The Top 10 Fantasy Books I Read in 2023 | (Backlist Edition)

[@teslagoth9401]

The last unicorn!!! Love it so much. I even have the tarot deck ❤

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Yesssss so good!

[@millymollymrst3537]

Great video with some good book recommendations 😊

[@haley5803]

I really appreciate that you highlight backlist books! It's useful to me since I try to only buy secondhand books or borrow books from my library to reduce my environmental impact - it can be very hard to keep to this goal with only new book recommendations. Thanks so much!

[@Johanna_reads]

Hooray for the Gentleman Bastards! Red Seas Under Red Skies was my favorite of the first two, and I’m going to be reading book 3 later this month. I really want to get to The Traitor Baru Cormorant and loved hearing your praise! Great list!

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I hope you enjoy Baru

[@ToriMorrow]

Baru Cormorant is incredible! I really need to get back into the series in the new year. Great list!!

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Glad you also love it

[@kaiju_k5042]

Just started reading your #1 pick, I bought it months ago but this video really prompted me into picking it up, thank you :)

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Hope you enjoy it

[@TheMike28212]

Really enjoy seeing your favorites of the year in the various categories! I look forward to reading several of these. I loved The Gentlemen Bastards series. I liked Age of Ash as well.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Thanks

[@tracejefferson3169]

Great list, some new ones for me, many thanks

[@mikesbookreviews]

Loved The Last Unicorn.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Ooo I'm happy you love it too!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

@@TheShadesofOrange Not many folks talk about it.

[@loumarcellino17Q19]

Thank you Rachel, I love the way you present the books on your channel! I want to check out ILLBORN, and if I really like it, the second book of that saga, Aiduel's Sin. Happy reading! 📚

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@loumarcellino17Q19]

@@TheShadesofOrange Thank you! Have a great weekend!

[@Anueb_]

Great list,! I'll be checking out The Traitor Baru Cormorant, first time I heard of it🐲

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I hope you enjoy it

[@josephiyeke8946]

Thanks for the video!

[@ChristinaJenkins36]

I absolutely love The Last Unicorn! It’s one of my all time favs, both for the nostalgia (I too watched it as much as I could when I was a kid), but also because as I’ve gotten older I realize it’s also subversively feminist.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

So glad you loved it too!

[@mikeyuetube]

Gentlemen Bastards--YES. LofLL is one of my all-time favorites.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Such a fun one!

[@Figment898]

Love this channel for book recommendations :)

[@fithfath3615]

Looks like you had a good year of reading with your Fantasy books Rachel. There are a few on there that I might have to add to my wish list. I haven't really read a lot of Fantasy books this year so far, I seem to have branched out into several other genres this year instead. I did do a re-read of a book that I can recommend 'The Very Best Of Charles De Lint'.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Oh I remember reading a book by Lint in high school... something about a blue girl? 🤔

[@fithfath3615]

@@TheShadesofOrange Yep, that's the guy. The Blue Girl. Did you enjoy the book? He's my favourite author, so I'm biased in recommending him.

[@TheLongestTake]

I think this was the tipping point to convince me to finally start Lies of Locke Lamora! Been on my TBR for a while, now.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Yay! I hope you enjoy it

[@teslagoth9401]

My book club is going to read Legends and Lattes. Might be YA. Just finished the spin off series to Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle books. Great stuff ❤

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Hope you enjoy it

[@joannatrefethen1197]

Your interest in Daniel Abraham and your enthusiasm for business and economics in fantasy leads me to recommend his Dagger and Coin series. There is a young woman involved in banking who has to do some creative moves to move money around.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Omg that sounds AMAZING!

[@kaiju_k5042]

Adding to my tbr, thank you!

[@jamesmitchell2114]

Yea!! Rachel is in the house!! Oh yes she brought some books too.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Yay!

[@katharynbaker5592]

I've lived The Last Unicorn for 40 years. It taught me very young that no matter how hard you try and how hard you want it, sometimes to don't get a happy ending. 🦄📚

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Ugh so bittersweet!!

