A fantasy book that is! And if you love books, see my
Because I Love a Good Romance post.
I don't know about you all, but fantasy has got to be my favorite genre to read. I love that they whisk you away from this world we live in and deposit you in a time and place where anything is possible and everything is magical.
To me, there's nothing better than being drawn into a story that has it's own different and fascinating world. So I've decided to gather my faves together for you. If you love fantasy, I hope to introduce you to a new series, and if you don't, I hope to pique your interest.
Let's take a look at the wonderful world of fantasy novels!
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
Series: 7 Books
Let's start with the obvious... Harry Potter! If you haven't read it, (where have you been?) you should.
It's the story of a young boy who finds out he's a wizard. He leaves his muggle (non-magical) home and goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he makes friends, learns about magic, grows, and finds a sense of belonging he never had. As the series progresses the writing matures along with Harry. There are dark paths with evil creatures, there are happy loving moments, and there is usually a good Quidditch match too. J.K Rowling creates a whole world in this series which is fascinating to explore!
Percy Jackson & The Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson 5 Books, Heroes 5 Books
These are other series that are meant for a younger (young adult) audience, but are broad in their appeal. In Percy Jackson & The Olympians we follow Percy as he learns that his dyslexia and penchant for finding trouble are because he's the son of a Greek god; he's a demi-god. The series takes Percy to Camp Half-Blood where he makes friends, learns to be a hero, and goes on a quest (or multiple) to fight monsters and gods alike. Any fan of Greek mythology will enjoy the world that co-inhabits our own so seamlessly.
The Heroes of Olympus is a series that follows Percy's adventures and starts to include Roman gods and demi-gods. And much like in history these two groups battle and disagree as the gods start to suffer from an identity crisis between their two personas. This series is also more mature (as the characters have aged) in it's writing and includes epic battle scenes, a bevy of demi-gods; both Roman and Greek in a fight to save the world.
Riordan is a great author as he inserts humor and whimsy into books that can be serious, mysterious, frightening and awe-inspiring at times. These are books I reach for again and again.
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| Sorry, only 1 book because I lent the rest to my Mom! |
His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass) - Philip Pullman
Series: 3 Books and 1 Companion Novella
In a world/dimension very similar to our own lives Lyra, a young girl being raised without parents in a college. A quest to find her missing friend leads Lyra to discovers the Dust phenomenon and those trying to harness and abuse it's power. Along with her always is her Daemon (an animal companion) who is an extension of her soul in corporeal form.
In the following two books Lyra meets a boy from our world who knows nothing of Dust or Daemons; together they journey and discover the worlds are more connected than they seem. And that they are a part of much larger destiny than either of them ever realized. The themes and characters in this book are fascinating and different than any others I've known before.
Pullman's books encourage you to think about your soul, soulmates, religion, determination, courage, and sacrifice; all in 3 relatively short books.
The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon) - Christopher Paolini
Series: 4 Books
This is an epic tale of Eragon a young farm boy from a small town who thought he was pretty unexceptional. Until he happened upon a dragon egg that is. Paolini creates an entire world in these books including elves, dwarves, dragons, humans, and more. Although none of these ideas is new, his writing about them and in depth descriptions of their beliefs and customs is. Eragon and his dragon become connected and they must escape the evil king who is hunting them. While they escape Eragon learns what it is to be a Dragon Rider and use magic words.
After the destruction of their village Eragon and his cousin Roran take separate paths to learn strength, leadership, and heroism and come together to fight in a war for the freedom of the world and hope for future Dragon Riders.
I most enjoy how descriptive these books are for all of the characters, cities, and races. It is reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, though the races are described differently so they are elves and dwarves but they're unique to this series.
The dragons (yes you'll see more than one) are a great addition with their confident (almost arrogant) and predatory personalities. I feel Paolini hit on the head the essence of each race and each character in thought and action.
These are long books, but they have to be with all the action, description, and characters you get to read about and know. It truly is a world of its own.
Whew that's a lot of books! These truly are the fantasy books I really enjoy reading over and over. They all are great at pulling you into the story and getting you to care about the characters. As you can see they're a little worse for wear due to my re-reading habit.
I hope you enjoy my descriptions and recommendations for fantasy books.
Join the Discussion
- What's your favorite fantasy book? Any recommendations?
- What do you think of these books?
- What's your preferred book genre?
