Time for my third (and final I promise) ‘favourite reads of the year’ post, and this one is highlighting my favourite reads that weren’t debuts or sequels. Some of the below are by favourite authors of mine and others are from new to me authors who quickly became favourites. Every single one of these books blew me away from their lyrical writing to brilliantly built magic systems, I was swept away to magical worlds and some worlds that weren’t so different from the one we know and love. What books really stood out for you in 2020? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday is run by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl and you should definitely go give her blog some love.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

The Ten Thousand Doors of January made my top books of the year list for 2019, so it should be no surprise that this would made 2020’s. This book honestly blew me away, an almost re-telling of history entwined with magic I fell in love with the Eastwood sisters, and found myself far too invested in their story.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

You must all know by now that I am a HUGE Schwab fan, but this book scared me because I just wasn’t sure it would live up to the hype I had built for it. Luckily it met the hype and more, I can’t tell you just how much this story got to me, and though I can understand that it wont be a book for everyone, but it is a story that will stay with me for years to come.

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows by Karsten Knight

The world we know and love but add in ancient God’s from all different mythologies/cultures! I had heard virtually nothing about this book and still can’t believe so many people are sleeping on it because it was amazing, and although the story is complete in this book I would love another story written in this world.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily A. Danforth

Creepy, Sapphic, a story told from multiple POV’s through centuries and with an omniscient narrator who had me in stitches in parts, and hid beneath the covers in others, I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, and honestly it shouldn’t have worked… but it did.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Some of the best world building I have ever read, a world centred around South American mythology, and some truly brilliantly written characters. Roanhorse has definitely cemented herself as one of my favourite authors.

A Declaration of the rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry

I had no idea what I was getting into with this book , what I got was a full speed dive into a historical period I knew nothing about, filled with some of my favourite characters and magic… lots and lots of magic. I honestly loved this book and am incredibly excited for the sequel.

Seven Devils by Elizabeth May & Laura Lam

Epic Sci-Fi at it’s best, this female centred novel had me hooked from the first line. Filled with a diverse and completely lovable bunch of characters with a plot that just kept throwing twists at me. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Goldilocks by Laura Lam

When I say this book hit a little too close to home i’m not exaggerating. Another epic and female centred story that ask hard hitting questions of us as the reader. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I knew I was going to be a life long fan of Moreno-Garcia after reading Gods of Jade and Shadow in 2019 and this creepy and atmospheric novel certainly cemented that. I loved everything about this book from the setting to the characters and though it definitely gave me the creeps I simply couldn’t put it down.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

God I loved this book so much . A truly immersive and fresh magic system, a brilliant bunch of characters and plenty of romance, made these pages fly by and the sequel to this is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021.