17 of our most anticipated fantasy and sci-fi books of 2024
By Daniel Roman
THE LOTUS EMPIRE by Tasha Suri (The Burning Kingdoms #3) — November 12
The Lotus Empire is the third and final book in Tasha Suri's The Burning Kingdom, an epic fantasy series that draws on Southeast Asian influences and sapphic romance. Priestess Priya and Empress Malini steered their respective nations into an alliance that gave them a chance at freedom from the oppressive patriarchal society which held them in a death grip. Set against that backdrop is the mysterious return of powerful nature magic with horrific consequences for those it touches.
The first two books in Suri's series, The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword, were excellent reads with beautiful magic and heart-rending relationships. The second novel ended on a massive cliffhanger that left Priya and Malini's future in question. The stakes are extremely high heading into The Lotus Empire, and given Suri's track record, there's every reason to expect a moving finale.
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The climax to the first arc of The Stormlight Archive series is coming and the fate of the world—and the Cosmere—will hang in the balance.
— Tor Books (Check Mark) (@torbooks) December 18, 2023
Add #WindandTruth by @BrandSanderson to your shelf Friday, December 6, 2024 ⚔️
Pre-order here: https://t.co/lvuA1LCmze pic.twitter.com/BleiCQ8kmC
WIND AND TRUTH by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive #5) — December 6
The big old searing finale to the year in fantasy and sci-fi books is, without a doubt, Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson. Any new Sanderson book is notable, but Wind and Truth is a particularly important book in Sanderson's massive catalog. It's the fifth book in Sanderson's opus, The Stormlight Archive, as well as the ending of the first arc of the series. After this, Stormlight will go on hiatus for a few years while Sanderson turns his attention to other books. When the series returns, it will be after an in-world time jump. All this means we're expecting some seismic events in Wind and Truth.
The Stormlight Archive is epic fantasy at its finest, with dense worldbuilding, deeply realized characters, magic, wonder and action galore. If you enjoy series like The Wheel of Time or Malazan: Book of the Fallen and haven't checked out The Stormlight Archive yet...all I can ask is why? It's right in that wheelhouse, and Sanderson's skills as a writer shine especially bright in these massive, door-stopping tomes.
The Knights Radiant and their spren companions are gearing up for the biggest showdown yet on Roshar. It's going to be a memorable read to end 2024.
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That concludes our round-up of our most anticipated fantasy and sci-fi books of 2024. But it should be noted that there are plenty of other exciting titles, especially in the back half of the year, which haven't had their release dates and covers revealed yet. We'll be keeping an eye out for updates about those books as the months pass.
Which books from this list will you be reading? Did we forget any that your'e especially excited about? Hit us up in the comments or on Twitter @WiCnet and let us know!
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