Keeping with traditions, we will post our separate top 10 reads of 2023 lists throughout January. This year we’ll have 3 such posts for you: Jen’s, Bjørn’s, and Timy’s.
Our only rule was that any book on these lists has to be read during 2023, regardless of when they were published and by whom. And we had to love them, obviously. Maybe. I mean, when you keep shouting at the author in private for things they did, it’s surely a sign of love, right? Even if you call said author names… *ahem* Anyway. Third and last up is Jen’s Top 10 Favorites of 2023!
I didn’t do as much reading this year as I had hoped. Let’s just say 2023 has been a challenge all around.
So, I do have a list of some of my favourites from the year. I started back in December writing this and you’ll probably be able to tell how far I got before I picked it back up this last weekend and had to hurry to finish.
Anyway, I found the biggest common denominator that made these stories special to me, was that they all had great characters. I like characters that let me feel all the emotions- some made me smile, angry, or want to cry, some even earned tribute spots in my ever-increasing need for new bunny names. But all, were characters that made me want to keep turning the pages to find out how they fared.
My top two choices of the 2023, are pretty much interchangeable. Both books were just so ridiculously good I can’t understand why they haven’t garnered a larger following. So with that intro, I bring you my first two outstanding reads, followed by a whole lot more of the same.
However Many Must Die by Phil Williams
Phil’s story of a troop of women soldiers called the Blood Scouts is a page-turner. As always though, it’s Phil’s characters that cinch the story for me; consistently landing him on my top reads list. With However Many Must Die, there was an added element of an incredible setting, and what was just this very real look at wartime with probably the most rounded-out view of it that I’ve read in a long time. Everything was here: from the good; the sisterhood that the girls became – to the bad; losing members of that sisterhood.
One of most impactful moments in the story for me was the friendly-fire incident. The reactions were so raw, and powerful- that scene has stuck with me all these months later.
However Many Must Die gives us everything you could Wish (wink wink) for in a standalone fantasy, cementing this story into my top spot of 2023
Wild Wish was trained to do one kill.
Saved from a lonely backwater existence by a global war, Wish couldn’t believe her luck when she got into the Blood Scouts. Now she gets to share tents with an all-female platoon of night-stalking, giant-slaying, boat-sinking, battle-swaying legends in the making.
The problem is, they keep dying.
And they’ve been given their worst assignment yet.
The enemy Dread Corps are combining magics deep within the nightmare lands of Low Slane, to unleash a weapon that could sway the entire war. It’s up to the Blood Scouts to stop them – with a journey that gets more dangerous with every step.
Far behind enemy lines, death hangs in the air. Monsters lurk around every corner.
Are Wish’s skills – and positive attitude – enough to keep her Blood Scouts alive?
Or will the cost of survival finally break her?
Get ready for the first epic entry in a new series, and a new world, of dark military fantasy from Phil Williams.
A Quiet Vengeance by Tim Hardie
A Quiet Vengeance was one of my first reads of the year. This was the book that everything after had to live up to. Tim Hardie gives us a hell of a character in Nimsah. Not to sell Dojan short, because he was just as worthy a character but, there was something about Nimsah that just had me glued to the pages, waiting to see how her story played out.
A Quiet Vengeance is a solid standalone story that has everything it needs to make it an unputdownable read- fabulous cast of characters, great setting, a little political intrigue and a dash of vengeance to bring it all together. You really don’t want to miss this one.
Nimsah is an abandoned child living on the streets of Bengarath, surviving on her wits as part of a criminal gang in the City of Tents, home to the dispossessed. Dojan is the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Fujareen, enjoying a life of luxury in Bengarath Palace. Their lives are brought together as the threat of war looms in the neighbouring city state of Kandarah. However, Dojan and Nimsah share a secret, one that will set in motion a chain of events leading to vengeance.
An Ocean of Others by Joshua Scott Edwards
An Ocean of Others caught my attention with its stunning cover. I preordered it and then got so busy with spfbo reading that I didn’t crack it open until nearly a year later. This is just one heck of a moody story with some damned fine atmospheric scene setting. An impressive debut I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes this series.
REMEMBER WHAT’S REAL OR YOUR HEAD WILL BE THEIRS
Survival is never easy, but it’s never been harder for Grim, the last bounty hunter in Liwokin. He survived the Great Riot that killed Liwo by the thousands, endured the bloody chaos that ruled the city in its aftermath, and avoided the crushing fist of the Agency created to quell the unrest. Rule of law returned, but following the rules doesn’t put food in your belly.
