Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Fantasy | 25+ Best Books For Every Reader
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Here is my Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Fantasy! All of these books/series I think are great places to start, let me know your recommendations in the comments!
0:00-Fantasy
2:45-HP
3:15-His Dark Materials
3:27-Narnia geni.us/NarniaComplete
3:48-Inheritance Cycle
4:20-Percy Jackson geni.us/PercyJacksonBoxset
4:48-Stardust geni.us/Stardust
5:19-Neverwhere geni.us/Neverwhere
5:32-Howl’s Moving Castle geni.us/Howl
5:58-The Emperor’s Soul
6:39-Warbreaker geni.us/Warbreaker
7:40-Elantris geni.us/Elantris
8:41-Sword of Kaigen geni.us/SwordofKaigen
9:27-The Hobbit
10:03-Mistborn geni.us/MistbornBoxset
11:06-Night Angel Trilogy geni.us/NightAngel
11:58-Legend of Drizzt
13:06-First Law Trilogy geni.us/FirstLaw
13:58-Riyria geni.us/RiyriaBoxSet
14:22-Dragonlance geni.us/DragonLance
15:00-Kingkiller geni.us/NameofWindAnniversary
15:52-Farseer Trilogy geni.us/AssassinsApprentice
16:17-Dresden Files geni.us/DresdenBoxset
16:57-Belgariad geni.us/Belgariad1-3
17:33-WoT / ASOIAF geni.us/EyeoftheWorld
17:58-Stormlight geni.us/WayofKings
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#fantasy #books
Established Titles is running a big sale right now, and if you use the code CAPTURED10 you get an additional 10% off. Go to EstablishedTitles.com/CAPTURED10 to get your gifts now! HP 2:45 His Dark Materials 3:15 Narnia 3:27 Inheritance Cycle 3:48 Percy Jackson 4:20 Stardust 4:48 Neverwhere 5:19 Howl’s Moving Castle 5:32 The Emperor’s Soul 5:58 Warbreaker 6:39 Elantris 7:40 Sword of Kaigen 8:41 The Hobbit 9:27 Mistborn 10:03 Night Angel Trilogy 11:06 Legend of Drizzt 11:58 First Law Trilogy 13:06 Riyria 13:58 Dragonlance 14:22 Kingkiller 15:00 Farseer Trilogy 15:52 Dresden Files 16:17 Belgariad 16:57 WoT / ASOIAF 17:33 Stormlight 17:58 Let me know your recommendations for beginner fantasy books! Originally I also had The Witcher, Discworld, and Sabriel in here but had to cut them since I just didn't have enough time to edit those segments.
Can we get a list of the books mentioned with time codes?
@@QuilanNaTr33 Updated with a list!
Cradle series by Will Wight is great in my opinion and would work very well as a "beginner" series, much like Drizzt series.
@@CapturedInWords Thank you so much!
I mean, you should clearly do other videos like this if it does well for your channel. Then you can just shuffle them every few months and do, 'Top Ten Comedic Fantasy series' or 'Top Ten Fantasy Series for Teens to Get Into' or whatever. Realistically, you can't pick the actual top XXX of art/music/books. Just 25 of the better ones.
I've been reading fantasy my entire life but i love watching videos like this, they reminds me how big and fascinating this genre is
I'm glad you enjoyed! :D
I would still like to reccomend The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is light on magic, having a very simple magic system. The dynamic between the 2 main charachters is also one of the best things I have ever read.
Excellent recommendation for an incredible book!
Yeah this definitely deserves a place in the Top 25-100 and I'm happy to hear he's got some novellas coming out and is back to writing (or has been writing but has now completed stuff). I feel like the Gentleman Bar Stewards will be one of the true greats once completed. And who doesn't like Robin Hood?
Great recommendation, this is the book that got me back into reading and into fantasy.
I'm super interested in reading this book but I'm not sure if I want to get into a super long series, especially one that is incomplete. Goodreads says it has a lot of sequels. How does this book fare as a stand-alone?
@@suzu8253 the first book can defs be read as a standalone in my opinion. There are things in the first book that are set up for the next books but the story is very well contained in the first book.
