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37 editor’s picks matching Fantasy
Best for readers who like LitRPG chaos, dungeon survival, dark humor, escalating rules, and high-stakes plans.
A Parade of Horribles
Fantasy · LitRPG · Sword and Sorcery
Our take
An Amazon Charts #1 this week, Carl and Donut reach the tenth floor, where a series of races, strange glitches, and whispers about the eleventh floor point to bigger dangers ahead, with a 4.8-star rating from more than 14,300 Amazon reviewers. Best for readers who like LitRPG chaos, dungeon survival, dark humor, escalating rules, and high-stakes plans.
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About the book
It’s off to the races in the explosive eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.
Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.
Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”
Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.
Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.
So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
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Recovery never lasts long for Harry Dresden, especially when an old debt pulls him into a favor for a man he would rather avoid.
Out Law
Fantasy · Urban Fantasy
Our take
Recovery never lasts long for Harry Dresden, especially when an old debt pulls him into a favor for a man he would rather avoid. In Out Law, a reluctant job for Marcone forces Harry to protect someone he does not trust while facing a demonic threat tied to one of his own past decisions. This novella delivers sharp supernatural tension, hard-earned fallout, and fast-moving urban fantasy action.
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About the book
The past comes back in a big way for Chicago’s only professional wizard in this action-packed novella from the #1 New York Times–bestselling Dresden Files.
In a city that’s just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently—and quite annoyingly—shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets.
It starts with a visit from Harry’s most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who’s looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it’s not a request he can refuse. He’ll just wish he had.
Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn’t want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn’t trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could’ve expected: an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago.
Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world . . .
“Butcher checks all the boxes when it comes to satisfying readers’ expectations. The paranormal fantasy elements are on point . . . The author maintains the exciting pacing and intensity throughout, powering the narrative with an abundance of high-octane action sequences . . . Dresden fans will enjoy this bite-sized supernatural adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A great series—fast-paced, vividly realized and with a hero/narrator who’s excellent company.” —Cinescape
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Desire turns dangerous when three tangled hearts chase answers through the shadows of Sleepy Hollow.
Legend
Fairy Tale · Romantasy · Gothic Romance · Paranormal Romance
Our take
Desire turns dangerous when three tangled hearts chase answers through the shadows of Sleepy Hollow. In Legend, Katrina, Ichabod, and Brom push deeper into the mystery of the Headless Horseman while buried secrets and possessive longing threaten to tear them apart. This fits dark romantasy with its gothic setting, obsessive tension, and supernatural menace.
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About the book
"A strong conclusion that keeps the mystery compelling and finally sheds light on the coven’s history and Salem ties. I loved the way the story unfolded, even if the epilogue felt a little too neat for the darker retelling vibe." - Apropos Books
An Instant USA Today Bestseller!
The scorching conclusion to Hollow, a sexy, dark reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Welcome back to Sleepy Hollow. Though Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Crane, and Brom Bones have begun to pull apart the bone-chilling mystery of the Headless Horseman, their journey is far from its end. As they share the enigmatic halls of Sleepy Hollow Institute, their lives become increasingly entangled. Amidst their exploration of dark desires, Kat grapples with the affections of two possessive men who hunger not just for her, but for each other.
As their passions deepen, unsettling secrets within the school's ancient coven come to light, threatening to unravel the very fabric of their existence. Each must face a profound test, with one harboring a hidden past that could shatter their newfound unity.
In a suspenseful tale of desire, obsession, and the ever-lurking shadows of Sleepy Hollow, these three souls will be pushed to the brink, facing the chilling consequences of their deepest secrets and darkest cravings.
Watch your head.
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It fits readers who want gothic romantasy steeped in witchcraft, forbidden attraction, and a sinister, haunted atmosphere.
Hollow
Romantasy · Fairy Tale
Our take
In Sleepy Hollow, desire and dread twist together as old loyalties rot beneath the surface. In Hollow, Kat Van Tassel is pulled between her vanished childhood betrothed and her enigmatic professor while a string of brutal murders points to something far darker than legend. It fits readers who want gothic romantasy steeped in witchcraft, forbidden attraction, and a sinister, haunted atmosphere.
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About the book
"A fresh, magic-infused take on Sleepy Hollow that adds mystery, tension, and just enough romance to keep everything deliciously complicated. Hollow feels like a retelling with real purpose, not just a rehash." - Apropos Books
An Instant USA Today Bestseller!
A sexy, dark fantasy reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where Katrina Van Tassel doesn't have to choose between Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane, and there are worse things haunting them than the Headless Horseman.
Kat Van Tassel's life was predestined from childhood; she was to marry her best friend, Brom Bones. But Brom vanished from Sleepy Hollow years ago, leaving Kat alone to enroll in Sleepy Hollow Institute, a shadowy university for advanced witchcraft run by her powerful family. And now she finds herself drawn to the school's enigmatic new teacher, Ichabod Crane, as he delves into dark magic.
