In no particular order:
Fantasy:
The Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
Rocs, the giant birds that appear in the Arabian Nights and other stories, are portrayed here as non-sentient raptors similar to eagles and hawks. The human characters are equivalent to falconers and are very focused on the differences between humans and rocs.
The Blue Salt Road by Joanne M. Harris
This selkie story is a cautionary tale for why some traditions deserve to be broken.
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
Who are the real monsters? The world building in here is nice and dark.
The Ree Varekai Series by Marie Brennan
What happens to stories that are forgotten? This short series has left me craving more.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes
It's always been a strange concept to me when an individual safeguards an entire society's memory. Lois Lowry explored something similar in The Giver. Add in mermaids, and Solomon's novella had my full attention.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
A changeling is tasked with a difficult mission. Unfortunately for her, she feels too much empathy and not enough of the nonhuman sentimentality of other cryptids. The magic in here is unique, and characters are relatable in lots of wonderful ways.
Science Fiction:
Monk and Robot Series by Becky Chambers
Chambers is skilled at exploring life in the universe during peacetime. I've read a few of her works where characters face critical, personal dilemmas that are unique to their situations on other planets, in plots that aren't overshadowed by the violent conflicts typically found in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Technically, the characters in this novella are all human, but they are separated by vastly different levels of technology. An anthropologist from Earth has such advanced technology at his disposal that the local population views him as a wizard, and nothing he says or does can dispel that notion.
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