It’s that time of year again when the r/fantasy bingo challenge is wrapping up. Once again I have a actually been able to complete reviews for all of my reads (some are full length and some are mini reviews–link included where possible) I thought I would go ahead and do a wrap up post talking about some of the books I’ve read for this challenge over the past year.
Unlike last year, I didn’t do a themed card. I did, however, try to pick out all of my books ahead of time. That didn’t work out at all because, honestly, I am not great at sticking to any long-term reading schedules. The fate of being a mood-reader. I did, nonetheless, complete the challenge (barely).
HERE IS MY FILLED OUT CARD!
THE SQUARES AND BOOKS
FIRST ROW ACROSS:
- Novel Translated from its Original Language – Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko.
- Setting Featuring Snow, Ice, or Cold – Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell.
- Optimistic SFF – The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
- Novel Featuring Necromancy – The Shadow Glass by Rin Chupeco.
- Ace / Aro Spec Fic – The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk.
Second Row Across:
- Novel Featuring a Ghost – Blood Debt by Tanya Huff.
- Novel Featuring Exploration – Drowned Country by Emily Tesh.
- Climate Fiction – SUBSITUTED FOR YA NOVEL – To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo.
- Novel with a Colour in the Title – Written in Red by Anne Bishop.
- Any r/fantasy Book Club Book of the Month OR r/fantasy Read-along Book – Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans.
Third Row Across:
- Self-Published SFF Novel – Rebel by Krista D. Ball.
- Novel with Chapter Epigraphs – The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis.
- Novel Published in 2020 – Dracula’s Child by J.S. Barnes
- Novel Set in a School or University – Mary Quirk and the Secret of Umbrum Hall by Anna St. Vincent.
- Book About Books – Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter.
Fourth Row Across:
- A Book that Made You Laugh – Redshirts by John Scalzi.
- Five SFF Short Stories – Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker.
- Big Dumb Object – Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey.
- Feminist Novel – Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri.
- Novel by a Canadian Author – Jade City by Fonda Lee.
Fifth Row Across:
- Novel with a Number in the Title – Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater.
- Romantic Fantasy / Paranormal Romance – Dragon Unleashed by Grace Draven.
- Novel with a Magical Pet / Companion – Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
- Format: Graphic Novel (at least 1 vol.) OR Audiobook / Audio drama – Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu.
- Novel Featuring Politics – Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
2020 was an exhausting year and I’ll admit that for most of the year this reading challenge was the furthest thing from my mind, even as the person who created it! I didn’t read a ton of books with bingo in mind, except for a few, but those were already in my TBR and were on my list of ‘books I need to get to’ anyway. My strategy after a month or so was just to read whatever and let the books fall where they may. Luckily for me I do read enough in the genre that I could fill my card out with books I happened to have read throughout the year. I feel like I ended up with a pretty interesting and diverse card, even though a lot of my books do tend to skew toward the ‘romance’ end of things, but I had a good mix of sci-fi and fantasy, and even one horror novel! I’m not sure if I’ll be participating in the new 2021 card or not, but most likely I’ll read whatever and see how things end up next March. 🙂
Have you read any of these books? Do any of them catch your attention? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to chat!
Way Too Fantasy 
Looks like you read smoe great books for this challenge!
(www.evelynreads.com)
Thanks, Evelyn! I really did. 🙂
You did a great job!! I had so much fun with it this year, especially because it gave me the opportunity to read some books that were waiting on the sidelines for way too much time, and it made me discover some great new authors (Krista D. Ball first of all! 😍). At the beginning I tried to pick books for the squares but as time passed I just went on reading without too much thoughts to the Bingo, and see which books could be useful for it afterward. But this year I would try and pick in advance the books for it, even if I don’t think it would last… But at least I will try!
Thank you!
Oh, I’m glad you had fun with it! I hope you enjoy the new card when it comes out as well. I’m always happy to see people having a good time with this challenge. 🙂
I am soooooooo looking forward to the new card!!
Yay!
Congrats on finishing, Lisa! I’m surprised I’ve only read four of these, but I see a lot on my TBR. It looks like a fantastic bunch😁
Thanks! I finished just barely, but I made it happen! I don’t have any firm plans of doing the 2021 card but we’ll see what happens lol.
I own many of the books on this Bingo, and I haven’t read them all yet! Kudos on completing it!
Thanks! Oh, I own a lot of unread books in general so I totally feel ya haha. 🙂
Congrats on finishing this!! That’s an amazing accomplishment!💜
Thanks, Kaya!
Well done – especially keeping on with this and completing the entire card during this very trying year.
Lynn 😀
Thanks, Lynn! Saying it like that, it does feel like quite the accomplishment.
WOW, that’s some accomplishment!! Congratulations! 🙂
I was happy to see two of my favorite books – Redishirts and Leviathan Wakes – on your bingo card, as well as Jade City, that was an intriguing series beginner. And I recently finished Winter’s Orbit, which was a delightful read.
Thank you!
I enjoyed both Redshirts and Leviathan Wakes more than I thought I would. Redshirts was both exactly what I expected and completely different LOL.
I want to continue on with The Green Bone Saga even though I felt pretty ‘meh’ on Jade City–I think it may have been my mood at the time. But I loooooved Winter’s Orbit–such a lovely book.
I enjoyed Jade City and yet I have still to pick up Jade War, although it’s been on my TBR for quite a while now: I guess, as you said, that it’s a matter of mood, as usual…