Best Fantasy Standalone Books || Reviews & Recommendations

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

What are your favorite standalone fantasy?

[@sointu1]

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is up there for me. One of the things I liked about it was how distinct all the different POVs were.

[@Anna.aka.Screaming.Opossum]

Battle Mage by Peter A. Flannery. This book needs more recognition!

[@isabellehall9217]

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

[@gabrielag.2030]

Elantris :)

[@yonathanasefaw9001]

Warbreaker!

[@Rainbopagn]

Piranesi is forever going to be one of my favorite books. I adore him. He must be protected at all costs.

[@rimattiman]

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher is also a good stand-alone fantasy

[@mamin8army770]

The new one, A Sorceress Comes to Call, is just as good, loved them both for the same reasons

[@mizanknits4165]

Elantris was my first brandon sanderson book and it holds a special place in my heart.

[@zauren8998]

I read the ebook of Blood Over Bright Haven earlier this year. It was likely the best book I’ve ever read. It handled such heavy topics with such grace and the reveals were done so so well.

[@deborajohnson5717]

I put Blood Over Bright Haven on hold at the library. I also have The Sword of Kaigen on hold at my library. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue was great. Thanks for the great recommendations!

[@guesswho2390]

Thank you for this! Can you please make videos like this for other genres like best standalone sci-fi or non fiction or mystery etc?

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

That’s the plan!

[@kanikael9686]

I have both The Sword of Kaigen and Blood Over Bright Haven on my TBR. Super excited to read them.

[@sirgnome]

I'm so happy you have The Goblin Emperor on this list. I think it's going to be one of my very few "read every year" books.

[@kay1133]

I am TERRIBLE at keeping up with series so this video is perfect and so appreciated! Piranesi is the only book I've read from this video and I LOVED it. So excited to try more of these.

[@PumpkinMozie]

My favorite stand alone adult fantasy is The Last Unicorn:) also, my theory for why most fantasy books are a part of a series is because it’s often so hard to create a fantasy world, that from an author standpoint it seems a little too much to go through all that effort for only one book haha

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

That is totally fair lol

[@laurenschenck5355]

Love blood over bright haven so good and I felt really connected with the main character 💛🤎👻👻💛🍂🍁💛👻🖤🖤🍃🤎💛🍂🎃🎃🎃🎃🍁🍁🍂🤎👻🖤🖤🍃🪥🍃🖤👻🤎💛🍂📚📖📚📙📚📖📚📚📚📖📖📚📙📙📚📚📙📙📚📖📖📚📙📙📖📖📖

[@Aadraws18]

I pre-ordered Blood over Bight Haven because of you and I'm so hyped!!!

[@ChromaTick360]

Sword of Kaigen Blood Over Bright Haven Both of the Samantha Shannon books mentioned A Master of Djinn All of those would make my best standalone list, along with: Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie (And really any of his stand-alones make this list) The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir (The only way I could get one of her books on the list)

[@llaiyaz]

The second book (Assassin of reality) after Vita Nostra is a very immediate continuation of the first book. I still think it should have been a standalone, Vita Nostra was very good. I trust your recommendations so much that I have read almost all of these (can't wait for Blood over bright haven!). 😀

[@cynthiafialka]

I’ve read Blood Over Bright Haven, Pyranesi and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I will definitely pick up The Sword of Kaigen.

[@mariareadsssf]

"Piranesi" is my favorite book of all times. I adore M. L. Wang and both "The Sword of Kaigen" and "Blood Over Bright Haven". This year I'll have to chose between "A Master of Djinn" and "The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands" as my favorite standalone of 2024.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I believe it with that profile pic!

[@ChandiPizl]

Finally!! Being behind on your videos due to nursing school has paid off. Found this today, right after I finished the fourth wing books: I loved it because it was fun! I need more sassy dragons and dragon/ world politics.

[@astoldbykat]

I have Addie Larue on my shelf, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. After this vid, I definitely plan on adding M.L. Wang's work onto my TBR. And thanks for the Sanderson rec! I've wanted to check him out, but he has so many books I didn't know where to even start.

[@tiredcatcat]

piranesi surprised me so much, it's such a unique book, probably one of my favorites this year 🥰 thank you for the recommendations!

