(In no particular order- for romance, sci-fi, and fantasy lovers!)
The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi: This gritty fantasy involves people with different colored blood and magical powers. If you like a queer wlw storyline with politics and action, definitely give this a read. It’s giving princess and the pauper except they both have something to hide and also maybe they’re falling in love. But also with a lot more grit- literally. There’s sand everywhere.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: I’d categorize this as a historical fantasy story with a budding friendship between a golem and a jinni, each bound in their own way. The golem and the jinni both end up in 1899 New York where each have to find their way and strike up an unlikely friendship after a chance meeting. Though romance is not the focus of the book, I hope it is explored more in the next book. (I plan on reading it soon!)
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruoccchio (really the entire Sun Eater Series): This sci-fi space opera series captivated my heart and my mind this year. If you like a grand space opera with a dramatic protagonist, intergalactic politics, lasting romance, alien war, cloning and selective genetics, body-tech augmentation, and creepy religion shit, all based in a far future setting… this is the book for you!
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: This book really spoke to me! This is a sweet fake dating romance with a queer pink-haired professor type and a rugby playing security guard with a heart of gold. This is probably the only protagonist I’ve thought, “She’s just like me!” All year. For that alone, it’s one of my favorites.
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows: This book is basically an arranged marriage plot between two nations gone semi-sideways with mlm and political upheaval in a fantasy setting. I liked the blossoming of romance between them and the culture clash. The main character heals from past trauma caused by heterosexist culture through love and acceptance by his new prince in a new, more accepting land.
The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard: This speculative fiction novel explores the idea of the future and past being places you can visit, just the next valley over. But there’s rules so the space-time continuum doesn’t break! The folks in this valley mostly go about life as normal, but in times of curiosity, love, and loss, their grief tempts them to visit the other valley.
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames: This is a laugh-out-loud fantasy novel where the now-elderly retired adventurers reunite and get the band back together for one last adventure to rescue Clay Cooper’s daughter, Rose, who is stuck in a city under siege. There’s some drama, sure, but mostly it’s hilarious.
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake: This is a wlw romance that blossoms between Claire (a young mom looking for stability in her small town) and Delilah (the black sheep photographer visiting home from New York life) while planning their mutual friend/relation’s wedding.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree: This is a sweet story about how an orc decides to hang up her sword and start a coffee shop in a new town. She finds good friends, community, and love. If you’re looking for a feel-good story in a high-fantasy setting, give Legends and Lattes a read!
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer: Annie is an AI made to be the perfect girlfriend for Doug. She satisfies his physical and emotional needs via cooking his meals, wearing clothes he picks out, and adjusting her libido to his moods. But Annie isn’t perfect- she isn’t the best at keeping everything clean. As Annie learns, she gets increasingly more “real,” and her relationship with Doug gets more complicated. This book has a lot to say about gender roles in relationships and how women are often left to juggle competing drives to clean, take care of children, and take care of their spouses. If even Annie Bot can’t do it all, who can?
These are my picks of 2024- Go forth and enjoy!
