2023 was an exceptional year in reading for me. First because I read more books this year than I had read in previous years. Second because of all the connections that I’ve made in the book community through BookTube as well as FanFiAddict. I read so many wonderful books this year. This list is by no means the only ones I enjoyed but just the cream of the crop of an outstanding group of books.
The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft
The Severing Son follows two main POV characters, Vahldan and Elan.
Vahldan, the son of an outcast didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. But as circumstances often do, that decision was taken from him all at once. Is he capable of doing what it takes to serve justice on those who hurt his family? Is he really the subject of an old prophecy.
Elan, a warrior in her own right stumbles across the family of the Outcast on the day his family was attacked. Now she is thrown into the position of protecting the Outcast’s son who may be the Bringer of Urrinan. Elan must decide where she belongs, whether that’s with the people she loves or the man her life has been to be entangled with.
The Severing Son was an epic read that is light on the fantasy. The story that Roycroft tells is compelling and you will find yourself lost in the pages of this exceptional book.
Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb
Ship of Destiny is the sixth book in The Realm of The Elderlings and the outstanding conclusion of The Live Ship Traders trilogy. Here we find the fate of the Vestrits of Bingtown as well as the reunion between Althea and her beloved liveship Vivacia. Something that I loved about this book was how much it surprised me. I was genuinely shocked by some of the reveals that took place. When you think you have things figured out, Hobb will throw something completely different at you. I was definitely on the edge of my seat in the last 250 pages of this book.
The Stand by Stephen King
Full disclosure, It actually took me most of a year to complete The Stand but that had nothing to do with a lack of enjoyment.
The Stand falls into more than one genre in my opinion. It is without question a post apocalyptic survival story while also an epic fantasy lived out in modern times. It also has a hint of horror and suspense thrown in there thanks to master storyteller Stephen King. If that doesn’t peak your interest I’m not sure what will. Also, if you are interested in tackling Stephen King’s fantasy series The Dark Tower, the stand is a great place to start.
Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
Light Bringer is Pierce Brown’s sixth and penultimate Red Rising Novel. It follows our beloved cast of characters led by Darrow O’Lykos. War is coming to Mars and it seems nothing can stop that. Will Darrow return to Mars to fight along side his wife or towards the outer planets to deal with the mysterious Volsung Fa?
Light Bringer was my personal favorite of all the Red Rising novels. With a convergence of nonstop action and deep character building moments Pierce Brown has brought us a page turner of a book!
Return To Edan by Philip Chase
We always hope to find the next book or series of books that will become an all time favorite and that transcends the reading experience. The Edan Trilogy was that for me this year. Each book in this series is a step up until we get to Return To Edan which has become my favorite fantasy book of 2023 and one of my favorite books of all time.
This story is complete with fully realized characters that you fall in love with or love to hate. If you are not careful you will find yourself feeling sympathetic for characters that you had already decided were unredeemable which is part of the beauty of the story. We are challenged to see our fellow man, not through the lens of race or religion, but simply as people who deserve kindness, respect and even forgiveness. In his book, Chase delivers a message of mutual love for one another while not at all sounding preachy.
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