As an avid reader of fantasy literature, I am always looking for great new fantasy books to take me on amazing journeys in fantastic lands. I enjoy reading most fantasy sub-genres, but the ones I love the most are Epic Fantasy novels and Sword & Sorcery.
I am a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons (though I mostly play it on Discord these days and not in the traditional, awesome, face-to-face setting) and these books always make me dream about amazing DnD adventures.
Today, as the title suggests, we’ll focus on the latter as we’ll check out the best new sword & sorcery fantasy books launched in 2017.
What does this mean? This means that I’ve been closely monitoring fantasy books launched this year and I’ve selected the best new releases which I’m sharing with you below. I am only looking at brand new series or standalone novels, not new entries is well or lesser known series.
In other words, what you are getting below are completely new fantasy books released in 2017. All of these are amazing reads and fans of the genre will absolutely love them, for sure. Even more, those who prefer the fast paced action of the sword & sorcery genre, will be up for a bigger treat.
I have detailed information about each recommended book below, but we’ll start with a list in case you’re in a hurry and you just want to check them out quickly.
These will surely make you want to take out your best D&D dice sets and go on an adventure. But this time, you’ll be the Dungeon master AND the players. Plus, no dice rolling will be needed!
Just click the cover of the books that seem most appealing and you’ll be one step closer to reading them. IF you want more, scroll down for details about each of these amazing newly released fantasy books.
Please note: We get commissions for purchases made through links in this article.
NOTE: Since there have been hundreds of new releases I had to go through and numerous shortlists have been mixed during my research, some Epic fantasy titles might have slipped on my list (or other subgenres). Even so, I still consider the list extremely accurate and all the novels below are great reads!
So without further ado, here are the best new sword & sorcery fantasy books released in 2017:
Fire In The Dawn – Justin Fike
One of my favorite new fantasy books this year that marks the beginning of what I consider to be an epic series. Written by an imaginative author with a great style and a lot to say, the fantasy world created by Justin Fike is detailed, beautiful and believable. The story itself captures you from the first words and you simply won’t be able to put it down afterwards.
Here’s a bit of the official description of the book to find out what it’s all about:
“Kyren e’Cania is the last son of a fallen House, raised in secret in the shadows of the city his family once ruled. Trained by his father in the ways of his people, Kyren has avoided the notice of the tyrant who murdered his family by never giving anyone reason to suspect he is anything more than a nameless peasant. But when an ambitious noble sets dangerous events in motion, Kyren must find a way to reclaim his heritage and unite his people, before everything he loves is swallowed by fire and sword once again.”
Click here to start reading Fire In The Dawn by Justin Fike
Soldier Son – D.K. Holmberg
You probably heard about New York Times and USA Today bestselling author D.K. Holmberg already. He’s the man behind great series like The Shadow Accords, The Cloud Warrior and much more. He’s an expert at creating beautiful adventures that you can’t help but love. A complex and beautiful mixture of fantasy subgenres, Soldier Son marks the beginning of The Teralin Sword saga and it seems to follow the same recipe that made Holmberg’s other books so good.
If that’s not enough to get you in a reading mood, here are a bit of extra details of what awaits for you inside:
“Endric wants only to serve, but he’s destined to lead. As the second son of the general of the Denraen, Endric wants only to fight, not the commission his father demands of him. When a strange attack in the south leads to the loss of someone close to him, only Endric seems concerned about what happened. All signs point to an attack on the city, and betrayal by someone deep within the Denraen, but his father no longer trusts his judgment. This forces Endric to make another impulsive decision, one that leads him far from the city on a journey where he discovers how little he knew, and how much more he has to understand.”
Click here to start reading Soldier Son by D.K. Holmberg
Path of a Novice – R.K. Lander
I must admit that I love standalone novels, but sagas is what most authors do nowadays… so we have yet another fantasy saga to check out with Path of a Novice: The Silvan Saga. This is actually a great debut book of R.K. Lander, an author you definitely have to keep your eyes on. Great adventures, great plot twist and a lot of strange things happen in this highly enjoyable book – you have to read it:
“The elven forest realm of Ea Uaré is threatened by ruthless Sand Lords seeking water, and the undead Deviants who crave the mindless destruction of elves. The powerful Alpine lords strive to dominate the leaderless native Silvans through power games, leaving in their wake a bereft king, assailed by grief and a family unable to forgive him.
