r/fantasy BINGO
List of books I have read for BINGO with reviews below...
Fantasy Book Bingo is a yearly reading challenge within the speculative fiction book community on reddit. It runs from April 1st - March 31st every year. The goal of Bingo is to find new SFF books and authors, venture out of reading comfort zones, and connect with others through the joy of reading.
My Rating Scale
As a writer myself, I don't like to rate based on a subjective view of quality, but rather how the book fits with my personal taste and the strength of my emotional response. I tend to see these as musings rather than official reviews. However, I do think that BINGO gives a good snapshot of a reader's preferences so is a reliable way to get recommendations.
I connected with this book on multiple levels and felt an emotional pull throughout. I still think about it after finishing.
I loved this book, but there is something I can name that keeps it from hitting that perfect spot.
I liked this book. This is a positive rating, but it will not leave a lasting impression. I may not be able to name my reasons.
I really had to push myself to finish this book, but I do see why others like it. It just wasn't for me.
I should have DNF'd this book instead of pushing through.
Perfect Fit
I connected with this book on multiple levels and felt an emotional pull throughout. I still think about it after finishing.
Naughts & Crosses - Malorie Blackman
I read this because I’ll be teaching it to my 8th graders in the next school year. This is only my first read and wanted to experience it like a reader, but will be coming back to it over and over and expect to get more from it each time. It's solidly YA, so there are some things that aren’t aimed at me in the first half. School setting and lots of teenagery problems with a backdrop of very real problems. However, after the midpoint I was hooked. It’s been a long time since I’ve cried while reading, but the ending almost did it. I don't know how popular this book is in the US, but I had never heard of it. Many of the plot threads, especially the beginning, seem to be directly inspired by desegregation in the American south, where I am from (now living in Europe). So those sections resonated with me. The biggest thing that pushed this to a top rating is that the story overall is character-driven, which is usually what gets me.
BINGO: Down with the system, Book in parts, Author of Color
Assassin's Quest - Robin Hobb
I was surprised to see some of the reactions as this being the worst of the Fitz books. I guess I just love angst and camping. I haven’t had a book hangover like this for so long I didn’t realize how much I crave the feeling (as much as it might suck). I took a year between each of the 3 Farseer books, partly because they take so long to read and partly because so many call it misery porn. I didn’t feel that way after AA or RA, and I don’t feel that way now. I am here for every single one of Fitz’s oblivious dumb decisions and all of his moping because Hobb has done a superb job of showing me why he is who he is. Every single character (except Molly, I’ll be honest) feels like a real person with depth, and any inconsistencies are what make them human. This is now my favorite series of all time. I thought about skipping Liveship because I didn’t want to leave Fitz, but I read through some old threads that convinced me not to. Alas, I won’t actually be using this one for my Bingo card because I need Ship of Magic for Pirates.
BINGO: Down with the system, Impossible Places, Parents
Loved It
I loved this book, but there is something I can name that keeps it from hitting that perfect spot.
The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley
When I finished, I put 5 stars. Since then I’ve knocked it down to 4 because the discussion at my in-person book club led me to see some of the issues in the worldbuilding. However, if I think of this as a fantasy book instead of Sci-fi, it works a lot better. When I tapped into that side of my emotional reading brain, I loved it. The characters are a standout feature, as well as how the author portrayed people from the past being introduced to the modern world and how that would change them, but not completely alter what makes them “of their time”. Possibly getting my Hugo vote, but I've only read 1 other at the moment.
BINGO: Book in Parts, Author of Color, Stranger in a Strange Land, Book Club.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil - V.E. Schwab
I really loved this, but it was not a 5 star read. I am a Schwab enthusiast. Their writing is a huge influence on my own writing, and I will defend Addie LaRue until the end of time. This has the same epic, meandering vibe of Addie, but even less plot to drive the story. While all of the heart that I usually find in Schwab’s lyrical writing is there, the narrative never quite lands or has any push until about the last 50 pages. It just needed more tension overall. I felt more drawn to 2 of the three protagonists, but Alice felt both underserved and overused. I did not need as much of her backstory as I was given. I think I would have much preferred the story to focus on the other two and use Alice as a device instead. This all being said, I still loved it, and it’s going to stick with my like most Schwab stories do. As with most authors as they become a household name, they are able to tell the story as they want to tell it without strong editorial interference. I think that’s what’s happening here, as my experience would have been improved if the pacing had felt more mainstream and less vibes.
