If you’re a member of our Facebook group, chances are you’re familiar with self-published books. Many of the book recommendations made there are novels written by independent (“indie”) authors, who don’t go through a traditional publishing house like Penguin or Hachette, but oversee their books’ preparation and publishing on their own.
Self-published books can have a difficult time getting into book awards and being chosen for reviews by prestigious book bloggers. For the past five years, Mark Lawrence in conjunction with a group of awesome bloggers has run the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO), and this year is the sixth! From the man himself:
The SPFBO exists to shine a light on self-published fantasy. It exists to find excellent books that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. It exists to help readers select, from the enormous range of options, books that have a better chance of entertaining them than a random choice, thereby increasing reader faith in finding a quality self-published read.
The SPFBO covers fantasy, including romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, and reverse-harem fantasy! (And we have a list for you below submitted from the authors themselves. But FIRST…)
Do you want to get involved?
Join the SPFBO Facebook group! And you can find a full list of this year’s entries and which bloggers will be reading them here, a Goodreads list here, and a Google Sheet here.
There’s an official r/Fantasy 2020 Book Bingo Challenge here, and the authors specify which bingo squares their books fit here. Want to know more? From r/fantasy:
Fantasy Book Bingo is a yearly reading challenge within the r/fantasy community. Its one-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out authors and books, to boldly go where few readers have gone before….(okay, a lot of us have gone here by now, just roll with it!)
The core of this challenge is all about encouraging folks to step out of their comfort zones, discover new and amazing reads, and motivate everyone to keep up on their reading throughout the next year.
And of course, help your fellow shelfies find good books! Post your reviews, recommendations, and discussions of the romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, and reverse-harem fantasy entries in our Romantic Fantasy Shelf Facebook group!
Are you ready for your list of SPFBO fantasy books with romance?
(Note: This is a mixed list that may include romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, and reverse-harem fantasy. HEAs are *not* guaranteed, but romance is, according to the authors themselves in the SPFBO Facebook group!)
In no particular order:
1. A Wind from the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree
2. Frey by Melissa Wright
3. Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager
4. Pawn by Angela J. Ford
5. Forged in Shadow by Megan Haskell
6. Feast of the Mother by Miranda Honfleur and Nicolette Andrews
7. Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
8. Shrouded Kingdom by Rachel Medhurst
9. The Fae & The Fallen by Brittni Chenelle
10. Dragon Mage by Tameri Etherton
11. Trial of Thorns by Stacey Trombley
12. Heir of the Curse by Deborah Grace White
13. Stray Magic by Jenny Schwartz
14. Æroreh by Jesikah Sundin
15. Squire Derel by Rachel Ford
16. To Target the Heart by Aldrea Alien
17. Where Shadows Lie by Allegra Pescatore
18. A Voice That Thunders by Cully Mack
19. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
20. Burning Embers by Fiona Jeeves
21. Star Compass by Anthea Sharp
22. Currents of Change by Darian Smith
23. Bloodlust by Nicole Zoltack
24. Prince of Shadow and Ash by Selina R. Gonzalez
25. Burden of Power by Caren Hahn
26. Crown of the Sundered Empire by JC Kang
27. Enlightened by Billie Kowalewski
28. The Edge of Nothing by Crystal Crawford
29. Sorrowfish by Anne C. Miles
30. Legends of the Exiles by Jesse Teller
31. The Curse of the Jenri by Stephanie Barr
32. Shoreseeker by Brandon M. Lindsay
33. Vampire Wars: Inescapable by Sean Harris
34. A Locket of No Particular Significance by Florien St. John
35. House Of Legions by Shan R.K
So, which ones are you reading first? Let us know in the comments!
I’m currently reading Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager! But a new-to-me book from this list? Personally, my eye spotted a pretty shiny, and I’m reading A Wind from the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree next!!!
