Books like 'The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2016'
Readers who enjoyed The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2016 by Rich Horton & Rich Larson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy supernatural steampunk industrial-era magic
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Lord of the Mysteries Volume 5 by Ai Qianshui de Wuzei, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons,... -
Lord of the Mysteries Volume 3 by Ai Qianshui de Wuzei, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons,...Categorized as:
magic steampunk industrial-era fantasy mystery action-adventure litrpg law-enforcement -
Titan by Jez Cajiao
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJax and his people have raided the City of Fallen Souls, but just because you’ve grabbed the loot, doesn’t mean you’re home free…They need to escape, they need to make changes and improve on the incomplete and barely manned ships they stole, and with the city, not to mention the Dark Legion gearing for war, he has only one choice available.Landfall... -
War of the Dragon by Jessica Drake
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsZara and Lessie's adventure continues in Book 4 of the Dragon Riders of Elantia series, perfect for fans of Eragon, Pern, and Temeraire! When Zara and Lessie finally make it back to Elantia, the last thing they expect is to find that nearly all the dragons have gone missing... -
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Scorched by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe seventh book in this action-packed, wildly original fantasy series by New York Times Bestselling Author Jasmine Walt. Home from their travels at last, Sunaya and Iannis are confronted with a threat against which even their strongest magic is largely helpless... -
Lord of the Mysteries Volume 7 by Ai Qianshui de Wuzei, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons,... -
House of Cards by R.L. King
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHERJust when Kira Talon is sure her life couldn’t go better, the unthinkable she’s found out her beloved brother is alive.But when she chooses to remain behind in one of the nonmagical cities to find him, she has no idea how much everything is about to change... -
The Mechanic by R.L. King
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDanger Is In The CardsKira Talon’s future has never looked brighter.She’s got a new home in New Argana. Its brilliant and enigmatic leader Trevor Harrison has agreed to train her in magic. And as she settles into the next stage of her life, she’s finally beginning to get over her grief at the loss of her old friends... -
Revelations by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPower that’s growing ever more impossible to hide… Captain Telryn “Trip” Yert is on the most important mission of his life. Accompanied by Captain Kaika, the sentient soulblade Jaxi, and Rysha Ravenwood—the noble-born scholar and officer he definitely shouldn’t be developing feelings for—he must find a way to close a portal that’s allowing more and more dragons into the world... -
Origins by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAre you still human if your father was a dragon? Even though Captain Trip always knew he was a little odd, he’s still shocked by the revelation that the elder gold dragon, Agarrenon Shivar, sired him. It’s time, however, to accept reality and learn to use his power, even if it alienates him from his magic-fearing friends—and the woman he’s come to care about... -
Oaths by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsGeneral Ridgewalker Zirkander is getting married. Sardelle—the woman who’s battled dragons, shamans, and countless enemy soldiers at his side—has accepted his proposal, and it’s the perfect time for a wedding... -
A Long Spoon by Jonathan L. Howard
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsYou may have heard of Johannes Cabal; he is a necromancer and a little infamous. He is also very sensitive to attempts on his life. When a murder of crows tries to... well, murder him, and the contents of his bath are transmuted into hot nitric acid, he suspects someone may mean him harm. The trail leads to one of the less travelled parts of Hell itself, and there Cabal will need a guide... -
Great Chief by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYanko White Fox is used to expectations. Since he was a small boy, his father has expected him to become a powerful mage and redeem his family’s honor. Even if his heart was elsewhere, Yanko always accepted his responsibility. He’s learned all he can about magic, practiced to become powerful, and fought great evil to free thousands of imprisoned people. But it’s not enough...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic steampunk action-adventure assassins book coming-of-age dragons -
Changing Nature by April White
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsImmortal Descendants are disappearing one by one, and seventeen-year-old Clocker Saira Elian is next on the list…Saira and Archer’s London summer is carefree and romantic, until a brazen attempt to capture Saira looks suspiciously like the handiwork of the Descendants of War. When the kidnappings of other Descendants come to light and Mr... -
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Death Over the Garden Wall by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThree modus operandi to die. Four employees, six house guests, and not a single witness.Confusing clues and no helpful leads cloud the death of Countess Giada Barese, who washed up on shore two weeks after her mysterious disappearance. Henri and Jamie have no idea if her death is a homicide, suicide, or accidental death, for nothing adds up... -
Assassin's Bond by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsYanko and his friends must escape a Turgonian prison and find passage back home before their enemies claim an advantage that could change the world. And not for the good of the Nurian people. But even more trouble awaits at home. Civil war has broken out, Yanko’s family is in danger, and the man who sent him on his mission has disappeared... -
Saved by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFenris and Mina's story concludes in the final book of this Baine Chronicles spinoff trilogy!Alerted that Sunaya and Iannis's wedding may be the target of a Resistance plot, Mina and Fenris travel to Solantha despite the very real possibility that Fenris could be recognized and thrown into prison should any of his enemies spot him... -
