8 Fantasy Novels to Read This Month

by MK French

October is the month for all things spooky, scary, paranormal, and fantastical. I have a series of posts this month with recommendations for books that will be great to read for Halloween. I have something for everyone (including children). Today, I'm focusing on fantasy novels.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

October 2024; St. Martin's; 978-1250289469
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); historical fantasy

Xishi is a beautiful young woman who is approached by the famous young military advisor, Fanli. He wants to use her beauty as a weapon to destroy the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu. To improve the lives of her people and avenge her sister’s murder, she must infiltrate the enemy palace, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within. Xishi learns everything she can to do so, and the attraction between her and Fanli grows. The higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the more difficult everything gets. If she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

The beginning of the book involves training Xishi's mind as well as body. She must learn etiquette, court rituals, instruments, and keeping herself from showing emotions on her face. She hopes to bring down the Wu kingdom, thinking her life in exchange for her people is a good balance. This means she makes alliances at court, does what she can to sustain the king's interest while sidestepping his suspicious minister, doing whatever she can to succeed in her mission despite personal losses. The ending is bittersweet and left me in tears. Overall, the book is hauntingly beautiful and worth reading. 

Buy A Song to Drown Rivers at Amazon

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

October 2024; G.P. Putnam's Sons; 978-0593616949
audio, ebook, print (512 pages); YA fantasy

Aiz grew up in the slums, fueled by tragedy and suffering to help protect the ones that she loves. One mistake lands her in prison, where her anger grows even hotter. Sirsha is a tracker banished from her people for an unforgivable crime. She agrees to hunt down a killer for the Martial Empire, but her mission might not be worth it. Quil is the crown prince of the Empire, fully aware of how badly power corrupts. He's reluctant to take the throne when his aunt the Empress steps down, but a new enemy threatens the Empire. Their fates are now entwined, for better or for worse.

This is book one of a duology, and there's an incredible amount of worldbuilding here. Each country in this world has its own language, customs, and laws, and their values are sometimes diametrically opposed. Aiz attempted to kill the leader that burned down an entire wing of the orphanage she grew up with, and is willing to imprison and torture clerics to get his way. The Kegari are now attacking the Martial Empire, using their Sails and air magic to conquer others. She is following the guidance of her goddess, which has her eventually crossing paths with the Tribes and Quil, though it's not in the way we initially thought. 

Sirsha and Quil cross paths, and vacillate between trust and mistrust. She's tracking a magical killer, and he's fleeing the carnage that Kegari soldiers left of his country. He'd always thought if the Kegari as isolationist and not worth knowing, and now it's all coming back to haunt him. As the story threads cross and we understand more about it, we see exactly what they're up against and what will happen if they fail. It's so deftly done, you're absolutely drawn into the story and rooting for them before you know it. Even though you know some of the history by the end, there are still questions left unanswered. The conclusion will no doubt be just as good as this part.

Buy Heir at Amazon

The Undead Complex by Courtney Smyth

October 2024; Titan Books; 978-1803364803
audio, ebook, print (528 pages); murder mystery

Five months after stopping The Whistler, the Undetectables have a lot of business, but not magical forensic work. So when Diana’s ex asks them to solve her own murder, the team jumps at the chance. This involves going undercover to investigate the set of the TV show, Undead Complex. Diana works as a prop maker again and isn't sure she wants to remain an investigator. Theodore's coming apart and Mallory is running out of ways to help him. Clues and bodies pile up and don't make sense, becoming a race against time to find the killer before it's too late.

We start off slow and steady with this novel, easing into the different characters and a little bit of summary of the first book. There are different plot threads going on, and the three friends sometimes talk around the issues that bother them. It's as messy as real life and introduces more complications for the team. Once we have that established, we're sucked into the mystery of the Undead Complex set. There are few people making this show, and too many of them are confused about important details. That means we get confused as well, with real clues buried in the messy timelines of each body that turns up. The history of Oakpass and the studio is important, and is another thread bogged down beneath the confused people on set. We eventually get an explanation for it, as well as what happened to the Larkins and why it was all happening. This is an interesting follow up to the first novel, ending with quite an emotional cliffhanger for a third novel to explore. 

