For ages, Fantasy was the primary genre I read. I’d occasionally go on a mystery binge, but fantasy was always a close second. Primarily because I wanted my escapism to have nothing to do with the “real world” and fantasy is always perfect for that.

Then 2016 happened and I started reading more and more romance, because knowing everything would turn out ok in the end became paramount. I’ve been reading more fantasy in the past couple years, but mostly as a secondary to romance or mystery, because I really want my escapism to have nothing to do with the real world, but having a happy ending is still most important.

So much of the fantay I loved this year had romance as a secondary theme–or was part of a series I’ve been reading for several years now.

We’ll see what happens next year.

 

~ 9/10 ~

 

Blitz (2022) (The Checquy Files)
by Daniel O’Malley
[Mystery, Supernatural]

 

It came as a complete surprise that a third Checquy Files book was being published. It was four years between The Rook and it’s follow-up, and it’s been six years since Stiletto, so I honestly wasn’t expecting another book.

This was the best kind of surprise.

Although Myfanwy and Odette make appearances, they are not the main characters. This book is split between several members of the Checquy during the bombing of London (hence the name) and a modern timeline following Lyn, who comes into her powers as an adult.

“Help!” screamed Georgina. “Help!”

Lyn shot her a startled glance. After their torturous silence, the girl’s scream was shocking, but of course it made perfect sense.

Absolutely, let’s make this someone else’s problem!

Be aware, Lyn’s part of the first half of the book is somewhat slow. I found it fascinating (we don’t learn a ton about The Estate in the first two books) and here we got the process of the Checquy finding an adult powered individual, bring them in, and training them. The second half of the book, however, takes off and never slows down.

~ 8.5/10 ~

 

The Hourglass Throne (2022) (The Tarot Sequence)
by K.D. Edwards
[LGBT, Supernatural]

 

I picked up The Last Sun soon after it came out, but the thumbnail cover made me think sword & sorcery, so I put off reading it, until I realized it was set in the modern world (guy in the background with a gun was the big hint there). I devoured it and the sequel, and then waited impatiently for the sequel. Luckily KD Edwards was sharing lots of tidbits and short stories in the interim.

Somehow, I managed to fail to preorder (I know, I know, and I have no idea how that happened) so when I realized it was out I got it and immediately read it.

The banter in this series is the best.

“You keep asking me if this is what it’s going to be like,” I said. “I have literally shared every moment of my existence with you. When did you see me sneak away and have different life experiences?”

This book ends Rune’s story arc, but the next book continues with a different character, and I can’t wait for it! (I’ll try super hard to remember to pre-order this one.)

 

Pack of Lies (2022) (Monster Hunt)
by Charlie Adhara
[LGBT, Romance*, Supernatural]

 

This is a spin-off of the Big Bad Wolf series, following Eli, a character who appeared in several of those books.

He had plenty of experience with criminal investigations. Nearly always from the other side of things, but still. Surely that still counted for something.

Since it’s a new series, with a new love interest, we meet Julian, and actor who is taking a break, and trying to deal with the unexpected death of his brother.

 

Posthumous Education (2022) (Fred, the Vampire Accountant)
by Drew Hayes
[Supernatural]

 

This is a self-published series that is up to book eight and remains a delight.

“Holy shit, who skinned Oscar the Grouch?”

To my near-shock, Deborah actually appeared a bit frightened by the suggestion. “Perish the thought. I avoid those things whenever possible. Some of us still remember the feral ones that used to roam wild.”

Both Krystal and I stared at the intruding vampire, but it was my wife who found her voice first. “I really hate that I’m not sure if you’re screwing with us or not.”

It is the story of Fred, the vampire accountant, who wears sweater vests and glasses (even though he no longer needs them). He is staid and boring and is happy that way, but events keep pushing him past his comfort zone and it’s fun and also really lovely.

