2020 will be remembered as the year a global pandemic forced the entire world to stay at home and face some genuinely tough situations. However, as someone who tries to look at the bright side as much as possible, I will remember 2020 as the year it made so many people discover their love for books again.
Reading has been my number one way of passing time while at home and this year we did have some excellent launches in the fantasy fiction category.
I am giving below five of the best fantasy books published in 2020. I loved each of these books and they made my love for reading just so much stronger.
Note that these books have been listed by me in a random order and not necessarily in any particular order of popularity, sales or ratings. The only thing I considered is the books needed to have at least 150 ratings in both Amazon and Goodreads. Also the actual rating and number of ratings given is as per mid-December 2020.
1) A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
Publication date: July 21, 2020
Amazon Rating: 4.6 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 1,939
Goodreads Rating: 4.05 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 4,747
A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking was such a delightful read. Author T. Kingfisher has managed to create a charming world that is appealing to both young readers as well as adults.
I loved the fact that our protagonist, 14 year old Mona is a wizard whose magic works only on bread. Obviously with such kind of magic there are dancing gingerbread men and living cookies. However, make no mistake there is a serious plot here when Mona is forced to go on the run when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor.
The book has enough depth to keep you hooked till the end and get invested in each of the main characters.
2) The Dividing: The Adamic Trilogy Book 1 by Devin Downing
Publication date: May 27, 2020
Amazon Rating: 4.5 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 425
Goodreads Rating: 4.33 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 226
The Dividing by author Devin Downing explores a new world where you get to look at religion with a new meaning. The Adamic language was the language of the Gods. In fact the Gods created everything using this ancient and mysterious language.
No mortal or anyone have spoken the language in thousands of years and the only remnants are written spells etched in the walls feeding blood thirsty creatures.
The Dividing is the name of a city wide competition where all children turning 18 must participate. While the competition itself will remind you of many young adult novels with similar themes, this book actually has a more complicated story-arc and the author has done extremely well in creating a detailed world where readers can immerse themselves completely and learn something new at every turn.
Note this is the first book in a planned series and hence the book’s main plot will continue in the next one.
3) Shadow Magic: Six Strong Heroines of Urban Fantasy
by Aimee Easterling, Pippa DaCosta, Annie Bellet, Jenn Stark, C. Gockel, Dale Ivan Smith
Publication date: February 11, 2020
Amazon Rating: 4.4 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 532
Goodreads Rating: 4.07 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 196
If you love fantasy fiction books with strong female leads, then this collection of six strong heroines is definitely for you.
These are six books written by six extremely talented authors as given above. These books will satisfy every need of fantasy fiction fans with sorceresses, demons, artifact hunters, Norse Gods, shifters etc.
With Shadow Magic, you are basically getting six books for the price of one and a few extremely enjoyable evenings.
4) The Awakening: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 1 by Nora Roberts
Publication date: November 24, 2020
Amazon Rating: 4.8 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 2,450
Goodreads Rating: 4.45 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 2,955
Judging from the number of reviews and ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads in less than a month, New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts has a real hit on her hands.
The Awakening is part of a planned trilogy known as The Dragon Heart Legacy. This is a complete fantasy adventure with an epic scale. There is great world building, powerful characters and plotlines that will keep you engrossed in the book page after page.
If you love fantasy books that have adventure, romance, lots of magic and various fantasy creatures, then The Awakening will appeal to you.
5) The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Publication date: March 17, 2020
Amazon Rating: 4.7 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 2,278
Goodreads Rating: 4.53 out to 5
Number of Ratings in 2020: 28,950
I know many people who would consider The House in the Cerulean Sea by author TJ Klune as their book of the year.
The book is about a caseworker with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth named Linus Baker. When Linus needs to check-up on one of the orphanages under the departments care, his world completely changes thanks to the caretaker of the orphanage Arthur and the six distinct kids that live together and have formed an extremely strong bond.
This is an inclusive, feel-good, LGBTQA+ friendly fantasy novel that has gathered some die-hard fans. This book has already won a number of accolades and is a USA Today bestseller.