Buy The Undead Complex at Amazon

The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

October 2024; Sourcebooks Fire; 978-1728277554
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); YA fantasy

After escaping Dieter Kirch, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is ready to assume her place on the council as the coven's goddess-chosen champion. As she throws herself into the task, she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself. Otto is her bonded protector and must face both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

This is Witch and Hunter book 2, following Night of the Witch. It picks up a few months later, with Otto fighting the guards to secure his place within Well and Fritzi traumatized by her fight with Dieter. Both keep the secrets of the goddesses, the strength of wild magic, and the severity of Dieter's actions. He had wanted to destroy magic to keep its power for himself, but now they realize that Dieter had other plans that he was enacting, and Well is in more danger than they knew. The rest of the world is as well, as the tree-controlling magic is at risk.

This takes them back into the thick of hexenjäger influence at Trier, the heart of Dieter's power, and into the countryside where witches once lived. Fritzi and Otto don't have time to truly understand the bond between them before going on a hunt to stop Dieter, and the two both help and hinder their own plans. The drive to protect magic and the people around them remains Fritzi's main goal, with Otto trying to protect her at all costs. We see the goddesses and their views, and Fritzi ultimately confronts her trauma and the idea that wild magic is dangerous. The conclusion of this duology gives us hope for them and all the people they care about.

Buy The Fate of Magic at Amazon

Simon Grey and the Curse of the Dragon God by Charles Kowalski

October 2024; Excalibur Book; ebook; YA fantasy

Simon and Oyuki return to a changed Japan after a visit to an enchanted undersea kingdom. Now their presence is a crime. The mystical young samurai Amakusa Shiro, leader of a desperate rebellion against a tyrannical daimyo, offers their only hope of finding a way home. As they fight for survival and freedom, they encounter friends and foes among ghosts and yokai from the shadow side of Japan.

This is the sequel to 2019's Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts. In that book, Simon is a cabin boy stranded in 1620 Japan when he had hoped to escape his ability to see ghosts. This ability lets him see yokai, the spirits and demonic creatures in Japan. Oyuki is half Japanese and also can see and speak to yokai, and their quick visit to the underwater kingdom led to fifteen years passing above. This world is one where the daimyo taxes everyone, tortures and maims those who can't afford to pay him, and he's strongly opposed to the foreign Christians that had come to Japan. The rebellion hopes to free the farmers and crafters under the daimyo's thumb, but even within the rebellion, there is dissent.

The ability to talk with yokai comes in handy for both Simon and Oyuki on several occasions, and some of the fearsome creatures wind up helping the rebellion by demolishing part of the daimyo's army. Simon also seeks training with the tengu and hopes to help the rebellion. There's intense fighting, spiritual battles, and the very real historical fight between the Shogunate and the Christians hoping to retain their faith and still live in Japan. It's a distinct time in Japanese history, with Simon and Oyuki doing their best to help even the playing field. I liked the look into the spirits and yokai, and how for many of the characters their stories came full circle. Simon has a big adventure in this novel and likely many more to come.

Buy Simon Grey and the Curse of Dragon God at Amazon

The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo

October 2024; Atria/Primero Sueno Press
978-1668033210; audio, ebook, print (288 pages)
historical fantasy

In 1943 El Paso, Texas, Nena cares for her sisters' children while wishing for a life of freedom and adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells grow worse, and when Nena prays for help, Sister Benedicta arrives. Nena travels through time and space, learning that magic always comes with a price. In the present day, Nena’s grandniece Marta cares for her while working and caring for her own children. At 93, Nena wants Marta to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past. Marta’s own powers emerge, threatening the life she has constructed.

Nena was tired of taking care of her sister's children, and the visions she always had grew more intense. She wound up in the past, living in a convent with other women who shared that gift and called it La Vista. While this sight gave them power, it was something they couldn't control and seemed to do what it wanted. Marta works as a lawyer, is married to a doctor campaigning for funds for the hospital, and hears the humming that is meant to be the songs of La Vista. She feels as powerful as the nuns once did, and thinks she can turn the tide of the case she's working on. Nothing turns out the way she planned, from the case to her husband's fundraising to Nena looking for her daughter. 

In this novel, time blurs. We have three different eras and the thread of magic connecting them. It doesn't seem to have a purpose, but Marta and Nena bond over the stories of the past, the family’s dynamics, and the drive to be more than what society wants to see them as. The push for adventure and making a name for herself is there for both women, and they both come to realize that it's not fame they want, but family. The bonds they have are important, and love will carry them through the next generation. It's an interesting way to tell the family story.

