As the end of 2025 draws near (which feels crazy to say because where has this year gone 🤯), here is the obligatory wrap-up post! This is by far my favourite time on blogs, bookstagram and booktube, seeing everyone’s favourites.

Of the 137 books I read this year (yikes), these were the cream of the crop. Drop your recommendations in the comments below for me to add to my 2026 TBR!

My qualifications, I hear you asking. Why should you listen to me? As I say… 137 books, and I do consider myself something of a fantasy connoisseur. That said, not every book on this book is fantasy – we have some mystery/thriller, some dark academia and some literary fiction.

With no further ado, let’s get started! In no particular order:

• The Goldens by Lauren Wilson 

Psychological thriller / Young adult

I promised you some mystery/thrillers, and the first book on this list does indeed deliver on that front.

My review:

‘In my experience, by the age of eighteen, every girl knows another girl that she would follow to the ends of the earth.

For me, that girl was Clara Holland.’

The Goldens follows Chloe, an aspiring writer and English major at Dern University. When she befriends charismatic influencer Clara, Chloe is swept into a world of glitzy glamour and revelry. In a whirlwind development, Chloe finds herself moving into Clara’s mansion, along with a select few of Clara’s devoted followers. The media frenzy begins writing about cults and rituals. As the girls begin to go missing and rumours about Clara’s shrouded past spiral, Chloe starts to wonder; could Clara’s enigmatic persona hide something altogether more sinister and darker beneath its surface?

The reader is swept into this world of champagne and indulgence, designer outfits and exclusive parties alongside Chloe. We simultaneously feel the same sense of awe and admiration for Clara that Chloe does. It probes at toxic female friendships, at that line between romantic and platonic love and adoration, as well as the nature of parasocial relationships, of envy and jealousy and wanting to be someone else, especially in this chronically online world we live in.

it’s thrilling, twisty and addictive. Clara Holland is Rebecca de Winter reincarnated in this 21st Century world of social media and influencers. she has that same innate unknowableness, as well as the same enviable charm disguising the vicious rot festering under the surface.

I loved every minute of this and devoured it in record time, so addictive was it! for any fans of Rebecca, YA thrillers or even anyone just wanting a book with a glittering, glamorous aesthetic to die for! Highly recommend checking out Lauren Wilson’s Instagram profile for snippets of her Pinterest boards.

I also this year had the pleasure of attending The Goldens launch event, which is such a special memory. So, of course it makes the top ten. Interestingly, it’s the only thriller on this list, despite me challenging myself to reading quite a few.

• Season of Fear by Emily Cooper

Gothic horror / Dark fantasy / Feminist folklore

My review:

‘Isle Odenwald is not afraid’.

In her small village Heulensee, fear is adjacent to reverence. it is how the women worship their gods, feeding their terror to an ancient Saint who protects the village from the beasts of the forest bordering it, the Hexenwald. Contained within there are all sorts of monsters, the worst figments of your imagination. When Ilse reaches her 18th birthday – the day upon which it is traditional for young women to undertake their Sacred Rite – the Saint of Fear deals Ilse an ultimatum. She must find her fear or it will devour her sister.

I don’t want to say too much more, because the more blindly you go in, the more enthralling it is in my opinion. The prose is sumptuous – that’s the only way I can describe it. It feels like lying down in a bed of moss and being enveloped whole by the forest. Emily is such a talented writer and I can’t help but feel like this is the debut of an absolute powerhouse.

It felt like something out of a dark fairytale, like something from the Brothers Grimm, or a Disney movie gone spectacularly wrong, where all your worst nightmares come true. It also features an achingly romantic sapphic relationship and some very fun side characters with a found family-esque dynamic.

More importantly, it probes some significant questions about the relationship between women and fear in our society. Not in a way that felt heavy-handed, but so subtly and poignantly that the message seeps into you nonetheless. Who really profits off women’s terror? What if the real fear isn’t to be found in the forest, but far closer to home?

If you’re a fan of Ava Reid or Rachel Gillig, or gothic horror in general, congratulations because you’ve just found your next five star! It’s exquisite and horrifying and gloriously gory.

Also this year, I read the Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez, which really disappointed me. Possibly it had something do with it following on the back of this masterpiece. So, if you’re in the same boat as me and The Maiden and Her Monster didn’t scratch that foresty witch itch inside you… let me push this gently into your hands.

As I said, this is a debut, believe it or not! And Emily Cooper has another few releases lined up for 2026 and I am SO excited to get my hands on them. They will 100% be making my ‘most anticipated books of 2026’ list.

• Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Dark academia fantasy / Social commentary

My review:

‘Truth over delusion. Growth over comfort. God over all.’

