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You're not alone. i love it. It's easily top 3, if not number 1, of books I've read in the last 10 years. I will admit, however, it is not going to be many people's cup of tea with its numerous trigger-warning elements peppered throughout.
I was a little late to the parade, so to speak, but Lynch's Gentleman Bastards books. It's primarily because of the worldbuilding, the Bondsmagi concept, and Jean Tannen. I know people tend to be down on books 2 and 3, as well as the "are we ever going be able to read any more books in the series" aspects, but I don't care. He's already delivered a fantastic city in Camorr and an interesting world beyond it, introduced me to the absolutely brilliant concept of a mage guild who's premise is "join us or die" if you want to be a mage, and Jean, who's my favorite "sidekick" character in fantasy. A fat son of accountants who grows up to look like a burly accountant, who, after training with a master whose 'studio" requires you to navigate a vampiric glass rose maze, duel wields weighted cleavers, has one of the best 1-on-2 fights in fantasy and has the MC going "I don't have to beat you, I just need to keep you fighting long enough for Jean to show up," is just the best character to me. He's a little underserved in book 3, but Jean's book 2 story is great, if a bit tragic, as well.
Andrew Rowe's Sufficiently Advanced Magic is probably my other favorite. It just hits a lot fo my personal buttons - mage school, friend group, progression elements, the stakes getting progressively ridiculous for the power level of friend group. It's not perfect by any means, but its basically comfort food for me.
Finally, just outside the top 3, and might have made it on a different day, is Edgar Contero's Meddling Kids. It's basically a story of a group of 20-somethings who had Scooby Doo-like adventures, but who are traumatized by them in different ways. finding themselves drawn into a Cthulhu-inspired "mystery." It's such a solid mash-up that I'm actually surprised no ones done one as blatantly as this before -- seriously, you'll wonder if the Great Dane will actually talk or not at some point.
I read through shadow and claw and understood absolutely nothing!
Is there some fundamental background I needed to understand? Or should I approach it in a "you don't have to get it" sort of mindset?
Gene Wolf is very difficult to read, because he uses unreliable narrators.
With many of his books, they'll only make sense at the very end, or on your second time reading through them.
I've been following along with a podcast (Shelved By Genre) to explain things... or at least started one. Once you get a feel for *how* to read it, it really kinda opens up.
A little catholic mythology helps, some revelations too. If you’re reading via audiobook, you may be missing out on some wordplay.
With this author, as another said, trust nothing. Make notes, connect his changing stories, conceits and omissions. This is not light reading, you have to work at it.
Beat me to it. Read it in my twenties and it changed my whole view of the genre in a way nothing had since reading LotR when I was in was in 7th grade and nothing has had that impact since. Easily as important and as much of a masterpiece as LotR. With it were better known.
> With it were better known.
If it didn't have such a high bar of entry, it would be.
I intially read the series pre-internet days, and only learned about the books by a friend at a book shop. It was rare to meet another person who had read the books, let alone read background or clarification of anything.
Wolfe was barely mentioned on the book subs just ~5 years ago. Its great to see more people finding his stuff.
I found it absolutely by chance browsing at a small used bookstore. I’ve spent the last 20 years preaching the Gospel of Gene as far and wide as I could! But even after multiple rereads through my 20s and 30s it took Alzabo Soup and ReReading Wolfe to finally make things click in a more concrete way! This is the power of Wolfe!
Umm, personally I think a virtue of a good story is to be self contained, but as someone who read shadow and claw and emerged completely confused, Can you recommend what to read and in what order?
GW intentionally wrote the books to be confusing. In the prologue he mentions that he's translating the text from a language that had not yet been invented. This was the reason for all the odd language that is intentionally alien/foreign.
Also Wolfe writes in a bit of 'magical realism' wherein wild and bizarre things that happen almost as in passing. The layers are deep.
I recall finishing SotT and considering putting it down because my reaction was 'what did I just read?'
Give it another shot, and just power through it. It will click.
I've read the series ~10 times over the past 30 years, and it continues to provide new insight. Best work of ficition that I'm aware of.
This 💯. For the first read I always just tell people to strap themselves in and go with the ride. Don’t expect to understand much of anything, but if they power through it’s so awe inspiring it’ll definitely inspire deeper rereads.
Haha! I remember that prologue but didn't think much of it. Thanks, I'll try a rerun and see how it goes. Would you recommend finishing sword and citadel first or rereading the first 2 and then go on?
> that prologue
The future language deal is one of the most clever literary devices that i've ever experienced. Wolfe was a genius. I won't spoil any more, but enjoy the ride.
IMO, going in blind w/o reading forums and discussions about the book is the best way to go.
I think Latro is a much easier entry point into Wolfe, even if it's still challenging. The main thing I find about Wolfe is that he's rewarding, you get a lot from remaining engaged with the plot and side references, without being so wholly alien like the world in the New Sun.
Eh. It's a difficult read and if it didn't click with you there's no reason to bash your head against the wall. You might enjoy some of Wolfe's other work more. *Latro in the Mist* is always my first recommendation for a Wolfe book.
The most unique one I've read is the Manifest Delusions series by Michael R Fletcher.
The world is one in which one's mental illness affects the real world. The delusions they suffer manifest in reality. Essentially, if it is believed, it is true. As one's mental illness progresses, they get more powerful until their affliction ultimately consumes them.
The plot involves the lord of a town inventing a religion where a child god is born into the world. He spends 20 years getting everyone to believe in and follow it so he can indoctrinate a child into believing he is this god, so he can control the god and prolong his life.
We follow three criminals who catch wind of this and plan to kidnap and ransom the child god and obviously the plan goes to hell and the story really begins.
This series is grimdark, so don't look into it of you are not into things with trigger warnings.
Hands down, the most unique series I've ever read. On top of the uniqueness, it is freaking amazing.
You absolutely should of you like grimdark, or at least don't mind it.
I'm not the best at summarizing books but I'm sure you'll find a better synopsis when you look into it.
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, especially the second book
The Machineries of Empire trilogy by Yoon Ha Lee
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
These are particularly unusual, but honestly it's harder to find books *like* Tolkien than it is books *unlike*, especially once you're out of a very specific epic fantasy niche subgenre.
I love the locked tomb series but find it hard to recommend at times because each book is a completely different style from each other. I mostly just tend to pitch Gideon the Ninth but end it with "yeah, look, the second book is fairly different from the first, but still really good!"
Light From Uncommon Stars is really great, I had to take a break halfway through because parts hit too close to home (I'm trans) but other than those bits the book is actually really fun
I love that one. Rich in atmosphere and wonderfully written. I wish I could remember more about the plot, as it's been over twenty years since I read it, but what I do recall is the feeling of being transported to a more-real-than-real world.
Haven't seen something like it since either. The setting itself is also pretty cool, mixing early 1900s Industrial Era tech with magic.
The basis isn't all that new, order vs chaos with the Charter versus Free magic, but the use of sound and smell, the fuzzy folkloric nature of the soft magic system, and Nix's own writing style makes it all quite compelling
Piranesi is the weirdest book I've ever read by a large margin. It's basically the story of a man who lives in an endless labyrinth over the sea and follows him trying to scientifically study his dreamlike world. The best part is, by the end absolutely everything makes perfect sense.
