Add These 5 Fantasy Novels to Your Reading List

by MK French

Fantasy novels are a great way to take a little mental vacation. A few of these you can pick up now, and the others you will want to pre-order.

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Daughters of Flood and Fury by Gabriella Buba

July 2025; Titan Books; 978-1803367828
audio, ebook, print (480 pages); romantic fantasy

Five years after the fall of the Palisade in Aynila, the Codicíans will arrive with an armada. Lunurin and Alon have tried to make alliances across the archipelago, but it's increasingly difficult due to rivalries and suspicion. They hope to solidify all of the factions into a single unit during the festival of the eclipse, when magic is at its strongest. In the meantime, Inez has been training as a healer even though the gentler side of her goddess's gifts is difficult for her. There are rumors that her sister Catalina is back, so Inez searches for her by sea. Once aboard a pirate ship, Inez meets firetender Umali, who isn't afraid of her powers. Inez still fears the intensity of her magic, as well as the incoming  Codicían armada threatening them all.

This is the sequel to Saints of Storm and Sorrow, where we first met Lunurin and Catalina in the convent. There, Catalina's faith in the Codicían god and belief in the harm of native traditions led her to actively harm her sister Inez, who had magic, and Lunurin. There were those of Aynila who had worked with the colonizers for privileges or advantages over native factions, ultimately leading to the battle at the end of the book, which destroyed the Palisade.

The fallout of the first book means there are multiple factions. There are some who trust in the gifts of the gods, those who don't, those who still believe in the God of the oppressors, and plenty who struggle to gain power in the midst of that. Lunurin is trying hard to be Alon's wife, a stormcaller, and help the people if Aynila heals. Alon's brother is suspicious of all mixed heritage people in the city and thinks nothing of starting militant responses without consulting Alon. The two work at cross purposes a little, and Inez is frustrated with them not listening to her needs, treating her as a child, or dismissing her. I can see how all of them react based on their assumptions of what's going on; communication is hard, even with all of their good intentions. It unfortunately leads to misunderstanding the gifts that are actually wielded, hurt feelings, and even more problems as they try to gather allies.

The threat of the Codicían fleet intensifies as the height of God touched power approaches. Of course, all of their problems will hit around the same time and get even more complicated along the way. Fixing one problem creates so many more, and the few alliances Lunurin and Alon have are stretched thin. I was just as disappointed as she was in her family's response, and Catalina's presence weighed heavily throughout the novel. There were so many details and so much going on with the different threads of the story. Even in the final quarter, there were continued shocks and battles. The finale was a grand and bloody battle not only for Aynila, but for the soul of the people themselves. It's very well done, with continued hope for the future. 

Buy Daughters of Flood and Fury at Amazon

Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods

August 2025; Delacorte Press; 978-0593812105
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); YA fantasy

The girls of the New Kora ballet company are ethereal and beautiful. Emberlyn wanted to become one of them, and learns the hard way the price of this grace. The shows mastermind Malcolm bound them with a curse that has him controlling them as if they're his marionettes, even when not dancing. Once the curse runs its course, the girls turn to dust. When the troupe is invited to perform in Parlizia, Emberlyn meets with a boy that has a magical connection to the girls. Trying to unravel the curse might have a price too high to pay.

Emberlyn is angry at being trapped by the curse and forced to perform at Malcolm's behest. Even though she is a dancer, there's a difference when she isn't given the choice to perform or not, there's no chance to practice, and she's used to lure in other victims to join the troupe. This is understandable. The other girls in the troupe are more afraid of the torture that comes in response to noncompliance, which is also a valid response. She is so angry that she doesn't consider consequences to the other marionettes until it's pointed out to her, then she understands there are risks to them all, not just herself. The curse involves life energy and ties them to Malcolm, so cutting the ties can lead to intense blowback.

For all her anger, Ember loves the other girls and does what she thinks will help them. She has a great capacity for love despite her trauma, which we get a chance to see once she opens up to them and Étienne. The finale is as theatrical as the story implies it will be, with sacrifices made. At the same time, we also get a chance to see that healing and recovery is possible, a light for the future that will carry the characters forward.

