I think I may be cheating a little bit by including various covers and pretending a series is one book, but…alas. There are too many pretty covers for me to choose just five.
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I read this book when it first came out in hard cover, so, the middle cover. I was so pleased to see that the covers of the following editions similarly conveyed the old-world fairy tale feel of this novel.
2. The Dreamblood Duology by N.K. Jemisin
I’ve mentioned this series before, but it bears mentioning again! These covers are absolutely gorgeous. Bright, vivid colors, contrasting symbolism of moon and sun, clean typology, and an old-school fantasy feel. The Dreamblood duology is probably my favorite Jemisin work. I don’t actually own these books yet, but I will soon!
3. The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin
I’m not going to shout about the quality of these books, as that is dubious, but I have to admit that what first drew me to this series was these beautiful, compelling covers. Whether or not this series qualifies as fantasy is dubious, I think, but eh, these are great covers.
4. The Diviners by Libba Bray
This is probably more of a historical fantasy novel, as it takes place in the 1920s New York City, but the covers are so lovely I’m including it anyway. This is an entertaining book, but it also managed to give me chills down my spine. I really need to read the sequel, but I should probably do a re-read first, since I’ve forgotten most of what happened.
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is an absolutely magical book that I really need to re-read one of these days. I always loved the hardcover version, but I really hated the paperback version that came out right after, so I’m pleased to see that another paperback version has come out! I’ve been meaning to buy this book, so I think I’ll go with this new paperback edition.
Honorable Mentions:
Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson is a delightfully creepy Southern Gothic novel. I absolutely love the strangeness of the cover, with the bleak background and the oddly tilted girl. The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco has a gorgeous design, but also, look at that incredible shade of purple!
The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan: Choosing a single favorite book is really difficult for me. There’s so many different criteria one could go by! In the end, I decided to choose my comfort series, the one that I go to when I just want to sink into a world and not think. Obviously, that’s Harry Potter, but I didn’t want to go with Harry Poter, because, what a formulaic answer! So, I decided to go with my second favorite series: Sweep.
When the Sea is Rising Red & House of Sand and Secrets by Cat Hellisen: Felicita Pelim comes from wealth and privilege – but when her best friend commits suicide to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita decides to trade privilege for freedom. She takes to the streets, joins up with a gang, and gets caught up in a plot to destroy the city. In the first book, Felicita isn’t badass so much as resilient, but in the second book, after her marriage and move to another city, her prowess grows. She is every bit a lady, with all the selfishness and pride and willfulness that comes with growing up privileged, but she’s also compassionate, sharp, and snarky as hell. In a city where her family name means little, Felicita fights fiercely to bring justice to members of an oppressed caste who are being murdered and whose human rights are soon to be stripped.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin: This was Jemisin’s debut as well as my introduction to her. I remember picking this book up at a time when I was just so, so tired of all the generic white male fantasy being recommended to me. I don’t recall how I stumbled upon Jemisin’s book, but I do remember reading that it was unusual in many ways for a fantasy novel, particularly a debut. I loved it completely – it was a totally original world, and the narrative style – though not everyone’s piece of cake – was fantastic. In this book Jemisin explored Gods and creation myths all though the first-person perspective of a young black woman, and it was mind-blowing.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: As a nerd who reads a ton of non-fiction, narrowing this down to one book was tough. Eventually, though, it came down to The New Jim Crow. Michelle Alexander’s book is incredible not only because it is written in accessible language and puts forth a resonant thesis, but also because of the sheer amount of eye-opening information it provides. If you think the United States justice system is at all fair to those who aren’t wealthy and white, read The New Jim Crow. This book will completely overturn any false narratives you hold about the United States as a champion of justice.
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard: Okay, as a YA high fantasy, I don’t know if this book is necessarily for everyone, but I absolutely love it, so I’m including it on here. Not only is Truthwitch is an absolute achievement in worldbuilding, it features two fully fleshed out female leads who love each other more than anything else in the world. Their friendship is the thread that binds the plot together, even as they struggle against coups and political machinations. The magic system is intricate and incredible, and Dennard can write action scenes like nobody’s business.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson: I’ve read some of Dickinson’s short stories, and he seems to be fascinated by the concept of extremely difficult choices. A Sophie’s Choice, if you will. This whole novel is one big Sophie’s Choice, but you don’t really find out until the very end, in one of the most shocking, heart-breaking twists I’ve ever come across in literature. The main character, Baru, is an accountant who has had her home colonized by a brutal empire. She grows up with the goal of dismantling said empire and winning her home back, but the choices she has to make to achieve that goal may just break her. This book is utterly devastating. It’s a truly horrifying portrait of the brutal effects imperialism and colonialism has on people.
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer: I read the first book in this series and liked it well enough. I thought the second book would begin to answer some of the question posed in the first book. How wrong I was. Basically, Authority is a literary rendering of bureaucratic routine with some occasional weirdness thrown in. Pretty much nothing happens throughout this book; there’s a lot of meandering and asking questions, but nothing is answered or revealed. By the last third of the book I was truly struggling, and I began to skip significant chunks just to get to the end.
Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Mejia: I finished this book in a day and a half. I remember very clearly that I did not sleep until nearly four am the day I started reading this book, and probably would not have slept if I didn’t have to get up for work in the morning. This book is a murder mystery/thriller, told in alternating perspectives and using flashbacks. It also features one of my favorite tropes, but I won’t say what that is so I don’t spoil the book!
Hadeer Elsbai 