10 Best Fantasy Mystery Books Woven in Alternate Worlds
If you're the kind of bookworm who thrills in the twisty realms of fantasy and mystery, buckle up! You're about to take a literary adventure that’s going to stay with you long after you've turned the last page. From mind-bending whodunits to magical alternate realities, there's a nerve-tingling allure wrapped in these novels that you'll find absolutely irresistible.
Imagine, brave knights not just jousting in medieval tourneys, but cracking challenging mysteries too, or a group of sassy sorceresses unexpectedly turned sleuths in a magical dimension. Forget the reality as you know it, these superbly-crafted books will lead you into unfamiliar territories where suspense and surprise are the footprints you'll be tracing.
The beauty of these fantasy mystery novels lies in their incredible world-building, making the unusual appear usual, the magical seem logical, and embedding sleep-stealing storylines that rope you in before you know it. Oh, and they also touch that oh-so-delicious detective nerve in all of us. So whether you're a pro at solving veiled mysteries amidst mythical creatures and enchanted lands, or just a novice in the genre, these books will captivate, entertain, and make you lose sleep, but in a good way. Ready to leap into these fascinating alternate worlds?
『The Name of the Wind』
In these pages you will come to know Kvothe the notorious magician, the accomplished thief, the masterful musician, the dragon-slayer, the legend-hunter, the lover, the thief and the infamous assassin.
Author | Patrick Rothfuss |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Penguin |
Release Date | Apr 07, 2009 |
Source | Google Books |
『』
Author | |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | |
Release Date | |
Source | Google Books |
『The Lies of Locke Lamora』
The first book of the epic fantasy caper Gentleman Bastard Sequence about a roguish group of conmen, which George R. R. Martin says “captured me right on the first page and never let me go.” “If you haven’t read [The Lies of Locke Lamora], you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”—Patrick Rothfuss An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges relentless danger, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying. Don’t miss any of Scott Lynch’s epic fantasy Gentleman Bastard Sequence: THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA • RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES • THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES
Author | Scott Lynch |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Del Rey |
Release Date | Jun 26, 2007 |
Source | Google Books |
『Uprooted』
NEBULA AWARD WINNER • HUGO AWARD FINALIST • “If you want a fantasy with strong characters and brilliantly original variations on ancient stories, try Uprooted!”—Rick Riordan “Breathtaking . . . a tale that is both elegantly grand and earthily humble, familiar as a Grimm fairy tale yet fresh, original, and totally irresistible.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, BuzzFeed, Tordotcom, BookPage, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose. Praise for Uprooted “Uprooted has leapt forward to claim the title of Best Book I’ve Read Yet This Year. . . . Moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying, Uprooted is the fantasy novel I feel I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Clear your schedule before picking it up, because you won’t want to put it down.”—NPR
Author | Naomi Novik |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Del Rey |
Release Date | Mar 01, 2016 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Night Circus』
Waging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways.
Author | Erin Morgenstern |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Doubleday |
Release Date | Sep 13, 2011 |
Source | Google Books |
『City of Stairs』
'Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience' - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Prism In the city of stairs, nothing is as it seems. You've got to be careful when you're chasing a murderer through Bulikov, for the world is not as it should be in that city. When the gods were destroyed and all worship of them banned by the Polis, reality folded; now stairs lead to nowhere, alleyways have become portals to the past, and criminals disappear into thin air. The murder of Dr Efrem Pangyui, the Polis diplomat researching the Continent's past, has begun something and now whispers of an uprising flutter out from invisible corners. Only one woman may be willing to pursue the truth - but it is likely to cost her everything. 'Truly refreshing' - New York Times Book Review
Author | Robert Jackson Bennett |
---|---|
Price | unknown |
Publisher | Hachette UK |
Release Date | Oct 02, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell』
In the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear. Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.
Author | Susanna Clarke |
---|---|
Price | $9 |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing USA |
Release Date | Jun 05, 2010 |
Source | Google Books |
『Senlin Ascends』
The first book in the word-of-mouth phenomenon debut fantasy series about one man's dangerous journey through a labyrinthine world. "One of my favorite books of all time" -- Mark Lawrence The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of luxury and menace, of unusual animals and mysterious machines. Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants. Senlin is determined to find Marya, but to do so he'll have to navigate madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters. He must survive betrayal, assassins, and the illusions of the Tower. But if he hopes to find his wife, he will have to do more than just endure. This quiet man of letters must become a man of action.
Author | Josiah Bancroft |
---|---|
Price | $6.99 |
Publisher | Orbit |
Release Date | Aug 22, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
『The City of Dreaming Books』
In this whimsical fantasy adventure, a novelist’s search for an author takes him to a magical city, a villainous literary scholar, and perilous catacombs. Optimus Yarnspinner’s search for an author’s identity takes him to Bookholm―the so-called City of Dreaming Books. On entering its streets, our hero feels as if he has opened the door of a gigantic second-hand bookshop. His nostrils are assailed by clouds of book dust, the stimulating scent of ancient leather, and the tang of printer’s ink. Soon, though, Yarnspinner falls into the clutches of the city’s evil genius, Pfistomel Smyke, who treacherously maroons him in the labyrinthine catacombs underneath the city, where reading books can be genuinely dangerous . . . In The City of Dreaming Books, Walter Moers transports us to a magical world where reading is a remarkable adventure. Only those intrepid souls who are prepared to join Yarnspinner on his perilous journey should read this book. We wish the rest of you a long, safe, unutterably dull, and boring life! Praise for The City of Dreaming Books “German author and cartoonist Moers returns to the mythical lost continent of Zamonia in his uproarious third fantasy adventure to be translated into English, a delightfully imaginative mélange of Shel Silverstein zaniness and oddball anthropomorphism à la Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. . . . A wonderfully whimsical story that will appeal to readers of all ages.” —Publishers Weekly “A salmagundi of whimsy, imagination and book lore—remarkable fun.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “Moers puts Tolkien through some sort of Willy Wonka sweetening process and comes up with characters such as Optimus Yarnspinner, who, names being fate and all, just has to be a storyteller.” —Kirkus Reviews
Author | Walter Moers |
---|---|
Price | $9.99 |
Publisher | Abrams |
Release Date | Sep 02, 2008 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Fifth Season』
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times) This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. Read the first book in the critically acclaimed, three-time Hugo award-winning trilogy by NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.
Author | N. K. Jemisin |
---|---|
Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Orbit |
Release Date | Aug 04, 2015 |
Source | Google Books |
Well, there you have it, folks - the crème de la crème of fantasy mystery titles that transport you to otherworldly realms. With this medley of whodunits set in alternate universes, you’re guaranteed countless hours of escape from the mundane. Behind these covers lie mind-bending mysteries that are begging to be solved and breathtaking worlds just waiting to be explored. So, tuck yourself in snugly with your favourite beverage, prepare to meet engaging characters and unexpected turns, and lose yourself in thrilling plots that are nothing short of magical. And remember, these books are the perfect anecdote for a dreary day or a dull commute. There's nothing quite like solving a mystery in an environment where you can expect the unexpected. So, happy reading, and here’s hoping your thirst for magic, mystery, and alternate realities is quenched—at least for a while! Did any of these books catch your eye? Go on, dive into these other realms and let the adventures unfold.
The articles on this site are solely intended to create opportunities for encountering new books, and we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Therefore, we kindly ask that you thoroughly research the product information and details of each work on your own before making a purchase. We have no connection to the services provided by each e-commerce site, so please use them at your own responsibility.