Beginners Guide to Fantasy

I love fantasy novels. It’s probably my favorite genre. I read maybe one or two contemporary books a year. I’m very picky about that genre. But fantasy is a whole other ballgame. For as long as I can remember, I’ve read for escapism. I like to be enveloped in a story that takes me to somewhere new and exciting. Fantasy, however, can be intimidating (have you seen how big the Game of Thrones books are?).  I thought it would be fun to show you what some of my favorite fantasy books are. These are the ones that I read when I was younger, yes, but I feel like anyone would be able to enjoy them—especially if they’re looking to get into the longer fantasy novels that are out there. I feel like these books are a good place to start.

            I’ll get the obvious out of the way and say it—Harry Potter. Everybody has either read or heard about these books. However, the later books in the series can get long and rather complicated (in my opinion). So here are the books that I think make great introduction to the fantasy genre. If you’ve read any of these let me know. Or, if you feel I’ve missed a series to put in here, let me know that too! Without further ado, let’s get into the list!

The Goose Girl series by Shannon Hale:

            I read this series so long ago. I think it’s actually time for a reread because I have such fond memories of this series. Essentially, it’s about a girl who is royalty but is cast out of the palace for some reason. I don’t particularly remember the details. I do, however, remember loving this series. There’s also the added element of air/fire/water/earth elementals. The first book introduces the power so subtly that you don’t even really notice that the main character has one of these powers, and I really appreciated that. So much of the time the magic system is just thrown in your face and it’s hard to grasp right away. I think that Shannon Hale did an excellent job with this series, and anybody can enjoy them! I think it’s time for a reread of this series soon.

Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

            This is another classic YA fantasy series that I read back in junior high and high school. The first book in this trilogy, Graceling, is about a world where people have graces. I.E., they have the stronger abilities than most to play music or make things or grow plants. The main character of Graceling has the Grace to kill someone, and she’s basically the king’s assassin at the beginning of the book. The rest of the books are in the same world but follow different characters. I won’t go into too much detail, because they’re kind of spoilers for what happens in the first, but this series was another that was super easy to read and understand what was happening. I think it’s a great place to start if you’re looking for a classic high fantasy story.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson

            This book plays off of the classic “chosen one” trope. Elisa is such a strong main character that you can’t help but root for her through all three books. Her character development is exponential throughout the series. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is so easy to read that you will more than likely forget you’re even reading a fantasy story. I have such fond memories of this series.

Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

            From the description on Goodreads, “This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers.” Basically, if you like X-Men and fantasy, I think you’d really appreciate this. It’s a four-book series and only three are out right now, but the first one follows Mare Barrow as she discovers that she might be more than just a Red. This is another one that’s easy to get into but will probably make a long-lasting impression on you if you like this kind of thing. People complain that it’s kind of a mash up of everything that’s been done before in YA, but honestly, I thought it was executed really well.

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

            This is another really popular series, but it’s more of a desert fantasy. It follows Laia, a slave girl, and Elias, who is the prodigy of an elite military school. This is brutal and violent, but I was completely sucked into it. If you’re into spies and people trying to fight for their freedom, then definitely check this one out. I think it’d be right up your alley. I flew through it in a couple of days, and have been putting off reading the sequel, just because I don’t want to have to wait for the third. But I highly recommend this. The first book in this series was so fun and engaging, that I really do think anyone would have a good time reading this.

            So these are my picks for my beginners guide to fantasy. Hopefully I chose ones that people don’t know much about, so I can get them onto people’s radars. I really had a great time reading all of these, and think that most people will enjoy them. Have you read any of these? What are your beginner fantasy recommendations? Leave them in the comments!