The Ten Fantasy Series I'm Most Excited to Read in 2022

I've already posted a blog post on the 20 books I need to read in 2022, but this is my list of 10 Fantasy series I'm most excited to read this year. If you didn't already know, fantasy is my all-time favourite genre, and I have so many high/epic fantasy series that I want to get to this year. I've tried to choose series that are mostly complete so I can finish as many series as I can this year. They're also mostly adult fantasy, but I believe one of them might be considered YA in some places.

Let me know if you want to read any of the below or if you're interested in what I think about them.

1. The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee

This is an urban fantasy following two warring crime syndicates fighting over a substance called 'Jade' which grants superhuman abilities. I first heard about this book the year it was published and it's taken me so long to get to it so I'm very excited to pick this up. This book series is also on my Top 20 Books to Read in 2022

2. The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang

I read the first book in this trilogy when it first came out in 2018 and gave it 5 stars - it was fantastic. Don't get me wrong, it's also harrowing and dark, but R.F. Kuang is a fantastic fantasy writer. The first book really set this up to be an epic military fantasy trilogy and I'm so excited to continue. This trilogy is set in ancient China and inspired by actual Chinese wars. These books follows Rin, a war orphan due to be sold into marriage, until she passes the hardest entrance exam in the country (the Keju) and gets to go to the prestigious/elite military academy in Nikan. The first half of this book takes place at the school, while the second part of the book shows the brutality of war. I am so excited to continue this series although I've heard The Burning Gods will break me.

3. The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty

This is a book I've been desperate to read since I first got a copy in 2017/18. The only reason I didn't pick it up initially was because I wanted to binge the trilogy when it all came out. The final book has now been released for about a year and I still haven't got around to this series, but this is the year I will finally read this trilogy! This is a YA/Adult fantasy series set in 18th century Cairo and I am so hyped for this setting. The book follows Nahri, a con-woman who doesn't believe in magic, until she accidentally summons a djinn warrior and she's forced to accept that the magical world she though only existed in childhood stories is real. Again, these books were also on my Top 20 Books to Read in 2022

4. Of Blood and Bone by John Gwynne

I absolutely adored the Faithful and the Fallen series that I read last year by this author, and he has become one of my favourite fantasy writers of all time already. I don't know a lot about this trilogy except that it's set a few hundred years after the Faithful and the Fallen series and that at least one character overlaps. I'm really excited to see where this series goes, especially since I loved the worldbuilding in the first series.

5. The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb

I started my full read of the Robin Hobb books last year, and I've already read The Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders trilogy. I didn't actually enjoy The Farseer Trilogy that much, but I did love The Liveship Traders. I know this trilogy follows Fitz, similar to the first trilogy, and I don't want to say much more than that because it would spoil the first trilogy if I did. I'm hoping to enjoy Fitz's POV more than I did the first time, and I'm really looking forward to getting to The Rain Wild Chronicles after this.

6. The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington

I got all of these books for my birthday last year and it goes without saying that I can't wait to read these. This sounds like a typical fantasy, but I'm really intrigued by the magic in these books. These books follow Davian, a student of the Gifted, who suffers the consequences of a war fought—and lost—before he was born. Despised by most beyond the school walls, he and those around him are all but prisoners as they attempt to learn control of the Gift. Worse, as Davian struggles with his lessons, he knows that there is further to fall if he cannot pass his final tests. But when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything.

7. A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons

This series has been on my radar for a long time, but after Jade from Jadeyraereads gave it 5 stars, I knew I had to pick it up soon. This is one of the series that isn't yet finished. I believe the final book is coming out in May and I own the first 3 books in the series already. I believe the book follows Kihrin who witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he's marked by a demon. That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince's royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. I believe this is an epic political fantasy series with a lot of intrigue and it's been so long since I read a series like this - I can't wait!

8. The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb

Again, I'm making my way through all of Hobb's books and this is the quartet set after The Tawny Man trilogy. I can't say much about the plotline for fear of spoiling the earlier series, but this is set a few years after The Liveship Traders trilogy, and I believe it follows some of the same characters. I'm really interested to see more about the dragons in this series.

9. Raybearer Duology by Jordan Ifueko

I had to get this duology on this list because it's been recommended to me so many times and I have both of the books. I know this duology borders on YA but I've also seen it shelved as Adult, so I'll be interested to see how it reads. This duology follows Tarisai, who has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. I've also heard this book as LGBTQ+ rep as well, which is always good to see in fantasy!

10. The Burning Series by Evan Winter

This is the most incomplete series on the whole list as only the first two books out of four are currently released. I own the first two and the third book doesn't have a publication date yet. However, I wouldn't mind starting this series because I've heard it's fantastic. It was a self-published book that became so popular that a publisher picked it up. Once again, it has one of my absolute favourite tropes that immediately makes me grab the book: dragons. Ever since I read The Inheritance Cycle when I was younger, any books with dragons appeals to me on a deep level. I've not yet found another dragon series that I love as much as that so I'm always on the look out for the next one. In this series, one in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons and one in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

I hope you enjoyed my 10 fantasy books that I'm most excited to read! I'm hoping this list will keep me accountable this year so I actually get around to these books. I think I'm going to be picking up The Poppy War trilogy first, but let me know what I should pick up next. Are any of these on your TBR? Let me know in the comments and I'll see you in the next blog post!