I recently came across two books that restored my excitement in epic fantasy. They are about two houses that are similar yet quite different.

Two Houses Unlike in Dignity

Will Wight’s House of Blades is the first book of his Traveler’s Gate Trilogy. I bought that on an Audible 2-for-1-credit deal because it sounded better than everything else on offer.

The story started off comfortably with a happy family caught in a storm at the edge of the woods. It quickly turned horrible and chaotic as the young boy Simon’s life is upended. It took a while for me to figure out the complicated magic system and to wrap my head around the bleak and bizarre story world. People and actions are introduced with no preamble and little explanation. It required a steep learning curve. I spent the first few chapters confused, yet captivated. In spite of all the terrible circumstances for the characters and the intense brainwork for me, I felt drawn to the wry humor and air of imperturbability that pervaded the story. Soon, I was hooked and finished all three books in rapid succession.

Houses in this series refer to territories that specialize in certain magical abilities. Travelers in these territories grow in their abilities. The House of Blades is the smallest territory without a good reputation and only a few scrappy adherents.

The other book is The House of Midnight by Ben Hale and Kel Kade. This is also the first in the series, and I’m on the last few chapters. Let’s just say, if I were younger and could still get away with an all-nighter, I would have finished it days ago.

This story has a fascinating premise. In the story world, most people are born with fates. But the unscrupulous have found ways to extract people’s fates and commerce in them. Fates give people power in combat, magic, and other skills. Acquiring more fates may give them more power and status, but it might also turn them into zombie-like withers if they’re not strong enough to handle them. The story centers on three young people who stumble into a shadowy conflict between powerful forces seeking to control fates and the people who have them.

The houses in this story are prestigious institutions that specialize in particular fates. Aspiring acolytes compete in games to win a place at these houses where they could hone their skills. The House of Midnight is not supposed to exist, being the legendary cohort of mysterious spies and assassins.

Yet Both Break Beyond Monotony

I have heard good things about Will Wight but had not read him before. I believe he has written progression fantasies. This series is not one of them, as such, but I can see progression elements in it. Normally, I avoid progression-type stories, thinking them to be artificial and lacking emotional depth.

Obviously, I didn’t know Will Wight.

His world was unique and fascinating, inhabited by characters that were real and weird. They made me laugh and cry. By the end of the series, I was loathed to leave them. It felt like old friends were continuing their adventures without me. My only consolation is that Will Wight has written many other books. I look forward to checking them out.

Ben Hale and Kel Kade are also prolific authors. But again, I haven’t read their books before. It was about time I did because I’d been missing out. The world of The House of Midnight is rich and enigmatic, filled with rough and gritty characters who are, nevertheless, winsome. They won me over quickly with subtler humor that is no less endearing. The scope of the adventure feels larger than Will Wight’s House of Blades, yet still intimate, closely tied to the people I care about. Ironically, the title of the second book in the House of Midnight Series is The House of Blades. I guess good books flock to the same titles. It comes out in November 2026. I can’t wait.

Read them for yourself

Don’t just take my word for it. Read the books and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.