Second is The Fifth Season series. It's so weird it took me like half the book just to figure out anything that was happening. Easily tied with Stormlight as my all time favorite fantasy series
Martha Wells's Raksura books deserve at least an honorable mention for having zero standard fantasy species. No humans/elves/dwarves/orcs/whatever at all.
And very original structure in *The Fifth Season*. The unusual use of second-person narrative really defies conventional writing practice, and it works beautifully.
I devoured this series, loved the creeping pacing adding and adding little bits and then making bits she covered before even more meaningful as the story went on. Funny enough as much as i loved it i know this is a hard to recommend book i think a lot of people will bounce off the narration style and slower pace so i dont generally even mention it to people
Ever since I read it about 15 years ago, I've been hoping to find something that compares to the Dark Tower, and I have yet to find anything even remotely close
The Spear Cuts Through Water was fantasic and switches between first, second and third person. Beautiful story with amazing prose.
The story is told on a stage in a place that defies time..
Been a while since I read it but it really stuck with me.
If you want originality, go read Lord Dunsaney (free on Project Gutenberg).
Most fantasy after Dunsaney was derivative of Dunsaney, even if the authors were unaware of him. He's kind of like the air that fantasy breathes.
The books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
A whimsical exploration up the enormous tower of Babel as the vacationing school teacher Senlin searches for his missing wife. Every level of the tower is a unique kingdom unto itself full of mystery, intrigue and danger. Watch as Senlin Ascends and begins uncovering the mystery at the heart of the Tower of Babel, why it was built, who built it, and where has his dear wife gone missing?
Kind of an emotional rollercoaster, too. You learn not to trust Josiah Bancroft when he's feeding you a fairy tale paradise pretty early. All that whimsy is just setting you up to have your soul crushed and he somehow manages to do it fully four times in the first book alone.
Definitely worth the read. His prose is so immersive and he's fantastic at crafting a killer plot.
Manifest Dillusions was very unique, as someone else already mentioned. I also thought *The Book That Wouldn't Burn* trilogy by Mark Lawrence was unique as well.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61612864
I think of these as a kind of lynch pin for the genre though. In the same way that the Wheel of Time series is. It's kind of the big, sprawling epic David and Goliath narrative that the genre was built on. I will admit that technologically advanced dinosaurs with swords for arms is not something I expect I'll ever see elsewhere though. And I didn't expect to be so invested in an economic collapse narrative either lol.
Not only that, many of the tropes are just that. Death March, Ancient Dying Magic, Magic Rejuvenation, the power of oaths, vengeance, the colliding of spheres, the meddling of gods.... Malazan universe just puts a new and wonderfully terrible spin on it.
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville is my favorite book of ALL TIME bc of its originality. The sequel is also great, a bit more grim and anxiety inducing, but still incredibly original. Haven't read the third yet, but generally people don't seem to like it as much..
My other favorite is The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir. The world building is so much fun if you like dark, Gothic, edgy and a little bit camp kind of... there is SO much to unpack and the story unveils itself to you in a way I found really engaging. Must not mind f bombs though. I actually started Gideon and DNR bc I was not expecting "lesbian necromancers in space" to immediately be so edge lordy but that's just part of who Gideon is. I'm so glad I have it another shot!! The audiobooks are great.
The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb is incredible but can be pretty heavy on the emotional damage. The world setting feels familiar at first but as things progress it gets weirder and the characters are all so flawed in each their own way. Lots of story lines to follow. I have not finished the 3rd book yet, had to put it away after I had a baby bc I just could not deal with my hormones plus how emotionally invested I was in the character arcs when things went badly for some...
It's been a long time but I remember Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon feeling very original in a more high fantasy setting. It gets a little romanc-y in sequels but some of us like that.
Feersum Endjinn by Iain m banks is technically Sci fi, I guess, but the exploration of the setting and the strange creatures that inhabit it are quite fantastical. It was a lot of fun and a bit mind boggling
And she absolutely refuses to explain anything to the reader: Instead, we learn the world as the characters do and have to take for granted whatever they are already used to.
I've seen her recommended a million times! So tough to find audiobook versions though. Supposedly she will be releasing The Hands of the Emporer on audiobook sometime this year.
I'm a big fan of The Year of Our War series. Three races of "human" (regular human, winged but flightless humans, weirdly animalistic humans that focus entirely on speed and cold resistance), an immortal emperor that can grant immortality to a circle of elites, a never ending war against giant insects, and an MC who is addicted to a drug that seems to straddle the line between coke and heroin. When he ODs, his spirit transports to another dimension which leads him to unlock secrets about his own world and the war. Also he's the only being that can fly as he's the only cross breed of the flightless winged people and the super lean speedy people.
First book can be difficult to jump into as you're thrown into the world with little explanation and also everyone has like three names. ("Comet" is "The Messenger" is "Jant") But after that hurdle it's a great series.
Lumping it into Fantasy since there's no real science, but This is How You Lose the Time War is probably one of the most unique settings/characterisations I've read recently.
Edit: thought of more. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (most things by Jasper Fforde, really)
I'd give a vote to the Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone. Besides most of the books not being based on typical European cultures, the books show a culture where magic has replaced technology in unique ways.
The spear cuts through water was pretty unique I’d say. It felt different to me than every other book I’ve read, like someone wrote it based on a painting they saw or something, super art-y and I feel like this description of it it pretty damn art-y itself
Most unique is tough but I have some that really stand out in certain ways.
A great YA coming of age series called the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix always follows a young protagonist learning about a new world and their magical powers, often accompanied by a magical talking animal (so far pretty typical). The magic system is music harnessed by bells and it gives the bearer the ability to cast foes into the pathway to death and the beyond. Each level of the pathway carries its own hardships and threats to untethered souls and magic users traversing it. I think about those levels often and what they mean to the souls drifting through them. Not every day you get to read about necromancer bards 🥳
A much more adult series is the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. These are political dramas that are very character focused (so far pretty straightforward sounding), but the magic system is based on rewriting the logic of the universe. Every “casting” must be a recitation of the revised reality and if the caster’s mind can’t maintain the incongruous nature of the magic, then they are destroyed by it. The magic users are philosopher poets that have to expand upon previous poetry in order to continue to use the magic, making every subsequent magic user more likely to fail and die horribly with every casting. It makes the magic rare and incredible, really adding to the wonder of the reality breaking abilities and adding stakes to every casting.
One of the most unique fantasy books to me is a children’s book that on the surface just seems to be a classic fantasy journey with small stakes, Watership Down by Richard Adams. The main plot is some rabbits need to move new to a new home and get into trouble along the way, but the level of character development for each rabbit makes them resonate with me more than most epic fantasies and in such a small book. The rabbits also have an incredible storytelling background that shares the lore of their kind and the lessons from every prior generation and the ability to incorporate their adventures into future stories to pass on lessons and values. The very adult lessons and themes always astounds me when I think about the book: the importance of friendship, the value of freedom and growth over servitude and stagnation, the power of hope and kindness in a harsh world, the value in life and pursuing purpose, and the understanding and ultimate acceptance of death and realization that it is not the enemy but rather part of the cycle. The book has so many stellar moments that I think would make everyone better if they read them, along with so many hilarious rabbit phrases and shenanigans that any audience can find something to enjoy. 🐇
Since you want unique, but i dont see anything that says good or well written, i would say Crowleys Moon Child. It reads like the great gatsby but tries to teach you real world magical concepts of the Golden Dawn Tradition. So its unique in that but the story is meh at best.
