anikafuloria

Dec 22, 20225 min read

Best Books of 2022

I've gotten a lot of requests from friends for book recommendations. So, here are my top ten books of 2022 (plus some honorable mentions + non-fiction). Some notes are:

All of these ranked books are fiction. I don't feel great ranking non-fiction amongst fiction.
I'm only putting one entry from a series. I read 11 Brandon Sanderson books this year - and no doubt this list would be 50% him if I didn't have this rule. So, one book per series max.

#10: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

I think every fantasy fan and their brother/sister/sibling has read this book or watched the show at this point. I, perhaps, did the sacrilegious thing and watched the TV show before reading the book.

The show was a solid 3/5. It wasn't the best thing I've watched, but it certainly wasn't terrible. The first book, however, was a 5/5. The characters popped off the page, and the world-building was immaculate.

Since reading this book, I've made my way through book five (The Fires of Heaven). None of the later entries have topped this first installment though.

I'd recommend this book for fans of Brandon Sanderson (of course). I'd also recommend it for folks who liked the political aspects of The Poppy War or Black Sun.

#9: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

This is my third Octavia E. Butler novel and my third five stars from her. Truly, her writing is some of the best I've ever seen.

Her concepts are so unique, and the characters she writes are so complex and nuanced. This book took the great parts of Parable of the Sower and made them even better.

In particular, I loved the discussions of politics in this book. Butler got so much right in her predictions of 2020 politics that it's kind of scary.

I'd recommend this book to people who like literary fiction and would like to dip their toes into sci-fi. This is super light sci-fi (it's post-apocalyptic), so that element is pretty accessible.

#8: The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

This book is one of the most "cool" fantasy books I've ever read. It has a really deep cultural background, and it has some of the most incredible training sequences ever.

The main character Tau starts off as an okay fighter, but over the course of the book, you see him improve and improve in a very believable way. Strength and skill does not come to him magically; he earns everything he has.

I'd recommend this book to fans of the TV show Arrow (yes, I am outing myself as an Arrow fan here). Both pieces of media explore combat and fighting, but Rage of Dragons does so in a more informed, culturally diverse way. I'd also recommend it to fans of The Wheel of Time because it has a similar premise of women having magic.

#7: All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

This book is the only YA title on this list. And, it's my only YA 5 star of the year. I think this means that I'm phasing out of YA and into adult.

All My Rage is a beautifully written novel about intergenerational struggles of being Pakistani immigrants in the US. It's based on Tahir's own experiences growing up, and you can tell that there is immense amounts of care put into telling this story.

I'd recommend this to fans of hard-hitting YA (The Hate U Give, The Poet X, etc.). It requires you to be in the right headspace to read it, but it is definitely worth a read (even if you're not a teenager).

#6: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

This book was lovely. It was pure romantic angst and stunning writing. And I LOVED it.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the first book in a duology based on the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess. We follow Xingyin, the daughter of Chang'e, who has to flee the moon in order to be safe. She finds herself in the enemy's kingdom - except the enemy has a prince who is very kind to her.

This was the perfect romantic fantasy for me. It wasn't overly sappy, and the main characters had personality traits and plot outside of their relationship.

I'd recommend this to fans of A Far Wilder Magic, but also to people who just love a fantastical, heartfelt romance.

#5: Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi was one of the few ARCs I reviewed this year, so I'd like to thank Hachette Book Group for the ARC.

This is a retelling of Kaikeyi's story, from the Hindu Ramayana. If you're going into this expecting accuracy to the original myths, you won't be happy. But if you're okay with a retelling that changes elements of the original story in order to explore a more nuanced perspective of a character, this book is perfect.

Kaikeyi was such a wonderful main character to follow, and the writing was stunning.

I'd recommend this to fans of mythology and mythology retellings (Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, etc.).

#4: Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fevered Star was the anticipated sequel to one of my most favorite books of last year, Black Sun. And it did not disappoint.

I can't go into detail about why I loved this book because of ~spoilers~, but WOW, just pick it up.

It's a dark, political fantasy with high stakes. The writing is stunning, and I love the characters. I cannot wait for the third book in this series!

I'd recommend this book for fans of The Poppy War. Both are dark political fantasies that feature morally gray characters and god-magic.

#3: Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson totally took over my year. I had started The Stormlight Archive last year, but I don't think I realized how good the series was until I got to Oathbringer.

The characters were perfect. The plot was perfect. The world-building was perfect.

Rhythm of War (book 4) was a bit of a disappointment, but I'm so incredibly excited for the Year of Sanderson next year and Stormlight 5 in 2024!

I'd recommend this book to everyone.

#2: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn is an incredible series - I read the whole thing this year. My favorites are books 1, 2, 3, and 7. I decided that The Final Empire really showed off what I love about this series.

It's a much more accessible fantasy than The Stormlight Archive, so I would recommend starting here if you don't typically read adult fantasy. The world-building starts a bit more simple, but really builds up throughout the series. By the time you get to The Lost Metal, you'll be ready to tackle any fantasy book with complex world-building.

I'd also recommend this book for everyone. I'm trying to get everyone in my life to read this series (if that convinces you to pick it up).

#1: Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

In a completely unshocking twist (unlike the ones in the story), Jade Legacy came in as my favorite book of 2022. I'd like to thank Orbit for the ARC. Jade Legacy is the third book in The Green Bone Saga.

It follows the same family as the previous books, but it also spans over generations. There are high-stakes fight scenes and heartbreaking emotional moments.

This book hurt. This is one of two books this year to make me cry (and the only one to make me sob). By the end of these three books, I am so invested in the world and the characters.

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to be emotionally destroyed. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Honorable Mentions:

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola

5 / 5