Epic & High Fantasy Hidden Gems

The Empire of Masks has swallowed Baru Cormorant's home, erased her father, and sent her to a distant country to serve as an Imperial Accountant. Baru has a plan: she will climb to a position of power in the Empire and use that power to destroy it. But the Imperial system is far more clever than she anticipated—and far more seductive.

A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett “Great fantasy detective stories are too rare, but Bennett—[a] rising star of fantasy—more than delivers.”—Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post “A thoroughly satisfying delight from start to finish.”—Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect. By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.

'A ground-breaking and extraordinary novel . . . Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination' Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones 'Mind-blowingly stellar in every respect . . . Fantasy readers, be wise and buy this book, because there's simply nothing like it' Novel Notions ***** The city of Guerdon stands eternal. A refuge from the war that rages beyond its borders. But in the ancient tunnels deep beneath its streets, a malevolent power has begun to stir. The fate of the city rests in the hands of three thieves. They alone stand against the coming darkness. As conspiracies unfold and secrets are revealed, their friendship will be tested to the limit. If they fail, all will be lost and the streets of Guerdon will run with blood. SET IN A WORLD OF DARK GODS AND DANGEROUS MAGIC, THE GUTTER PRAYER IS AN EPIC TALE OF SORCERERS AND THIEVES, TREACHERY AND REVENGE, FROM A REMARKABLE NEW VOICE IN FANTASY. ***** 'An absolutely stunning debut. Insanely inventive . . . I loved it!' Michael R. Fletcher, author of Beyond Redemption 'Utterly brilliant . . . Hanrahan is a total genius' Liz Loves Books 'Captivating . . . Guerdon is a city that seethes with history, horror and hidden secrets' Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld 'Already one of my favourite books from 2019 . . . Put simply, you need to read this.' The Fantasy Inn 'I'm confident that I won't find a greater book this year' BookNest 'Compelling . . . rich with dark and original wonders' Anthony Ryan, author of Blood Song 'A gripping, darkly inventive tale' James Islington, author of The Shadow of What was Lost

'The Ember Blade is hands down the best fantasy novel I've ever read' Grimdark Magazine Empires rise, civilisations fall and one culture comes to subsume another. It's the way of the world . . . sometimes ways of life are improved, sometimes they are not. But the progression of change is huge and - usually - unstoppable. In this story, the Ossian way of life is fading and the Dachen way is taking its place and Aren is comfortable with that. Even when his parents are accused of treason he supports the establishment and maintains there's been some mistake . . . which is all it takes to get himself and his best friend arrested . . . Thrown into a prison mine they plan their escape - only to be overtaken by events when they're rescued, and promptly find themselves in the middle of an ambush. By the time they've escaped, they're unavoidably linked to Garric - their unwelcome saviour - and his quest to overturn to Dachen way of life. If they leave Garric now, they'll be arrested or killed by their pursuers. If they turn him in, Garric will kill them. If they stay with him, they'll be abetting a murderous quest they don't believe in. There are no good options - but Aren will still have to choose a path . . . Designed to return to classic fantasy adventures and values, from a modern perspective, this is a fast-moving coming-of-age trilogy featuring a strong cast of diverse characters, brilliant set-pieces and a strong character and plot driven story. Readers can't put down The Ember Blade: 'I am absolutely in love with this book! . . . I was on the edge of my seat a few times. I laughed and I cried . . . I loved the characters, loved the story' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'One of the best in the genre for a very long time . . . a masterful balancing of new and old . . . a rather grand first instalment in a trilogy that could be one of the best epic fantasy has ever seen' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The island of goodness and hope for humanity in the sea of grimdark' Ed

The emperor rules with a magic built of stolen children's memories. His palace is filled with constructs—part animal, part human—powered by bone shards from living subjects who weaken and die as the magic drains them. His daughter Lin must find the secrets of the bone shard magic before a rebellion tears their empire apart.

In the Ambhan Empire, Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and a woman of the nomadic Amrithi people. When the Empire discovers her heritage, she is forced to marry a mystic of the Emperor's order—and discovers that the power she carries in her blood could either bind or free her.

In this dark and gripping debut fantasy that Miles Cameron called "gritty and glorious!" the exiled son of the king must fight to reclaim his throne no matter the cost. It is the richest empire the world has ever known, and it is also doomed. Governed by an imposturous Emperor, decadence has blinded its inhabitants to their vulnerability. The Yellow Empire is on the verge of invasion--and only one man can see it. Haunted by prophetic dreams, Orhan has hired a company of soldiers to cross the desert to reach the capital city. Once they enter the Palace, they have one mission: kill the Emperor, then all those who remain. Only from the ashes can a new empire be built. The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers, for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Young, ambitious, and impossibly charming, something dark hides in Marith's past--and in his blood Dark and brilliant, dive into this new fantasy series for readers looking for epic battle scenes, gritty heroes, and blood-soaked revenge.

