Fantasy bestsellers

“It is rare to find a book of substance with a happy ending. THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA is that book. Middle-aged, portly, queer Linus Baker is a by-the-book, no-nonsense Case Manager in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth - and his lonely heart cares what happens to the magical children who have been placed in segregated orphanages. Tall, wise, soft-spoken Arthur Parnassus is the master of the secret orphanage that houses six of the strongest and most unique magical children in the world - and he has secrets of his own. When Linus is sent by Extremely Upper Management to investigate whether this orphanage should exist (especially under Arthur’s care), it sets off a chain of events in which fears are realized, dreams are manifested, voices are found, raised, and heard, and the definitions of love, family, and home become as inclusive as possible.”

“I loved this so much that I listened to the audiobook twice, back-to-back, the second time to share it with my mother so that we could talk about it. This is the magic school, hella-powered main character, high stakes series we all deserve and I am anxiously awaiting the next book to answer my many questions and give me all new ones!!! ”

“In the vein of The Name of the Wind, a vampire hunter recounts the fantastical events from his life to his executioner. This epic dystopian fantasy is dark and seductive and includes frightening artwork that brings the story even more alive. The violence! The expletives! The smut! What’s not to love?”

“TJ Klune has the unmatched ability to make my heart go all warm and gooey like a chocolate chip cookie. ”

“My, my, my. This book evoked so many emotions out of me that I finished reading it last night, threw it across my room, and then screamed internally all night, picking it back up occasionally to see if the final few sentences changed, and then tossing it again when they hadn't. Novik has perfected the art of sucking you into her worlds and chucking you right down in a seat next to her characters, making you feel like you're one of them. And when something major happens, say a MASSIVE cliffhanger ending, you're left freaking out and trying to figure out why you feel like you also just got your heart stomped on. It's beautiful, it's terrifying, and I need to know more! I want ten more books in this world, but I'll be content with the next one in my hands as soon as possible so I can soothe my aching heart! ”

“This story sparkles and enchants! It’s a rich and layered multigeneration saga featuring strong women and a mystery veiled in magical realism that will tease and feed your imagination.”

“What did I just listen to and why did I like it so much? Part of falling in love with this book was the listening experience, to be certain. The narration was stellar. The production was on point. But the story... the story itself is sublime. N.K. Jemisin has written a love letter to New York City - but not the one in bright, bold letters on the silver screen - the real city, and the real people who inhabit it and call it home, even if only temporarily. And it was beyond my wildest dreams (and nightmares). The City We Became is so incredibly layered and nuanced - diving into discussions of racism and sexism and the fallacy of good vs evil. I wanted nothing more than to steep in its long chapters, and get to know its boroughs as intimately as Jemisin would allow - not mere stereotypes but fully fleshed and brilliant, blinding avatars. Witty, subversive, imaginative, unbelievable. Get on this wild ride.”

“There is a small cafe in Tokyo where you can travel through time. But there are rules. Rules that dissuade most of those who come to the cafe after hearing its legend. And there are regular customers who come with no intention of traveling through time.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a feel-good listen that tells the story of some of those cafe regulars whose minds are eventually changed by their lives’ circumstances. The reasons for their journeys are varied, but all are compelled by an unyielding desire to unite with a loved one in a different time. Kawaguchi has imagined a complex and wonderfully creative set of rules for time travel in the cafe, so much so that they become central to the story and character development. He smoothly reveals the hearts and lives of each of his characters against the backdrop of the time-travel rules and the mysterious yet legendary cafe.

There are lovers, sisters, mother and daughter, husband and wife, and a ghost. Uniting them all are love, sorrow, regret, redemption, and most of all, hope. This uplifting tale of human connections is especially worth the listen in our current time of pandemic and feelings of isolation.”

“The Name of the Wind is a very straightforward book which you absolutely should not take at face value just because of its upfront nature. Rothfuss builds a slow burn fantasy narrative meant to keep you warm throughout dark nights of literary pursuits, rather than a showy bonfire that burns through all its material in order to hook you. Kvothe, the focal point of the story, is a character study in noticing subtle contrasts. However, the story Kvothe tells is always cordial, and Poedhl's mellow reading only lends itself to enhancing the obliging chronicle. A beneficial factor given the hefty size of Rothfuss' debut novel, a factor which can scare away the faint of heart or the light on time. It is well worth the effort, and ultimately a rewarding reading and listening experience.”

“October, the month to read mysteries, horror, and suspense... but how about a fantasy novel with a little bit of all of the above? That is definitely my preference and New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, Rebecca Roanhorse, wrote just the right book. If you are a fan of fantasy you shouldn't let this one pass. It has a great and original storyline, compelling characters, and the world building was done really well. It is also a great read for this time of the year if horror is not something you can stomach but you still want a book with an edge this Halloween.”

“The Fifth Season is an amazing, dark, and gripping work that will hook you from the first sentence. I cannot express to you how much this book stunned me. Robin's narration is well paced and engaging. While I wish this was a book for everyone to listen to, it isn't; destruction, trauma, and rage follow the women and girls who tell their stories. This book is about the end of the world, that you actually don't want to stop reading.”

“If you’ve been thinking about trying audiobooks, I recommend LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn as a great starting point! The reader, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, completely transported me to the Southern Gothic world of a secret society on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill (down to the hot sauce on hash browns). With a complex magic system intricately tied to ancestry and world history, Arthurian legend, demon battles, and just enough romance, this was one of those books that I thought about when I couldn’t have it playing in my headphones! Deonn is a master, bringing Brianna, the main character, to name and disrupt white male supremacy while working through the grief of her own story and that of her mothers before her. I also loved the queer representation in secondary characters, including a squire with they/them pronouns. I can't wait for the sequel and to follow Deonn's career!”

