3 Books for Fantasy Fans

by MK French

Are you still looking for a great fantasy novel to read this month? Here are 3 books to pick up if you haven't already.

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A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang

April 2025; Titan Books; 978-1803369389
ebook, print (192 pages); fantasy

Liu Lufeng is the eldest princess of the Feng kingdom. Their people have bark-like skin and needle-like hair, and live as part of nature. She is betrothed to the human king, and negotiating her bridewealth is the only way to slow their progression into Feng. She has a plan to kill him on her wedding day, but there are secrets that she uncovers that will affect both kingdoms. 

As the first half of a duology, we see the world as Lufeng dies. As the sheltered eldest princess, watching her mother and sisters get married to the human king, she resented the loss of her family and home. Now that her grandmother is putting her up for marriage, she will give Feng a reprieve from being paved over and its resources taken.

There are other human kingdoms besides the one near Feng, all producing different goods that the people are told they need and want. Lufeng is more old-fashioned due to her sheltered state, and the people in the palace all have secrets they keep from her. First and foremost is the writing, then the purpose behind the marriage contracts, because humans need more than just land for their future plans. 

Writing is sparse and filled with Lufeng's growing anxiety. She wants her family together and to return to tradition and simplicity. Progress tends to churn up everything in its path, and certainly everything Lufeng holds dear. She once followed orders without thinking, but over the course of the novel, she learns more and chooses decisions of her own. She has an immediate goal here, but there are larger issues outside the palace. She cares for others more than herself, and I'm sure she will have more of a leadership role in the second half of the duology. 

Buy A Palace Near the Wind at Amazon

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

April 2025; Poisoned Pen Press; 978-1464248597
audio, ebook, print (288 pages); fantasy

Within Adenashire, Arleta Starstone is a human baker in a world where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights are common. She works twice as hard on her baked goods, so her orc neighbor submits her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle. Arleta wants to prove her talent, even though she isn't sure if she has what it takes. Along the way to Langheim, she meets an attractive woodland elf and discovers what is truly important to her.

The deluxe edition of this book has interior art, sprayed edges, and additional scenes. This is the first in a cozy fantasy series, and is a feel-good found family kind of story. Arleta is down on herself and her lack of magic, but lives for baking and loves her orc neighbors, who had taken on parental roles in her life after her parents died when she was sixteen. The Baking contest is like every other competition. There are competitors that are surly or friendly, and Arleta has an innate kindness that earns her friends along the way. She also has a romantic interest in Theo, who brought her to the competition. 

I enjoyed seeing Arleta grow and accept that she doesn't need magic to have baking skills and friends. Her friends also learn more about themselves. The competition winnows down the bakers, and the behind-the-scenes antics test Arleta. We see all the people who care about her, and she eventually sees it for herself. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the rest of the series. 

Buy A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic at Amazon

City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley

April 2025; Titan Books; 978-1835411445
ebook, print (304 pages); fantasy

Fairharbour is different depending on where people live. Jamie Pike lives in the version that is perpetually winter, and Esther Pike lives in the version that is perpetually summer. The two communicate across the divide between the cities and try to find a way to repair their broken worlds.

The Pike family was important to the city of Fairharbour, located on a small island off the mainland. Carmen Pike had been a famous filmmaker, and the night she was murdered was when a weather bomb had devastated the city. Jamie's version is always cold, with doors bricked up and survivors scavenging for supplies. Esther's version is always summer, with people smashing out windows and making holes in walls. The two cousins had initially thought half their family had died in the cataclysm, but various areas of the city have odd moments of bleedthrough. Jamie figures it out first, and then Esther catches on. Both are tinkerers, making things and remembering the past. They slowly figure out what causes the areas of bleedthrough, and clues on either side ultimately show what happened.

The problem with Fairharbour is the same as what can happen in families. If conflicts between people so diametrically opposite each other continue, it rips apart everyone around them. I was fascinated by the differences in the cities and how the clues were there and interpreted by each cousin. The past can't be erased, but the future can be saved if people work together to improve it.

Buy City of All Seasons at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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