I’m in my middle 70s and was introduced to science fiction/fantasy by my hubby way back when. The first book i read was Anne MacCaffreys The ship who sang and i was hooked. I just read all of her books and hungered for more Pern books. I definitely want a Firelizard of my own even now. I still go back and read these books. The characters became my best friends. I continued with them when her son joined the writing. My second favourite is the Belgariad series….Just love Pol. Then all the Hobbs books. Ive got bookcases of them and just cannot give them away even though I cannot read the actual books anymore. Thank goodness for Kindle and Audio 🎉
I've got to say, your editing is a lot better than most booktubers.
Thank you! I spend way too much time editing haha
@desertrosereads hater
"fantasy is one of the most beloved genres in literature." you couldn't start this video any better. loved this video.
Eragon was the series that got me into fantasy. The first book starts out a little slow but the 2-4th books really accelerate the pacing and further develop the magic system. Very highly recommend
Easily one of the best books to get into fantasy with. Loved the magic system so much
God I love that series, one of my first and best
The ending sucked tho
@@azeldadzie8635 if i’m being honest its been a really long time since ive read the books so i don’t remember the ending in great detail but i remember liking it. The swordfight with magic was pretty cool, i wish saphira saw more action in the end tho
Yhyh I agree I liked everything I just wanted him to end up with Arya
The Belgariad is my all time favorite series
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist is an awesome series.
I love your book recommendation series. I started reading because in 2020 KZhead recommended me your ‘books to read during quarantine’ video, and since then reading fantasy has been a huge part of my life. I love how you made the intimidatingly large and complex books and series seem accessible through your summaries and the art work you show. It’s easy to catch your passion for these books
Terry Pratchett's discworld. The Hogfather or The Wee Free Men are both excellent entry points into one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.
The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist. My favorite series and one that reignited my love of fantasy.
I first read Magician nearly 40 years ago, and it's still my favourite fantasy series by far.
Quality recommendation
Definitely should've been Top 3 material!
Fantastic Series, I have almost all of his books. I'm just not sure that they are for beginners. But yes they are fantastic books.
I started with fantasy audiobooks like Mistborn and Lightbringer, which were awesome experiences. I moved on to reading the Stormlight Archive and Wheel of Time. Right now I'm in love with Red Rising
red rising.... yep...I had to stop reading them.... my favorite character got merc'd couple books in ...I haven't recovered enough to read the last book....some of the battles are totally epic
@@richardburrell7665 you’re best bet is to go into Dark Age already damaged. I wouldn’t wish taking the time to heal and then going into Dark Age on my worst enemy
@Hasan Mahmood I want to get into audiobooks Which One Would U Recommend To read first Mistborn Or Stormlight And Should I Go for the GA Or Michael Kramer's Version
oh man I listened to all the red rising books and the story is great (minus the first book which is kind of lame), Darrow is great and the narrator for the audiobooks is absolutely amazing
Red rising is the biggest sci-fi disappointments I’ve ever invested time and money into.
Stardust is one of my favourite movies. I know this is about books, but I just wanted to mention. Its so heartwarming and has some really good scenes
I'm glad the Belgariad was included. It's outstanding. For beginners, there is also the option to read some great short stories. You can meet characters like Elric without reading a whole novel.
If your someone like me who started reading fantasy as an adult and want adult content - in other words, rated R - Joe Abercrombie’s, ‘The First Law’, trilogy is phenomenal.
Have you found anything else similar?? I finished all of Abercrombies books 😢 I’m currently reading Dune.
@@annas1197 The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell is not exactly fantasy but it’s one of my favorite trilogies of all time. The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee is pretty good too.
@@jakehensley1210 thank you, I’ll check out the warlord chronicles. I actually read the green bone saga this year and loved it.
@@annas1197 Maybe "Malazan, the book of the fallen" series. Hard to get into as you´re thrown into middle of the plot with a lot of characters, but very rewarding if you stick to it.
@@henriklarsson5221 thanks for the suggestion, I do have The first book sitting on my bookshelf but I’ve been postponing starting that series. I’m skeptical on whether I’ll enjoy it. Everyone comments on how they don’t know what’s going on at all etc, I don’t know if I’ll enjoy that as sometimes I don’t have time to read consistently each day and things don’t stay fresh in memory. But I will definitely give it a shot.
