I thought about 10. Thought about 15. But I couldn’t. So, I’ve narrowed it down to my favorite 20 books I read in 2018! Even with 20, I left A LOT of really good books off the list. I think I read in the neighborhood of 70 books over the year, so 20 is like, 8.628382% of 70, yes? (I don’t math) Here they are, in no real particular order!

Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence

Ok, well maybe there’s a slight order, because if push came to shove, Grey Sister was probably my favorite book of 2018. Just…all the stabby nuns…the bonding & camaraderie between the Novices…ALL THE FEELS! This series grabbed me right away, and became an instant favorite. Nona is an incredible protagonist, and the two books in this series have fucking blown me away. The wait for Holy Sister is almost unbearable. SOON!!!

The Winter Road by Adrian Selby

An absolutely gut-wrenching novel…I mean, fuck. Parts of this book just broke my feelings. The writing was like nothing else I read this year, and Teyr Amondsen is easily one of the most fascinating & unique main characters I’ve ever met. I have complicated feelings about this being a standalone (because I could read SO MUCH MORE in this world), but it also was very cool to read something so self-contained. One of the very best fantasy novels I’ve ever read!

Jade City by Fonda Lee

One of those books where I had no idea what to expect, and just fucking loved it so completely. This book just drips with atmosphere, and is BEGGING to be adapted for the screen. A gangster story, set in a somewhat modern (no cell phones!) fantasy version of Hong Kong, EPIC kung-fu battles, and people with enhanced abilities brought on by the use of magical jade. This was so fucking badass!!

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

This was the first full-length novel I read by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire (I had previously read Mira Grant’s Star Wars novella in Canto Bight), and it floored me. This book reminded me so strongly of some of my VERY FAVORITE book-reading and movie-going experiences…there were some JAWS & Jurassic Park vibes for sure, and the mix of sci-fi & horror had me feeling as excited about reading as I was when I first read Michael Crichton as a teenager. This was so well written, fun, and absolutely CREEPY AF!! Goddamn…those mermaids…those teeth….

Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

I had been away from the First Law world for entirely too long, and getting back into it was fucking delightful. Who does this better than Joe Abercrombie, really? That trademark humor, the gut-punchy moments, the ferociously violent battles. I think Shy South is one of Abercrombie’s greatest characters…I just loved her from the start. The grimdark-western vibe was perfect…LOVED THIS!!

Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

I don’t know what more I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said. It’s completely brilliant. It’s so endlessly imaginative and readable…Senlin Ascends isn’t really any one thing. It’s lots & lots of things, and seems like that incredibly rare book that everyone would find something to love about. I can’t wait to carry on with this series in 2019!

We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson

This book just thrilled me from the first page. Madson juggles three different first-person POVs beautifully…each character has such a distinctive voice. The world she has created is incredibly vast, but the stories all feel very personal. Miko was my favorite character in the book, but there are so many interesting people in this one! What I really need to do in 2019 is go & read Devin Madison’s Vengeance Trilogy, set before the events of We Ride the Storm!

Someone Like Me by M.R. Carey

A story about family, trauma, surviving, mental illness…there’s a lot to absorb in Someone Like Me. It’s beautiful & touching, twisty & turny. This is a really thoughtful novel, and one with some rather disturbing elements as well. The growth of the main character, Liz Kendall, is astonishing over the course of this book. Gah…such a unique & affecting novel!!

From a Certain Point of View -Various

This is as entertained as I’ve ever been by a Star Wars book, really. 40 different stories, all centered around minor/background characters from A New Hope, in chronological order with the movie. It was a fucking genius concept, and it was executed perfectly! I think this could easily be someone’s entry point into reading Star Wars books! Daniel José Older’s story was the highlight for me, but there’s so many incredible stories here…Nnedi Okorafor’s, Paul Kemp’s, Pierce Brown’s, and Rae Carson’s stories also really lingered long after reading. This collection is AMAZING!!

The Heart of Stone by Ben Galley

Prior to The Heart of Stone, I hadn’t read much in the way of self-published books, and what I had read was…unimpressive. This book single-handedly changed the way I think about self-published fantasy novels, and has made me want to seek WAY MORE out to read in 2019! Galley is a tremendously talented writer, and I fell in love with this book straight away. Task is one of the more unique main characters ever…he’s a massive sentient golem, for fuck’s sake! His friendship with Lesky, a scrappy young girl he meets in a war camp, was just delightful to watch unfold.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

This is the grimy supernatural post-apocalyptic series I didn’t know I needed! Fucking AMAZING debut by Rebecca Roanhorse, and an introduction to one of the most complex & badass monster fighters I’ve ever met, Maggie Hoskie. Set on the Navajo reservation after the Big Water flooded much of America, this book is just packed with creepy weirdos & kickass fight scenes! Moreover, Trail of Lightning was written with tons of heart, and it was an emotional read. Storm of Locusts is for sure one of my most anticipated books for 2019!

