BOOK POST | TOP BOOKS OF 2025

 

TOP BOOKS OF 2025

It’s that time of year again where we consolidate the years reading by trying to pick out the best of the year.

This year has been a series of ups and downs, with some absolutely fantastic books and some that were a bit meh!

Anyway, let’s get to this year’s list. The year started off really well and there were a number of books that I thought were absolutely amazing.

The first of these books was Clay Mcleod Chapman’s Wake up and Open Your Eyes. Mantled as a horror, this is a subversive view of the American political and social conservatism that is sweeping the nation and how disinformation and right-wing views have possessed the nation. In the case of this book, literally!

The book is full throttle from the get go and there is still one scene in this book that lives rent free in my head, even 12 months on.

For the full review go here

The second book that really caught my attention this year was Kylie Lee Baker’s Bat Eater  and other names for Cora Zeng. This was a truly phenomenal book that has everything. An arresting story, fantastic horror, brilliant characters. The whole kit and kaboodle.

 For the full review go here

Coming up shortly after that was Taran Hunt’s second book in The Kystrom Chronicles called The Unkillable Princess. This was a welcome return to the Kystrom world. In this second book, Tara Hunt has expanded the universe and given the universe and expanded complexity that gives the book a rich environment to grow. 

 For the full review go here

One of my most looked forward to fantasy books of the year was The Tower of the Tyrant by J.T. Greathouse. This is a standalone novel set in a different world to The Pact & the Pattern series but equally as good. Billed as The Witcher meets The Tainted Cup, this is a great book filled with magic and political intrigue.

For the full review go here

I finally got around to reading some Philip Fracassi books this year with his new one The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre. This is a great take on the slasher genre set in a retirement home. Fast paced and filled with the most wonderful characters, this was a great read that had me turning pages as fast the story moves.

For the full review go here

Keith Rosson wowed everyone with his new novel Coffin Moon and his take on the vampire novel. This is a revenge thriller that is reminiscent of Near Dark, with its gritty take on the vampire mythos crossed with True Grit. If you like vampires, this is well worth a read, and Rosson breathes new life into what I thought was a stale part of the horror genre, and there are some intriguing stories in there which could be expanded upon in this world.

For the full review go here

If I was pinned down to name one book that I thought was my absolute favourite this year, Paved with Good Intentions by Peter McLean would definitely be it. I absolutely love his series The War For The Rose Throne, so when I heard that there was to be a new standalone to be released set in this world, I knew I had to read it.

I devoured this one in a couple of days, and in fact, it is the only book in ages where I read it, and then immediately read it again. It’s that good.

For the full review go here

To be honest, I haven’t really been reading a lot of fantasy books this year. For some reason I just haven’t found many books that have taken my fancy. However, A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde was a great debut. This sci – fi fantasy set in an African inspired world was something that I really enjoyed.

For the full review go here

Nat Cassidy has been on my list of must read authors for ages. However, throughout the years I have had terrible trouble getting hold of his books. So, when his new book When The Wolf Comes Home was picked up by Titan, I was chomping at the bit. This was a great surprise of a book. It starts off as one thing and you think you have the angle that this story will take, but then, as the story develops, you realise that this is not the book that you started and that it has gone in and wholly unexpected direction completely.

For the full review go here

Whilst listening to Neil McRobert’s podcast, Talking Scared, I heard and interview with Victoria Feito about her upcoming book Victorian Psycho. Mixing American Psycho something like Silas Marner, this was a highly enjoyable novella that had a wide streak of black humour running through it.

For the full review go here

The final book I am going to pick is The Lamb by Lucy Rose. I knew absolutely nothing about this and just picked it up and was blown away. The story tells the tale of Margot who grows up in the wilds of Cumbria. Weaving a shocking tale of cannibalism and coming of age, this book deals with a number of different subjects.

For the full review go here

Oh, sorry! No! That isn’t the final one. I forgot to mention The Devils by Joe Abercrombie which is a new novel set in an alternative Europe. This one was ace. It had me laughing out loud on numerous occasions. It is filled with Abercrombie’s usual delight of dialogue and characters and makes me think I need to get to the other books of his that I haven’t read yet.

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For the full review go here

Memorable Mentions

These are books that I also loved that just didn’t make the list, either because I had got fed up with writing the list or were older books.

Veil by Jonathan Janz.

Futility by Nuno Onoh

Breathe in, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

Ghost Summer by Tananarive Due

Ringlander: Fallen Shards by Michael S. Jackson

Dark Prophet by Wick Welker

Mischief Acts by Zoe Gilbert.