I don't read space opera myself, but I've heard great things about Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire (ambassador to a planet has to solve what happened to her possibly-murdered predecessor) and Kate Elliot's Unconquerable Sun (gender-swapped Alexander the Great ... in space!)
For fantasy (listing the first book for each):
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, who has written multiple trilogies/quartets all set in the same world. If you want something proper high fantasy, but slower and very character-focused, this is the place to go. I particularly like her Liveships trilogy, which is all about a family of merchants and their ship, which has recently gained sentience. All subseries complete.
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft. Awkward, introverted school teacher loses his wife in they crowd as they honeymoon to the Tower of Babel and has to find her by climbing up. This is one of my favourite series ever. 3 books out, final book coming out 2021 I believe.
Jade City by Fonda Lee. Follows a mafia clan/gangster family in an East Asian-inspired setting, where possessing jade gives people superhuman abilities but also drives you a bit mad. It's so fast-paced and fun, I actually had to stand up and pace at some point lol. 2 books out, final book coming out 2021 I believe.
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Both complete trilogies, the former inspired by Middle Eastern mythologies (particularly djinn) and the second by Russian folklore. TBATN is esp great to read in winter, it's very atmospheric!
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. An accountant from a colonised country decides to infiltrate the empire and then overthrow it. It's grim but really good - I saw the ending of the first book coming and still sobbed my eyes out lmao. 3 books out, final book coming out ... at some point!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Set in a world rocked by apocalypses every few hundred years (like, volcano erupts and kills 90% of humankind apocalypse). During the latest such apocalypse, the main character is hunting for her husband because he's murdered their child. It's also grim but v good. Complete trilogy.
I uh co-run a fantasy book review blog lmao, I can keep going if you have a more specific wish :')
One quick note about The Fifth Season: It starts out in a kinda weird way. You have to just go with it. By the time you're done with the third book you'll understand everything, and it's awesome, but for a while the structure of the books can seem pretty bizarre.
Also, Assassin's Apprentice is, despite the title, much more angsty and much less murder-y than you might expect. It doesn't really give you much of a clue where it's ultimately going until partway through the third book. The conclusion is excellent, though, which is good because I found the series to be a fairly slow read.
I don't read space opera myself, but I've heard great things about Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire (ambassador to a planet has to solve what happened to her possibly-murdered predecessor) and Kate Elliot's Unconquerable Sun (gender-swapped Alexander the Great ... in space!)
For fantasy (listing the first book for each):
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, who has written multiple trilogies/quartets all set in the same world. If you want something proper high fantasy, but slower and very character-focused, this is the place to go. I particularly like her Liveships trilogy, which is all about a family of merchants and their ship, which has recently gained sentience. All subseries complete.
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft. Awkward, introverted school teacher loses his wife in they crowd as they honeymoon to the Tower of Babel and has to find her by climbing up. This is one of my favourite series ever. 3 books out, final book coming out 2021 I believe.
Jade City by Fonda Lee. Follows a mafia clan/gangster family in an East Asian-inspired setting, where possessing jade gives people superhuman abilities but also drives you a bit mad. It's so fast-paced and fun, I actually had to stand up and pace at some point lol. 2 books out, final book coming out 2021 I believe.
City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Both complete trilogies, the former inspired by Middle Eastern mythologies (particularly djinn) and the second by Russian folklore. TBATN is esp great to read in winter, it's very atmospheric!
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. An accountant from a colonised country decides to infiltrate the empire and then overthrow it. It's grim but really good - I saw the ending of the first book coming and still sobbed my eyes out lmao. 3 books out, final book coming out ... at some point!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Set in a world rocked by apocalypses every few hundred years (like, volcano erupts and kills 90% of humankind apocalypse). During the latest such apocalypse, the main character is hunting for her husband because he's murdered their child. It's also grim but v good. Complete trilogy.
I uh co-run a fantasy book review blog lmao, I can keep going if you have a more specific wish :')
Absolutely loved Jade City - it was just effortlessly cool.
Baru Cormorant gets some flak for aiming a little too high but I think it was pretty good despite its flaws.
One quick note about The Fifth Season: It starts out in a kinda weird way. You have to just go with it. By the time you're done with the third book you'll understand everything, and it's awesome, but for a while the structure of the books can seem pretty bizarre.
Also, Assassin's Apprentice is, despite the title, much more angsty and much less murder-y than you might expect. It doesn't really give you much of a clue where it's ultimately going until partway through the third book. The conclusion is excellent, though, which is good because I found the series to be a fairly slow read.