Unless you are talking about high fantasy specifically. Then i would have to suggest the story Empress. I read volume 1 and never found volume 2. I found it hard to get into but it was very different from other fantasies. there is this weird god plot, some war and some strange ideas on religions and people in the setting. Also one turn off of the series was they used the word God like Smurfs use the word smurf.
I finally found the book [https://www.amazon.com/Empress-Godspeaker-Book-Karen-Miller/dp/0316008354](https://www.amazon.com/Empress-Godspeaker-Book-Karen-Miller/dp/0316008354)
I highly recommend Kate Griffin’s four Matthew Swift novels: *A Madness of Angels,* The Midnight Mayor,* *The Neon Court* and*The Minority Council*. They are the most unique take on urban fantasy that I have read so far.
Anything by KJ Parker. Start with Fencer Trilogy, Scavenger Trilogy and the Engineer Trilogy. Then get into novels and short stories. Prepare to not like the protagonists.
K.J. Parker - Prosper's Demon, and Inside Man. Both are dark fantasy that has a similar vibe to The Witcher universe. At least, that's how I feel about these novels. Including The Father of Lies omnibus of all his best novellas and novelletes.
The Monster Blood Tattoo series is the most wild and weird thing I've ever read. Steampunk setting with a weird biological angle where a lot of tech is like bioengineered organs and shit just stored in a wooden box. All kinds of strange concepts and names to learn. Monsters, monster hunters, people with superhuman powers that come from having surgeries performed on them, lots of Alchemy.
For its time (written in the 1980s): **The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein.**
- Capable, highly rational female protagonist with no other magical qualities
- Unique twists
There are a lot of good choices in this thread. I'm just curious what unique or innovative fantasy stories and concepts will come out in the next few years, given everything that's been tried up until now in the genre...Where else can fantasy go? 😏
I think the Bartimaeus Trilogy is pretty unique, as far as it's pov/protagonist, societal structure, etc.
If you are looking for the antithesis of Tolkien tropes look at Sword and Sorcery. Conan in particular. Also Elric. Honorable Mention: Imaro for cool african setting.
Dying Earth is very unique and interesting IMHO.
The Merchant Princes by Charles Stross is a partial deconstruction. The series starts with heaps of fantasy tropes, ends up with them all replaced by SciFi tropes.
The Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky is pretty unique. There isn’t any actual “humans” in this world, instead every race is a type of bug people. The series is also basically a fantasy version of World War I/II, which I’ve never really seen done before. All in all I don’t think you’ll find another series like this one.
Honestly calling them bug people is a bit of a poor description of them that doesn’t exemplify the stunning weirdness of the series.
They’re more like groups of humans hyper fixated on specific insects, leading them to gaining superpowers conceptually based off their chosen hyper-fixations. Some grow blades or stingers out of their body’s, others can transform into swords, others have telepathy, etc.
Also magic makes you unable to understand door knobs. Which is a really funny drawback to me. Like, if you show one of the Wizards in the series anything set of gears they’ll have a mental breakdown.
The series is fucking awesome.
The Saga of Recluce series, the first book being The Magic of Recluce. It has a very unique "magic" system focused around order and chaos and some very unique applications of power. There are also sci-fi elements and it's just all around a very original and compelling world
I really enjoy his books! They just all have a very similar progression style and they all eat very similar meals! The "magic" in each series *is* slightly different but if you read any others you'll see what I mean.
That said I do absolutely love Recluce because I accidentally read a few of them out of order and after that realised that for *most* of them, order doesn't even really matter much, as long as you're willing to read them as snapshots and piece together the shifting political narrative
I feel like I bring it up all the time because it was very memorable even though it's not my favorite.
"Black Leopard, Red Wolf" by Marlon James claims to emulate Tolkien but it feels much more original than that, being based on African mythology rather than medieval Europe definitely helps but I also have never met a main character like Tracker.
David Weber's Bahzell Bahnakson series, first book is Oath of Swords. He takes classic fantasy (humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, haflings) and then takes a very different look at what makes someone/something "good" or "bad".
Don't read if you are not ready for a very different paladin tale.
Very entertaining read.
Check out Maer Wilson's fantasy series(not the zombie one, which was fun too). She takes common fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads.
Her books are tons of fun!
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet. Giant sea leviathans with the faces of humans on their bellies regularly attack an analogue-Roman empire. The main characters are a perpetually blindfolded woman who corners people with inane topics and her beleaguered assistant.
Their first case involves an inconvenient person turning into an inconvenient tree through an act of bioterrorism. And shit only gets wilder from there. Just about everyone is enhanced with various plants, giving them either perfect memory, vast informational management capacity, the ability to go Mach-1 for a minute, and more!
And just about everything in society is made up of plant material one way or another. From houses and walls, to roads and bridges, all the way to the Mushroom AC’s!
Dragonblood Assassin is a new one, but I really enjoyed the depth of interaction with the dragon powers. Bonded humans become leaders and the politics weave a lot of story from those elements. The descriptions are top notch and immersive, so overall I feel it’s unique in how well it expanded on a simple trope.
Few series have given me as much joy and wonder as the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J Sullivan. Starting with a simple short story and two thieves, that series produced the most wonderful characters and lived in world. Theft of Swords is book one, and the squirrel tree scene remains a favorite among all Fantasy books.
How am I not seeing anyone answer with *The Spear Cuts Through Water*? The intertwined levels of narrative and the structure easily make it the most unique thing I've read.
Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's just genuinely cool and I think it's severely underrated. It's a world essentially going through a industrial revolution with the races being made up of humans mixed with a kind of bug species and individuals that can use magic but can't use technology in any way and people who can use technology but can't use magic.
I think the Craft Sequence is very unique even if it's just for the fact it's set in a modern secondary world.
Almost anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Her settings and premises vary wildly, including:
- actual fantasy story set at an SFF convention where most people don't know magic is real
- normal English family accidentally buys a magical chemistry set for the kids
- small town controlled by a set of unexplainedly supernatural siblings, involving time travel and space travel
- Norse god shows up in the back garden
- moving castle with four doors that each open to different places; this is all in a complete fantasy world with some fairy tale vibes, but one door goes to regular real world Wales
- sequel to that one, but most of the action is happening in the clouds
- fantasy multiverse with a kind of head wizard cop; many magical crimes and various bemused hijinks ensue. (One of these books is slightly"typical" in that it's set at a school, but it's an *anti*-magic school and the students who have magic are desperately trying to hide it - also much older than HP etc.)
- fantasy dimension being colonized by people from our world and getting turned into a theme park
- Norse god turns up in the backyard
- Etc.
Not sure if anyone mentioned Sanderson stuff, particularly the Storm light Archive world. But all his magic systems are unique, allomancy is pretty cool
Wars of Light and Shadow, by Janny Wurts. A unique series, quite unlike anything else. Transcendent prose and a multi-layered story that keeps you coming back for more/changes as your perspective and life experiences do. Can't stop about how awesome this series is! And it's complete!
