Five Recent Fantasy Reads

Fantasy and flowers with some new fantasy releases for 2021 and 2022

I blame the pandemic for the increasing need to escape into other worlds, even ones that are riddled with dragons, demons and evil wizards. Perhaps it’s an ostrich approach to the state of the world, but here are some fantasy realms that I’ve been frequenting recently

The Black Witch Chronicles by Laurie Forest

It’s not often that I read the start of a series and then go straight onto books two and three, completely disregarding all of the other books that I should actually be reading. The fourth book is due out in March 2022 and I already have it on pre-order! Epic in its world-building, yet intimate in its portrayal of the friendships and relationships between the main characters, this series has everything you could want; adventure, romance (frenemies love trope), queer representation and a rounded heroine in Elloren. Born the granddaughter of the Black Witch who saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm wars, Elloren may share her looks, but not her power. She is set to be wand-fasted by her Aunt Vyvian to a suitable Gardnerian Mage following completion of her studies at Verpex University, a liberal college that admits Elves, Fae, Icarals, Urisk and Kelts despite the increasingly conservative Gardnerian rule. As Elloren comes to understand life outside of the Gardnerian elite, she must decide whether to conform to her background or join the Rebellion.

The series starts with The Black Witch (2017) and is then followed by The Iron Flower (2018), The Shadow Wand (2020) and The Demon Tide is the fourth book set to come out this year. There are also prequels and related books that I haven’t read yet and am saving for when the chronicles are, perhaps, complete. It feels like there’s a showdown coming and I’m very much here for that!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

With thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for my review copy. Perhaps veering towards SciFi rather than fantasy, I’ve seen this book described as Pacific Rim meets the Handmaid’s Tale and that captures it to a degree. Inspired by characters from Chinese history, including Empress Wu, this is the story of 18 year old Zetian who volunteers as a concubine-pilot to help power one of the Chrysalises , giant transforming robots that battle aliens on the other side of the Great Wall. It’s a deadly privilege to be a Concubine-pilot, their Qi (life-force) is often drained whilst supporting their male counterparts to power these giant machines. Zetian’s sister was sacrificed in this way and Zetian is determined to avenge her death. When she emerges victorious from the cockpit of the Chrysalis, holding her dead pilot’s body, her mind having overpowered his, Zetian becomes an Iron Widow, a feared female Chrysalis pilot.

There’s a lot happening here and, as the reader, you need to scramble up that steep new-world learning curve quickly. I would have liked more time to develop a sense of the wider context of the universe that Xian Jay Zhao has created, but appreciated their threading through elements of Chinese history and folklore. It’s a unique story, set in a world full of fire, rage and vengeance. The author is non-binary and they have included bisexual and polyamorous representation in this, their first YA novel. The second novel in this duology is hoped to come out later this year.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Now I have a strange liking for nun-related fiction; The Corner that held Them, Matrix, This House of Brede etc., so it’s unsurprising that this love extends into my fantasy reads. Vespertine was an unexpected pleasure that was recommended by a friend. It has shades of Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff about it. Both are rollicking good yarns set in well-built worlds that stand up to scrutiny. The author describes it as “medieval Venom starring a nun and a ghost….about a girl training to be a nun who awakens an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic, and becomes a Joan of Arc type figure as she wields its power to battle the undead.” I couldn’t put it any better or any more succinctly myself so I’ve nabbed her words!

Artemisia is the central character who is training to be a a Gray Sister. She is intelligent, dedicated to her work, but is an outsider even in her close-knit community. When the convent is attacked by revenants, she is forced to wield the spirit housed in the relic of Saint Eugeniam making her a Vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic. One of the joys of this book is the relationship between Artemisia and the spirit who make an initially unwilling and unlikely pairing, hence the comparison to Venom. The start of a new series from the author best known for Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens, I shall definitely be ordering the next one when it’s available.

Only A Monster by Vanessa Len

With thanks to Allen and Unwin NZ for my review copy. This is a debut YA fantasy novel from Vanessa Len and it felt, in many ways it felt true to its genre. There’s a whole world of magical families hidden in plain sight, there are star-crossed lovers and smouldering love interests, but what Vanessa Len then does is play with the idea of who is a hero and who is a monster, asking us who deserves our sympathy and whose side are we on. I happened to land on the side of the Monsters which is troubling as they steal time away from humans in order to time travel. The less scrupulous among them might chose to travel to Ancient Babylon for a vase, laying waste to thousands of years of human life whilst they’re at it. Joan, our main character, not only needs to learn how to “monster” but also how to balance her principles with who and what she is.

My favourite part of this novel was learning about the structure of Monster society and the various talents that prominent families use to their advantage. There is a complex system of hierarchy and debts that must be paid for information or for a life taken. The dialogue is a little stilted at times and I had to take a couple of leaps of faith with the plot, but it’s a strong debut and the start of a new YA fantasy series.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

This queer historical fantasy definitely veers towards the adult end of the fantasy spectrum with some very steamy scenes, but if, like me, you like the sound of a magical country house party replete with William Morris wallpaper then this one is for you. Set in Edwardian England, circa 1908, Robin finds himself in a civil service job trying to keep himself and his sister afloat following the death of their parents. As someone without a drop of magic, he is emphatically “unbushelled” (i.e. finds out about the existence of magic) at the end of his first day on the job.

Edwin, however, has barely a drop of magic and his job is to liaise between Robin’s non-magical government department, and the Magical Assembly. Thrown together in a race to find Robin’s predecessor, a romance is kindled despite their differences and despite Edwin’s cruel and self-absorbed siblings who decide to have a little fun at the aforementioned house party.

I loved the magic system in A Marvellous Light, it felt solid and believable, both in the way magic was inherited and learnt. The romance didn’t feel forced and I found myself really hoping that Robin and Edwin’s fledgling relationship would survive what the magical world was throwing at them both. A Marvellous Light is the start of yet another series that I’m now fully invested in finishing.