As fully grown adults who pay taxes and shop for our own groceries, heading into the fantasy section of our local bookshop can feel like a thankless task. Instead of thick volumes of leather-bound literature, we’re met with poorly designed covers featuring anthropomorphic fantastical creatures romantically intertwined with one another.
Since the Twilight craze of the early 2000s, the realm of fantasy writing has been monopolised by pseudo-erotica. While we’re certainly not judging the rise of fantastical love stories featuring elves, ghouls, vampires and werewolves (and have been known to indulge in a few ourselves from time to time) – some of us also crave the brilliant stories and masterful world-building of the novels that we read as children.
From Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, finding the same fabled magic and parabolic lessons in today’s fantasy literature isn’t easy.
This is especially the case if you don’t know where to look, as you’ll likely find yourself accidentally browsing the YA fiction section and awkwardly coming home with a surprisingly smutty series. Yet contrary to popular belief, the community of fantasy lovers stretches far beyond the realms of teenage bloodsuckers and Tolkienites.
After sultry vampires in the early 2000s came dystopian fiction throughout the 2010s, but more recently we’ve seen a resurgence in the classic fantasy novels beloved by both adults and children alike. Now more than ever, it seems as though grown-ups at all stages in life are craving the escape offered by the fantasy genre.
Fantasy novels have also been known to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood in beautiful ways, offering different meanings when read, or re-read at different stages of life. For instance, literary classics such as Le Petit Prince, Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, and Coraline which were read to us as children can offer invaluable insight into the virtues and lessons that we should carry with us as we tackle each new year of life.
Universal truths subtly delivered through a wonderful sense of escapism? Sign us up. From age-old classics to new-wave fantasy novels, we’ve rounded up some of the best of all time. Keep scrolling to escape the monotony of daily life and enter into the realm of mystery.
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Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundel
A masterful builder of fantasy realms, Rundel’s brand-new novel has already been earmarked by reviewers as a classic in the making. Though technically a children’s book, just like many other age-old classics, Impossible Creatures has received rave reviews from adults since its release.
Whether read with children or independently, fans of the first of Rundel’s trilogy will be introduced to the cluster of magical islands known as Archipelago, where mythological creatures have roamed free and undiscovered for centuries. As the magical barrier which protects these creatures begins to wear thin, the young Christopher and Mal must work together to solve the mystery of the Archipelago and save both the human and mythical worlds in one fell swoop.
Buy now £14.99, Foyles
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
You may have already come across the wave of promotions for the latest film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ iconic dystopian series. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes serves as a prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy and offers insight into the early life of Panem’s tyrannical leader, President Snow.
This fantastic novel delves into the history of the Hunger Games and the civil war to which the annual death matches were offered as a preventative solution. Collins also weaves through experiences and challenges Coriolanus Snow faced from early childhood and beyond which slowly turned him into the monstrous rose-touting being we know him to be by the time Katniss Everdeen enters the infamous arena.
Buy now £8.99, Foyles
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Before we explain the wonders of Susanna Clarke’s hefty debut novel, we highly suggest diving into the critically acclaimed Piranesi. More of a Novella, the 272-page book will familiarise you with Clarke’s masterful, almost surrealist style and get you excited about retroactively discovering her earlier works.
Now that we’ve got that out the way, Neil Gaiman himself declared Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to be “unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years”. The 782-page novel isn’t exactly a light read, but it’s one that won’t leave your consciousness for years to come. The story follows the adventures of two 19th-century magicians who find themselves in fierce and decidedly dangerous competition with one another. Think: Christopher Nolan’s Prestige but if it were written by Charles Dickens.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon
Babel by R.F. Kuang
If you’ve ever found yourself enraptured by the mythological concept of the Library of Alexandria, then R.F. Kuang’s Babel is for you. The capital of all knowledge and progress in the world is an alternate, mythical re-imagining of Oxford, England. At its centre lies the Royal Institute of Translation (nicknamed Babel), and our orphaned protagonist Robin Swift can think of no better location to spend his days. Following themes of the power of language and imperialism, Swift quickly discovers he must do all he can to battle the systemic injustice brought about by the world's most prestigious institutions.
Buy now £14.07, Amazon
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
While Pullman’s beloved trilogy has since been brought to the silver screen, we highly recommend delving into the original masterfully crafted fantasy world before watching the acclaimed adaptation. Hailed as a modern classic, His Dark Materials follows the journey of an orphan called Lyra who inhabits a magical realm where science, theology and the preternatural overlap in wondrous ways. Throughout the trilogy, we follow Lyra on her hunt for a missing friend as she uncovers a dark conspiracy which plagues both her world and countless others.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Yet another beloved fantasy novel which has been adapted for the silver screen, Gaiman’s Stardust remains a classic piece of escapist literature for adults and children alike. When speaking of his inspiration for Stardust, Gaiman stated “I wanted to write a story that would feel, to the reader, like something he or she had always known.” Indeed, the mythology which Gaiman builds feels like the type shared between childhood friends at the bottom of imagined fairy gardens.
Protagonist Tristan Thorn falls in love with a local girl called Victoria Forester and, in an attempt to win her love, vows to bring her a star from the night sky. Crossing over his town’s ancient border, Thorn finds himself in the Faerie realm – a dangerous land which is unfit for an ignorant human. We follow along as Thorn attempts to keep his promise to Forester in this devourable read.
Buy now £9.99, Waterstones
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Vampires, ghouls and werewolves have truly never been more appealing - and we don’t mean in the romantic sense. In the Black Leopard, Red Wolf trilogy, Marlon James breathes new life into the otherwise tired fantasy tropes by drawing on African history, mythology and his own unfathomable imagination. One of Time’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, James’ story follows a mercenary who is hired to find a missing child, as he travels through the thirteen kingdoms with a band of dangerous companions – including a witch and a shape-shifting leopard.
Buy now £21.14, Amazon
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A ferociously passionate fantasy tale which follows an enemies-to-lovers trope taking place within the mythical lands of Prythian, where faeries and humans live in violent opposition.
Whether you’ve come across A Court of Thorns and Roses via social media platforms such as TikTok, or are simply in the market for a new erotic fantasy series to devour, you’re in the right place. The first of Sarah J Maas’ five-book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses follows the plight of a huntress named Feyre who kills a wolf in an act of survival to feed her family. However, the wolf that Feyre killed was not what it appeared, and her violent act had untold consequences for the young huntress and her people.
For her actions, Feyre is kidnapped and taken away from her family. While held captive by the masked Tamlin, Feyre’s feelings become complex – turning from hatred to lust, as the two lovers attempt to navigate the bloody consequences of their relationship and fight to break an ancient curse.
Buy now £7.00, Amazon