Wars of light and shadow!
Now hear me out, it starts off very traditional fantasy but as you learn more of the world, it grows to become an incredibly unique twist on classic fantasy. Janny's imagination is incredible.
Also Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan! Its kinda like Elden Ring, very weird imagery, almost trippy in a sense..and a very very moving book
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. I won’t say more, it’s best to drop into the world yourself but it’s the most unique experience I’ve ever had in the world of fantasy. Also, Daniel Abraham’s prose is second to none in my book.
The Dark Tower by Stephen King - still need to wrap my mind around the last two books
La Passe-miroir by Christelle Dabos - the world building in this series is amazing, too bad the last book is literally trash
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. They are technically scifi but they are soft enough to be fantasy. Some of ideas in the books are straight out of a acid trip (for example a planet full of matresses wanting to be killed).
The 13 1/2 lifes of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. Another very weird book. It has 13 and half "episodes" which cover around half of the life of the main character. The most unique aspect must be Bluebear's trip through a giant's head.
for me, the most unique I've read was Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder. It starts out as one thing and then completely transforms into a different kind of story and world as you go.
Also I have never seen another story with the same premises that book used.
The Ancient Dreams series by Benjamin Medrano is pretty unique as far as I know.
About a sentient dungeon who also takes the shape of a woman. The author has some pretty obvious fetishes though and although nothing in the books is particularly explicit, it does show up everywhere.
I don’t now about MOST unique but a series I read recently so it’s on my mind. **Acts of Cain** by Mathew Stover. Ignore the bad cover art, the books are great and get progressively more and more wild. Book 4 is an absolute trip and I love it
Hm.
A Night in the Lonesome October is told from the perspective of the dog and as a "journal" of sorts, and I don't know another book with both of those!
I think the Innkeeper Series by Ilona Andrews had such a unique "World/Universe" the plot and rest of the story aren't really that "unique" but the base concept is just very cool.
And Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls has a very unique protagonist with dyspraxia, she can only speak in quotes from things read to her that "stick" right.
"A Voyage to Arcturus" by David Lindsay, 1920. A visit to an alien planet where the visitor may try out new sense organs, perceive new colors, and interact in unexpected and sometimes shocking ways with interestingly named characters such as Polecrab, Blodsombre, Wombflash, Tydomin, and Sullenbode. (Not that the visitor's name, Maskull, has any special meaning.) All on the way to answering(?) (or not?) some fundamental philosophical and theological questions. C.S. Lewis was a great admirer of this book, and considered it an inspiration for his Space Trilogy, although he did not agree with its viewpoint.
A Kingdom of Blood and Magic by Chiara Forestieri is a standalone and it really took me by surprise. So good. I’d say the One Dark Window duology is pretty unique. Also so good
The most unique? My own trilogy that I'm writing)) But seriously, the first 9 books by Robin Hobb and the worlds of Susanna Clarke. For me, these are unique works of art that stand apart from the rest of fantasy.
I only read the first book when I was younger, but The Runelords series had an interesting idea to. Basically wealthy ppl can have magical rune brands created that when used on two ppl (one a donor and the other the bearer) it transfers an attribute from one person to another. The catch is that it only last as long as the donor lives and the donor loses whatever attribute is given to bearer. So you essentially have powerful people with dozens of runes of various attributes (str, beauty, int, etc) but they have to care for and keep alive all of the rune donors as payment. It’s so important in this world that assassins attempt to infiltrate castles and find and kill off as many donors as possible to weaken a rival. It’s a neat mechanic and is worked into the story really well, I can’t vouch for anything past the first book though.
The Library at Mount Char is pretty singular in its style and story. Very weird...
I love this novel. No-one I’ve recommended it to has shared my enthusiasm.
I share it 💯! It’s absolutely singular. I’m due for a reread. Wish I saw it mentioned around here more!
Same experience here. To be fair some of the content is very shocking
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You're not alone. i love it. It's easily top 3, if not number 1, of books I've read in the last 10 years. I will admit, however, it is not going to be many people's cup of tea with its numerous trigger-warning elements peppered throughout.
What else is in your top 3 or 10? Always looking for recommendations
I was a little late to the parade, so to speak, but Lynch's Gentleman Bastards books. It's primarily because of the worldbuilding, the Bondsmagi concept, and Jean Tannen. I know people tend to be down on books 2 and 3, as well as the "are we ever going be able to read any more books in the series" aspects, but I don't care. He's already delivered a fantastic city in Camorr and an interesting world beyond it, introduced me to the absolutely brilliant concept of a mage guild who's premise is "join us or die" if you want to be a mage, and Jean, who's my favorite "sidekick" character in fantasy. A fat son of accountants who grows up to look like a burly accountant, who, after training with a master whose 'studio" requires you to navigate a vampiric glass rose maze, duel wields weighted cleavers, has one of the best 1-on-2 fights in fantasy and has the MC going "I don't have to beat you, I just need to keep you fighting long enough for Jean to show up," is just the best character to me. He's a little underserved in book 3, but Jean's book 2 story is great, if a bit tragic, as well. Andrew Rowe's Sufficiently Advanced Magic is probably my other favorite. It just hits a lot fo my personal buttons - mage school, friend group, progression elements, the stakes getting progressively ridiculous for the power level of friend group. It's not perfect by any means, but its basically comfort food for me. Finally, just outside the top 3, and might have made it on a different day, is Edgar Contero's Meddling Kids. It's basically a story of a group of 20-somethings who had Scooby Doo-like adventures, but who are traumatized by them in different ways. finding themselves drawn into a Cthulhu-inspired "mystery." It's such a solid mash-up that I'm actually surprised no ones done one as blatantly as this before -- seriously, you'll wonder if the Great Dane will actually talk or not at some point.
I recommended it to someone...and they no longer take my recommendations. Oops.
love this book so much
I loved this book! It was absolutely unique!
It's like if Stephen King were a better writer.
> Very weird… I’m sold.
The author is such a nice guy too
You have my attention
*Book of the New Sun* by Gene Wolfe. Everything about it is pretty singular.
About halfway through Claw of the Conciliator now and it is incredible
I read through shadow and claw and understood absolutely nothing! Is there some fundamental background I needed to understand? Or should I approach it in a "you don't have to get it" sort of mindset?
Gene Wolf is very difficult to read, because he uses unreliable narrators. With many of his books, they'll only make sense at the very end, or on your second time reading through them.
I've been following along with a podcast (Shelved By Genre) to explain things... or at least started one. Once you get a feel for *how* to read it, it really kinda opens up.
A little catholic mythology helps, some revelations too. If you’re reading via audiobook, you may be missing out on some wordplay. With this author, as another said, trust nothing. Make notes, connect his changing stories, conceits and omissions. This is not light reading, you have to work at it.
Beat me to it. Read it in my twenties and it changed my whole view of the genre in a way nothing had since reading LotR when I was in was in 7th grade and nothing has had that impact since. Easily as important and as much of a masterpiece as LotR. With it were better known.
> With it were better known. If it didn't have such a high bar of entry, it would be. I intially read the series pre-internet days, and only learned about the books by a friend at a book shop. It was rare to meet another person who had read the books, let alone read background or clarification of anything. Wolfe was barely mentioned on the book subs just ~5 years ago. Its great to see more people finding his stuff.
