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Hidden Gems In The Fantasy Genre | Top 5 Wednesday


This weeks top 5 Wednesday was a topic I couldn't pass on. I think it's important to talk about books that don't get enough hype that are just as good, if not better than all the 'popular' books out there. And since fantasy is my favourite genre I'm going to be recommending some of my favourite under rated fantasy reads. I've tried to pick a variety of books with various different themes so I hope you'll find at least one book you'd like to read.

Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren

It takes a lot for a middle grade to interest me and keep me interested, and this book just happened to do that and so much more. I adored the characters and the plot and found it very intriguing. When I first requested this on NetGalley last year I wasn't a hundred percent sold on the concept and I thought it was going to be cheesy. But I'd been looking to expand and read more middle grade so I've got some other than Harry Potter that I would be able to recommend if someone were to ask me. So you can imagine my surprise when this book blew me away. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, don't let the fact that it's a middle grade get in the way. It's like Six of Crows meets Prison Break in a frozen fantasy world with a Russian twist. It has a rocking sister relationship and one of my favourite casts of characters I've ever read about.

Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell

This is another book I requested that I wasn't completely sold on but merely curious enough to give it a go and I was shocked by how incredibly original and fast paced the plot was. It takes the common 'chosen one' trope and flips it completely. The main character Kellen is about to take part in his first mage's duel but there is a slight problem; he can't perform any magic. This book is hilarious but also astoundingly realistic for a fantasy novel. It's a very captivating fast paced read that I had a lot of trouble putting down, so I would highly recommend it.

City of Circles by Jess Richards

I've not really heard any people talking about this book and that's so annoying because this book is fantastic and very beautiful. If like me you enjoy a dark, twisty read this is the perfect book for you. It's got a whimsical magic system with a bit of steampunk thrown in, and it worked so well. It's such an original book in every way. The plot, the characters and everything else about it. Not to mention Jess Richards writing which is mind blowing. It is the perfect adventure, dark travelling circus book that you didn't even know you needed.

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

I have heard some people discussing Daughter of the Burning City since it's a pretty new book which is the case with all of the books on this list. But I believe it deserves so much more hype. The representation blows me away and the fact that it is so seamlessly intertwined into a very interesting plot makes me so happy. It has a bisexual main character who suffers from anxiety/panic attacks and a ace side character, so yeah this is bloody fantastic. It's similar to City of Circles in the way it revolves around a circus and the performers but this one is less of an adventure and more a magical mystery. It's one of those books where you are constantly trying to work out what is happening alongside the characters and has honestly one of my favourite mystery plot lines ever.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Around the time it was released Wintersong got quite a bit of hype but since I've not really heard too much about it or many people talking about it or the sequel Shadowsong so I thought it would be a good one to mention. It's a pretty complex fantasy that takes music and blends it together with magic to create an amazingly lush magic system. This is very unique and perfect for anyone who loves very intricate lyrical writing.

If your not familiar with 'Top 5 Wednesday', every week there is a new topic that is chosen and you choose five things to talk about related to that topic. If you're interested in taking part or finding out more you can check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday

Thank you so much for reading!

- Sophie

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