Editors Reads
Fantasy & Epic SeriesScience FictionHorror & Dark FictionSpeculative Fiction

James Hartley

282 books reviewed 12 articles written

Genre Fiction Editor, Editors Reads

James Hartley has been reading science fiction and fantasy since before he could read them properly, and has spent the past fifteen years reviewing genre fiction with the conviction that speculative storytelling is as serious an art form as any other. As Genre Fiction Editor at Editors Reads, he covers fantasy, science fiction, and horror — from sweeping epic series to slim, brutal novellas — with particular interest in world-building that earns its strangeness and horror that has something real to say about being alive.

282 Books Reviewed

The Lord of the Rings book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

The Lord of the Rings

by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.9

The epic masterwork of fantasy literature. Frodo Baggins inherits the One Ring — the instrument of Sauron's power — and must carry it to the fires of Mount Doom to destroy it before the Dark Lord reclaims it and enslaves all of Middle-earth.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban book cover
Bestseller
4.8

A convicted murderer has escaped Azkaban prison and is believed to be hunting Harry Potter, forcing Harry to confront the true story of his parents' betrayal and death. The mystery that unravels is more complicated, more painful, and more morally instructive than any straightforward threat.

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Project Hail Mary book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

4.8

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth, with no memory of how he got there. As he pieces together the mission, he realises he may be humanity's last hope against a microscopic threat that is slowly extinguishing the Sun — and that he is not entirely alone.

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The Hobbit book cover
Bestseller

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.8

Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, unadventurous hobbit, is swept away by the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on a quest to reclaim a mountain kingdom from the dragon Smaug. The predecessor to The Lord of the Rings — shorter, lighter in tone, and the perfect entry point to Middle-earth.

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A Game of Thrones book cover
Bestseller

A Game of Thrones

by George R.R. Martin

4.7

In the kingdom of Westeros, the death of King Robert Baratheon sets off a brutal power struggle among the great houses. Ned Stark, appointed the King's Hand, finds himself in a web of treachery that threatens not only his family but the entire realm — while beyond the Wall, an ancient threat stirs.

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A Storm of Swords book cover
Bestseller

A Storm of Swords

by George R.R. Martin

4.7

The War of the Five Kings reaches its shattering climax as the Red Wedding, Joffrey's poisoning, and Jon Snow's transformation at the Wall change everything in Westeros.

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Dune book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

Dune

by Frank Herbert

4.7

On the desert planet Arrakis, young Paul Atreides must navigate political intrigue, ecological disaster, and prophetic destiny to avenge his family and fulfil a legend centuries in the making. The best-selling science fiction novel of all time.

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Ender's Game book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

4.7

Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin is humanity's most gifted military mind, trained from childhood in the zero-gravity Battle Room of a space station to fight the alien Formics. But the game and the war may not be as separate as Ender believes.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book cover
Bestseller
4.7

Harry, Ron, and Hermione abandon Hogwarts to hunt Voldemort's Horcruxes, confronting betrayal, sacrifice, and the revelation that Harry himself is the final Horcrux. The series concludes with the Battle of Hogwarts and a resurrection that draws on the oldest mythological traditions.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book cover
Bestseller
4.7

Harry is mysteriously entered into the dangerous Triwizard Tournament while Voldemort's followers grow bolder, culminating in the Dark Lord's terrifying return to full power. The death of a fellow student in the graveyard permanently changes what the Harry Potter series is.

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book cover
Bestseller
4.7

As Voldemort's war spreads beyond Hogwarts, Dumbledore guides Harry through Tom Riddle's past to find the key to destroying him, while a mysterious annotated textbook raises questions about the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. The year ends with Dumbledore's death and the series' darkest turning point yet.

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick
4.7

Seconds before Earth is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, Arthur Dent is rescued by Ford Prefect — who turns out to be a researcher for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the standard repository for all knowledge and wisdom in the universe. Their adventures take them to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, a planet populated by telephone sanitisers, and a search for the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

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The Way of Kings book cover
Editor's Pick

The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson

4.7

The first book in Brandon Sanderson's epic Stormlight Archive series, set on the storm-ravaged world of Roshar and following three protagonists navigating war, politics, and the discovery of ancient magic.

