It’s been a year. I’ve read 52 books in total, a lot for me. A book a week. But let’s break that down a little more. 52 books. 8 trad. 44 indie.
This isn’t a coincidence. I’m finding myself more and more fed up with trad publishing at the moment. I don’t feel it’s marketed at me, nor am I particularly excited by it anymore.
Indie publishing is on the up and the authors have limitless creativity. There are no shackles. Authors are rejecting the query trenches and writing what they want to write. The biggest trad pub I read this year I found lacking – rushed and nothing but a tick box exercise with weak characters. Not ideal for a character-driven novel.
Rant aside, I’m focusing my top reads solely on indie books. I did 5 last year. This year I’m doubling it.
10 Shattered Spirits The Fall of Ishcairn by Cal Black
The first SFINCs competition slammed into my TBR in December 2023 and demanded my attention for the entirety of January 2024. ELEVEN books read in total: Cora Christensen by Tanner Howsden, Roxy Buckles by Nicole Little, The Re-Emergence by Alan K. Dell, A Mirage in the Memory by Simon Tull, The Collector’s Lost Things by Jessica McMinn, We’re All Monsters Here (more on that later) by Amy Marsden, Ruins of Smoke by Joao Silva, A Wolf in Thief’s Clothing by Lily Anne Crow, Dark Heart of Ilmore by Cara Delaney, and … The Fall of Ischcairn. (Psst, it was more than 11 but the others I read in December 2023.)
Where did this even come from Cal? This steampunk pseudo-Prussian aggressor horror story? It’s brilliant. It’s terrifying. An astounding read.
Shattered Spirits is a ride. The writing is a tightly woven spring that unleashes a visceral horror until the end. Buy. This. Book.
9 The Boddicker Letters by AC Cross
My Duolingo buddy, and the bastard who once rolled two 19s when I gave him disadvantage on a skill check during our D&D campaign. These are just two strings to AC Cross’ bow. A third string is oh man this guy can write.
The Boddicker Letters is a Lovecraftian epistolary that’s as fantastic as it is utterly disgusting. It’s a true homage to the classic horror, with Cross delivering otherworldly scaremongering in spades. I’m still unsettled months after reading it.
Titular main character Titus Boddicker is a hapless protagonist. The letter format of the narrative gives a great vehicle for his descent into madness. Cross is at his gruesome best as reality unfurls.
There’s a twist in the tale too and you won’t see it coming.
Seriously though, two 19s?
8 Sledge vs The Labyrinth by Nick Horvath
SLEDGE TO THE MOTHERFUCKIN EDGE BABY
I love this book. You love this book. If you haven’t read it, you’re going to love this book. It’s not even a fantasy or sci fi story but Sledge has found a home in the SFF indie community. Nick Horvath’s debut is brutal. You better read it to find out why the main character is named after a hammer.
I’ll say it again, this guy makes Kratos look cosy.
With near constant action, brutal fighting and the most cathartic bloody violence committed to prose, Sledge is an experience and likely a repeat read for when you want to take a sledgehammer to a stressful day.
Be a sledgend and read my review. Review: Sledge vs The Labyrinth by Nick Horvath | FanFiAddict
7 A Wolf in Space
Alex Valdiers’ space western was a great start to the year. I’d read A Choice of Weapons for SFINCS in December 2023 and requesting an ARC prior to A Wolf in Space coming out was a no-brainer.
Malvius and his majestic sideburns ride their way through the stars atop a flying space horse. Gunfights, bully-busting and space mafias makes this a science fiction frontier story to savour.
It’s a space spagehtti western that’s carving out its own little niche in the SFF sector. There aren’t many books filling out this particular space but I’d hope we see more like the Raoke Gang series.
The only negative about this one is that I lent my signed copy to a friend and I haven’t gotten it back yet. Chelu, I’m still waiting here.
I reviewed this one too: Review: A Wolf in Space by Alex Valdiers (The Raoke Gang #1) | FanFiAddict
6 His Ragged Company
Rance is a twisted sumbitch ain’t no mistake. An’ this here warlock-rustlin’ weird western is a grotesque display of guns n’ gore. It’s also seriously good.
Elias Faust is the sorry ass protagonist who gets his ass kicked on most pages. Fievel Goes West this sure ain’t. More like Fievel Goes Postal.
I’d strongly recommend the audiobook of this one as the narrator gives a solid performance as the gritty sheriff Elias. It’s also very satisfying to hear the kooky and colourful cast of characters come to life.
I’m a huge fan of a weird western, so if you’re anything like me you need to take this to the top of your TBR to experience it.