BINGO: Book in parts, Published 2025, LGBTQIA Protagonist
A Sorceress Comes To Call - T. Kingfisher
This is officially my favorite Kingfisher novel, followed by A House With Good Bones. That isn’t saying much because all the others (like 5 at this point, and I actively disliked Nettle and Bone) have been solidly “fine”. If you like Kingfisher’s style and tone, then you’ll like this. The horror elements of this book are excellent and deserve a clap, but I don’t connect well with a positive/hopeful tone against truly dire circumstances. The first half was nearing a perfect read for me, as it’s so tightly in the head of an interesting character’s head. The second half was meh, but that’s usually how I feel about Kingfisher endings. Alas, I liked it, was never bored, read it in a day. Won’t be my Hugo vote, though.
*Note: I wrote this review as soon as I finished, and it has now been a week. Almost nothing has stuck with me, so I am contemplating changing my rating to FINE, but I'll leave it for now.
BINGO: Bookclub for Hugos, Parents
Mortal Follies - Alexis Hall
In May and June, I fell into what can only be described as an Alexis Hall Mega-Binge. This was my 8th Hall book (after 7 rom-coms). All this to say, I’m definitely judging Hall vs Hall here, which affected my enjoyability. Mortal Follies is so different from the contemporary style of the others that I struggled with immersion. I loved the characters, and the voice of the fairy narrator really worked for me, despite not being part of the main couple. As long as you expect the fantasy elements to take a front seat, the description of this as a sapphic Bridgerton-esque romance holds up. I just didn't really care about the main conflict, and it wasn’t as spicy as I was expecting or craving. (I read For Real right before this...if you know, you know)
BINGO: High Fashion, Gods and Pantheons, Book Club, LGBTQIA Protagonist
Murderbot - TV Show
I am not a Murderbot diehard. I like it fine, but never felt the urge to continue the series (more my hit-or-miss relationship to sci fi than the story itself) I think they captured the tone of All Systems Red as well as they could have. I was skeptical about Skarsgårds casting because I pictured Murderbot as more androgynous, but I live in Sweden so was rooting for him by default. The emotional beats hit just as well as the humorous beats. They paid excellent homage to the source material while still making some changes necessary for film. Overall, I think it was well done, and I was entertained throughout. Now I need to go read the other Murderbot books before the next season.
BINGO: Not a book
They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera
My rating feels weird because this WAS a good book in terms of all the things that I consider make books good, and the fact that I have so much to say about it means it did something right. Adam Silvera has a knack for writing characters who have unique voices and distinct goals, but are so realistic that I actually find them boring. I think the idea of Death Cast is really cool and I wish Silvera had been interested in exploring all the ways it might affect society. There is a bit about the exploitation of people who know they are about to die, but the narrative never really comments on it, and there is maybe one throwaway line about other consequences of Death Cast. It felt like the whole world was told “we know the day you will die” and everyone just said “OK”. If it had been decades since the discovery, fine, but apparently they are only 5 years in. I know that’s not what Silvera was trying to do here, I just wish it had been. I would have liked some discussion of the idea that everyone in this world makes choices they otherwise wouldn’t make if they hadn’t been told they were going to die, therefore leading to their deaths. I will say, I much prefer this type of storytelling to the type that never lets me fill in blanks for myself, but I’d like a middle ground.
BINGO: Book in Parts, LGBTQIA Protagonist
A Psalm For The Wild-Built - Becky Chambers
This is probably another example of me judging a book based on my enjoyment of another work by the author, but To Be Taught If Fortunate stuck with me for WEEKS after I finished. I didn’t feel much more than “that was nice” after this one. I adore the whole concept of a tea monk so much I had to Google to see if it was a real thing somehow. I wish the story had been either more slice of life or had more of a typical fantasy arc. As it is, the central question that Chambers is trying to answer here is so present that I kept remembering I was reading a book by an author, if that makes sense. I think it was too short for me to feel like I knew the characters well enough. I still have Wayfarers on my TBR and absolutely plan to read it.
