I don’t know about you, but I always put up a little resistance to reading a book that is overly hyped. I refused to touch Harry Potter when it first released and only, begrudgingly, read it after my grandmother bought me the first two books. I ended up loving HP, which only made me mad that I hadn’t read it sooner. Luckily, I’ve now found several bookish sources with similar taste to mine that I can trust for good book recommendations. However, it seems that everyone is always searching for the elusive unicorn that is a great underrated book.
First of all, you may only hear one or two people shouting from their soapboxes about a fantastic, yet unheard of novel. Their small voices are quickly drowned out by the thousands reminding us how great A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Folk of the Air series are.
Then, we have the issue of what actually makes a book underrated. For instance, I read ACOTAR at a time when I wasn’t involved in many online bookish forums. I have no idea at what point it reached “hyped” status, but I was blasting it all over my personal Facebook assured that no one else had heard of it. I still come across posts asking for underrated recs with comments like The Cruel Prince (TCP) and Six of Crows (SOC). Since this post is dealing with Goodreads (GR) ratings, I’ll go ahead and let you know that TCP has over 200,000 ratings and SOC has over 300,000. Hardly underrated if you ask me.
Anyway, today I’m sharing with you books that have less than 1,000 GR ratings that I rated 4 stars or higher. There are some indie titles in this list as well as books published within the last few years that just didn’t get the attention they deserved. Note: I have not included any books published June 2020 or later. Hopefully, there can be a part 2 of this post in the future.
Read Masters of the Broken Watches if you enjoy Dan Brown.
A thrilling, genre-bending novel that reveals the magic and adventure of scientific discovery. This action-packed work of science fiction will have you believing that space may not be the final frontier. A simple search for a theoretical species that could solve some of the universe’s greatest unanswered questions leads to a magical discovery and an international fight to protect it. You can read my review of Masters of the Broken Watches here.
Read Prince of Shadow and Ash if you liked A Knight’s Tale (I know it’s not a book, but it’s the most contemporary association I could find).
An exciting, yet heart-warming romantic fantasy that harkens back to the days of classic, medieval-inspired fantasy. Regulus is a bastard and a former mercenary that has become enslaved to an evil sorcerer. Adelaide is a lady whose magical powers are a secret that could get her killed. Drawn together despite their differences, Regulus and Adelaide face many enemies, but it is the secrets they keep from each other that could tear them apart for good. You can read my full review of Prince of Shadow and Ash here. The sequel, Staff of Nightfall, is also worth reading.
Read Love is a Rebellious Bird if you like Kristin Hannah or Nicholas Sparks.
This is the tale of unrequited love, or is it love that exists on both sides but never seems to come together? Either way, it is a beautifully written story. It reads like a lengthy letter written by Judith to the love of her life, Elliot. Though Judith has loved Elliot over 60 years (and Elliot seems to have love her in his own right), they never get around to having more than casual connections and close friendship.
Read The Heart of a Changeling if you enjoyed The Iron Fey series or The Cruel Prince (I use TCP because it is a popular novel, but, in my opinion, The Heart of a Changeling is more mature and well-developed).
Nora’s life has been marked with bad luck and horrible accidents. When a camping trip is cut short by a brutal attack and a kidnapping that nearly costs Nora her life, she is thrown headfirst into Avalon–the world of the Fae. They claim she’s a changeling, a Fae child hidden at birth in the human world. When she lands in the court of the Winter Fae, she ignites a mystery spanning back centuries, and everyone in Avalon wants a piece of her. Even the impossibly cold Winter King has taken a keen interest.
Read The Sword and the Dagger if you liked The Remnant Chronicles.
In Medieval Tripoli a Christian princess, the Prince she is promised to, and the Muslim assassin sent to kill her form an unlikely alliance. Together, they set off on an epic quest to confront Genghis Khan. Through many trials and tribulations, the unlikely trio find themselves dissolving prejudices and forging friendships as they battle foes both known and unknown. To read my review of The Sword and the Dagger click here.
Read Fae Hunter if you liked An Enchantment of Ravens.
When Allie’s twin sister steps through the magic circle into the Faerie realm, she opens the door to deadly fae, bent on causing havoc and harm to their village. Rendered blind to all but the spirit world, Allie is frustrated and angry, but determined to bring the fae down. No matter what the cost might be.
Read Beasts of the Frozen Sun if you liked Sky in the Deep.
Lira has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand. When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland, Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with battle-madness and forced to fight for the powerful warlord known as the Dragon. As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them. But the battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun.
Read Dark Skies if you like the Witchlands series (Truthwitch).
This is technically a sequel. However, books 1 and 2 in the Dark Shores series occur simultaneously and can be read in either order.
Lydia is a scholar, but, when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire, she flees west and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where her burgeoning powers are sought by both sides. Killian is Marked by the God of War, but, when his gifts fail him, he swears his sword to the kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up in a web of political intrigue that will put his oath – and his heart – to the test.
With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strike a bargain to save those they love most―but it is a bargain with unintended and disastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyalties questioned―all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realize sweeps across the world.
Read The Queen’s Wing if you liked The Selection or The Beholder.
Bel would do anything to spend her days alongside her best friend and childhood sweetheart Shae – training in the art of Vairian combat, hoping to some day live up to the legacy left by the mother she lost as a child. But when a mysterious and deadly attack on the capital lands Bel’s father unexpectedly on the throne, her life is forever changed. In order to secure her father’s new empire, Bel is forced to travel to the distant land of Anthaeus to marry its recently widowed ruler, Conleith.
For any other young woman the chance to become royalty would be a dream come true, but for Bel, the rigidity of court life is like a prison sentence. And while Conleith is an unexpectedly intriguing – and attractive – puzzle… could she ever love him when it would mean turning her back on her feelings for Shae, her first love and last connection to home?
When a brutal assassination attempt nearly takes her life, Bel learns that there’s more on the line than just her happiness. Is it the same faceless enemy who attacked her homeland and, with dangers around every corner, who in the palace can she trust?
I hope that you consider picking up one (or more) of these books. Do you have any underrated unicorns that you’d like to add to this list? Let me know in the comments!
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