Last week, I mentioned that I didn’t feel like doing a couple of the Top 5 Wednesday prompts for this month. So, instead, I decided to make some lists of recommendations for some of my favorite categories. Today, I have a list of some of my favorite political fantasy books.
If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, then you likely already know how much I love politics in fantasy stories. But, aside from the occasional mention of some of these books, I’ve never written down my absolute favorites. So, today’s the day for that!
I hope you enjoy the selections I made!
The Folk of the Air by Holly Black
I know some people think this series is over-hyped, but I loved it! To be fair, it doesn’t quite make my list of all-time favorites, but it was still very enjoyable. I love Jude’s character, especially, because she’s incredibly cunning and ambitious; she’s always plotting something, and her schemes are what makes these books so good. (And Cardan, of course. They’re both icons, let’s be real.)
So, if you haven’t already read these, I recommend giving the first one a try! Plenty of people absolutely love them, so maybe you will, too.
The Crown’s Game and The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye
This duology does make my all-time favorites list, actually. It has the perfect combination of fantasy magic and historical elements, and I love it. And, obviously, I love all the political intrigue aspects of the story. To be fair, there’s not too much of a political aspect in this one, but still. There’s enough for it to make this list!
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
This is one of my favorite fantasy books with political intrigue! It’s a bit different from the others on the list, but it’s an amazing read with some of the best court politics I’ve ever read about. Seriously, there’s so much to love about everything that happens in this book; the main character is great, the politics are riveting, and the romance is so well-written. I highly recommend checking this one out, confusing publication editions aside!
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
I’ve heard some fellow reviewers say they were disappointed by the plotting and politics in this one. But I adored this book, and all of that plotting and politics and betrayals were a huge part of why I did. Honestly, it was all so complicated and amazingly well-done. It totally blew me away, and I can’t wait for the second book to be released.
So, yes, I definitely recommend checking this one out.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson
It’s been a long time since I read this book! And I’ve actually only read this one; I know there are more books in the series, but I never got around to reading them. Still, I really enjoyed this one when I did read it; it had Anastasia vibes and was really intriguing. It’s targeted towards the younger side of the YA spectrum, though, so I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy the rest of the series if I chose to finish it now…
So, there you have them: Five of my favorite political fantasy books. I recommend reading each and every one of them, especially if you love fantasy political intrigue as much as I do. If you do choose to read any of them, drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts! Or, feel free to leave your own recommendations below; I’m always looking for more books to read in this category.
Additionally, if you enjoyed this post, use the Extras tab above to access more of the same content. I have plenty of lists on my blog, and you should definitely check them out.
2 comments
I couldn’t help but notice that three of the books have a crown on their cover. And Crown Duel doesn’t, but does have the word. So is it something people add to tell their readers this book has politics in it?
In any case, I myself want to recommend the Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurst. It’s from the early 90’s but it’s got plenty of politics and it’s one of my favorites.
It definitely makes me think of royal politics! I’ll have to get The Empire Trilogy, I looked it up and it sounds awesome!