Hello bookworms!!

After I did this post last year, I knew I had to do this post this year too.  I knew  because I have become a fan of quite a few authors this year, too. Yes, that’s how life works, I know but you know….And they deserve all the praise they get here. While I won’t say that I would read every work of theirs but it’s a possibility and that’s more than enough for me. Obviously, some of them are new authors and some of them are new to me. They all left enough of an impression on me that this post came to be. So, there’s that.

Let’s get on with it, then, shall we?

Kiran Millwood-Hargrave

When I read The Mercies, I had no idea what I was getting into. I mean, I had some idea but really, I was not prepared for the writing, okay? It is written with such vivid imagery that we can see the desperation of the women, the poverty they are facing if nothing is done about the fishing. It is not a happy read but it is hauntingly beautiful because it is based on real events. I just fell for the author’s way of writing.

Priya Sharma

Sharma’s writing is absolutely gripping and magical. Her touch to fantasy is something that blended so well with the story that I am still not over it. It’s dark and achy and filled with such wonder for Orme. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who’s wanting a touch of wonder and terror and drama full of dysfunctional family. I will highly recommend Ormeshadow to those who want to see if it is to their tastes.

N. K. Jemisin

Do I even need to say anything about this author? Everyone knows exactly how amazing Jemisin’s writing is. I am dying to read the Broken Earth trilogy because one trilogy was not enough for me. I will be reading everything she put out in the market because her imagination and her writing is just that good. It’s not traditional fantasy, she subverts a lot tropes and I loved her for that.

TJ Klune

Ok, so I will admit that until I saw The House in the Cerulean Sea popping up everywhere I wouldn’t have known about this author. It’s sad but true. That book is one of the most wholesome things I have read in my life and that’s saying a lot seeing as I sometimes tend to read just wholesome things. Let’s just say that I needed this book in 2020, it was absolutely needed and this author kindly provided. Seriously. If you haven’t read it yet, go and do that. Leave this page and read the book.

Tasha Suri

Once again, I have only read only one book by this author (Empire of Sand) but it left such an impression that I will definitely be reading more by this author. Her writing is so quiet and explosive at the same time, it evokes such imagery and her characters were so well written too! The fact that her book is based on Moghul India also made all the more enchanted with it because it’s rare to see a fantasy book based in that era.

Tyler Whitesides

Kingdom of Grit is a series I was introduced to during the year and I am so grateful to the publishers for allowing me to read these books early. These chonky books are absolutely amazing, fun-filled heists with characters brimming with life. Overall, I just love Kingdom of Grit and if only the last book didn’t have formatting issues, I would have had this series under my belt. Oh, well.

Rob J. Hayes

Never Die was one of the best books I read this year and I am ready to read more from this author. From characters to the pacing to the story itself, everything came together so freaking well in this one. I mean. I am just in love, okay? If you love anime or wuxia or even anything remotely Asian inspired then this is the book for you.

Marina and Sergei Dyachenko

Vita Nostra. What a weird fucking book, foul language unapologetically used here because it deserves all the confusing f-words. This book is addictive and weird and at times, harrowing to read but you get so caught up in it that it’s hard to let go and breathe. It’s just so brilliantly written and translated and so different from your usual fantasy/science fiction that you either love it or hate it. I am in the former category.

Jy Yang

When I started the Tensorate series, I was not ready for how much like a wuxia this adventure was going to be. I guess, I didn’t read the synopsis or the reviews well enough but I fell for the writing style and the story was just A+ for me. It worked because I was in the mood for it and if you like Asian inspired fantasy then please, if you haven’t already, then check this series out. I am gonna be reading the next books in 2021 for sure.

Chloe Gong

I fell in love with something I did not think I would enjoy. Romeo and Juliet. Chloe Gong with the power of her writing and characters made me love this Romeo and Juliet retelling based in Shanghai in 1920s (These Violent Delights). It was a wild ride and I loved every moment of it. I can’t wait to read the next book because the first book ended on an explosive note. (Hehe, explosive. )

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These are not the only authors I read this year or the only books I loved obviously but these ones hold a special place in my heart and deserve all the praise I can shower on them. So, that’s that. I am sure I will discover some more authors that would be on my auto-buy list in the coming year so be on the look out for that at the end of 2021.

What about you? Have you discovered any new authors this year? Tell me so I can make a note of it to check them out too!