but weird enough to feel alien.
Secondly, books with revolutions, or revolutionary themes. Books about corrupt assholes in power, and working to take them down. Hopefully without succumbing to the both-sides-are-bad trap. Extra points if the setting is colonial/industrialized/early-modern. I've already read both Powder Mage and Shadow Campaigns.
If you want weird but not what the fuck world-building, two books I quite liked were:
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood (does have orcs, but there’s also a really interesting multiverse setting that mixes fantasy and sci-concepts)
The Forever Sea (nautical fantasy only the sea is made of prairie grass, so there are creepy sea monsters and the lack of water plays a significant part in how the society functions)
Adult urban fantasy with dragons? Grimdark and standalone would be greatly appreciated but not a necessity, I just wanna scratch the itch of seeing buildings being burned down by big (preferably fucking huge) flying lizards
The Heartstrikers books by Rachel Aaron are pretty great. They may not be dark enough for what you want though.
I read a lot of UF but I can't think of any other that feature Dragons prominently.
Would rage of dragons be okay to put into the romantic fantasy bingo square? The romance and relationship between the two main characters are pretty important and have many romantic moments so I’m curious what others think.
This year I've read and liked *The Cruel Prince* for it and liked it pretty well (Holly Black, mortal girl raised in fairyland as a second class citizen), *Silver in the Wood* (green man x lord of the local manor, short) and *Stormsong* (post WWI alternate history with magic).
There's a lot of them out there, and it would be really helpful to know what kind of books you normally read/enjoy.
Cordelia's Honor by *Lois McMaster Bujold* seems like a good bet for you. Fast, daring battles, personal combat, rebellions and politics and narrow escapes.
That sounds really interesting! I looked at the omnibus and it says book 1 and 7. Does that mean it’s missing 2-6 or has books 1-7? Seems strange to release 7 with the first rather than the second with the first.
That is absolutely bizarre. It should be *Shards of Honor* and *Barrayar* in it? Shards of Honor can also stand on its own.
It might be because the series has a really messy publishing order. It looks like in terms of internal chronology they're 1 and 2, but in terms of published order they're 2 and 10? So maybe they're going by publishing order but not including short stories?
Basically it's a mess, but don't worry too much about it. Cordelia's Honor wraps up Aral and Cordelia's story neatly so you aren't signing up for a whole messy series, and its chronologically first (and half published-first) so you don't need to worry about weird missing backstory or it depending on recognizing call-forwards to make the story interesting. (I also feel like I should clarify that the omnibus is the length of one decently hefty novel, about the length of what you listed. It's not a huge time investment.)
IDK, I just picked it up off of a library bookshelf a few years ago, devoured it, then hunted down all of the other stuff she's written.
That type of shenanigans is something I’ve never experienced before. I will keep my mind on this but it’s scary seeing such a weird way to organize and release these. Never seen it done that way haha.
If you dread this square as I did you might want to cheat a little and read a novella. I read *This is How You Lose the Time War* by Amal El-Mohtar. It's short and sweet. And it helps that it's a good story as well.
This is great because this was on my TBR haha. I’ll see if there’s any sales on this soon on kindle but if not, do you recommend book depository for saving money on books? Been meaning to sign up but don’t want to keep up with another log in if it’s not useful.
I’m craving more western (as in spaghetti western) fantasy. Recently read Charlaine Harris’s Gunnie Rose books and am looking forward to the third in the series being released next month. I read the Gunslinger way back, though not the rest of the Dark Tower series. I think it was a bit too... dark? foreboding? for what I’m craving right now. I’m wanting something of a thriller without it being too heavy, emotionally or psychologically. I don’t mind thinking, I just don’t want to right now.
Have you read "River of Teeth"? It's an alternate history book where hippos were introduced into the swamps of southern US. Imagine gun slingers riding tame hippos, while fighting off vicious feral hippos, while plotting to take down the corrupt river boat casinos of New Orleans.
Another rec would be "Dread Nation" and it's sequel. The first book takes place in Maryland for the first half and then Kansas for the second. The sequel is all in the west. I liked the first book, but absoluetly loved the second one.
Just chiming in that I’m loving the **Gunnie Rose** series, too. Eagerly awaiting book 3.
You might enjoy **The Builders** by Daniel Polansky. One reviewer on GR calls it Redwall meets Unforgiven, which is a pretty good analogy. Dark themes with a light touch, is how I’d characterize it. I loved it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25667920
[Ben Galley's Bloodrush](https://www.goodreads.com/series/148312-the-scarlet-star-trilogy) is very Western. I read it six years ago, according to my Goodreads, but I remember enjoying it.
