Yes, that title is a mouthful. This is the list I made for books I couldn’t put on my Top 10 Books of 2017 list…because they didn’t come out in 2017. I read 34 non-2017 novels this year. Here are 5 that I thought were particularly good:

After Atlas by Emma Newman

…author Emma Newman deftly lays out the clues and mysteries in a straightforward way, but the way the puzzle and solution come together is unexpected, yet makes perfect sense. See full review here.

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Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

I was completely taken with Senlin Ascends right from the outset. Author Josiah Bancroft’s words paint a vivid picture of a peculiar world where nothing is as it seems. Bancroft’s prose is lyrical and conveys a sense of grand adventure that I rarely find in my reading life. See full review here.

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The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

 This is a stunning debut novel. The story lives and dies with Elka–she is the narrator, setting a gripping tone that carries the novel. See full review here.

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Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The narrative is told in a very straightforward way, with propulsive pacing and a tremendous amount of momentum. It’s engrossing from start to finish with few lulls along the way. It easily joins the ranks of my favorite science fiction novels. See full review here.

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Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb creates such a clear picture of human nature and emotion with her writing…I enjoyed Royal Assassin immensely and burned through it just wanting to know what would become of our dear protagonist. See full review here.

Royal Assassin was my door back into the Realm of the Elderlings series, and I’m so glad I I walked through it — it was the best book of the best series I finished in 2017.