I recently read Babel by RF Kuang and i loved it. It has a small fantastical element to it and i want to explore further fantasy books. I tried to read the “booktok” fantasy recs such as court of thrones and roses and fourth wing but i couldnt get far – found them a bit childish, maybe because its YA as oppose to adult fantasy.
As I am new to the genre i would prefer a stand alone or duology, adult fantasy which isn’t toooo complex like dune but not a basic romance plot. However i dont mind romance as a side plot! Also idk if booktok has ruined this for me but the idea of “the fae” just isn’t for me!
Much appreciated thanks!!
by According_Ad_9112
5 Comments
Try Natasha Pulley’s “the Bedlam Stacks”
It’s very subtle fantasy – until the last third haha – and is standalone.
Though after rereading the summary for Babel, I would also recommend
VE Schwab – a darker shade of magic – it’s a trilogy though
Lastly, to balance the trilogy I’ll rec a novella:
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Very cool exploration of the speculative fiction genre – characters and world building on point
the atlas six by olivie blake – kind of a cross between dark academia and fantasy.
The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley Parker-Chan: it’s just two books and the fantastical element is also very subtle
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
I know you wrote that the fae no longer appeal to you, but I really, really recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell if you liked Babel. It’s excellent and the fae in it are very much not the acotar kind
If you really can’t stand the fae, Piranesi by the same author as Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell might also work for you, but it’s a much less strong book imo, even if it’s still very good
Better fae books than Booktok:
*Under the Pendulum Sun* by Jeannette Ng
*The Witchwood Knot* by Olivia Atwater
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow- a woman gets a job cleaning a mysterious mansion in her town, but encounters fantastical elements within.