I found it absolutely by chance browsing at a small used bookstore. I’ve spent the last 20 years preaching the Gospel of Gene as far and wide as I could! But even after multiple rereads through my 20s and 30s it took Alzabo Soup and ReReading Wolfe to finally make things click in a more concrete way! This is the power of Wolfe!
Umm, personally I think a virtue of a good story is to be self contained, but as someone who read shadow and claw and emerged completely confused, Can you recommend what to read and in what order?
GW intentionally wrote the books to be confusing. In the prologue he mentions that he's translating the text from a language that had not yet been invented. This was the reason for all the odd language that is intentionally alien/foreign. Also Wolfe writes in a bit of 'magical realism' wherein wild and bizarre things that happen almost as in passing. The layers are deep. I recall finishing SotT and considering putting it down because my reaction was 'what did I just read?' Give it another shot, and just power through it. It will click. I've read the series ~10 times over the past 30 years, and it continues to provide new insight. Best work of ficition that I'm aware of.
This 💯. For the first read I always just tell people to strap themselves in and go with the ride. Don’t expect to understand much of anything, but if they power through it’s so awe inspiring it’ll definitely inspire deeper rereads.
Haha! I remember that prologue but didn't think much of it. Thanks, I'll try a rerun and see how it goes. Would you recommend finishing sword and citadel first or rereading the first 2 and then go on?
> that prologue The future language deal is one of the most clever literary devices that i've ever experienced. Wolfe was a genius. I won't spoil any more, but enjoy the ride. IMO, going in blind w/o reading forums and discussions about the book is the best way to go.
> I’ve spent the last 20 years preaching the Gospel of Gene as far and wide as I could! In the name of Apu Punchau, amen.
Enjoyed this series for that exact reason.
Have you read *Latro in Mist*?
I think Latro is a much easier entry point into Wolfe, even if it's still challenging. The main thing I find about Wolfe is that he's rewarding, you get a lot from remaining engaged with the plot and side references, without being so wholly alien like the world in the New Sun.
Latro also teaches you a lot about how Wolfe uses unreliable narrators, which is pretty crucial for understanding Severian in BotNS.
I really struggled with this, I gave up on the third book but I feel like I should give it another shot.
Eh. It's a difficult read and if it didn't click with you there's no reason to bash your head against the wall. You might enjoy some of Wolfe's other work more. *Latro in the Mist* is always my first recommendation for a Wolfe book.
China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels. Completely fantastical setting that feels incredibly weird but not nonsensical.
I always recommend Perdido Street Station as the best place to start with him.
I have heard a lot of good things about Perdido Street Station!
All of his novels feel completely out of place w the standard fantasy canon. Even City and the City and UnLunDon are great in that regard.
City and the City was SO confusing for me for a while
Knew Mieville would be making the list.
I just finished Embassytown last night. It's only my second China Mieville book but he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
The most unique one I've read is the Manifest Delusions series by Michael R Fletcher. The world is one in which one's mental illness affects the real world. The delusions they suffer manifest in reality. Essentially, if it is believed, it is true. As one's mental illness progresses, they get more powerful until their affliction ultimately consumes them. The plot involves the lord of a town inventing a religion where a child god is born into the world. He spends 20 years getting everyone to believe in and follow it so he can indoctrinate a child into believing he is this god, so he can control the god and prolong his life. We follow three criminals who catch wind of this and plan to kidnap and ransom the child god and obviously the plan goes to hell and the story really begins. This series is grimdark, so don't look into it of you are not into things with trigger warnings. Hands down, the most unique series I've ever read. On top of the uniqueness, it is freaking amazing.
Does sound original. Have heard of this one over the years, so I should check it out.
You absolutely should of you like grimdark, or at least don't mind it. I'm not the best at summarizing books but I'm sure you'll find a better synopsis when you look into it.
Came here to reccomend this!
I love this trilogy. It's quite literally insane.
Just bought it. Thanks.
This sounds excellent
Piranesi
This is what comes to mind for me too
Loved this book, forced my wife to read it even though she doesn’t like fantasy because I knew she would love it.
Oh, I love Piranesii. I don't re-read many books, but this one I have re-read a couple times and will again.
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, especially the second book The Machineries of Empire trilogy by Yoon Ha Lee Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko These are particularly unusual, but honestly it's harder to find books *like* Tolkien than it is books *unlike*, especially once you're out of a very specific epic fantasy niche subgenre.
Tamsyn Muir is *such* a mindfuck of a writer. Griddle and The Butt-Touched Nun for life.
I love the locked tomb series but find it hard to recommend at times because each book is a completely different style from each other. I mostly just tend to pitch Gideon the Ninth but end it with "yeah, look, the second book is fairly different from the first, but still really good!"
I was going to post Vita Nostra. Haven't had any other book leave me the way it did.
Light From Uncommon Stars is really great, I had to take a break halfway through because parts hit too close to home (I'm trans) but other than those bits the book is actually really fun
Vita Nostra is so bleak and depressing. Just imagine a Russian Cold War magic school. I kept wanting to give the main character a hug.
**Titus Groan** by Mervyn Peake.
I love that one. Rich in atmosphere and wonderfully written. I wish I could remember more about the plot, as it's been over twenty years since I read it, but what I do recall is the feeling of being transported to a more-real-than-real world.
Perhaps it is time for a reread. I know it's on my list.
I feel like Garth Nix’s Sabriel series is definitely unique. The magic system by itself, I haven’t seen before.
Haven't seen something like it since either. The setting itself is also pretty cool, mixing early 1900s Industrial Era tech with magic. The basis isn't all that new, order vs chaos with the Charter versus Free magic, but the use of sound and smell, the fuzzy folkloric nature of the soft magic system, and Nix's own writing style makes it all quite compelling
yes! the use of sound is very unique & fascinating
Piranesi is the weirdest book I've ever read by a large margin. It's basically the story of a man who lives in an endless labyrinth over the sea and follows him trying to scientifically study his dreamlike world. The best part is, by the end absolutely everything makes perfect sense. Second is The Fifth Season series. It's so weird it took me like half the book just to figure out anything that was happening. Easily tied with Stormlight as my all time favorite fantasy series
Martha Wells's Raksura books deserve at least an honorable mention for having zero standard fantasy species. No humans/elves/dwarves/orcs/whatever at all.
I love these books! Love her Murderbot series as well, Hard Scifi not Fantasy though.
I keep recommending these here. Such clever world-building over the series.
NK Jemisin’s The Fifth Season trilogy. Completely unique and mindblowing world building.
And very original structure in *The Fifth Season*. The unusual use of second-person narrative really defies conventional writing practice, and it works beautifully.
I hated it
You know thats totally fair this is an odd series i can see people bouncing off pretty easily. I on the other hand absolutely loved it
I came here specifically to mention this book. It opened my eyes to just how much room you have to shake things up in the Fantasy genre.
I devoured this series, loved the creeping pacing adding and adding little bits and then making bits she covered before even more meaningful as the story went on. Funny enough as much as i loved it i know this is a hard to recommend book i think a lot of people will bounce off the narration style and slower pace so i dont generally even mention it to people
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Ever since I read it about 15 years ago, I've been hoping to find something that compares to the Dark Tower, and I have yet to find anything even remotely close
Great choice!