Sciona Freynan has spent twenty years fuelled by a desire to do the impossible: to become the first female highmage. When she finally claws her way to the top, she is greeted by apathy and contempt by her fellow highmages – all deeply chauvinist men. To taunt her, she is assigned a janitor as a lab assistant – the cynical Thomil. Working with Thomil opens Sciona’s eyes to the reality of their society and when her work itself turns up a devastating truth, Sciona has to reckon with everything she had ever believed turning overnight into a falsehood.

There is one particular scene that sticks in my memory from this book (if you’ve read it, I can almost guarantee you know what I’m talking about). It was written so incredibly well by M.L. Wang, so evocative and poignant, and brought a tear to my eye (I lie, it brought many, many tears). You feel Sciona’s pain so acutely it’s almost as if it’s your own, which is such a skill to have as a writer.

This is everything that I usually expect from an RF Kuang novel (and am consistently disappointed when I fail to find it). It had the dark academia setting, an exclusive university in an industrial city, the fiercely ambitious (and socially awkward) female main character, and the deeper, insidious message that you can’t help but absorb as you read. If you enjoyed Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo or Vicious by V.E. Schwab, you’ll love this. Just trust me.

The Sword of Kaigen is at the top of my priority TBR for 2026 after this masterpiece! I have such faith in M.L. Wang, even after this one book, that I just know I’m going to absolutely adore it.

• The Favourites by Layne Fargo

Sports drama / Contemporary romance

My review:

‘I hated them. I wanted to be them. I couldn’t take my eyes off them.‘

My Goodreads review immediately after finishing this book: ‘I feel sick. Five stars’.

This book is pitched if Wuthering Heights met Daisy Jones and the Six, in the figure-skating world. Pretty ambitious, huh? I was admittedly sceptical going in, as I wasn’t a massive fan of either of the comparison titles (I’m really outing myself there). Withering Heights was my nemesis, growing up as a massive classic literature nerd (insufferably so). No matter how many times I tried, I could never get into it or bring myself to care about those deeply unlikeable characters (I know, they’re meant to be unlikeable, that’s the point). I also didn’t love Daisy Jones and the Six, although I was a fan of the narrative style – i.e. the interview format – which is something that The Favourites borrows.

It had me hooked from the very first page to the last. This was my favourite (get it… I’m sorry) read of the month of April (and very possibly the whole year. I guess you’ll have to wait for the end of the list to see which book gets that honour). The plot mirrors that of Wuthering Heights in a lot of ways; impoverished and raised in an abusive household, Katarina Shaw is a fiercely ambitious skater. The world of ice dance is not only her passion, but her way out. When she forges a connection with troubled kid Heath Rocha, they become an inseparable skating pair. The story follows them from childhood sweethearts to scandalous routines at the Olympic Games, and all the pain, turmoil and tragedy along the way.

All of this to say… it’s nothing short of a miracle that The Favourites managed to make it onto this (very exclusive) list. it’s probably my biggest surprise of this year. I devoured it – bearing in mind it’s 500 pages, densely packed with story – but it absolutely flew by. This and a couple other books on this list deeply affected me upon finishing, which is high praise given I read 137 and only a handful managed to do that. The Favourites is also definitely one that has stuck with me, and one I continued to ruminate on, even long after I’d finished.

Ah, even just typing this review is making me so nostalgic for this book! I think I may have to do a reread in 2026.

• Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

Fantasy romance / Young adult

My review:

‘They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.’

Two soulmates, destined to find each other in every lifetime. Two immortals, doomed to love one another and kill one another over and over.

I had the immense privilege (and excruciating torture) of reading this as an ARC. Privilege because this was quite frankly a masterpiece, and torture because I had to wait until February for everyone else to read and bask in Steven’s heartbreaking writing.

Evelyn and Arden’s relationship transcends time, gender, social norms, and it is written so beautifully. It toes the line perfectly between awesomely fantastical and heartbreakingly real. Not only is the writing exquisite and the characters deep, but the plot is also insane. A central mystery runs through the entire narrative, a thread woven throughout – one that you can probably guess if you read the synopsis. Why? Why are they doomed to love and kill each other. The tension of this had my eyes GLUED to the screen of my Kindle long into the night.

At the heart of it though, it’s an achingly beautiful love story, spanning millennia. Steven writes little vignettes of Evelyn and Arden’s encounters in different periods in history. From El Salvador in the 2000s to the ancient Siberian wilderness, from the trenches of WW1 to the Ottoman Empire in 1472, Steven doesn’t just gravitate toward the heavily popularised ages.

If you’re a fan of This Is How You Lose the Time War or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, please try this! (P.S. Did I mention it was inspired by Taylor Swift’s exile? If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.)

• The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Gothic dark fantasy / Adult fantasy

My review:

‘To tell a story is in some part to tell a lie, isn’t it?’