Buy The Witches of El Paso at Amazon

The Hollow and The Haunted by Camilla Raines

October 2024; Titan Books; 978-1803369976
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); romantic fantasy

Miles Warren is resigned to being part of the family business of psychics and hasn't told anyone he's gay. He doesn't dare complain of his exhaustion from dealing with ghosts in cemeteries, or the visions he starts having of a strange boy. The visions are about Gabriel Hawthorne, whose family has a feud with the Warrens. Gabriel is rude, but Miles doesn't feel comfortable letting him die if he can stop it. The two work together to try to stop Gabriel's murder before it happens. Along the way, they unravel the secrets between their families, the dark magic around them, and the realization that there might be more than hate lying between them.

The Warrens have psychic ability and work with various families in the town of Thistle to lay spirits to rest. The psychic community all know each other and look down on those without ability. The Hawthorne family in particular does this, and belittles others without wealth or who don't use their abilities to make money. The current generation of adults has history as well, leading to really nasty barbs at each other. Miles is socially anxious to start with and wants nothing to do with that feud when there's enough emotional drama at home. Adding in Gabriel and his potential murder complicates things, and the two dig into their family histories. They recognize the spirit from Miles' vision, and learn more about her and the connection between their families. It isn't quite what they think at first, and trying to dig further has Miles lying to his family and Gabriel unwinding around him. Miles can see there is a darkness in the Hawthorne family, and Gabriel specifically, possibly a curse.

I was drawn into the story and the mystery of who would want to kill Gabriel. Miles is a good person, pushing himself past his anxiety. He still hides a lot of himself from his parents, who uphold that hate for the Hawthornes. Each new piece of information deepened the connection between the boys and added more questions. What we think was happening at first isn't necessarily the truth, and I liked those twists. The most upsetting part of the book was the fact that it ended on a cliffhanger. I really hope there is at least one more follow up to find out more about the psychic families in Thistle, and these boys in particular.

Buy The Hollow and the Haunted at Amazon

This Will Be Fun by E. B. Asher

October 2024; Avon; 978-0063371361
audio, ebook, print (416 pages); romantic fantasy

Everyone in Mythria knows the story of how best friends Beatrice and Elowen, handsome ex-bandit Clare, and valiant leader Galwell the Great defended the realm from darkness. The heroes haven't talked in ten years, devastated by the results of their quest. Invited to the queen of Mythria’s wedding, they must reunite. Clare isn't over his long-ago fling with Beatrice, and Beatrice fighting the guilt over how everything ended. Elowen is unprepared for her ex, and all of them are lost without Galwell. The past has also returned, so the three former friends must go on another quest. This time around, will their story end in a happily ever after?

We find out that saving the realm led to Galwell's death. He was the leader and engaged to the princess of Mythria because it was the right thing to do. Beatrice and Clare had their fling right before the final battle, and Clare had another on the day of the funeral. He went on in that vein for ten years, while Beatrice married someone she didn't love. The two always had feelings for each other, and covered it with arguments. Elowen in that period was flirting with the rogue hired to slow them down, and in the decade since Galwell's death isolated herself from the rest of the world. None of them are in a good place but are essentially ordered to attend the Queen's wedding. It's a journey to get to the capital, and one more quest awaits when they get there.

I enjoyed the little touches of magic to mirror our world: tapestry magic to show episodes of long-running programs that are like soap operas, frothy nut milk drinks, magazines, and gossip columns, conjuring a connection to the mind healer, and carriages for hire like a medieval Uber. At the same time, there's magic, whether grand enough for quests, or small enough to essentially be makeup and costuming. Most books deal with the lead-up to a quest, but here we see the fallout when it goes sideways. The heroes deal with trauma and grief in their own ways, Galwell in the background as the friend whose memory they can't live up to. The songs, poems, festivals, and impersonators are a trigger themselves, though meeting the Clare impersonators felt like Elvis impersonators from our world. Each person deals with what it means to be a hero and to live in a world where that means something. 

Along with the magic and eventual quest, we have two second-chance romance stories here. Beatrice and Clare still have their connection, as do Elowen and Vanda. Along with the usual romance novel beats, we have an adventure to bring them all together and force them to confront the past, their grief, and the misconception each person has about themselves. It's long past time for them to grow into who they should have been, and it really was a fun ride (for the reader!) to go on.

Buy This Will Be Fun at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever. 

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