We've finally reached the end of 2025, and while certain events in reality might have left us feeling worn down, the fantasy worlds 2025 provided were just the escape we needed. The supernatural and mystical worlds we enter through books buoy us up, and the best books give us the strength to carry on in the real world. Fantasy truly is a valid form of literature and should be considered as such.
Some snobs in the literature world don't see the value of fantasy, and don't like to consider the genre on par with more "elevated" realist topics. But fantasy provides a unique medium to teach us about ourselves and the world in a way that regular fiction isn't able to. We discover truths about the natural world as we delve into the supernatural. And these 2025 books gave us treasures of knowledge to sit with and continue learning from into the new year.
1. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Released in June, V.E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a dark fantasy that deals with themes of power, toxic love, and rage. Three women, in different centuries, are connected to one another through their desire for freedom and autonomy, and also the fact that they are each turned into vampires. The grief and fury are so raw that one might wonder if Schwab has personal experience with vampirism.
Written with Schwab's lyrical style, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil shows each woman grappling with the curse of immortality. It does not shy away from female rage, and it lays bare the horrors of living with such an insatiable hunger for blood. It also discusses feeling like an outsider in multiple ways, as the women have sapphic love stories. Goodreads readers voted this novel as their favorite fantasy in 2025, and it is well-earned, as the story stays with you long after you put the book down.
2. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
The word katabasis in mythology means a descent into the underworld. The novel, Katabasis, is the story of Alice and Peter, two grad students studying magick, and their journey through Hell to find the soul of their professor. It's one thing to have studied Hell; it's another thing to experience it. And, this isn't a tale of bravery and noble character. Alice and Peter are rivals in their program and are only searching for their professor out of guilt that they were the ones who caused his death.
There are failed tests and betrayals on their not-quite hero's journey that lead to more deaths, and the reader will wonder multiple times if Alice and Peter are doomed to Hell for eternity. Alice is such a relatable character, though, especially for anyone who has had hellishly manipulative professors and a tinge of perfectionism. The combined mythos from different cultures also creates a rich and detailed landscape of the afterlife.
3. The Strength of the Few by James Islington
The Strength of the Few is the second book in the Hierarchy series, and it is a phenomenal read. The plot is complex and full of heavy themes, as it continues Vis's story after the explosive cliffhanger of the first book. Vis has gone through the Gate and is cloned so that there are three of him, each in their own dimension. The rest of the novel jumps between the three, showing how certain choices can lead to vastly different outcomes.
This sequel is not to be read without the first book, The Will of the Many, but they are both worth it. If you're still on the fence about the Hierarchy series, check out Winter is Coming's interview with author James Islington and a full review of The Strength of the Few by fellow contributor, Ash Anjum.
4. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
The Devils is a gory, extremely dark, comedic fantasy. The banter and one-liners of this group of monster outcasts are second only to their love for their found family. Set in a fantasy version of Medieval Europe, The Devils is the story of a secret group of monsters, imprisoned by the Church, and their mission to help restore the princess of Troy to her throne.
If you're uncomfortable with lots of blood and death, this will be a pass for you. But, if you love historical fantasy like Game of Thrones, you're in for a witty, heart-filled, and savage treat!
5. The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
The Raven Scholar is not the book to pick up if you want some light reading. It has over 600 pages, so it's more along the lines of a Brandon Sanderson novel. But, it is a novel that you will fly through and then be confused at how you finished it so quickly.
The story follows Neema, a scholar in the Raven faction, who must solve the murder of one of the competitors for the emperor's throne. Oh, and she must also take the place of the murdered competitor. Magic, mystery, torture, death, and political intrigues will have you glued to the pages, and possibly screaming at the characters like you would when watching a horror movie. You'll love the characters anyway, even if they do make frustrating decisions, because Antonia Hodgson has written them to feel so real.
6. The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
The River Has Roots is a beautiful tale inspired by the folk song, "The Two Sisters." Thankfully, the book is unlike the song in that one sister drowns the other out of jealousy. Esther and Ysabel are two loving sisters who live near the border between the mortal realm and the land of the faeries. When a scorned suitor kills Esther, she will do anything to make sure her sister is not his next victim.
The magic in this book is incredible, and it shows just how enchanting the words we speak can be. Communication and language are able to break the bonds of death. The novel manages to turn a simple murder ballad into a fairy tale with heart.
7. A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
Another murder mystery fantasy, A Drop of Corruption, is the second book in Robert Jackson Bennett's Shadow of the Leviathan series. It continues the story of imperial investigators Ana and Din, this time trying to solve the locked-door murder of an imperial treasury officer. As more clues surface, Ana and Din realize that the entire Empire could be at stake.
The first book in the series, The Tainted Cup, was a fantastic read that felt like an Agatha Christie novel if you add magic and myth. A Drop of Corruption builds and expands that world and the characters, upping the stakes as the very source of magic could be lost if Ana and Din fail. The third installment, A Trade of Blood, releases in June 2026, so you won't have to wait too long after being thoroughly affected by this book.
8. Grave Empire by Richard Swan
The first novel in The Great Silence series, Grave Empire is set in the same world as Richard Swan's previous series, Empire of the Wolf. Two centuries have passed since the ending of the first series, and now magic has been banned by the Empire, while an industrial revolution begins to take the place of the arcane. When two monks have illegally contacted the afterlife and were met with silence, the people fear their world may be at its end.
Swan does a great job of combining fantasy with Lovecraftian-type horror, and you will feel that fear of the unknown right along with the characters. Where Empire of the Wolf was all about law and order, Grave Empire breaks free of those constraints and thrives on the dark and illegal aspects of the world. You don't have to read the Empire of the Wolf series to understand this one, but Swan excels at creating a narrative that haunts you in all of his writing.
These books deserve to be counted as literature because each one made a significant impact on their readers. They all provided an escape while also sharing deep truths about identity. If you missed out on them earlier, now's the time to catch up before the incredible fantasy of 2026 overtakes your reading list.