Happy New Year’s Eve! And welcome back to my end-of-year roundup of my favorite books of the year. Today, we’re taking a look at fantasy novels – a genre I hope to write about more in 2023 – and highlighting my favorite book of the year.
My favorite fantasies: holding up a magic mirror to society
Fantasy is a broad genre, and I find that it my favorite fantasies fall into one o two buckets. On the one hand, there’s pure escapist fun: the perfect “what if?” In fantasy, you can explore worlds that have never and will never exist. You can pretend that someone could have extraordinary physical powers or move from place to place instantly. You can build up entire societies around slightly silly conceits, just to see what happens.
This type of fantasy can be a ton of fun – but great fantasy also offers the chance for deeper reflection. As you might expect from a former econ/poli-sci nerd, I love that fantasy forces us to examine our world a little more closely. A well-crafted hard fantasy story can force us to reflect on the assumptions and dynamics that we take for granted. Writing about a fantastical world with instant travel can break down how travel technology has shaped our society. Writing about fantasy species can force reflection on how we interact with others on Earth. And as we go into 2023, these are the books that reminded me to think just a little bit harder about how my actions shape the world around me:
5. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
As soon as I saw the cover of The Cartographers, I knew I had to read it. Just look at that cover! And the premise – an esteemed cartographer, estranged from his daughter, is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library. For a fan of old maps and books and crimes and academia, this seemed like the perfect story.
Of course, this book wouldn’t be on the list if it just had a great cover. As I read The Cartographers, I was surprised to find that it had a magical realism / very soft fantasy element to it. As the story bounced around in time, we follow Nell’s investigation and uncover her family’s history. Shepherd uses the premise to explore the relationship that technology and art on the world, and the meaning of family. As a technology consultant who loves analog books and has ~complicated~ family dynamics (don’t we all?) this is like catnip to me.
This is certainly not a perfect book, and many other have talked about its issues. There are some big-ish plot holes, and the characters could be better realized. While the premise is that of a crime novel, the actual mystery element is pretty limited, and I’d shelve this as magical realism. But I loved this book for the vibes, and for the exploration of art and its impact on the world. And when I’m looking for a cozy magical academic world to escape into for a few hours, I expect to pick this up again.
4. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
I’ll be honest – this was another book I picked solely for the cover. That blue and orange cover with the vivid spiral staircase drew me in. Since I love fairy tales and giant tomes, I figured this was worth a shot.
Man, am I glad I took the chance. I’ve never read Stephen King before, but I think I get the appeal now. The first trick this book plays: it buries the fantasy discovery for a while. King’s horror background comes to play here – he spends a lot of time establishing the “real world” while teasing something just beyond its edges. Unlike so many other fantasy works, we get to spend a lot of time with Charlie and his canine companion, Radar, outside the fantasy world. This lets us fall in love with both, and builds the suspense until we visit Empis, the fantasy world just down the well.
And Empis is well worth the wait. King’s a master of vivid description, and he quickly establishes a beautiful and eerie world. Charlie’s adventure through Empis follows three basic stages: discovery / exploration; a “hardening”; and the final battle. King describes each moment and stage masterfully – you feel like you’re watching events unfold in real time. While I did wish that there was a bit more clarity of worldbuilding – what happened to Gallien? Why is Empis connected to our world? What power makes Charlie a Hero? – this felt like a modern take on the stories we all grew up with. (As Angus Fletcher argues, the magic of fairy tales is that they seem to happen to random people.) Reading Fairy Tale, I found myself wishing for more of this fantastical writing, and I hope it sparks a trend in the genre.
3. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
This one sneaked up on me. I was on a bit of an urban fantasy kick earlier this year, and found A Master of Djinn buried deep in some Internet list. I was honestly a bit skeptical, and it sat on my TBR list for a few weeks, but I’m so glad that I finally picked it up. Clark’s worldbuilding and magic system are totally innovative, and I fell in love with this fantasy version of Cairo. It’s a fun fantasy adventure with themes of class, elitism, and colonialism woven throughout, and a Very Engaging Boss Fight.
I’ve always loved fantasy for its ability to force reflection on how our own world works. There’s something about bending or rewriting the rules that forces reflection on so many aspects of the human condition. A Master of Djinn fulfills that potential while providing an interesting, engaging story. A perfect read for expanding my horizons (and one that moves Egypt up on my travel destination list!).
2. The Jasmine Throne (and The Oleander Sword) by Tasha Suri
For those who aren’t aware – I’m desi (of South Asian origin). And as much as I love fantasy, I often wish that I could read stories that centered folks like me, from a culture like mine. Tasha Suri delivers all that and more in her trilogy The Burning Kingdoms.
From the first page of The Jasmine Throne, I felt deeply engaged with the world. It was so refreshing to see a fantasy plot center desi women and engage with the multitude of cultures in the subcontinent. While none of the fantasy elements tie precisely to specific religions or subcultures (with the possible exception of ritual burnings that resemble sati), the cultural dynamics felt recognizable and real. And over the course of the first two books, I loved watching the female protagonists realize their power and strength.
That said, The Burning Kingdoms delivers more than mere desi representation. I love fantasies that focus on the pragmatics of governing in a magical context, and this series more than delivers. I also love multiple perspectives and complex magical morality – check. So I devoured the first two books in this series, and I can’t wait to read the final entry.
1. Babel by R. F. Kuang
Out of all the books I’ve read this year, Babel by R. F. Kuang is far and away my favorite. The novel explores an alternate reality where language – specifically, linguistics – anchors a magic system that powers society. In this world, Cambridge hosts the primary translation center. As such, academics see fit to “mentor” foreign children to develop their linguistic hegemony. Babel follows one such child, Robin, whose father “rescues” him from poverty and trains him in the linguistics arts until he can attend Cambridge. Of course, as soon as he reaches school, Robin meets other mentees – and a mysterious society – that expand his perspective…
Throughout this list, I’ve described traits of the books I most enjoy:
- political fantasy that explores the reality of how magic would intersect with government and economic systems
- intersectional fantasy that features characters of color and diverse perspectives
- academic environments that center the power of knowledge and learning
- found family narratives and those that explore the power of the individual to effect change
- speculative fiction that forces me to reflect on the world we live in and its history and future
Each of the other fantasy books I’ve highlighted touches on one or more of these ares, but Babel checks off every single box. It even hits on my love for metafictional narration – I’ve loved snarky footnote narration since the Bartimaeus trilogy and was excited to see it put to good use here. I enjoyed the characters and the worldbuilding and the implications of the magic system. And all of these elements, combined, would already make me inclined to love this book.
But what sets it apart from all the others is the ending – oh, the ending. I won’t spoil it, but it’s one of those endings that makes me wish I could do a mind-wipe just to experience it again for the first time. Reading the final pages of the book made me sit back and rethink the entire novel, re-engage with the themes that I thought I knew. It’s been months and I’m still thinking about it. Babel is truly a one-of-a kind book, and it’s hands-down my favorite book of 2022.
That’s it for 2022! I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favorite fantasy (or other) reads this year, and I hope you have a lovely New Year’s celebration. I’ll see you back here next year with more thoughts on books of all kinds.
Until then, stay cozy, and stay curious!
