10 Underrated Fantasy Reads to Add to Your TBR

Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel The city of Ebora once gleamed with gold. Now, its streets are haunted by wolves, and its empire crumbles. Tormalin the Oathless would rather drown his guilt in wine and women than watch his homeland decay. So when eccentric explorer Lady Vincenza “Vintage” de Grazon offers him a way out—hunting monsters and recovering lost artifacts—he takes it. Joined by a fugitive witch with a fiery temper, their journey soon leads them into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. The ancient enemy known as the Jure’lia are stirring once more, and the world stands on the brink of devastation. Epic, immersive, and thrilling, The Ninth Rain is the first book in the award-winning Winnowing Flame trilogy—perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff.

Tea never meant to raise her brother from the dead, but one tragic accident changes everything. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch—a title feared and shunned by her community. When an older, wiser bone witch takes Tea and her resurrected brother to another land, she begins training to become an asha, a wielder of elemental magic. But mastering her craft isn’t easy, and Tea struggles to find her place in a world that mistrusts her power. As dark forces rise and danger looms, Tea must confront the cost of her abilities. Will she embrace the power that sets her apart—or let it consume her? Perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove and The Cruel Prince, The Bone Witch is a spellbinding tale of magic, identity, and sacrifice.

A library apprentice. A deadly magic. A prince with secrets. Vhalla Yarl has spent her life surrounded by books, content in the quiet world of the imperial library. But when she unknowingly saves the life of Crown Prince Aldrik, she discovers a rare and dangerous power hidden deep within her—one that could change the fate of the Solaris Empire. Drawn into a world of sorcery, war, and a prince as dark as he is alluring, Vhalla is faced with an impossible choice: embrace the magic that could make her a weapon in the empire’s final conquest, or suppress her power and remain the girl she’s always been. With forces conspiring in the shadows, Vhalla must decide who she truly is—before her indecision costs her everything. Air Awakens is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Two nations locked in an endless war. One dragon that could change everything. For generations, the Hundred Isles have waged war using ships forged from the bones of ancient dragons. Though the dragons have vanished, the battles have raged on, driven by ambition and the quest for dominance. But everything shifts when the first dragon in centuries is spotted in distant waters. Its return ignites a desperate race—both sides know that capturing the creature means more than glory; it means victory. As the pursuit intensifies, alliances will shatter, secrets will surface, and the stakes will rise higher than ever before. Who will claim the ultimate prize, and at what cost? A sweeping epic of war, power, and dragons, The Bone Ships will leave you breathless.

In 1899 New York, Chava, a golem created from dark Kabbalistic magic, arrives alone after her master dies at sea. Struggling to hide her true nature, she is taken in by a rabbi who recognizes the creature she is. Ahmad, a jinni from the Syrian desert, is freed from centuries of imprisonment but remains bound to the physical world by a cursed iron band. Lost in the city, he yearns for freedom. When Chava and Ahmad’s paths cross, their unlikely bond grows. But as Chava’s violent instincts threaten to consume her, a greater danger emerges, forcing them to confront a powerful enemy and make an impossible choice. Can they survive a world that seeks to destroy them both?

Empires rise and fall, cultures clash, and change is unstoppable. Aren has always accepted the Dachen way of life, even as it subsumes the fading Ossian culture. But when his parents are accused of treason, his faith in the system is shattered—and his defense of the establishment lands him and his best friend in a prison mine. Desperate to escape, their plans are derailed when they’re rescued by Garric, a rebel leader with a bloody mission to overthrow the Dachen regime. Now, Aren faces impossible choices: turn Garric in and risk death, leave him and face certain capture, or join his cause—one Aren doesn’t believe in. With no good options, Aren must decide who he is, what he stands for, and how far he’s willing to go in this gripping coming-of-age epic.

Eight hundred years after The Lord Aiduel ascended to heaven, leaving behind a forcibly united Angall, the world is once again divided—torn by war, religious persecution, and the threat of an ancient mystery. Four young men and women find their lives shattered when they begin developing forbidden supernatural abilities. As their powers awaken, so too does a haunting vision of the ethereal Gate—a dream that binds them together and hides the key to their fates. Amidst conflict, love, and betrayal, they must navigate lands consumed by chaos while evading sinister forces determined to destroy them. But their powers may hold the answer to survival—and the secret to unraveling a destiny far greater than themselves. The hunt has begun, and the Gate beckons.

On the frigid edge of the Kaigenese Empire, the warriors of Kusanagi Peninsula defend their homeland with powers that rival the sea itself. For fourteen-year-old Mamoru, mastering these legendary skills isn’t just family duty—it’s the key to protecting his home. But when a mysterious outsider shatters Kaigen’s carefully spun illusions of peace, Mamoru realizes he may be racing against time to become the warrior he’s supposed to be. Meanwhile, his mother Misaki has buried her past as a fighter, focusing instead on being the ideal wife and mother. But with war looming and her son asking questions, her forgotten skills are hard to ignore. As danger closes in, will the Matsuda family unite to face their true enemy, or destroy each other first?

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders. Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet. But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city. With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

Princess Inosolan’s carefree childhood ends abruptly when she is sent away to a finishing school, leaving behind her beloved friend, the stableboy Rap. As Inos learns the skills expected of noble ladies, she finds herself drawn into a world of intrigue, magic, and danger. Meanwhile, Rap discovers his own mysterious powers, ones that could change both their lives forever. But when Inos catches the eye of a charming suitor with dark, hidden motives, she realizes her heart and her kingdom may be at risk. As the gods begin to meddle, Inos and Rap are thrust into an adventure that will test their bond, their powers, and their destiny. With goblins, fauns, and imps adding a fresh twist, this fantasy adventure promises danger, mystery, and magic at every turn.