Robert Holdstock Award

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  • The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

    This novel unfolds as an epic fantasy, centered around a daring quest to overthrow a tyrannical regime. The narrative follows a young royal and a god, who, together with a group of rebels, embark on a perilous journey to free the former's mother from a formidable fortress. Along the way, they must navigate a world brimming with magic, mythical creatures, and ancient powers. The story is rich in themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the struggle against oppression, all woven together with lyrical prose and a deep exploration of love and power. This book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that tie us together in the face of darkness.

  • She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

    This novel is a gripping historical fantasy that reimagines the rise of the Ming Dynasty in China through the lens of a young peasant girl who, after her family's demise, assumes her dead brother's identity to enter a monastery. Her quest for survival evolves into an ambitious pursuit of power and destiny, challenging the rigid gender norms and societal expectations of her time. As she navigates through political intrigue, war, and personal transformation, her journey becomes a testament to the indomitable will to defy fate and forge one's own path to greatness, all while exploring themes of identity, gender, and ambition in a richly detailed, alternate historical setting.

  • The Once And Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

    In this enchanting narrative set at the cusp of the 19th and 20th centuries, the story weaves together the lives of three sisters who, estranged and battered by their past, find themselves drawn together in the suffragist movement of New Salem. Amidst the fervor for women's rights, they discover that the echoes of witchcraft from their childhood hold the key to unlocking not just personal empowerment but also societal change. As they delve deeper into the forgotten words and ways of witchcraft, they face a society vehemently opposed to both their gender and their magic. This tale masterfully blends the struggle for equality with the mystical, proposing that the fight for women's rights is intertwined with a deeper, magical battle for freedom and recognition.

  • The Bone Ships by RJ Barker

    This novel is set in a vividly imagined world where two nations are locked in a perpetual war, fought on the high seas with ships made from the bones of long-extinct dragons. The story follows the crew of the Tide Child, a ship of the damned manned by criminals and social outcasts, led by a disgraced captain. When they are tasked with a seemingly impossible mission to hunt down the last of the legendary sea dragons, the crew sees it as a chance for redemption. As they embark on their perilous journey, they must navigate treacherous waters, rival ships, and their own personal demons. The narrative is rich with maritime lore, complex characters, and themes of sacrifice, survival, and redemption, making it a gripping tale of high-seas adventure and human resilience.

  • The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

    In this enthralling sequel to a celebrated fantasy series, the world is on the brink of war, and an unlikely group of heroes must band together to save it from destruction. The narrative weaves together the fates of a war-beast and her dragon rider, a pair of mismatched siblings, and a group of magical, ancient creatures with the power to change the course of history. As they face internal conflicts, betrayals, and the looming threat of an otherworldly invasion, their paths intertwine in a desperate quest to harness old magics and forge new alliances. This epic tale of courage, friendship, and the complex nature of heroism dives deep into the heart of a richly imagined fantasy world, challenging the boundaries between good and evil, and exploring the costs of survival in the face of unspeakable odds.

  • The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams

    In a fantasy world plagued by the cyclical invasions of monstrous creatures, a scholar with a thirst for adventure, a disgraced noblewoman with a secret, and a fell-witch with mysterious powers form an unlikely alliance. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the long-lost race known as the Eborans and the source of the deadly rains that bring forth the terrifying creatures. As they journey through a landscape filled with ancient ruins, dark magic, and political intrigue, they must confront their own demons and unite to prevent the impending Ninth Rain, which threatens to destroy their world.

  • The Tiger And The Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    In a world where tribes shape-shift into their totem animals, the story follows Maniye, a young girl torn between her father's Wolf clan in the North and her estranged mother's Tiger clan in the South. Struggling with her dual heritage, Maniye finds herself on a perilous journey that forces her to flee her home, pursued by those who seek to use her unique abilities for their own ends. Along the way, she gathers a diverse group of outcasts and misfits, each with their own secrets and agendas. As ancient powers stir and a long-foretold war looms on the horizon, Maniye must embrace her identity and unite the animal tribes if they are to survive the coming darkness.

  • Uprooted by Naomi Novik

    The book is a captivating fantasy novel that weaves a tale of a young woman from a quiet village, chosen by a mysterious and powerful wizard to live with him in his tower, away from her home. As she learns about her own latent magical abilities and the malevolent force of the corrupted Wood that threatens her world, she must navigate a complex relationship with her enigmatic mentor and ally herself with the kingdom's prince to save her people. Drawing on Eastern European folklore, the story is a rich tapestry of magic, politics, and the struggle between tradition and change, ultimately exploring themes of identity, friendship, and the courage to fight for one's home.

  • Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge

    This novel is a gripping, dark fantasy tale set in post-World War I England, where a young girl wakes up after an accident to find herself changed in inexplicable ways. As she struggles to piece together what happened to her, she discovers that she is not who she thought she was, and her family seems to be harboring sinister secrets. With the help of unlikely allies, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her identity and to confront the eerie, otherworldly forces that have begun to invade her world. This story masterfully blends elements of horror, mystery, and historical fiction, creating a haunting narrative about loss, identity, and the lengths we go to for love.

  • A Stranger In Olondria by Sofia Samatar

    The novel explores the transformative power of literature through the eyes of a young pepper merchant from a remote island who, upon visiting the sophisticated and literate land of Olondria, becomes haunted by the ghost of an illiterate girl. As he navigates the complex cultural landscape, he finds himself embroiled in a political and religious conflict surrounding the nature of literacy, storytelling, and the written word. The protagonist's journey is a rich tapestry of sensory experiences and a poignant meditation on the ways in which stories define and give meaning to our lives.

  • Some Kind Of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

    The novel is a captivating exploration of the thin line between reality and the otherworldly, telling the story of a woman who mysteriously reappears after vanishing for twenty years. Her family, having mourned her loss and moved on, is thrown into disarray upon her return, especially as she looks barely a day older. As she recounts an incredible tale of having been taken by fairies, her loved ones struggle with disbelief and the possibility that her story might be true. The narrative weaves through themes of time, memory, and whether the fantastical can coexist with the mundane, challenging the characters and readers to reconsider the boundaries of their own beliefs.

  • Among Others by Jo Walton

    The novel is a captivating blend of fantasy and coming-of-age story, told through the diary entries of a fifteen-year-old girl who has survived a tragic accident that took her twin sister's life and left her with a crippling injury. She navigates the complexities of adolescence, boarding school life, and family drama while also dealing with the magical abilities she inherited from her mother. As she seeks solace in the pages of science fiction and fantasy novels, she grapples with her own magical powers and the ethereal creatures that only she can see, leading to a poignant exploration of grief, growth, and the transformative power of storytelling.

About this list

British Fantasy Society, 12 Books

The Fantasy book award from The British Fantasy Society

Added about 1 month ago.

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