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Wind and Truth book cover
Bestseller

Wind and Truth

by Brandon Sanderson

4.7

The fifth and culminating volume of the first arc of the Stormlight Archive, bringing Kaladin, Shallan, and Dalinar to their final confrontation with Odium's champion in a battle for the fate of Roshar.

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Words of Radiance book cover

Words of Radiance

by Brandon Sanderson

4.7

The second volume of The Stormlight Archive follows Shallan and Kaladin as ancient evils stir and the order of Knights Radiant must be reborn to face an apocalyptic threat.

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A Conjuring of Light book cover
Editor's Pick

A Conjuring of Light

by V.E. Schwab

4.6

The Shade of Essen Tasch has fallen, and a darkness worse than the black stone threatens all three Londons. Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Holland must confront an enemy powerful enough to consume worlds — and the cost of stopping it may be more than any of them can pay.

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A Kingdom of Ash book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

A Kingdom of Ash

by Sarah J. Maas

4.6

The endgame. Aelin Galathynius has been captured, and without her the armies of Terrasen face annihilation. Her allies must fight on without her — each carrying a piece of the plan only Aelin knew in full. The conclusion to one of the most beloved epic fantasy series of the decade.

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A Memory of Light book cover
BestsellerEditor's Pick

A Memory of Light

by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

4.6

The series finale: Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle, as Rand al'Thor faces the Dark One at the Bore while the armies of Light and Shadow fight across five simultaneous battlefields. The culmination of a 23-year, 14-book epic.

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Crooked Kingdom book cover
Bestseller

Crooked Kingdom

by Leigh Bardugo

4.6

Kaz Brekker and the Dregs execute an increasingly complex series of heists and cons across Ketterdam to reclaim what was stolen from them and destroy those who betrayed them.

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Flowers for Algernon book cover
Editor's Pick

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes

4.6

Charlie Gordon, a man with intellectual disabilities, undergoes experimental brain surgery that dramatically increases his intelligence — and must grapple with the emotional and social consequences.

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Showing top 24 of 282 reviewed books.

Articles by James Hartley

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Where to Start with Adrian Tchaikovsky: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Adrian Tchaikovsky — whether to begin with Children of Time or Children of Ruin. A complete reading guide to the British science fiction author.

guide

Where to Start with Audrey Niffenegger: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Audrey Niffenegger — whether to begin with The Time Traveler's Wife or Her Fearful Symmetry. A complete reading guide to the American author.

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Where to Start with Blake Crouch: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Blake Crouch — whether to begin with Dark Matter, Recursion, or the Wayward Pines trilogy. A complete reading guide to the sci-fi thriller author.

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Where to Start with Bram Stoker: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Bram Stoker — whether to begin with Dracula, The Jewel of Seven Stars, or The Lair of the White Worm. A complete reading guide to the Gothic horror novelist.

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Where to Start with Caroline Peckham: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Caroline Peckham — whether to begin with Zodiac Academy: The Awakening or Ruthless Fae. A complete reading guide to the dark academy fantasy series.

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Where to Start with Christopher Paolini: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Christopher Paolini — whether to begin with Eragon or Eldest. A complete reading guide to the Inheritance Cycle fantasy series author.

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Where to Start with Cornelia Funke: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Cornelia Funke — how to approach Inkheart, her essential fantasy novel about the dangerous magic of books. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Guy Gavriel Kay: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Guy Gavriel Kay — how to approach Tigana, his standalone epic fantasy about colonial erasure and cultural memory, written with the prose precision of literary fiction. A complete reading guide.

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Where to Start with Jennifer L. Armentrout: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Jennifer L. Armentrout — whether to begin with From Blood and Ash, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, or The Crown of Gilded Bones. A complete guide.

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Where to Start with John Scalzi: A Reading Guide

Where to start with John Scalzi — whether to begin with Old Man's War or The Ghost Brigades. A complete reading guide to the Hugo Award-winning science fiction author.

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Where to Start with Madeleine L'Engle: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Madeleine L'Engle — whether to begin with A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, or A Swiftly Tilting Planet. A complete guide to the Time Quintet.

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Where to Start with Philip Reeve: A Reading Guide

Where to start with Philip Reeve — how to approach Mortal Engines, his visionary debut fantasy about a post-apocalyptic world of predatory mobile cities, a junior historian thrown from London, and the ancient weapon that could destroy them all. A complete reading guide.

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