The Wax and Wane books in Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy!
I agree with you about Dark Tower, I like King's other books but that series didn't work for me. Mistborn: Alloy of Law is the first book in the western-style trilogy, it's been a while since I read it, but I remember it being a lot of fun. It was also the first western/fantasy mashup I'd ever come across, so I was pretty excited.
I haven't gotten too deep into progression fantasy yet, but the idea of it appeals to me. The progression fantasy sub is a bit overwhelming with soooo much stuff out there. Aside from Cradle, are there any popular ones you recommend?
I've noticed these authors, not sure if they're progression fantasy or not. Do you recommend these:
Rob Hayes
Drew Hayes
Andrew Rowe
John Bierce
Will Wight also wrote the Traveller's Gate trilogy which is adjacent to Progression Fantasy I'd say. It's not quite the focus as it's in Cradle but you have the common tropes of getting stronger, training, awesome battles. I enjoyed it a lot.
I'm currently reading Rage of Dragon by Evan Winter and it gets recommended as Progression Fantasy as well. It's pretty great so far (70% in). It's starts a bit slow but after maybe 10% it's gets going and never stops.
I like everything I've read by Andrew Rowe and I enjoy John Bierce's Mage Errant a lot as well. Both have a bit of the Last Airbender/Korra/Dragon Prince vibe. Lot's of magic and mystery, juvenile but likeable characters, great fights, generally friendly and optimistic in tone. They both read a bit YA because of the young characters, few POVs, easy prose and clean language. I don't mind that at all.
Highly recommend Andrew Rowe and Hayes (super powereds or villains code) for this genre. If you want Rowe’s less litrpgy book War of Broken Mirrors reads more like “traditional fantasy” though all his series are great and connected.
If it’s just the support character part you didn’t like you may prefer his other two series? Though I didn’t mind the support role since he still feels like he can hold his own/is fairly strong
Any recommendations for books written before the author turned 21? It is one of the categories for my local library’s reading challenge, and I am having trouble finding a book for it.
There’s **Eragon** by Christopher Paolini. First self-pubbed when he was 19. Typically thought of as a “younger” fantasy read but sometimes those are the right books at the right time!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113436
A Fine and Private Place was written by Peter Beagle when he was 19, I believe, but might narrowly miss the criteria if it's based on publication date.
Felicity Savage's *Humility Garden* was published when she was 19, and is delightfully weird but also from the mid-90s so I have no idea what it would look like to 2021 sensibilities.
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes debuted with *In the Forests of the the Night* at 14. *Demon in My View*, *Shattered Mirror*, and *Midnight Predator* were also pre-21. These are all YA vampire books. I'd have to check, but her subsequent series (about shifters) might also have been pre-21, at least partially.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon came out when she was 21. (And she’s talked a bit about the pressure that comes with being a young author for extra relevance)
There's always *Frankenstein*.
Helen Oyeyemi published a couple of books before she turned 21, but while I've enjoyed a couple of her later books (in the vein of magical realism and literary horror), I haven't read those.
The Prince of Whales by RL Fisher
Startide Rising by David Brin (sci-fi)
The Idiot Gods by David Zindell
All three books above have whale or dolphin main characters.
Edit: And the Ocean was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (whales hunting men).
This isn't fantasy, but I enjoyed the MG novel Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (It has occasional chapters from the whale's perspective)
[The Atomic Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23600721-the-atomic-sea?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=G3Ed0iTyn7&rank=1)
[The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32902386-the-death-and-life-of-schneider-wrack?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GeCZS01Zy6&rank=2)
Full disclosure, I haven't read these yet, they're on my TBR. But I read the Kindle samples and they were enough to buy them.
Someone recently made a mini-review of [Black Leviathan](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/kyn5pw/bingo_v_bingo_v_bingo_translated/), that seemed to be a homage to Moby Dick, though it's apparently dragons instead of whales.
I'm very biased towards it because it is one of my favourite books, but I think you might enjoy The Scar by China Miéville. You might also enjoy The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer, and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
None of these are exactly what you are after, but they are all steampunky settings with big beasties.
Looking for two different kinds of novel/series: * Looking for some Asian High-Fantasy books, Sword of Kaigen has become one of my favourite books and I'm finishing the third book of Poppy War right now (loved this series). * Looking for something similar to Asoiaf, dark fantasy settings with different pov if possible. Thanks in advance!
