3 Lesser Known But Still Awesome Fantasy Books

Sometimes, we get so caught up with the mainstream fantasy, waiting for the latest sequel to come out, that we miss out on a bit obscure, but bona fide authors and books. Well, today is not that day. Today is the day I tell you about a few reads that you may want to check out before going back to your series of over ten books. Here are three titles that should find a way to your own library.

The Girl with the Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

You will not find a story about saving the world in this book. Shocking, isn’t’ it? No, here we have a young woman called Ida, who visited a remote archipelago of St Hauda’s Land. The place is not a normal place. It is here that Ida somehow contracted a curse or a disease – she is slowly turning to glass. She meets Midas, a young man whose father haunts him even after his death. While each of them has their own crosses to bear, they fall in love. This book isn’t for those that want some old-fashioned hack-and-slash sword-and-sorcery story. It is gentle, somewhat tragic, and full of hope.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Vampires started having a bad rap ever since the fiasco that is Twilight. The main character here is Alexia Tarabotti, a woman who is facing several challenges in her life. She is dead, without a soul, and not married. In addition to that, she accidentally kills vampires, which is why there is a werewolf sent after her to investigate this person by none other than Queen Victoria herself.

Again, not your run-of-the-mill, action-packed, let’s-kill-the-baddy story. However, it is not any less of a read for that. On the contrary, it is refreshing to see some things outside the established tropes.

The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox Series by Bary Hughart

There are three books in the series. Sometimes, you need to fight the establishment in a way obscure enough so only the well-read can know what you are talking about. That was the way some Chinese authors relayed their stories to the readers, and Bary Hughart decided to follow the style and motifs of ancient China to deliver his own story. Granted, if Chinese mythology is too complicated for your taste, this trilogy might not be the best choice for you.

Li Kao is a sage accompanied by a poor, but strong, peasant called Number Ten Ox. It is actually the narration of Number Ten Ox that helps us look at the adventures of the pair. The series was supposed to have seven books, but, alas, we only have Bridge of Birds, where the characters are trying to save some children from a mysterious poison, The Story of the Stone, where they attempt to solve the murder of a monk, and Eight Skilled Gentlemen, which is simply too chaotic too explain in a few words. If you’re into Chinese myths, check them out.

Author: Davey