The Fantasy Shelf

THIS WEEK'S PICKS • FANTASY • GOODREADS CERTIFIED

TOP PICK

The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson • Epic Fantasy • 2010

Set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar, this opening volume of the Stormlight Archive follows a broken soldier, a young woman chasing forbidden knowledge, and a highprince navigating a war that makes no sense — all woven into one of the most ambitious fantasy novels ever written. Sanderson's legendary magic system, rooted in ancient armor and light-infused powers, feels genuinely earned rather than handed to you. If you've been waiting for an epic that rewards patience with moments of genuine awe, this is the one to start this week.

4.65/5 Goodreads rating

MUST READ

Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

A man lives alone in a vast, labyrinthine house filled with infinite halls, tidal statues, and a sea that floods the lower floors — and he has no memory of how he got there, told entirely through his meticulous journal entries. Clarke's slim, hypnotic novel is unlike anything else in contemporary fantasy: part mystery, part fable, and entirely unforgettable, it rewards readers who surrender to its dreamlike logic completely.

4.2/5 Goodreads rating

HIDDEN GEM

The Goblin Emperor

by Katherine Addison

When the youngest, most overlooked half-goblin son of an elven emperor unexpectedly inherits the throne after a catastrophic airship accident, he must navigate court intrigue armed only with kindness and a desperate desire to do right by people — making this one of the warmest, most quietly radical fantasies of the past decade. If you're tired of grimdark and craving a story where decency is treated as genuine strength, this underseen gem will restore your faith in what the genre can do.

4.1/5 Goodreads rating

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