Fantasy is one of the best genres in literature out there. Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to write fantasy stories in the future and growing up, I enjoyed combining sci-fi with fantasy all the time. I guess Star Wars being my obsession as a kid helped with that! Either way, fantasy honestly has a special place in my heart, and today, I’m going to list 10 fantasy books that I think you definitely need to give a read, as they are absolutely fantastic! This list will be more general, but I will also curate lists for more specific subgenres, like sword-and-shield, grimdark, romantasy, and more in the future.
(affiliate disclaimer: some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission at no extra cost to you).
1. Malware by Zainah Yousef
I first wrote Malware as a pure sci-fi story, but I one day had the brilliant idea of combining dark fantasy with the story and have since spawned an entire series built around this one sci-fi idea I had about a high-tech hacker in the future doing high-tech hacker things. Since then, Malware has evolved into a series that involves magic, aliens, ancient demons, mythology, and more.
Malware is the first book in The Fallen Age Saga and tells the story of Blide Stevens in the 2030s who spends his days working as a cybersecurity specialist and at night, he becomes Malware, the infamous cyberterrorist and murderer who takes down the darkest the world has to offer, using every tool at his disposal. However, a mistake lands him in jail and he’s found by the CIA, who want him to work with them. His work there leads him to uncovering a rabbit hole of an ancient conflict that he’s seen since his days as a Blackridge mercenary, but it’s so much deeper than he ever knew, and the true conflict spans eons of time. The world is about to enter its darkest period yet, and it doesn’t even know it.
I intersected everything into this series that I am a fan of, and I really wanted it to show! Even if it doesn’t seem like fantasy at first, trust me, when the fantasy elements kick in, you’ll want to take a seat. (Peep the new cover)
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(It’s also available at some independent bookstores, so if you look up the title of my book, you’ll probably find it if you need to use a different local retailer).
2. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
A quintessential grimdark book, Prince of Thorns is an absolutely amazing story that I couldn’t put down. Prince of Thorns is about a young prince named Jorg of Ancrath as he leads a mercenary band of outlaws, committing raids and atrocities across the land. The world is in the midst of darkness, war, and violence is the norm. Jorg can master the living and the dead, and his goal is to become king, no matter the cost.
Prince of Thorns is definitely a dark story and Jorg is certainly not your typical hero, instead taking the path of being very morally gray. The writing is fast and smooth and I didn’t want it to end. Definitely a must read!
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3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I know that this series gets some flak, but I genuinely really enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses. It was a fun read and I really thought the world building was interesting. The religion is definitely unique, to say the least. Either way though, A Court of Thorns and Roses is about a 19-year old huntress named Feyre Archeron who stumbles upon the world of the Fae after killing a wolf in the woods. She is then taken to the fae world and meets Tamlin, a High Fae who she begins to fall for. However, there is a dark conflict brewing in the Fae world and she’s been put right in the middle of it.
This is definitely one of the most popular romantasy books out there and I really enjoyed many of the elements of the story, the dialogue, the banter, and of course, Rhysand. You’ll meet him later.
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4. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
I would say The Cruel Prince and the entire Folk of Air series is up there in my top series of all time. I flew through this book so quickly because I just couldn’t put it down, but seriously, The Cruel Prince is such an amazing story.
The story follows Jude Duarte who was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were taken away to live in the High Court of Faerie. The main plot takes place ten years later and all Jude wants is to belong in Faerie, but the fey aren’t exactly nice to humans. Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the High King, is not fond of humans at all, and he makes sure Jude knows that constantly. Jude finds herself getting involved in the political world of Faerie, discovering her own darkness and her ability to navigate the world around her.
This isn’t a romance story, by the way, but it has a romance plot in it, which I personally liked. But overall, I really recommend The Cruel Prince. Definitely worth the time spent reading!
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5. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
If you haven’t read The Lord of the Rings yet, or any of Tolkien’s works, then you definitely need to get on that stat. One of the best fantasy series of all time, The Lord of the Rings is an amazing adventure with plenty of peril, action, heroism, and friendship along the way. The epic fantasy takes the tale of good vs evil with some of the best world building in fantasy, amazing characterization, and a unique language system. Tolkien was a linguist as well, so that really shows in his works.
