2024 has been a great year for 2024's biggest new fantasy book, which concludes a decade's worth of storytelling by Brandon Sanderson. It's also true of new releases from Tasha Suri, John Gwynne, Sarah J. Maas, and Rebecca Roanhorse.
Sequels aren't the only great fantasy books to arrive in 2024; there are standalones and first installments that have helped define the year as well. Several of these hail from well-known fantasy authors, like Lev Grossman, Leigh Bardugo, and Sabaa Tahir. Others are pleasantly surprising additions to the genre, starting new stories that cemented themselves among the year's greatest hits. Together, they offer readers a wide range of fantasy stories to dive into, both in 2024 and beyond.
15 An Academy For Liars
By Alexis Henderson
Alexis Henderson excels at blending fantasy and horror in her books, and An Academy for Liars continues that trend with its dark academia narrative. An Academy for Liars follows Lennon Carter as she enrolls in Drayton College, a school specifically for honing the magical gift of persuasion. However, time spent at the institution reveals the darkness of the world Lennon has fallen into, and it could risk everything she's worked for.
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Lennon's story is a gripping one, and Henderson orchestrates it masterfully in An Academy for Liars. It was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee in the fantasy category, highlighting how well this 2024 release landed. Given its character work and standout ending, it deserves a spot among the year's best new fantasy books. The pacing does occasionally slow down during the story's first half, and there are a number of recognizable tropes. These don't stop An Academy for Liars from being an all-around fun read, however.
14 The Bright Sword
By Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman is best known for The Magicians series, but the author returned with a new story in 2024 — one just as likely to defy every fantasy trope you've ever known. The Bright Sword puts an intriguing spin on Arthurian legend, picking up with a young knight hoping to earn a spot at the Round Table. When he arrives in Camelot, however, he learns the king is dead, the court is in shambles, and his heroes aren't all that heroic.
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Another Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for the best fantasy book of the year, The Bright Sword is certainly one of the most memorable novels to arrive in 2024. Its modern take on a familiar narrative provides a fresh and emotionally resonant story that tackles a number of important themes. Grossman's latest adventure is a delightful surprise, even if it runs a little on the long side.
13 The Black Bird Oracle
By Deborah Harkness
It's no surprise that Deborah Harkness' newest addition to the All Souls universe is among 2024's best fantasy books, as The Black Bird Oracle provides a satisfying return to Diana and Matthew's story. If nothing else, The Black Bird Oracle proves that revisiting familiar worlds and characters can be effective, assuming an author has something interesting to say when doing so. And Harkness' exploration of Diana's family history and her predicament with the Congregation certainly qualifies.
Although this book feels like a bridge to the next chapter at times, it's hard to deny how fun it is to fall into these characters' lives once again.
The Black Bird Oracle feels like coming home, but it also helps set up a whole new story in the All Souls world. Although this book feels like a bridge to the next chapter at times, it's hard to deny how fun it is to fall into these characters' lives once again. The book's cliffhanger ending also promises more excitement to come, even if it's frustrating on first read. There's a reason this is a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee and highly rated on the platform.
12 The Familiar
By Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo's books have a tendency to sweep fantasy lovers away, and The Familiar is no exception to the rule. Bardugo's 2024 release marks a couple of firsts for the author, as it's her first standalone story and first foray into the world of historical fantasy. The book doesn't disappoint, painting a lush image of the Golden Age of Spain and using its fantastical elements to make the time period even more interesting.
As with all of Bardugo's books, it's obvious a lot of research and planning went into The Familiar, and it pays off in dividends.
As with all of Bardugo's books, it's obvious a lot of research and planning went into The Familiar, and it pays off in dividends. Its world-building alone warrants its inclusion among the best books of the year, as well as the Goodreads Choice Awards nominees. The romance, characters, and writing are all masterfully handled. If anything, The Familiar's biggest shortcoming is that it comes on the heels of many other great stories by Bardugo, making it difficult to live up to her greatest works.
11 A Sorceress Comes To Call
By T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher is another author whose name comes up on many best-of lists in the fantasy and horror categories, and that's for good reason. The author's 2024 release, A Sorceress Comes to Call, earns its spot among the year's greatest hits, proving the power of dark retellings when done well. Goose Girl isn't a Brothers Grimm story that gets much mainstream attention, but A Sorceress Comes to Call pulls out the most intriguing details and runs with them.
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While A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark take on Goose Girl, it's a more hopeful and uplifting story at its core, and that makes it an incredibly satisfying addition to 2024's fantasy lineup. Its world-building, character writing, and nuggets of humor all contribute to its success. There are plenty of great references to the original story, and all of this comes together to make T. Kingfisher's latest quite memorable.