The Name of The Wind is an excellent start because it is comedic, exciting, and very well written. It opens up some magic and a new world that is not too complicated and not hard to follow.
It was my start into fantasy and I haven't found such a good book for 13 years :D
Plus you get a good laugh when they ask where book three is, and then they have to fill the void by reading all the other fantasy series :D Note: This is not an opportunity for people who don't like good books, to whine about Rothfuss wanting to do a good job on the third one and taking as much time as he needs.
Name of The Wind is so good, honestly one of the best books I've read
It was like beautifully written. Yet very boring.
It is a good start but it is also somewhat slow at points which might be hard for someone not used to reading
I love videos like these because they make me realise that no matter how far I go with my reading, I'm always going to have so much more to explore!
The Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander and LeGuin's Earthsea novels for youngsters, The Once and Future King for traditionalists, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series as well as Robert E. Howard's Conan stories for sword and sorcery. Most of Simon R. Green's books are good for newbies as well, but he plays pretty fast and loose with genre.
I think Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain are unjustly neglected nowadays, but they absolutely are one of the great fantasy series for younger readers.
I like Simon R Green especially the way he mixes both fantasy and sci fi along with discreetly referring to other authors and their characters.
I completely agree with your suggestions not noted by this version, especially the Chronicles of Prydain for young readers. If Lloyd Alexander has become "unjustly neglected," well, I guess I need to step up and re-recommend them to my kiddos (who are no longer "kiddos"...) :)
Incredible video! Most beginner fantasy guides I’ve seen focus on transitioning from reading no fantasy into YA fantasy or transitioning from YA to adult. I love that this video is comprehensive and addresses all categories of readers. Plus, your videos are always nothing short of inspiring!
"Which Bradon Sanderson books do you want to recommend?" Captured in Words: "YES!!!"
Hahaha true! 😅
I'm incredibly happy to see someone recommending the Night Angel books! i found the entire trilogy at a resell shop years back and loved it, but it's pretty much never mentioned. it was far from my first fantasy series so i found it pretty light on the fantasy, and while the darkness isn't for everyone it's 100% a series I'd recommend to an adult looking to get into fantasy
It’s more of a childrens/YA series but the Ranger’s Apprentice series is fantastic for younger fantasy readers
It’s remarkably mature as well.
One of my favorites, I think it is very well written, interesting and not saturated with unnecessary scenery descriptions . Actually reading through it right now 😁
Your videos and editing always bring me passion to read
Thanks, I'm happy to hear that! :)
Please read all of Robin Hobbs full series it gets more intriguing and changes through the multiple trilogies the end is perfect.
Eddings was my gateway into fantasy with the Belgariad and Mallorean series. His other storyline about the Knight Sparhawk is another favorite of mine. I enjoyed medieval history growing up and Sparhawk fits into that quite well with the addition of magic.
Yes, I remember these, a lot of fun. :)
Same Eddings is one of my favorite authors, while the stories themselves are not really anything to write home about he is fantastic at writing characters you become attacted too.
Christopher's Paolini's Inheritance Cycle was my first introduction to high fantasy and haven't stopped reading high fantasy since
"Now I really like the Dresden Files." Me: One of us, one of us, one of us!!
seeing so many brandon sanderson books makes me wanna cry. he will be my forever favorite author. his magic systems are always so unique and complex it just leaves you with awe.
I totally agree! He has some incredibly creative ideas and he'll always be a favorite author of mine too
Great video. This is a great resource. A number of these titles have been on my TBR with expectation I will eventually try to work in some fantasy reads in my life.
Awesome content as always! Added a few to my TBR. I started my foray into modern Fantasy with The Queen of Blood and now am reading Earthsea based on your recommendation. Starting Mistborn soon and am so excited.
Dude, your editing is phenomenal. Incredibly well done, and great info too :) thanks for the video!