The forest people are losing their identity. Discriminated and belittled, they are the warriors but the Alpine lords are their commanders – until a child is born to the Deep Woods – an elf with the face of an Alpine and the heart of a Silvan, an orphan whose only dream is to dare become a Silvan captain.”
Click here to start reading Path of a Novice by R.K. Lander
Whisper Alive – Marc Secchia
You can rarely go wrong when it comes to amazing fantasy novels if you have dragons involved and Whisper Alive offers us that delicious treat. I have discovered Marc Secchia a while ago and consider him the Dragon Master of the indie fantasy genre. Find out below what this first book in the Whisper series is all about:
“Bound by the Warlock’s unbreakable magical imperative, Whisper is forced to navigate the tortuous pathways of a labyrinth twenty miles deep, riven by Dragon-infested canyons and scorched by sunstrike. Now, she must use her unique Whisper skills to forge a path across the Sundering’s devastation and blaze a trail to Arbor, the City of Blue – dooming its Human population to the onslaught of Sanfuri’s Dragon army”
Click here to start reading Whisper Alive by Marc Secchia
Red Sister – Mark Lawrence
Probably one of the best known authors on today’s list, Mark Lawrence manages to amaze the public once again with Red Sister, which marks the debut of the Book of the Ancestor series. A talented author that still has a lot to deliver, even though you’d think he used up all great ideas on the Broken Empire and the Red Queen’s War series’.
Here’s what Red Sister is all about:
“A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona Grey is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass’s care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies. Nona must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.”
Click here to start reading Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
The Eight Islands: Summons of the Majestic – Tim Reed
An epic novel featuring summoners, amazing creatures and a lot of action – this is what you get if you get Tim Reed’s fantasy book. A sword and sorcery novel with epic elements that makes us think of serial books or a collection of short stories that work together well before mixing up into one, coherent work of art.
It will all make more sense when you start reading this book, but until then, you can check out a bit of its official synopsis to see what it’s all about:
“Together with his master, Teepo must venture out into the Eight Islands and follow the ancient Gromancer way. He must search for fifty spirits of elemental, physical and mental mind, in the fool’s hope of gaining a reprieve back to Paradise. But the way is near impossible. Darkness gallops on their heels; forgotten realms unzip themselves into reality; and the Darknova moves across the moon, heralding the return of an ancient evil.”
Click here to start reading The Eight Islands: Summons of the Majestic by Tim Reed
Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians’ Rivalry – H. L. Burke
An entertaining, imaginative read created by an author who’s better known for Young Adult and Fantasy Romance novels. However, Spellsmith & Carver is a surprisingly good read! Here’s what it’s all about:
“After five years away at the Magicians’ Academy, Auric returns home, determined to prove himself to his father and claim his birthright. Apprentice Jericho Carver has held Spellsmith Manor together in Auric’s absence. Now his master’s son is back, and if he can’t get rid of Auric, Jericho will forfeit his career and lose all hope of wooing the master’s enchanting daughter. But soon, something unexpected happens and the two will have to learn to work together”.
Click here to check out Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians’ Rivalry by H. L. Burke
The Mark of the Dragon Whisperer – J.S. Castillo
Another book about Dragon Whisperers and another great execution. The author creates a beautiful world and the story – even though far from original, is well said and captivating. There are more books coming in this series and I am sure they’ll all be just as good!
But until then, here’s how the Dragon Whisperer Chronicles begin:
“After a vivid dream of a woman with burning amethyst eyes chasing after her, she wakes up to find Marcus, the man who raised her since her parents died, has disappeared without a trace. With the help of Zachariah, her closest friend and huntsman of the Elven Clan, and a High Sorcerer who seems to have secrets of his own, Faye embarks on a journey outside the lands of Janulai for the very first time, discovering more than she ever bargained for…”
Click here to start reading The Mark of the Dragon Whisperer by J.S. Castillo
Books of Caledan Series – Meg Cowley
On the first book’s description page, it is said that the Books of Caledan saga has been described as “Game of Thrones for teenagers”. Although it’s not clear who made that claim, one thing is obvious: this is a great series that you will absolutely enjoy. Three books make up this series and you won’t be able to put them down: The Tainted Crown, The Brooding Crown and The Shattered Crown.
