Each year I choose three fantasy and three sci-fi series to read that have been on my TBR list the longest, alongside a few standalones in my favorite genres. I tend to leave series until all of the books are published, with a few of my favorite authors that I'll read as they publish them. I also like to read the books that have been on my TBR list the longest because if I don't read them now, I'll most likely never read them. I've found some serious hidden gems in previous years, so I'm definitely hoping that this year will follow suit. And yes, I do plan out my reading a year in advance so I know what to prioritize as well as when to put things on hold at the library.
Fantasy
Series
1. The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
I have already started to read the first of this, and plan to continue with the next two in February and March. I'm enjoying myself so far as I find the writing to be compelling and fast-paced. I find that in a lot of thick fantasy books there seems to be some parts that should have been left on the editing table, but I like that there isn't a lot of fluff. I was a bit intimidated by the size of these books, but I'm very entertained.
2. The Drowning Empire by Andrea Stewart
The last book in this series was published in 2023 and this is a series that I'm very excited to start. I'll be reading this series from May through July. This series follows an emperor's daughter as she fights to claim the throne since she is the heir. I've managed to avoid all spoilers for this series except for the fact that the first book has an average rating of 4.02 stars on Goodreads and that it was nominated for a bunch of awards including the Goodreads award for fantasy and debut, the locus award for best novel, and BFA for best novel.
3. The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
This is another well-loved series that was completed in 2020. It has been on my TBR list for a while and I own the first book and I've just not yet gotten to it. I will be reading these books from September through November. I really enjoyed Chakraborty's book I read this year, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, and I find that her writing is incredibly good. This series follows a conwoman who summons a djinn and finds herself on some sort of journey. Again, I've managed to avoid spoilers. The first book was also nominated for the Locus Award, World Fantasy Award, and BFA.
Standalones
1. First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
This book was published in 2021 and follows Lark on his monster-fighting mission. Published by Tordotcom, it doesn't have the best ratings, with an average of 3.27 on Goodreads. It does sound very interesting since I do tend to find political fantasy good. It seems more modern than other political fantasy, though, so we'll have to see when I get around to it in April.
2. The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
This was published in 2021 and was a Goodreads nominee for best fantasy book. I do tend to avoid mythological retellings, but that's because a majority of the ones that have been published recently are Greek retellings. Let me tell you, I am tired of Greek retellings. However, this is based off of Norse mythology and that is something I haven't read a lot about. There was the Vikings show, which I loved, but I can't recall a book I've read that explored Norse Edda's. This has a much higher average rating on Goodreads of 4.06, so I'm very hopeful that I'll enjoy this when I read it in August.
3. Switch by A.S. King
This is the book I'm most hesitant to read, but if I don't read it this year, I'll take it off my TBR list. That is because it is magical realism. This subgenre of fantasy is the one that is the most hit-or-miss for me. By that I mean I either give it a 4 or 5 stars or I DNF it. This is more contemporary than the others I plan on reading and does have a fairly low average rating of 3.27, and it also seems to be dividing reviewers. I plan on getting to this in December so maybe by then I'll be ready for a more contemporary fantasy than traditional epics.
Sci-Fi
Series
1. Unstoppable series by Charlie Jane Anders
I have read a few short stories by this author and really enjoyed them, so I'm hoping this YA sci-fi series will be similar. The last book in this series was published this year and all the ratings get higher with each book. That's a good sign in my opinion as it shows that the writing just improves even though thsi first one was already nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and Lonestar award for best YA novel. This sounds like it will be fast-paced, and a perfect start to my sci-fi series this year. I'm planning on reading these from January through March.
2. Teixcalaan by Arkady Martine
This duology was completed in 2021 and I've been intimidated by it. The series is almost 1000 pages of what sounds like complicated sci-fi, and in previous years, I was not ready to read that sort of book. I did finish the Expanse series and loved it, so I'm really hoping I enjoy this just as much. Both books were nominated for and won the Hugo Award, and were nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and Goodreads awards as well. It seems like a murder-mystery space opera and I'm like something right up my alley. I'm reading these books in June and July and I'm very much looking forward to chilling my backyard in my hammock with these.
3. The Final Architecture by Adrian Tchaikovsky
This series also concluded in 2023 and follows the remnants of humanity after the destruction of Earth. I love post-apocalyptic books, but I don't think I've read one that takes place after Earth is gone. I've only read one of Tchaikovsky's books, Elder Race, but have most, if not all of his publications on my TBR list. This is the one that's been on there the longest so this is the one I'll read first. These books also won a slough of awards and are almost universally loved with average ratings that are all above 4 stars. I'll be reading these from October through December of 2024.
Standalones
1. Vegabonds by Hao Jingfang, Ken Liu (Translator)
This was published all the way back in 2016 and has been on my TBR list since then. This follows teen delegates from Mars that are sent back to Earth in a reconciliation mission. I love reading different authors interpretations of what will happen once humanity colonizes space. It has a 3.4 average rating and I've not heard anyone speak about this book. It sounds amazing and I can't wait to get to this in April.
2. In the Quick by Kate Hope Day
Published in 2021, it follows June, who enters into a astronaut training program and has trouble fitting in. On the surface it may sound not super interesting, but I'm hoping the mystery aspect of missing people who may still be alive is put front-and-center. The conflict does sound interesting and I'm hoping this book is more than just a pretty cover. I'll be reading this in May and I hope it's better than it's rating of 3.38 makes it out to be.
3. Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer
I will start off by saying that I absolutely love Jeff Vandermeer's books. His books are super weird and I love it! This one was published in 2021 and is about a conspiracy theory that involves endagered species. To be perfectly honest, I don't want to know anything more going into this in August. I do not take the lower average rating of 3.25 into account because I do understand that his books are just too weird for some people. This sounds intriguing and thought provoking, and I am highly anticipating reading this.
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