4 Fantasy Books that Deserve more Hype

I debated making a list of my favourite books, but promptly realised that wouldn't be possible - there are too many books and I am bad at decisions. What I did want to highlight here are the books which are very good at what they do but don't get the recognition they deserve. Magic isn't limited to a specific age range so here are four underappreciated books with differing magical systems and varying target ages. The following books may not be booktok famous, but they will stay famous in my heart.

The School for Good and Evil

By Soman Chainani

Though aimed at a Middle Grade audience, The School for Good and Evil can be enjoyed by any ages.

This book series follows the story of Sophie and Agnes who are stolen away to the School for Good and Evil, where they are trained to be the fairytale characters they are destined to be. But neither of them are happy with the role they are given - leading to an adventure filled with questions of morality, free will, and the consequences of jealousy.

Trust me when I say it gets incredibly dark for a children's book, but does so in a really accessible, thought-provoking way.

The worldbuilding was full of wonder. The descriptions were beautiful. The slightest bit of romance was so fun to read. And the relationship between our two female leads was realistic and engaging.

P.S. Never ever watch the Netflix adaptation. That is perhaps the WORSE movie (let alone adaptation) that has ever stabbed my eyes. I wish I could forget just how bad the film was.

The books were obviously much MUCH better.

Twin Crowns

By Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber

This is a fun YA fantasy romance trilogy depicting the lives of twins who were separated at birth. The book starts with one of the twins, who was raised by witches, kidnapping and taking the place of the other, who was raised in the palace, in order to obtain the crown.

What I love most about this series is the brilliant use of dual-pov. Since each of the sisters have their own character arc and love interest, it was like getting two stories for the price of one! I was highly inspired by this structure for my own book.

Immortal Consequences

By I.V. Marie

Another fantasy romance YA book, slightly darker/more mature than the last, but still just as juicy. Similar to Twin Crowns, the relationships between the characters and the multiple POV's make this book brilliant. Considering this is Marie's debut, she deserves all the praise she can get! I find writing dual perspective difficult - I have NO IDEA how she managed to perfectly weave between six different point of views!

Immortal Consequences follows six characters who attend a school in the afterlife. In order to move on from this purgatory, they must compete against each other to win a competition. The stakes are high, the characters are strong and as the reader, I want every single character to win.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

By Stuart Turton

An adult fantasy which blew my mind. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mystery with a time travel twist. Our main character must figure out who killed Evelyn Hardcastle, but every night, the day repeats and he wakes up in a new body. Its as if the Groundhog Day met an Agatha Christie novel.

If you love a mystery with fantasy concepts, this is the book for you. It was a complex read but Turton does a good job at keeping the readers on their toes while ensuring they understand what is happening in the narrative.

Every page brought a new mystery and every payoff made complete sense. Again, I am gobsmacked this was Turton's debut novel and I hope my abilities can reach this brilliance one day!

If you've read any of these I'd love to hear your opinions!