r/Fantasy 2026 Book Bingo Challenge - Update #3

Happy Friday everyone! I'm sharing my third update for the r/Fantasy 2026 Book Bingo Challenge.  The challenge officially started on April 1st, 2026 and it will run through March 31st, 2027.  I'm hoping to complete the full board of 25 squares for the challenge. Since my last update, I read 3 books for a total of 9 read out of 25 books on my original tbr.  Keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I've read so far for this challenge:

5. Unusual Transportation - Story includes a surprising method of moving from place to place. By “unusual” we mean that it is out of the ordinary in real life AND uncommon to the book’s broader genre. This can include a highly unique take on a genre staple (spaceships with FTL wouldn’t normally count but the Infinite Improbability Drive from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would) or be a completely original mode of transit (autoducks in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy). HARD MODE: Transportation is NOT combustion-powered or steam-powered. If the power source is not stated, use your best judgment. A story likely won’t specify that cars are combustion-powered and horses aren’t, but a reasonable person would assume those things to be true if they’re not stated. Likewise, in a steampunk setting, the chances are good that the transport is steam-powered.

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The King's Dragon (Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #41) by Una McCormack is a fun story in this series. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are a top TARDIS team and this novel does a good job of getting the tone of the characters down pretty well. Plus, the setting for this one really worked for me too.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

19. First Contact - Story prominently features interspecies or interracial meeting for the first time. HARD MODE: Non-violent first contact.

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The Last Astronaut by David Wellington has been on my tbr for awhile given how much potential I thought 13 Bullets had.  Unfortunately, I ended up having similar thoughts about this sci-fi horror standalone as well.  I really wish this were shorter with better characterizations.  At least, this has a cool book cover, though.  Now, I do feel like I ought to rewatch the movies Sunshine and Alien soon.

My review is also on Goodreads, The StoryGraph, and this post.

17. Non-Human Protagonist - Story features a main character who is NOT human. HARD MODE: There are no human POVs in the story.

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Late Eclipses (October Daye #4) by Seanan McGuire is another great installment of this series.  Honestly, it was just good to be back in this series!  I've missed seeing the characters and their world.  It keeps get better as it goes a long and I can't wait to get caught up on the rest of the series.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Are you participating in this challenge?  Have you read any of these books?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!