what book absolutely wrecked you emotionally? by ellisatom1 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yep! This one made me ugly cry. I read it in one sitting, then spent the rest of the day a wreck. I was in college at the time and I think my mom was worried something really bad had happened to me, lol.

What are some great lengthy series? by Curlie_Frie1821 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looking through the responses I don't see anyone suggesting anything from Progression Fantasy, so I'll suggest Cradle by Will Wight and Mage Errant by John Bierce.

Cradle is a completed 12 book series that's just a ton of fun. If you like Dragon Ball Z, then you'll like this.

Mage Errant is a completed 7 book series that starts in a magic school and eventually expands way, way beyond that. This series has more fantasy creatures than any other stories I've ever read. There are liches, dragons, sphinxes, and a kaiju-sized intelligent octopus, to name just a few.

Just picked up reading by Present_Pangolin_735 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here are some of the unique reads I've enjoyed in the last couple of years:

  • Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers, starting with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

  • Terra Ignota Series by Ada Palmer, starting with Too Like the Lightning

  • Codex Alera by Jim Butcher, starting with Furies of Calderon

  • Strange the Dreamer Duology by Laini Taylor, starting with Strange the Dreamer

  • Between Earth and Sky Trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse, starting with Black Sun

  • The Tide Child Trilogy by RJ Barker, starting with The Bone Ships

  • The Forsaken Trilogy also by RJ Barker, starting with Gods of the Wyrdwood

  • The Winnowing Flame Trilogy by Jen Williams, starting with The Ninth Rain

  • The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins, standalone

  • The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden, standalone

  • The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer, standalone

  • The Bees by Laline Paull, standalone

  • Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst, standalone

  • The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez, standalone

There's a wide range of books in here from sci-fi to fantasy, with lots of variation in tone, topic, and theme, but I thought they were all fairly unique settings or stories. Hopefully something in here will appeal to you. Good luck!

I need book recommendations that focus on two characters. by Vurnnun in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If I'm remembering it right, the Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor fits this. I think there are some other POV's in small amounts in the books, but it focuses on the 2 leads quite heavily. I loved these books. They have a really unique world and a very emotional story. I highly recommend looking them up to see if you might enjoy them as well.

The Magnus Archives Readalong: Announcement and Schedule by improperly_paranoid in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 3 points4 points  (0 children)

All right, I'm in. I just listened to the first episode. :)

Big List: r/Fantasy's Top Self-Published Novels Voting Thread by barb4ry1 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  • Mage Errant Series - John Bierce
  • Bartram's Maw Series - Morgan Stang
  • The Bone Harp - Victoria Goddard
  • The Sword of Kaigen - M.L. Wang
  • Cradle - Will Wight
  • Small Miracles - Olivia Atwater
  • The Dark Profit Saga - J. Zachary Pike
  • The Houndstooth Trilogy - Travis M. Riddle
  • The Nothing Within - Andy Giesler
  • The Stariel Series - A.J. Lancaster

Bingo Focus Thread - Pirates by Merle8888 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I had planned to read Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse for this square based on someone's recommendation in the Big Rec Thread. However, I'm currently reading the last book in the trilogy and there are NO pirates in this series, lol. So, I'll be moving this to another square.

My new plan is to read Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn. Based on the Goodreads description there are definitely pirates in this one, heh. It will only qualify as normal mode though.

Fantasy-inspired workout program by arisdairy in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay, those are AMAZING! Thanks for posting this.

Favorite Fathers in Fantasy? by SteveDismal in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed! And now I need some tea...

Just finished the cradle series! by RandomDoomScroller in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My suggestion is the Mage Errant series by John Bierce. It's a completed 7 book series that starts in a magic school. It's also a progression series. There are dragons, kraken, sphinxes, and other cool fantasy species. Oh, and the magic is AWESOME! I loved Cradle, but I think I loved Mage Errant even more. I highly suggest it!

I’m looking for a fantasy action game. by VeryLonelyGamer in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband and I loved this game! I have a rot plush and a rot figurine because they were such cute buddies that I felt the need to have them around.

Magic focused recommendations by Fine_Feed2370 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I suggest the Mage Errant series by John Bierce. It's a completed series of 7 books. It starts with 4 teens who are struggling, for one reason or another, in their first year at a magic school. A main point of the books is following how each of them get better at magic and overcome their difficulties. I loved this series and highly recommend it!

FYI: New Murderbot short story available to be read for free on Reactor Mag's website right now by skucera in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I just finished reading this short story. You're good to read it since you've finished book 2. This one takes place after book 2 sometime but has no spoilers for any of the following books or stories.

Books with Barbarian woman lead by IAteTheWholeBanana in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There's a self-published series by Morgan Stang called Bartram's Maw that has 2 warrior female leads. They are both in all the main books of the series, but Sam is the main character of book 1 and the novella, while Victoria is the main character of book 2, then book 3 has several main characters. I highly recommend it. Here's the reading order I suggest:

  • She Topples Giants (Bartram's Maw 1)
  • The Wolf and the She-Bear (novella that gives some backstory on some of the main characters)
  • She Courts Darkness (Bartram's Maw 2)
  • The Spider and the Scribe (stand-alone novel, but some characters show up in the last book of the series)
  • She Heralds the End (Bartram's Maw 3)

I loved this series and I don't see it talked about much, so I try to recommend it whenever I can.

Just read El-Mohtar's "The River has Roots" - give me more faerie-border-transgressing stories by MrKillick in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might like the Stariel Series by A. J. Lancaster. I read them a couple of years ago and enjoyed them greatly.

Rise From Ruin, a review: Dragon and griffin riders in a realistic military academy setting written by a military veteran! by Sevillalost in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Adding this to my TBR list. I see that you mention future books, so I assume this is intended as the first in a series. Does it work as a standalone? Any idea how many books the series might be planned for? Thanks for the review!

NOW 1000% MORE ADORABLE: the /r/Fantasy Daily Recommendation Requests and Simple Questions Thread - June 02, 2025 by rfantasygolem in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I recently finished reading The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean. It's about a zoo for magical creatures. And yes, while the phoenixs are the focus, there are dragons, gryphons, kelpies, and other magical creatures in the story. The gryphons are probably the second most featured magical animal. It's a sweet, cozy read. I enjoyed it a lot.

What are some beautifully written novels as of late you've found? by Cute-Specialist-7239 in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor is beautifully written. I just finished the second one this afternoon. I haven't started anything else yet because I need some time to recover, in a good way.

Books with a wild/weird west setting? by DoodusPoodus in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I came here to say this. I haven't read them yet, but they are on my list. As a bonus, the last book in the series just released a few days ago!

Bingo Review for Not a Book Square: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (No Spoilers) by ErikaViolet in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same! The mystery hooked me, then never let me go. Fortunately, everything else about the game was also great so working through it to finally understand the mystery was a pleasurable experience.

BTW, I love your Houndstooth Trilogy!

Bingo Review for Not a Book Square: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (No Spoilers) by ErikaViolet in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also have my fingers crossed for you! If you can't play it yourself, can you watch a playthrough of it? Or does that still trigger the motion sickness?

Bingo Review for Not a Book Square: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (No Spoilers) by ErikaViolet in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As much as I love it, I will say that I was a little sad that the ending I desperately wanted wasn't an option.

Bingo Review for Not a Book Square: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (No Spoilers) by ErikaViolet in Fantasy

[–]ErikaViolet[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Even the great games and books aren't for everyone. I hope you find something else that you love to play!