Top 10 Fantasy Books of 2009
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Okay, so I want to make sure we’re clear before diving in: this is not a list of the best fantasy books released in 2009, but rather the top books read and reviewed here at Fantasy Book News in 2009. That said, there are some newer books, and some classics, but overall this is an elite list of fantasy novels that any avid reader should check out. And away we go.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
While this series is going on fifteen years, I gave a re-read to the first novel in the Song of Ice and Fire series in 2009, in audio book format. The book still has the same enchanting effect as the first time I read it, and is still the standard to which I compare most other fantasy books, and absolutely any epic fantasy books. Check out the full review of A Game of Thrones.
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
The second book in Lynch’s seven book Gentlemen Bastards series delivered what many creative people struggle to accomplish time and time again: give the audience a better experience than the original. Red Seas Under Red Skies upped the stakes from The Lies of Locke Lamora, and hit ended up hitting a grand slam. Read the full review of Red Seas Under Red Skies.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
This whopping freshman fantasy novel by Rothfuss completely transports you to another world, which is one of the goals that every fantasy novel aspires to. Believe me, I read most of it while lounging poolside in Araxa, Brazil, and I can’t tell you how many times I forgot my beautiful surroundings for the world that Rothfuss creates. Check out the full review of The Name of the Wind.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The quintessential fairy tale, The Last Unicorn is simply a beautiful story. Get lost in a world of fantasy and magic, complimented with a fantastically original plot and a genuine sense of humor. Read the full review of The Last Unicorn.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn is an absolutely beautiful novel. Its got everything that a fantasy reader looks for: insanely original devices, characters you can identify with, tons of action, and wholesome undercurrents. We have a full review of Mistborn over here.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Not falling to far behind the second novel in this series is The Lies of Locke Lamora. Lynch’s city of Camorr is a truly devilish one, and creates the perfect backdrop for the thieving ways of his characters to thrive. Redefining exactly what is knows as ‘action fantasy’, Lynch’s debut is definitely not one to be missed. Check out our full review of The Lies of Locke Lamora.
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Another truly original idea is explored with fantastic characterization. Plus, who doesn’t like a novel with pirates? Check out our full review of Ship of Magic.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
The oldest book on our list is certainly not any less of a quality read. Kushner’s ability with conversation is unmatched. If you’re up for a fast paced sword dueling adventure, this one is for you. Read our full review of Swordspoint.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The final two books on our top 10 list for 2009 belong to the urban fantasy genre. Neverwhere is perhaps the benchmark for all current urban fantasy, and is a classic fantasy read. Sort of a modern take on Alice in Wonderland. Check out our full review of Neverwhere.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Arguably the reigning urban fantasy king, Storm Front is the first in Jim Butcher’s uber-popular Dresden Files series. Storm Front is an extremely fast-paced hilarious take on the genre. Read our full review of Storm Front.
by Kalayna Price
by Stephanie Meyer
by James Clemens
by J.R.R. Tolkien
by Diana Gabaldon
Hellfire’s the rave event of the year and he’s taking no chances mate. Everything’s in place – tickets, drugs, good company, juice in the car. Bring it on! But a bizarre series of events take Zak Strange not to Hellfire but to an ancient land where time seems to have stood still. He soon discovers that destiny has a twisted sense of humour and that there’s more to him than he ever knew. His time has come…The only way of getting out of his predicament alive is to become a killer – to waste a Trojan Guardian hell-bent on revenge and who wants to wreak havoc on the world. Guided by a mysterious stranger and the ghost of the Greek warrior Achilles, Zak’s quest takes him on a rollercoaster ride where sinister guardians, Gorgons and Cyclopes threaten to snuff out his dark and reluctant destiny. Time is running out. 
The Law of Nines is Terry Goodkind’s most recent effort, which is gaining some attention. In involves characters from his Sword of Truth series, but can be described as more of a combo fantasy/sci-fi/triller. Alexander Rahl is a struggling Artist, living in an unnamed town. His mother is committed to an asylum for violent tendencies; she often claims that people are watching her through mirrors. His only other family is an uncle named Ben that, as gradually revealed, was a survivalist and special forces soldier who taught Alex nearly everything he knew about survival and guerila warfare. Even with this history, both Alex and Ben are peace-loving men who only attack in self defense. 
Want to learn how to be a hero yourself? Check out the psychology behind becoming one. Here’s an excerpt: “The modern hero, the modern individual who dares to heed the call and seek the mansion of that presence with whom it is our whole destiny to be atoned, cannot, indeed must not, wait for his community to cast off its slough of pride, fear, rationalized avarice, and sanctified misunderstanding. It is not society that is to guide and save the creative hero, but precisely the reverse. And so every one of us shares the supreme ordeal not in the bright moments of his tribe’s great victories, but in the silences of his personal despair.” 
Soggy pages? Left your copy of Warbreaker out on the deck last night? Ship of Magic fall overboard while you were fishing last week? Here’s how to avoid and fix the issue of wet books: There are several things you can do to repair a wet book, some are more time consuming than others. My suggestion for you is to use a hair dryer and fan the pages of the book. Use a small desk fan if your arms get tired. When the book is completely dried out or for the most part dry, place the book under a series of extremely hefty books. Dictionaries are good for this and so are phonebooks. If the book is slightly damp still put sheets of absorbent paper every few pages or so before stacking heavy books on top. 
Just getting into digital books? Trying to figure out how to organize your digital library? Want to show off what you’re currently reading to your friends on Facebook? Bookworms today are just as much Internet geeks as they are rabid readers. There are countless book blogs, social networking sites, book swap communities and other social platforms for book junkies online, and Facebook is one of them. The mega-site’s collection of applications include these awesome tools for sharing, listing, recommending, reviewing and selling books, so let yourself go crazy. 
by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
by Charlaine Harris