Fantasy Thriller Books

The best fantasy thriller book reviews. Fantasy thrillers are suspenseful tales in which a protagonist’s survival is threatened in a fictional, dystopian or magical universe.

Ancient Dreams, a Miraculous and Magical Witch Tale by JP Roth

The Bottom Line: A heady potion of pure magic awaits readers of this modern-day witch tale. What do you do when you’re the daughter of witches, but all you want is to be normal? Literature student Cara Wynter has inherited the gift of psychometry, a form of extra sensory perception which allows her to touch an object and not only know its provenance, but the …

Ancient Dreams, a Miraculous and Magical Witch Tale by JP Roth READ MORE >

Piranesi, a Surreal Psychological Thriller by Susanna Clark

The Bottom Line: A funny, surreal fantasy that is unlike any other book you’ll read this year. Susanna Clark, who is perhaps best known for her novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, has created a one-of-a-kind tale that readers won’t soon forget. Told in the first person from Piranesi’s point of view, the first few pages grab immediately with its puzzling description of himself and …

Piranesi, a Surreal Psychological Thriller by Susanna Clark READ MORE >

Thrash, an Unputdownable Superhero Thriller by Jason Palmer

The Bottom Line: Deadpool fans will adore this superhero thriller. Thrash deftly combines dark comedy and dystopian sci-fi to create one of the most original stories of the year. Thirty-five-year-old shapeshifter Harry McComber remembers the good old days, when a universally adored superhero named Enduro helped people. For his many acts of saving grace, Enduro was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the Congressional medal …

Thrash, an Unputdownable Superhero Thriller by Jason Palmer READ MORE >

The Seven Experiments, a Hugely Entertaining Psychic Thriller by Stephen Kanicki

The Bottom Line: A hugely entertaining psychic thriller that fans of Black Mirror will relish. Gary Miller is deeply unhappy. The minister and junior college professor is having a crisis of faith, is tormented by repressed bisexual tendendies, and worst of all, is insanely jealous of his friend, retired professor Bob Harris. Despite having made the same unremarkable salary during their careers, Bob now seems …

The Seven Experiments, a Hugely Entertaining Psychic Thriller by Stephen Kanicki READ MORE >

The Ninth House, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers

The Bottom Line: Buzzworthy. The Ninth House is a truly magical take on the secret society thriller. Yale’s freshman class may look homogenous, but there’s at least one outlier within: Galaxy “Alex” Stern. Alex has survived attempted murder, loser boyfriends and a hippie upbringing. Lightning strikes when she receives a full ride to Yale. But nothing in life is free, and Alex’s sponsors ask her to …

The Ninth House, One of the Year’s Best Thrillers READ MORE >

Damned (A Magnus Blackwell Novel #1), an Engrossing Gothic Paranormal Thriller by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor

The Bottom Line: Atmospheric and engrossing, Damned is a perfect read for fans of gothic paranormal fiction. The first entry in the Magnus Blackwell series takes place on an island off the coast of Maine, more than a century after the series prequel. Architect Will Bennett has purchased Altmover Manor as a surprise for his fiancée, Lexie. After getting over the initial shock regarding the …

Damned (A Magnus Blackwell Novel #1), an Engrossing Gothic Paranormal Thriller by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor READ MORE >

Shadowspell Academy: The Culling Trials, by Shannon Mayer and K.F. Breene

The Bottom Line: Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games. Sadly, there’s no audiobook version, so fans will have to devour this book the old fashioned way. We’re not in Texas anymore, Bluebell. In the opening chapter of Shadowspell Academy, the compelling farm girl known as Wild says, “My family got kicked more often than most.” That turns out to be the understatement of the year. …

Shadowspell Academy: The Culling Trials, by Shannon Mayer and K.F. Breene READ MORE >

Blackwell, a Wondrous Gaslamp Thriller by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor

The Bottom Line: A lush gaslamp thriller that seems destined for a second life on television. Blackwell is the story of a rivalry that descends into a battle for the ages. In 1886, wealthy Harvard student Magnus Blackwell befriends fellow freshman Jacob O’ Connor. Unlike Magnus, whose family is as close to royalty as they came in New England, Jacob hails from working class stock. …

Blackwell, a Wondrous Gaslamp Thriller by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor READ MORE >

Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

The Bottom Line: For Game of Thrones completionists only. Game of Thrones fans come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the literary to TV-only crowd. There are no reliable stats as to how many readers the TV-show has generated, but more than a few TV-to-book converts have complained that the epic is about as readable as Moby Dick (not very), and at best, are …

Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin READ MORE >

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top