Click here if you want to see the list of all the books I’ve read so far this year: Petrik’s Year in Books (2021)

Between 1st January 2021 until 30th June 2021, I’ve read and reviewed 51 books (25k pages).

Please read this first. There will be three rules I set in this list in order for me to give appreciation to more authors rather than having only a few authors hoarding this list. These rules allow me to highlight more authors, and at the same time, I’ll also be able to include both new and older books (many of them still need attention) that I read within this year.

• Rereads aren’t included.
• One book per author.
• The books listed here are not all exclusively published this year; the list consists of the top books I read for the first time within this year. Non-2021 published books on this list will have their first date of publication included.

Do note that although there’s a rank to this list, I HIGHLY recommend every book/series listed below because I loved all of them immensely, and they received a rating of 4.5 or 5 out of 5 stars from me. Without further ado, here are the top 10 books I’ve read this year so far! (All full reviews of the books listed can be found on Novel Notions and my Goodreads page.)

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10. She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1) by Shelley Parker-Chan

Publisher: Tor Books (US) & Mantle (UK).

“Parker-Chan has an immensely desirable writing style that displays her proficiency for storytelling in practically every scene of the book.”

9. The Helm of Midnight (The Five Penalties, #1) by Marina Lostetter

Publisher: Tor Books

“This is an incredible book. Character-driven and bloody thrilling; The Helm of Midnight has pretty much confirmed its spot in one of my favorite books of 2021 list.”

8. The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

Publisher: Orbit. First published in: August 2013

“It is canon in my head now that The Crown Tower is the superior—and official—beginning to Royce and Hadrian’s adventures. This is the conception of a legendary duo in fantasy.”

7. Bloodline (Cradle, #9) by Will Wight

Publisher: Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie.)

“I am not sure whether this is an unpopular opinion or not, but Bloodline is the best of the series so far for me.”

6. Heroes Die (The Acts of Caine, #1) by Matthew Woodring Stover

Publisher: Del Rey (US) & Orbit (UK). First published in: January 1998

“It’s unbelievable that this insanely terrific story is hidden behind this horrific cover art. Heroes Die was absolutely bloody and glorious.”

5. Daughter of the Empire (Riftwar: Empire, #1) by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts

Publisher: Spectra (US) & Harper Voyager (UK). First published in: January 1987

“Daughter of the Empire is a magnificent page-turning political intrigue with an amazing heroine to root for.”

4. The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #1) by John Gwynne

Publisher: Orbit

“Reading The Shadow of the Gods is equivalent to witnessing a new brilliant legendary Norse-inspired epic fantasy series in the making.”

3. The Hand of the Sun King (Pact and Pattern, #1) by J.T. Greathouse

Publisher: Gollancz

“Hands down the best debut of the year. Scratch that; this is one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.”

1. Dreams of the Dying (Enderal, #1) by Nicolas Lietzau

Publisher: Self-published. First published in: October 2020

“I have nothing but praise for Dreams of the Dying. It’s simply a masterpiece.”

1. The Empire’s Ruin (Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, #1) by Brian Staveley

Publisher: Tor Books (US) & Tor (UK).

“A scintillating explosive epic fantasy with multiple legendary scenes that rivaled The Way of Kings.”

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