[@bunnyoffate2559]

I read Warbreaker because you recommended it in a previous video and I loved it!! And yes it is still available for free on his website, that’s where I read it:)

[@blancspace799]

I love Elantris to death. It was my very first Sanderson book and will remain as one of my all time favourite books 😊

[@RyeMiArt]

Yes yes yes! I've been pushing M.L.Wang on everyone who is willing to listen, and also on everyone who isn't lol 🤣 One of my favourite authors!

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Yesss love this! I like fantasy, but I don't read much of it because I struggle to find standalones! I'd rather read 10 books by 10 authors rather than 10 books by 1 author, I like the variety

[@nettaiurinxD]

Already added both books by M.L. Wand to my tbr ! (Elantris and vita nostra are already on there )

[@fidato_]

I didn't enjoy warbreaker. It was okay not great. I enjoyed elantris more and the hope of elantris is his best standalone book in my opinion. Unpopular opinion: I don’t think Brandon Sanderson writes mind-blowing endings. They often lack the shock factor and sometimes resolutions come too easily. However, he excels at weaving together character arcs and making everything come together in the end, making sense of the entire story.

[@wasserman7273]

I'm so glad that Dyachenko book still managed to fascinate English booktube years after it was published (sadly we also lost Serhiy couple of years ago)

[@alo7491]

Just got an arc for Blood Over Bright Haven and I immediately thought of you! I’m so excited to start it!!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

You're gonna love it!

[@becklebooks]

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons is probably my most recent fantasy stand-alone favourite! Dragons, heist, queer-positive. Fun times. 🎉

[@AndrewWatsonChangingWay]

Good to see you starting with ML Wang; I prefer Sword. Another of my standalone favorites is The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker; it's a standalone with a sequel, which I didn't like as much.

[@Shelf_Improvement]

Love Blood Over Bright Haven and Priory. Sword of Kaiden has been sitting on my shelf for like 3 years unread 😬

[@sanjab240]

It took me five seconds to decide. It's Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

[@cynthiafialka]

Haven’t read Tigana but loved A Song for Arbonne.

[@fatimafnts]

I haven’t read all the ones you mentioned but out of the ones I’ve read, Sword of Kaigen. Dying to read Blood Over Bright Haven

[@Jennifer-dw8su]

So glad I got the original paperback of “Blood over Bright Haven”…definitely on my TBR for Autumn. Thanks for the advice on “Warbreaker”, been wanting to read Brandon Sanderson, but leery on where to start.

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

You’ll have to tell how they both go!

[@leticiatoraci9855]

Warbreaker is one of my favorite Sanderson books. I didn't like Vita Nostra but I'll try Wang's books sooner rather than later.

[@tayxolly9871]

I already have m.l wang and pira eshi on my list and now I'm adding master of djinn

[@nextpageadventure9160]

I loved Vita Nostra, it was my last 5 star this year, so good, and yes so weird.

[@aaatt268]

Vita Nostra is awesome. Best magical school standalone I've read.

[@nettaiurinxD]

LOVED Warbreaker and Priory of the Orange Tree ( the prequel is still on my physical tbr ooops) Didn't enjoy the invisible life of addie larue though, for me it felt a bit like wasted potential for such an old character in her situation to do so ... little with her life Really liked the "past" story parts but was disappointed by the "present" ones

[@zachreads]

My top three would be The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee I agree A Day of Fallen Night is cheating but also Its so good I don't care!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I want to read blood over bright haven so badly 😩

[@xmilax96]

I asked for blood over bright heaven as a preorder & it was so expensive and they told me it wasnt a fixed price lol i miss book depository, might try a similar one i've been seeing pop up but the prices dont seem as good either... but i REALLY want to read both of her books lol

[@Aniron99]

Do you recommend the 2 Brandon Sanderson books you mentioned over the secret project ones he released last year? I loved tress and yumi, but have not read the 2 you mentioned

[@caitlinl2750]

I’ve read these all!!!🎉❤

[@PrashansaSinha-ry8vp]

Lipstick shade pls ❤

[@kotokoo]

I prefer (a quick pause to look for the original title, no the title translate to Spanish) «The Haunting of Tram Car 015» by P. Djèlí Clark buy I like so much the world he created. The priory of the orange tree is one on my tbr

[@Rash23215]

09:56 Can u tell me the name of the "couple of books" in murder mystery fantasy genre that u read which are trilogy??