“Such an interesting futuristic story! The battle of Red versus Blue - tech vs. garden - through time was a fun trip to read. I especially enjoyed how the main characters by fighting each other grew to love each other. It was also super nice to read a sci-fi book that isn't 1,000 pages long and still have enough detail that you aren't lost in the physics.I listened to this story on libro.fm. It was especially easy and enjoyable to follow as there were different voice actors for the different characters.”

“I ate this trilogy right up! And in return it destroyed me (in a good way!) If you're looking for a fun fantasy read to keep you up at night with plots and scheming, you've hit the jackpot. So much fun!”

“The charter of the Leahy house is to manage and police the secret houses of the veil on the campus of Yale University. When a murder is connected to the magical activities of the houses, Galaxy Stern, Alex, the newest member of the Ninth House must find out what happened even if it means losing her place at Yale or her life. Ninth House grips you from the beginning and Alex is a wonderfully crafted edgy protagonist with deep scars. In the pretentious ivy league world Alex tenaciously pursues evil through unexpected twists and turns. If you like mystery and magic this is for you!”

“I have a love of hefty fantasy, partnered with a lack of the time usually needed to invest into the genre. The Way of Kings is the peak of everything that has made fantasy my go-to genre for enjoyment, and my ability to proclaim it as such lay directly with the audiobook. Reading and Kramer deliver the world with a clear poise, and give shape to the phenomenon Sanderson evokes within his description. A masterful novel by itself, The Way of Kings and its audiobook reading are perfect examples of literary mutualism.”

“Feral Creatures is dark, hilarious, and apocalyptic. It has all the same heart, tenderness, bizarre humor, and hilarity as Hollow Kingdom. This is a follow-up not to be missed!”

“Seraphina is a young woman who is caught up in a conspiracy to destroy the peace between her kingdom & the dragons that share it. While working to discover the conspirators, Seraphina forms new friendships. She learns from her new friends & her family that love can come in different forms & shown in different ways. This charming original & beautifully written tale has a bittersweet ending which leaves you full of hope & anticipation for the future. Listen to that narrator! ”

“Foundryside is the first book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Foundry trilogy. Not only did this book get me out of my reading slump, it was a book that I just couldn’t stop listening to. The cover grabbed my attention and the story surpassed every expectation that I had. Foundryside is about a well-trained thief, Sancia. She’s good at what she does, and her latest job has landed her in a whole world of trouble. She’s gone from off the radar, to Tevanne’s most wanted. Sancia has to band together with some unlikely allies to make it out alive. We learn about the world Bennett created through Clef, a character who is unique and loveable from the start, who in turn learns from Sancia. Bennett created complex characters, a world that is half tech, half magic, and a story full of heart. It was a story that I couldn’t get enough of and was sad to see end. I can’t wait for the next part!”

“A slow burn with frequent bursts of action. For fans of mafia dramas and martial arts action. The Green Bone culture & mythology are unique & captivating. This book and its characters got better and better as the story progressed. Lee writes like a watchmaker, and this book ticks away like a finely-tuned machine.”

“In Into the Drowning Deep, Mira Grant has conjured up scary mermaids living in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. An expedition sets out to learn if mermaids truly exist and to uncover the fate of a previous expedition. The new crew is being recorded for a documentary, with the hope it will prove mermaids are real and clear the network of wrongdoing. Both Tory, whose sister was killed on the first expedition, and Jillian, who has been teaching about mermaids for years, are going out on the state-of-the-art ship; however, that ship has one major flaw. You will not look at The Little Mermaid the same way again!”

“Amazing! I wonderful fantasy I loved every bit of. The narrator brought this story to life, and I was hypnotized the entire time. This story has some of my favorite elements in it. A strong, smart heroine? Check. A charming hero with demons and a chip on his shoulder? Check. An evil threatening the safety of the world? Check. Elizabeth is such an interesting character, she is determined and clever and she has approximately no quit in her. Despite all of the things that stand in her way, she never says die. When she is forced to choose between the person she has always been, and sacrificing all she knows about herself to help save a clueless, thankless world, she becomes someone new. Part of this is because of Nathaniel. He embodies everything she has learned to avoid and fear. But the world she lives in is bigger than the fears she has been taught. Nathaniel is mysterious and tortured. Elizabeth is everything he doesn't want to need, and he rebels against that. Their partnership progresses naturally, slowly and arduously as they wrestle with what is happening. By the end of the book they have complete confidence in each other and I reveled in every stage of their relationship. Give me the slow burn partnership that neither wants, but works so well. I'll love it every time. Margaret Rogerson is amazing and this book HAD me from the very beginning.”

“A Song Below Water was a great listen! The narrators were fantastic. I think teen readers will connect to Tavia and Effie's identity journeys. A standout YA fantasy!”

“Come for the battle ravens, stay for the probably-bewitched cat! Buehlman's latest will have you laughing one moment and gasping the next, and you'll wonder what fascinating new concept he'll come up with next. As Kinch Na Shannack takes an epic journey, you explore this exquisitely built world with him, your sardonic narrator, along with nonstop action. A few raunchy jokes and scenes (as a warning for those who don't prefer it). ”