Best Fantasy Books
Step into worlds of magic, wonder, and imagination with these outstanding fantasy novels. From epic sagas with intricate world-building to intimate tales of enchantment, these books transport you beyond the ordinary into realms where anything is possible.
60 books in this collection
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V.E. Schwab
A cursed woman is forgotten by everyone. A gorgeous, slow-burn fantasy with intense, heartbreaking emotional stakes.
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
A woman explores alternate lives she could have lived. It is a fast, emotional journey through magical realism.
The Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller
A breathtaking retelling of the Trojan War focused on two lovers. Deeply intimate, tragic, and impossible to put down.
Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
A crew of deadly outcasts attempts an impossible heist in a dark fantasy world. Gripping and fast-paced.
Fourth Wing
by Rebecca Yarros
A deadly dragon-rider academy where cadets either graduate or die. High-stakes fantasy that is wildly addictive.
Dune
by Frank Herbert
A dense, beautifully crafted desert planet. This sci-fi masterpiece offers a slow burn filled with intense political tension.
Circe
by Madeline Miller
A banished witch discovers her power. A beautifully written, slow-paced mythological world with intense emotional stakes.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
An amnesiac scientist wakes up in space and must save Earth. Hilarious, incredibly gripping, and scientifically fascinating.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
by TJ Klune
A strict caseworker visits an island orphanage for magical children. A heartwarming, humorous, and delightfully immersive hug.
Caraval
by Stephanie Garber
Two sisters enter a legendary, magical game where nothing is as it seems. Enchanting, mysterious, and unputdownable.
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
A low-born miner infiltrates a brutal, color-coded space society. Furious, action-packed, and impossible to put down.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
by Shelby Van Pelt
A curmudgeonly, highly intelligent captive octopus befriends an older woman. Gentle magical realism that is funny and sweet.
The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
A war orphan discovers devastating shamanic magic in a brutal military academy. Serious, intense, and deeply immersive.
Mistborn: The Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson
A crew of thieves uses metal-based magic to overthrow an immortal tyrant. Epic, immersive, and totally addictive.
The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
A sweeping epic fantasy with dragons and queens. A slow, immersive burn featuring gripping, world-ending stakes.
Babel
by R.F. Kuang
Scholars use magical translation in Victorian Oxford. A beautiful, slow-paced academic story that erupts into intense revolution.
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
A legendary wizard recounts his tragic life. A beautifully poetic, slow-paced fantasy with gripping, dark undertones.
Divine Rivals
by Rebecca Ross
Two rival journalists fall in love through magical letters during a war. Intimate, deeply emotional, and incredibly addictive.
Dark Matter
by Blake Crouch
A man is abducted into a mind-bending multiverse to find his family. A relentless, high-stakes sci-fi thriller.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Customers in a Tokyo cafe travel back in time to fix regrets. A quick, deeply moving magical realism tale.
The Will of the Many
by James Islington
An undercover orphan navigates a deadly academy within a Roman-inspired empire. Immersive, serious, and highly gripping.
Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
A high-stakes treasure hunt inside a sprawling virtual reality universe. A fast, fun, and incredibly addictive page-turner.
The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
A massive epic fantasy world. It offers a slow, deeply immersive build toward incredibly intense, high-stakes battles.
Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in a surreal, endless labyrinth. A gorgeous, slow-burn mystery that becomes deeply gripping.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
by Heather Fawcett
A grumpy scholar studies dangerous faeries alongside her impossibly charming rival. Witty banter meets captivating magical world-building.
Vicious
by V.E. Schwab
Two brilliant college friends develop superpowers and become bitter, deadly rivals. A dark, fast, and intense thriller.
The Fifth Season
by N.K. Jemisin
An apocalyptic fantasy where earth-shatterers are hunted. Beautifully written, slowly unraveled, and intensely high-stakes.
The Three-Body Problem
by Cixin Liu
Humanity faces an impending alien threat. A methodical, slow-burn sci-fi mystery that builds to terrifying intensity.
This Is How You Lose the Time War
by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Two rival time-traveling agents exchange secret letters. A short, fast-paced sci-fi romance that is profoundly poetic and tender.
Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel
A time traveler investigates a strange anomaly across centuries. A quiet, tender sci-fi mystery that reads incredibly fast.