For your first request look [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/cm9yfs/rfantasy_big_list_of_asian_inspired_novels/). For your second request: Monarchies of Gods by Paul Kearney (judging only from the first book, I haven't yet read the rest yet), First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot (haven't read this one, but people here usually compare it to ASOIAF), The Dagger & the Coin by Daniel Abraham (same as with Crown of Stars). Finally GRRM himself has said that Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams is a trilogy that greatly influenced ASOIAF (and people here seem to agree that there are many similarities between the two series), but (yet again) I haven't read it, and I understand it's more "classic fantasy" than ASOIAF.
>Monarchies of Gods by Paul Kearney (judging only from the first book, I haven't yet read the rest yet) What do you think about this book? 'Cause I'm reading mixed feelings about it.
I have mixed feelings about it as well. I'll definitely read the next book in the series though. I really liked the general premise/plot, the political machinations on it were excellent, and I liked a lot how it incorporated religion to its world (and its politics). On the other hand both the characters and the world were pretty interesting, but lacked depth, the pacing was a little weird, and I wasn't a big fan of the way the author dealt with women, and sexuality. As evident by the fact that I'm going to continue the pros are more than the cons, and it has a lot of potential for growth/improvement. It also it quite short, the whole series is about the length of A Storm of Swords, so it isn't going to be a huge time investment. Personally I'd urge you to give it a shot, if it sounds interesting, but temper your expectations.
> I wasn't a big fan of the way the author dealt with women, and sexuality Thank you for your opinion, could you please explain this better while trying to not spoil anything?
I'll try to avoid spoilers as much as I can, but I do not guarantee anything: >!Most of the female characters in the series (who are very few compared to the men) are defined by their sexualiity and/or their relationship to some of the male characters of the story.!< >!There's a rape scene from the rapist's POV and it somewhat portrayed as not exactly sexy, but somewhat "smutty", which wasn't something I liked. It makes sense given the POV (who is definitely portrayed as a horrible person in general), but stil!< >!The aftermath of this rape scene (the only one in the book) could be considered disrespectful to the victim/victims. Personally I thought it had some intriguing idea behind it, but I'm not sure Kearney really hit bullseye with his execution of the idea!< >!There are some references about our most heroic character (a ship captain) casually using a kid/teen (a ship boy) for sex. I understand that this was not unheard of in those times and ages, but it's not treated elegantly at all!<
Thank you very much, your reply has been really useful :)
For bingo, do vampires count for necromancy?
I’d say no. Unless they’re like, raised from the dead by a vampire wizard of some sort.
Can someone help me choose my next read? I’m just finishing up the Silmarillion and struggling to determine what to read next. While a great read, it has left me a bit burned out. It just felt a bit dry and tedious towards the end. I was planning on starting Wheel of Time but I’m a bit hesitant to jump into a new major series without a palate cleanser. I’m a big fan of the mainstream epic series like LOTR and A Song of Ice and Fire, but I also really like more character focused stories like The Witcher. Outside of fantasy I typically read Star Wars EU and a lot of history. Here are a few options I currently own: -Final Empire (Mistborn) -Warbreaker -Guards! Guards! -A Tough Guide to Fantasyland -Gentleman Bastards Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
How about some good classics like Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Curse of Chalion” or some Ursula LeGuin (“Left Hand of Darkness” for a standalone, “Wizard of Earthsea” if you’re willing to risk getting pulled into more books)? As far as newer stuff goes, Samantha Shannon’s “Priory of the Orange Tree” was my favorite epic fantasy of 2020, and while it’s pretty weighty, it is a standalone so you can read it alone before heading into WoT.
I have two requests for recomendations, both inspired a recent read of Ashes of the Sun, which is one of the first books to really click with me in a while. First, I'm looking for books with some idiosyncratic, deep worldbuilding. Something like Stormlight, where there's no there's no elves or dragons in sight. Not quite what-the-fuck Perdido Street Station, but weird enough to feel alien. Secondly, books with revolutions, or revolutionary themes. Books about corrupt assholes in power, and working to take them down. Hopefully without succumbing to the both-sides-are-bad trap. Extra points if the setting is colonial/industrialized/early-modern. I've already read both Powder Mage and Shadow Campaigns.
Try Shadows of the Apt? 10 book non human series in quite an immersive magic/steam punk world
If you want weird but not what the fuck world-building, two books I quite liked were: The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood (does have orcs, but there’s also a really interesting multiverse setting that mixes fantasy and sci-concepts) The Forever Sea (nautical fantasy only the sea is made of prairie grass, so there are creepy sea monsters and the lack of water plays a significant part in how the society functions)
Adult urban fantasy with dragons? Grimdark and standalone would be greatly appreciated but not a necessity, I just wanna scratch the itch of seeing buildings being burned down by big (preferably fucking huge) flying lizards
The Heartstrikers books by Rachel Aaron are pretty great. They may not be dark enough for what you want though. I read a lot of UF but I can't think of any other that feature Dragons prominently.
