Fantasy first published in 2022

So I was looking at the Eligible for 2023 Hugos list and I hadn't read a single thing on it. (Not surprising, since I spent most of the year being too sick to read. Bleh!)

But surely some of the people here have, so, what have you all read that came out this year, and what did you think of it?

Are dark and queer still fashionable? Anything strike anyone as being particularly fun, frivolous and/or amusing? How about any awesome new worlds or particularly cool concepts?

I have no idea what's fashionable as I tend to stick to my favorite authors and series with new releases. Actually I think 90% of the new releases I read this year were in series I already have going :) That said, I've read two from that list and have a couple more in my TBR.

The Kaiju Preservation Society is absolutely silly, irreverent fun. I enjoy Scalzi's humor which I think pairs well with Will Wheaton's narration style as I did the audio book. As long as you don't expect anything too deep, it's an enjoyable pop song of a book.

I also highly enjoyed Nona the Ninth, it may be my favorite in the Locked Tomb series. I love those characters and found the story to be pretty emotional.

I've read Sea of Tranquility, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it ... I think it appeals more as a literary novel than as a SFF one, and it fell flat for me. Many of my friends raved over it though.

Now that it's 2023 and I'm bringing this thread back from the grave, maybe more people have read things from the list and have new opinions to share?

Babel really is good, and it'll be in the running for awards.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Book Eaters despite the dark tone. Very capable writer.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is very well done, as both a fantasy mystery and a romance.

I enjoyed The Spare Man ok, but not as much as the Lady Astronaut books.

I enjoyed Sea of Tranquility, it's a bit more obviously sff than her previous books.

I didn't particularly like Our Wives Under the Sea, it's more horror adjacent than scifi, anyway the story doesn't go anywhere.

In the sequels and series arena, I really enjoyed Nona, Golden Enclaves, Seasonal Fears, The Thousand Eyes and The Grief of Stones

THESE BOOKS ARE SO GREAT
whew, sorry for shouting. It's just been a really great year for fantasy and speculative fiction in general. So, so much of it was so, so good!

I've read The Kaiju Preservation Society and The Grief of Stones, both very good in entirely different ways. I added Into the Narrowdark to the list, which is being overlooked. It is a fantastic epic fantasy addition to that series. Williams' work gets way too little attention or recognition.

>1 LShelby: I just finished the enjoyable A restless truth by Freya Marske, the sequel to A marvelous light. Only a little dark but definitely with queer joy, cat and mouse on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic.

In related news (good fantasy books of 2022), IAFA announced the 2023 Crawford Award today: it goes to The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. The award is for the best first fantasy novel.

shortlist:
Maya Deane Wrath Goddess Sing
Naseem Jamnia, The Bruising of Qilwa
Alex Jennings, The Ballad of Perilous Graves
Jacob Kerr, The Green Man of Eshwood Hall

(I'm recommending The ballad of Perilous Graves to anyone and everyone. It's a fabulous book.)