[@charoi9659]

The Traitor Baru Cormorant is one of those "Books I think will be my favorite thing ever and somehow I haven't read them yet" :'D Really enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamorra, too - and I dance around the second one, not daring to pick it up because of reasons above (and I really want to re-read the first one ) :D aaaand The Nightangel triology! I read the german translation when I was a teenager and loved it to pieces. There was so very little fantasy that had a different flavor than the Lord of the Rings-inspired stuff. It seems to me my fellow Germans just love their crime fiction so much that the sci-fi fantasy shelf always looks a bit sad in comparison. It's getting better, but 15-20 years ago it was just ... frustrating. :'D Really want to re-read those three books and then dive into the new one. Illborn is one my tbr as well. Thank you for your recommendation videos, it helps me decide if I want to try something or not!

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Glad someone else liked Night Angel. I know it's not perfect, but I had so much fun with it

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Shame that not enough sff is getting translated but glad it's improving

[@Talking_Story]

Yay Gentleman Bastards. I will have to look into the Seth Dickinson.

[@awizardintraining]

Favorite backlist fantasy?! Oh my. Either Alloy of Law or The Grace of Kings for me

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I loved Grace of King

[@marcweber8509]

When it comes to gritty worlds witch morally reprehensible characters, I'd definitely recommend Acts of Caine by Matthew Stover, The Second Apocalypse (Prince of Nothing + Aspect Emperor) by R. Scott Bakker and (EDIT:) Stephen Donaldson's Gap Cycle. Acts of Caine is Sci-Fantasy. So-called "actors" are transported to a fantasy world, where they have "adventures" (like killing high-ranking officials and generally causing mayhem for entertainment) and the people at home watch it in first-person, kind of like immersive reality tv. It is extremely violent and ambitious, weaving in philosophical elements and critiquing the entertainment culture, while being a kickass action adventure with a ruthless protagonist, who is willing to do everything to find his estranged wife, that got lost on an adventure. Of The Second Apocalypse I guess you've already heard. It's very Dune inspired, but in a Mediterranean world. Very philosophical, it deals with religious zealotry and is a twist on the Crusades. It's dark and gets darker in the second sub-series, which is probably the darkest I've personally ever read. EDIT: And I'd add Stephon Donaldson's Gap Cycle. A Space Opera with extremely flawed characters. It has amazing psychological depth and, like the other two series, has basically all the trigger warnings. And it especially deals with the repercussions of sexual assault. Also there are creepy Aliens and conspiracies within conspiracies.

[@greenknightable]

Paul Kearney's "Sea Beggars" cycle. Richard Nell's "Kings of Heaven." Kaleidoscope Centry by John Barnes. Scifi.

[@greenknightable]

The Sea Beggars is only two books. It is unfinished, though. There is a manuscript, but it is not likely to be published.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I love Matthew Stovers Star Wars books so I really should read his original IP

[@marcweber8509]

@@TheShadesofOrange Sounds good! One thing to keep in mind... The series is wildly ambitious. Each entry is very different in tone and approach but the series as a whole comes together beautifully and is all the better for it. Just saying, because many people have difficulties adjusting since they expect each book to be more of the same.

[@axtell500]

I am surprised how I enjoyed Priory, liked it a lot. Also enjoyed Illborn and Lies of Locke Lamora

[@joeysbooked]

I don't read a huge amount of Fantasy but I did read The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez this year and its easily one of my best of the year. Such a unique read that takes a bit to get used to but is soooo good in the end.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I've heard such good things about that one

[@joeysbooked]

@TheShadesofOrange It really took a bit to get used to due to the weird writing of the POVs, but I was obsessed by the end.

[@adrianburchell8075]

Disappointed there were no mentions of A Song of Ice and Fire, but understandable that we are still awaiting the sixth book a decade on from A Dance with Dragons. You could even see the series on her bookshelf!