Assistant to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
A sunny young woman takes a corporate job working for a dark lord. Hilarious, bingeable, and wonderfully clever.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
by Sangu Mandanna
A lonely witch is hired to teach three young, chaotic magic users. Uplifting, funny, and wonderfully enchanting.
Under the Whispering Door
by TJ Klune
A grumpy ghost refuses to leave a magical tea shop. A witty, slow, and beautifully uplifting afterlife tale.
Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
In a flawless utopian future, two teens are forced to become professional assassins. Fast, dark, and gripping.
A Deadly Education
by Naomi Novik
A dark magical school where monsters lurk in every hallway. High-stakes survival fantasy that hooks you instantly.
Klara and the Sun
by Kazuo Ishiguro
An artificial friend observes the human world with pure devotion. A profoundly moving, gentle, and thought-provoking sci-fi masterpiece.
The Starless Sea
by Erin Morgenstern
A student discovers a subterranean world of magical stories. A deeply immersive, dreamlike journey meant to be savored.
Tress of the Emerald Sea
by Brandon Sanderson
A normal girl sails across oceans of deadly spores to save her prince. Witty, whimsical, and fast-paced.
Fairy Tale
by Stephen King
A boy discovers a portal to a ruined kingdom. A rich, slow buildup into a gripping, dark world.
Legends & Lattes
by Travis Baldree
An exhausted orc barbarian retires to open a magical coffee shop. Cozy, charmingly funny, and a breezy read.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman
A man and his sassy talking cat survive a televised galactic dungeon. Outrageously funny and wildly addictive.
The Blade Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
Morally gray warriors navigate a brutal empire. A slow, character-driven fantasy burn with intense, gritty stakes.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
by Alix E. Harrow
A young woman discovers magical portals hidden in books. A heartfelt, beautifully written love letter to storytelling itself.
All Systems Red
by Martha Wells
A socially anxious, heavily armed cyborg just wants to watch soap operas. Sarcastic, action-packed, and instantly addictive.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
by Becky Chambers
A tea monk and a cheerful robot wander the wilderness. A gentle, optimistic sci-fi story to savor.
Children of Time
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Humans clash with highly evolved spiders. A slow, fascinating sci-fi world with gripping, high-stakes survival themes.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
by Becky Chambers
A diverse alien crew builds hyperspace tunnels. A cozy, character-driven sci-fi journey that feels like a warm hug.
Iron Widow
by Xiran Jay Zhao
A peasant girl pilots massive magical mechas to avenge her sister. Furious, high-stakes, and incredibly addictive.
Half a Soul
by Olivia Atwater
A faerie curse leaves a Regency lady with half a soul. A charming, witty, and relaxing romance.
The Rage of Dragons
by Evan Winter
A young warrior consumes himself with revenge in a brutal, dragon-filled society. Unrelentingly intense and fast-paced.
A Memory Called Empire
by Arkady Martine
An ambassador navigates a deadly alien capital. A slow, immersive sci-fi dive filled with gripping political intrigue.
My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
A hilariously rewritten Tudor history featuring shapeshifters, romance, and chaos. A witty, magical, and totally addictive joyride.
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
by Megan Bannen
A grumpy marshal and a lonely undertaker accidentally fall in love via anonymous letters. Funny, magical, and swoon-worthy.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
by T. Kingfisher
A teenage baker must save her city using only sourdough and cookies. Quirky, laugh-out-loud funny, and thrilling.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
by Dennis E. Taylor
A geeky guy dies and wakes up as an immortal spaceship AI. Highly entertaining, nerdy, and fast-moving.
Swordheart
by T. Kingfisher
A widow inherits a magical sword containing a snarky immortal warrior. A brilliantly funny, slow-paced fantasy adventure.
The Goblin Emperor
by Katherine Addison
An unwanted half-goblin unexpectedly inherits the elven throne. A surprisingly tender, slow-paced political fantasy focused on kindness.
The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Scalzi
A fired delivery driver gets recruited to protect massive alternate-dimension monsters. Fast, witty, and pure sci-fi fun.
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
by Rebecca Thorne
An elite guard and a powerful mage elope to open a bookshop. The ultimate relaxing, cozy fantasy escape.
Beware of Chicken
by Casualfarmer
A warrior quits fighting to start a magical farm. A hilarious, slow-paced slice-of-life story with great characters.