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The best fantasy books to get you started
Hey, there fellow bookworms! Are you a member of a book club or thinking about starting one?
If you’re looking to add a little magic and wonder to your book club, then you’re in luck because today’s post is all about the best fantasy book club recommendations!
It’s no secret that fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read, and it’s only getting more popular among book club communities. When you read fantasy books you get to explore complex worlds and magical systems.
When you start reading fantasy books together as a community then you can discuss themes of power, morality, and identity, that are often present in this genre. Fantasy books are great at sparking engaging discussions.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the genre or new to the world of magic and mythical creatures, this post will have something for you.
I’ll cover everything from short novels and YA books to popular series and newer releases. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and let’s dive into some of the best fantasy book club recommendations out there!
If you don’t have time to read the full list, check out the list of books below!
Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Dune by Frank Herbert
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Book of Night by Holly Black
The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
What Book Clubs are Reading in 2023?
With a new year upon us, it’s time to start thinking about the books that are going to be popular in fantasy book club recommendations in 2023. There are so many great choices out there which is why I wanted to create this resource for you!
For those who love fantasy classics, I recommend Coraline by Neil Gaiman or Dune by Frank Herbert.
If you’re looking for something more modern, then Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi or Babel by R.F. Kuang might be right up your alley.
For those who prefer a bit of romance in their fantasy books, try The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern or Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne.
Remember, it’s important to stay up to date with different book club trends so you can pick a good book that everyone will love. You never know what amazing stories you might discover and be able to share with others in your community.
Fantasy Book Club Recommendations
Top Short Fantasy Novels for Book Clubs
1️⃣ Breakwater
This book follows Jade, the daughter of a mer-king’s advisor, as she navigates tensions between mer and naiads after her fiancé murders a naiad, threatening the fragile peace of the underwater city of Thessalonike.
🤩 What I loved about it: I love a good mermaid novel and this short fantasy book fits the bill perfectly!
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: With only 240 pages, this will be a quick read for your book club members.
2️⃣ Piranesi
This story follows a man named, Piranesi, who is living in an infinite house filled with thousands of statues and an imprisoned ocean. Piranesi is visited by a man called, The Other, twice a week to help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. However, as Piranesi explores the house, he discovers evidence of another person and a terrible truth that reveals a world beyond what he has always known.
🤩 What I loved about it: A truly fascinating take on a popular mythology story, this book is a puzzle box that you will slowly unravel as you travel alongside Piranesi.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This book is ripe with allegories and mysteries that will make holding a discussion for your books club very easy.
3️⃣ Every Heart a Doorway
This fantasy book is about children who have slipped into magical lands and are seeking a way back. The story follows Nancy and her schoolmates as they navigate a dark and dangerous world to uncover the truth.
🤩 What I loved about it: The characters in this book are so strong and learning about the different children is very interesting to read about.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: The descriptive details in this book will make for great discussion points. It is a short but powerful book.
Science Fiction Fantasy Book Club Recommendations
1️⃣ Dune
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, the story follows Paul Atreides as he navigates political intrigue and mystical powers in a world where the only valuable resource is a drug called melange. The book won the Nebula and Hugo awards and is considered a grand epic in science fiction.
🤩 What I loved about it: This book is truly an epic storyline that is the perfect blend of politics, world-building, mythology, and intrigue.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: The dialogue is so rich in this book that you will be able to pick apart and discuss it for days in your book club.
2️⃣ Station Eleven
Set in a post-apocalyptic world that follows the story of a Hollywood actor, a group of actors traveling through the Great Lakes region, and the connections between five different people. The novel moves back and forth in time, creating a suspenseful and spellbinding story.
🤩 What I loved about it: When reading this book it will feel like you are holding your breath or suspended in time. The present and past are blended together perfectly and make it very interesting to read.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This book will allow you to discuss what it means to be “human” in a post-apocalyptic world and invite great conversations.
3️⃣ Snow Crash
This book follows Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery man in reality but a warrior prince in the Metaverse, as he searches for a virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse in a bizarre and outrageous future America.
🤩 What I loved about it: A unique blend of The Matrix and Da Vinci Code, this book is nonstop action. This book is very under-hyped so make sure to add it to your fantasy book club recommendations list!