10 Heavenly Tyrant
By Xiran Jay Zhao
The long-awaited sequel to Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow is finally on shelves, and it's undoubtedly one of the most exciting fantasy books to come out this year (even if it's release date nearly pushes it into 2025). Heavenly Tyrant builds on everything readers love about Iron Widow, reminding them why Zetian's story was such a hit in the first place. Those looking for well-crafted female rage and a solid progression of plot will find it here, even if Heavenly Tyrant doesn't quite match the first book.
Books In The Iron Widow Series In Order |
Release Year |
|---|---|
Iron Widow |
2021 |
Heavenly Tyrant |
2024 |
It certainly comes close though, firmly establishing itself among the best fantasy releases of the year and the best sequels. Heavenly Tyrant really pushes the boundaries of its young adult categorization, but its mature themes and unflinching approach to justice only elevate this story. It's exciting to return to Iron Widow's world, and Heavenly Tyrant will only increase the demand for another sequel.
9 Emily Wilde's Map Of The Otherlands
By Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is hailed as one of the best cozy fantasy books out there, and its 2024 sequel manages to recapture the charm and fun of its predecessor. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands' 4.30 average Goodreads rating is a testament to its success, as is its Goodreads Choice Awards nomination. It manages to sur the previous book, which isn't always easy for a highly anticipated sequel to do.
The characters are the heart of this sequel, and it's thanks to them this book lands among 2024's best fantasy releases.
Emily and Wendell's latest adventure makes them even more likable as characters, and it continues everything readers love about the first book — from its journal entries to its intriguing magical world and creatures. The characters are the heart of this sequel, and it's thanks to them this book lands among 2024's best fantasy releases. While there are certainly more epic fantasy narratives to dig into, this one offers a fun reprieve that's no less poignant or worthwhile.
8 Heir
By Sabaa Tahir
Sabaa Tahir's return to the Ember in the Ashes universe was one of the most exciting fantasy developments of 2024, and Heir did an impressive job of reviving the beloved series with a new generation of characters. The first book in Tahir's new duology, Heir proves that next-generation follow-ups can be done in a way that doesn't feel gimmicky or repetitive. It features everything readers loved about An Ember in the Ashes, from stunning prose to complex but compelling characters.
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Heir is a must-read for fans of Tahir's previous series, and the book's themes and narratives will appeal to newcomers just as easily. Its 4.33 Goodreads rating and nomination in the Goodreads Choice Awards' young adult fantasy category highlights how effective it is at depicting the aftermath of An Ember in the Ashes. Even if a few of the book's twists are predictable, Tahir's latest resonates nearly as well as what came before. It also leans darker than many other YA options, though it obviously doesn't come close to some of the grittier adult fantasy releases of 2024.
7 House Of Flame And Shadow
By Sarah J. Maas
much-anticipated ACOTAR crossover, making it a promising addition to Maas' lineup.
Books In The Crescent City Series In Order |
Release Year |
|---|---|
House of Earth and Blood |
2020 |
House of Sky and Breath |
2022 |
House of Flame and Shadow |
2024 |
Unfortunately, House of Flame and Shadow doesn't really raise Crescent City to the heights of Maas' other two series, despite being a satisfying conclusion and overall fun read. It leaves a lot on the table story-wise, and Bryce fails to fully evolve as a character. While it's one of the biggest and best books of the year, it pales in comparison to a finale like Kingdom of Ash. There's a reason this book won Reader's Favorite Romantasy in the Goodreads Choice Awards, but it falls somewhere in the middle of the genre's best 2024 releases for these reasons.
6 The Tainted Cup
By Robert Jackson Bennett
Robert Jackson Bennett's The Tainted Cup is a surprise standout in the fantasy genre in 2024, though given the success of Foundryside, readers probably should have seen it coming. The Tainted Cup kicks off the author's Shadow of the Leviathan series, and for a first installment, its reception is overwhelmingly positive. It boasts an impressive 4.31 average Goodreads rating, and it's among the 20 books to be nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in the fantasy genre.
The Tainted Cup's greatest strength stems from its ability to masterfully blend genres, as it's just as much a mystery-thriller as it is a fantasy narrative.
The Tainted Cup's greatest strength stems from its ability to masterfully blend genres, as it's just as much a mystery-thriller as it is a fantasy narrative. This element of Bennett's story is heavily praised, though its ability to tackle serious subjects and compelling central character dynamic are also among its highlights. The Tainted Cup proves a promising start to the author's new series, though it doesn't quite reach the epic levels of 2024's best sequels and finales, which make up the year's top five fantasy titles. Perhaps its follow-up will.
