19 of the Best Debut Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels

Prashanth Srivatsa's highly anticipated debut publishes on July 16, 2024, but the glowing reviews from readers with advance copies are already starting to pile up. Shannon Chakraborty calls The Spice Gate “a magnificent feast of a world,” while Publishers Weekly's starred review says the novel is “a masterful fantasy epic bursting with flavor.”

The story features the titular Spice Gates: Relics of a mysterious god, the gates connect eight distant kingdoms. Only those born with a special mark, called Spice Carriers, can travel through the gates, but the power isn't all that you might imagine: the gates wound those who traverse them, and most Spice Carriers must answer to demanding masters.

Amir is a Spice Carrier who dreams of being more than a mule for the rich. He can't just leave, though, because his family depend on him. When Amir finds himself drawn into a grand conspiracy, however, he realizes that his own dreams and goals are insignificant when compared to the machinations all around him.

Nnedi Okorafor’s first novel revolves around Zahrah, a young village girl who is ostracized due to the growing vines atop her head. 

Aside from introducing a fascinating fantasy world where people grow computers from seeds and use flowers as currency, this book also delivers a heartwarming tale about friendship and belonging.

Monster-slaying might be a staple of the fantasy genre, but you don't often get the story from the monster's perspective. In the novel debut by Nebula Award-winning writer John Wiswell, Shesheshen is a shapeshifter who's just made the fatal mistake of falling in love. She hasn't fallen in love with just anyone, mind, but a human … a human who, it turns out, is on the hunt for a shapeshifting monster she believes cursed her family. 

Here's what bestselling author CL. Polk had to say in a review of Someone You Can Build A Nest In, which publishes April 2: “I love the wonder and the darkly enchanting danger of this story. It makes me think of fairy tales, but John Wiswell understands what so many have forgotten: that true fairy tales are gruesome and magical at the same time, and he nails it here.”

Did you really expect us to leave this one off the list? Tolkien's story of Middle Earth begins with this classic, and while it's hardly an under-the-radar read at this point, you can't make a list of the best debut sci-fi/fantasy novels without it. 

Patrick Rothfuss hooked all of us with the story of Kvothe. While The Name of the Wind was the debut novel from Rothfuss, the story itself is built on a lifetime's appreciation of stories. In fact, for all of the sympathy (magic in that world) and sweeping, tragic events that unfold, the entirety of the novel is itself a story … or at least, part of one, which is meant to unfold over three days' time. 

From the exploration of popular tropes like the wise old wizard or even D&D classes like bards and mages, The Name of the Wind has everything you could want in a debut work.

It’s no secret that anything N.K. Jemisin touches turns into a timeless masterpiece, and her award-winning debut is no exception. 

Set in a chaotic universe where gods dwell among mortals, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms tells a story that explores the dark nature of power and challenges those who wield it. This is a compelling first installment to a fantasy series that’s known for its rich mythology, unique worldbuilding, and masterful storytelling. 

For avid fans of Greek mythology and retellings, look no further than The Song of Achilles! 

Following the tragic love story between Achilles and Patroclus, this beautifully written debut has warmed and broken many readers’ hearts since its publication. If you ever feel like dehydrating your tear ducts, this is the read for you.

Imagine debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list with your first ever novel. That's what Tomi Adeyemi managed to do with her instant classic, Children of Blood and Bone. The West African-inspired fantasy world of Orïsha was once home to powerful magic, and Zélie Adebola is on a quest to bring it back. To do so, she'll need the help of a rogue princess to outwin and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 

A story of choices and consequences, the Legacy of Orisha continued with another bestseller in Children of Virtue and Vengeance. The third book in the series, Children of Anguish and Anarchy, hits bookshelves June 25.

This ambitious space opera follows the treacherous adventures of the Wayfarer crew and is told through the perspective of a young space explorer who subconsciously yearns for a family. 

Set in space but grounded in human emotions, Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is the literary equivalent of a wormhole, effortlessly sucking readers in.

The Red Rising saga is undoubtedly one of the most popular YA dystopian series to date—and for good reason. 

In its first installment, readers are introduced to a color-coded caste system and a grief-stricken young man who is determined to overthrow the ruling class. And the twist? To take down his enemies, Darrow must first join them and rise through their ranks.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon follows a premise where Earth has been totally decimated and the last of humanity must rely on a massive space vessel to safely take them to a mythical Promise Land. 

Through the eyes of an intersex and autistic healer named Aster, this powerful debut novel explores hard-hitting themes such as slavery, generational trauma, racism, and mental illness.

Drawing inspiration from Mughal India, Empire of Sand offers a dazzling, albeit dangerous, fantasy that features desert spirits, religious fanatics, and a fearsome empire built on bloodshed. It also delivers an agonizingly slow-burn romance between a half-Amrithi noblewoman and a soft-hearted slave. 

This is absolutely perfect for fans of romantic fantasy with generous amounts of angst!

The Poppy War is a phenomenal military fantasy that touches on the Second-Sino Japanese War. It is largely told through the perspective of Rin, a dark-skinned war orphan-turned-Sinegard scholar who later discovers that she possesses unearthly powers which could change the course of history. 

Unapologetically delving into the very real repercussions of war and conquest, R.F. Kuang’s debut is not for the faint of heart.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where fearsome monsters terrorize the land, Trail of Lightning is centered on Maggie Hoskie, a supernaturally gifted monster hunter. 

Drawing inspiration from Native American mythology and offering elements of mystery, Roanhorse’s debut novel is uniquely spellbinding. 

For sci-fi fans who enjoy political machinations and murder mysteries, A Memory Called Empire might just be your cup of tea. 

In a time of political instability, Ambassador Mahit Dzmare must navigate the imperial court and a far too seductive alien culture, all the while investigating the murder of her predecessor.

Travis Baldree narrated hundreds of books before his low-stakes cozy novel Legends & Lattes took the fantasy world by storm. Nominated for Best Novel by both the Nebula and Hugo Awards, Legend & Lattes tells the story of orc swordsman and mercenary Viv who has decided she prefers retirement to the more traditional route of dying in battle. 

In a world of grimdark antiheroes and challenging, epic fantasy, Baldree's debut clocks in at just 316 pages with characters and a plot that are easy to love.

The premise of Raybearer can be summed up into one intriguing question: What if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy? 

With an incredibly skilled hand, Jordan Ifueko weaves an unforgettable tale about loyalty and desire, vengeance and justice, and identity and belonging. 

Teeming with wonderfully dimensional characters and carefully crafted worldbuilding, this debut novel has set the bar much higher for the next generation of YA fantasy.

The Night Circus helped to launch the marvelous career of Erin Morgenstern, who won the 2012 Locus Award for Best First Novel. The story details a rivalry and a romance between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, trained by handlers for a game more perilous than they can understand. 

The audience might think there is nothing particularly dangerous about Le Cirque des Rêves, the strange circus that arrives without warning and only performs at night, but there is far more to the show than just the daring acrobats overhead.

First released in 2018 and reintroduced traditionally in 2020, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is the latest blueprint for character-focused epic fantasy. 

Following a notoriously ruthless queen who is hellbent on keeping her kingdom together, this story delivers a uniquely provocative narrative that leaves readers wanting more. Intriguing, compelling, and most of all, addictive.