A Plague of Giants

Kevin Hearne's epic fantasy opens a sprawling world where seven nations each wield a distinct form of elemental magic called a kenning — and then drops twin invasions of frost and fire giants on all of them at once. The story arrives through a shape-shifting bard recounting events across multiple characters: a widowed soldier, a historian, figures from across the magical continent. It is ambitious storytelling, and the magic system is one of the more original in recent epic fantasy. Kirkus called it 'a genuine page-turner,' and experienced genre readers will likely agree. The caveats are real, though: nearly 600 pages with a demanding multi-POV structure takes time to settle into, and the adult themes of war, grief, and loss make this one for adults or mature teens only. Casual fantasy readers may want to budget patience.