Epic fantasy books are not for the faint of heart. These sweeping stories spare no expense when it comes to detailing the huge worlds and inhabitants in them, whisking readers off on adventures at a blistering pace. It is one of the most popular subgenres in the world of fantasy, and the likes of Tolkien, Martin, Hobb and Gaiman continue to inspire authors right up to the present day. With all of that in mind, join us here at What We Reading as we run through 8 of the best epic fantasy books from 2022.
Age of Ash – Daniel Abraham
Kithamar is a bustling city of wealth and trade, where its bloody history of conflict lines every wall. When her brother is murdered inside the city, common thief Alys sets out on a thrilling journey to discover the sinister motivations behind the crime in Daniel Abraham’s Age of Ash.
The first entry in an epic trilogy of fantasy books set across a city where the poorest of commoners have the power to topple kings, Alys’ investigation into her brother’s murder will turn over all of the secrets Kithamar has to hide.
Mistborn: The Lost Metal – Brandon Sanderson
Entry number seven in the acclaimed Mistborn series, The Lost Metal serves as the long-awaited finale from the mind of Brandon Sanderson. This earth-shattering final chapter was lauded as one of the most anticipated epic fantasy books from 2022, and features the biggest crossover from the Cosmere universe.
A truly epic adventure on the grandest of scales, The Lost Metal still manages to find a way of enticing newbies into this sweeping universe, whilst simultaneously living up to the hype launched by its legion of hardcore fans.
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House Of Sky And Breath – Sarah J. Maas
Winner of the GoodReads Choice Award for Best Fantasy, House of Sky and Breath is one of the most thrilling epic fantasy books from 2022 courtesy of Sarah J. Maas.
The bestselling follow-up to 2020’s House of Earth and Blood, Sky and Breath follow Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they grapple with a planet imploding in on itself courtesy of a conflict between the Asteri and a rebel group. A stunning example of fantasy worldbuilding at its best, Maas has established herself as one of the best fantasy writers in the world on the back of the series.
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Daughter Of The Moon Goddess – Sue Lynn Tan
Nominated for the Best Debut Novel and Best Fantasy Novel of 2022, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the first entry in The Celestial Kingdom Duology from Sue Lynn Tan.
Inspired by the Chinese Moon Goddess, Chang’e, Tan’s novel follows the story of Xingyin, a magical being living in isolation on the moon, hiding from the Celestial Emperor. This first entry in a Chinese-themed fantastical duology combines the enchanting with tales of love and loss, following Xingyin as she embarks on a journey that takes her across the cosmos and on a death-defying mission to save the ones she loves most of all.
The Spear Cuts Through Water – Simon Jimenez
Simon Jimenez, the author of The Vanished Birds, delivers one of the most thrilling epic fantasy books from 2022 in The Spear Cuts Through Water, a page-turning adventure following Jun and Keema as they attempt to unshackle their land from the grips of the maniacal family in power.
As well as being a hugely enthralling story of fantasy and adventure, The Spear Cuts Through Water is also a personal and intimate look at identity and legacy. Breaking with traditional fantasy tropes to deliver an original masterpiece that pays homage to folklore and oral storytelling, it is a profound work that will leave a lasting impact on any reader that picks it up off the shelves.
The World We Make – N.K. Jemisin
The second entry in N.K. Jemisin’s acclaimed Great Cities duology, The World We Make is a fantastical and speculative tale of magic, mystery, identity and resistance.
The Hugo Award-winning author picks up from where she left off in The City We Became with the heroic Avatars successfully preventing the invasion of The Woman In White. However, in the wake rises the powerful capital “E” Enemy and a politician rising to power on a platform of gentrification, xenophobia and the guise of ‘law and order’.
Only by collaborating with the other great cities of the world will the Avatars have any hope of averting disaster at the hands of these two formidable opponents.
Speaking Bones – Ken Liu
The thrilling fourth and final entry in the series that helped brand Ken Liu as one of epic fantasy’s ‘genius’ contemporaries, Speaking Bones is the finale that sees two empires, bound by blood, collide in a beautifully grim read.
Liu is one of the masters in placing horror where readers least expect, and burrowing friendship and kinship in moments one would never suspect. The way in which he brings a sense of realness to such a fantastical land is one of the hallmarks of his skill as a writer, and one of the biggest pulls as to why Speaking Bones makes for such a triumphant farewell.
The Bladed Faith – David Dalglish
Cyrus was just a twelve-year-old boy when he was forced to watch his Gods overthrown, his country invaded and his parents executed in front of him. But, after years of captivity in the court of his captors, he is suddenly offered the opportunity to escape and unite his people under the guise of the ‘Vagrant’, a skull mask and sword-bearing assassin of legendary skill.
The first entry in The Vagrant Gods series from David Dalglish, The Bladed Faith is a multi-perspective epic fantasy book from 2022 that looks at the cost of vengeance and revenge.
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).
