Hello everybody, I am looking for recommendations on fantasy books for adults. I am 26 and this year is the first time I have truly gotten into "reading". Quotations around reading because I actually just listen to audiobooks on my hour commute to and from work everyday.
I enjoy the longer series like the ASOIAF, Harry Potter, and the Witcher. I have also recently started the Frith Chronicles by Shami Stovall and have really enjoyed them even though they seem a little more targeted to younger audiences. I love really good world building and interesting power systems like those often found in anime.
I guess the best example of it would actually be the Frith Chronicles. Even though it tends to try to balance between YA and more mature audience, it does a decent job at world building and having a fun power system.
So mainly I am looking for books that aren't afraid to dive into more sensitive/darker content
by Quiet_Good1769
4 Comments
I personally really enjoy history-retellings with a fantasy twist, so my favorite adult fantasy books are The Poppy Wars trilogy by R. F. Kuang and the duology She Who Became the Sun / He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker Chan
there is lots of history in both of them and they can pretty dark (as they are inspired by real historical events)
Interesting world building is also in the Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao but there is only 1 book published so far from the planned trilogy. I think it will be a vast and fascinating world in the end, in the Iron Widow there was already a glimpse into it 🙂
Same goes for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang. Fantastic idea for the world she is building, so far it looks promising, but with only one book out from the planned trilogy, the jury is still out on if she manages to really flesh out the concept.
1. The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
2. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
3. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
Dungeon Crawler Carl. . . . .aliens invade and kill most humans. The survivors are put onto an alien reality TV show where they must battle through dungeons hoping to survive. The main characters are Carl and his cat Donut who gains sentience. It’s both dark and grim while being absolutely hilarious much of the time with the best narration you’ll ever hear as you’ll swear it’s a full cast but it’s all one guy.
And since you said Harry Potter then Superpowereds by Drew Hayes. It’s basically Harry Potter but superheroes and more mature as it’s about college students attending superhero college as they try to become superheroes. Completed series with five books in all.
The Demon Accords by John Conroe 19 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/67648-demon-accords
Templeverse Chronological Shayne Silvers 36 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/250502-templeverse-chronological-order
3 series making up the hole I have never listened to the series on there own only in chronological order
And nate might seem like a overpowered million air playboy ass with no room to grow but he dose just take a few book but I love this series
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 7 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/309211-dungeon-crawler-carl
I could never get into litrpg genre but this is something else I would suggest giving it a go. You can get a free 15 minutes of the full cast version on sound booth theatre.
Croftverse by Brad Magnarella 24 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/369700-the-croftverse
Chronicles of Cain by John Corwin 10 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/307631-chronicles-of-cain
Overworld Series by John Corwin 28 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/76373-overworld-chronicles
Made up of 3 series 1 is like darker harry potter story call Overworld Arcanum and the over all series some what ties in to Chronicles of Cain after book 10 of cain. the overworld series are YA and the tiles sound like romance novels but are not
The Druidverse Series by M.D. Massey 36 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/332743-the-druidverse
The Immortal Doc Holliday by M.M. Crumley 17 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/326238-the-immortal-doc-holliday
The Legend of Andrew Rufus Series by M.M. Crumley 7 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/276552-the-legend-of-andrew-rufus
The Preternatural Chronicles by Hunter Blain 10 books
https://www.goodreads.com/series/267345-the-preternatural-chronicles