Fantasy Book Club Series discussion

Time to start thinking spring and that means thinking about our next series. Our current series will wrap up at the end of next month (April 2025). That means it’s time to open nominations for our new series, which will start May 1, 2025. What would you like to read and discuss with the group? Nominations are now open! Please read the rules carefully so your nomination will not be disqualified!

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Rules for nominating a series:
1. The series must be complete (as far as we can reasonably tell).
2. The series must be fantasy (I know, seems obvious).
3. The series should not be targeted mainly for middle school or a YA audience.
4. The series must not be one the group has already read. Look through the list of discussions or the group bookshelf to see if we’ve read it before.
5. Each member may nominate one series. Please tell us the name of the series, the author, how many books are in the series, and the name of first book in the series. If you want to add more information, please feel free.
6. Nominations do not need a second to move into the polling as long as they meet the other guidelines.
8. Nominations will be open through March 13. We will then have a poll. If there are a lot of nominations or the results are close, we will also have a run-off poll between or among the top vote-getters.

Please post nominations in this topic thread here on the group page, not by responding to the broadcast message sent to your Goodreads inbox.

Nominations are open! Let’s go!
Kathi, Moderator for FBCS

Nominated:
Stormlight Archive arc 1, 5 books (novels only) by Brandon Sanderson, starting with The Way of Kings
Eternal Sky, 3 books by Elizabeth Bear, starting with Range of Ghosts
Bloodsworn Saga, 3 books by John Gwynne, starting with The Shadow of the Gods
Empire of the Wolf, 3 books by Richard Swan, starting with The Justice of Kings

Nominated but disqualified:
Green Bone Saga, 3 books by Fonda Lee, starting with Jade City, see Rule #4

Green Bone Saga Fonda Lee 3 books

Gigi wrote: "Green Bone Saga Fonda Lee 3 books"

Please see guideline #4 in the first post: “ The series must not be one the group has already read. Look through the list of discussions or the group bookshelf to see if we’ve read it before.”

The group read & discussed this series in 2022.

Please feel free to make another nomination. Thanks!

Although 10 books are planned, Brandon Sanderson has now completed the front half of the series The Stormlight Archive (or the first set of 5-book arcs). I understand if you disqualify this, but the first arc is complete.

So I nominate The Stormlight Archive, starting with The Way of Kings, but skipping the novellas. (5 books total)

Katy wrote: "Although 10 books are planned, Brandon Sanderson has now completed the front half of the series The Stormlight Archive (or the first set of 5-book arcs). I understand if you disquali..."

I am inclined to allow it but I have a question—how inter-related is this with other books in the Cosmere? I have heard people say that it’s important to read all the works in a certain order. Thanks!

Kathi wrote: "I am inclined to allow it but I have a question—how inter-related is this with other books in the Cosmere? I have heard people say that it’s important to read all the works in a certain order. Thanks!..."

It is #16 in the Cosmere Universe. I suppose that they are all interrelated, but I am not clever enough to notice.

From Sanderson's website, " I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn’t matter which Cosmere series you start with, which means any of these books are good starting points..."

Katy wrote: "It is #16 in the Cosmere Universe. I suppose that they are all interrelated, but I am not clever enough to notice.

From Sanderson's website, " I recommended reading the books in sequential order rather than trying to dive into the second book in a series without having read the first book. That said, it really doesn’t matter which Cosmere series you start with, which means any of these books are good starting points...""

OK, thanks!

I don't know if this helps for the Sanderson books, but this is what I looked at when I wanted to start. The series seem to intermingle a lot.

https://thequilltolive.com/2025/02/03...

Christina wrote: "I don't know if this helps for the Sanderson books, but this is what I looked at when I wanted to start. The series seem to intermingle a lot.

https://thequilltolive.com/2025/02/03......"

Thanks! Folks can take a look at those recommendations to help them decide whether to vote for The Stormlight Archive or something else (provided we got some more nominations…).

I’m going to nominate the Eternal Sky trilogy by Elizabeth Bear, starting with Range of Ghosts. I’ve been wanting to read something by this author for quite a while, and this seems like a good sample of her work. Exotic settings, strong female characters, and apparently a “sweet spot” between “unicorn fantasy” and “grimdark” (at least according to some reviews I’ve read).

Kathi wrote: "I’m going to nominate the Eternal Sky trilogy by Elizabeth Bear, starting with Range of Ghosts. I’ve been wanting to read something by this author for quite a while,..."

That is also on my list to read.

I would like to nominate The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne starting with The Shadow of the Gods. 3 books

I've been meaning to start these and keep putting them off.

TODAY (March 13) is the last day for nominations!

If it isn't too late to nominate, I would like to nominate the Empire of the Wolf trilogy by Richard Swan. The first book is The Justice of Kings.

The poll to choose our next series is now open and will remain open through Thursday, March 20. If it’s close, the top two vote-getters will then move on to a final, run-off poll.

Please vote!

Poll for Series starting 5/1/25

The preliminary poll is VERY close!

Today (March 20) is the last day to vote or change your vote!

Sorry I didn’t get the final poll up yesterday, but here it is today! The poll will be open through Saturday, March 29, 2025.

As you may have seen, the preliminary poll was very close—keep those nominations in mind for the next time we are getting ready to nominate for a new series!

Here’s the link for the poll:

Final Poll for Series Starting 5/1/25

Please vote!

❤️

Remember, the poll is open through Saturday, March 29, so you have until then to vote or change your vote!

And the winner is… The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne!

The schedule will be:
May 2025: The Shadow of the Gods
June 2025: The Hunger of the Gods
July 2025: The Fury of the Gods

Thanks to everyone who made nominations & who voted!