The Queen of Crows by Myke Cole

Myke Cole has proven over the course of the two released books in his Sacred Throne trilogy that page count has nothing to do with how truly epic a story can be. THESE BOOKS ARE FUCKING UNREAL!! The Armored Saint could have just as easily been on the list, but The Queen of Crows was a whole other level of tension & big feels & FUCKING SAVAGERY…Cole is deeply unkind to his main character, Heloise. And, goddamn, she is easily one of my favorite characters OF EVER! I am dying to see how he wraps this up with The Killing Light!

City of Lies by Sam Hawke

The second-to-last book I read this year, and it slid onto this list after reading just a few chapters. Beautifully written, addictive as fuck, and really quite unique! There are passages in this book that are fully white-knuckle death-grip-on-the-book intensity! Some incredible character moments, a sprawling city with lots of history, treachery, POISONINGS!!! Get this book!!!

The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S. Belcher

Holy shit, this book was WILD! Belcher is not afraid to take this book to some very dark places, but it’s all balanced with humor & some pretty out-there bonkers scenes. The overall effect is that it’s a really fun read, but it can get deadly serious in a hurry. I loved the use of the urban myths & creepypastas here…truly, there is something deeply unsettling about the Black-Eyed Kids in this book. I really need to get my hands on the second book, King of the Road!

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

The Wayward Children books could not be more magical, and this is my favorite of the first three, easy. It’s the darkest of the three, but still, there’s something deeply comforting about this series. It’s almost like putting on a favorite hoodie, in book form. Seanan McGuire’s imagination is something otherworldly…it’s like the Wayward Children books are sprinkled with actual magic!! There’s all manner of monsters in this one, human and otherwise. There’s a sadness & gloominess that hangs over this one, but it’s also full of love & hope & beauty. I am in literal awe of this author.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

I mean, what a complete fucking blast this book was! White introduces us to Boots and Nilah, two characters from completely different walks of life, on the unlikeliest of collision courses with one another. And these two play so well off each other…just deeply layered characters with their own stories, trying to understand one another & survive together. Oh, also this book has totally bonkers car racing. And magic. Almost everyone can cast magic. IN SPACE!!! The scope of this story is MASSIVE, and White just nailed it. I really need to get going on A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy!!

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

This book is the complete opposite of the sophomore slump. As much as I loved Kings of the Wyld, I really think Eames outdid himself with the follow up. As with the first book, Bloody Rose is JAM-PACKED with every conceivable kind of monster! These books are fun & fast-paced, but also incredibly tender & human…Nicholas Eames will break your goddamn heart, for sure. Tam Hashford was the perfect POV character to carry this story…she is all heart, and seeing this world through her eyes was an incredible experience!

Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon

I always wanted either Boy’s Life or Swan Song to be my first McCammon novel, and I’m really glad I chose this. This book was every bit as magical as I had heard it was. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and it’s almost a tactile experience, as we go from one season to the next with Cory Mackenson, age eleven. The themes in this book are dark & intense, but also everything is just tinged with this sense of wonder & discovery. Gah….this is such an amazing coming-of-age story, beautifully told, and a great reminder of how much more Robert McCammon I should be reading!

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

The Powder Mage trilogy was so fucking incredible…my first experience with anything approaching flintlock fantasy, and I just ate it up. This second book improved upon just about everything from Promise of Blood. The cast of characters grew more diverse, the stakes were raised WAY HIGH, and this world just felt more & more real. I am REALLY need to get going on the Gods of Blood and Powder books…and alllll those Powder Mage novellas…goddamn!!!

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

This book was just too epic to leave off the list. This one sat on my shelf intimidating me for far too long. It is a fucking door-stopper, for sure. But I found it quite easy to read, and even though it took me quite awhile to get through, the book never felt laggy in any way. My first Sanderson novel, and I think it was a good place to start!

Ridiculously Honorable Mentions (aka it gutted me to leave these off the list):

-Void Black Shadow by Corey J. White

-Annex by Rich Larson

-Skyfarer by Joseph Brassey

-The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

-The Bottoms and/or Deadman’s Road by Joe R. Lansdale