 

Paranormal Bromance (2014)
by Carrie Vaughn
[Novella, Supernatural]

 

This novella is set in the world of Kitty the Werewolf, and is about three Gen Xers who were attacked and turned.

The Family, run at the time by an okay guy named Arturo, offered to help us adapt to our new nocturnal lives. We could have stayed with him and others of his Family in his underground compound, worked for him, and he’d have looked after us and made sure we were fed. That sounded too much like moving back home, so the three of us found a basement apartment and decided to fend for ourselves.

It’s delightful.

 

A Restless Truth (2022) (Last Binding)
by Freya Marske
[LGBT, Mystery, Romance*]

 

This is the sequel to A Marvellous Light and we shift from Robin to his sister Maud, who has gone to American to warn Elizabeth Navenby of possible danger, and then to act as her escort when she decides to return to England.

On the ship back she meets Violet, who has unexpectedly become an heiress, and also Lord Hawthorn, who her brother met previously.

“Companionship,” said Mrs. Bernard. “Surely.”

“I prefer my peace and quiet,” said Hawthorn.

“Someone to manage your household for you.”

“I am self-managing, ma’am.” An ironic bow of his head. “And I employ an excellent housekeeper.”

“What about children, my lord?” Violet asked sweetly. “The continuation of your ancient line? Don’t you want a young future earl of your own, to dandle on your knee?”

“I have cousins,” said Hawthorn, exactly as one flattened a fly with a newspaper.

 

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (2021) (Mead Mishaps)
by Kimberly Lemming
[Romance*]

 

This is exactly what the title says.

It is a delightful romp.

~ 8/10 ~

 

Amongst Our Weapons (2022) (Rivers of London)
by Ben Aaronovitch
[Mystery, Supernatural]

 

Ben Aaronovitch has slowed down publishing the novels in this series, but has been writing comics and novellas, which I am 100% ok with. Yes, I want more Peter Grant stories, but I want the best Rivers of London books, and if he needs more time to get the story right, and if he has other stories in the world that want out, I’m great with that.

The Peter Grant books are police procedurals, but Peter is so snarky, the police bits always make me giggle.

Or, more precisely, we pried them out of their reluctant fingers by promising that everything that needed logging or signing would be logged and signed, and that the chain of custody would be maintained yea, even unto the end of days, or the first court appearance— whichever came first.

One thing I will continue to note is that Ben Aaronovitch does something I’ve just started to see in fiction—and he does it consistently.

a hefty-looking white woman with sharp blue eyes

He was a white man, looked to be in his fifties, with thinning brown hair cut short, regular features, pale gray eyes

Phillip was a young-looking forty-year-old white man with black hair and light brown eyes.

She was a tall, hippy white woman

It turned out to be a white woman in late middle age

typical London office jockeys, mostly white, mostly from affluent suburbs

The nervous young white man with floppy hair who served as receptionist

a small white woman in a gray zip-up hoody.

a teenaged white girl dressed incongruously in a blue knit twinset and pearls and a blond pageboy wig.

Part of the reason it works so well is because Peter is police, and so he naturally notes these things, but I am delighted to see it happening more and more.

 

Deadbeat Druid (2022) (Adam Binder)
by David R. Slayton
[LGBT, Supernatural]

 

This book finishes the story arc begun in White Trash Warlock, and although I would like more stories about Adam, I’ll be ok if things end here with him. But I really do want more stories from this world.

“It’s more like webbing,” he said.

“Spiders?” Adam asked. He’d read enough fantasy novels that he did not want to confront anything that could throw webs across an entire landscape. The only question was if millions of little ones would be worse than several giant ones.

There is absolutely no good answer to this question.

 

Human Enough (2019)
by ES Yu
[LGBT, Romance, Supernatural]

 

This came up as a recommendation several times, for several reasons: autistic character, ace character, vampires.

Noah always felt somewhat bad for lying about his “girlfriend” to his coworkers. It wasn’t that he was afraid of people knowing he was dating a guy; he just didn’t want anyone getting too interested in his dating life and finding out he was dating a vampire.