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: The analogies between language and computer language are perfect and will offer up a lot of discussion points for your book club on the future of technology in our world.
Fantasy Book-to-Screen Adaptation for Book Club
1️⃣ Coraline
The story follows Coraline, a young girl who discovers a passage to another flat that seems marvelous at first but is actually inhabited by an Other mother and father who want to change her and never let her go. Coraline must fight to save herself and other lost children trapped behind mirrors.
🤩 What I loved about it: You didn’t realize this was a book too? If you were in the same boat as me, I highly suggest you try this book! Neil Gaiman is an amazing fantasy author and writes the most chilling stories.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: Nothing is more fun than reading the book and then getting to watch the movie adaptation. This will open up engaging conversations about how the book compared to the movie.
2️⃣ Good Omens
The world is ending this Saturday, as predicted by the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter. The armies of Good and Evil are preparing for the Rapture, but an angel and demon are hesitant to see it happen, and the Antichrist is nowhere to be found.
🤩 What I loved about it: I loved that is book is both funny and profound! Even at almost 500 pages, you will zoom through this book quickly because it is just so good.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This book dives deep into themes like nature vs nurture and good vs evil, making it the perfect fantasy book club recommendation to bring to your group.
3️⃣ The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a funny and classic tale about a beautiful girl named Buttercup who falls in love with a farm boy named Westley. After Westley is presumed dead, Buttercup is forced to marry the evil Prince Humperdinck, but Westley, now known as the Dread Pirate Roberts, returns to rescue her.
🤩 What I loved about it: One of the greatest fantasy classic books of all time! It has everything you could want in a book.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: I loved this movie as a teen and loved the book even more as an adult! There are so many points to talk about between the movie and the book including the swoon-worthy romance quotes and action scenes.
Best Fantasy Books for Book Club
1️⃣ When Women Were Dragons
This story takes place in a world much like ours, except that in 1955, hundreds of thousands of ordinary women sprouted wings, scales, and talons and took to the skies. The novel explores the consequences of this event, including the protagonist’s struggle to understand why her beloved aunt transformed but her mother did not, and the societal taboo against speaking about the event.
🤩 What I loved about it: This is a feminist book disguised as a fantasy novel and I loved every minute of it!
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: With themes of women being forced into silence and living small lives, this book will spark heated conversations among your book club group.
2️⃣ Babel
This story follows Robin Swift, a Chinese boy raised in Britain who enrolls in Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation, where he discovers the world of magic and silver-working. As Britain pursues an unjust war with China, Robin must decide whether to serve the powerful institution of Babel or join the Hermes Society in their fight against imperialism.
🤩 What I loved about it: I have never read something like this before and I imagine I won’t ever again. With dark academia vibes and a unique world, you will fall in love with this writing style.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This book is a literary feast that is an easy pick for your fantasy book club. The analogies and political underworkings are perfect to discuss.
3️⃣ Book of Night
This is a modern dark fantasy that explores a world where shadows can be manipulated for power and influence, but at a cost. The story follows a low-level con artist named Charlie who becomes embroiled in a dangerous underground world of shadow trading and murder. The book features a cast of doppelgängers, billionaires, and secret societies all vying for control of the magic of the shadows.
🤩 What I loved about it: This is Holly Black’s first foray into adult fiction and it does not disappoint! If your book club group loves urban fantasy then you will love this book.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: If you are looking for fantasy book club recommendations to bring to your next meeting then make sure to include this one! It is the perfect combination of fantasy, political underworkings, and clean romance.
Fantasy Book Series Recommendations for a Book Club
1️⃣ The Witch Collector
This story follows Raina Bloodgood, who seeks revenge against the Frost King and the Witch Collector for stealing her sister. However, when a new threat arises, Raina must team up with the Collector to save her sister and their world. As the lines between good and evil blur, Raina must decide whether to continue seeking revenge or help the Collector save their empire and her sister.
🤩 What I loved about it: I’m obsessed with every book that has the enemies-to-lovers trope and this one fits the bill perfectly! It also had really great world-building and plot that will suck you in.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: I love this book series for clubs because it is only a trilogy, which won’t take up as much time as some of these long fantasy series that have been written. There will be so much to discuss about the imagery the author uses and the amount of chemistry the two main characters have.