In the aftermath of the battle of Golyn Niis, Rin is stranded, broken, and alone. She's lost everything—her home, her mentor, her people. The Republican forces offer her a chance to join their cause and fight the Mugenese Empire. But as Rin discovers what the Republic really wants from her, she must decide how far she'll go in pursuit of vengeance.

A darkly imaginative writer in the tradition of Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Neil Gaiman conjures a gritty mind-bending fantasy, set in a world where delusion becomes reality . . . and the fulfillment of humanity’s desires may well prove to be its undoing. When belief defines reality, those with the strongest convictions—the crazy, the obsessive, the delusional—have the power to shape the world. And someone is just mad enough to believe he can create a god . . . Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken—men and women whose delusions manifest. Sustained by their own belief—and the beliefs of those around them—they can manipulate their surroundings. For the High Priest Konig, that means creating order out of the chaos in his city-state, leading his believers to focus on one thing: helping a young man, Morgen, ascend to become a god. A god they can control. Trouble is, there are many who would see a god in their thrall, including the High Priest’s own doppelgangers, a Slaver no one can resist, and three slaves led by possibly the only sane man left. As these forces converge on the boy, there’s one more obstacle: time is running out. Because as the delusions become more powerful, the also become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. The question, then, is: Who will rule there?

For the first time in one volume, the unforgettable epic fantasy The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham, award-winning coauthor of The Expanse series. In a world of ancient empires and immortal magics, one man stands at the crossroads of history. The aggressively expansionist Galt empire has already conquered lands across a huge continent. But the cities of the Khaiem resist Galt's power with the andat creatures of magic with godlike powers. But magic and treacherous politics have brought a bitter harvest of violence and sorrow. Otah Machi, caught between ancient wonders and a modern empire, has survived more than most men endure in two lifetimes. He is the culmination of a complex inheritance, and his own existence is the fulcrum around which the wheels of epic history rotate through achingly poignant cycles of life and death, love and betrayal. Now, when the world seems utterly lost, all depends on Otah, and the lost loves and found family he has desperately hoped to protect from the tragedy that beckons. If they can summon the courage and power to forgive and resist darkness, all their hopes could be salvaged—along with their world. "There is much to love in The Long Price Quartet. It is epic in scope but character centered, with a setting both unique and utterly believable. The storytelling is smooth, careful, and—best of all—unpredictable."—New York Times Bestselling Author Patrick Rothfuss The Long Price Quartet includes: 1. A Shadow in Summer 2. A Betrayal in Winter 3. An Autumn War 4. The Price of Spring

'Excellent . . . one of the most interesting and original fantasy worlds I've seen in years' ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY 'Brilliant' ROBIN HOBB, author of The Assassin's Apprentice ***Winner of the Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel*** TWO NATIONS AT WAR. A PRIZE BEYOND COMPARE. For generations, the Hundred Isles have built their ships from the bones of ancient dragons to fight an endless war. The dragons disappeared, but the battles for supremacy persisted. Now the first dragon in centuries has been spotted in far-off waters, and both sides see a chance to shift the balance of power in their favour. Because whoever catches it will win not only glory, but the war. A brilliantly imagined saga of honour, glory, and warfare, The Bone Ships starts an epic new trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated RJ Barker. 'A vividly realised high-seas epic that pulls you deep into its world and keeps you tangled there until the very last word' EVAN WINTER, author of The Rage of Dragons 'An epic tale of duty and obligation and honour, and what bravery really means . . . I can't recommend it enough' PETER MCLEAN, author of Priest of Bones 'A viciously exciting adventure. I loved every second of it' TASHA SURI, author of Empire of Sand 'Swashbuckling awesomeness . . . a fascinating world and a twisty plot, both rooted in characters I came to care about. A definite winner' JOHN GWYNNE, author of MALICE 'The Bone Ships has already built up plenty of anticipation - and with good reason ... Barker's previous series, the acclaimed The Wounded Kingdom Trilogy, was a powerhouse of gritty fantasy, and The Bone Ships promises to launch one of this season's greatest, grandest dragon sagas' NPR

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the Teixcalaanli Empire to find her predecessor dead—and no one willing to admit it. She is sent to discover what really happened, while navigating a glittering, treacherous court where even language is a weapon and assimilation is pressure. A space opera about power, identity, and belonging.

When Rin aced the imperial examinations she earned a place at the elite Sinegard military academy. There she discovers she has a talent for shamanism — the ability to commune with gods. But the divine power she awakens is a curse that will plunge her and her empire into war.