Fantasy Book News

Amazon’s top 5 fantasy bestsellers, August 28, 2010: The Return of the Awesome? For the first time in recent memory, the top 5 fantasy bestsellers on amazon.com are not dominated by vampire/teen novels! And it only took the king, the Elvis of fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien to dethrone the fad. Not a bad trio to round out the top three really, with Towers of Midnight holding strong, and Terry Brooks’ latest Shannara novel (Kindle version) rounding out the top 3. I’m so happy I’m not sure what to do with myself now.

1. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien
2. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
3. Bearers of the Black Staff: Legends of Shannara by Terry Brooks
4. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
5. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Towers of Midnight vaults into first place this week. Woot! Other notables in the top 25 include Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks at number 21, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson at number 22, and amazingly A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin comes in at 24, after being published in 1996!

1. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
4. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

In a week where Charlaine Harris owns three of the top five slots, Towers of Midnight makes a grand entrance in the number three spot. Other notables in the top 25 this week are Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks coming in at number 20, and Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson barely making the cut at number 25.

1. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
3. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
4. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Janna McMahan debuts in the top 5 at number one, with her novel Calling Home. Charlaine Harris and Stephanie Meyer continue their domination, and Karen Marie Moning has a book swap with Faefever dropping off and Dreamfever added to the top 5 this week.

1. Calling Home by Janna McMahan
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
4. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning
5. Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

The top 5 fantasy books on Amazon.com stay the same this week, the only change being Faefever and Dead and Gone swapping places. Karen Marie Moning is showing strong signs after only three weeks in the top 5, with two weeks of two books in the top 5 in the bag.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
4. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning
5. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Naomi Novik drops off the top 5 this week, replaced by a second entry from Karen Marie Moning in the top 5. This marks Moning’s first time ever with two books in the top 5 fantasy bestseller list.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
4. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
5. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

Breaking Dawn and Dead in the Family hold strong in the number one and two spots, respectively, this week, while Bloodfever and Tongues of Serpents each make their first appearance. Dead and Gone sneaks back into the top 5, giving Charlaine Harris an additional novel in the top 5.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
4. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
5. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Breaking Dawn holds strong in the number one spot this week, with Dead in the Family, His Majesty’s Dragon and Dead Until Dark playing musical chairs. Cloud Atlas makes the top 5 chart for the first time.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
4. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
5. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A great bunch of reviews this week, from Grave Peril by Jim Butcher to Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. We’re also seeing more authors get into the habit of not only running their own blog, but creating guest posts on other blogs, as Mark Charan Newton has done with Amazon.com’s Omnivoracious blog.

• Review: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher @ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
• Review: The Daykeeper’s Grimoire by Christy Raedeke @ Fantasy Book Critic
• Review: The Thief Taker’s Apprentice by Stephen Deas @ Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
• Review: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton @ The Mad Hatter’s Book Review
• Review: Speak to the Devil by Dave Duncan @ Grasping for the Wind
• Review: Top 10 fantasy novels of the year @ Steve’s Fantasy Book Reviews
• Author Blog: Mark Charan Newton on “The Mystery of Fantasy” @ Omnivoracious
• Author Blog: Mark Charan Newton, “From Bookseller to Book Writer” @ Omnivoracious
• Author Blog: Mark Charan Newton on Writing, Time and Age @ Mark Charan Newton’s bl0g
• Interview: Charlaine Harris @ Vanity Fair

Breaking Dawn and Dead in the Family swap places, while His Majesty’s Dragon makes a return to the top 5. Frost Moon makes its first appearance this week.

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
2. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
3. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
4. Frost Moon by Anthony Francis
5. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris