Today, the guys in the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group have an interesting topic, one which is straight forward and to the point: Hidden Fantasy Gems.  “What are some of your favorite books in your favorite genre that don’t get a lot of hype?” 

I don’t know about you, but I have tons of these kinds of books: novels I love that not enough other people have tried.  Hell, I’ve made more than one post here on the blog featuring just these kinds of books.  I never get tired of writing about this subject though, so I’m going to spotlight a few of my favorites for your consideration.

5. When the Heavens Fall – Marc Turner

This epic saga from Marc Turner is generally compared to Steven Erikson and Ian Esslemont’s Malazan series, and I believe that is fair, because, with The Chronicle of the Exile, Turner has created the same sort of huge world with a large cast of characters who have their own individual plot lines.  And it all begins with When the Heavens Fall before growing and gaining momentum in the next two books.  Great series.  Hope Mr. Turner is able to finish it off.

Read my reviews: When the Heavens Fall  Dragon Hunters  Red Tide

Purchase at When the Heavens Fall: The Chronicles of the Exile, Book One.

4. Farlander – Col Buchanan

An aged assassin.  A nihilistic religious empire.  A young man.  A never ending war.  Airships.  Swords.  Magic.  Revenge.  Battles.  You name it, and this epic fantasy definitely includes it in familiar yet unique ways.  Nope, it isn’t George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but Buchanan’s creation is a worthwhile fantasy series which I have been enjoying immensely for the last year.

Read my reviews: Farlander  Stands a Shadow

Purchase at Farlander: A Heart of the World Novel.

3. Carnifex – D.P. Prior

Carnifex is a masterpiece of sword and sorcery storytelling. A visceral yet thoughtful epic of a dwarf (Carnifex), his people (the dwarfs of Arx Gravis), and a series of unusual occurrences which point toward an ominous future for our bearded protagonist.  And this dwarf’s tale is a great adventure to follow along with, especially if you enjoy tales of ill-fated individuals caught up in events far outside their personal experiences.

Read my review: Carnifex

Purchase at Carnifex (Legends of the Nameless Dwarf Book 1).

2. The Iron Ship – K.M. McKinley

The Iron Ship grabs your attention from the prologue’s first paragraph. The descriptions of a barren land of buried roads, volcanic glass obelisks, rustless metal ruins, and undiscovered artifacts tantalizing. When a lone woman treks across this Red Expanse to a hidden temple where her forgotten god and his sacred rites are revealed, the anticipation of ominous, wonderful things to come only grows.   And even though it can be slow in spots, this book and its sequel are damn good fantasy.

Read my reviews: The Iron Ship  The City of Ice

Purchase at The Iron Ship (Gates of the World).

1.  Morigu – Mark C. Perry

In the land of the Morigu, a horrendous war was fought a generation ago against the most evil god of them all. No creature was able to stay neutral in this grapple to the death; every conscious thing was drawn into the struggle, including mankind, elves, dwarves, the gods, and even Mother Earth herself.  At the end of the struggle, the alliance of light triumphs by raising its own god to bind the evil one.  But now, decades later, something is wrong, as evil begins to rise again!

Read my review: Morigu: The Desecration

Purchase at Morigu: The Desecration.