Holiday Gift Guide for Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovers
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
As a kid, my favorite part of the holidays was receiving gifts. I mean, isn’t that pretty much every kid? But now, as an adult, I freaking love giving gifts. Shopping for just the right thing for a loved one or making something special that you’ll know they’ll enjoy.
Books are one of my favorite things to give as gifts. It’s fun picking out just the right read for someone based on what you know they enjoy. Here are some of my favorite fantasy and sci-fi novels that will make amazing gifts for the people on your list. Bonus: they’re all independently published!
Faerie Blood and Cold Iron Hounds by Rosalind Wulf
Lovers of fae lore, rejoice! This novel is perfect for the new adult and older teenager in your life, but honestly, it’s a great read for anyone. I call Wulf’s writing style “high fantasy that feels like urban fantasy.” Here’s the synopsis:
A brownie raised Lavender, an iron hound protected her, and then fate took her on a ride.Lavender left her human parents when she was eight. Twenty-one years old now, she must leave her peaceful life behind and embark on her prophesied journey to rule over Fae. Though her destiny is sealed and her choices are narrowed to none, Lavender learns what it really means to live your own life.If you enjoy the fae creatures of Seanan McGuire's October Daye series, you'll quickly warm to Rosalind Wulf's take on the fair folk. Packed with the romantic tension we dream of and the familial tension we know far too well, Faerie Blood & Cold Iron Hounds immerses the reader in the fantasy world of Fae in a way that's all very real. Cait Sidhe bounty hunters and malicious faerie queens may present a problem for Lavender, but it's the familiar tale of a young woman fighting for her own identity that will keep readers turning the pages.
Daughter of the Deep by Lina Amarego
Pirates? Check. Arranged marriage? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. This YA novel from Lina Amarego isn’t just a fun read of adventure and romance. It’s also beautifully written. Here’s the blurb:
A wedding to end a war. It’s been four years since the blood feud between the Branwens and Mathonwys started. Four years of sunken ships and loved ones lost, four years of wounds both seen and unseen. Keira Branwen is no stranger to duty. As the first mate of a legendary pirate ship, blessed by the sea-god Lyr, and heir apparent to her clan, she would sail to the Otherworld and back to keep her family safe. But when the Council threatens banishment for her people, Keira is faced with a choice; she must either marry her father’s alleged killer, the sea-snake Ronan Mathonwy, or curse her family to the deep. But in the Seven Isles of the Deyrnas, secrets sleep just beneath the surface of the water. Her father’s death is still shrouded in mystery, and Ronan—her childhood friend, the man she once loved — is hell-bent on proving his innocence. As enemies become friends and friends become suspects, Keira must wade through the waters of doubt to expose the truth, save her family, and restore her father’s legacy. But Keira soon learns that there are ties thicker than blood, and there is more than one way to sacrifice a life.
Refurbished by Michelle Monárrez
If you have a reader on your list who loves superheroes or is an avid reader of dystopian fiction, you’ve got to buy this debut novel from Mexican-American author, Michelle Monárrez. It’s beautifully written and loads of fun, but it’s also got some incredible social commentary on the government and how we treat immigrants. Check out the blurb:
The end of the world came and went.
Twenty years later humanity is crafting new and secretive ways to protect itself, but the atmosphere stays clear of threats . . .
Eighteen-year-old academy graduate Alyssa is determined to start her military career as a GENE (Genetically Enhanced Entity) on her own terms. But after being transferred from her native London to America, she struggles to control her powers and find her place among a military unit of underdogs and other enhanced soldiers. When a rogue GENE is taken into custody, Alyssa’s empathy for him forces her to choose between her carefully mapped out life plan, or a path that would put her in direct conflict with her superiors.
With the promise of superpowers and a green card on the table, thirteen-year-old Miguel signs a contract to become a GENE. Enduring the enhancement process is sure to be worth it with his refugee status at stake and dazzling dreams of becoming a superhero in the mix. But when he forms a psychic connection with a mysterious girl who could die without his help, he must decide what he’s willing to risk in order to save her.
As Alyssa and Miguel embark on parallel journeys, their desire to choose their own individual paths transforms into a fierce battle for the rights of fellow enhanced people. The world might not be ready to find out about GENEs, but it had better brace itself. The protective barrier of secrecy will soon burst, and those called “Refurbished” will make themselves known.
From Darkest Seas by Rosalind Chase
Rosalind Chase is one of my favorite authors. This novel is hauntingly beautiful. It’s fantasy, in that there is a selkie who is trapped in the human world in her human skin. But it’s also a story of grieving and healing and accepting the darkest parts of yourself. Here’s the plot. Be sure to read the content warnings in the last paragraph.
Selkie
It’s a memory of a word his wife once taught him. Before she died. Before he became famous for catching the Blue Heart Killer. Before he took early retirement and moved to a quiet mountain town for the sole purpose of forgetting. Forgetting his grief, his mistakes, his nature.But Greg Owens can’t forget.And neither can Rhona Leith.Not since she slipped through the veil. Not since she pulled the seal skin from her body and took human form, took human life. Not since she fell in love once, twice, three times. No, Rhona can never forget how inhuman she truly is.
Selkie
A myth. A legend. A monster.As both of their pasts come to light, Greg and Rhona explore a realm of pleasure and pain, love and regret, life and death. Greg soon realizes that Rhona could be the key to dispelling the darkness inside of him.
Or maybe she will simply set it free.
This original, modern fairy tale is a sensual story full of magical realism, murder and the monsters within us, woven from several lifetimes and love affairs. From Darkest Seas, a bisexual romance, features FM, FF, and MFM relationships.
The Techno Mage by S.W. Raine
This is a great choice for the reader who loves everything or the reader whose preferences you don’t know. It’s a steampunk pirate novel. So it’s got adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi elements. Also: SKY PIRATES.
he’s being held hostage and yet, Magaliana doesn’t want to be saved.
Close friends Ikarim, Arteus, and Magaliana always knew the dangers of sky pirates, but what they didn’t expect was having their airship repair shop pillaged and being separated when Magaliana, a noble, is sold for a hefty bounty.
Once in the hands of the Techno Mage, her world changes. He’s a mythical man with the ability to flawlessly combine both technology and alchemy, and his mythical ship is a haven for Magaliana. There, she discovers how to refine her craft.
Ikarim and Arteus are determined to escape the sky pirates to save her, but do they have what it takes before the Techno Mage initiates his grand plan?
The Scholars of Elandria Series by Krystal N. Craiker
This is my blog, after all! The Scholars of Elandria series is now a complete trilogy. The Sage’s Consort is the first one, followed by The Consort’s Journey and The Sage’s War. I consider my fantasy series “bite-sized.” They’re easy reads with heavy topics and addictive romance. They’re great “gateway” fantasy books for readers who swear they can’t stand magical worlds.
You can find the blurbs here. But here’s the best part. If you order signed copies from my website, you can save money! If you buy two of the series, use promo code BUNDLE2. But if you buy all three, you can use BUNDLE3. I’m also offering faster shipping during December so that you get your order before Christmas.
I hope these books help you check off your shopping list!
Happy Holidays!
~Krystal