Six is a diviner, a founding girl who was taken in by the abbess at a great cathedral for one purpose – to drown. When Six drowns, she receives visions of the future, predicting the futures of anyone who comes to the abbey in search of her dreams. Just as Six and her sisters and fellow Diviners are nearing the end of their service to the abbess when the King and his personal retinue of guards arrive at the cathedral. One of said knights is Sir Rodrick, a heretic (who happens to wear a very slutty earring… just thought you should know). When the Diviners start to go missing one by one, Six has no choice but to turn to him for help finding them.

I was sick at how much I loved this. There’s an adorable little gargoyle (no I’m not using that as an insult, he really is a gargoyle), who calls everyone Bartholomew – an unusual and endearing quirk, that the entire cast of characters must answer to. I’m not being dramatic when I say I would die for the gargoyle.

The aesthetic? The vibes? The atmosphere? I would love to say they don’t matter to me but unfortunately, they very much DO matter. And this was perfection! The knight in shining armour (with the slutty earring… did I mention the slutty earring?), the shroud, the divining, the eerie abbess. I’ve never felt quite so immersed, and this is my new answer to those questions ‘what book would you most like to live in?’ THIS ONE. TRANSPORT ME PLEASE.

After the storming success of Gillig’s first duology, the Shepherd King, this one was highly anticipated. I enjoyed One Dark Window (Two Twisted Crowns less so) but not as much as the book community at large seemed to. But BOY, has Gillig improved upon her craft! The sequel, The Knave and the Moon, is already one of my most anticipated new releases for 2026. Oh how I loathe reading books as they release (and secretly love the excitement).

• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Epic romance / Historical fantasy

My review:

‘If I serve anything, let it be that. If I die for anything, let it be you.’

A lady knight and a bespectacled scholar.

When a historical scholar unearths an ancient book about the legend of Sir Una Everlasting, whose sainthood built a nation, he steps into a time loop that spans millennia. (Think Joan of Arc meets Arthurian knights).

Owen Mallory has been fascinated by Una since he was a boy. Her story follows him from the yew tree in his childhood home to a bloody war to academia. There are many conflicting accounts of Una’s life, none firsthand and each confounding the other. Was she an invincible knight, or a pawn in a monarch’s games? A figment of legend or merely a mortal woman?

There were several lines that I reread over and again, photographing them to remember them. It was unexpectedly humorous in places. There were so many sardonic, dry one-liners and incredibly creative similes and metaphors – a personal favourite of mine was ‘he looked like an escapee from a painting of a fox hunt’.

The writing was so poetic. Only a few pages in, my jaw had dropped and I immediately knew this was going to be unlike anything I had ever read. An epic tale of life and everything life entails; love, grief, ambition, power, parenthood and history.

If you were a fan of Our Infinite Fates (mentioned earlier in this list), and especially the reincarnation aspect of that story, you will LOVE this. I have already ordered everything in Alix E. Harrow’s backlist – that’s how much I loved this.

That glowing review in mind… it’s no surprise to anyone that The Everlasting made this list!

• Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

Romantic fantasy / Epic fantasy

My review:

‘I would wait a thousand years for you. If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar.’

Where to begin!!! Rebecca Ross, you did it again. I absolutely adored this story. The prose is so lyrical and melodic and I fell head over heels for this story.

Matilda is the herald of the gods. She is one of the only goddesses to have the ability to travel between the two god realms, carrying words and letters back and forth between the politicking gods. Her escape lies in the mortal realm, where she dreams each night of a human boy. When Matilda is cast out of her home in the Under Realm after tragedy strikes, she loses her strange connection to him. She never forgets him though, and when she receives news that his life is in danger, she rushes to his aid.

Vincent, meanwhile, has newly inherited the title of Lord after his father and two elder brothers were brutally slain. As he and Matilda embark on a journey to defend his township from the threat his ambitious uncle poses, Vincent slowly regains his trust in the gods after his prayers went unanswered for so long.

Set in the same world as Ross’s previous best-selling duology Divine Rivals, this tale focuses on the gods and goddesses. It was so intriguing to learn more about the Under Realm and the Skywards. The gods’ whims are mercurial and their relationships are often tempestuous and violent (see: Dacre and Enva in DV), and we see Matilda struggle to navigate this, which was an element I loved. But she does have some lasting, true and beautiful friendships in the god realms (Bade, my precious).

As for Matilda and Vincent – cue tearful tenderness. I just adore the way Ross writes romance! Yearning! Pining! Not being able to stand to see these characters not being happy together! It was such a beautiful tale of faith, hope and the endurance of love against all the odds.

The epilogue was so incredible and really linked together these two worlds that Ross had created perfectly. I am in awe of her talent as a writer, and this was a new six star read for sure (and it may be even better than Divine Rivals).

