Hey booklover!! Are you ready for a book countdown?! Here are the top 10 fantasy books on amazon right now, from 10 to 1. (PS: Stick around for the last entry if you love Epic Arthurian Fantasy)
Book 10: Fourth Wing (The Empyrean Book 1)
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Blurb:
A #1 New York Times bestseller • TV series in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society • Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 • Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 • Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 • NPR “Books We Love” 2023 • Audible Best Books of 2023 • Hudson Book of the Year • Google Play Best Books of 2023 • Indigo Best Books of 2023 • Waterstones Book of the Year finalist • Goodreads Choice Award Winner • Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books of 2023 • Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023
“Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros’ Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy.” —Booklist, starred review
“Fourth Wing will have your heart pounding from beginning to end… A fantasy like you’ve never read before.” ―#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
- Reading Order:
- Book #1 Fourth Wing
- Book #2 Iron Flame
- Book #3 Onyx Storm
- Year published: May 2, 2023
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (506,614 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.57 out of 5 stars (3,765,451 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 14.99$
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Epic Fantasy
- Series: Book 1 of 3: The Empyrean
Book 9: Rites of the Starling: A Slow-Burn Epic Romantic Fantasy (Shield of Sparrows Book 2)
Author: Devney Perry
Blurb:
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
RITES OF THE STARLING is the epic, heart-pounding sequel to Devney Perry’s #1 New York Times bestselling SHIELD OF SPARROWS. A princess journeys across a cursed realm to find the truth about her family, only to discover her quest intertwines with the fate of a lost warrior. Love, danger, and magic collide in a captivating romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.
Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.
I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe.
It’s my turn to become the Guardian.
Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.
Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?
What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?
For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.
It’s time to discover the monster within.
The Shield of Sparrows trilogy is an epic slow-burn romantasy best enjoyed in order.
- Reading Order:
- Book #1 Shield of Sparrows
- Book #2 Rites of the Starling
- Book #3 Coming Soon
- Year published: April 7, 2026
- Amazon Rating:
- 4.6 out of 5 stars (31,285 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.49 out of 5 stars (122,597 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 14.99$
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Fantasy Romance
- Series: Book 2 of 3: Shield of Sparrows
Book 8: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 6
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
A pantheon of forgotten gods. An old grudge between a talk show host, an heiress, and the man they shattered along the way. A rapidly deteriorating AI system. An inconvenient tiara upon the head of a friend.
It is bedlam on the eighth floor.
As management reels from the unexpected conclusion of the seventh level, the surviving crawlers stumble onto the eighth and find themselves scattered. It’s a map based on Earth’s final days before the collapse, where ethereal, intangible ghosts of humanity go about their lives, oblivious of the impending doom. Living amongst these ghosts are monsters based in Earth lore. “Legendary” creatures tied to the geographical location they inhabit.
Each team of crawlers is given a task: find and capture six of these beasts. The captured monsters will be turned into cards. Cards that can be summoned into battle again and again. The stronger, the deadlier, the better.
At the end of the floor, the bad guys will also have decks, and they will have some of the most powerful cards available. So it’s crucial to assemble the toughest squad possible.
But, like always, there is a catch. There’s always a catch.
As Carl and Donut know all too well, just because someone is captured, it doesn’t mean they have been tamed.
Her name is Shi Maria. She’s easily the most powerful monster in their area. If they want to survive, they must capture her. But she is no ordinary beast. She’s intelligent. She was once married to a god, a god who is now missing. Her special attack is known to drive one insane. They call her the Bedlam Bride.
“Beware, beware. Beware the Eye of the Bedlam Bride”
- Year published: July 2, 2023
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (40,284 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.65 out of 5 stars (126,351 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 5.99$
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 6 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 7: The Ballad of Falling Dragons: A Sequel
Full Title: The Ballad of Falling Dragons: A Sequel – A Sweeping Fantasy Romance of Ancient Magic and a Love Worth Dying For (The Moonfall Series Book 2)
Author: Sarah A. Parker
Blurb:
The Ballad of Falling Dragons is the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling phenomenon When the Moon Hatched, featuring an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.
