The Left Hand of Darkness is a 1969 novel that has won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It takes place on the planet of Genthen, also known as Winter due to the fact it is a perpetually frozen planet, but the real focus is on gender identity. The inhabitants of Genthen are androgynous humans most of the time, except when they enter their sexual cycle and become either male or female in order to mate. So when a male human, Genly Ai, arrives on planet, they consider him a pervert who is eternally stuck in heat. Genly is an envoy who represents the Ekumen, and his mission is to convince the warring kingdoms of this world to join the galactic federation. This attempt at diplomacy deeply explores the concepts of friendship, political intrigue, and sexuality as Genly risks his life to complete his mission.

During a festival to honor their primary goddess an island's population all drowns on land. Did they somehow offend their goddess or has another deity struck at her by killing her chosen people? For the awkward group of survivors who suddenly found themselves forced to leave that day its a serious question. In fear they decide to stick together and head inland away from the sea but only one of them has even an academic knowledge of the mainland or the many gods worshiped there but they quickly realize at least one god wants them to work together, the god of fate and divination. In the midst of this confusion they encounter a being they had all thought was just myth, a wizard. The wizard appears friendly and in return all she wants is a little help. They suspect that they really have no choice in the matter.

This is a classic old school fantasy series that starts with old prophecies coming to life, and the required young boy being bullied coming of age. The Banished Lands are ruled by competing kingdoms, loosely aligned under a High King. An alliance not strong enough to withstand the prophesied God War and it doesn't take long for the bickering to begin. The human kingdoms are not alone in this as the Giants that used to inhabit the Banished Lands are also aware of the prophecies. Giants are much longer lived and they remember how to use the old magic, so their return just complicates things even more. This gives the Banished Lands a lived-in sense of history as ancient grudges, changing loyalties, and conflicting interpretation of prophecies create a complex tapestry ripe for story telling.

A game wide message went out congratulating the Scrap Rats for building what everyone thought was a useless guild hall expansion, the mana lounge, then everyone is kicked from the game and it's just gone. But those training in the Deadlands witness the sudden appearance of a massive tower as all sorts of monsters from the game start appearing. Ren does his best to warn the other districts and the Scrap Rats security specialists make their recommendations to their allied districts but security is expensive and would restrict the flow of commerce that connects the districts so most compromise. The wealthier districts ignore the warnings entirely. The corporations are instead focused on controlling the new resource nodes in the deadlands and exploring the new Tower with their game guild teams. Worst of all, Victor's father died and he now controls Prosperous, Inc and his combination of greed and poor decision making skills leads to enormous monster tides. Can the districts survive in this new magical world?

The Chips guild is prospering and Nacho knows their progress is well ahead of what he experienced in his patron-granted vision, but that knowledge quickly becomes worthless when the CruxTerrans attack and kidnap some of his guild members. The belief that they had plenty of time to prepare for the final confrontation against the CruxTerrans is tossed aside as Nacho and his friends discover they need to go through a portal to the CruxTerran world to find their missing members. This sets off a chain of events that none of them are ready for, resulting in a final battle against the CruxTerrans with the survival of humanity at stake. A battle where starvation is a requirement, potentially nullifying Nacho's biggest advantage.

The action is heating up both in real life and in the game Towerbound. Now that Ren's friends know about his future knowledge they're determined to get out the word that a new apocalypse is coming. Ren hates politics but he not only has to deal with the very angry dragon council in game but gets elected D1's representative and finds himself pitted against Victor who is now D10's representative on the district council. Victor and other groups are making more moves against D1 in an attempt to keep control but they find the Scrap Rats are ready for them. They fight back against politics and hired gangs by increasing their economic influence and allying with other poorer districts. As strange events begin happening in real life and Towerbound is rushing towards the endgame mechanics smaller characters are getting more PoV time and development.

Now that Nacho's guild, The Chips, is really starting to make a name for itself, it is also attracting unwanted attention from other guilds. Nacho never wanted to be the guild leader, but his knowledge about the Juxtaposition made him the obvious choice. That knowledge, combined with his class and ability to provide edible food for so many, has allowed The Chips guild to thrive and advance much faster than he did during his original attempt. This has caught the eye of the Patrons, who then decide to offer up a legendary weapon in a contest for control of Kansas City. This puts all the human guilds into direct competition with each other, and The Chips realize they must win this contest or risk being dominated by a guild with far fewer morals. They must now balance winning the competition with surviving in a hostile world that was already trying to kill them.

Towerbound continues to follow Ren and his expanded crew of gamers as his future knowledge starts to pay off. Literally. Thanks to Ren's growing potion empire his nine roommates have been able to quit their jobs and play Towerbound full time. They even managed to buy their own building which feels like a palace even if its situated in the worst part of District One and commonly known as The Murder Hospital. Relocation brings it's new issues including spies from rival guilds, menacing gangs, and a psycho ex-girlfriend Ren hoped to avoid this time around. Ren's friends though are starting to suspect that there's something strange going on and he has to explain. Will they think he's crazy?

Ren loves being the best alchemist in the popular VR game Towerbound. His skill not only got him a place in a corporate guild, Prosperous, but it also got him out of the the slums of District One and into District Ten. He hates combat, and his contract says he's not required to do any, but the Guild Master badgers him into doing a dungeon run that requires an alchemist. Ren succeeds where all other alchemists have failed, but his guild betrays him leaving Ren with nothing except a vision of the coming apocalypse and the end of humanity. He wakes up back in his old District One dorm with nine other guys two days before the release of Towerbound. He has no idea how he went back in time or exactly how he can get everyone he knows to start playing in preparation for doomsday, but he's going to save District One and get revenge at the same time. F*** Prosperous!

Calen Bryer is coming of age in the village of Milltown, and that means The Proving is just around the corner. He and the other young men around his age will be split into teams and sent into Olm Forest for three days and nights, and the team that emerges with the head of the most dangerous prey animal will be declared the winner, and grow in status within the village. This is a test of courage, fighting skill, and teamwork that not everyone survives. Calen enters the forest teamed up with his good friends Dann and Rist, but none of them are prepared for what they find. Their discovery kicks off a series of events that eventually puts his entire village at risk, and results in all 3 of them becoming embroiled in a centuries old war. A war fought between Jotnar (Giants,) Elves, Dwarves, Uraks, and even Dragons. We've seen most of this before, so does this all add up to another great epic fantasy series or is this just another fantasy series in a crowded genre?