How about a man who has studied fantasy fiction for two decades. featuring endless rooms, mysterious characters, and “A Great and Secret Knowledge.”Publisher’s summary: Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. He thinks he knows how he and Sylvia can step off the wheel of mortality altogether. They might have offered new depth to his world, but what fans have really been clawing for is a true followup to the saga of Logen, Ferro, Glockta and the rest. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. 96,814 ratings — The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Fans of fantasy that love an epic tale of Gods and familial strife, told through modern language and prose, with a powerful heroine at the helm. Once-sweet water turns foul. Where to Start: This best fantasy book of 2020 is the first in its saga. Megan Crouse writes for Star Wars Insider and Star Wars.com and is a co-host on Den of Geek's Star Wars podcast, Blaster Canon. Buy The Book of Dragons by Jonathan Strahan on Amazon. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. Where to Start: The Bone Ships is this is the first book in the upcoming Tide Child Trilogy. The Final Empire book. Den of Geek says: A lyrical, apocalyptic fantasy epic, Master of Poisons sends two very different characters into an unforgiving world in a creative new alternate empire.Publisher’s summary: The world is changing. published 2017, avg rating 4.25 —

Who is It For? Given the reception of its predecessor -- declared by critics as ‘arresting’ and ‘astounding’ and ‘utterly original’ -- it seems almost certain that this will be one of the best fantasy books for 2020. But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics. He has been a scholar, a warrior, a lover, and a thief. Where to Start: The follow up to The Ruins of Kings, make sure you read its predecessor. She returns with a haunted house tale (!) 556,003 ratings — Often, an author seems to drive right out the gate on a high, only for quality to dip over time as they become too familiar with their world, or ideas start to flounder and readers realise they aren’t going to get the answers or conclusions they crave.

46,293 ratings — Click ‘Learn More’ to jump to the book’s details. Who is It For? published 2011, avg rating 4.28 — Den of Geek says: Clarke’s atmospheric Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was an eerie, old-fashioned take on the fairy genre, delicate and complex at once. Read 27 710 reviews from the world's largest community f… This year, he is back with one of the best fantasy books for 2020, in the form of A Time of Blood. The Details: Established author Sam Sykes has seen great acclaim across his works in the genre. All he has to do is convince her. 26,475 ratings — Together, they will change Reykjavik forever. Who is It For? Awa, a young woman training to be a powerful griot, tests the limits of her knowledge and comes into her own in a world of sorcery, floating cities, kindly beasts, and uncertain men. 716,111 ratings — When Ulla Tulin was abandoned as a baby, like many half-blood trolls she was raised by strangers who hid her away. Type: Novel Publisher: Gallery / Saga PressRelease date: Oct. 13. Of course he’s got a part in it. Where to Start: Picks up from where award-winning Children of Blood and Bone left off.

Barker’s best fantasy book of 2020 promises action, ocean warfare, politics and epic fantasy. avg rating 4.45 — Transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Sir Able of the High Heart and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, the blade that will help him fulfill his ambition to become a true hero―a true knight.

The novel is inspired by African mythology, and draws heavily upon political influences of the continent and tribal culture.


16,120 ratings — A realm inspired by ancient Japanese dynasties, The Poppy War is crafted around a drug-addled state beset by violence and twisted magic. 108,811 ratings — 164,973 ratings — Fans of Trudi Canavan’s Black Magician trilogy. 43,964 ratings — If Fireborne can live up to this tagline, then we have no doubt it will have well-deserved its place on our list of the best fantasy books of 2020. The populace calls them assassins. Den of Geek says: Sagara’s urban fantasy sets itself apart with creative anthropomorphic characters. published 2009, avg rating 4.56 — I found her 2014 My Real Children to not nearly live up to its very high concept, but she’s one of those authors with technical prowess who is at least worth checking out for context for women’s science fiction. Publisher’s summary: A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm consisting of seven levels of reality.

Both characters — one an artistic rebel and one an antiheroic wizard addicted to magic — sound like they have specific and intriguing ties to their brutal, magical world.

Now, already back with the follow-up, fans of the first book don’t have long to wait before they can dive back into Lyon’s epic world. published 2008, avg rating 3.94 — Designed around ancient Japanese culture and concepts of shamanism, this book is for those who like a rich and character-driven story with dark and unexpected turns, Where to Start: The second book in the saga, start with The Poppy War, Who Is it For? Will the boys and Hurley be able to reclaim the Relic and pull The Raven back from the brink, or will they get lost in the weeds? published 2011, avg rating 4.41 — Released in September last year, A Little Hatred jumps into the future, and features the offspring of some of our most beloved characters, and the resurgence threats better left buried. This best fantasy book of 2020 has been described as a hybrid of Ender’s Game, How to Train Your Dragon and Ember in the Ashes. A dragon ends it all. For readers of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds. Den of Geek says: Headley got an intimate look at Beowulf in the modern interpretation The Mere Wife. When it comes to Susan Dennard’s The Witchlands though, this is far from the case. Based on the beloved blockbuster podcast where three brothers and their dad play a tabletop RPG in real time, The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal has it all: blossoming new friendships, pining for outlaw lovers, and a rollicking race you can root for! The best fantasy books of 2020 (in our humble opinion). It brings with it yet more epic storytelling, building on the successful outing of the books precursor, A Time of Dread. Got through all the new fantasy books of 2020 already released and can’t wait until the latter half of the year for the rest of the new fantasy books of 2020? 94,647 ratings — Now she brings sharp action and an indigenous perspective to high fantasy with a story inspired by the pre-Columbian Americas. This new entry could be a good entry point into the pre-existing canon, since it starts a new series in the same world. The end left us wanting much, much more, and luckily we’ll be getting exactly what we’ve been craving, with the release of The Dragon Republic. Baru’s enemies close in from all sides. This reprint of a 2004 duology provides both original stories in one paperback package. Buy Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston on Amazon. Fans of Ruin of Kings should be excited for this one. Den of Geek says: I’m always looking for a good book about dragons, and this incredible list of authors promises adventurous and unique stories. 43,255 ratings — They just want to paint. Known for his trope-defying narratives and intense dialogue, we’ve been served up a new fantasy book for 2020 that truly meets expectations. Yang, Patricia A McKillip, Brooke Bolander … it’s an astounding, literary-flavored list of people qualified to write cool creatures. The wind blows sand and sadness across the Empire. A monster seeks silence in his territory.