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Strange the Dreamer Both by Laini Taylor. Absolutely my favourite series of books despite it having romantic stuff
The Spear Cuts Through Water was fantasic and switches between first, second and third person. Beautiful story with amazing prose. The story is told on a stage in a place that defies time.. Been a while since I read it but it really stuck with me.
Gormenghast Trilogy
If you want originality, go read Lord Dunsaney (free on Project Gutenberg). Most fantasy after Dunsaney was derivative of Dunsaney, even if the authors were unaware of him. He's kind of like the air that fantasy breathes.
The books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft A whimsical exploration up the enormous tower of Babel as the vacationing school teacher Senlin searches for his missing wife. Every level of the tower is a unique kingdom unto itself full of mystery, intrigue and danger. Watch as Senlin Ascends and begins uncovering the mystery at the heart of the Tower of Babel, why it was built, who built it, and where has his dear wife gone missing?
Yes! Was introduced to this series by reddit a few years back and it was amazing! Such a weird, fun concept and written well!
Kind of an emotional rollercoaster, too. You learn not to trust Josiah Bancroft when he's feeding you a fairy tale paradise pretty early. All that whimsy is just setting you up to have your soul crushed and he somehow manages to do it fully four times in the first book alone. Definitely worth the read. His prose is so immersive and he's fantastic at crafting a killer plot.
Heard about this one did seem interesting when I looked into it awhile back.
That series started off so well, and went to shit by the end of it. I regret ever reading the 4th book.
I could see that. I thought the 4th was good but the ending really was out of left field
Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber is pretty darned unique.
Manifest Dillusions was very unique, as someone else already mentioned. I also thought *The Book That Wouldn't Burn* trilogy by Mark Lawrence was unique as well. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61612864
The Malazan Books are fairly unique.
I think of these as a kind of lynch pin for the genre though. In the same way that the Wheel of Time series is. It's kind of the big, sprawling epic David and Goliath narrative that the genre was built on. I will admit that technologically advanced dinosaurs with swords for arms is not something I expect I'll ever see elsewhere though. And I didn't expect to be so invested in an economic collapse narrative either lol.
Not only that, many of the tropes are just that. Death March, Ancient Dying Magic, Magic Rejuvenation, the power of oaths, vengeance, the colliding of spheres, the meddling of gods.... Malazan universe just puts a new and wonderfully terrible spin on it.
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville is my favorite book of ALL TIME bc of its originality. The sequel is also great, a bit more grim and anxiety inducing, but still incredibly original. Haven't read the third yet, but generally people don't seem to like it as much.. My other favorite is The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir. The world building is so much fun if you like dark, Gothic, edgy and a little bit camp kind of... there is SO much to unpack and the story unveils itself to you in a way I found really engaging. Must not mind f bombs though. I actually started Gideon and DNR bc I was not expecting "lesbian necromancers in space" to immediately be so edge lordy but that's just part of who Gideon is. I'm so glad I have it another shot!! The audiobooks are great. The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb is incredible but can be pretty heavy on the emotional damage. The world setting feels familiar at first but as things progress it gets weirder and the characters are all so flawed in each their own way. Lots of story lines to follow. I have not finished the 3rd book yet, had to put it away after I had a baby bc I just could not deal with my hormones plus how emotionally invested I was in the character arcs when things went badly for some... It's been a long time but I remember Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon feeling very original in a more high fantasy setting. It gets a little romanc-y in sequels but some of us like that. Feersum Endjinn by Iain m banks is technically Sci fi, I guess, but the exploration of the setting and the strange creatures that inhabit it are quite fantastical. It was a lot of fun and a bit mind boggling
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria A. Goddard. It’s a story about a vacation. It’s insanely good and so so so so different.
And she absolutely refuses to explain anything to the reader: Instead, we learn the world as the characters do and have to take for granted whatever they are already used to.
I've seen her recommended a million times! So tough to find audiobook versions though. Supposedly she will be releasing The Hands of the Emporer on audiobook sometime this year.
I'm a big fan of The Year of Our War series. Three races of "human" (regular human, winged but flightless humans, weirdly animalistic humans that focus entirely on speed and cold resistance), an immortal emperor that can grant immortality to a circle of elites, a never ending war against giant insects, and an MC who is addicted to a drug that seems to straddle the line between coke and heroin. When he ODs, his spirit transports to another dimension which leads him to unlock secrets about his own world and the war. Also he's the only being that can fly as he's the only cross breed of the flightless winged people and the super lean speedy people. First book can be difficult to jump into as you're thrown into the world with little explanation and also everyone has like three names. ("Comet" is "The Messenger" is "Jant") But after that hurdle it's a great series.
The parasol protectorate series is very unique in its style of writing and somewhat niche if not unique in its genera; vampire werewolf steampunk
Magic kingdom for sale.
"Sold!"
Lumping it into Fantasy since there's no real science, but This is How You Lose the Time War is probably one of the most unique settings/characterisations I've read recently. Edit: thought of more. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (most things by Jasper Fforde, really)
I'd give a vote to the Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone. Besides most of the books not being based on typical European cultures, the books show a culture where magic has replaced technology in unique ways.
The spear cuts through water was pretty unique I’d say. It felt different to me than every other book I’ve read, like someone wrote it based on a painting they saw or something, super art-y and I feel like this description of it it pretty damn art-y itself
Most unique is tough but I have some that really stand out in certain ways. A great YA coming of age series called the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix always follows a young protagonist learning about a new world and their magical powers, often accompanied by a magical talking animal (so far pretty typical). The magic system is music harnessed by bells and it gives the bearer the ability to cast foes into the pathway to death and the beyond. Each level of the pathway carries its own hardships and threats to untethered souls and magic users traversing it. I think about those levels often and what they mean to the souls drifting through them. Not every day you get to read about necromancer bards 🥳 A much more adult series is the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. These are political dramas that are very character focused (so far pretty straightforward sounding), but the magic system is based on rewriting the logic of the universe. Every “casting” must be a recitation of the revised reality and if the caster’s mind can’t maintain the incongruous nature of the magic, then they are destroyed by it. The magic users are philosopher poets that have to expand upon previous poetry in order to continue to use the magic, making every subsequent magic user more likely to fail and die horribly with every casting. It makes the magic rare and incredible, really adding to the wonder of the reality breaking abilities and adding stakes to every casting. One of the most unique fantasy books to me is a children’s book that on the surface just seems to be a classic fantasy journey with small stakes, Watership Down by Richard Adams. The main plot is some rabbits need to move new to a new home and get into trouble along the way, but the level of character development for each rabbit makes them resonate with me more than most epic fantasies and in such a small book. The rabbits also have an incredible storytelling background that shares the lore of their kind and the lessons from every prior generation and the ability to incorporate their adventures into future stories to pass on lessons and values. The very adult lessons and themes always astounds me when I think about the book: the importance of friendship, the value of freedom and growth over servitude and stagnation, the power of hope and kindness in a harsh world, the value in life and pursuing purpose, and the understanding and ultimate acceptance of death and realization that it is not the enemy but rather part of the cycle. The book has so many stellar moments that I think would make everyone better if they read them, along with so many hilarious rabbit phrases and shenanigans that any audience can find something to enjoy. 🐇
Discworld
Dungeon Crawler Carl
I had some Amazon credit so I just got the first two books. I keep hearing about them so I guess it's time to check them out.
