The best found family books in fantasy

I love a good heist story and this is one of the best! A notorious gang leader, Kaz "Dirtyhands" Brekker knows better than to trust anyone—but when an opportunity falls into his lap that he can't ignore, he needs to put together a team of the best specialists he can find, and fast! The narrative is shared among the main characters and slowly reveals the secrets hidden in each character’s past. At the beginning, each main character begins alone, but by the end they are so tightly interwoven that even when they're fighting amongst each other, it's still apparent how much they care for one another. And the story is so fast-paced with unexpected twists and turns, you'll find yourself holding your breath by the end!

I would argue that just about every book TJ Klune writes is a found family masterpiece, but for me, it doesn't get any more heartwarming or beautiful than The House in the Cerulean Sea. What begins as a routine assignment for our protagonist, Linus Baker, turns into a paradigm-shifting experience involving the fate of an orphanage full of misfit, magical children. I never thought I would fall in love with a sassy young garden gnome or feel fiercely protective of...whatever Chauncey is, but learning the stories behind each of the children at the orphanage—and, ultimately, the story behind its proprietor, Arthur Parnassus, this story of found family had me in tears multiple times—in a good way!

I fell deeply in love with the bond between Rune and Brand because, at the very beginning, that's all they had: each other. It doesn't stay that way for long, as Rune is tricked into taking on a ward from another house at the start of the first novel. As challenging and unexpected as this first new family member is, Rune and Brand must adapt quickly because their little family only grows larger from there—and as an ongoing series, I hope it's not finished growing yet! While love, healing, and family are at the root of this series, it absolutely does not lack action, political intrigue, mystery, and magic; making it fast-paced and thrilling while also being genuine and heart-warming. One of my very favorite new series, I cannot recommend The Tarot Sequence enough!

This is a bit of a different spin on the found family trope in fantasy. Rather than an origin story, where the bonds of family are still being formed, Kings of the Wyld starts with a retired group of adventurers who have grown apart since their former glory days, losing touch over time as many of us do. But when one of them needs help rescuing his daughter from a city besieged by monsters, he endeavors to get the band back together again for one final quest. This story of humor and heart swept me up quickly and didn't let go until the end, but what I loved most was seeing the team members reconnect and tell stories of the past, create new legends, and prove that no matter how far apart they've grown over the years, the bonds of family are immutable.

Most found family stories involve individuals coming together, seeing them forged in fire to become something new, something whole, and unbreakable. The Gray House is a twist on found family in that it begins with strong family bonds already in place, so the true story becomes: What happens when a found family breaks apart? The Gray House is a home and school for disabled children and teenagers, where they need to rely on each other for everything—even things as basic as getting dressed in the morning. And while the shifting perspectives and timelines do tell the story of family bonds forged among individuals, the threat of Graduation Day looms over the house’s seniors, heralding an ending, rather than a beginning. With a low fantasy setting that I can’t describe without spoiling the story, I can only assure you that this book will take you on a completely unexpected journey.