The Fellowship of the Ring is where the story starts off. In the ancient times, there were Rings crafted by the elves called the Rings of Power. Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring and filled it with power to make himself stronger than everyone and rule over Middle-earth. However, he was defeated and the ring was stolen, but it has fallen into the hands of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.
The main story follows the life of Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit from the shire who must deliver the One Ring to Mordor after Biblo entrusts it to him. He must destroy it before Sauron returns and takes back the power he deeply coveted.
It’s a great story and I really think that you’ll enjoy it! The movies are also some of the BEST out there!
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6. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
If you’ve heard of the HBO series, Game of Thrones, then you may already know that it was based off of a series of books called A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. A Game of Thrones marks the beginning of the series, and it’s definitely one of the best, darker fantasy stories out there.
A Game of Thrones tells the story of a land where the seasons have been thrown out of balance, with summers and winters lasting forever. The winter is returning to the land, and things seem to be falling apart. Political conflict is everywhere and the lives of the Starks of Winterfell are about to change. The members of the family are cast into positions they do not know, and must learn to survive and win the Game of Thrones.
If you want a story about war, nobility, conflict, revenge and more, then A Game of Thrones is the one you want!
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7. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings is definitely one of my favorite fantasy stories I’ve ever read and the world building is just off the charts. Sanderson really knows how to create worlds and I enjoyed every minute of this very lengthy read!
The Way of Kings follows several characters as they are impacted by a war that rages on over the Shattered Plains between two sides. The land of Roshar has always been marked by war though, where the Knights Radiant once held mystical powers and fought for the land. However, the order fell and their equipment remained. Shardblades and Shardplate are the most coveted things in the world, and entire wars are fought over them.
Kaladin is a slave on a bridge team, Dalinar Kholin is the leader of an army, and Shallan is sent to train under Dalinar’s niece, Jasna. Although they seem like separate stories, their stories intersect in a very brilliant way.
I 100% recommend you read The Way of Kings. It’s so good!
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8. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Caraval is a story that I can wholeheartedly say is a fun read. While I do find that there was room for more to be said, I still enjoyed this story and I really liked the vibes of the Caraval itself and the characters. I personally enjoyed the plot and even if it was a bit predictable, I didn’t feel like my time was wasted or anything like that. It’s one of those books you just enjoy reading and I loved it so much, I went and bought the rest of the trilogy right away.
Caraval is about a girl named Scarlett Dragna who lives under the control of her cruel father alongside her sister, Tella. She dreams of seeing the magical game performance known as Caraval, but it only happens once a year. She gets a chance to go with the help of a sailor named Julian, but once there, Tella is kidnapped by the organizer, Legend and it turns out that the theme of Caraval that year is to find Tella.
Caraval is definitely a mind-bending story where you basically question the entire time if what’s happening is real or fake. I loved it and I found it a lot of fun to read.
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9. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wing is definitely an exciting read and has an awesome plotline behind it. There’s dragons, there’s enemies to lovers, and there’s magic. Honestly, I got a lot of Dauntless (from Divergent) vibes from this story, which I think is really cool.
Violent Sorrengail is the main character and she was supposed to join the Scribes and study history all day, but her mother, the commanding general, won’t accept it and Violet must join the dragon rider candidates. However, she has a medical condition that makes her much weaker than most people.
There aren’t enough dragons to bond with cadets, and the other candidates are pretty much willing to kill each other to get a spot. There’s also Xaden Riorson, a ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant who hates Violet because of her mother.
There’s so much happening in this story and it’s really an exciting one. I 100% recommend you read.
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10. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Heartless Hunter is a really interesting YA fantasy story that has witches, a dark plot, and enemies to lovers, so if you’re a fan of that like I am, this is definitely a book for you.
Heartless Hunter is about Rune, a witch who is contending with a devastating revolution that is hellbent on hunting and eliminating all witches. Rune is a vigilante who spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, rescuing her people from being purged. A rescue goes wrong and she must gain intel from the witch hunters, meeting Gideon Sharpe along the way. He is a loyal revolutionary, and despite their opposing sides, Rune finds herself falling for him.
Both characters seem to be dancing against each other in this story, with each trying to stop the other without realizing it and falling in love all at the same time. It’s honestly a really interesting plot and I recommend it if you want something interesting to read!
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