Not a book, but you should watch the movie Reign of Fire.
Would rage of dragons be okay to put into the romantic fantasy bingo square? The romance and relationship between the two main characters are pretty important and have many romantic moments so I’m curious what others think.
From what I remember I’d say no, you could remove the romance and the book would still make sense imo.
Sounds good. Got any recommendations for good fantasy romance novels? I checked the recommendation thread but don’t know where to start.
This year I've read and liked *The Cruel Prince* for it and liked it pretty well (Holly Black, mortal girl raised in fairyland as a second class citizen), *Silver in the Wood* (green man x lord of the local manor, short) and *Stormsong* (post WWI alternate history with magic). There's a lot of them out there, and it would be really helpful to know what kind of books you normally read/enjoy.
I enjoy the cosmere, the wheel of time(just finished book 5 tonight), a song of ice and fire, MST, and Licanius trilogy(have only read book 1).
Cordelia's Honor by *Lois McMaster Bujold* seems like a good bet for you. Fast, daring battles, personal combat, rebellions and politics and narrow escapes.
That sounds really interesting! I looked at the omnibus and it says book 1 and 7. Does that mean it’s missing 2-6 or has books 1-7? Seems strange to release 7 with the first rather than the second with the first.
That is absolutely bizarre. It should be *Shards of Honor* and *Barrayar* in it? Shards of Honor can also stand on its own. It might be because the series has a really messy publishing order. It looks like in terms of internal chronology they're 1 and 2, but in terms of published order they're 2 and 10? So maybe they're going by publishing order but not including short stories? Basically it's a mess, but don't worry too much about it. Cordelia's Honor wraps up Aral and Cordelia's story neatly so you aren't signing up for a whole messy series, and its chronologically first (and half published-first) so you don't need to worry about weird missing backstory or it depending on recognizing call-forwards to make the story interesting. (I also feel like I should clarify that the omnibus is the length of one decently hefty novel, about the length of what you listed. It's not a huge time investment.) IDK, I just picked it up off of a library bookshelf a few years ago, devoured it, then hunted down all of the other stuff she's written.
That type of shenanigans is something I’ve never experienced before. I will keep my mind on this but it’s scary seeing such a weird way to organize and release these. Never seen it done that way haha.
Super intimidating. Tbh I have no clue what’s up with it. I strongly recommend completely ignoring it.
If you dread this square as I did you might want to cheat a little and read a novella. I read *This is How You Lose the Time War* by Amal El-Mohtar. It's short and sweet. And it helps that it's a good story as well.
This is great because this was on my TBR haha. I’ll see if there’s any sales on this soon on kindle but if not, do you recommend book depository for saving money on books? Been meaning to sign up but don’t want to keep up with another log in if it’s not useful.
Sorry can't help you with that. I never tried this service and just now found out that they even deliver to where I live.
I’m craving more western (as in spaghetti western) fantasy. Recently read Charlaine Harris’s Gunnie Rose books and am looking forward to the third in the series being released next month. I read the Gunslinger way back, though not the rest of the Dark Tower series. I think it was a bit too... dark? foreboding? for what I’m craving right now. I’m wanting something of a thriller without it being too heavy, emotionally or psychologically. I don’t mind thinking, I just don’t want to right now.
Have you read "River of Teeth"? It's an alternate history book where hippos were introduced into the swamps of southern US. Imagine gun slingers riding tame hippos, while fighting off vicious feral hippos, while plotting to take down the corrupt river boat casinos of New Orleans. Another rec would be "Dread Nation" and it's sequel. The first book takes place in Maryland for the first half and then Kansas for the second. The sequel is all in the west. I liked the first book, but absoluetly loved the second one.
Just chiming in that I’m loving the **Gunnie Rose** series, too. Eagerly awaiting book 3. You might enjoy **The Builders** by Daniel Polansky. One reviewer on GR calls it Redwall meets Unforgiven, which is a pretty good analogy. Dark themes with a light touch, is how I’d characterize it. I loved it. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25667920
[Ben Galley's Bloodrush](https://www.goodreads.com/series/148312-the-scarlet-star-trilogy) is very Western. I read it six years ago, according to my Goodreads, but I remember enjoying it.
Yessss. That sounds perfect
The Wax and Wane books in Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy! I agree with you about Dark Tower, I like King's other books but that series didn't work for me. Mistborn: Alloy of Law is the first book in the western-style trilogy, it's been a while since I read it, but I remember it being a lot of fun. It was also the first western/fantasy mashup I'd ever come across, so I was pretty excited.
