There’s nothing quite like a fantasy book to help transport you to another world. Here are 10 fantasy books that I really loved.
A Thousand Heartbeats – Keira Cass
In this standalone fantasy romance, Princess Annika has always lived a life of comfort but her once loving father has gone cold and is forcing her into a loveless political marriage. Miles away, Lennox has devoted his life to the Dahrainian army who hopes to one day claim the throne that they say was stolen from them.
But one day, Annika is kidnapped by the Dahrainian army and is forced into the company of Lennox. They can’t possibly be together but they quickly find themselves falling in love.
An Enchantment of Ravens – Margaret Rogerson
Isobel creates beautiful portraits for the dangerous fair folk. And one day she receives her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince. but she paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, which proves to be a dangerous mistake.
She’s swept away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime, where they are forced to depend on each other for survival when they are attacked from every side. An Enchantment of Ravens is a beautifully crafted standalone fantasy with fantastic worldbuilding and a great enemies to lovers romance.
Ash – Malinda Lo
When her father dies, Ash is left to live with her cruel stepmother who treats her as no more than a slave. She dreams of the day the fairies will steal her away and when she meets the dark and dangerous fairy, Sidhean, she believes her wish will finally be granted.
But on the day she meets the King’s Huntress her heart begins to change and she’s forced to make a choice between her fairy tale dreams and true love.
Ash is a retelling of Cinderella featuring fae and a sapphic romance.
Cinderella Is Dead – Kalynn Bayron
200 years after Cinderella found her prince, teenage girls are forced to attend the annual ball where the men of the kingdom will choose a cife. If a suitable match isn’t found, the girls are never seen again.
Sophia would much rather marry her best friend, Erin, than a random man and on the night of her ball, she makes the desperate decision to flee. She finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum where she comes across Constance, Cinderella’s last known descendant and together they vow to take down the kind.
Another retelling of Cinderella, but one that’s very different, this is a story that looks into the idea that Cinderella’s ending was never a happy one.
Gilded – Marissa Meyer
In this duology that is a retelling of Rumplestiltskin, Serilda was cursed by the God of Lies and tells outlandish tales that draw the attention of the Erlking and his undead hunters. He sweeps her away to a world of ghouls and phantoms and orders her to spin straw into gold or be killed for lying.
In her desperation, Serilda accidentally summons a mysterious boy to help her. He agrees to spin the gold for a price.
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love – Lex Croucher
In this standalone Arthurian story, it’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s reign. His descendant, Arthur, is set to marry Princess Gwendoline of England. They’ve been betrothed since they were children but they kind of hate each other and they’re both gay.
When they’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run-up to their wedding, Gwen begins to fall for a lady knight, and Arthur develops feelings for Gwen’s brother, the future king.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved A Demon – Kimberly Lemming
All Cin wants to do is live a quiet life on her spice farm but one day when she’s stumbling home drunk late at night, she accidentally saves the life of a terrifying but hot demon.
But he just wants to stop the evil witch that’s enslaved his people and he drags Cin along on an adventure to kill thw witch once and for all. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon is a silly and fun fantasy romance.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab
In France, 1714, Addie LaRue is a desperate young woman being forced into marriage who makes a deal with the darkness that results in her being able to live forever but to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Over the years, Addie goes an adventure through countries and continents, being forgotten by everyone and developing relationship with the one person who can remember her – the one who cursed her. Until one day, she walks into a bookshop and the man behind the counter remembers her name. This beautiful standalone novel follows a young woman through centuries.
The Surviving Sky – Kritika H. Rao
The last of humanity survives in plant-crafted cities high above the surface of a jungle planet ravaged by storms. Society is literally held together by architects, who are revered above anyone else due to their powers that allow them create civilisations made of plants.
Iravan is a charismatic and powerful architect married to Ahilya, an archaeologist. Ahilya’s beliefs that they are too reliant on the powers of architects has caused issues in their marriage, and Ahilya is determined to find a way to live on their planet without the help of architects. But, as their city begins to plummet and Iravan is accused of pushing his abilities to illegal limits, they’re forced to work together to prove his innocence and save their entire civilisation. The Surviving Sky is the first in a series inspired by Hindu philosophy.
Thornhedge – T. Kingfisher
On the day she was born, Toadling was stolen away from her family by the fairies and grew up safe and loved in faerieland. Once an adult, Toadling is asked to return to the human world to protect a human child. Centuries later, a princess is a trapped in a tower and a knight approaches the tower. He’s heard that there’sa curse that needs breaking but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold.
Thornhedge is a wonderfully short story reads like a dark take on fairy tales.