[@lisacole6037]

Fayne by Ann Marie MacDonald is wonderful. I never hear anyone talk about it.

[@booksbybrie]

every time you mention blood over bright haven i feel like i need to order it immediately lol

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

You do!! XD I'm so excited for it's rerelease!

[@Senidhr]

Most of those are in my shelves awaiting to be read. I'm a slow reader xD

[@aidao9310]

Good news: with the secret project Sanderson has way more standalones 😁

[@scrapbookingmuchmore9884]

Emily I’ve heard The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night are hard to understand? Did you find this to be the case? If so how do I go about making them easier to read and understand? I want to read them both they have been on my bookshelf for a while!

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

There's a lot of worldbuilding and characters so... maybe? Or the writing? Then no.

[@barbararebora1404]

Omg my copy of Addie Larue also dissapeared! So weird😨

[@Rosalind_Jane]

I loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue *except* for the main device of her not being remembered. It just didn't make sense and was a plot hole that impaired my enjoyment of the rest unfortunately.

[@martinelanglois3158]

When you looked for your "Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" book, did you regret organizing your books by height? 😁 Will keep this video in "Enregistrer" (French KZbin) for easy access. ❤📚

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Tbh that’s how I know it’s not here because it wasn’t there when I organized them!!

[@martinelanglois3158]

@@BookswithEmilyFox ask Clawdia. She's the one reorganizing your shelves all the time. 🐈‍⬛ Good luck finding it.🤞

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

She’d definitely be the kind to make a deal with the devil!

[@martinelanglois3158]

@@BookswithEmilyFox 🤣

[@justmemuchlove8275]

@@BookswithEmilyFoxnow all I want to know is if you found the book 😂

[@zachreads]

I heatd my first migrating geese last night, even the wild animals have agreed it's fall!

[@JAKandtheBookStack]

Sword of Kaigen definitely has one of the best FMCs I have read, but it was the most UNSATISFYING fantasy I have read because it is NOT a standalone. Author abandoned the series after book 1 and it was horrible because time was spent laying this foundation and nothing was done with it!

[@MeMyshelfAndI]

Standalones (as of Sep 2024) in this video: 4 Books that are part of a series in this video: 6 lmaoooooo

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

I’ve decided to embrace chaos more in my life and things are looking up so… we’ll allow it all 😂💅

[@weallneedheroes5180]

does anyone know if m.l. wangs books are gonna be translated into german?

[@badfaith4u]

My favourite standalone fantasy is Babel by RF Kuang. I don't usually read fantasy.

[@gabrielag.2030]

standaloneish

[@BookswithEmilyFox]

Considering the content of the other version… it all balances out 😂

[@gabrielag.2030]

@@BookswithEmilyFox true :D it's all about the balance :D

[@BirgitHaeupl]

❤️📚🐱

[@rosaliemusicals]

Surprised you would recommend Warbreaker, I found it incredibly sexist and you didn't seem to like that in your fantasy books...

[@laurenschenck5355]

The invisible life of Addie large another epic book and and it was outstanding to me and me too love her writing 📙📚📖📖📙🖤🖤📚🍂🍂🤎🤎🎃🎃🎃🍁🍁📚🖤🤎📙🖤👻🖤📚📖📖📙🤎🍂🍂🍁🍁🍁🍁🎃💛📙🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤📚📖📚

[@MariaDamnRulez]

great recommendations! I'm going through Blood over Bright heaven... I'm in the other half about the invisible life 🥱🥱that I did not like

[@paige1011xxx]

Okay so I know it's a series. I know it's "over hyped", I know you don't like starting a larger series when the final book isn't out and there's not even a set date for it to come out....BUT please read Game of thrones. It's still my favourite fantasy series. Ever. And I honestly don't care if there's another book or not, it feels finished to me and the ending was satisfying enough! I don't think it needs another book at all and I have a theory that the author has put the speculation out there to keep it going and create intrigue. The characters, plot, politics, everything is just so well done, his prose is easy to follow despite how complicated things can get and how huge the world is.