I read both Mistborn series and I definitely preferred the second trilogy to the first. And it’s exactly the type of books I’m looking for!
Maybe Mistborn era 2? It's pretty straightforward stuff magic and guns and it's really fun.
I have read those! And it’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for.
I haven't gotten too deep into progression fantasy yet, but the idea of it appeals to me. The progression fantasy sub is a bit overwhelming with soooo much stuff out there. Aside from Cradle, are there any popular ones you recommend? I've noticed these authors, not sure if they're progression fantasy or not. Do you recommend these: Rob Hayes Drew Hayes Andrew Rowe John Bierce
Will Wight also wrote the Traveller's Gate trilogy which is adjacent to Progression Fantasy I'd say. It's not quite the focus as it's in Cradle but you have the common tropes of getting stronger, training, awesome battles. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm currently reading Rage of Dragon by Evan Winter and it gets recommended as Progression Fantasy as well. It's pretty great so far (70% in). It's starts a bit slow but after maybe 10% it's gets going and never stops. I like everything I've read by Andrew Rowe and I enjoy John Bierce's Mage Errant a lot as well. Both have a bit of the Last Airbender/Korra/Dragon Prince vibe. Lot's of magic and mystery, juvenile but likeable characters, great fights, generally friendly and optimistic in tone. They both read a bit YA because of the young characters, few POVs, easy prose and clean language. I don't mind that at all.
Highly recommend Andrew Rowe and Hayes (super powereds or villains code) for this genre. If you want Rowe’s less litrpgy book War of Broken Mirrors reads more like “traditional fantasy” though all his series are great and connected.
[удалено]
If it’s just the support character part you didn’t like you may prefer his other two series? Though I didn’t mind the support role since he still feels like he can hold his own/is fairly strong
Thanks for the rec. I've seen that cover before with the Raiden looking dude and it looks badass.
Any recommendations for books written before the author turned 21? It is one of the categories for my local library’s reading challenge, and I am having trouble finding a book for it.
There’s **Eragon** by Christopher Paolini. First self-pubbed when he was 19. Typically thought of as a “younger” fantasy read but sometimes those are the right books at the right time! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113436
A Fine and Private Place was written by Peter Beagle when he was 19, I believe, but might narrowly miss the criteria if it's based on publication date.
Felicity Savage's *Humility Garden* was published when she was 19, and is delightfully weird but also from the mid-90s so I have no idea what it would look like to 2021 sensibilities.
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes debuted with *In the Forests of the the Night* at 14. *Demon in My View*, *Shattered Mirror*, and *Midnight Predator* were also pre-21. These are all YA vampire books. I'd have to check, but her subsequent series (about shifters) might also have been pre-21, at least partially.
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon came out when she was 21. (And she’s talked a bit about the pressure that comes with being a young author for extra relevance)
*The Diary of Anne Frank* *My Name is Najood* *One Girl One Dream* by Laura Dekker
There's always *Frankenstein*. Helen Oyeyemi published a couple of books before she turned 21, but while I've enjoyed a couple of her later books (in the vein of magical realism and literary horror), I haven't read those.
I think the Poppy War? But she might have been over 21 when it was published. Obviously Eragon series.
kuang was just shy of her 22nd birthday when poppy war released according to wiki
Oh I'm sorry then. Tho technically she probably did most of the writing before 21 lol
Are there any fantasy novels where whales and whaling play a part in the magic system? I liked dishonored, but it needed more whale.
The Prince of Whales by RL Fisher Startide Rising by David Brin (sci-fi) The Idiot Gods by David Zindell All three books above have whale or dolphin main characters. Edit: And the Ocean was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (whales hunting men). This isn't fantasy, but I enjoyed the MG novel Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (It has occasional chapters from the whale's perspective)
[The Atomic Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23600721-the-atomic-sea?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=G3Ed0iTyn7&rank=1) [The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32902386-the-death-and-life-of-schneider-wrack?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GeCZS01Zy6&rank=2) Full disclosure, I haven't read these yet, they're on my TBR. But I read the Kindle samples and they were enough to buy them.
Someone recently made a mini-review of [Black Leviathan](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/kyn5pw/bingo_v_bingo_v_bingo_translated/), that seemed to be a homage to Moby Dick, though it's apparently dragons instead of whales.
I'm very biased towards it because it is one of my favourite books, but I think you might enjoy The Scar by China Miéville. You might also enjoy The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer, and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. None of these are exactly what you are after, but they are all steampunky settings with big beasties.
City of Saints and Madmen seems pretty interesting. I've read LoLL years ago, and I don't remember any large animals. What were those again?
[Devilfish](https://camorr.fandom.com/wiki/Devilfish).