The books I call ‘classic fantasy,’ as in ‘taking place in a fantasy world.’ They may or may not involve an epic quest, epic battles or epic achievements. They often do not involve Earth, or at least a familiar one.
The Blade Itself (The First Law #1) by Joe Abercrombie
Best Served Cold (The First Law #2) by Joe Abercrombie
The Dragon’s Path by Daniel Abraham
Chaos Mage by Stephen Aryan
Geist: Book of the Order by Philippa Ballantine
Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1) by Philippa Ballantine
Book of Iron by Elizabeth Bear
Bone and Jewel Creatures by Elizabeth Bear
City of Stairs (Divine Cities #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
City of Blades (Divine Cities #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
City of Miracles (Divine Cities #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett
American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
Foundryside (2017) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
Murder of Crows (The Others #2) by Anne Bishop
Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop
Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) by Anne Bishop
Etched in Bone (The Others #5) by Anne Bishop
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe
Servant of the Underworld (Obsidian and Blood #1) by Aliette de Bodard
Harbinger of the Storm (Obsidian and Blood #2) by Aliette de Bodard
The Tea Master and the Detective (Xuya universe) by Aliette de Bodard
Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances (Fallen universe) by Aliette de Bodard
The Translated Man by Chris Braak
The Warded Man (Demon Cycle #1) by Peter V. Brett
The Phoenix Guards (Khaavren Romances #1) by Steven Brust
Jhereg (Vlad Taltos #1) by Steven Brust
Hawk (Vlad Taltos #14) by Steven Brust
Vallista (Vlad Taltos #15) by Steven Brust
Paladin of Souls (Chalion #2) by Lois McMaster Bujold
Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold
Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker
The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles
The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate by Ted Chiang
The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Masked City (Great Library #2) by Genevieve Cogman
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Sweet Silver Blues (Garrett P.I. #1) by Glen Cook
Child of a Hidden Sea by A.M. Dellamonica
Ghosts of Tsavo (Society of Paranormals #1) by Vered Ehsani
Cold Magic (Spiritwalker #1) by Kate Elliot
Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
Deep Roots by Ruthanna Emrys
The Big Over Easy (Nursery Crime #1) by Jasper Fforde
The Fourth Bear (Nursery Crime #2) by Jasper Fforde
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
The Bone Doll’s Twin by Lynn Flewelling
One of Our Thursdays is Missing (Thursday Next #6) by Jasper Fforde
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone
Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone
Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss
The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1) by Clay and Susan Griffith
The Border Keeper by Kerstin Hall
The Time of the Dark (Darwath #1) by Barbara Hambly
Magistrates of Hell (James Asher #8) by Barbara Hambly
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes
Housetrap by R.J. Hore (PI mystery)
Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day by Jonathan L. Howard
Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (Cabal #1) by Jonathan L. Howard
Johannes Cabal the Detective (Cabal #2) by Jonathan L. Howard
Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute (Cabal #3) by Jonathan L. Howard
The Brothers Cabal (Cabal #4) by Jonathan L. Howard
The Fall of the House of Cabal (Cabal #5) by Jonathan L. Howard
Cabal short stories by Jonathan L. Howard
God’s War (Bel Dame #1) by Kameron Hurley
Infidel (Bel Dame #2) by Kameron Hurley
Rapture (Bel Dame #3) by Kameron Hurley
Apocalypse Nyx (stories) by Kameron Hurley
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart
The Story of the Stone by Barry Hughart
Eight Skilled Gentleman by Barry Hughart
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
The Killing Moon (Dreamblood #1) by N.K. Jemisin
The Shadowed Sun (Dreamblood #2) by N.K. Jemisin
The Summer Tree (Fionavar Tapestry Book One) by Guy Gavriel Kay
Daggerspell (Deverry #1) by Katharine Kerr
Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
A Song for Quiet by Cassandra Khaw
Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher
A Wizards’ Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher
Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories by Naomi Kritzer
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire#1) by Mark Lawrence
Swords and Deviltry (Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser #1) by Fritz Leiber
The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards #1) by Scott Lynch
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Brood of Bones by A.E. Marling
Fox’s Bride by A.E. Marling
A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca
Broken Blade (Fallen Blade #1) by Kelly McCullough
Sheepfarmer’s Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion #1) by Elizabeth Moon
The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
In Shades of Grey by Melissa Myers
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
The Serpent (The Gameshouse #1) by Claire North
The Thief (The Gameshouse #2) by Claire North
The Master (The Gameshouse #3) by Claire North
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker
The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
Low Town by Daniel Polansky
Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Guards!Guards! (City Watch #1, Discworld #8) by Terry Pratchett
Night Watch (City Watch #6, Discworld #29) by Terry Pratchett
The Pygmy Dragon by Marc Secchia
Mistborn (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson
The Alloy of Law (Mistborn #4) by Brandon Sanderson
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive#1) by Brandon Sanderson
The Trees by Ali Shaw
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
The Song of Mavin Manyshaped (Mavin Manyshaped #1) by Sheri S. Tepper
The 13 Clocks by James Thurber, Illustrated by Marc Simont
Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Made Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky
All the Paths of Shadow by Frank Tuttle
The Mister Trophy (Markhat #1) by Frank Tuttle
Hold the Dark (Markhat #3) by Frank Tuttle
The Cadaver Client (Markhat #4) by Frank Tuttle
The Banshee’s Walk (Markhat, #5) by Frank Tuttle
Brown River Queen (Markhat #7) by Frank Tuttle
The Darker Carnival (Markhat #9) by Frank Tuttle
Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
Ursula Vernon short stories
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Necropolis by Tim Waggoner
Among Others by Jo Walton
Farthing (Small Change, #1), by Jo Walton
Shadows Edge (Night Angel #2) by Brent Weeks
Beyond the Shadows (Night Angel #3) by Brent Weeks
The Black Prism (Lightbringer, #1) by Brent Weeks
The Cloud Roads (Books of the Raksura #1) by Martha Wells
The Element of Fire by Martha Wells
Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
City of Bones by Martha Wells
The Thousand Names (Book One of the Shadow Campaigns) by Django Wexler
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White (also listed in sci-fi)
Snake Agent (Detective Chen #1) by Liz Williams
The Shadow Pavilion (Detective Chen #4) by Liz Williams
The Iron Khan (Inspector Chen #5) by Liz Williams
The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams
The Iron Jackal (Tales of the Kitty Jay #3) by Chris Wooding
The Ace of Skulls (Tales of the Kitty Jay #4) by Chris Wooding
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones
Once Upon a Time (She Said) by Jane Yolen
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 70
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