It’s a story of humans, elves, gods and dragons, filled with plot twists and awesomeness. Even though it’s clearly aimed at a younger audience, it’s a great read from the first page to the last. Best part is that the series is complete and you won’t have to wait for the next book in the series. But chances are, after reading the Books of Caledan, you’ll eagerly anticipate Meg Cowley’s next books!
Click here to check out the entire series
Rising Thunder – Brandon Cornwell
A great debut by a young author with vivid imagination and a great style. An interesting approach to the fantasy genre and definitely one to keep an eye on. We need more from Brandon Cornwell!
The first book in the Dynasty of Storms series is all about an elf that’s different than the others, exiled to the North and looking to let his mark upon the world. We would normally consider this an Epic fantasy if we were to look at the sub-genre’s description, but there are a lot more elements to consider than this. In the end, what matters the most is that we’re talking about an amazing fantasy novel!
Click here to start reading Rising Thunder by Brandon Cornwell
The Soulweb – Steven M Nedeau
Another debut fantasy novel and another great read on our list. A great adventure of epic proportions, with epic battles and great characters. Solid writing and a great story:
“Thrown into danger and carried along by events outside of his control, Jaron discovered that his whole life was only a disguise. His friends weren’t who he thought they were, and his father whom he thought was dead, wasn’t. In a war of kings, he might be the final piece of a plan that started centuries ago.”
Click here to start reading The Soulweb by Steven M Nedeau
Talismans – Lisa Lowell
Another new series that will surely keep us occupied over the years to come. Solid, clean writing that introduces a beautiful fantasy world. There are lots of characters that you end up caring about, including dragons. Might and magic (and more) mix together in a story about fate that leaves you asking for more at the end.
Here’s a bit of the official description of the book:
“Amnesia plagues Owailion, the Awakened One. After he meets Mohan, a gargantuan dragon, he becomes his apprentice.As the dragons prepare to hibernate for a thousand years, Owailion is tasked to protect the Land from all invaders. He will be alone; the only human sealed off from the rest of the world. He learns about the theft of the thousand-year old runestones, and is charged to find the missing stones and deal with the thief.”
Click here to start reading Talismans by Lisa Lowell
Slither – Melody Steiner
I believe that first person narrative is overrated. The easiest way to tell a story and the most common, this is the approach Melody Steiner has with her first fantasy book (that I know of, at least). However, the story itself is rich, the action captivating and everything works flawlessly despite a slower start. A good read in the end that leaves you asking for more – and that’s all I need to include a book on this list. Here’s what it’s all about:
“Elanor of Onyx, enslaved by the dragons who scorched her kin and country, is determined to escape her island prison. When the changeling dragon, Adom, demands that Elanor come with him to the mainland on a secret mission, she sees the opportunity she’s been waiting for—a chance to exact her revenge.”
Click here to start reading Slither by Melody Steiner
Dragonhunters – Garon E Whited
We’re getting a bit more dragons than I anticipated when I started thinking about this list, but I am sure nobody will mind. This book is well executed and filled with original ideas. Plus, fans of Garon Whited will enjoy some of the references to his other works (and even an outstanding cameo). Great quick read for fans of the genre!
Click here to check out Dragonhunters by Garon E Whited
Mark of Destiny – Azrael James
OK, the book’s description itself says that it’s an epic fantasy, but we’ve got swords and we’ve got magic so it stays on the list!
Even more, Azrael James manages to re-imagine how magic works and you will most likely love his new approach. The writing is good, the action is intense, the plot twists are present and you can’t imagine how things can end. But I can guarantee that you’ll love every little bit of this debut novel and impatiently wait for more in the series.
Click here to start reading Mark of Destiny by Azrael James
This would be my list. I am sure you will absolutely love all the recommendations above. But if you think that we’ve missed any, please share your recommendations with fellow fantasy fans in the comment section below.
You missed SHADOW OF THE BARBARIAN: A LEGEND WILL RISE by John Thane. New in 2017 and awesome!