2️⃣ This Savage Song
Kate Harker and August Flynn, are heirs to a divided city where violence has bred actual monsters. Kate wants to be ruthless like her father, while August wants to be human despite being a monster who can steal souls with music. When Kate discovers August’s secret, they must flee for their lives.
🤩 What I loved about it: The characters and world building MAKE this book. I love Schwab’s writing style and if you haven’t read her yet this is a great place to start.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This series is actually a duology which makes it the perfect length for your fantasy book club and won’t require such a big time commitment. It is great for discussing what the differences are between monsters and humans, and if were are really that different.
3️⃣ Ninth House
This book follows Galaxy “Alex” Stern, a troubled young woman who is given a full scholarship to attend Yale University and tasked with monitoring the activities of the school’s secret societies. The societies’ occult activities are revealed to be more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
🤩 What I loved about it: If you love dark, horror-isc, occult magic books, then this is for you! The plot line and characters were so intriguing I could not put this book down.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: The descriptive writing style and plot line will be great points to discuss for this book. You may want to annotate this book to help keep track of the characters and plotlines!
🚨 To help keep the series engaging for your book club, I highly recommend setting up deadlines for each book to be read, a group chat, and a clear annotating system. This will help everyone keep on track with their reading and stay motivated by discussing points as they come across them in the book.
YA Fantasy Book Recommendations
1️⃣ The Night Circus
This novel follows a competition between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who fall in love despite being trained to compete against each other. The circus they perform in becomes the stage for their battle of imagination and will, and the fate of everyone involved hangs in the balance.
🤩 What I loved about it: I love Erin’s writing style and this slow-build novel helped me dive deep into the setting and plot.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: If your book club has been reading lots of action fantasy or heavy romance novels this is the perfect palette cleanser. The details are very intricate and beautiful and will be like a breath of fresh air in your fantasy book club.
2️⃣ The House in the Cerulean Sea
This book tells the story of Linus Baker, a government Case Worker who is sent to investigate a group of dangerous children on a magical island. As he gets to know the children and their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, Linus must decide whether to destroy their home or risk the end of the world. The book is a heartwarming tale about finding family in unexpected places.
🤩 What I loved about it: I talk about this book all the time because it is one of my favorites! The dialogue and characters are the backbone of this book and make it such a fun read.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: This is probably one of the sweetest books your book club could read. The children and Linus are so fun to read about, and you will have lots to discuss about their funny interactions.
3️⃣ Children of Blood and Bone
This novel is about a young woman named Zélie who seeks to restore magic to her world and overthrow a ruthless monarchy. Along the way, she must navigate dangerous creatures and her own growing feelings for an enemy.
🤩 What I loved about it: The imaginative world-building and unique writing were some of my favorite parts of this book.
💡 Why should you include this in your book club: The theme involving privilege and racism that is present in the book (and in our world) will make great discussion points for your book club.
What is the Most Popular Fantasy Book Right Now?
If you’re anything like me, you love diving into the magical worlds of fantasy novels. And right now, the fantasy book market is on fire!
From fantasy romance to magic wars, there are so many amazing stories to choose from. But if you’re wondering what’s the most popular fantasy book club recommendations right now, then look no further.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman are very trendy picks for fantasy book clubs right now!
These epic tales have been taking the book world by storm. Each of these books is beautifully written and has a very interesting plot line.
So if you’re looking for a great book to recommend to your book club, definitely consider them. It’s a must-read for any fantasy fan, no matter their reading level.
Did you find the best fantasy book club recommendations for you?
I hope you were able to find some new books to add to your reading list and some inspiration for your next book club discussion.
For a quick recap, I covered a range of books and series, from short fantasy novels to YA books and popular series. I also included sci-fi fantasy book club recommendations! Plus some fantasy books that have been turned into movies.
Now, it’s your turn to take action! Pick one of the recommended books, grab your book club besties, and get to reading.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so don’t forget to share your experiences and opinions with me in the comments or on Instagram @kassiesbooks. And if you have any other fantasy book club recommendations, I’d love to hear those too!
Happy reading! 📚