On a job gone wrong, Grim stumbles into a conspiracy that targets Ulken, the Head of the Agency, a man who has done more to ruin Grim’s life than any other. Struggling to earn honest coin, Grim plans to use this information to rise quickly through the ranks of the organization so an empty purse never worries him again. He becomes a Finger of the Agency, joining a sardonic ranger, two fugitive siblings, a stone-skinned Skardwarf, and a powerful dark mage—none of whom know any better than Grim what they’ve gotten themselves into.
Grim’s Hand soon discovers the Agency’s furtive work is far deadlier than hunting bounties. While fighting to save his home from monsters who once were men, Grim discovers the conspiracy runs deeper than just Ulken and the Agency—what was unleashed is spreading, and if Grim’s sanity doesn’t prevail, it will consume the minds of the Bright Empire and beyond.
Legacy of Brick and Bone by Krystle Matar
Legacy of Brick and Bone the second installment of the Tainted Dominion has a little bit for everyone. Political intrigue, magic, gangs, boxing, and most importantly to me- characters that send you through all the emotions. It’s a superb follow-up to its predecessor Legacy of the Brightwash. I promise I will get the review written for this one soon but let me just say if you’re on the fence about this series, because they’re bricks… don’t be because they’re so readable it doesn’t feel like a monster of a book.
Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law betrays you?
It all started with the girl from the river: mutilated, tattooed, murdered. Tashué couldn’t help but look for answers and in the process, he uncovered the ugly truths being hidden by the very law he used to believe in—the law of the Authority.
Now he’s fighting for his life. Mere survival isn’t enough; he desperately wants to save his son from the Authority, and he wants revolution. At any cost.
Davik Kaine has been gathering power under everyone’s noses. Ruthless, ambitious, with a rebel army backing him, he wants revolution, too. He’s probably the only person powerful enough to protect Tashué from the looming implosion of the political field. And he’s the only person with the connections to save Jason.
He may also be responsible for the death of the girl from the river.
Is making peace with Davik worth it, if it saves Tashué’s son from the Authority?
If Tashué plays along with what Davik wants, can Tashué get retribution for the girl from the river?
Stormblood by Jeremy Szal
I picked Stormblood up mostly for the promise of sci fi action-packed alien dna fun, and that’s what I got and then some. There’s a surprising amount of heart at the base of this story as Vak, struggles with his new self, while coming to terms with his past. I am stoked to see how this series plays out- especially after that Hail Mary of a bold choice that was made involving his brother!
Vakov Fukasawa used to be a Reaper, a biosoldier fighting for the intergalactic governing body of Harmony against a brutal invading empire. Now, he fights against the stormtech: the DNA of an extinct alien race Harmony injected into him, altering his body chemistry and making him permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. It made him the perfect soldier, but it also opened a new drug market that has millions hopelessly addicted to their own body chemistry.
But when Harmony tells him that his former ally Reapers are being murdered, Vakov is appalled to discover his estranged brother is likely involved in the killings. They haven’t spoken in years, but Vakov can’t let his brother down, and investigates. But the deeper he goes, the more addicted to stormtech he becomes, and Vakov discovers that the war might not be over after all. It’ll take everything he has to unearth this terrible secret, although doing so might mean betraying his brother. If his own body doesn’t betray him first.
A vibrant and talented new voice in SFF: alien technology, addictive upgrades, a soldier determined to protect his family, and a thief who is prepared to burn the world down . . .
The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin
So this is my second time around with this book and that right there should tell you everything because I don’t do rereads. But Alexander Darwin has something special here in The Combat Codes. He has given us this really interesting world where grievances are settled in the ring, and filled it with cool fights, lore, and found family and friendships to last a lifetime. The Combat Codes is just all heart at its core and one of my favourite reads in this decade.
In a world where battle-hardened warriors determine the fate of empires, war-ravaged nations seek out a new champion in the first book of a thrilling science fantasy “that rare book that fully satisfies me as an action fan” (Fonda Lee, author of Jade City ).
In a world long ago ravaged by war, the nations have sworn an armistice never to use weapons of mass destruction again. Instead, highly-skilled warriors known as Grievar Knights represent their nations’ interests in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
Murray Pearson was once a famed Knight until he suffered a loss that crippled his homeland — but now he’s on the hunt to discover the next champion.