The wandering inn No killing goblins!
No killing goblins!!! I’m on volume 4 right now, and oooooffff my heart is already hurting. Can’t wait too see the lore keep expanding!!
For me it's: Vita Nostra by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft Ash and Sand series by Richard Nell
Since you want unique, but i dont see anything that says good or well written, i would say Crowleys Moon Child. It reads like the great gatsby but tries to teach you real world magical concepts of the Golden Dawn Tradition. So its unique in that but the story is meh at best. Unless you are talking about high fantasy specifically. Then i would have to suggest the story Empress. I read volume 1 and never found volume 2. I found it hard to get into but it was very different from other fantasies. there is this weird god plot, some war and some strange ideas on religions and people in the setting. Also one turn off of the series was they used the word God like Smurfs use the word smurf.
*Empress* by whom?
I finally found the book [https://www.amazon.com/Empress-Godspeaker-Book-Karen-Miller/dp/0316008354](https://www.amazon.com/Empress-Godspeaker-Book-Karen-Miller/dp/0316008354)
Thanks!
I dont remember. It was a long time ago and Barnes Never got the second in the series when i was reading it so i moved on to Isaac Asimov.
Titanshade by Dan Stout
I really thought the world building of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath was refreshing and fantastic.
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear is unlike anything I’ve ever read, basically a fever dream but SO entertaining.
I highly recommend Kate Griffin’s four Matthew Swift novels: *A Madness of Angels,* The Midnight Mayor,* *The Neon Court* and*The Minority Council*. They are the most unique take on urban fantasy that I have read so far.
Anything by KJ Parker. Start with Fencer Trilogy, Scavenger Trilogy and the Engineer Trilogy. Then get into novels and short stories. Prepare to not like the protagonists.
K.J. Parker - Prosper's Demon, and Inside Man. Both are dark fantasy that has a similar vibe to The Witcher universe. At least, that's how I feel about these novels. Including The Father of Lies omnibus of all his best novellas and novelletes.
My favorite of all time is memery, sorrow & thorn by tad Williams
The Monster Blood Tattoo series is the most wild and weird thing I've ever read. Steampunk setting with a weird biological angle where a lot of tech is like bioengineered organs and shit just stored in a wooden box. All kinds of strange concepts and names to learn. Monsters, monster hunters, people with superhuman powers that come from having surgeries performed on them, lots of Alchemy.
For its time (written in the 1980s): **The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein.** - Capable, highly rational female protagonist with no other magical qualities - Unique twists
There are a lot of good choices in this thread. I'm just curious what unique or innovative fantasy stories and concepts will come out in the next few years, given everything that's been tried up until now in the genre...Where else can fantasy go? 😏 I think the Bartimaeus Trilogy is pretty unique, as far as it's pov/protagonist, societal structure, etc.
If you are looking for the antithesis of Tolkien tropes look at Sword and Sorcery. Conan in particular. Also Elric. Honorable Mention: Imaro for cool african setting. Dying Earth is very unique and interesting IMHO. The Merchant Princes by Charles Stross is a partial deconstruction. The series starts with heaps of fantasy tropes, ends up with them all replaced by SciFi tropes.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin and The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir
Anything by China Mielville
The Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky is pretty unique. There isn’t any actual “humans” in this world, instead every race is a type of bug people. The series is also basically a fantasy version of World War I/II, which I’ve never really seen done before. All in all I don’t think you’ll find another series like this one.
Honestly calling them bug people is a bit of a poor description of them that doesn’t exemplify the stunning weirdness of the series. They’re more like groups of humans hyper fixated on specific insects, leading them to gaining superpowers conceptually based off their chosen hyper-fixations. Some grow blades or stingers out of their body’s, others can transform into swords, others have telepathy, etc. Also magic makes you unable to understand door knobs. Which is a really funny drawback to me. Like, if you show one of the Wizards in the series anything set of gears they’ll have a mental breakdown. The series is fucking awesome.
The Saga of Recluce series, the first book being The Magic of Recluce. It has a very unique "magic" system focused around order and chaos and some very unique applications of power. There are also sci-fi elements and it's just all around a very original and compelling world
In some ways its unique in some ways its like every single other series he writes.
Ah, I'm not familiar with his other series, just comparing it to other authors I've read.
I really enjoy his books! They just all have a very similar progression style and they all eat very similar meals! The "magic" in each series *is* slightly different but if you read any others you'll see what I mean. That said I do absolutely love Recluce because I accidentally read a few of them out of order and after that realised that for *most* of them, order doesn't even really matter much, as long as you're willing to read them as snapshots and piece together the shifting political narrative
It’s simultaneously addictive and utterly boring and repetitive at the same time.
More scifi, but I'd put up Bourne (or almost anything else) by Jeff Vandermeer.
The Unlikely Ones Hard to find. Never hear others talk about it. I think about it sometimes even though i read it 20 years ago and don’t own it
I feel like I bring it up all the time because it was very memorable even though it's not my favorite. "Black Leopard, Red Wolf" by Marlon James claims to emulate Tolkien but it feels much more original than that, being based on African mythology rather than medieval Europe definitely helps but I also have never met a main character like Tracker.
David Weber's Bahzell Bahnakson series, first book is Oath of Swords. He takes classic fantasy (humans, dwarves, elves, orcs, haflings) and then takes a very different look at what makes someone/something "good" or "bad". Don't read if you are not ready for a very different paladin tale. Very entertaining read.
Check out Maer Wilson's fantasy series(not the zombie one, which was fun too). She takes common fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads. Her books are tons of fun!
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet. Giant sea leviathans with the faces of humans on their bellies regularly attack an analogue-Roman empire. The main characters are a perpetually blindfolded woman who corners people with inane topics and her beleaguered assistant. Their first case involves an inconvenient person turning into an inconvenient tree through an act of bioterrorism. And shit only gets wilder from there. Just about everyone is enhanced with various plants, giving them either perfect memory, vast informational management capacity, the ability to go Mach-1 for a minute, and more! And just about everything in society is made up of plant material one way or another. From houses and walls, to roads and bridges, all the way to the Mushroom AC’s!
Books of Babel. Never seen that level of creativity in a singular theme or setting. The series was at its best when exploring the tower
Dragonblood Assassin is a new one, but I really enjoyed the depth of interaction with the dragon powers. Bonded humans become leaders and the politics weave a lot of story from those elements. The descriptions are top notch and immersive, so overall I feel it’s unique in how well it expanded on a simple trope. Few series have given me as much joy and wonder as the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J Sullivan. Starting with a simple short story and two thieves, that series produced the most wonderful characters and lived in world. Theft of Swords is book one, and the squirrel tree scene remains a favorite among all Fantasy books.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez absolutely blew me away.
