As per tradition, I am sharing my favorite reads of 2025.
Before I jump into it, though, I wanted to clarify that these are books that I read in 2025, not necessarily books that released in 2025. I hope you find something to read. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments below! I always love suggestions. If you want to see a full list of everything I read this year, visit my Goodreads. My only other caveat? I am a Penguin Random House employee & Wattpad/Webtoon Influencer. I put asterisks * around any titles that I received for free. (It’s still my honest review!)
Romantasy:
This was the year of the romantasy book for me. The Knight and the Moth was fabulous! It’s such a unique magic system, and the cursing/humor was so refreshing. *Arcana Academy* and its tarot magic system was also incredible. And the chemistry was chef’s kiss. A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows is for those looking for vampire-fae smut. It’s definitely entertaining! If you lean more toward court intrigue (like me), *The Bridge Kingdom* series is highly recommended. I also really enjoyed *Sword Catcher* and Onyx Storm, and I’m looking forward to reading the next books in all these series.
Webtoons
I was OBSESSED with Webtoons this year. To be frank, *Suitor Armor, Volumes 1-3* deserves to sit at my ultimate favorite read of the year, but I wanted to give that slot to novels. Suitor Armor brought me so much happiness. I kicked my feet so much, and I cannot wait to continue reading it. *Death of a Pop Star, Volume 1* also made me laugh out loud. I loved the entire cast, and I thought it was such a fun light-hearted (but intense) premise.
Most Surprising Favorite:
*The Compound* was the first psychological dystopian I’ve read in a long time. The voice is incredibly raw. Almost like a fever dream. But I couldn’t put it down. I almost wanted more from it. I could definitely read more dystopian-reality TV crossovers. It was strange and fascinating and something I could talk about for a very long time. We actually read this book as one of the Penguin Random House Employee Ambassadors Book Club picks, and I’m so glad we did. It’s a fantastic choice for a book club pick. There’s lots of layers. The dystopian-war has more of a background feel, and the content creates interesting debates.
My Ultimate Favorite(s):
I couldn’t choose this year! I’m obsessed with *Tusk Love* and *The Nightblood Prince.* Tusk Love is adult and The Nightblood Prince is young adult, so I feel like I can put both in this category. Tusk Love is an adventure romantasy with a great balance of romance, spice, and adventure. I was incredibly entertained (and the audiobook was amazingggg). It is a Critical Role book, but I didn’t even know what Critical Role was when I read this book, so don’t feel intimidated by that stamp. You can still pick it up! The Nightblood Prince is a young adult fantasy about a girl destined to be a powerful empress, stuck between two princes (one is a vampire!) & I literally read it in one sitting. It was soooo good. I loved the incredible tension between all of the characters. I never knew who to root for, so I was just along for the ride!
~SAT
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I think personal recommendations mean more than any publishing blurb. Thanks for sharing your list!
Same!! Most of the books I loved this year, someone told me to read it first.
For whatever reason, I got into a lot of Asian influenced fantasy. So much that I’m trying to take a break from that particular sub-genre for a while. For me this year, the stand outs have been Martha Wells’ Queen Demon and Kate Elliott’s The Witch Roads and The Nameless Land.
I need to read Queen Demon still! Thank you for the reminder. 😀
~SAT