In underground and ruthless combat rings, an orphaned boy called Cego is making a name for himself. Murray believes Cego has what it takes to thrive in the world’s most prestigious combat academy – but first, Cego must prove himself in the vicious arenas of the underworld. And survival isn’t guaranteed.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
What can I say about this fun little book that endeared me to a dragon. Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons is not only a mouthful of a title but it’s everything you’d want in a cozy fantasy. It’s a regency fantasy that’s full of humour and trials and characters that you love…plus some you love to hate and everything in between. It’s a feel-good story that makes you smile the whole time you’re reading it.
Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon.
Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves…
Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.
The egg – as eggs are wont to do – decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.”
But England has not seen a dragon since… well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.
Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater
Small Miracles is a little gem I was introduced to through SPFBO, about the fallen angel Gadriel, looking to tempt a very strait-laced Holly into having a little fun. The story is incredibly well-written, humorous and sweet in all the good ways. It’s just an all around solidly entertaining read that lets you walk away feeling like all is right with the world.
A little bit of sin is good for the soul.
Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing what she does best: All Gadriel has to do is tempt miserably sinless mortal Holly Harker to do a few nice things for herself.
What should be a cakewalk of a job soon runs into several roadblocks, however, as Miss Harker politely refuses every attempt at temptation from Gadriel the woman, Gadriel the man, and Gadriel the adorable fluffy kitten. When even chocolate fails to move Gadriel’s target, the ex-guardian angel begins to suspect she’s been conned. But Gadriel still remembers her previous job… and where petty temptations fail, small miracles might yet prevail.
Olivia Atwater explores love, grief, and the very last bit of chocolate in this sweet modern fantasy, full of wit and heart. Pick up Small Miracles, and enjoy a heavenly faerie tale from the author of Half a Soul.
The Last Fang of God by Ryan Kirk
Of course I have to include my pick for spfbo from my group. Ryan Kirk’s The Last Fang of God is a tightly written quick read that highlights a father/daughter relationship beautifully. I loved seeing these characters come to terms with each other and I loved the no nonsense style to the writing.
When gods refuse to die, it’s humans that suffer.
Safely hidden deep within the endless fields of his late wife’s people, Kalen’s only dream is to live the rest of his days in peace. He paid for his dream in blood, but neither his sword nor service are demanded any longer.
Chaos erupts when his daughter, Sascha, is called by Kalen’s old master. Father and daughter have no choice but to leave the home they’ve created for the land of Kalen’s birth.
But the sins of the past cast long shadows. After years of a tenuous peace, gods and humans alike resume their quest for dominance. Kalen and Sascha find themselves in the midst of a struggle that will reshape the boundaries of their world.
The warrior who wants nothing but peace will be forced to draw his sword once again.
Will it be enough to protect his daughter from the whims of the gods?
The Unwanted by Catherine M. Walker
The Unwanted was just a fun book all around. Full of cool ideas and a rich world-building but mostly it was the characters- their families and friendships and that kept me wanting to turn the pages and see how they make out. I have the second book in this series slated for this year and I’m really looking forward to getting back to this world.
In a world torn by conflict, it is the unwanted who fight for survival.
At nearly 18 years of age, Damien knows his peaceful life in the only village he’s ever known is about to change. Either his burgeoning powers of the veil will kill him, which at least would bring an end to the pain and the mistrust and fear of his friends and neighbours, or the Warlord and his infamous warband, the Unwanted, will track him down.
Though the Warlord claims to protect his domain from the persistent raids of the enemy Sylannians, that protection comes at a price. To be taken by the Warlord is to forfeit your soul. Those who join his warband are destined to become cold-blooded killers, and the atrocities they are rumoured to commit make death the preferable option.
When the worst happens and the Warlord finally comes to his village, Damien surrenders himself to save his family—and protect his younger sister, Isabella, whose own powers are already growing…
On the other side of the vast mountain range the clans of the People have lost the war against the Sylannians. As royal Sylannian Commander Jaclyn plans to return home after their victory, only two clans remain, and they face an impossible stay and risk almost certain annihilation, or flee their homeland and take their chances on the other side of the mountains.
But even as the clan leaders seek a way to save their people from genocide, the political wheels in Sylanna are still turning and the ruthless king and his wives have their own plans for his sister Jaclyn, who was never meant to succeed.
As Damien makes a new life with the Unwanted, he learns to use his powers and discovers the truth about his new “family”. But before he can decide where he really belongs, he must come to terms with who and what he really is.
.And that concludes Jen’s Top 10 Favorites of 2023.
Let us know which of these books you’ve read or would like to read and what you think about them!
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