As we reach the end of another year, it’s time to look back at the books we’ve read in 2024.

Here at the Hive, we just love celebrating awesome fantasy fiction, so please sit back and enjoy the following awards – and be sure to check out each of the awesome winners!

We know that this time of year there are loads of these kinds of posts: “My Top 20” and “Our Favourite Books”, and it can be disheartening for authors to miss out on these lists. As we did last year, we invited all our contributors to nominate books for each category, and then we voted on our favourites.

We’ll be including all the nominations in a small attempt to highlight more book from this fantastic year of fantasy and science-fiction.

~ Debut of the Year ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people and without a Blessing to protect him, Ganymedes’s odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their secret Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

Set time aside when you step aboard, because you won’t be leaving until the ride comes to a complete stop – Cat

~ Best Dressed ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.’s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy, and Henerey’s brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings’ disappearances with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance – and what it could mean for life as they know it.

Cathrall is an author who delves her readers into a fantasy with both warmth and charm whilst tenderly revealing a story of unsettling discoveries and tragic loss – Nils

~ Short and Sweet ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohammed

A world-weary woman races against the clock to rescue the children of a wrathful tyrant from a dangerous, otherworldly forest.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in, they never come back out.

No one knows the strange and terrifying traps of the Elmever better than Veris Thorn, the only person to ever rescue a child from the forest many years ago. When the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest once more and bring them home safe. If Veris fails, the Tyrant will kill her; if she remains in the forest for longer than a day, she will be trapped forevermore.

So Veris will travel deep into the Elmever to face traps, riddles, and monsters at the behest of another monster. One misstep will cost everything.

a psychedelic, striking and philosophical tale which portrays the essence of horror in the best of ways – Nils

~ Standout Standalone ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.

An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

a dark academia that confronts social and racial injustices that carries all the emotional impact you can expect from Wang – Beth

~ Satisfying Sequel ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

The Company of the Wolf by David Wragg

Full of David Wragg’s unique blend of humour, heart, and high stakes, The Company of the Wolf is the epic next installment in the Tales of the Plains trilogy.

Seeking a better life, Ree and Javani have traveled west into the mountains, and left their pasts – and their troubles – behind. But new places bring new problems, and when they stumble across a lone traveler under bandit attack, they make the mistake of lending a hand.

Forced to take refuge in the traveler’s village, they quickly find allies among the lush, wooded hills. But then the true nature of the bandits is revealed.

With winter approaching and a vengeful company of mercenaries circling like wolves, Ree and Javani must uncover the secrets of this peaceful valley . . . or risk the ruin of it all.

a fun filled fantasy Western where underdogs face impossible odds and make their last stand – Nils

~ Series Conclusion ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

The Fury of the Gods is the earth-shattering final book in John Gwynne’s bestselling Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance

THE FINAL BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF VIGRIÐ APPROACHES

Varg has overcome the trials of his past and become an accepted member of the Bloodsworn, but now he and his newfound comrades face their biggest challenge yet: slaying a dragon.

Elvar is struggling to consolidate her power in Snakavik, where she faces threats from within and without. As she fights to assert her authority in readiness for the coming conflict, she faces a surely insurmountable task: reining in the ferocity of a wolf god.

As Biorr and his warband make their way north, eager for blood, Gudvarr pursues a mission of his own, hoping to win Lik-Rifa’s favour and further his own ambitions.

All paths lead to Snakavik, where the lines are being drawn for the final battle – a titanic clash that will shake the foundations of the world, and bear witness to the true fury of the gods.

phenomenally epic and has elements of everything that makes the fantasy genre so damn enjoyable to read – Nils

~ Marvellous Magic System ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart

After a divine war shattered the world, humanity struck a pact with the god Kluehnn: in return for regular tribute of magical gems, Kluehnn would restore the world to its former glory. But as each land is transformed, so too are its people changed into strange new forms – if they survive at all.

Hakara is not willing to pay such a price. Desperate to protect herself, and her sister Rasha, she flees her homeland for the safety of a neighbouring kingdom. But tragedy strikes when they’re separated, and Hakara is forced to abandon Rasha to an unknown fate.

Yet when Hakara discovers she can channel the power of the magical gems, she’s invited to join a clandestine plot to destroy the God Pact. To win Hakara to their cause, the conspirators reveal a startling secret: Rasha is alive – and they can help rescue her.

But only if Hakara goes to war against a god.

The Gods Below begins an epic new fantasy series from Sunday Times bestselling author Andrea Stewart, where two sisters find themselves on opposite sides of a war against gods

a fascinatingly crafted world with some truly exquisite magical elements and multiple interesting PoVs – Vinay

~ A Hug In A Book ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

An intrepid professor must uncover faerie secrets in the delightful and heart-warming second instalment of the Sunday Times bestselling Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.

But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm.

By lucky happenstance, Emily’s new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

a heart-warming tale with a fairytale-esque atmosphere and I simply love journeying with Emily and seeing the chaos which always inevitably erupts – Nils

~ Most Evil Character ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Zarconar from Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

A sharp-witted, high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival – all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.

