“What happens when the walls we raise outlive the dangers they were built to keep out?”
Fantasy Fiction is still one of the most popular facets of the literary world. These books are set in imaginary universes, with authors free to push the boundaries of their creativity through magic, mythical creatures and all manner of strange and supernatural occurrences. Being able to trace its roots back to the early 1960s, the genre has seen an explosion in popularity thanks to its adaptations in the television, film and video game worlds.
Tailored for adults and children alike, Fantasy Fiction books can incorporate elements of Science and Historical Fiction, as well as Romantic, Political and Horror. Check out What We Reading as we run you through the best Fantasy Fiction books from 2022!
Nettle & Bone – T. Kingfisher
A Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Best Fantasy, T. Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone follows the story of Marra. After years of watching her sisters suffer an abusive upbringing at the hands of a prince, Marra, the third-born, convent-raised, seeks out a solution from a powerful gravewitch. She receives an opportunity to eliminate the prince and rescue her family, but this offer comes with the condition of accomplishing three tasks that seem impossible.
Joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping knight and a chicken possessed by a demon, this 2022 Fantasy Fiction book follows the five of them on a thrilling adventure to free Marra’s family.
The Book Eaters – Sunyi Dean
Hiding out in the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret society of people for whom books are food, the contents of which are retained after their consumption. Each book has its own taste; romance novels are sweet, spy novels are spicy and maps help them remember various destinations.
In Sunyi Dean’s acclaimed The Book Eaters, readers follow Devon, a member of one of the oldest clans who has grown up on the safe diet of Fairy Tales and happy endings. However, she soon realises that her own son has a different sort of taste, one that involves human minds…
Book Of Night (Book Of Night #1) – Holly Black
Holly Black’s adult debut novel and the first entry in the Book of Night series is a thrilling dark fantasy story consisting of secret societies and shadowy thieves. In it, readers follow Charlie Hall, a humble con artist and bartender struggling to make ends meet. In this world, shadows – the parts of one’s life often kept hidden – can be altered and manipulated.
Doing so, however, can have serious repercussions on someone’s life. And when a sinister figure from her past reemerges, this power threatens to derail everything Charlie has ever known.
Thistlefoot – GennaRose Nethercott
Nominated for Best Fantasy Novel in the Goodreads Awards, Thistlefoot is an exploration of ancestral hauntings and the power of storytelling. Inspired by some of the classic pieces of Eastern European folklore, readers follow the Yaga siblings – Bellatine and Isaac. Having been estranged as children, the pair are reunited through a strange piece of inheritance, a grand sentient estate with a set of chicken legs.
Known as Thistlefoot, the house may have arrived from their homeland, but it didn’t arrive in America alone. This modern fantasy follows the siblings as they take their house on a cross-country travelling theatre show, all whilst the sinister Longshadow Man follows in a relentless pursuit of the pair.
Spear – Nicola Griffith
Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize winner Nicola Griffith paints a dazzling fantasy tale of identity and romance in her 2022 book, Spear. In it, readers follow a woman who, having grown up in the wild, finds herself dreaming of a life in the court of King Artos, king of Caer Leon. Strong and skilled with magic, she severs ties with her mother and embarks on an adventure to Caer Leon.
Over the course of this adventure, she battles strong warriors and deadly sorcerers armed with just a broken hunting spear and mended armour, claiming the hearts of plenty of beautiful women on a quest to fulfil her destiny.
Speaking Bones (The Dandelion Dynasty #4) – Ken Liu
The fourth entry in Ken Liu’s acclaimed Fantasy Fiction series, Speaking Bones is the gripping finale that will see two behemoth Empires, bound by blood, collide in a cataclysmic way. Critics have labelled Liu as one of the great writers of contemporary Fantasy. His skill in subtly incorporating shocking elements that readers least anticipate has emerged as a defining characteristic of his Dandelion Dynasty series.
Bringing authenticity to his world of Epic Fantasy, Speaking Bones is a fitting closing chapter to one of the genre’s most acclaimed series.
Glow (The Plated Prisoner #4) – Raven Kennedy
Undoubtedly the best Fae Fantasy book from 2022, Raven Kennedy’s Glow serves as the fourth entry in The Plated Prisoner series. Seamlessly blending striking romanticisms with masterful storytelling and an engrossing political overarching plotline, Glow picks up right where the series left off, throwing readers back into Kennedy’s well-constructed world.
The story introduces new characters and points of view, and the captivating antagonist Slade takes up a significant portion of the spotlight. Kennedy once again excels in conjuring up another entry in her series that strikes the perfect balance between worldbuilding, character study and slow-burning, spicy romance.
Ordinary Monsters (The Talents Trilogy #1) – J.M. Miro
Another Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Fantasy, Ordinary Monsters blends the genre with Historical Fiction. In the first entry in The Talents Trilogy, author J.M. Miro whisks readers back to the gaslit cobbled streets of Victorian London through the eyes of two children with remarkable powers.
Marlowe and Charlie can melt, mend, and heal flesh. They quickly enter a hidden group on the edges of Edinburgh, which has other people with similar abilities. Yet, after arriving, they soon uncover the secrets behind their powers in a surprising turn of events that might make the world of the living meet the world of the dead.
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).