Any House in a Storm by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNo one suspects Zelia is a sorcerer, and that's exactly how she likes it. Even better, no one suspects she's human. Masquerading as a goblin Traveler, she roams Reality in her glittering van pulled by her two trusty world-walking birds, Warp and Weft.But when a storm of cosmic chaos strands her in an outer thread, the only refuge in sight is the legendary Darkhouse of Doom... -
A Dangerous Ruse by Tilly Wallace
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHer opponents have her cornered, unless Sera makes an unexpected move… Seraphina continues to pick at the secrets entangling her. Then, during a ball, she spots a piece of enchanted jewellery eerily similar to the bracelet she once wore. But before she can find out about its origins, its owner is murdered. At least this time no one is blaming Sera... -
The Fire in the Glass by Jacquelyn Benson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLondon, 1914. Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change... -
Deceived by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf Sunaya and Iannis thought there would be time to rest after returning from their last mission, they are sorely mistaken. The Minister sends them to face off with yet more dangerous enemies—this time in a lawless port in remote Garai, where pirates and slavers thrive, and everyone is fair game... -
Dragon Storm by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBorn with a secret power he must hide… Telryn “Trip” Yert has always been a little odd, with hunches that are too accurate to explain. Magic is feared and forbidden in Iskandia, so he’s struggled his whole life to hide his eccentricities. As a boy, he was forced to watch his mother’s execution. Her crime? Witchcraft... -
Dragon Denied by Viola Grace
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThrown from the life she thought she knew, Zzara has to restart her existence with no mother, no father, as a dragon denied. Zzara was excited and happy on the day it all fell apart. Her father had married another dragon and the new lady of the house had no interest in his mistress living on her new property... -
Dragon Designed by Viola Grace
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWorking out tension during some light espionage seems like the thing to do while pondering her future. Eltrinia has been progressing. She is the master of the on-loan gallery, she takes tours of all ages around, and she has been recruited for operative training at the capital. Learning combat tactics in sparring matches with Trin is bizarrely fun. It is like looking into a tinted mirror... -
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Dead Man's Tide by D.J. Bodden, James Hunter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsViridian Gate Online is more than just a game… and now, it's Alan Campbell’s whole world. Recently deceased and squishy as hell, Alan, a newly minted Illusionist, is forced to flee for his life. He needs time to deal with his loss, both in-game and IRL, but first he’ll have to escape his crazy ex, the treacherous Firebrand, Thalia Daceran... -
Inquisitor's Foil by D.J. Bodden, James Hunter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's a part-time Imperial hero, full-time thief. Lucky for him, she's not that kind of Inquisitor.Illusionist and novice spy Alan Campbell just got out of one relationship only to have another woman walk into his life: the Lady Camilla Favonius of the Imperial Inquisition. He's close to broke and left without orders. She wears plate armor in the field and around her heart... -
A Bad Breed by Kat Ross
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPricolici.A creature out of folklore. And nightmare.January 1889. When a Romanian village suffers a series of brutal attacks, occult investigator Anne Lawrence is dispatched to the forests of the Old Country to hunt the killer – only to vanish without a trace.The trail leads her mentor Vivienne Cumberland deep into the Carpathians to a remote monastery... -
Pixies in the Park by Viola Grace
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBack at home, Abby is inundated by gifts and cards from the Magical community at large. When one gift is more of a surprise than anticipated, the occupants of Oak Point are going to have their hands full finding the first kidnapped Nexus in history. Abby fights for freedom in her own small way, while Xander goes out of his mind to find her... -
Tested by Magic by Jasmine Walt
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first in a series of novellas offering a deeper look at the world of the Baine Chronicles. Life as a shifter-mage hybrid has always been tough for Sunaya Baine. Ostracized from her clan and forced to hide her forbidden abilities, she's never fit in. So when she's offered a position at the Enforcers Guild, Solantha's crime-fighting organization, she jumps at the chance to prove her worth... -
Elevation of the Marked by March McCarron
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.When an enemy can alter your thoughts, you can trust nothing—not even your own mind. Bray and Yarrow escaped with their lives, believing that Quade Asher and his Elevated planned to start a war. Soon they will learn the truth: Quade need not fight a single battle; he has already won... -
Nomad Soul by D.J. Bodden, James A. Hunter
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you had to choose between your life and your dreams, would you ever wake up? Alan Campbell thought he’d gotten his dream job working on a revolutionary VRMMORPG with Osmark Technologies, until the project was canceled... -
At The End There Was You by Wendy Heiss
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe world will end in seven days.Winter is a Priestess, her life is simple and uncomplicated, but shortly takes a turn when she is appointed as an aide for a Mage who intends to stop the God of Death from spreading a plague that would end their world. Both of them begin searching the Urvalis library for answers and find more than they had bargained for... -
Whisper the Dead by Alyxandra Harvey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCousins Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope are all dealing with what it means to be a Lovegrove. For Gretchen, it means she often feels like her head is going to explode. As a Whisperer, Gretchen constantly hears the whispers of other witches' spells... -
WildSpark by Vashti Hardy, Cecelia Ramsdale
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA year after the death of her older brother, Prue Haywood's family is still shattered by grief. But everything changes when a stranger arrives at the farm. A new, incredible technology has been discovered in the city of Medlock, where a secretive guild of inventors have developed a way to capture spirits of the dead in animal-like machines, bringing them back to life...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic steampunk action-adventure audiobook book children children-books -