Yoo i LOVE the artwork you found of all these series. They are soo freekin good
The music you use in your videos are so beautiful ! And the editing is absolute fire 🔥
Read the LOTR when I was 9, moved onto the Legend of Drizzt books and am still rereading them 25 years later. In my humble opinion, TLOD books are the greatest stories from the Forgotten Realms ever to be written, and R.A. Salvatore is still pumping them out! From Drizzt's upbringing in the Drow city of Menzoberanzzan, to him help bring a half-human half-drow child into the world
I don't believe you. I tried to read Lord of the rings when I was twenty one and already into sci fi and fantasy. It was too boring and slow. I can't believe a 9 year old would stick with it. Unless... did your parents make you?
I NEEDED THIS VIDEO THANK YOU. im not really new to fantasy but im always looking for more recommendations! i think one of my recs for new beginner fantasy readers would be the seven realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. it's early YA and pivots towards adult at the end but so good. i also think senlin ascends by josiah bancroft is a great introductory book too because it takes place in a single location but the character development is great and the story is fantastic too! i think for me i haven't read a lot of fantasy books that don't deal with 'magic' so it was intriguing to see:) also editingggggggg 🔥!!!!
I started off with the fighting fantasy choose your own adventure books in the 80's and my love of fantasy grew from there. For a recommendation i would go for Raymond E Feist. Magician is an absolutely wonderful book which is often re-read. The storyline is straightforward enough and the narrative easy to get into and an excellent place to start. Quite a few trilogies and other series have come out of the world.
I started with Dark Elf Trilogy. I didn't care about reading anything but then I read that book and I've been hooked on fantasy ever since. By the time I got into middle school and couple of years later I was reading at a college level
The Death Gate Cycle (7 Books) was one that got me started years ago
Awesome series with fascinating world building 5 times over - that was an early one for me too.
It’s such a great series and it’s so sad so few people have read it.
I really love the first book of The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind; “Wizards First Rule”. I finished the entire 11 book series, but the last few books I had to muscle through
Agreed. It became exhausting when the war wizard didn't get any more powerful thru the series
*TECHNICALLY*, The Sword of Truth as that titled series is 13 books, and it has a "far future sequel" (The Law of Nines - which, chronologically, is book 27) and a second prequel (The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus - which, chronologically, is *really* book 1), bringing it to 27, when you include the attached other series, The Nicci Chronicles and Children of D'Hara).
Fantastic video and recommendations! I am in awe of your editing. You should do a Masterclass in editing 😜 I am excited to hear your thoughts on Sword of Kaigen! It is one of the best fantasy standalones I've read!
I think my journey into fantasy began with the Dragonlance Chronicles. Simple and fun to read with great characters.
Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain started my love of fantasy. Also accessible, if longer, Stephen King's Dark Tower series.
The Night Angle Trilogy was probably my fist introduction to Fantasy and it is still one of the books I often reach for. 10/10 would recommend! Weeks has a way of building a world that you get lost in on the first page.
My intro to fantasy was middle grade novels. Jennifer Nielsen's False Prince is a good start for me (no magic, just politics and adventure), then Ella enchanted, Just Ella, Harry Potter, and then YA. And eventually moved to a more mature fantasy starting with Mistborn. Mistborn really boost me up with reading as I hungrily read all Sanderson books
Great recs! I personally had a tough time getting into Stormlight, but now it’s one of my faves.
You have flown down from heaven bro, the quality of every aspect of the video is a rarefound ✨
Loved watching your list that you gave as I look for new books to read. Also reading through the comments, being reminded of some of the great authors and worlds that they have taken me to...Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Raymond Feist, and so on and so on. I would add Katherine Kurtz and the Deryni series and Dennis McKiernan's stories of Mithgar.
I've been reading fantasy since I was 11 years old I'm 16 now and I still think that fantasy is a truly great genre Videos like this is truly helpful when you don't know what you read in this genre
The Belgariad and Mallorean series are really good with a comfortable and easy but interesting magic system. I return to them over and over again to the point I honestly don’t know how many times I’ve read them and I have a pretty substantial library of books both physical and digital. Raymond E.Feist Riftwar saga is also an amazing set of series I also love to lose myself in.
agreed. belgariad, mallorean then belgarath and polgara. 😃
@@Sj-bo8ec they always leave me wishing for more stories with these characters. It’s why I always go back. Things like If now that Belgarion is now a disciple of Aldur and Ce’Nedra being part of the family meant that like Belgarath, Polgara and the others they won’t age the same for one. I wish we’d got more time with Poledra too. I even used the names of the gods in my email addresses and passwords back in the day as well lol.
