6 best Sci-fi & Fantasy books to read
If you’re a sci-fi and fantasy lover, and want an exciting story to entertain you, look no further! Rather than the usual cliches of fairies, dragons, and vampires, there is something new for everyone.
This is a list compiled of new and underrated stories with unique plots and awesome worldbuilding. I hope you’ll enjoy these books with great cover art and intriguing storylines.
The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
A clever novel of lies, murder, and the reign of a wicked Queen, The Sin Eater’s Daughter is a riveting tale of suspense with an ambiguous ending that leaves you thinking about the book for days on end. I loved this story with all my heart, and it also introduced me to the concept of Sin Eaters. In Welsh mythology, sin eaters were the poor people who (according to Wikipedia) ate a “ritual meal in order to spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person.”
In the book, the main character Twylla is the embodied goddess also known as Daunen-embodied (when I searched up the meaning of ‘Daunen’ I came to learn that it means down or bird feathers used to fill up pillows). Twylla lives in the Queen’s castle as the Prince’s live-in fiance.
Of course, this isn’t about Twylla’s romance with the Prince. He’s scared of her too, and likes to avoid her at every chance. Instead, this story is about a forbidden love between Twylla and her new guard. What happens as their treasonous love escalates? Well, you better read to find out…
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Strikingly similar to The Sin Eater’s Daughter, but also very different, Graceling is about the main character Katsa, and her love interest Prince Po. Basically, Katsa is a Graceling, someone blessed with a Grace (aka magic power). Gracelings are identified by their heterochromia and extraordinary abilities. Some Graces involve the ability of hand-to-hand combat, others enhance the taste of the food cooked by a person.
In this diverse world, Katsa is King Randa’s niece, yet at the same time, she’s also his most prized cow. As the guard dog of the Middluns, she slaughters his enemies with no abandon, for her Grace is of killing.
Clearly, years of torturing and murdering people without really wanting to do so would drive anyone insane. But not Katsa, the only consequences are her anger issues and tendency to cope by training herself. Yay! We got an MC with a somewhat healthy mindset. (I love well-rounded characters.)
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Aurora Rising is unique and interesting, with alien species, time travel, and more. Auri Jie-lin is a girl who was kept in cryo-sleep for a solid two centuries. After waking up in the future, she finds herself lost. With her family dead, and her whole life changed, she can’t help but feel overwhelmed. In the meanwhile, the one who saved her is a Captain who missed his first pick at his future squad-mates.
Now, Tyler Jones is stuck with misfits and outcasts, and now his dysfunctional team has somehow become responsible for saving the Galaxy? I loved the premise and interesting time jumps of this story, and I think you will too! Give it a read if you haven’t already.
The Fever King by Victoria Lee
A dystopian sci-fi story set in the future, this one follows the perspective of Noam Álvaro, a sixteen year old boy living in the 22nd century. Except, climate change isn’t really on everyone’s mind in a destroyed and fractured America. In the new state of Carolinia, magic is the real problem. And no, this isn’t some supernatural epic about witches being burned at the stake and vampires falling for teen girls. No, this is serious.
Noam is one of the latest victims of the magic, a virus that kills. However, those who survive the virus are witchings, beings capable of using magic. As an Atlantian refugee, Noam never really belonged in Carolinia, more so now that he’s become a witching. Wrapped in politics and shady operations behind the scenes, Noam is about to learn that his new life in Level IV is nothing like he could ever imagine.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Xiran Jay Zhao is a new and uprising author with an amazing youtube channel and a great book. Their sci-fi fantasy retelling of China’s only female empress is all about smashing the patriarchy and unraveling the mystery behind why female mecha pilots are sacrificed as energy sources for the Chrysalises, transforming mechas who defend the great wall from evil aliens.
When Xetian’s sister dies after being recruited as a Concubine Pilot, she must get her revenge, an event that sets into motion the adventure of a lifetime.
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
The enthralling first novel of a duology, Vicious is a story about two crazy people, and how their friendship went from a friendly rivalry, to a deadly one. When two college students discover that experiences with death could possibly cause the gain of supernatural powers, they are determined to get their hands on the fruits of their research.
Years later, the two are reunited as enemies rather than friends, and from there, everything descends into chaos and madness. A fresh story about what real life would be like with superpowers, everyone knows that there isn’t anyone selfless enough to care about others. Humans are selfish, and power breeds greed. Vicious is a story of villain against villain, rivals who don’t care for the greater good, only for the destruction of each other.