With so many genres, authors and books to choose from, it’s no wonder reading tastes can differ so much. Do you try the latest book everyone is talking about on TikTok or opt for a recommendation from a friend or family member? Do you go to a bookshop blind and see what takes your fancy or create a shortlist first?

If you’re in need of some inspiration, a good place to start is people whose career involves books, including booksellers and even authors themselves. With that in mind, bestselling author Alix E. Harrow, whose works include Starling House, The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Everlasting has shared some of her top recommendations, explaining: “I can’t choose my five favourite books without imposing some kind of time limit, so here are my five favourite new fantasy books!”

1. The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

“Tasha Suri has already established herself as one of the best working fantasy writers out there, but this book is a new high: a knight and a witch doomed to repeat their own tragic tale over and over again. It’s a romance, an adventure, and a deeply smart reflection on the power of stories.”

You can buy The Isle in the Silver Sea here.

2. Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark

“This book feels less like a novella and more like an old, bloody ballad. The kind with warring clans, and doomed lovers, and shadows waiting in the fens. It has a kind of rhythm to it, a lilt, from the prose through to the plot, which sticks with you long after you finish it.”

You can buy Fate’s Bane here.

3. The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

“The Raven Scholar has all the sprawling complexity of a good political fantasy, and the twisting, bustling pace of a good mystery. I’ve rarely read a book I could successfully recommend to this many types of readers—it’s romantic, clever, epic, and often very funny. I can’t wait for the next one!”

You can buy The Raven Scholar here.

4. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

“You’ve probably heard of this one by now. If not, the basic premise is: what if one of the guys from The Terror got time-travelled to the near-future? What if he fell into a constrained and imbalanced affair with his handler? What if the whole thing was a reflection on state power, personhood, and the harrowing dislocation of immigration?”

You can buy The Ministry of Time here.

5. Metal From Heaven by August Clarke

“This is high pulp. There are motorcycle gangs and train robberies and gunfights. There is a high-stakes game of lesbian bachelorette. And there is, permeating everything, a sense of earnest, slow-burning outrage. Give this book to the anarchist in your family; if you don’t have one yet, you will by the time they finish it.”

You can buy Metal from Heaven here.