10 fantasy and science fiction books to read in December 2023
By Daniel Roman
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The holidays are here! Over the course of the year, we at WinterIsComing have been compiling releases of new fantasy and science fiction books each month, and now, at long last, we’ve arrived at the end of the road. There’s no better way to spend time over the holidays than swept up in a good story, and we’ve got more than a few for you to consider. Come along on our last sci-fi and fantasy book round-up of the year, starting with:
THE BITTER CROWN by Justin Lee Anderson (The Eidyn Saga #2) — December 5
It’s hardly been six months since the release of Justin Lee Anderson’s The Lost War, the first novel in his epic fantasy Eidyn Saga, but already he’s back with the sequel. This series follows a group of adventurers as they try to set their kingdom to rights, staving off monsters, curses, and a sinister plan to turn the hearts and minds of the people.
The Lost War concluded with a massive twist that totally recontextualized the story. The Bitter Crown continues the tale, showing how Aranok, Allandria and the rest of their Dungeons & Dragons-style adventuring party tackle the seemingly insurmountable next leg of their journey.
A war once held in the shadows now escalates into full-scale revolution in the second novel of Justin Lee Anderson’s epic Eidyn Saga.
The fog of war is lifted and the conspiracy at the heart of Eidyn finally exposed. Now that they know the truth, Aranok and his allies must find a way to free a country that doesn’t know it’s held captive. But with divided loyalties and his closest friendship shaken, can their alliance hold against overwhelming odds? The quest to retake the country begins here.
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GRIEVAR’S BLOOD by Alexander Darwin (The Combat Codes #2) — December 5
Another hotly anticipated sequel that’s coming out this month is Grievar’s Blood, the follow-up to Alexander Darwin’s martial arts sci-fantasy novel The Combat Codes. Similar to The Lost War, The Combat Codes only came out a few months ago. Fantasy fans who don’t like to wait on sequels are eating good this month!
In the world of The Combat Codes, wars are a thing of the past. Instead, nations settle their disputes with organized fighting matches between champions. The Combat Codes was the story of a young martial artist named Cego who is plucked from his life in the slums and enrolled in an elite fighting school that trains these champions, called Grievar. It had some top notch fight scenes praised by fantasy readers and professional martial artists alike, and a setting that calls to mind genre-bending epics like Final Fantasy. From the sounds of it, things are only going to get bigger and bloodier in Grievar’s Blood.
In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight in the Circles so that the rest can remain at peace. But given the stakes, things are never so simple. The Daimyo govern from the shadows and plot to gain an edge by unnaturally enhancing their Grievar Knights.
Cego and his team return to the world’s most prestigious combat school, The Lyceum. Though he’d like to focus on his martial studies, Cego feels the pull of his mysterious past and two missing brothers.
Solara Halberd, daughter of the fighting legend, embarks on her own quest to bury the past. She must utilize every lesson her father taught her to explore unknown lands where evil lurks in the shadows.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Fun fact: Both Justin Lee Anderson’s The Lost War and Alexander Darwin’s The Combat Codes were originally finalists in the sixth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off back in 2020, before they were later picked up for re-release by publisher Orbit. They’ve come a long way, from the SPFBO brackets to releasing their traditionally published sequels on the very same day!