BINGO: Book Club, LGBTQIA Protagonist, Cozy SFF
The Foxglove King - Hannah Whitten
I liked this a lot more than other romantasys I’ve tried. A common question I see around romantasy is “would there will be a book if the romance didn’t exist?” The answer for Foxglove King is definitely yes. The protagonist is believable and strong without being a characterture, and I did like both of the love interests. Yes, there are 2 and they both feel like real options. The thing holding me back from being a perfect fit is hard to name, but I think it has to do with the writing style. There’s very little room for me to infer on my own because the narration usually reminds me of how I’m supposed to read a character’s reaction or action. I don’t hate this, but it exists in a lot of romantasy. This one’s in third person though (which I prefer), so maybe it stood out more to me because of that- I’ll continue with the series but not right away.
BINGO: None that I can see. Will either use substitute (title with a title 2023), or recycle square.
Alien Clay - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Starting out positive by saying this has one of the most terrifying/chilling openings of any book I’ve ever read. I was hooked immediately. However, after that initial scene, the narration felt detached, and the narrator's hubris was distracting and annoying. I know this is all personal preference, but it reminded me of the writing style in Red Rising, which I hated. The protagonist is telling the story after the fact, but doing so in present tense which was really jarring. So many times we would be in the middle of the action and he would say something like “of course this all go wrong”, and all the tension is sucked out of the scene. Also, I don’t really want to see words like “yeet” in my futuristic fiction. I do think the alien world is fantastically done, and the ending is cool. I just...I struggle with Sci Fi sometimes because I often wish for a different story in the world than the one that gets told. That was the case here because I was much more interested in the planet and relationships between the humans than I was in the revolution.
BINGO: Down with the system, book in parts, Book club, Biopunk, Stranger in a strange land
Fine
I liked this book. This is a positive rating, but it will not leave a lasting impression. I may not be able to name my reasons.
Reforged - Seth Haddon
I have noticed that my own enjoyment of books is not without context. As for this one, it suffered from me having just finished the Farseer trilogy, which is no fault of its own. However, I often disconnect with stories with blind loyalty to kings and battles over power where many people die for frivolous reasons (that in itself is difficult to separate from the context of real-world issues). With Farseer, I knew in my soul why the throne was worth defending, but not so much here. Then again, maybe my issue is with romantasy in general and me not enjoying stories that have to strike a balance between romance and fantasy story beats. I didn’t really care about the main conflict, and there were a few tropes I don’t vibe with. I have been known to DNF a book whenever I reach a duel because I think they are dumb. Also, I wish there was more exploration of the power dynamic between a King and his Prime Paladin. One has actual magical power to control the other, which can make for good conflict, but the author didn’t seem to want to go there. Still, the romance was good, the rest was fine, and I probably won’t continue with the series unless someone persuades me. I am open to it, though.
BINGO: Knights and Paladins, LGBTQIA Protagonist
The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown
The premise is really interesting, so this is all in the execution for me. These are some of the flattest characters I’ve ever met. The writing was all tell, no show, and I was frustrated throughout with the choices the characters made and their flimsy motivations. I probably wouldn’t have finished if I hadn’t been reading for a book club.
BINGO: Impossible Places (stretch), Book in Parts, Stranger in a Strange Land
Did Not Enjoy
I really had to push myself to finish this book, but I do see why others like it. It just wasn't for me.
Someone You Can Build A Nest In - John Wiswell
I really try to give most books the benefit of the doubt, and there are some good things here. I noted down some line that I loved, like “Romance was awful. She couldn’t do simple things like murder rude people anymore,” and “Having a nose made her immediately feel more human because it let her do what humans liked most: complain.” I can tell this story was composed with love, but it didn’t hit with me. I was just kind of bored, and the gimmick of the main character being a monster got old pretty quickly, especially since the tone did not match the actually quite horrific things that were happening on page. I finished it because I voted in the Hugos, but I don’t think I would have otherwise.
BINGO: Book in parts, LGBTQIA Protagonist, Stranger in a Strange Land, Parents, Cozy SFF (depending on your personal taste), Book club