ICYMI: January Top Selling Books Readers Couldn’t Stop Buying

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The books Apropos readers picked up most in January

January reading habits are always a little revealing. New year energy meets comfort reads, ambitious fantasies, and stories readers already trust to deliver a solid emotional return.

This month’s top sellers lean heavily into romantasy, dark fantasy, and suspense, with a few literary and historical standouts holding their ground.

If you were wondering what other readers were actually buying, not just talking about, this list has answers.

January’s Top Selling Books at Apropos

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Smoke and Scar

Gretchen Powell Fox

Romantasy, Sword and Sorcery

Birthed in shadow and forged in fire, the Arcane Crucible forces enemies into uneasy alliances. A haunted fae warrior and a vengeful human knight must survive deadly trials while confronting grief, hatred, and forbidden attraction. Readers praise Smoke and Scar for its slow burn romance, rich worldbuilding, and emotional stakes, earning 4.4 stars on Amazon and over 5,000 Goodreads ratings.

Bloody Black

Rhiannon Hargadon

Dark Fantasy, Romantasy

Betrayed and left for dead, a fallen princess returns as a ruthless pirate known as Bloody Black. As vengeance drives her across the seas, capturing a loyal enemy officer complicates everything with desire and doubt. This dark pirate romantasy blends revenge, power, and forbidden attraction and holds 4.4 stars on Amazon with strong reader acclaim.

Shōgun, Part One

James Clavell

Historical Fiction

A shipwrecked Englishman. A ruthless warlord. A world where honor is everything. Shōgun, the novel that inspired FX/Hulu’s record-breaking Emmy-winning series, is a sweeping epic of feudal Japan, forbidden passion, and political intrigue. James Clavell’s masterpiece is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and edge-of-your-seat storytelling.

The Haunting of Blackwood House

Darcy Coates

Horror, Supernatural Horror

A skeptic inherits a house that refuses to stay quiet. The Haunting of Blackwood House blends creeping dread, isolation, and mounting terror as one woman faces a haunting she refuses to believe in. From bestselling author Darcy Coates, this gothic ghost story holds 4.3 stars on Amazon and over 16,000 Goodreads ratings.

House of Earth and Blood

Sarah J. Maas

Paranormal Romance, Romantasy

House of Earth and Blood follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-Fae woman shattered by loss, and Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel bound in chains, as they hunt a killer through a modern city of magic and corruption. Grief turns to reckoning, and attraction becomes dangerous. This #1 New York Times bestseller holds 4.7 stars on Amazon and over one million Goodreads ratings.

Ringmaster

Des Sweet

Paranormal Romance, Romantasy

A demon prince binds his fate to a mortal woman inside a traveling circus where Hell and Heaven hunt for her soul. As prophecy demands her death, love threatens to unravel an entire realm. Ringmaster blends dark romantasy, obsession, and destiny, earning 4.4 stars on Amazon and strong early praise on Goodreads.

The Wicked in Me

Suzanne Wright

Romantasy

Hunted by immortal Aeons, witch Wynter Dellavale flees to Devil’s Cradle, where monsters rule and survival comes at a cost. Drawn to the dangerous Cain, she must confront the dark force awakened inside her. This spicy fantasy romance delivers sharp banter, high stakes, and sizzling chemistry, earning 4.6 stars on Amazon and strong reader praise on Goodreads.

A Ruin of Roses

K.F. Breene

Fairy Tale, Romantasy

A cursed dragon prince rules a kingdom locked in time, and the woman who trespasses into his forest may be his salvation or his undoing. Captured and forced into the heart of the curse, Finley must face desire, danger, and the cost of breaking dark magic. Rated 4.3 stars on Amazon with over 64,000 Goodreads ratings.

Abandon

Blake Crouch

Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Horror

A vanished mining town, a century-old mystery, and a modern expedition trapped by a deadly blizzard. As journalist Abigail Foster searches for answers, survival becomes the only goal. This atmospheric thriller blends historical intrigue with relentless suspense and brutal stakes. Rated 4.0 stars on Amazon with over 20,000 ratings and nearly 32,000 on Goodreads.

An Enchantment of Thorns

Helena Rookwood & Elm Vince

Fairy Tale, Romantasy

A quiet bargain with the fae turns a village tithe into a dangerous captivity rooted in old magic. When Aster Wilden is claimed by the Beast of Folkwood, she enters a cursed court where rules twist and mercy costs blood. To earn her freedom, she must unravel enchantments and confront a captor whose menace hides a fractured heart. An Enchantment of Thorns delivers a slow burn romantasy steeped in fae lore and transformation.

1% Lifesteal

Robert Blaise

Fantasy, LitRPG, Sword and Sorcery

A near-death encounter grants Freddy Stern a rare lifesteal ability in a post-apocalyptic world built on violence. Each kill makes him stronger, but also more ruthless, forcing him to question what survival is costing him. This LitRPG opener delivers relentless progression and moral tension, earning 4.6 stars on Amazon and strong Goodreads praise.

Butcher & Blackbird

Brynne Weaver

New Adult, Romance, Romantic Suspense

Two serial killers who only target monsters form an unlikely bond that grows darker and more intimate each year. As Sloane and Rowan’s friendship turns romantic, the violence they leave behind begins to close in. This BookTok-favorite dark romantic comedy mixes murder, heat, and sharp humor, earning 4.3 stars on Amazon and massive reader buzz.

First Light

Elizabeth Hunter

Fairy Tale, Portal Fantasy, Romantasy

A vanished lover leads a mythology professor into a hidden world of portals, doppelgängers, and ancient magic. In the Shadowlands, Carys Morgan discovers a dangerous gift and an impossible love triangle that could cost her everything. Readers praise First Light for its rich Celtic mythology, dragon bonds, and emotional depth, with 4.6 stars on Amazon and strong Goodreads acclaim.

Little Monsters

Adrienne Brodeur

Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Set during a tense Cape Cod summer, this literary family drama follows two adult siblings and their unraveling father as long-buried secrets come to light. Ambition, dependence, and loyalty collide inside a small, volatile household. Little Monsters is a national bestseller with 4.1 stars on Amazon and more than 18,000 Goodreads ratings.

The Bone Witch

Rin Chupeco

Paranormal Romance, Romantasy, Teen + Young Adult

Tea can raise the dead, and that power makes her an outcast. Taken far from home to train as a witch, she is drawn into a world of beauty, danger, and forbidden magic where every spell carries a cost. The Bone Witch is a richly imagined dark fantasy with 4.4 stars on Amazon and wide critical acclaim.

The Lodge

Jeremy Eads

Horror, Occult Horror, Supernatural Horror

In a forgotten Virginia town, a demon runs a bed and breakfast where sin is the price of entry. A guilt-ridden retiree, two boys, and violent criminals are drawn into its web as the search for redemption leads straight into hell. A chilling Southern gothic horror with 4.3 stars on Amazon.

The Magicians’ Guild

Trudi Canavan

Coming of Age, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy

A slum girl’s single act of defiance exposes a dangerous, hidden power the ruling magicians fear. Hunted across the city, Sonea must survive long enough to learn control or risk destroying everything she knows. This classic epic fantasy earns 4.3 stars on Amazon and 4.0 stars on Goodreads from tens of thousands of readers.

What Fury Brings

Tricia Levenseller

Romantasy

A warrior princess kidnaps a prince to claim her throne, but power shifts when desire enters the battlefield. What Fury Brings delivers brutal politics, forced proximity, and dangerous attraction in a matriarchal fantasy world. From New York Times bestselling author Tricia Levenseller, this adult debut holds a 4-star Amazon rating and bold reader response.