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The Jewel of the Kalderash by Marie Rutkoski
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsUpon arriving in the Romany homeland to deliver the Mercator Globes, Petra Kronos, Tomik, and Neel formulate a plan to save Petra’s father, who has been transformed into a Gray Man. But when a long-held secret is revealed, Neel finds himself bound to his country.The friends are quickly swept up in an epic battle for power. Thrones are at stake. Spies are afoot. Murder is common... -
Division of the Marked by March McCarron
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlternative cover editions for this ASIN can be found here, here & here.As children, they meet.Bray and Yarrow have little in common. She’s all fire. He’s all heart. But the same ancient symbol brands their skin, marking them as members of the Chisanta—a superhuman society of scholars and warriors... -
Evermore by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn alternate cover edition can be found here.When ghosts begin to disappear from the Otherworld, Emily Chambers and her friends must hunt down those responsible before every last spirit, including Jacob Beaufort, is destroyed and Emily's livelihood along with them. But there is one thing stopping them - Jacob's killer... -
The Prisoner's Key by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIndia's study into the language of spells is interrupted by the arrest of her teacher for an unpaid debt. Before Matt can repay it for him, the powerful magician escapes from his prison cell. To make matters worse, the moneylender is murdered and the magician is implicated... -
The Pirates of Pacta Servanda by Jack Campbell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMaster Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain have survived every attempt to stop them, but their enemies are determined to kill Mari, the only one who can save her world from a storm of destruction. As armies begin to gather and cities seethe with tension, Mari, Alain, and their friends must prepare to confront the storm in the place it first appeared: the broken kingdom of Tiae... -
Hymn by Ken Scholes
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKen Scholes completes his five-book epic that began with his acclaimed first novel Lamentation. The battle for control of The Named Lands has captivated readers for ten years as both characters and readers have learned the true nature of world called Lasthome. Now the struggle between the Andro-Francine Order of the Named Lands and the Y’Zirite Empire has reached a terrible turning point... -
My Ninja Girl by Gideon Caldwell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKiller nuns. With gatling guns.Micah Regent is a pre-med student in Neo-Hokkaido, just hoping his snarky grandmother's prayer can help him pass an exam.When two sexy ninja girl statues come to life before his very eyes and start fighting each other, his life will never be the same...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic steampunk action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age cyberpunk -
Vankara by S.J. West
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVankara, an island nation founded by runaway mages, finds itself besieged by a series of mysterious plagues which decimate half the world’s population. When the Queen of Vankara falls ill from one of the plagues, she calls upon the talents of Sarah Harker... -
Souls to Heal by Tilly Wallace
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan an injured wolf and a broken witch heal each other . . . Alice Sheffield tore her soul into pieces and hid them to escape a soul-eating demon... -
Labyrinths of the Heart by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAfter months of working in his uncle’s mine, Yanko longs to see his family and friends again, especially Arayevo, the woman he has adored from afar since he was a boy. When she travels two days and asks to see him, his mind dances at the possibilities.But the mines are busy: there’s a political delegate to humor, a maiden in distress to help, and a wedding that must go perfectly—or else... -
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Covenant's End by Ari Marmell
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic steampunk action-adventure audiobook book children-books coming-of-age -
The Remnant by Charlie Fletcher
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe concluding novel in a wildly original and hugely entertaining fantasy series from HBO scriptwriter Charlie Fletcher, for a generation that has grown up with Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman."Exciting, exhilaring, scary and moving in equal measure, The Oversight is a teeming world of dark deeds and dark magics, brilliantly realized." - M. R... -
The Queen of Swords by R.S. Belcher
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings1870. Maude Stapleton, late of Golgotha, Nevada, is a respectable widow raising a daughter on her own. Few know that Maude belongs to an ancient order of assassins, the Daughters of Lilith, and is as well the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Anne Bonney, the legendary female pirate... -
The Paradox by Charlie Fletcher
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSOMETIMES YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR – SOMETIMES IT LOOKS BACKThose who belong to the secret society called the Oversight know many things. They know cold iron will hold back the beasts in the darkness. They know it is dangerous to stand between two mirrors. And they know that, despite their dwindling numbers, it remains their duty to protect humanity from the supernatural. And vice versa...Categorized as:
industrial-era magic steampunk action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book fae -
The Flaw in All Magic by Ben S. Dobson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn a world of elves and dwarves and sprites and mages, Tane Carver is a human with no gift but his wits. Which, to be fair, did get him into the world's most prestigious university of magical technology.For a while.Until his lack of magic was discovered. And then it all came crashing down.But when a student is murdered on campus behind unbreakable wards, Tane gets a second chance... -
The Imposter's Inheritance by C.J. Archer
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA sordid scandal rocks the Glass household and threatens to ruin Matt's family unless he can suppress it. But after word gets out, and a rare magical coronet is stolen, he and India find themselves scrambling to recover the heirloom and suppress the gossip before reputations are ruined...
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