7 New Fantasy Books Coming Out in Spring 2019 to Read

If you’re on the hunt for great new fantasy books coming out in 2019, you’re in luck. I’ve compiled a list of new fantasy book releases for spring 2019, almost all rated at 4 stars or above.

Here are 7 new fantasy books coming out in 2019:

Trial of Stone by Andy Peloquin
For the Killing of Kings by Howard Andrew Jones
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan
The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
Smoke and Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
The Girl King by Mini Lu

Reviewers were convinced that each of these brimmed with exciting plots, intriguing characters and unique worlds.

And here’s more good news: each of these new fantasy books are also series-launchers, meaning that if you enjoyed the first book, there’s plenty for story for you to drive deeper into.

If you’re looking for a quick comparison, I’ve provided a chart comparing each of these new fantasy books at the end of the post.

Trial of Stone by Andy Peloquin

Description

A kingdom of death. A war for power and profit. Young heroes caught in the crossfire.

Kodyn expected hardships along his journey to return a kidnapped girl to her father. Yet harsh deserts and cutthroat bandits prove far less lethal than the foes that await him in Shalandra, the City of the Dead.

In the shadows of golden spires carved from mountain stone, currents of corruption and vice run deep. Priests of the god of death rule with an iron fist, imposing a rigid caste system that elevates some to a life of privilege and condemns others to miserable squalor.

Together with Aisha, a fierce warrior from the north with the mystical ability to speak to the dead, Kodyn must survive the cesspool of high society deceit and betrayal.

Polite smiles hide sharp knives. Killers, criminals, and bloodthirsty cultists lurk around every corner. Can these youths overcome impossible odds to save the realm?

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads rating: 4.58

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

First on our list of new fantasy books coming out in 2019 is Trial of Stone. Fans adored the emotional moments in the novel, all of which were driven by characters they could easily get invested in. They mentioned that they loved the characters’ interactions with each other, as well as that the characters’ multidimensionality.

Other readers added that the complex plot in the heart-pounding fight scenes were a delight to read.

Negative Comments

If Trial of Stone wasn’t their cup of tea, readers had a consistent reason: the world-building came across as overly detailed and complicated to them.

They found the people, places and groups difficult to keep straight and weren’t sure which details were important to remember as they read.

For the Killing of Kings by Howard Andrew Jones

Description

A cross between Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber and The Three Musketeers, For the Killing of Kings is the first in a new fantasy trilogy by Howard Andrew Jones.

Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies.

But when squire Elenai‘s aging mentor uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery, she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall the archer.

Framed for murder and treason, pursued by the greatest heroes of the realm, they race to recover the real sword, only to stumble into a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the Darassan queen and her secretive advisers.

They must find a way to clear their names and set things right, all while dodging friends determined to kill them – and the Naor hordes, invading at last with a new and deadly weapon.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 4.22

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

Second on our list of new fantasy books coming out in 2019 is For the Killing of Kings.

With a fascinating murder mystery and world-building revealed layer by layer, it isn’t hard to see why readers might love this story.

Readers also enthused over the odd couple dynamic between the lead characters: one, an idealistic and promising recruit and the other a grizzled, frequently drunk veteran.

Negative Comments

So what did readers say if For the Killing of Kings wasn’t for them?

Well, several commented that it was the large number of fight scenes. Action sequences populate the novel, which these readers found themselves skimming rather than immersed in.

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan

Description

A group of three young thieves are pulled into a centuries old magical war between ancient beings, mages, and humanity in this wildly original debut epic fantasy.

Enter a city of saints and thieves. . .

The city of Guerdon stands eternal. A refuge from the war that rages beyond its borders. But in the ancient tunnels deep beneath its streets, a malevolent power has begun to stir.

The fate of the city rests in the hands of three thieves. They alone stand against the coming darkness. As conspiracies unfold and secrets are revealed, their friendship will be tested to the limit.