When Brom returns, suffering from amnesia and a dark transformation, the trio must confront gruesome murders attributed to a vengeful spirit, The Headless Horseman, while navigating their tangled relationships.
As Kat, Ichabod, and Brom seek answers, their bonds deepen, and forbidden desires take hold. But Sleepy Hollow holds secrets more sinister than they imagined. The Headless Horseman lurks, threatening to claim them, while something even more terrifying looms in the shadows. Embark on a journey of dark mysteries, desire, and danger in the eerie heart of Sleepy Hollow.
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It’s a strong pick for readers who want urban fantasy with emotional weight, high-stakes chaos, and a hero trying to save a city while figuring out what’s left…
Twelve Months
Fantasy · Fantasy Adventure · Urban Fantasy
Our take
Chicago is still reeling, Harry Dresden is barely holding himself together, and the next disaster has already started knocking. Twelve Months puts Harry in the middle of grief, rebuilding, political fallout, prowling monsters, and a deadly engagement that is somehow not even the only problem on his plate. It’s a strong pick for readers who want urban fantasy with emotional weight, high-stakes chaos, and a hero trying to save a city while figuring out what’s left of himself.
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About the book
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AN INSTANT USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?
One year. 365 days. Twelve months.
Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.
In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that's the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time.
But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.
It's been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of Harry Dresden the man to rise to the challenge?
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When gods treat mortals as pieces on a board, vengeance can echo across centuries.
Hades’ Daughter
Fantasy · Epic Fantasy · Historical Fantasy
Our take
When gods treat mortals as pieces on a board, vengeance can echo across centuries. In Hades' Daughter, the fall of Troy sends the warrior Brutus eastward under divine vision, unaware he walks into a legacy of betrayal rooted in the ancient Labyrinth. This mythic historical fantasy weaves Greek legend, cursed bloodlines, and power struggles into a sweeping saga of destiny and revenge.
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About the book
Ancient Greece: A place where the gods hold mortal life cheap, mere playthings to amuse, delight, and abuse at their will.
But those puny mortals are not wholly devoid of power and at the core of their fabulous city-states lies the Labyrinth, where they can shape the powers of the heavens to their own design. When Theseus entered the Labyrinth and came away with the prize of freedom and his beloved Adrianne, Mistress of the Labyrinth, his future seemed assured... Until he abandoned her for the unforgivable sin of bearing him only a daughter, and the world seemed to change. From that day forward, all the Labyrinths in the ancient world started to decay. It slowly became clear that power was fading from the city-states.
Was it the natural decline that comes to all cultures or was it because the power of the Labyrinth had been corrupted by a woman spurned?
A hundred years pass—Troy has fallen and the Trojans are a scattered and humbled people. The warrior Brutus is of the line of kings and gods. He wears the golden kingship bands of Troy proudly—but they are his only mementos of a former glory, for he is a man without a country and is left little else but pride and a memory of the latent power that he could wield if but given a chance. When he receives a god-sent vision of a distant shore where he can rebuild the ancient kingdom, he will move heaven and earth to reach his destiny.
Ever eastward he is drawn, to a lovely and mystical green land that offers him a haven—and a dream of power and conquest. Nothing will deter him... not even the entreaties of the young princess whom he took as his wife and bedded against her will. First her hatred—and now her love—torment and bind him. She is the only one who realizes the danger he is stepping into, and she will do anything to save him... and his son, whom she carries in her womb.
For in the mists of Albion there lies a woman of power—a woman who has used her siren call to cloud Brutus's mind and has her own reasons for luring the warrior to these lush shores....
She is the long-descended granddaughter of Adrianne, and she has in her heart a hatred that has been passed down for generations. Her plans for Brutus will enact a revenge that could destroy the gods themselves.
If Brutus makes the journey successfully, it will be the next step in the Game of the Labyrinth and might start a complicated contest of wills that could span centuries....
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Magic promises certainty, but its greatest weakness is the person who wields it.
The Flaw in All Magic
Fantasy · Steampunk · Urban Fantasy
Our take
Magic promises certainty, but its greatest weakness is the person who wields it. In The Flaw in All Magic, a nonmagical investigator is pulled back into a warded university after an impossible murder exposes cracks in a city built on spells. Forced to rely on logic, old grudges, and uncomfortable alliances, he uncovers a mystery where intellect matters more than power.
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About the book
In a city of magic, it takes a man with none to solve an impossible murder.
Tane Carver can't use magic, and he doesn't trust it. But he understands it better than most, even in a city of elves and dwarves and sprites and mages. So when an impossible murder is committed on the campus of a warded magical university, he's called in to consult.
The only problem is, it's the same university he was kicked out of for lying about his ability to use magic. And the lead investigator is an old flame who isn't so fond of him anymore. And then there's the half-crazy half-orc who insists she's his partner, whether he likes it or not. Oh, and the masked mage who keeps trying to kill him.
So there are a lot of problems, really.
Now, Tane’s life depends on the one truth that has never failed him. The flaw in all magic that those who have it like to ignore: the mage.
Outsmart the mage, and you outsmart the spell.
