What Are Underrated Must Read Fantasy Novels From 2010s?

2025-09-05 23:11:41 299

5 Answers

Elijah
Elijah
2025-09-07 02:15:19
Ever find yourself craving fantasy that’s off the beaten path—less blockbuster, more quietly brilliant? I do, and during the 2010s I kept discovering novels that felt like secret doors. A different way to look at this is by theme: want bittersweet character studies? Reach for 'The Goblin Emperor' and 'The Golem and the Jinni'. Want unsettling, theological weirdness? 'Under the Pendulum Sun' is your haunt. If you’re hungry for nautical grit and inventive worldbuilding, 'The Bone Ships' and 'The Ninth Rain' scratch that itch.

I like to pair books: read 'The Goblin Emperor' after something brutal so its warmth lands heavier; pair 'The Library at Mount Char' with a lighter novel because it can be emotionally intense. Also, consider audio for long books—hearing the dialects and cadences of court scenes in 'The Goblin Emperor' elevated my experience. These titles reward slow reading and rereads; I’ve revisited lines from 'Senlin Ascends' and found new meanings each time. If you’re compiling a weekend reading binge, mix a gothic, a sea saga, and a courtly drama—your emotions will get a roller-coaster day.
Franklin
Franklin
2025-09-08 11:32:49
I'm always chasing hidden gems on my shelf, and during the 2010s a bunch of quieter fantasy novels sneaked past the hype radar and straight into my heart. One that I keep handing to friends is 'Senlin Ascends' — it starts deceptively simple: a man, a mysterious tower, and a lost wife. But the tone shifts into surreal, melancholic worldbuilding that rewards patience. If you like slow-burn revelations, this one feels like peeling wallpaper in a creaky old ship.

Another favorite is 'Under the Pendulum Sun' — it’s Gothic and theological in a way that makes afternoon rain sound like a character. The prose is atmospheric and weird in the best way; it scratches that itch when you want fantasy to feel foreign and claustrophobic. Also, if you missed it, give 'The Golem and the Jinni' a try for historical-urban fantasy that reads like a warm, melancholy folktale.

For something sharper, 'The Ninth Rain' delivers inventive magic systems and grim wonder; it's less polished than some blockbusters but more inventive. These all deliver different textures — whimsical, gothic, mythic — and they stuck with me longer than some loud bestsellers.
Ivy
Ivy
2025-09-09 19:26:21
If you need a short, enthusiastic nudge: try 'Senlin Ascends' and 'The Golem and the Jinni' if you like character-forward fantasy with unusual settings. 'Senlin Ascends' delights me because it starts like a modest quest but blossoms into weird steampunk carnival horror—every new level in the tower feels like a fresh genre. 'The Golem and the Jinni' is quieter, blending immigrant stories with myth, and I love how it treats folklore gently but clearly. Both gave me that late-night, can’t-put-down feeling where I kept flipping pages until sunrise. They're not flashy, but they stick around in the mind, and if you’re into translations or cross-cultural vibes, these will feel like finding a secret café in a city you thought you knew.
Adam
Adam
2025-09-10 06:32:08
I still get goosebumps thinking about stumbling upon weird little novels from the 2010s that felt like private gifts. One such is 'Under the Pendulum Sun' — it’s unapologetically strange and beautifully written; atmospheric, theological, and perfect for nights when the rain taps like a metronome. Then there’s 'The Library at Mount Char', which snarled its way into my head with morally ambiguous characters and a plot that refuses neat answers. I recommend reading it in chunks so you can sit with the implications.

For someone who loves maps, strange politics, and craftily built cultures, 'The Ninth Rain' and 'The Bone Ships' are both excellent: one for its mythic, ground-level inventiveness and the other for its sea-swept, creak-and-salt sensibility. If you want something softer between those, 'The Goblin Emperor' is balm—a book that proves kindness and competency can be quietly heroic. Pick one based on mood and let it surprise you.
Tessa
Tessa
2025-09-11 04:04:15
I get a little evangelical about books sometimes, and the 2010s hid so many quiet knockouts. If you want a compact list to shove into someone's hands at a party, start with 'The Goblin Emperor' — warm, courtly, and unexpectedly tender; it’s diplomacy and feelings more than sword fights, and that’s a rare, underrated pleasure. Then try 'The Library at Mount Char' if you want morally messy, sprawling weirdness; it’s a bit of a genre blender that will make you bookmark lines and gasp at chapter breaks.

For navy-and-salt energy, 'The Bone Ships' has creaky hulls, monstrous sea creatures, and a grim, crewed camaraderie that feels like myth on a rope ladder. If you prefer something with political teeth and an unusual revenge engine, 'The Traitor Baru Cormorant' might be better known, but when it first arrived it felt like an underdog for readers who love economics-as-magic. Lastly, 'The Rage of Dragons' is propulsive and brutal; it’s a modern take on revenge epics with an infectious, propulsive read-through energy.

Heads-up: several of these have darker themes and morally gray characters, so pick one that matches your mood. I usually read these sprawled on my couch with tea gone cold and a cat claiming the spine.
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