17 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books To Lose Yourself In During Self-Quarantine

    I know, it's like it's 1999 and your mother just told you to go to your room to read a book. But seriously, here are some books.

    zoraidacordova
    by zoraidacordova

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. A Phoenix First Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell

    Viking Books for Young Readers, Via patricecaldwell.com

    Release date: Mar. 10, 2020

    What it's about: Can't seem to find the focus to read a full novel but still want SFF that packs a punch? Then the anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope edited by Patrice Caldwell is perfect for that. Featuring stories by bestselling and award-winning authors, this anthology explores the Black experience through an SFF lens. These authors inherit Octavia Butler's legacy, creating brand new words, folktales, and magic. Stories by: Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Patrice Caldwell, Dhonielle Clayton, J. Marcelle Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, L. L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.46, Barnes & Noble for $17.09, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    2. The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

    Macmillan / Via charlottenicoledavis.com, Via charlottenicoledavis.com

    Release date: Oct. 1, 2019

    What it's about: Charlotte Nicole Davis's debut novel puts a speculative twist to old westerns. In the country of Arketta, some children are sold to "welcome houses" and branded with magical markings. They're called Good Luck Girls. The novel by the same title follows five fierce girls. After Clementine kills a man, she and her friends risk everything to escape. They have only each other and desperate hope to try and survive the human and inhuman things chasing them. The darker themes are contrasted with a message of hope, resistance, and the bond between young women doing everything they can to survive.

    Get it from Bookshop for $16.54, Barnes & Noble for $16.19, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    3. Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

    HarperTeen, Aaron Gang Photography / Via renabarron.com

    Release date: Sep. 3, 2019

    What it's about: Explore a new high fantasy world inspired by voodoo and West African folklore. Rena Barron's debut novel follows Arrah, the daughter of two powerful witchdoctors. Unable to summon the ancestral magic that is her birthright, Arrah feels she'll never be able to live up to her mother, who just so happens to be the Kingdom's most powerful priestess. But when children all over the Kingdom begin to vanish, Arrah does something desperate and forbidden. She trades years off of her life in exchange for magic and unleashes a sequence of events that could destroy everything she was trying to save. Barron's world explores the themes of multigenerational trauma, the price of great magic, and forgiveness. For fans of the Grisha Verse and Children of Blood and Bone.

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.49, Barnes & Noble for $17.09, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    4. Reverie by Ryan La Sala

    Sourcebooks Fire, Shams Ahmed / Via ryanlasala.com

    Release date: Dec. 3, 2019

    What it's about: Reverie might be the strangest, queerest, most delightful book you ever read. If we want to talk about daydream and escaping reality, then this is the book. La Sala's debut is both like nothing you’ve ever read before, and Inception meets a drag queen Sailor Moon. In the novel, Reveries are interdimensional dreams that can swallow up entire areas and the people around them. Kane is just a regular teen boy missing some memories. When a group of kids from his school tells him that he’s part of this group called The Others and they have to stop a drag queen sorceress from completely changing reality through reveries, he needs to remember who he is.

    Get it from Bookshop for $16.54, Barnes & Noble for $16.19, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    5. A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

    Imprint/Macmillan, Via llmckinney.com

    Release date: Sep. 28, 2018

    What it's about: A Blade So Black might share a realm with the human world, but this urban fantasy packs a huge magical punch. Alice fights for what she believes in, especially those she loves. Her world is full of monsters dubbed “Nightmares,” and partially set in a Wonderland that is definitely curiouser and curiouser but also hella dangerous. The young hunter lives in present-day Atlanta, and balancing the forces of darkness with maintaining a good GPA. When her mentor’s life is threatened, Alice abandons her regular life and heads down the rabbit hole in search of a cure. However, once she gets to Wonderland, the trick is to avoid losing her head. If you've ever wondered what would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer had gone through the looking glass, then this book is for you. The sequel, A Dream So Dark is also ready and available.

    Get it from Bookshop for $10.11, Barnes & Noble for $9.89, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    6. Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

    Wednesday Books, Via goodreads.com

    Release date: Apr. 2, 2019

    What it's about: Four words: Gothic Joan of Arc. This Slavic-inspired fantasy pits together a girl who can speak to the gods, a runaway prince from an enemy kingdom, and a monster boy. Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz have to work together to assassinate the king and stop the war. But this is no easy alliance. There is betrayal, blood magic, forbidden romance, and did I mention a monster boy? This one gets bloody, but it asks big questions about faith and honor, love and war. Perfect for fans of Shadow & Bone, but specifically The Darkling.

