Thinking of venturing into the land of fantasy novels? Lost? Confused? Not sure where to start? Well look no further! Welcome to the Beginner’s Guide to Fantasy Novels!
Fantasy books are a wonderful world to dive into, but some are hesitant and intimidated. “I don’t like magic, I don’t like dragons, I only like the real world!” Well that’s just because you haven’t been to the imaginary one yet. But which imaginary world is for you? Stay tuned to find out.
There are two main types of fantasy books: high fantasy and low or urban fantasy. High fantasy consists of entirely new worlds and new societies and systems. You’re fully emerged in a fantasy realm. Oftentimes, these are harder for beginners to get into, as the first half usually consists of lots of world-building, which could include different societies, mythology, vocabulary, etc.. It can take time to become familiar enough with the world to get immersed in the story. These types of fantasy books require more patience, commitment, and perseverance, but are really worth it in the end. The other type is urban fantasy, which has magical elements but is set in the real world or a universe similar to ours. This can make it easier to get into, as you’re already familiar with the world and only need to learn the magic system.
Below I’ve compiled a list of both urban and high fantasy novels to check out if you’re looking for a new magical read.
First up is The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. This is an urban fantasy series set in the year 1878. Tessa Gray, in search of her missing brother, teams up with a group of demon-slayers called the Shadowhunters. Together, they find themselves battling the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization consisting of demons, vampires, warlocks, and even humans determined to rule the British Empire with their army of clockwork creatures. This is a great read set in an engaging time period. It is a part of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, which consists of multiple series set in the same universe.
Getting into it: medium
New words: a whole lot
Funny: so many laughs
Epic: so epic
Romance: my heart bleeds for them
Moving: yes sometimes
Boring parts: nope not really
Rating: 96%
Next is The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. This urban fantasy series is very different, kind of quirky, and a little weird. It takes some time to get into it, around 100 pages or so. But once you’re in, you can’t help but be intrigued and want to know more. Our main character, Blue, comes from a long line of psychics, but is not a psychic herself. Instead, she acts like a battery, enhancing the energy around her. Our other lead, Gansey, is on the hunt to find the tomb of an ancient Gaelic king who can supposedly grant wishes. Together, Blue, Gansey, and their friends embark on a mission enmeshed in fascinating lore and mythology. If you’re searching for a more interesting read, then you should look into this series. It’s not exactly thrilling but that won’t stop you from wanting to finish it.
Getting into it: medium-difficult
New words: quite a few
Funny: chuckled a few times
Epic: I mean kind of
Romance: plot takes centerstage, but still present
Boring parts: eh some slow parts
Rating: 88%
Up next is the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, one of my all-time favorites! This is set in a universe where magic has been banned by the King. Celaena is the best assassin in the land, who’s been sent to a labor camp to die, only to be pulled out by the Prince to compete for her life and her freedom. It’s an action-packed high fantasy series with a strong lead and an awesome romance that you won’t want to miss!
Getting into it: medium
New words: Yes some
Funny: Yes!
Epic: all the epicness
Romance: So good
Boring parts: None at all
Rating: 98%
Last on the list is the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. This is also a high fantasy series set in a world with an elaborate magic system. In this duology, a team of six lowlifes band together to pull off an epic heist that could save the world. This is technically a sequel series to the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but can be read separately.
Getting into it: medium-difficult
New words: yes so many
Funny: has its moments
Epic: kind of epic
Romance: yes but not heavily so
Boring parts: not really no
Rating: 94%
Hope you enjoyed and found a new series to pick up 🙂
You really know your fantasy! I’m not much of a fantasy reader, but I’ve read the first two Harry Potter books and I’m currently starting on Percy Jackson…we’ll see how it goes! I’m curious to hear your opinion; do you think most fantasies count as sheer entertainment or count as a work of art? To be clear by what I mean by both. When I say entertainment, I mean “done for money and doesn’t challenge the audience to think” while art “is individual expression that doesn’t worry about others’ opinions”. This is my main conflict with fantasy; I like to read something that’ll change my view of life, but if fantasy still plays a great role, I’d love to know what it does!
