Sue Lynn Tan
Inspired by Asian mythology, her books feature an unparalleled level of beautiful worldbuilding with amazingly in-depth characters. ‘The Daughter of the Moon Goddess’ is my favourite book of all time. It has the perfect mix of romance, magic, and epic battles. There is even a love triangle tangled enough to keep you guessing the whole way through.
Trudi Canavan
A great immersive fantasy author with numerous book series spanning multiple unique and intricate worlds. Her most recent is the ‘Millennium Rule’ series (starting with ‘Thief’s Magic’), although my favourite is still the ‘Age of the Five’ Trilogy (starting with ‘Priestess of the White’). In my opinion you can’t go wrong with a host of misbehaving gods, a slightly immoral cult leader, and a disillusioned High Priestess. Add in a race of flying people and a city hidden underwater and you have the perfect fantasy setting for a war of grand proportions.
Deborah Harkness
Primarily an academic historian, her ‘All Souls’ series (starting with ‘A Discovery of Witches) brings history to life through a bit of time travel and a character list of vampires who have lived through it all. This combines with her weaving of witchy magic, political intrigue, and more than a drop of romance, to make for an un-put-downable read. Her non-fiction, such as ‘The Jewel House’ is definitely worth a read if you want to gain a deeper understanding of her historical inspirations.
Natasha Pulley
I love drawn her quirky combination of historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy. You can’t help but fall in love with her characters as their flaws and triumphs are perfectly detailed alongside a world that seems like our own, but isn’t quite as we’d expect. I recommend starting with ‘Bedlam Stacks’, which is technically a standalone novel but does briefly introduce one of the main characters from ‘The Watchmaker of Filigree Street’ and ‘The Lost Future of Pepperharrow’.
Escape to the Bookshelf 