The True Queen widens the world delightfully by focusing on Muna, a young Malaysian woman who loses first her memory (to powers unknown) and then her sister (while travelling through Fairyland), and must seek help from the British Sorcerer to the Crown.

Sorcerer to the Crown is the story of the beleaguered Zacharias Wythe, battling to succeed in the face of a racist magical establishment while secretly wishing to be left alone with his books (very relatable), and Prunella Gentleman, an orphan with a great deal of magic and even more personality, as they try to discover why English magic is diminishing.

In fact they’re fairly different, although they share some characters and a well-built, lively Regency world in which magic has always existed out in the open. I’m cheating a little here and sliding a duology in as one book. The fantasy element is relatively light in this one, but woven in nicely, and serves to underpin the sense of destiny and history. Watching the protagonist Zhu rise from starving peasant girl to the height of power, through cleverness and sheer ruthless grit, is only half the pleasure: the book’s other main players, especially the resentful eunuch general Ouyang, are equally compelling. This is a fictionalised version of the rise to power of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, set in 14th century China, and it’s the kind of book that grabs you by the neck in the first few pages and doesn’t let go. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-ChanĮvery time I try to talk about this book I’m left waving my hands and shrieking RUTHLESS MONKS and OUYANG!! but here goes: It’s grounded and vivid, bringing the characters with their loves and jealousies and ambitions completely to life, while maintaining the deeper-than-life feel of folklore. Loosely based on the folk ballad The Twa Sisters, this was one of my favourite reads of 2021. Keyne has always wished to be born a boy, and is fighting to discover his place in the family and the world - while quiet Riva and exuberant Sinne are finding their own powers, and moving towards a tragedy that has all the weight and wildness of myth. Here are five books I highly recommend, showcasing some of that variety… Sistersong by Lucy HollandĪs Celtic culture and religion clash with Christianity in 6th century Britain, this follows the three children of a local king.

I love the variety in this specific subgenre, and the way different time periods and places can lend themselves to different expressions of fantasy.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson