The Totally Unbiased and Objective Book of the Year Award
With another year starting up, it’s time to look back on what we read in 2022 and give some shoutouts to the books we read and enjoyed the most.
Originally, we thought about listing our top five books, just like last year, but that seemed at once both too easy and too difficult. Easy, because a best-of list as an idea isn’t all that creative or original. Difficult, because there are so many great books and deciding on even the five best is a challenge.
We also want to bring attention to great books that might have slipped under the radar for one reason or another, even if they perhaps aren’t strictly speaking the absolute best there are. However, we didn’t want to just pick five books and go, “read these, because we say so,” because that’s also not very fun.
As such, we selected five books, and then we made up the categories that these books would be the winners of – and yes, that does include Best Book.
Without further ado, here goes, the books of the year (according to Nils):
Best Book 2022
Falling Through Stars, by Staci Olsen
This was the first book I read this year, and it ended up being the book I measured everything else against. Perhaps that’s not entirely fair, and perhaps my memory of how good it was came to overshadow the reality. I probably should read it again.
Even so, this is an absolutely fantastic read, with a sense of place and life that overshadows everything else. It’s a low-fantasy, slice-of-life story about a young woman who survives a near fatal accident and how that accident changes her life.
Other nominees:
- Phoenix Rising, by JA Andrews
- Miss Percy’s books with really long names (both of them), by Quenby Olson
- Legacy of the Brightwash, by Krystle Matar
Best Relationship 2022
Comran & Etran, from Greywolf’s Heart, by C.M. Banschbach
If someone had told me before this year that I’d read and enjoy a fantasy bromance, it’s likely I would have expressed some doubt. I would have been wrong, though, as Greywolf’s Heart is a hopeful, heart-warming tale about two half-brothers forced to set their differences aside to secure the future of their tribe. It’s a story about friendship, trust, and expectations, and like many of the other books on this list, it’s about being human.
Other nominees:
- Robin & Zylas, from the Guild Codex series by Anette Marie – because what’s not to love about a demonic contract signed with a promise of freshly baked cookies.
- Silas & Lainie, from the Daughter of the Wildings series by Kyra Halland – because they’re just plain wholesome.
- Tashué & The Law, from Legacy of the Brightwash, by Krystle Matar – because that shit’s complicated.
Best Character 2022
Thorrn Shardsson, from The Tenets in the Tattoos, by Becky James
Thorrn is one of those characters you love to hate, and can’t help but love anyway. He’s frustrating, annoying, stupid, and naive, but he’s also kind of endearing, and he means so well.
He’s an exceptionally skilled and talented swordsman, and he knows it. In fact, to him, it’s an indisputable fact, and the concept of false humility is too dishonest and complex for him to wrap his head around. His saving grace is that he’s also a genuinely good guy, who believes the best of everyone, who strives to always do what’s right, and who aspires to the lofty ideals he believes in.
Other nominees:
- Talia, from Inked, by Rachel Rener – sure, Biscuit is fun, but Talia is the one who carries the story, even if (or just because) she stumbles a lot.
- Mrs. Belinda Hawthorne, from Miss Percy’s Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons, by Quneby Olson – even more infuriating than Thorrn, but with absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever.
- Tanyth Fairport, from The Tanyth Fairport series, by Nathan Lowell – because sometimes you just need a sensible old lady who likes to drink tea and mind her own business.
Biggest Surprise 2022
The Forest of Forgotten Vows, by Grace Carlisle
I picked up this book because of the cover after seeing it as an entry in this year’s SPFBO. It starts out as a fairly standard contemporary/urban fantasy with fae book, and I nearly gave up on it, because I’m somewhat prejudiced against that kind of story (I’m trying to get over it, but it’s not easy).
I’m so happy I stuck with it. This little tale comes with a lot of unexpected twists, and it slowly became quite a bit darker than I’d initially expected.
Other nominees:
- Shadow Winged, by Jilleen Dolbeare – contemporary fantasy about an Alaskan bush pilot
- Falling Through Stars, by Staci Olsen – I picked this up because of the cover, without knowing anything about it.
- Queen of All, by Anya Josephs – this one looks so unassuming, but is so beautiful inside.
Most Beautiful Writing 2022
Queen of All, by Anya Josephs
I tend to prefer my books to be written in third person perspective, and I like them to be written in past tense. Queen of All is written in first person present tense, which starts it out at a big disadvantage with me, but it’s still the most beautifully written book I’ve read this year.
There’s something lyrical in how the narrator uses the prose to distance themselves from the main character rather than trying to create intense immediacy. It’s masterfully done, and well worth a read – even if you don’t like first person present.
Other nominees:
- Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons, and Miss Percy’s Travel Guide to Welsh Moors and Feral Dragons, by Quenby Olson – for adding to the authenticity of the stories through voice alone.
- Afro Puffs are the Antenna of the Universe, by Zig Zag Claybourne – for attitude and confidence.
- Falling Through Stars, by Staci Olsen – for bringing the world of the story to life through the gentle flow of the words.