If they fail, all will be lost, and the streets of Guerdon will run with blood.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 4.07

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

A mingling of eldritch horrors, sorcerers, zombies and more, The Gutter Prayer captivated readers with its originality. They described the novel as a haunting dark fantasy, where some of the creatures were genuinely terrifying.

Negative Comments

Readers had several different reasons for not connecting with the story. Some of them commented that while the novel seemed like it would be an epic, most of the epic material was told from out-of-body experiences rather than through grand wars, political machinations and more.

Others said that they couldn’t get invested in the characters or that the sexual content seemed out of place (New Adult fantasy rather than grim-dark or Young Adult).

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

Description

Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards.

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven.

He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven’s Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself.

His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven’s watch, the city flourishes.

But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.

It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo – aide to Mawat, the true Lease – arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven’s Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself...and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 4.04

Most Common Rating: 5

Positive Comments

Inspired by Hamlet, this new fantasy book captured readers’ attention with it’s unique triple perspective (told from the point of view of an ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘them’). They said that this made the story markedly different from most and that its characterization was excellent.

Negative Comments

Readers who didn’t think The Raven Tower was for them predominately cited the triple perspective as a drawback. They agreed that it was unique, but not something they enjoyed.

Other readers said that while the story had an interesting concept, the plot and world-building came across as slow for them.

Smoke and Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg

Description

As a human vessel for an ancient spirit, Sandis lives no ordinary life. At the command of her master, she can be transformed against her will into his weapon – a raging monster summoned to do his bidding.

Unlike other vessels, Sandis can host extremely powerful spirits, but hosting such creatures can be fatal. To stay alive, she must run. And in a city fueled by smoke and corruption, she finds a surprising ally.

A cunning thief for hire, Rone owns a rare device that grants him immortality for one minute every day – a unique advantage that will come in handy in Sandis’s fight for freedom.

But Sandis’s master knows how powerful she is. He’s determined to get her back, and he has the manpower to find her, wherever she runs.Now, to outwit her pursuers, Sandis must put all her trust in Rone and his immortal device. For her master has summoned more than mere men to hunt her down….

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.86

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

In general, it sounded like what determined whether readers loved Smoke and Summons or didn’t was based on whether they connected with Sandis, the protagonist.

Readers who enjoyed the novel said that they adored her – while naïve, she was also intelligent and full of personal strength. She was determined to do what was right, often felt understandably upset at herself when she was helpless and had a great deal of empathy for others.

But Sandis aside, readers also found the world-building concept and system fascinating.

Negative Comments

If readers didn’t enjoy Smoke and Summons, it was generally that they couldn’t connect with Sandis.

Some said it was because she made foolish decisions, while others cited the romance between her and Rone (naïve, innocent and selfless girl with jaded, arrogant and selfish boy). To them, Sandis came across as a damsel in distress.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Description

There are the old stories. And then there’s what actually happens.

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests.

When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn’t what the storybooks promised.Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions.

He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it . . .

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.83

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

With an expansive scope and a world brimming with history, politics and mythology, The Ruin of Kings struck fans as spectacularly engaging. All of this, they said, was done without an onslaught of information.

Negative Comments

Readers who didn’t think The Ruin of Kings was for them said that the story’s non-linear chronological structure made it confusing.

Others said that having the story told from these multiple time periods made it difficult for the character development to come across as organic. In each them, Kihrin sounded like a completely different character.

The Girl King by Mini Lu

Description

Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton.

All hail the Girl King.

Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow.

Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead — a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally — and an army — if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…

Alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens — a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself.

But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.

What Do Readers Say?

Goodreads Rating: 3.64

Most Common Rating: 4

Positive Comments

The last on our list of new fantasy books coming out in spring 2019 is The Girl King.

Readers who were delighted by this story greatly appreciated the Asian-inspired setting. They also found novel’s plot captivating and said it had many twists and turns.

Negative Comments

Readers who didn’t rate The Girl King highly said that apart from the Asian-inspired setting, the novel wasn’t much different from other YA stories. The main characters in particular came across as standard to them.