This week’s theme is Top Ten Books for if you’re in the mood for [x]. I’m gonna go with complex fantasy worlds!

1. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay. All kinds of stuff here — politics, magic, storytelling, music, love…
2. The Bards of Bone Plain, Patricia A. McKillip. Gorgeous, and lots to bite into.
3. The Traitor Baru Cormorant, Seth J. Dickinson. If you’re sick of fantasy stories in which queer people suffer, maybe not, but I love the fact that this makes being an accountant seem exciting.
4. A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan. Dragons! In a semi-historical-ish setting. Just read it; I love it.
5. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke. I know it’s a hell of a read, but there’s a lot of rich detail, careful characterisation, as well as throwbacks to Victorian fiction.
6. California Bones, Greg van Eekhout. Unusual magic system? Got it right here!
7. Warbreaker, Brandon Sanderson. I’d say Elantris, but I’ve somehow started and not finished reading that twice now. Either of these books seems to have very intriguing settings, though.
8. Sunshine, Robin McKinley. Want vampires, only actually weird? Magic? Alternate world post-apocalyptic stuff? Go!
9. Assassin’s Apprentice, Robin Hobb. Okay, it’s the start of an epic series which shows no sign of closing, but come on. Here Fitz is endearingly young and things are not, yet, quite as dark as they will get…
10. Magician, Raymond E. Feist. Makes this list from pure nostalgia, really — Arutha searching for the cure for Anita in Silverthorn was just, oh, the most romantic thing when I was a teen. Also a major major epic world, with a lot going on.

What would you add to my list? Gonna try anything I’ve included?