“It’s the stories of our childhood that make the deepest impressions and last the longest.”
2022 Was an incredible year for Fantasy fans, across multiple mediums. Whilst The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time were lighting up the small screens, the literature world was treated to some equally stellar titles. The industry recovered from the delays caused by the pandemic and several A-List authors crossed into the genre for the first time. With so many great titles being released across the year, check out 8 of the best fantasy books from 2022 here at What We Reading!
House Of Sky And Breath – Sarah J. Maas
Winner of the GoodReads Choice Award for Best Fantasy 2022 from one of the genre’s most acclaimed writers, House of Sky and Breath is an all-out action-packed joyride to read.
Sarah J. Maas’ sequel to the bestselling House of Earth and Blood, the book follows Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they attempt to reintegrate themselves into normal life. However, they once again find themselves embroiled in a desperate battle to protect a world that is about to implode in on itself courtesy of an all-out war between the Asteri and a rebel group. Witty, shocking and the pinnacle in fantasy worldbuilding, House of Sky and Breath is one sequel no fantasy fan should miss out on.
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The World We Make – N.K. Jemisin
New York Times bestselling author and four-time Hugo Award winner N.K. Jemisin brings readers the second instalment in his Great Cities duology with one of the best 2022 Epic Fantasy books, The World We Make.
A superb work in the speculative fiction genre, the book follows the heroic Avatars as they attempt to prevent New York City from being overrun by a dangerous leader wielding immense power and influence. With inspiration from the rise of polarised politics in the world’s largest cities, The World We Make is a scintillating sequel to one of the fantasy world’s most engaging authors.
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The Book Eaters – Sunyi Dean
Sunyi Dean’s fantasy novel The Book Eaters centres around a very special group of humans living on the Yorkshire moors who literally consume literature. Different genres have their own tastes and can grant them special abilities such as eating a map will give them knowledge of destinations they have never been to.
The story follows a young woman named Devon, a member of one of the oldest book-eating clans in the world. Like most book-eating women, she’s been brought up on stories of fairytales and classic happy endings, however, she soon discovers that her son has an all-together different taste, one that involves human minds…
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A River Enchanted – Rebecca Ross
A touching, candid and emotional 2022 fantasy book from one of the genre’s rising stars, A River Enchanted is the first book in a planned duology from Rebecca Ross. The story is set on an eerie island called Candace, a land ruled over by volatile spirits.
Following the disappearance of several young girls on the island, Jack Tamerlaine is recalled back to the island by his old enemy Adaira. The pair begrudgingly work together, but soon find themselves connecting in a more-than-friends sort of way. With only Jack’s unique music-playing abilities able to communicate with the spirits, the sinister truth lurking in the shadows of this mysterious isle soon makes itself known.
Fairy Tale – Stephen King
The best storyteller of his generation, Stephen King might be best known for his horror novels but, with Fairy Tale, he’s shown he’s not an author restrained to just one genre.
Fairy Tale follows a seventeen-year-old boy named Charlie who, after a traumatic upbringing, encounters an eccentric old man named Mr Bowditch and his big dog and his huge house on top of a hill. When Mr Bowditch dies and leaves the house to Charlie, the protagonist is forced to face an unbelievable reality hiding within the old man’s shed.
A spectacular story of one average Joe finding themselves becoming the hero through circumstance rather than fate, there’s a dimension to a different world at the end of Charlie’s garden, and he is going to have to face the terrors lurking in it before it’s too late.
The Golden Enclaves – Naomi Novik
The dramatic conclusion to a thrilling trilogy of fantasy books, The Golden Enclaves comes from the brilliant mind of history and literature buff Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.
A must-read series for any Harry Potter fan, the story follows protagonist El as she adjusts to normal life after the events in the previous book. With the prophecies still hanging over her head, and the quest for true love heating up, the stakes in play could hardly be higher.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches – Sangu Mandanna
Mika Moon is one of the only witches in Britain. Following the discovery of her online profile, is invited to the mysterious and secluded Nowhere House to teach three aspiring witches how to harness their power. As well as the witches, there are plenty of colourful characters around the Nowhere House, including the prickly librarian, Jamie.
An orphan from a young age, Mika soon begins to feel a sense of belonging she has never felt before, being wrapped up in this wonderful world of witchcraft. However, when a sinister threat starts to envelop the house, Mika is forced to decide how far she is willing to go to protect this new family she’s found herself in.
Thistlefoot – GennaRose Nethercott
Thistlefoot is a 2022 fantasy book by author and poet GennaRose Nethercott. Exploring especially eerie folklore plucked straight from the heart of Eastern Europe, it is a novel that pays homage to the classic fairytales of old.
The Yaga siblings have been estranged from birth. Bellatine is a woodworker and Isaac is a travelling con artist, and the two only find themselves back in each other’s lives when they discover they are about to inherit a fully-sentient house standing on chicken legs.
The two siblings embark on a family tour across the United States with their new house however, unbeknownst to them, the sinister Longshadow Man has tracked this magical house across the seas and will stop at nothing to get his hands on it.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