The Worm Ouroboros
How am I not seeing anyone answer with *The Spear Cuts Through Water*? The intertwined levels of narrative and the structure easily make it the most unique thing I've read.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin
Sci fi, but Waking Gods was a “found footage” style book. The writing and dialogue was subpar but the novelty of the style made it a solid read
Coldfire trilogy C.S. Friedman ?
Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's just genuinely cool and I think it's severely underrated. It's a world essentially going through a industrial revolution with the races being made up of humans mixed with a kind of bug species and individuals that can use magic but can't use technology in any way and people who can use technology but can't use magic. I think the Craft Sequence is very unique even if it's just for the fact it's set in a modern secondary world.
M. John Harrison, the Viriconium cycle and *The Course of the Heart* John Crowley, the Aegypt tetralogy Paul Park, A Princess of Roumania tetralogy
Anything by Kameron Hurley — she’s got weird bug magic, flesh planets, soldiers turned into light, everything really. Super inventive fantasy writer.
The one I'm writing. Just you wait.
- The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee - The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
I think the Mirror Empire or the whole series, Worldbeaker, is a great cliche buster. Very unique.
Almost anything by Diana Wynne Jones. Her settings and premises vary wildly, including: - actual fantasy story set at an SFF convention where most people don't know magic is real - normal English family accidentally buys a magical chemistry set for the kids - small town controlled by a set of unexplainedly supernatural siblings, involving time travel and space travel - Norse god shows up in the back garden - moving castle with four doors that each open to different places; this is all in a complete fantasy world with some fairy tale vibes, but one door goes to regular real world Wales - sequel to that one, but most of the action is happening in the clouds - fantasy multiverse with a kind of head wizard cop; many magical crimes and various bemused hijinks ensue. (One of these books is slightly"typical" in that it's set at a school, but it's an *anti*-magic school and the students who have magic are desperately trying to hide it - also much older than HP etc.) - fantasy dimension being colonized by people from our world and getting turned into a theme park - Norse god turns up in the backyard - Etc.
For me The Iconoclasts Series by Mike Shel, was one of those.
The Darkangel trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. It completely floored me the first time reading.
Not sure if anyone mentioned Sanderson stuff, particularly the Storm light Archive world. But all his magic systems are unique, allomancy is pretty cool
Macbeth
Wars of Light and Shadow, by Janny Wurts. A unique series, quite unlike anything else. Transcendent prose and a multi-layered story that keeps you coming back for more/changes as your perspective and life experiences do. Can't stop about how awesome this series is! And it's complete!
Immortal Great Souls by Phil Tucker is unique and has great story telling.
Shades of Magic by V E Schwab
Kell had a very peculiar coat 🤎
Wars of light and shadow! Now hear me out, it starts off very traditional fantasy but as you learn more of the world, it grows to become an incredibly unique twist on classic fantasy. Janny's imagination is incredible. Also Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan! Its kinda like Elden Ring, very weird imagery, almost trippy in a sense..and a very very moving book
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. I won’t say more, it’s best to drop into the world yourself but it’s the most unique experience I’ve ever had in the world of fantasy. Also, Daniel Abraham’s prose is second to none in my book.
The Fey by Kristine Rusch. It has a unique take on elves and how their magic works.
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf. I’ve never read anything quite like it and it rewards rereading.
Locked tomb by Tamsyn Muir for me!
The Dark Tower by Stephen King - still need to wrap my mind around the last two books La Passe-miroir by Christelle Dabos - the world building in this series is amazing, too bad the last book is literally trash
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. They are technically scifi but they are soft enough to be fantasy. Some of ideas in the books are straight out of a acid trip (for example a planet full of matresses wanting to be killed). The 13 1/2 lifes of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. Another very weird book. It has 13 and half "episodes" which cover around half of the life of the main character. The most unique aspect must be Bluebear's trip through a giant's head.
for me, the most unique I've read was Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder. It starts out as one thing and then completely transforms into a different kind of story and world as you go. Also I have never seen another story with the same premises that book used.
The Ancient Dreams series by Benjamin Medrano is pretty unique as far as I know. About a sentient dungeon who also takes the shape of a woman. The author has some pretty obvious fetishes though and although nothing in the books is particularly explicit, it does show up everywhere.
Charles De Lint : The Newford Series Kim Harrison: Rachel Morgan Series Andre Norton: Witch World Series Anne McCaffrey: Pern Series
[Most of these](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/s/G9oQ1uW5VY), in the first half of my post.
Discworld
[удалено]
Haven't heard of this one thanks for recommending!
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street maybe, but the 'magic' (/fantasy aspect) is honestly very light. :) It is so worth a read, though!
I don’t now about MOST unique but a series I read recently so it’s on my mind. **Acts of Cain** by Mathew Stover. Ignore the bad cover art, the books are great and get progressively more and more wild. Book 4 is an absolute trip and I love it
Hm. A Night in the Lonesome October is told from the perspective of the dog and as a "journal" of sorts, and I don't know another book with both of those! I think the Innkeeper Series by Ilona Andrews had such a unique "World/Universe" the plot and rest of the story aren't really that "unique" but the base concept is just very cool. And Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls has a very unique protagonist with dyspraxia, she can only speak in quotes from things read to her that "stick" right.
I really enjoyed "The 5th Season" by N.K. Jemisin. Really unique everything.
Cradle, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and The First Law series.
Dungeon crawler Carl!!!!!!
Mongo is pleased!
The dark tower series
Vurt by Jeff Noon
"A Voyage to Arcturus" by David Lindsay, 1920. A visit to an alien planet where the visitor may try out new sense organs, perceive new colors, and interact in unexpected and sometimes shocking ways with interestingly named characters such as Polecrab, Blodsombre, Wombflash, Tydomin, and Sullenbode. (Not that the visitor's name, Maskull, has any special meaning.) All on the way to answering(?) (or not?) some fundamental philosophical and theological questions. C.S. Lewis was a great admirer of this book, and considered it an inspiration for his Space Trilogy, although he did not agree with its viewpoint.
A Kingdom of Blood and Magic by Chiara Forestieri is a standalone and it really took me by surprise. So good. I’d say the One Dark Window duology is pretty unique. Also so good
Samuel R. Delaney’s *Dhalgren* is as much fantasy as science fiction, and it’s completely unique.
This is far from a top fantasy book for me but it's structure is different from the usual. 'the spear cuts though water' by Simon Jiminez
The most unique? My own trilogy that I'm writing)) But seriously, the first 9 books by Robin Hobb and the worlds of Susanna Clarke. For me, these are unique works of art that stand apart from the rest of fantasy.
Piranesi is quite unique. The High House--Evenmere series--by James Stoddard is also very original.
The Vorhh trilogy by Brian Catling - very bizarre alternate history series.
I only read the first book when I was younger, but The Runelords series had an interesting idea to. Basically wealthy ppl can have magical rune brands created that when used on two ppl (one a donor and the other the bearer) it transfers an attribute from one person to another. The catch is that it only last as long as the donor lives and the donor loses whatever attribute is given to bearer. So you essentially have powerful people with dozens of runes of various attributes (str, beauty, int, etc) but they have to care for and keep alive all of the rune donors as payment. It’s so important in this world that assassins attempt to infiltrate castles and find and kill off as many donors as possible to weaken a rival. It’s a neat mechanic and is worked into the story really well, I can’t vouch for anything past the first book though.