Hi Nouran, thanks for your comment! I read both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and loved them (though now that I’m older, I can see the issues with Harry Potter). To answer your question: I think it can go either way. I think that in most cases, the books are a labor of love. I haven’t really come across many novels that are purely cash grabs, but they still exist. I think just by reading a bit of the book, you can very clearly tell whether any work has been put in it. My advice is don’t shy away from a book if this is what worries you. Remember, if you feel that the book is poorly written or not what you’re searching for, you can always just stop reading it and pick something else up. Also, you need to keep in mind the intended purposes of a book. There are books out there that just exist as pure entertainment, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You can read books to fulfill different moods and needs, not just to expand your horizons. Sometimes all I’m looking for is a cute fluffy read and I’ll pick up a simpler novel. Other times (more often), I want to dive into a more complex narrative and I’ll pick a book for that mood. It’s like TV. Reality shows are not that elaborate, but there’s a time and a place where that might be enough for your needs. Other times, you’ll gravitate towards shows with elaborate story lines, and that’s just what you happen to want at the time. I hope this helps! Let me know what you think. The bottom line is, there are fantasy books out there that are pure entertainment, and there are others that are more thought-provoking. Don’t be put off from the genre as a whole, just find the ones that work for you.
I suggest you pick up The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. It’s a high fantasy where certain people called Mistborn can get powers through ingesting metals. A group of them decide to overthrow the Empire. What’s very interesting is that in the follow-up books, we get to see what happens after a revolution. Most books and movies only portray the revolution, and not what happens afterwards. This is why I think it’ll be a good read for you. Mind you, I read it before the whole series came out and haven’t had the chance to go back and finish it. Like I stated in my post, it might take you awhile to get into since you first have to understand the magic system and the society they live in, but just stick with it. Let me know if you end up picking it up 🙂
That’s some great insight. I love that you gave so much detail, I appreciate it. I’ll check out your recommendations. Keep that passion up, girl. Looks great on you 🙂
P. S. sorry for the essay, I’m just very passionate!
I love The Infernal Devices books! It’s my favourite Cassandra Clare series and I think Will & Tessa are two of her best characters. I’ve been meaning to read The Raven Boys but I’ve been putting it off because I tried reading a different Stiefvater book (The Scorpio Races) and I hated the writing style. But I want to give this one a go since I’ve seen so many people on the internet scream about Adam Parrish and the Ronan spinoff looks interesting. I haven’t read Throne of Glass, but my friend spoiled it for me and I ended up loving Chaol and hating his storyline post Heir of Fire (also I’m super intimidated by the sheer size of the series). I’ve read the ACoTaR trilogy though, so if you’ve read it too which would you say is better?
I literally have Six of Crows on my bookshelf right now but I’ve been putting off reading it because I still feel so betrayed by the horrible ending of Ruin and Rising haha (;_;)
Hey! I’ve read both TOG and ACOTAR and I love them both so much! I’d have to say that TOG has my heart though. I read it first and have reread it as well. I love how much depth we get because the series is so long. I also got into it faster that ACOTAR, which took me to the second half of the first book to get into. Either one you choose will be great, they’re both so good!
P.S. I liked Six of Crows better than Shadow and Bone. Do with that information what you will (read Six of Crows).
I’m actually reading Six of Crows right now, I’m almost done with it and honestly I like it better than Shadow and Bone too! I just felt like Shadow and Bone had the typical storyline where the main character is a girl who’s a nobody but then she becomes “the chosen one” and becomes strong and then fights against an oppressing power, while also having a typical love interest (Personally my favorite characters were probably The Darkling and Nikolai). I mean it was still a fun read though. I jut thought Six of Crows was more unique and had more action and I liked that all the characters were morally grey. Also, they’re making the series into a Netflix show! But the casting of some the characters are kinda questionable, I’m just hoping their acting is good.