Fantasy for Beginners
Recently, my book club noted an interest in adding more fantasy books to their TBRs and before you ask we meet at a brewery, and yes my book club can drink your book club under the table. As an avid reader of fiction and fantasy books, I've compiled a list of some of my favorites that are suitable for those interested in exploring the fantasy genre. Here are some of my recommendations for fantasy beginners! Think of this as Level One of a video game. You’re just outside the cave, killing spiders while trying to figure out where you are, what you’re doing, and why you’re alone in a forest with monsters.
Forth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Everyone is familiar with this book and may wonder if it's suitable to read. I don't typically enjoy most romantasy novels ( fantasy with some spice) and didn't want to read the rest of this series, but this first book was worth my time. It has some issues, as the plot at times doesn't make much sense, but the positives outweigh the negatives. It takes a while to get steamy, and it feels formulaic, but it also mixes elements of Hunger Games and Top Gun with dragon sex in a Young Adult read with a rated R maturity level. The writer has a niche that keeps you turning the page.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
“This is what I know, what I've always known. I just want to know something else, now. To be something else.”
Seriously, if you need to step away from the news, away from the anxiety, away from the harshness and pounding reality it gives you, there is nothing better than this book. Romance, yes; friendship and found family, yes; coffee and journeys, yes. This book is an escape and wonderful to read.
Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor) by Mark Lawrence
This is an alternative world, featuring a dystopian medieval setting where nuns, monks, and royal courts engage in politics and fight for power, accompanied by an intriguing magic system and compelling magic school concepts. I hadn't gotten Harry Potter-like feelings until I read this trilogy. Red Sister is book one. It's got magic, demons, fighting nuns, assassins, and pit fights. Mr. Lawrence created something both unique and nostalgic in this book.
“A book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one. Treat them with respect.”
Half a King (The Shattered Sea) by Joe Abercrombie
Mr. Abercrombie is a titan of an author in the fantasy world, but I don't want to commit you to his well-done trilogy (The First Law Trilogy) that starts with The Blade Itself. Nope, dear reader, I want you to begin with this YA novel, The Half King, because it gives you everything a fantasy story needs: a broken hero, tragic beginnings, bread crumbs, and journeys that will keep you going. Mr. Abercrombie is a sorry bastard who loves to grow his characters through plot struggles and commitments that will leave you wanting more, and the YA trilogy is easier to digest and enjoy without the crushing sense of doom and gore that his adult books can give you.
Before I continue with the books I am providing here, I want to mention these books I chose will appeal to a reader who enjoys mysteries, romance, and pop fiction. Fantasy can be commitment-heavy, and some introductory books are not easy to read. I'm not throwing around huge names like Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, or Robert Jordan, not to mention N.K. Jemisin, Robin Hobb, or the wonderfully talented indie author Krystle Matar. Their books can be challenging to start and require effort that some folks don't have until it's a lazy summer vacation week or a snow-filled holiday season. It's the reason my books aren't picked up by some; they take a commitment of no screen time in the background, and an effort to sit down and enjoy. The books I'm recommending in this article are ones that you can read while a loved one is in the room with you watching a TV show, if you’re on a train in NYC, or taking a long car ride.
Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker) by Victoria Averyard
Mrs. Averyard is known for her YA series, Red Queen, and her first adult fantasy series, Realm Breaker; she knocks it out of the park. Her books are thick, yeah, fantasy readers love them, thick books, and yet accessible, written in a style that makes you commit as a reader but remains simplistic in its manner. There is a villain and a ragtag group of people trying to stop them. It features an interesting cast of characters, mild romance, violence, character development, and enough tragedy and plot twists to keep you engaged. Out of all the books I selected for this article, this is the one I would hand to a reader to get them hooked on fantasy. It reminded me of being a teenager oand reading Dragons of the Autumn Twilight.
“I wanted the horizon more than I wanted any cup or coin or concubine.”
Kings of the Wyld by Eames Nicholas
Rocks Bands meet Monster Hunters. A fun play on the fantasy trope as Mr. Nicholas draws on famous bands who become roving "bands" of monster hunters in a hard rocking fantasy series, starting a near-retired band member out to save his daughter, who is stuck in a city under siege by a horde of monsters bent on revenge. This is a fun book that features a clever play on character tropes in fantasy. The term "let's get the band" back to together means precisely what you think it does. No guitars, just swords and axes and monsters getting slaughtered.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The perfect caper book, join Kaz Brekker as he seeks power and revenge, getting his crew in and out of nasty situations. A sleek and easy writing style that screams fantasy noir, dripping with shadows, double crosses, and fun adventures, and a very slow-burning romance. There are other books in this "world," but you can start here and read others as needed.
“When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.”
Now, I did not include the classics, but if you’re interested in them, I actually started backwards. I read the Chronicles of Narnia first, then the original Dragon Lance Trilogy, and then The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was younger. I also sprinkled in some fantasy noir and a touch of Stephen King. I’ll follow up with some more complicated and thicker books in subsequent write-ups on fantasy for those who want to Level Up. Now grab a book go kill a few spiders and come back to me when you’re ready for Level 2 fantasy reading.
About the writer:
Matthew Zorich is the author of two epic fantasy books, Bastards of Liberty and Maiden of Storms, and the forthcoming Union of Steel. He's also a trained journalist and avid reader, with over 500 books read on his Goodreads account, and a professional reviewer for Raccoon County Press.
