There is no verified, complete 91-book inventory behind this title, so this guide does not pretend to rank 91 books. Instead, it offers five identifiable 2023 fantasy picks drawn from critic selections, an award result and a genre-review list. “Best” here means a useful range of editorially recognized books—not an objective ranking or a claim about sales.
How to read this 2023 fantasy shortlist
Lists called “best” use different methods. Goodreads’ Choice Awards are reader-voted; Goodreads’ anticipated-books list reflects engagement and early-buzz signals; The Guardian and KQED/NPR publish critic selections; Fantasy Book Review publishes its own list. These approaches answer different questions, so a title’s appearance on one list is not proof of universal consensus.
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Publication-year scope also varies. Goodreads’ 2023 Choice Awards accepted books published in the United States in English—including translations and significant rereleases—from November 17, 2022, through November 15, 2023. That is the award’s eligibility window, not a universal definition of a book published in 2023. A later edition or rerelease should not be mistaken for an original 2023 publication.
Five fantasy books associated with 2023
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
A sequel in the Alex Stern series, Hell Bent won Goodreads’ 2023 Fantasy Choice Award. Goodreads’ award page reported 75,800 votes for the winner; that figure is a vote total, not sales or an estimate of readership. The book’s dark-academia elements include secret societies, occult rituals and interdimensional portals. Because it is a sequel, readers seeking a series opener should begin earlier in the Alex Stern books.
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The Will of the Many by James Islington
Fantasy Book Review placed this novel at the top of its 2023 list. Its review points to dark academia and Roman-inspired political intrigue, making it a fit for readers drawn to power struggles and academy settings.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Fantasy Book Review’s list also features Fourth Wing, emphasizing dragons and a romantic relationship. The Associated Press included it among hardcover fiction bestsellers in a 2023 dispatch, but bestseller status is a market signal, not a measure of literary quality.
The Circumference of the World by Lavie Tidhar
The Guardian included this title in a five-book science-fiction and fantasy feature. Its description highlights layered storylines and a novel that is both science fiction and about science fiction. It is a good example of why genre labels can overlap rather than forming rigid categories.
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
KQED/NPR included Mortal Follies in a five-novel fantasy feature and characterized it as queer historical romance with supernatural elements. That combination makes it a distinct option for readers looking for romance and a historical setting alongside fantasy.
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Rank #3
Choose your next read by the elements you want
- Dark academia: Consider Hell Bent if you are already reading the Alex Stern series, or The Will of the Many for an academy setting paired with political intrigue.
- Dragons and romance: Fourth Wing is the clearest match among these five.
- Genre-blending fiction: Try The Circumference of the World for science-fiction and literary self-reflection, or Mortal Follies for historical romance with supernatural elements.
- Series versus standalone: Hell Bent is confirmed as a sequel; the cited descriptions do not establish series order for the other four, so check the publisher’s edition information before choosing a starting point.
Why this is not a list of 91
The available evidence identifies representative books and different list-making methods, but does not verify the intended 91 titles against publisher records. It also does not establish every book’s original publication date, market edition, series position or age category. Calling an unverified set “91 best new fantasy books of 2023” would imply a level of completeness and fact-checking that the evidence does not support. The five recommendations above are a bounded selection, not a substitute inventory.
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