    Get it from Bookshop for $10.11, Barnes & Noble for $8.48, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    7. The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad

    Scholastic, Via goodreads.com

    Release date: May 14, 2019

    What it's about: For a book with a truly magical and historical setting, try The Candle and the Flame by debut author Nafiza Azad. Noor is a thriving destination hub along the Silk Road. Inspired by Islamic and southwest Asian folklore, the city's thousands of cultures, faiths, and languages exist side by side. Fatima gets caught in the middle of the warring djinn factions when she becomes a rare human-djinn hybrid who must learn to control her new abilities. Romantic and lush prose make this standalone perfect for fans of Renée Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn duology.

    Get it from Bookshop for $10.11, Barnes & Noble for $10.99, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    8. Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger

    Random House Publishing Group, Jeff J. Daniels

    Release date: Sep. 24, 2019

    What it's about: Sink your teeth into this meaty epic fantasy novel about four strangers whose destinies collide. You have Tala, who is full of revenge and regret. Jimuro, better known as the Iron Prince is trying to get back to his kingdom but requires the help of Tala, knowing that his army killed her family. Ex-princess Xiulan is now a detective in disguise, and she's on the hunt for the Iron Prince. She seeks help in Lee, a thief with relationship issues, who finds she doesn't want to leave the princess-turned-detective no matter what. Together, this motley crew must either work together or fall to a great evil that threatens them all. Hailed as Pokémon meets Avatar: The Last Air Bender, Steel Crow Saga is the escapist fantasy you've been waiting for.

    Get it from Bookshop for $16.56, Barnes & Noble for $18.00, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    9. Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells

    Simon & Schuster, Carter Hasegawa

    Release date: Jul. 30, 2019

    What it's about: What's more romantic than having your significant other undergo dragon training in order to rescue you from a group of imperial prophets? All Maren wanted was a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia. But after Kaia was kidnapped Maren leaves the safety of her home behind to apprentice with a dragon trainer. The plan is to ride the dragons into the king's stronghold and get her girl back. But her destiny has other plans for her. Sword and sorcery with lesbians and dragons. What more can you want?

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.46, Barnes & Noble for $18.99, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    10. The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

    Delacorte Press, Via yallfest.org

    Release date: Nov. 5, 2019

    What it's about: Arthurian legends are a fantasy staple. Prolific author Kiersten White reimagines this classic story with Guinevere as a changeling, brought to Camelot by Merlin himself. Her duty? Protect Camelot by marrying the devilishly charming Arthur. However, wielding magic is just as dangerous as being a girl in King Arthur's court. White's snappy dialogue and fierce girls make this series starter a breeze to read.

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.46, Barnes & Noble for $17.09, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    11. Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao

    Philomel, Melody Marshall

    Release date: Nov. 5, 2019

    What it's about: Those longing for a quest about love and forgiveness will want to linger in Julie C. Dao's world. Set distantly in the world of her critically acclaimed Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, but you don't have to read the first duology to be fully immersed in the world. Lan is a young nobleman's daughter who regrets the decision she made — cruelly rejecting Bao, a poor apprentice who was in love with her. Bao becomes cursed by a witch, who trapped his soul inside his flute. The cure? True love, of course. Together Lan and Bao travel across the empire, tackling black magic, the whispers of war, and feelings no curse can destroy.

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.46, Barnes & Noble for $17.09, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    12. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

    Feiwel & Friends, Patrycja Kwiatkowska

    Release date: Mar. 6, 2018

    What it's about: One of my favorite books of 2018, this standalone novel is a retelling of the Little Mermaid, but instead of Ariel being the heroine it's that bad bish Vanessa (AKA when Ursula has legs). Lyra, a siren, is known as Prince’s Bane. She's a daughter of the Sea Queen and keeps a collection of the hearts she's ripped out of every prince she has drowned. Lyra is poised to inherit the sea throne, but when she angers her mother, she’s instead turned into the thing she hates most: human. Meanwhile, on land, Elian is a prince who keeps delaying taking up his mantel of a king. For years, he has been sailing the one hundred kingdoms killing sirens with a ragtag crew. But his White Whale is the Prince’s Bane. Instead, he finds a drowning girl. Lyra and Elian hate each other from the second he rescues her, but they journey to a neighboring kingdom with a shared goal — to kill the sea queen. While the bottom of the sea is icy cold, the tension between this siren and pirate prince is all kinds of hot.

