The very best science fiction and fantasy books of 2015: io9

Among io9's very best science fiction and fantasy books of 2015:

The Beautiful Bureaucrat, Helen Phillips

Ursula K. Le Guin recommended this dystopian novel, and it more than lives up to the hype. Josephine is enduring a job that sees her entering information into The Database, and finds a horrifying world in the bureaucracy that she’s now part of.

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Providence of Fire, Brian Stavely

Brian Staveley blew us away with his debut novel The Emperor’s Blades, and the second installment of his trilogy is even better. Staveley has continued the adventures of Adare, Valyn and Kaden in the aftermath of their father’s assassination and as war looms over Annurian Empire. Most epic fantasies get mired down as their worlds and stories expand with each volume, but Staveley manages to keep his focus on the plight of his characters, which rockets the book to a stunning conclusion.

Read about the other books on the list.

The Page 69 Test: The Beautiful Bureaucrat.

The Page 69 Test: The Providence of Fire.

--Marshal Zeringue