“Moonbeam. A moonfall is coming.”
Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor—a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path:
Chase death.
Or life.
Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out.
As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past.
Something … Other.
Something with the knowledge to change it all.
- Year published: May 19, 2026
- Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (708 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.61 out of 5 stars (4,213 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 14.99$
- KU: No
- Subgenre: Fantasy Romance
- Series: Book 2 of 2: Moonfall
Book 6: The Butcher’s Masquerade: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 5
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose.
Run, Run, Run.
A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed “The Butcher’s Masquerade.”
The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.
As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, a new, terrible threat looms. Outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are here and ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.
But their prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.
Dungeon Crawler Carl and Princess Donut return in book five of the acclaimed litrpg series.
- Year published: February 28, 2022
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (40,235 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.69 out of 5 stars (148,413 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 5.99
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 5 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 5: The Gate of the Feral Gods: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
New achievement! Total, utter failure.
You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.
A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.
It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.
Here’s the thing. It’s never easy. Carl and his team can’t go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can’t-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.
©2021 Matt Dinniman (P)2021 Soundbooth Theater
- Year published: July 1, 2021
- Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (44,205 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.54 out of 5 stars (173,151 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 5.99$
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 4 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 4: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 3
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
Welcome to the Gun Show!
The top 10 list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.
The Iron Tangle. An impossibly complicated subway system built out of the world’s subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.
But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.
Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.
©2021 Matt Dinniman (P)2021 Soundbooth Theater
- Year published: May 14, 2021
- Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (56,073 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars (210,991 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 4.49$
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 3 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 3: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 2
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
“The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin.”
The ratings and views are off the chart. The fans just can’t get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive.
They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.
Carl still has no pants.
They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it’s anything but a game.
- Year published: January 6, 2021
- Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (61,061 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads Rating: 4.50 out of 5 stars (258,891 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 4.99$
- KU: Yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 2 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 2: A Parade of Horribles: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 8
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
It’s off to the races in the explosive eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.
Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.
Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”
Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.
Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.
So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
- Year published: May 12, 2026
- Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (8,260 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads rating: 4.71 out of 5 (26,726 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 6.99$
- KU: No
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 8 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 1
Author: Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
The apocalypse will be televised!
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.
Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
- Year published: October 2, 2020
- Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (75,553 global ratings)
- Amazon link:
- Goodreads rating: 4.46 out of 5 (393,092 ratings)
- Goodreads link:
- Price: 4.99
- KU: yes
- Subgenre: Dystopian Adventure
- Series: Book 1 of 8: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Phoenix Knights: Journey to Safehold
Author: Milena Delgado Laborde (That’s Me!!! <3)
Blurb:
The most epic Arthurian Celtic pagan high fantasy novel series that centers on the themes of reincarnation and found family, and features POC and LGBT characters, an elemental magic system, and a whole bunch of saving the world shenanigans.
Betrayed. Reborn. Hunted.
If you were given a second chance, would you take it?
The immortal Nevinon has hungered for the sweet mercy of death for more than a century. He has lost everything: his home reduced to ruins, his family sunken in forgotten graves, and his closest friend, King Alanor Kova, dead in his arms. When a ritual designed to end his suffering goes wrong, Nevinon accidentally manages the impossible—reincarnating King Alanor and his knights.
Now, Nevinon and his friends must abandon their homeland to escape the witch hunters who have conquered their kingdom. They must find Safehold, a mythical sanctuary for those with magic, before the hunters find them first.
However, the hunters have gained a new ally. Something else has followed the knights through the Veil between worlds. Something ancient, evil, and determined to devour the source of all magic itself.
Through it all, questions linger in Nevinon’s mind. Because the blessings of magic never come free. His family has been returned to him, but for how long?
And in exchange, what will he be forced to pay?
- Year published: July 6, 2024
- Amazon link:
- Price: 4.99$
- KU: No
- Subgenre: Epic Fantasy
- Series: Book 1 of Phoenix Knights