Greetings travelers! 

Welcome to the mesmerizing world of fantasy where knights, renegades, and epic battles between the forces of light and darkness reign eternal. Here you will find everything you need to know to get you started on your quest. 

But be warned! 

Here be dragons.

Fantasy is a subgenre of speculative fiction, which is an umbrella term for all works of fiction that defy the common laws of our reality such as science fiction, superhero stories, etc.. The key difference between works of fantasy and works of any other genre can be summed up in one word: magic.

Most agree that the very presence of magic, no matter how integral it is to the plot, is what determines a work of fantasy. Others believe that any novel that takes place in a world outside of our own, such as an alternative medieval setting, can also be labeled as fantasy even if magic is not prominent.  

In science fiction, everything must be based on either proven or theoretical scientific fact. Magic is the complete opposite of science as you typically do not need to explain what magic is or how it operates. Simply saying “This house moves by magic” or something similar is usually enough for most readers. The suspension of disbelief is integral to enjoying a fantasy novel.

What is Fantasy?

Myths, legends, and folklore are usually placed under the fantasy heading because of their outlandish plots and use of magic. Supernatural and paranormal stories are also labeled as a subgenre of fantasy due to the inexplicable nature of the paranormal activity. Basically, if it cannot be explained through science, then it will most likely be categorized as fantasy. 

Fantasy is usually the first genre children are introduced to and the one they generally prefer over all others. Regrettably, the association between fantasy and children is most likely the reason that many people stop reading fantasy as they get older. However, recent successful film and movie adaptations of fantasy series have gone a long way towards changing the perception that fantasy is for children only. 

Myths and fairy tales have been used as a means of imparting social and moral lessons since the dawn of storytelling. Every culture around the world has their own lore that they use to pass down pieces of their history. From One Thousand and One Arabian Nights to Journey to the West to Aesop’s Fables to Grimm’s Fairytales, these fantastical adventures have survived the centuries because they continue to delight and inspire new generations. 

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Modern fantasy is still influenced by the epic poetry of Beowulf as well as the saga of King Arthur and his Knights. Writers are still pulling characters, ideas, and tropes from ancient mythology and even “modern” fairytales such as Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. For more information on the history of Fantasy, check out our Hallmarks of Fantasy: A Brief History of Fantasy post.

We have been blessed with tons and tons of groundbreaking, thought-provoking, and imaginative works of fantasy media ranging from literature to film to board and video games. Because fantasy is as limitless as human imagination, there are a plethora of stories available for interested readers. 

With that said, it can be difficult knowing where to start. But don’t worry! We’re here to help! First and foremost, fantasy novels are split between two major categories: high/epic fantasy and low fantasy. 

High Fantasy

Novels in the High Fantasy category take place in a world that may mirror our own, however, these worlds are entirely separate and operate under their own rules. Typically these novels borrow heavily from European history and mythology. For that reason, they are usually set in an alternative medieval timeline with high stakes battles and dangerous creatures. High fantasy novels mirror the epic nature of ancient poetry and legends such as Beowulf by featuring larger than life characters, monsters, and plots. J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and George R. R. Martin’s The Song of Ice and Fire series are prime examples. 

Low Fantasy

The amount of magic varies from novel to novel, but titles within this category usually feature a “lower” amount of magic compared to their high fantasy counterparts. They are often set in worlds exactly like our own except magic exists. Paranormal romances, urban fantasy, and even “portal” fantasy (Isekai/Alice in Wonderland-esque stories) can all be considered examples of low fantasy simply because they originally take place in our own “normal” world but feature magical or supernatural events prominently. 

In the most basic terms, if it is connected in any way shape or form to our own world then it is low fantasy regardless of how much magic is involved. If it takes place in a world completely separate from our own, then it’s high fantasy. 

There are tons of other subgenres to explore, but for now we’re going to cover only the basics. So gather your chainmail and let’s get ready because adventure awaits! 

High/Epic Fantasy Recommendations

(all available in digital formats)

The Color of Magic: A Novel of Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett has invented a phantasmagorical universe in which a blissfully naive interplanetary tourist called Two-flower joins up with a drop-out wizard whose spells only seem to work half of the time. Together they undertake a chaotic voyage through a crazy world filled with monsters and dragons, heroes and knaves. Pratchett has taken the sword and sorcery fantasy tradition and turned it in its ear to create an entertaining and bizarre spoof.

 

 

 

 

 

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

In the peaceful land of Osten Ard, the good king is dying and a long-dreaded evil is about to be unleashed. Only Simon, a young kitchen boy apprenticed to a secret order of wizards dedicated to halting the coming darkness, can solve the dangerous riddle that offers salvation to the land.

 

 

 

 

 

The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

After discovering the true nature of the one ring, Bilbo Baggins entrusts it to the care of his young cousin, Frodo, who is charged with bringing about its destruction and thus foiling the plans of the Dark Lord.

 

 

 

 

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin)

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter.

Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world's sole continent, a great red rift has been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes--those who wield the power of the earth as a weapon--are feared far more than the long cold night. Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back. She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall.

At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

 

 

Kill the Farm Boy: The Tales of Pell by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. 

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born...and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he's bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower.

First there's the Dark Lord who wishes for the boy's untimely death...and also very fine cheese. Then there's a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar "happily ever after" that ever once-upon-a-timed.

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks; illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt.

Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revealed that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara, Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.

 

 

Seven Blades in Black (The Grave of Empires #1) by Sam Sykes

Sal, a once talented mage, thrives in a wasteland scarred by generations of magical warfare. Here, caught between two powerful empires, is where rogue magicians go to disappear, disgraced soldiers go to make their fortunes, fanatic machinists impose their perverted order, and zealous witch hunters cleanse the impure wherever they can find them. But Sal was betrayed by those she trusted most and is now in captivity, stripped of her magic and awaiting her execution on order of the Emperor himself. All she has left is her vengeance, her will and her weapons.

 

 

 

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

The infant princess Briar Rose is cursed on her name day by Pernicia, an evil fairy, and then whisked away by a young fairy to be raised in a remote part of a magical country, unaware of her real identity and hidden from Pernicia's vengeful powers.

 

 

 

 

 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows--everyone knows--that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn't, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose. 

Low Fantasy Recommendations

(all available in digital formats)

 

American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

 

 

 

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard.

As Tracker follows the boy's scent -- from one ancient city to another; into dense forests and across deep rivers -- he and the band are set upon by creatures intent on destroying them. As he struggles to survive, Tracker starts to wonder: Who, really, is this boy? Why has he been missing for so long? Why do so many people want to keep Tracker from finding him? And perhaps the most important questions of all: Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

While working at her Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ben's Honeybee Bakery in downtown Savannah, Katie Lightfoot discovers that her aunt is a witch and her recipes are actually spells, which comes in handy when Uncle Ben is accused of murdering a curmudgeonly customer and they need to clear his name. 

 

 

 

 

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party ... and to feed. Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining--and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized. A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead ... or undead.

 

 

 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

 

 

The Golem and the Jinni: A Novel by Helene Wecker

Chava, a golem brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and Ahmad, a jinni made of fire, form an unlikely friendship on the streets of New York until a fateful choice changes everything.

 

 

 

 

 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist.

Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they're likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren't the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place-and realizing that family is yours.

 

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Novelization adapted by A.C.H. Smith; illustrations by Brian Froud

Fourteen-year-old Sarah must reach the center of a dangerous labyrinth within thirteen hours in order to save her little brother Toby from Jareth, King of the Goblins.

Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic - it can get a guy killed. 

 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

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Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.

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