In part, this was a case of the cover working against the book—it didn’t feel like the description, so I kept skipping past it.

That was a mistake, it was a lovely

 

Reflection of a Curse (2022) (Romancing a Curse)
by Lissa Kasey
[LGBT, Romance*, Supernatural]

 

I picked up a first book in this series, Recipe for a Curse, for free last winter, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was somewhat surprising because it was set in “real time” and COVID was as much of the plot as were the fantasy elements.

This book goes a step further: one of the main characters has long COVID—and long term health damage from it—be because he had refused to take the danger seriously.

I have a lot of anger towards COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and by how much sympathy I had for Brand.

He hated, and envied, his old self all at the same time. Years of good health with little work to maintain it. He had hardly ever gotten a cold.

But I believed his repentance, and that made all the difference.

 

Proper Scoundrels (2021) (Roaring Twenties Magic)
by Allie Therin
[Historical, LGBT, Romance*]

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Magic in Manhattan series, so of course I was hesitant to read a spin-off series, partially because I’m ridiculous like that, and partially because I didn’t think I was that interested in the characters in this book.

I was wrong. There are two characters who have been damaged—Wesley by the war, Sebastian by his time enscrolled. Sebastian wants desperately to make up for terrible things he was forced to do.

Maybe he couldn’t ever fully atone for the things he’d done to Arthur Kenzie and Rory Brodigan, but he could at least make sure that Arthur’s aristocratic friend wasn’t in any danger after Arthur and Rory had stayed in the Kensington house in the spring.

Wesley came off as an ass in the first series, but I quickly came to like him here.

“The tea is cold.”

“Is it, my lord?” Ned said, not looking at him.

“Yes it is,” Wesley said, with an edge. “The tea is cold and the toast is burnt and the fire unbanked and I don’t have my newspaper.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, my lord. Perhaps we’re all a bit distracted on account of little Elsie being so upset.”

No one whose staff can sass them like that can be horrible.

 

Snuff (2011) (Discworld)
by Terry Pratchett
[Fantasy]

 

I know, I know.

But after Sir Terry was diagnosed and then died, I drug my feet reading his final books, because I knew they were his final books.

Snuff is the last Sam Vimes book, and as The Watch has always been my favorite story arc, I was even more reluctant to read it.

“Well, you’ve got your new country boots, haven’t you? Treading in cow poo is what they’re for.”

Sam Vimes watched his son’s face glow with impossible pleasure as his mother went on. “Your grandfather always told me that if I saw a big pile of muck in a field I should kick it around a bit so as to spread it evenly, because that way all the grass will grow properly.” She smiled at Vimes’s expression and said, “Well, it’s true, dear. A lot of farming is about manure.”

But I did read it, and now I’m sitting on his final book, utterly failing to read it.

 

Prosperity (2018) (Prosperity)
by Alexis Hall
[LGBT, Steampunk]

 

This is an earlier Alexis Hall, and I was not surprised to find delightful banter.

I was surprised to find it wasn’t a romance, and the way that even in of his earlier books, voices and personalities come through so clearly.

I reckon living itself is a filched business.

This book is queer, but it isn’t a romance, so be aware of that going on. However, it doesn’t end badly, so you can safely read it without fear a main character is going die in the last pages.

 

In addition to reading books where fantasy was the secondary genre, I read several books that were part of a long-running series, and although I didn’t dislike them, they felt weaker than earlier books. Whether this was part of a pandemic slump a lot of authors had, or because those authors have gotten a little tired of their characters or their stories, I don’t know. I do know, however, that the series where the authors have also been writing spin-offs or taking an extra-long time between books have remained extremely enjoyable. So that’s some food for thought for you.

• Supernatural: 9
• LGBT: 8
• Romance: 7
• Mystery: 2
• Historical: 1

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup
The Books of 2022: Fantasy Covers

* boinking