Best Fantasy Books of 2019

The Fantasy Novels of 2019 That Won Awards and Readers' Votes

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Which fantasy novels defined 2019? This list ranks the year's books by how many independent signals back them: the Hugo, World Fantasy and Locus awards, and the Goodreads Choice Awards, where readers vote.

Books that won or were shortlisted for several awards come first, followed by the books readers voted for most.

The ranking

1

Middlegame

by Mcguire, Seanan

"A Tom Doherty Associates book."Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story. Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her...

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2

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

by Harrow, Alix E.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully mainta...

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3

Gideon the Ninth

by Muir, Tamsyn

"The Emperor needs necromancers.The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay,...

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4

Queen of the Conquered

by Callender, Kacen

>On the islands of Hans Lollik, Sigourney Rose was the only survivor when her family was massacred by the colonizers. When the childless king of the islands declares he will choose his successor from amongst eligible nob...

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5

Ninth House

by Bardugo, Leigh

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end...

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6

The Starless Sea

by Morgenstern, Erin

FAR BENEATH the surface of the earth, upon the shores of the Starless Sea, there is a labyrinthine collection of tunnels and rooms filled with stories. The entryways that lead to this sanctuary are often hidden, sometime...

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7

The Priory of the Orange Tree

by Shannon, Samantha

A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from des...

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8

The Winter of the Witch

by Arden, Katherine

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have bound her fate to Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessi...

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9

Black Leopard, Red Wolf

by James, Marlon

Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when...

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10

The Raven Tower

Listen. A god is speaking. My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle. The castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne. You want to help him. You cannot. You are the only one who can hear me. Yo...

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11

The Red Scrolls of Magic

by Clare, Cassandra

All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation.A lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who, against all odds, is finally his boyfriend. It doesn't seem like too much for the centuries-old High Warlock to...

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12

Gods of Jade and Shadow

by Moreno-garcia, Silvia

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floo...

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13

The Kingdom of Copper

by Chakraborty, S. A.

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—...

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14

The Dragon Republic

Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters.The war is over.The war has just begun.Three tim...

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15

Darkdawn

by Kristoff, Jay

Mia Corvere has made enemies of the Red Church, the Luminatii legion and her own family. After the games in Godsgrave she is on the run, her mentor is in chains, and Consul Scaeva is close to taking complete control of t...

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16

Magic for Liars

by Gailey, Sarah

Everyone has a secret...MURDER MYSTERY MADNESS MAGICWhat are you hiding?This description comes from the publisher.

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17

The Burning White

The Burning White

by Weeks, Brent

It's unimaginable today, even for a generation that saw the Twin Towers fall and the Pentagon attacked. It's unimaginable because in 1814 enemies didn't fly overhead, they marched through the streets; and for 26 hours in...

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18

A Little Hatred

by Abercrombie, Joe

The chimneys of industry rise over Adua and the world seethes with new opportunities. But old scores run deep as ever.On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and de...

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19

Holy Sister

by Lawrence, Mark

Nona Greys story reaches its shattering conclusion in the third instalment of Book of the Ancestor.THEY CAME AGAINST HER AS A CHILD. NOW THEY FACE THE WOMAN.The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is...

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20

The Memory Police

On an unnamed island off an unnamed coast, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses—until things become much more serious. Most of the island's inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while th...

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Trending Books in Best Fantasy Books of 2019

The Memory Police

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Darkdawn

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The Kingdom of Copper

Chakraborty, S. A.

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Queen of the Conquered

Callender, Kacen

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Ninth House

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The Starless Sea

Morgenstern, Erin

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The Priory of the Orange Tree

Shannon, Samantha

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The Winter of the Witch

Arden, Katherine

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Magic for Liars

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The Dragon Republic

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