Excellent List. I did read most of these books and agree with your recommendations!
Thank you I’ve read about half of them but the other half are on my to read next list. Can’t wait to start them.
Never heard of Belgariad. 100% added to my tbr. Thanks!
It suffers from lack of recency bias. There are a LOT of fantasy novels that are simply overlooked because they are old.
One of my favorite older series. Did you check it out yet?
@@stevetennispro I'm finishing off some series at the moment. Making sure I've read at least 90% of my bookshelf before I buy any more books but I'm definitely still interested in the series.
Try Steven brust.
Great recommendations. I have a lot of the books you spoke about. The echoes saga by Phillip Quaintrell is a great series that you would like. The Redwall books are also great for beginners and has a really cool twist on fantasy. The fate marked books by David Estes are also great. You have such a large category of books I hope I could give you something you haven’t read yet.
I started Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series and think it's a good series to read as an introduction to Fantasy. I believe there are six books in the series, and I think it's done. A pitch for the series I saw was "Roman Empire meets Pokemon" and that's kind of what it is. It's set in a world similar to the Roman Empire where people can control elements with Furies, the series mainly follows Tavi, the only human who has no Furies. There are other characters the story follows and the world expands with each book. There is a 2-year jump at the start of each book but it works out well for story progression. The story has a lot of political intrigue and a magic system that I don't think is used often enough.
The Sword of Kaigen is definitelly one of my favorite books! It's so good!
one of the best books I’ve ever read, just insanely great writing and story telling called the final face by Sebastian stark. It has become one of my favorite books ever. It’s on the darker side of fantasy, but by everything I stand for. This book is a hidden treasure that I hope maybe one person will read and give it a chance. The author seriously deserves it.
You've described it so brilliantly I'll definetely go ahead and give it a try, I love me some dark fantasy!
where did you get it? I couldn't find it
I know this is a relatively old video but I’m here from your appearance on Fantasy News and I’d just like to say--thank you! You can tell you put in a lot of time and effort into your videos which is what makes your channel standout and your content enjoyable! the recommendations were great too, i’m adding quite a few of them to my tbr :D
This comment made me happy, and I'm glad you found the channel!! :D
I love the work of Tim Powers, especially “The Anubis Gates”
Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series is something I reread every few years and it's very approachable.
My first dip into high fantasy was back in the 90s. Enjoyed the Mage wars trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, R.A. Salvatore's icewind Dale trilogy, and the war of the dragons/war of the twins series by Weiss and Hickman. Great place to start if a young adult like I was at the time wants to try and get into fantasy. Plus, if you like the characters in the Weiss and Hickman series or Salvatores series (especially Drizzt) there's a lot of other books with those characters in them.
Glad The Farseer Trilogy made your list as it was my first fantasy and chosen read!
I really loved Elantris. It hooked me into the Cosmere.
So many great recommendations I feel so inspired to read now 😍
A good list, a lot of them are in my tbr. I would just add Song of Achilles, Good Omens & Discworld to that list. My first fantasy was the Wheel of Time and despite its flaws, i love it. The only other series from your list that i have read is the First Law Trilogy & it was also good. Excited to read the rest :D Also video suggestion: the most humorous books you've read (does not necessarily need to be fantasy)
These reviews are objective, of course, but it still never ceases to amaze me as to how easily some are amused.
I would definitely recommend the first Earthsea book, A Wizard of Earthsea. Great intro to fantasy while not being intimidating at all with the page count (my copy is under 200 pages!). It tells you just enough about the world and magic system without overcomplicating things. I'm also rereading a childhood favorite, the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce. The writing isn't as deep as I'd like in my adulthood, but it showcases badass female warrior characters in a really empowering way. The books are very quick reads as well, not too big or intimidating.
I found Earthsea rather boring.
