It’s hard to believe that 2024 is nearly over. It certainly was a tough year for the world, and one we will remember, for all the good and the bad. But one thing is certain: our favorite authors dropped some awesome books this year. So many fantasy books came out in 2024 that it was hard to keep track, between new installments in well-established series, standalones, and new sagas. To help you choose your next read, we’re rounding up five the best fantasy books that came out this past year.
Please note that this is obviously a subjective list. I wish I had read all the fantasy books that came out in 2024, but alas. My list of favorite books from 2024 will undoubtedly differ from yours, and we at Winter Is Coming would love to hear from you what your favorite fantasy reads were this year. For now, here is my list!
The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
The final installment in The Atlas Six trilogy by Olivie Blake, about magicians who battle each other to win spots in a prestigious magical society, came out in January, and we still have not recovered... I don’t know if I ever will. The Atlas Complex both destroyed and restored my faith in humanity at the same time, broke my heart and mended it. We lost some fan-favorite characters, and while the plot ventured into a chaotic world, Blake never failed to make readers feel privy to her characters’ innermost conflicts.
Was I happy with the ending? No, I may never stop crying about it, but I think it was the perfect conclusion for the story. 10 out of 5 stars, would highly recommend.
I can’t wait to see this story adapted on screen. If you already miss Blake’s writing, check out her slate of other novels: Alone With You In The Ether, Masters of Death, and One For My Enemy.
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
This year, Dr. Deborah Harkness gifted all A Discovery of Witches fans with a more intimate tale. The fifth installment in the All Souls series, The Black Bird Oracle, afforded Diana Bishop a break from preventing a war between magical species and allowed her instead to look inward and to uncover secrets about her family and herself. As she accepts a new version of herself and steps into her new powers, her familial bonds also strengthen.
This book is written so genuinely, and the author’s authentic love for New England and her alma mater Mount Holyoke College seep through every page.
If you need a rewatch of A Discovery of Witches, a TV show adapted from Deborah Harkness' original All Souls Trilogy, all episodes are now streaming on Prime Video in the US. Plus, Dr. Harkness also announced she’s making good progress on the next book in the series. I cannot wait.
I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
Peter S. Beagle is a true fantasy icon, and his latest novel I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons did not disappoint. The story starts out as a fairytale with all the classical elements of the genre, where everyone (the princess, the prince, the underdog, the evil wizard, and the dragons) seems to be destined for their predetermined roles. But this novel subverts expectations and reveals itself to be a whimsical and clever satire of the genre, which makes for a very fun read.
The protagonist is a reluctant dragon exterminator — a job that sounds way more fancy to us than it is in the world of the books, where dragons are more akin to pest than to fearsome beasts — named Gaius Aurelius Constantine Heliogabalus Thrax, aka Robert. He dreams of a different life and gets caught up in an extraordinary adventure.
Beagle’s most famous work, The Last Unicorn, published in 1968, is also a must-read for fantasy lovers.
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
A retelling of the Arthurian myth conceived for a modern generation, The Bright Sword tells the dark (and human) side of the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. We see the story through the eyes of a young knight who arrives too late, right after the once and future king has died. Camelot and Britain as a whole are on the verge of collapsing, torn apart by secrets and civil war.
Lev Grossman isn’t afraid to delve into the most disturbing aspects of the Arthurian myths that are often ignored by pop culture adaptations. The darkness is counterbalanced by quirky magical aspects and an army of underdogs.
Even Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin has praised the book, saying: “If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve.”
In case you want more of Lev Grossman’s writing, check out his adult fantasy trilogy The Magicians, which was adapted to the small screen with a wonderful series of the same name that aired on SyFy between 2015 and 2020.
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Best known for her bestselling Grishaverse series that was adapted by Netflix in Shadow and Bone, Bardugo brings us a historical fantasy story set against the backdrop of the Spanish Golden Age in her new novel The Familiar. The protagonist, Luiza, is a scullery maid who takes advantage of scraps of magical power to aid her in her tiresome job. When her secret is discovered, she is plunged into a scheme much bigger than herself.
A story like this may not be what you expect from this author, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating. The historical accuracy, the political machinations, the characters, their relationships… this standalone book has it all.
If this is not for you, you can always go back to Bardugo's beloved Six of Crows, aka perfection made into a book, or her other bestselling series Ninth House, where the protagonist explores Yale’s secret societies.
What was your favorite fantasy book this year?
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.