But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.

one of my top reads of the year – Beth

~ Hidden Gem ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

Looking for your one shot to rise to the “top of the pots” in the cutthroat world of interstellar cuisine? Look no further—you might have what it takes to be an Interstellar MegaChef!

Stepping off a long-haul star freighter from Earth, Saras Kaveri has one bag of clothes, her little flying robot Kili… and an invitation to compete in the galaxy’s most watched, most prestigious cooking show. Interstellar MegaChef is the showcase of the planet Primus’s austere, carefully synthesised cuisine. Until now, no-one from Earth—where they’re so incredibly primitive they still cook with fire—has ever graced its flowmetal cookstations before, or smiled awkwardly for its buzzing drone-cams.

Corporate prodigy Serenity Ko, inventor of the smash-hit sim SoundSpace, has just got messily drunk at a floating bar, narrowly escaped an angry mob and been put on two weeks’ mandatory leave to rest and get her work-life balance back. Perfect time to start a new project! And she’s got just the idea: a sim for food. Now she just needs someone to teach her how to cook.

A chance meeting in the back of a flying cab has Saras and Serenity Ko working together on a new technology that could change the future of food—and both their lives—forever…

Fun, thoughtful, poignant, and questioning – Vinay

~ Best Fantasy Creature ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Spertus from Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

The Fury of the Gods is the earth-shattering final book in John Gwynne’s bestselling Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance

THE FINAL BATTLE FOR THE FATE OF VIGRIÐ APPROACHES

Varg has overcome the trials of his past and become an accepted member of the Bloodsworn, but now he and his newfound comrades face their biggest challenge yet: slaying a dragon.

Elvar is struggling to consolidate her power in Snakavik, where she faces threats from within and without. As she fights to assert her authority in readiness for the coming conflict, she faces a surely insurmountable task: reining in the ferocity of a wolf god.

As Biorr and his warband make their way north, eager for blood, Gudvarr pursues a mission of his own, hoping to win Lik-Rifa’s favour and further his own ambitions.

All paths lead to Snakavik, where the lines are being drawn for the final battle – a titanic clash that will shake the foundations of the world, and bear witness to the true fury of the gods.

phenomenally epic and has elements of everything that makes the fantasy genre so damn enjoyable to read – Nils

~ Best Short Story Collection ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Out of the Window, Into the Dark by Marian Womack

The employee of a library-planet grapples with industrial espionage. The connection between an indie comic and a local boogie-man is discovered by a group of friends. In a future museum of the mind, a nostalgia-addicted curator tries to understand the emotions of 20th century humans. An Anglo-Saxon traveller narrates her journey into the Artic regions to her Queen. A group of friends tries to capture the last pink-footed goose on Planet Earth…

Marian Womack’s new collection of short stories shows us how the then and the now, the future and the past, are made of the same particles. Loneliness, nostalgia and its dark ghosts, and the possibilities for humanity if technology and preservation dovetail, are brought together with Womack’s characteristic crossing of genres, places and moods. Out Through the Window, Into the Dark is a collection for our and future times, movingly demonstrating the devastating consequences of our collective actions. 

an essential document of one of our key authors working in genre today – Jonathan

~ Best in Translation ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda (Translator)

A cat a day keeps the doctor away….

Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation.

Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.

~ Best Reissue ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

Miserere: An Autumn Tale by T. Frohock

Everything has a price, and those who deal with the devil pay dearly in this enthralling dark fantasy about redemption, sacrifice, and a Hell-bound battle between good and evil.

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru made a choice that has haunted him for years. He abandoned his lover, Rachael, to Hell to save the damned soul of his sister, Catarina. But Catarina doesn’t want to be saved. Now a prisoner in his reviled sister’s home, Lucian is being used as a tool to help fulfill Catarina’s wicked unleash the demons of the underworld to wage a war above.

Lucian’s first step in thwarting Catarina’s plan is to make amends with the past. Escaping captivity, he is determined to find Rachael even if it means entering the gates of Hell itself. Only then does he cross paths with a young girl fleeing from her own terrors. With the frightened foundling in tow, Lucian embarks on a journey to right a terrible wrong, to protect the innocent, and to rescue the woman he loves.

But no one escapes Catarina’s wrath. She’s just as driven in her to track down her brother wherever it leads. And when she finds him, and she will, she vows to turn his heart to glass, grind it to powder, and crush the souls of everyone he loves.

danger, treachery, betrayal, guilt, grief and redemption, all wrapped up in glorious prose and richly imagined worldbuilding – TO Munro

~ Book of the Year ~

Nominations:

and the winner is…

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennet

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

an uncanny, trippy read and I loved every page of it – Nils

That concludes our 2024 Year-End Awards – a huge congratulations to all our nominees and of course our winners!

Which books would you have chosen? Are there any categories you’d like to see next year?

Let us know in the comments!