Ridiculous book.. Very cringe
My favorite Sanderlone’s are Warbreaker and Elantris. They are amazing.
damn why did that intro with all the art have me fighting tears
Thanks so much! I am getting into fantasy books! This is great.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Bawled my freaking eyes out at the sweet ending. Absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for the recommendations! I’m just barely getting back into reading, haven’t read since I was in high school well over 5-6 years ago and decided it’s time I get into it. I started by re-reading the alchemist, and now I’m just about done re-reading Enders Game, and wasn’t sure where to go next. This list is going to carry me for a while! I’m going to start with Howls Moving Castle because of my love for the anime!
I would always recommend people start with David Gemmell and his Drenai Saga.Great writing not to complicated with amazing characters. Currently reading,of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
Gemmell was an amazing writer, with a great, clean style that gets straight to the point. He built a fantastic interconnected universe as well. His heroes were superb, and flawed and stood firm against the dark. Mostly.
Some GREAT recommendations. But sad that the Discworld did not feature. Currently finishing the Stormlight Archives, and looking forward to digging my teeth into some of the other Brandon Sanderson books. Thank you for the recommendations on those.
I definitely enjoy your videos and love this one with all the recommendations. My first entry into fantasy was actually the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings but also The Sword of Shannara and the rest of that series. I have been listening to an audio version of Sword of Shannara and realizing that maybe it isn't the best written book ever, but it really was fantastic and interesting for a young girl. But speaking of that, from there I moved into more girl and horse based fantasy and I think it would be great for you to include some of that if we are trying to be all-inclusive and cover many different interests. I adored Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books when I was younger (because intelligent and beautiful horses!) but the one that stands out as being the best for me is the "mostly standalone" novel By The Sword. I also loved The Birth of the Firebringer trilogy which I think would definitely be the best way to bring in horse-obsessed youngsters to the world of fantasy.
Awesome recommendations. Another one I would add is Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams, Epic High Fantasy, with a sizeable cast and unforeseeable twists. Another sequel series is coming in, with two books already released... I haven't read that yet, though.
I'll be returning to this video a lot. Many nice recommendations!
Some other good beginner to fantasy books are The Rangers Apprentice whichs is an easy read for epic fantasy, The Seven Realms which is an easy read for high fantasy, The Luner Chronicles which is also good to get into sci-fi, Stalked by Flames which is good for Urban fantasy, The Vampire academy and its sequel is an easy read for fantasy readers to read a good paranormal series, The Gatekeepers aka The Power of five is an interesting magical realism... I'm not sure how to catagorize this series but it's very intersting without having a romantic relationship, The Arcana Chronicles which is an easy post-apocalyptic series with zombies and characters with questional morals, and The universe of The Valdemar series which is comprised of many many trilogies/series/short stories/novellas. The Valdemar universe is vast so I would recommend reading it in chronilogical order starting with the Mage Wars. This universe has a lot like political intreague, interesting magical system, and an amazing character cast since each series follows different characters. I would recommend any book of This authors. Me too! I loved Night Angel and I also read it at the same age! I was also thinking about rereading it as well. Love your list!
Piers Anthony was my introduction into Fantasy books at 15. Then Terry Brooks and David Eddings. Then I found Dragonlance books, which lead me into Forgotten Realms. Now I am 44 reading The Gutter Prayer
Love Piers Anthony! His books are just great! My first read from him was Macroscope.. and so many others after that (I started really reading science fiction and fantasy in 1970 as a teen). The Xanth and Incarnations of Immortality are my faves here.. been a while since I read him.. so about time for a refresher!
I would highly recommend The Sword of Kaigen, I read it the other year and I still think about it. Of course Mistborn is a great place to start as well. I think if you want some more classic fantasy I'd recommend the Dragonlance series, it's similar to older fantasy but has moments that you don't expect, I wasn't expecting to see them on this list but it's nice to see them get mentioned. Some great recommendations here!
With all of this "modern" fantasy in the mix (love them don't get me wrong), I am happy you included the classic Dragonlance series. For anyone with interest in the world of tabletop RPGs, it is a *ton* of fun to read. It gives fantastic insight into the origins of RPGs, inspiration for characters and adventures and a "feel" that is not too far away from what an actual ttrpg journey may look like!
