Reading Fantasy / Horror in May 2026

[blailock]

I finished Whispers of the Storm by Z.B. Steele. I'm a sucker for a framed narrative, and this is a really good one. Redlin's story is fascinating, and I can't wait to continue as soon as the 2nd book is released. Highly Recommended!

 

[Fryan]

I’m trying to work my way through George MacDonald’s Fantastes for a book club I’m in but I’m finding it hard to get into. That old prose style is just a bit too dense and slow moving for me. I find myself just forcing myself to pay attention because my mind wanders so easily while reading this. I have to really concentrate to stay engaged with the text.

I must sound like someone who only reads stuff that goes down easy like a lozenge, but I swear it’s the book and not me!

 

[Randy M.]

I’m trying to work my way through George MacDonald’s Fantastes for a book club I’m in but I’m finding it hard to get into. That old prose style is just a bit too dense and slow moving for me. I find myself just forcing myself to pay attention because my mind wanders so easily while reading this. I have to really concentrate to stay engaged with the text.

I must sound like someone who only reads stuff that goes down easy like a lozenge, but I swear it’s the book and not me!

We've all been there. Sometimes even with books we later find we enjoy.

 

[Raf]

Finished the 2nd book of the "Heroes Road" trilogy by Chuck Rogers (at least I hope it is a trilogy...who knows these days) These are big books. 600-700+ pages and a lot is happening in this story.

I started but deleted the lengthy overview of this book. There is just too much going on to keep the review in a reasonable length. Suffice it to say, I really like this story. Both books are great epic / high fantasy.
As far as cons though, there are some editing errors I ran across. Progression from character POV's that sometimes lose track of what character is speaking. Minor stuff that I can overlook. But all too common in these KU self-edited, self-published novels

The first 2 books are available through Kindle Unlimited. The 3rd book (I'm reading it right now) was $9.99 and was published some 2 years later after the first 2.

I've set the 3rd book aside for now. Only a few pages in, but it is another 800 + page monster. Longer than the 2 previous ones and I need a break from this story. Actually the 3rd book published 2 years after the first 2 which gave early readers a much-needed break.

 

[suciul]

Finished Guardian's Journey (series debut) by R Savarovsky; not as entertaining as Last Paladin so far - somewhat confusing and feeling kind of rushed to start with - but getting better as the book has progressed and with the usual mid-action ending of the Paladin series. Great potential though - a different set-up, as is a sort of alt-history type of Earth with empires, magic but also modern technological stuff like planes

 

[tpetty]

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I've recently finished The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's not non-stop action. Kay takes his time to layer his world and his characters. Heroic fantasy and legendary characters that you want to follow isn't easy to do. Even a lot of the side characters have compellingly fleshed out backgrounds. Lots of intrigue and many scenes that after the build up you can cut the tension with a knife.

The basic premise - Where do your loyalties lie? To yourself? To family? To your friends? To your faith? To your king? The web spun is really well done.

It's not for everyone. There are some storytelling tropes in this book that reminded me of my quibbles with Tigana when I read that 15 yrs ago - the author definitely takes his time in places. And some scenes happen, drop a teasing cliffhanger (eg 'and then I saw the dead body by his side'), then the scene is repeated from multiple povs over the next 30 pages or so before you find out the specifics. It does work but it's a pacing shift that is very noticeable to me.

There are choices here. The characters and their journeys take precedence over the world. The storytelling reflects that.

Spoiler

eg the main crusade that the story has been leading up to is condensed into a chapter at the end and the epilogue.

If you don't mind taking time with a book, this one pays off the reader. It's also nice to read a book that's self contained rather than being part of a multibook epic.

That's one of my favorite books. Being based on Moorish Spain is what led to me planning a two week vacation to Andalucia this fall. Granada, Malaga, Cordoba, Ronda, & Seville. Also a day in Gibraltar. Gotta mix some fish & chips into all the tapas!

 

[Everonn]

This sci-fi novel is a portal fantasy. Actors from Earth are transported to a parallel world that has all the trappings of a dark fantasy setting. While there, the Actors live out stories that can be viewed by people back on Earth. They're the Hollywood celebrities of their day that do all their own stunts and magic.

The premise I describe really drew me in to this book. And it was pulled off with some success. The fantasy side of the story was satisfyingly dark, political, and action packed. It had a couple of really intimidating antagonists. Villains, really. And our anti-hero protagonist was pretty good. Though I think his wife should have been the main character. Her chapters were awesome, and when other POVs were with her she was the most interesting character in the scene.

The sci-fi portion felt a little underdeveloped. Like it was just a different way to tell a fantasy story. I thought there was some setup for the Earth story line that I never got a payoff for. Perhaps in later books, but I'm not likely to find out.

I thought the writing was adequately clear and provided a lot of good descriptions of magic, action, emotions. Could get a bit wordy at times, some descriptions or explanations went on a little too long.

Overall, good-not-great. But I can totally see some fantasy-first readers calling this a favorite.

 

[Hobbit]

But I can totally see some fantasy-first readers calling this a favorite.

It is one of Rob Bedford's favourite books of all time, if I remember right!