Fantasy

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Good vs. evil. Magic. Mythical creatures. Court intrigue. Quests. Supernatural forces. Urban. Distant pasts. Dragons. Alternate histories. Swords & sorcery. Epic struggles. This is the stuff of fantasy.

 

 


The CallThe Call by Peadar O’Guilin

When you are Called to the Grey Land, you have 3 minutes, 4 seconds before you are returned to present day Ireland and the pile of empty clothes you left behind. Unfortunately, in the Grey Land those few minutes equal a day, a whole day you must hide, naked, and avoid the touch of the Sídhe or any of the mad creatures they have created out of the bodies of those who did not survive.
 
 
the readerThe Reader by Traci Chee
Set in a world where reading is unheard of, this swashbuckling adventure answers the author's own question: "What if literacy was actual magic—a power hoarded by a chosen few?" This is book 1 in the Sea of Ink and Gold series, in which our hero Sefia makes use of a mysterious object (!) to track down who kidnapped her aunt Nin and what really happened the night her father was murdered. Intricately plotted, the story features pirates, assassins, and those mysterious objects.
 
 
The StrangerThe Stranger by Bastien Vivés, Michaël Sanlaville, Balak
In this first of the Last Man series, we meet Adrian Velba, a pint sized gladiator-in-training in a magical medieval land where everyone is preparing for their annual tournament. His last-minute partnership with a mysterious stranger sets into motion an INSANE chain of events that flips everything you know about Adrian's world upside down. The illustrator packs so much movement, sound, and force into the fight scenes! Next up are the The Royal Cup, The Chase, and The Show.
 
 

Half a KingHalf a King by Joe Abercrombie

The rightful heir to the throne, scorned by all because of a disability, is betrayed by an uncle in this gruesome and bloody tale set in a Viking-like world. Fast-paced and action-packed with a plot full of twisty turns. Followed by Half the World and Half a War. George R R Martin likes it, so it must be good!
 
 

Girl from EverywhereThe Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Nix and her father’s tense relationship plays out against the backdrop of his secret map-reading craft. With the right map their ship, the Temptation, can sail anywhere, to any time. Set in NYC and 19th century Hawaii. A fast-paced time-traveling thriller.
 
 
 

FlamecasterFlamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima

You'll find yourself totally immersed in this intricately plotted high fantasy. In this return to the Seven Realms, Ash, a gifted healer, and Jenna, a girl marked with a strange symbol and abandoned at birth, find themselves on the run from the relentlessly brutal King's Guard. They are the next generation of Seven Realmers.
 

 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

In this fast-past and complex story with a large cast of characters, six teenage criminals plan an impossible heist. Next in the series is Crooked Kingdom. And, if you liked this one, go back and read the The Grisha Trilogy.

 

 

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott CardThe Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

Danny North, long thought to be a drekka, is now on the run and desperate to escape his family. Little do they know he is the first gatemage to appear in centuries. This is book 1 of the Mither Mages series.

 

 

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae CarsonThe Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Featuring Princess Eliza, bearer of the godstone - which is nicely positioned in her navel! Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom complete the trilogy.

 

 

The Graveyard Book by Neil GaimanThe Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

After his parents are murdered, a baby wanders into a graveyard, where he is adopted by a ghost couple, Mr. and Ms. Owens.

 

 

The Magicians by Lev GrossmanThe Magicians by Lev Grossman

Like everyone else, high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn’t real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in the joys of college—friendship, love, sex, and booze—and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. Harry Potter for adults? Followed by The Magician King and The Magician's Land.

 

Seraphina by Rachel HartmanSeraphina by Rachel Hartman

In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer. When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina struggles to protect a secret. Followed by Shadow Scale.

 

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK JemisinHundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

"I am not as I once was. They have done this to me, broken me open and torn out my heart." And therein lies the tale of Yeine, an outcast from the barbarian north, who mourns the death of her mother but is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. Book 1 of The Inheritance Trilogy. The author says she "likes to write about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, preferrably in non-Earth worlds which nevertheless reflect our own concerns."

 

A Wizard of EarthseaWizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, showing off to his fellow students, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. Book 1 of the Earthsea Cycle.

 

Every Day by David LevithanEvery Day by David Levithan

Every morning A (yes, "A" is the main character's name) wakes up in the body of a different person. Kinda hard to carry on a relationship!

 

 

Egg & Spoon by Gregory MaguireEgg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire

An improverished Russian country girl Elena Rudina and the aristocratic Ekatrina meet and set in motion an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and the witch Baba Yaga. By the author of the wildly popular Wicked.

 

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina MarchettaFinnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

During the Five Days of the Unspeakable, the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles. Finnikin meets the arrogant and enigmatic novice Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child. This is book 1 of the Lumatere Chronicles.

 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie StiefvaterThe Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Each November the Scorpio Races are held on the windswept island of Thisby. Sean is a legendary four-time winner. Puck rides for the prize money. The mounts - the wild and dangerous capaill uisce. They emerge from the black ocean and gallop the beach beneath the cliffs. Riders attempt to keep hold of the water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. Stiefvater is the author of the Raven Cycle and The Wolves of Mercy Falls books.

 

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini TaylorDaughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Against the background of ethereal Prague, Karou, a beautiful 17-year-old art student with blue hair and mysterious tattoos, finds a  connection to monstrous beings from a parallel world called Eretz. Followed by Days of Blood & Starlight, and Dreams of Gods & Monsters.

 

 

More fantastic authors

Charles De Lint  |  Patrick Rothfuss  |  Catherine Fisher  |   Kristin Cashore   |  Philip Pullman   |   Robin Hobb  |  J.R.R. Tolkien  |  Robin McKinley  |  China Miéville  |  Anne McCaffrey  |  Mercedes Lackey  |  Julie Kagawa  |  Margo Lanagan  |  Holly Black  |  Terry Pratchett