I felt the Beyonders trilogy by Brandon Mull was a magnificent beginner entrance into fantasy! It is a middle-grade series, but it is one of my favorites!
Yes!! They're very underrated in my opinion
So great. The audiobooks, are just fantastic for long car trips. My husband who is not into reading print books fell in love with this series. I think it is the most underrated fantasy series out there. It is enjoyable for adults and well as middle school up.
Dragonlance Dragons of Autumn Twilight was the first book I ever read from front to back by myself back in 8th grade and the reason I fell in love with Fantasy. I’ve been reading fantasy for the last 30 years.
I graduated from goosebumps books as a kid to the hobbit in middle school. Very good place to start bc it lays the ground work for fantasy as a genre. Elves, dwarves, wizards, orcs, magic, and battles with sword and boards. The Pendragon series by Stephen lawhead is good and tells a familiar story beginners will recognize in Merlin and king Arthur. I also really like the demon cycle by peter Brett and the powder mage books by Brian McClellan. Both are less fantastical and can be good reads for those who like fantasy but want something different than a medieval setting
What an amazing list of books!
Lets gooo! Best guide ever!
David Gemmells Drenai series was my starting point in the 1980s. Legend, Waylander , Druss the legend . Also Terry Brook Sword of Shannara series, another epic.
I enjoyed them both. Magic kingdom for sale/sold was fun as well. King beyond the gate, quest for lost heroes and hero in the shadows equally rank up there in the drenai series. GNU David
I'm currently bouncing back and forth between The Dresden Files and Percy Jackson books while listening to The Lies of Locke Lamora on audible. I'm surprisingly enjoying the Percy Jackson books .... thought they might be a little to juvenile but really a fun read. This series has become my "Bathtub books" ( the books I read when I'm in the bathtub). I've been taking really really long baths lately.
One series that is an absolute must for any fantasy fan is the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. It starts with the Ruins of Gorlan, introduces the main characters and builds from there into a must read series.
Percy Jackson's a good choice for a new fantasy reader.
Just stumbled across.your channel and big fan. So many of the books you love i do too so paying attention to your recommendations
Good suggestions. Weis and Hickman were my introduction to fantasy. DragonLance Chronicles & Legends, Rose of the Prophet, Darksword and Death Gate Cycle series all really got me into fantasy before I branched out to Lotr, Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time afterwards. Just did Mistborne series recently and it rekindled my interest in the genre. Starting the Stormbringer series now.
Some fantastic recommendations here, Jay. I was grading papers while listening to you and dropped everything when I heard you finally started The Dresden Files and loved it! Good choice to go with the audio books. Doesn't James Marsters do an outstanding job? The books just keep getting better and better as the world building goes deeper and deeper.
James Marsters is sooooo good
Yes James Marsters does a really great job! The audio books are fantastic and I think I'll stick with them when it comes to the Dresden Files. Can't wait to read more! I'll have to make some Dresden reviews in July
The Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony is a wonderful series. Easy reads, great adventures. Smart without being arrogant. The takes on each office are very inventive and weave together an intriguing universe.
Great series. In fact you could almost say that the recent series Sandman is a facsimile of Piers Anthony's saga. Especially since the character Death in Sandman was especially known for her compassion.
Xanth books are great
A few i would add to the list would be The Spellsinger series is a fantasy series written by Alan Dean Foster. The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, and Magician by Raymond E. Feist start of the Riftwar Saga
Awesome that you give a shoutout to Neverwhere! It never gets mentioned and its my favourite Gaiman novel
Just got into reading. First fantasy i got into was Locke Lamora. Halfway through and SO highly recommended!!!!
Working through Malazan, Wheel of Time, and Realm of the Elderlings...I might try some of these smaller series as a pallet cleanser. Thanks for the recos.
Two of my favorites are on here. The Belgariad and The First Law. Two vastly different series, in every way. And that is what makes fantasy great, there are so many different kinds for every type of preference.
I would highly highly recommend the green bone sage. It has some of the best character work i have ever read. Thank you Daniel green for introducing me to the series. He was right, jade legacy was the best fantasy book of 2021.
I really need to start the Greenbone saga soon! It sounds incredibly interesting