And outsmarting mages is what Tane does best.
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On the sixth floor’s deadly Hunting Grounds, Carl and Princess Donut face dinosaurs, rival crawlers, and a sinister celebration known as the Butcher’s Masquerade.
The Butcher’s Masquerade
Fantasy · LitRPG
Our take
On the sixth floor’s deadly Hunting Grounds, Carl and Princess Donut face dinosaurs, rival crawlers, and a sinister celebration known as the Butcher’s Masquerade. But when outside tourists are finally allowed in—and elite hunter Vrah joins the chase—the hunters become the hunted. Survival means fighting back harder than ever in the fifth explosive entry of Matt Dinniman’s series.
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About the book
Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose.
Run, Run, Run.
A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed “The Butcher’s Masquerade.”
The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.
As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, a new, terrible threat looms. Outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are here and ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.
But their prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.
Dungeon Crawler Carl and Princess Donut return in book five of the acclaimed litrpg series.
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A sharp fit for readers who enjoy dungeon adventures, absurd humor, deadly challenges, and uneasy alliances.
The Gate of the Feral Gods
Fantasy · LitRPG
Our take
On the dungeon’s fifth floor, Carl and his team have fifteen days to capture four castles and unlock the stairwell, but they must rely on low-level crawlers whose loyalty is uncertain. Their targets include a floating gnome fortress, a sand castle, a derelict submarine, and a trap-filled haunted crypt, with a 4.7-star rating from more than 55,800 Amazon reviewers. A sharp fit for readers who enjoy dungeon adventures, absurd humor, deadly challenges, and uneasy alliances.
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About the book
New achievement unlocked: total, utter failure.
Carl and Princess Donut have survived monsters, mazes, and madness, but the fifth floor is something new. The rules are simple—capture four castles in fifteen days—and completely impossible. A floating fortress of gnomes, a crumbling castle of sand, a haunted crypt, and a derelict submarine all stand between them and the next level.
To win, Carl must rely on a team of low-level crawlers who seem barely capable of survival. In a world where every ally could be bait, every victory carries a cost.
Matt Dinniman’s The Gate of the Feral Gods is a brutal, hilarious LitRPG adventure where teamwork, betrayal, and chaos collide deep in the dungeon’s deadly fifth floor.
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A strong match for readers who enjoy action-heavy progression fantasy, elaborate dungeon puzzles, dark humor, and chaotic teamwork.
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook
Fantasy · LitRPG
Our take
Carl and Donut reach the dungeon’s fourth floor, where they must navigate the Iron Tangle, a sprawling subway system filled with monsters, dangerous stations, and confusing routes, while a seemingly useless book may hold the key to escaping, with a 4.6-star rating from more than 73,500 Amazon reviewers. A strong match for readers who enjoy action-heavy progression fantasy, elaborate dungeon puzzles, dark humor, and chaotic teamwork.
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About the book
Welcome to the Gun Show!
The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.
The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world's subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.
But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.
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Carl and Princess Donut face their most dangerous crawl yet in the Over City, a shattered metropolis of undead circuses, cursed magic, and killer fame.
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario
Fantasy · LitRPG
Our take
Carl and Princess Donut face their most dangerous crawl yet in the Over City, a shattered metropolis of undead circuses, cursed magic, and killer fame. With every level deadlier than the last, surviving the game means outsmarting both monsters and millions of fans. Matt Dinniman’s Carl’s Doomsday Scenario is chaotic, darkly funny, and unforgettable.
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About the book
The dungeon has changed. The rules are gone. The apocalypse has gone viral.
In Dungeon Crawler World, Carl and Princess Donut have survived traps, monsters, and madness to reach the next stage. But in the Over City—a ruined metropolis crawling with undead circuses, falling bodies, and cursed magic—the odds of survival drop with every floor.
The world watches as the game spirals into chaos. Fame, fortune, and death blur together while an ancient spell threatens to end everything. Somewhere in the carnage, Carl is still missing his pants.
Matt Dinniman’s Carl’s Doomsday Scenario is a darkly funny, brutal, and wildly inventive LitRPG adventure about friendship, survival, and what it really takes to win when the game never ends.
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A strong match for readers drawn to Greek mythology retellings, powerful witches, gods and mortals, and character-driven historical fantasy.
CIRCE
Fantasy · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction · Historical Fantasy · Pre-History | Ancient History
Our take
A #1 New York Times bestseller, Circe was described by The New York Times as “[A] bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story.” The novel reimagines the sorceress of The Odyssey as she discovers witchcraft, is exiled by Zeus, and must decide whether she belongs with the gods or the mortals she has come to love, with a 4.5-star rating from more than 95,600 Amazon reviewers. A strong match for readers drawn to Greek mythology retellings, powerful witches, gods and mortals, and character-driven historical fantasy.
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About the book
This #1 New York Times bestseller is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story" that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey (Alexandra Alter, *The New York Times*).**
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
#1 New York Times Bestseller -- named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.
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