Buy Girls of Dark Divine at Amazon

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar

August 2025; Ace; 978-0593952306
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); fantasy

The kingdom of Esquaveta is struggling and in need of alliances, so Princess Tullia is betrothed to a terrible prince. She falls in love with a scribe a month before the wedding, so the king wants his magician to brew a potion that would make her marry the prince without complaint. After a long string of failures, Anatole is ridiculed by everyone but the princess. Now he's faced with a terrible choice: save the kingdom and his reputation by betraying the princess, or honor her choice and face ruin.

The story starts out framed as Anatole visiting the castle five hundred years later and looking back on what had happened, so we know he survives the encounter, and eventually figure out, without him telling us, how he was able to live so long. He was a court magician but used a process not unlike the scientific method to create potions and effects seen as magic in the 1500s. He tries to eliminate the memories of the scribe's love for Tullia and Tullia's love for the scribe, hoping to save them from misery. His own position at court is relatively precarious through no fault of his own, but there is little money in the kingdom, and he doesn't have much reputation left.

The story reminds me of the Princess Bride movie, in that there are some ridiculous and humorous aspects to the story, as well as a journey that becomes more dangerous than they think it will be. Anatole truly cares for Tullia's wellbeing, and grew to care for the scribe as well. I found him very likable and enjoyed the journey through the novel. It's a good story, with a bittersweet ending. 

Buy The Magician of Tiger Castle at Amazon

Woven From Clay by Jenny Birch

August 2025; Wednesday Books; 978-1250365460
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); YA fantasy

Terra Slater didn't care that she had no knowledge of her birth family until magical bounty hunter Thorne Wilder arrived. She is a golem, crafted by fugitive warlock Cyrus Quill. His sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra and all the other golems that he crafted together. Desperate to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus. As she studies, Terra learns about her magic, her humanity, and her love for the people most important to her.

We know Terra is a golem, so we understand her confusion about the mud before she does. She is an overachiever of a high school senior, and Thorne arriving shakes up what she thinks is real about the world. There's magic and rules about its use, but she has feelings and hopes for the future that aren't usually what golems are created for. She has to prove to others that she's worthy of life while hiding magic from those she loves, a difficult task.

The description of magic as threads is a beautiful one, and shows the ties that Terra has to others. It's her strength, and it brings her to the conclusion of the novel. She is more than clay and bone wound together with magic, and we see it in how she deals with her friends, the impossible task, and the final showdown itself. I enjoyed seeing her develop and show what it really means to be human. 

Buy Woven From Clay at Amazon

The Dragon Wakes with Thunder by K. X. Song

August 2025; Ace; 978-0593641552
audio, ebook, print (448 pages); fantasy

Imprisoned for daring to wield a sword as a woman, Hai Meilin is a pariah within the palace. Beyond its walls, every rebel revels in her legend. A former enemy prince is also imprisoned and wants her help, and her first love, Liu Sky, wants her help in a bid for the throne. In addition, the sea dragon Qinglong has his own plans for the spirit realm. During the last war, Meilin wielded his power to cheat death and attain victory for Anlai; now the dragon has come to collect his dues. Meilin’s mother warned her long ago: The spirits demand blood. And Qinglong is ravenous.

This is the second half of the Dragon Spirit duology, following The Night Ends With Fire. It takes place a year after those events, with Sky still wanting Meilin as his bride. She is switched from the torture in a dank prison to the opulent backstabbing of the court in the Forbidden City. She stumbles, of course she does; this isn't a battle of swords and qi or luxia but of whispers, threats, and privilege. It's not one she's familiar with, and her journey in this book is not as clear-cut as it was before. She wants to be known, to feel safe, to be loved even when selfish and self-serving. It's a tall order, and the world around her is a different kind of wartime. Spirits and humanity are at war thanks to Qinglong, but it's a war that most humans are unaware of and can't fight in. Meilin’s motives shift over the course of the story, as do her loves and her allies.

I found this an interesting ending for the duology. People are rarely one thing, and the characters here are flawed and variable. It kept me riveted and hoping for a happy ending. Whether it's happy or not is up to you; freedom has its price, and it's different for each character. 

Buy The Dragon Wakes with Thunder 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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