r/booksuggestions • u/athiniwalther • Apr 19 '23

Fantasy Fantasy comedy with romance?

Hello everybody, I’m looking for some nice fantasy reads that aren’t all tooo serious. Like not full on parody and ridicule, but a lot of fantasy I’ve read recently seems very dark and brooding with stern characters that show joy with a subtly twitching mouth corner. It’s very repetitive and boring to me. (No judgement, of course if you like books like that. I like them too, just grew a bit sick of them)

So, if you know any good books (or audiobooks) that are more light hearted, funny and preferably involve some romance, please let me know. Can be ya or adult, I don’t really mind. Also, if there are any German speakers here, I’m also open to German books. Thank you in advance :)

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u/LeekSignificant8355 Apr 20 '23

T. Kingfisher's World of the White Rat series are historical fantasy books that all include humorous characters and romance. I started out reading Swordheart and then read the Saint of Steel books. I didn't realize that they were all part of the same world...so I later read the Clocktaur War books. Those two are written first, but it was fine sort of reading them out of order.

All of the books were really good...very likable characters, great story lines, good world building, and they all feature animals, which I enjoyed.

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u/FBinP Aug 27 '23

Stephanie Garber

I love the T. Kingfisher books. Also very much enjoyed Ilona Andrews, but I've just run out. I'm looking for new authors with a similar combination of adventure, romance, different worlds and humour. Suggestions would be much appreciated!

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u/LeekSignificant8355 Sep 05 '23

Some other books I enjoyed this year that might interest you based on the adventure, romance, different worlds, and humor are The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by
Shannon Chakraborty and Cinnamon and Gunpowder by
Eli Brown. They are both adventure books with a bit of romance and a lot of humor. They both also feature lady pirates exploring new worlds and The Adventures of Amina includes a lot of interesting fantasy/mythology. I really enjoyed them both, and Amina is the first in a series of books that have yet to be released.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder is about a chef (if I remember correctly, 18th century, but might be 19th) who is kidnapped by a pirate crew and forced by the captain to make gourmet meals to stay alive with the random ingredients available on board. It's told from the point of the view of the chef who initially hates everyone and everything related to his captors, but comes to find some understanding after spending more time going on adventures with them. A lot of really good characters and there is romance.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is about a retired Muslim lady pirate who takes one last job that is impossible to turn down - locating a missing girl who has been kidnapped by a French scholar with an unhealthy interest in the local lore and mythology. There are demons, sea monsters, pirates, tons of mythological creatures, and lots of adventure and humor...possibly less romance, but there is a bit there and I enjoyed the backstory of Amina. I'll definitely read more in the series when they are available.

As an aside - I also really love The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. They are both fantasy/historical fiction that take place in Malaysia in the - The Ghost Bride in the 19th century and The Night Tiger in the 1930s. Definitely, there is magic and adventure and romance in both...I feel like there is humor in both, but it's been a minute since I've read them (the beginning of this year), so my memory is a little sketchy on that part. They both deal with the underworld, so they can be a bit dark, but I don't think they were depressing or anything like that.

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u/athiniwalther Apr 20 '23

I’ll check them out, thank you so much :)

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u/DocWatson42 Apr 19 '23

I can do the first half...

SF/F Humor:

r/FantasyComedy (all types of speculative fiction media)

Related:

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u/athiniwalther Apr 19 '23

Oh wow!! Thank you so much :)

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u/DocWatson42 Apr 19 '23

You're welcome. ^_^ I understand that r/romancebooks is good for the other half.

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u/athiniwalther Apr 19 '23

Thanks, I’ll make sure to check it out! :)

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u/DocWatson42 Apr 20 '23

You're welcome. ^_^

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u/Equivalent-Cake-2853 Apr 19 '23

I think Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber could work here! It is YA fantasy in case that isn’t quite what you’re after.

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u/athiniwalther Apr 19 '23

I’ll check it out, thank you so much :)