Switched Twins, Inherited Gnomes, and Undead Gods Who Don't Care

by Granger

Identical twins separated at birth swap places, so a Sun princess from a desert kingdom ends up on a train to a hidden magical HBCU while her sister is stuck in her world. It's sitting at 4.74 with over 2,400 ratings, which is the highest score on this list. Heads up that it's labeled book 5 of a series, so check the reading order before you dive in.

by Mel Dau

Claire Summers heads back to Forks, Washington, to manage her father Alo's casino and finds out a family tradition now includes her. It's a re-release with a 4.59 from about 750 readers, so the fans are clearly loyal. Best for paranormal romance readers who like a small-town setting with a twist.

by Daniel Arenson

Daniel Arenson's opener gives us the fallen kingdom of Requiem, where people could grow wings and scales and fly as dragons until the tyrant Dies Irae and his griffin army burned it all down. At 3.62 with more than 4,200 ratings, it's the most divisive pick here, and I'd say that's fair. If you want dragons and epic fantasy and don't need a perfect score, it's worth a free download.

by A.A. Albright

A reluctant witch takes a job at a magical museum and finds herself dealing with killer artifacts, a killer knight, and some very strange murders. Oh, and there's a mysterious dormouse, which sold me immediately. A 4.45 from 370 readers suggests a fun cozy mystery for people who like their magic a little sinister.

by Dean Jarvis

A man inherits his Aunt Sally's house and her beloved garden gnome collection, then discovers a community he never knew existed. It's at 4.56 with 300 or so ratings, and reviewers call it charming and darling. The one complaint is that it ends too fast and leaves you wanting more gnome time, so go in expecting a short, sweet read.

“just cute What a darling. Little cute story. I am sad to not get to know more about the gnomes. Ended did far too quickly.”

by Caitlyn Battelle

In Kava, magic vanished years ago and being caught with any means death, so Elysia Parker lives in constant fear. It's at 4.08 with about 500 ratings, and the reviews split. One reader loved the complex, descriptive worldbuilding and gave it four stars, while another DNF'd at 32%. It's a good fit if you like dense, dark fantasy and will stick with a slow start.

“˖ ࣪ ⟡˚ DNF @ 32% ˚⟡ ࣪ ˖ ⤷ 09/09/2024 ⋆ˎˊ˗ thank you to NetGalley, the publisher ‘Twelfth House Publishing’, and the author for allowing me to read an E-arc of this book. i feel so bad, as i hate leaving negative reviews, but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. the synopsis sounded like something...”