Okay, I wrote that review immediately upon finishing Wild Reverence, and upon further reflection, I can now definitively say that I thought this was her best work yet! Another no-brainer for the list.

• Alchemised by SenLinYu

Dark fantasy / War fiction / Gothic

My review:

‘You’re like a rose in a graveyard.’

When Alchemised earlier this year, it was a bit like marmite in the book community – people either seemed to love it or hate it. As you can tell by its presence on this list, I’m firmly in the former camp. For those not in the know, Alchemised is the traditionally published version of a dramione (ship name of Draco and Hermione from HP) fan fiction called Manacled. When my friends saw my wrap-up over on Instagram, I got a few messages being like ‘who would have predicted that a Harry Potter fan fiction would be one of your top books of 2025?’ And honestly, I feel the same! So if you’re also a sceptic, let me convince you…

Disclaimer: I was not a dramione fan, and hadn’t even read Manacled before picking up Alchemised. You definitely don’t have to read the original iteration to enjoy this story. In fact, I recommend not to! That way everything is brand new.

Alchemised is a dark fantasy that delves into the terrible nature of war. Our main character, Helena, was a healer with the resistance, the Order of the Eternal Flame. When the Order falls and she finds herself in the hands of the corrupt new government, she experiences unimaginable horrors before falling into the hands of Kaine Ferron, the High Reeve – mass murderer, Undying and most feared member of the new government.

The magic system is incredibly complex and intense and took me a while to get to grips with, but once I had, it just added to the intricacy and development of the world that SenLinYu has created. But what truly made this book exceptional was the characterisation. If you’re looking for loveable characters that you can root for, you’re in the wrong place. Ferron is indubitably a monster and Helena herself commits some truly heinous acts throughout the book.

Something I loved about Alchemised was how neither side was depicted as definitively ‘good’ or ‘evil’. Nothing was black and white. Of course, you as the reader support the Order, who are fighting against oppression and the use of necromancy but even they commit war crimes in the name of victory. Additionally, the way Helena is treated by the Order is horrific, and shows how they exploited their own side, and how nobody in war is wholly innocent. I truly could dissect this novel for days and days.

Do check trigger warnings, as this is a dark fantasy and features heavy themes. But if you’re looking for something that you can truly sink your teeth into (at just over 1000 pages, this book is a hefty one), something that prompts endless questions and theories, and of course, something that will make you SOB… boy do I have the perfect book for you.

No book this year affected me quite like Alchemised did. I felt like I was grieving in the days after finishing and sent me into the book hangover to end all book hangovers. Any book that makes you feel the depth of emotion I did is a damn good book in my opinion. Hence why it makes this list!

• Silvercloak by L.K. Steven

Adult fantasy / Dark fantasy

Everyone buckle up for this one! I may have saved the best for last…

My review:

‘This is how villains are born.’

Set in a darkly corrupt world, where magic is fuelled by pleasure and pain, we follow Saffron, an elite Silvercloak. The Silvercloaks are the order of detectives, the rivals of the Bloodmoons, a brutal gang operating in the city. Given her singular resistance to magic, Saffron is uniquely placed to go undercover to infiltrate the Bloodmoon gang.

Saffron’s assignment is slightly complicated when she meets Levan, the Bloodmoon kingpins son. When I tell you, when we were introduced to him, I thought to myself on multiple occasions ‘how is Laura going to get us to like this man?’ But, I should have had more faith, because like him we did. The romance was painfully lowborn and worked in perfect harmony with the pain-pleasure magic system, serving only to add to the wonderful cloak-and-dagger atmosphere.

I was hooked from the very first page, and instinctively knew that I was reading a five-star book. Writing this now, I genuinely feel a sense of grief that it’s over and I have to wait for more! The world building was a real selling point, with the magic system so intricately and uniquely woven into the fabrics of the world. In just shy of 500 pages, Steven crafts a world that is so gritty and addicting. The stakes could not have been higher, full of political intrigue, betrayals and plot twists. It’s your favourite nostalgic fantasy books from your childhood come to life. The experience of reading it really felt like the rage back in the day – I didn’t socialise for two straight days while I inhaled this book.

Wand-wielding mages, heady underworlds, magical criminal gangs – Silvercloak had everything I adore in a fantasy. I’m going to make a bold claim – of all the books on this list, I think this one is the best… 👀

Aaaand that’s it! I had a really great year of reading in 2025 and I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings me. If you’ve followed me at all this year, you will not be surprised to see Laura Steven featured twice (once under Laura Steven and once under her adult pen-name L.K. Steven). We were graced by TWO new releases this year!

Keep your eyes open for more posts about 2026… I have lots planned. TBRs, new releases and the like!

What were your favourite reads of 2025? Drop all your recommendations in the comments and I’ll add them to my 2026 TBR 🙂