From reading and watching 100s of reviews, I have curated a list of 14 popular indie fantasy books for you to check out! By popular, I mean they are mentioned a lot online and have great reviews.
I have set myself a challenge in 2023 of only reading indie books! If you would like to see my 2023 reading schedule, click here.
Join me on Discord to chat about these great books and more. And consider supporting The Fantasy Review on Patreon for upcoming interviews with indie authors (some from this list!).
Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson
Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson is a chunky epic fantasy novel, book 1 in The Illborn Saga. Book 2, Aiduel’s Sin comes out on January 28th 2023 and it’s fantastic!
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The Seventh Cadence by Jim Willbourne
The Seventh Cadence by Jim Willbourne is book 1 in The Continua Chronicles. It is a high fantasy epic, perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and Brent Weeks.
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A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla
A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla has had so many positive reviews from basically every reviewer I follow! There must be something to it…
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Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
If you go searching for popular indie fantasy books online, you will definitely see Of Blood and Fire, book 1 in The Bound and Broken series by Ryan Cahill.
The third entry, Of War and Ruin, comes out on January 19th 2023 and has already recieved glowing reviews from arc readers.
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The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang made the rounds in the book community a while ago, and everyone loves it! It’s a standalone epic fantasy, which is rare!
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Dragon Mage by M.L Spencer
Dragons! That’s the draw with Dragon Mage by M.L. Spencer – don’t lie to yourself! It’s the first book in Spencer’s Rivenworld series and there are a lot of readers eager for book 2.
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Army of the Cursed by Karim Soliman
Army of the Cursed by Karim Soliman is book 1 in the War of the Last Day series. It was a SPFBO 7 Semi-finalist and has recieved glowing reviews!
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The Hellborn King by Christopher G. Brenning
The Hellborn King by Christopher G. Brenning is book 1 in his The Hellborn King Saga, a gritty epic fantasy series. After the reviews I’ve watched/read, I am very excited to read this!
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Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar first got my attention when Daniel Greene reviewed it on his channel. It sounds fantastic and is another book I am looking forward to reading this year!
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Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
I have heard so many good things about Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell! It’s book 1 in Ash and Sand, a dark, epic fantasy series often compared to A Song of Ice and Fire.
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Voice of War by Zack Argyle
Voice of War by Zack Argyle is book 1 in the epic fantasy trilogy called Threadlight and it’s been read and reviewed by nearly everyone I follow! Plus, the covers are absolutely incredible!
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The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee
The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee is book 1 in the epic, sprawling and brutal The Five Warrior Angels series, which is now completed! I follow the author on YouTube and his reviews are great.
I’m looking forward to bingeing this series in 2023.
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Never Die by Rob J. Hayes
Another standalone on this list of popular indie fantasy books is Never Die by Rob J. Hayes. There are also other standalones in the same series, which is called The Mortal Techniques.
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Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan
Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan will be released on February 1st 2023 and it has gotten so many great reviews – especially since Petrik shined a spotlight on it!
I am currently reading this and will hopefully have a review out before the release date!
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(All links are Amazon affiliate links, so I get a little something if you decide to buy any of the popular indie fantasy books through them.)
