Not even all the way through January, and already three entries on my list for the best of 2019. (Note: two of them are not yet published; I read ARCs from Netgalley.)

The Philosopher’s War, sequel to the book that took my top spot in 2017, is urban fantasy in World War I with a conflicted and relatable main character.

The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie’s first fantasy novel, is (of course) extremely well executed, odd, and disturbing, not least in what it does with narrative expectations.

Tess of the Road, a new series in the same world in which Rachel Hartmann set the wonderful Seraphina, won’t be to everyone’s taste (not that the other two will either); it’s a long, slow book in which the inner journey is more important than the outer journey, and in which the protagonist starts out unpromising. I found it worth sticking with.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/941876-mike?page=1&shelf=2019-years-best&view=list