You can see my more in-depth thoughts in my review: Review: His Ragged Company by Rance D. Denton (The Testimonies of Elias Faust #1) | FanFiAddict
5 We’re All Monsters Here by Amy Marsden
This vampire novella was, quite frankly, obscene. I felt unclean reading it. I even called my mother and apologised. Sex, violence and murder, all swimming in fountains of blood. A cold shower read, make no mistake. It’s absolutely fucking filthy. That’s why it’s so bloody good. Heh, see what I did there? It’s a vampire story. Ah, nevermind.
Vampire Anna arrives at a secluded retreat for the elite. Her POV casts an interesting take on how vampires operate. In this case, bide your time to feed until you let loose in an all-you-can-eat blood buffet.
A fast paced-plot keeps everything racing along. There are twists and turns thrown in that make Anna’s feast a little more complicated than she intended.
4 Dark Town by Palmer Pickering
I read this as a palette cleanser after a particularly-heavy trad pub novel. I wanted to disengage my brain and just read something easy. LitRPGs serve this purpose for me. So, how dare you, Palmer Pickering. How dare you write something so captivating? I didn’t want to fall in love with the daring duo of Temerity and Half Pint the goblin but you went and made me do it anyway.
In all seriousness, the Dark Town series is an automatic buy for me. Fantastic characters. A LitRPG that isn’t rules heavy yet still scratches the itchy inner loot goblin. Skills are earned through enchanted jewels. Equipping certain colours grants different abilities. Simple, straightforward, so if you’re curious about LitRPG but are worried it’ll be overwhelmingly complex, read this first.
It’s my first time reading a novel by Pickering, it certainly won’t be the last as Dark Town’s follow-up, The Swamp, is out in 2025 and I’m itching to read it.
3 Peace in the Sky by Caye Marsh
Caye Marsh’s hazy sci-fi is another SFINCS find, this time from the more recent 2024/2025 competition. The titular main character Peace in the Sky is as enigmatic as they come. Her head wound slowly causing her to deteriorate as the novella progresses yet her deadly streak is never nullified.
It’s an ultimately tragic tale. Themes of motherhood and a punishing climate make this a harsh read but still a captivating one.
Marsh somehow captures perfectly a wounded character’s base instinct to nurture. We learn about the character only through her interactions with the world and its denizens. It’s a bold but flawlessly executed vision, making Peace in the Sky a unique experience of a read.
2 The Envoys of War by Dave Lawson
Remember when fantasy used to be funny? Lawson’s fantasy debut is a sweary and satisfying story from first to last. I called it one of the best indie debuts of 2024 for good reason.
There’s a lot to love in this one but ultimately it’s the affable cast of misfit characters that won me over. Charming and laugh-out-loud funny but not afraid to mix in some serious character moments too. Justice for Francois.
I coined the term “sidequest fantasy” for Envoys. It’s a plot that sets down one path before firmly focusing on how best to make the characters shine. These are the people who aren’t the chosen ones, and they have a worthy story to tell.
I’m really happy to see the book is making waves in the indie community. The author is a genuine guy and this book follows suit. I hope that we don’t forget to put more fun into fantasy in 2025.
If you missed my review of Envoys, I got you. Review: The Envoys of War (The Envoys of Chaos #1) by Dave Lawson
1 Undead Samurai by Baptiste Pinson Wu
There’s sometimes a book that comes along where you’re absolutely unprepared for. A book that you misjudge. Then you read it and you fall in love. Undead Samurai is my book of the year for 2024. Pinson Wu finds an Edo pulp zombie formula that reads like Tarantino having a go at a Yojimbo remake.
Deeply-flawed characters are the front and centre of why this book is so good. Their goals and motivations are heartfelt. Each fully rounded by an author on song. Samurai zombies are as lethal as you might expect.
Good (or good as their reputation would indicate) as the protagonists are, there’s rather too many undead for them to handle. A near-constant unease makes this damn near terrifying to read but impossible to put down.
Never has the striking of a drum impacted such fear in a reader than it does in Undead Samurai.
Fanfiaddict contributor Sean raved about it in his review: REVIEW: Undead Samurai by Baptiste Pinson Wu | FanFiAddict
Support Indie Authors!
So, there you have it. Ten top indie books. Next year, even more indie books! More reviews. We’re really going places with self-published Sci Fi and Fantasy and I can’t wait to see new voices emerge on the scene. Please consider supporting the authors on this list if any of the stories strike a chord. You won’t be disappointed.
Until then I hope you enjoy getting through your TBRs and consider supporting all of the authors mentioned above.
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