    Get it from Bookshop for $10.11, Barnes & Noble for $9.89, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    13. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

    Razorbill, Julie Murphy

    Release date: Aug. 28, 2018

    What it's about: The Seafire Trilogy is set in a world that is easy to imagine: the ocean levels have risen, and what's left of humanity lives aboard ships. Aric, a corrupt warlord rules the seas with an iron fist and an army of stolen boys called Bullets. It sounds bleak but at the heart of Seafire is a crew of fierce girls sailing a ship called the Mors Navis. Orphans, sisters, rebels. They're lead by Caledonia Styx. Their mission: survive and take down as many Bullets as they can. After an attack leads to them rescuing a Bullet who defected from the fleet, Caledonia might finally have the missing piece she needs to take down Aric's fleet... If she can trust him. An action-packed adventure akin to Mad Max on the open seas.

    Get it from Bookshop for $10.11, Barnes & Noble for $10.99, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    14. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

    Tor, goodreads.com

    Release date: Feb. 24, 2015

    What it's about: "Kell wore a very peculiar coat" is one of the most intriguing opening sentences in recent SFF. Kell is one of the last Antari — magicians with the power to travel between three parallel versions of London: Red, Grey, and White. Because of his ability, Kell is a rogue sort of smuggler. Each London comes with its own unique characteristic: Red is party London, White is murder London, and then there's the plain magic-less Gray London. All changed for Kell when he's pickpocketed by the now legendary Delilah Bard who forces Kell to give her an adventure and introduce her to much-coveted magic. Danger, pirates, beautiful royals, and betrayal, this is the perfect quarantine series to binge. And if you want more, there is a comic book prequel, The Steel Prince.

    Get it from Bookshop for $15.62, Barnes & Noble for $15.29, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    15. Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

    St. Martin's Griffin, Valerie Bey

    Release date: May 1, 2018

    What it's about: An epic fantasy for fans of N.K. Jemisin and V.E. Schwab. Two kingdoms have been divided for centuries my a magical veil called the Mantle. Now, something is causing the Mantle to crack open, and threatening the fragile peace between the kingdoms. Jasminda is an outcast because of her skin and her Earthsong magic, living on a farm. When a soldier and spy, Jack, brings news of the Mantel and the threat of war, the unlikely pair set off to find a way to restore the veil and offer salvation to the kingdoms. L. Penelope's writing is stunning. This series is a masterclass in fantasy worldbuilding.

    Get it from Bookshop for $16.54, Barnes & Noble for $17.99, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    16. Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

    Harper Voyager, Dustin Mihalik

    Release date: Feb 5, 2019

    What it's about: Escape way out of this world with Jessie Mihalik's Consortium Rebellion trilogy. Book one, Polaris Rising follows a space princess on the run and the outlaw she strikes a bargain with. Princess Ada chose to flee instead of accepting a political marriage. For two years, she's survived on her own but then she's caught and thrown into a cell with an alleged murder called the Devil of Fornax Zero. Infamous for having killed his squad, this space rake might be her only way to escape. When her jilted ex intercepts their ship bound of Earth, Ada makes a deal with the Devil. A rebel princess worthy of Leia Organa.

    Get it from Bookshop for $15.62, Barnes & Noble for $15.29, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

    17. Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim

    Disney-Hyperion, tarasim.com

    Release date: Jan 7, 2020

    What it's about: This gender-bent retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo chart a course for revenge. When Amaya rescues a boy from drowning, she changes her entire future. Working off a sentence on a debtor ship, Amaya accepts the Cayo's promises of riches so long she's free. Set on the city-state of Moray, Amaya embarks on a journey of vengeance against the lord who destroyed her life. The hitch is that Cayo also happens to be the son of the man she plans to kill. An opulent setting and a heroine who takes the helm of her own destiny.

    Get it from Bookshop for $17.49, Barnes & Noble for $17.09, or at a local bookstore through Indiebound here.

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