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Yeah I've been caught for many years

[@khomo12]

Great list!😊😊😊Thank you!👍👍👍 Several of these are already on my tbr📚 The rest are going on it. Hmm...I'm reading the black prism right now and very much liking it so far. Very interesting and complex magic system. I'm still figuring it out. Now that you mention it....I asked a booktuber(won't mention by name) what she thought about the sexual violence depicted in a song of ice and fire since she was critical of it in for example peter v brett's books - still no reply. Have you read rj barkers age of assassins?🤖🤖🚀🚀

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I haven't read Age of Assassin yet. And yeah I know Night Angel & ASOIF depict violence against women, but it feels like an intentional choice

[@bookishsatty]

Hey! Thanks for sharing your top reads. I got so many great recommendations from this. Which books of Kameron Hurley would you recommend I read first? I haven't read any of his works yet because they're so intimidating. 😊

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I love the Mirror Empire

[@bookishsatty]

Thanks a ton! I will definitely check it out.@@TheShadesofOrange

[@SmilingSammie]

fourth wing please!

[@surpriseitsus9622]

Im starting the Gentlemen Bastard series next. Im finishing Emily Wilde....sadly, 90% done and a 2.5 🌟 read. Come on Lies of Locke Lamora

[@josephorso]

For a book with morally ambiguous characters, have you read Glen Cook's "The Dragon Never Sleeps"? It is one of the few books I've read multiple times and other than one of the characters I've never felt like I know who I should be rooting for. I feel the book deserves more love. P.S. I know it's sci-fi so a little out of place in this video.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I haven't read that one

[@Joshmosis2.0]

I'm honestly very surprised that you haven't read/reviewed the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. He is my absolute favorite fantasist and he writes the most despicable and yet loveable characters you will ever read. (If you have already read/reviewed him, I retract :)

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I read the first book a million years ago but I need to try the series again. I was a different reader back then and struggled with stories without strong plots

[@Joshmosis2.0]

@@TheShadesofOrange thanks for your reply! I can get behind the loose plotting part. The first book in particular feels a little meandering. But, knowing your tastes in dark and twisted literature with strong characters, I really think you will enjoy them.

[@amandabarrett7945]

Did you like Space Between Worlds? I feel like you would

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I thought I would to 😅

[@johnsparegrave5996]

Their work? How many people are Kameron Hurley? Is it like for the Expanse?

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I don't think so

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

LOVE these except for your love of seanan mcguire....but i'll forgive it. Thanks for these killer videos

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Haha phew!

[@zubaerchaudhari8267]

Hey there hello

[@Darrkness]

Don't know if I've mentioned it before but have you seen Ridley Scott's Legend? (1985) Great, more traditional fantasy with amazing costumes and music. One of my favs and... it has unicorns as well. 🦄😈🗡

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Oh no I haven't

[@Darrkness]

​@@TheShadesofOrangeit's an oldie but a goodie. Especially Tim Curry's lines as Darkness.

[@kaiju_k5042]

@@Darrkness That was one of the first movie's I've ever seen on video, as in video cassette :)

[@Darrkness]

@@kaiju_k5042 that's awesome. I think I first watched it on HBO, then rented from Blockbuster before finally getting the director's cut DVD. I'm kinda torn between the US score and the UK extra scenes and Goldsmith score.

[@samfowler2073]

All I heard was lesbian dragons and then I was entering my credit card details.

[@teslagoth9401]

Noice

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Haha yes!

[@Potato_Disco]

Lmao

[@ReadandFindOut]

👑

[@krisprepolec5616]

🦄

[@DirgesInTheDark]

Gotta slow down when you say “fantasy”😂

[@TheShadesofOrange]

Haha omg I just listened to myself... lol

[@Kelli.Hicks.5]

👑🐉🦄

[@Selinalinaly]

👍🏾👍🏾💖

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

⚛😀

[@davidhayes6491]

OMG. I just figured out what was annoying me during your reviews. Would you please stick to singular pronouns when talking about one entity? So many times you said they when talking about one author or one character.

[@TheShadesofOrange]

I believe the use of they can be correctly used as a singular pronoun: apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they It just saves embarrassing moments like when I thought Kim Stanley Robinson was a women lol

[@lauraesposito9209]

👑

[@Octobig]

👑🐉🦄