Top 5 Fantasy Reads!!

For my Blogoversary I enjoy sharing the Top 5 reads of different genre for the last year, June 1, 2012 through July 1, 2013.  These are the memorable reads with high recommendations from me.  Well worth looking into.

I can only bring myself to do the last year, as trying to figure out the best of all time...yea, no.  I love to many books on all different levels to try and figure that out.

Also, part of what makes this such an amazing thing, is my fellow bloggers.  I love sharing books with fellow bloggers and learning what they have loved to share with me as well.  This is a huge thing with me in the booking community.  I have with me a book lover of Fantasy books.  Sharing their Top 5 reads for the last year as well.

Top 5 of Fantasy!

My Picks, in no particular order:

The Relic by Colleen Helme (Amazon Link)
 I enjoyed reading this duo-logy (this is the second book).  Colleen blended a few interesting concepts into her world, and I enjoyed the characters along with the story of the flame.

The Dragonslayer's Sword by Resa Nelson (Amazon Link)
 I really enjoyed the tale of Dragons and adventures in life and love.

Iron Maiden by Resa Nelson (Amazon Link)
 Astrid learns more of herself, we see and learn more of dragons in this world, and pieces start to slide together with the connections of it all.

Tranquility's Grief by Krista D. Ball (Amazon Link)
 Wow, this story NEVER stopped for me.  Fast action and drew me into the situation at hand.  Loved the whole book and world.

Unlikely by Frances Pauli (Amazon Link)
 A magical story filled with fascinating magic that's layered with a current story and hints of the old Kingdoms lost.  Even finding a place one belongs and the love that blooms.








I've invited Ria of Bibliotropic to share her top reads for the last year.
Bibliotopic's picks:
So, top 5 books I've read between July 2012 and the end of June 2013 (plus some commentary on why I think they're awesome), in no particular order!

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, by Catherynne M Valente. (Amazon link) If you combine the timelss nature of the Narnia books with the fantastical whimsy of Alice in Wonderland, then you'll come close to Valente's Fairyland books. This was my introduction to an awesome world, and I think I'll be reading any Fairyland book that Valente writes from now on.

The Tainted City, by Courtney Schafer (Amazon link) The sequel to her incredible debut, The Whitefire Crossing, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. Then it hooked my roommate. And seems to have thus far hooked everyone I've recommended it to. I'm desperately awaiting the release date of the third and final book of the trilogy. If you want some exciting traditional fantasy with a creative world-building and endlessly intriguing characters, then this is the series to reach for.

The Warded Man, by Peter V Brett (Amazon link) The first in the Demon Cycle series, this book saw me through my first hospitalization, and it was a welcome treat to have at hand. Brett's combination of darker fantasy and diverse characters was exactly what I needed, and I'm really looking forward to continuing the series.

Quintessence, by David Walton (Amazon link) This book is historical fantasy rather than pure fantasy, so it takes place in our world, during the Age of Exploration. Between philosophical debates, attempting to explain magic with the scientific methods of the time, and the interesting world the characters discover and must survive in, this book is one that I think even fans of traditional fantasy would still really enjoy (after all, that's what happened to me).

And finally, Theft of Swords, by Michael J Sullivan (Amazon link). Technically two books in one, Theft of Swords is the first part of the Riyria Revelations, a series that was originally self-published before being taken on by Orbit. I admit, I wasn't too keen on this when I started it. The first book moved slowly, felt ponderous at times, and while the writing was okay, I'd seen better. Then I kept reading. And reading. And by the end, I didn't want to put the book down. The problems I started with faded by the end, and I was amazed at just how much my opinion had changed. Definitely worth reading, if you remember to be a little patient with it at first.

So that's my selection. It was actually hard to narrow things down to just 5 fantasy novels, though it helped by noticing that I'd read way more sci-fi and speculative stuff this past year than I first thought I had. I eliminated over a third of my books right there!


Thank you Ria for joining in with these amazing reads!  I've read two of them, and need to get the other three. :D

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

One winner will get to pick their choice of my top 5.

Open Internationally.

I'll order through Book Depository or Amazon, which ever delivers to you.

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