The book begins Bujold’s wonderful series The Sharing Knife, which is about a necromancer and a young, pregnant woman. Fawn is pregnant and has recently fled her family home, escaping a group of wandering necromancers known as Lakewalkers. When she runs across a terrible monster, an older Lakewalker named Dag comes to her rescue, and they are soon magically bound to one another for better or worse.

This epic fantasy novel is grand in scale while small in geography, focusing on a single city under harrowing occupation. Every aspect of culture in Ilmar is under the thumb of the occupying force and is being pushed aside. When one of their high officials is killed while venturing into a magical portal, the entire city is upended. Someone is responsible, and a hunt for the killer soon becomes full civil unrest. Alliances shift and break in mere moments throughout this politically complicated book.

Here’s another epic fantasy, full of political intrigue and globe-spanning conflict. This is the story of three women: Sylah, Anoor, and Hassa. Sylah is from the working class and orphaned, even though she was told she would one day lead a revolution. Anoor is the daughter of the empire’s ruler, but she’s always been told she is worthless. Hassa is enslaved, invisible. When these three women join forces in an unlikely alliance, they ignite a revolution that might be unstoppable.

Is there a series full of more deadly alliances than Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, beginning with this book? Spanning continents, royal families, and multiple fronts of battle, Martin’s unfinished epic, based on the factual War of the Roses, is so full of dark pacts and deadly alliances, any newcomer to the series will be just as shocked as we all were the first time we read this great series.

Power is one thing. But when a character is pushed to the edge and has to make a deal to get MORE power? That’s fascinating, like in this book. Ruying has a unique power. She can pull the life directly out of people. Despite this, she fears the conquerors of her world. When their prince discovers her ability, she makes a deal to protect her family, becoming the personal assassin to the prince. How can she serve the prince she hates and protect her people, though?

This book is so Faustian, Schwab even directly references the old work. Addie has been alive for over 300 years. The cost? No one can remember her from the moment they turn away from her. Until, that is, she meets Henry. Somehow, this kind man not only sees her and loves her, but he remembers her. But how? Why? Henry has his own secrets, and those might just unravel Addie’s long life.

Finally, here’s a historical fantasy set in old Hollywood, an era full of betrayal and back-room bargains. Luli Wei is a Chinese American actress trying to make it in pre-Code Hollywood. No small feat. What makes it more difficult is the system of ancient blood pacts and magic that drives the movie industry. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes to be a star, but then again, she always wanted to play the monster instead of the maid.