Our 10 best fantasy and science fiction books of 2023
By Daniel Roman
The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe
Of all the novels that I read in 2023, I think The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe wins the award for the one that I read the fastest. I blasted through this sci-fi action horror novel in about two days flat because I could not put it down no matter how hard I tried. Need to do errands? Hope they can be done with a book in hand, otherwise they'll have to wait.
The basic setup for The Blighted Stars is that a spacecraft carrying the heir to a prestigious mining family crashes on the planet it was sent to investigate, only to find that it's inexplicably barren. That heir, Tarquin Mercator, then has to assume command of his fellow survivors in order to figure out why the planet's ecosystem—which was supposed to be healthy—has mysteriously failed. Helping him is a space marine named Naira Sharp, who has a grudge against the Mercator family she'll have to wrangle with as she tries to decide if the bookish Tarquin is a friend or foe.
The tale of survival on the planet forms of the core of The Blighted Stars; more than once I was reminded of stories like Aliens or The Last of Us as Tarquin and Naira fought through one horrific situation after the next. There's also a heavy dose of romantic intrigue; Tarquin and Naira begin as untrusting allies, but being stranded on an alien planet has a way of bringing people together. Or driving them apart. The Lord of the Flies terror as the group of survivors gradually crumble is another thing I loved about The Blighted Stars.
As with Martha Wells and Witch King, The Blighted Stars is the first book I've read by Megan E. O'Keefe, and it was good enough that I belligerently shouted at people to read it for months on end. Consider me a fan.
Beyond the compelling characters, setting and story, The Blighted Stars also featured a game-changing twist that made for a pretty wild set up for book 2. The sequel, The Fractured Dark, also came out in 2023, though alas, I have not had time to read it quite yet. The third book is expected sometime in 2024.
The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
Next up is the final installment of Andrea Stewart's debut fantasy trilogy The Drowning Empire. The Bone Shard War continues the story of Lin, Jovis, and everyone's favorite talking otter-thing Mephi. The mystical Alanga are returning to the world, meaning people are waking up with elemental powers. Many will have to choose their allegiance in the war to come.
It's no easy thing to wrap up an ambitious epic fantasy trilogy, but The Bone Shard War totally nails it. The book is unpredictable from the outset, starting with a time jump that sees some of our characters pick up months after the cliffhanger ending of the second book, The Bone Shard Emperor. The series has a bunch of long-running mysteries, and at long last we got answers to some of our biggest questions about the moving island chain of the Phoenix Empire, as well as the clouded history of those who once inhabited it.
The Drowning Empire is a charming, powerful series. It still feels weird to think that it's actually over, which is a testament to how well drawn the characters and world are. By the end of The Bone Shard War, we've wrapped up many of the largest plotlines of Stewart's trilogy, while still leaving enough open that the world feels like it will continue to live on even after shutting the book.