The Top 10 Best Fantasy Books to Read Now

Fantasy books invite readers into invented worlds, often shaped by magic, myth and monsters.

As vast and varied as the imaginations that fuel it, fantasy encompasses richly built kingdoms, heroes on sprawling quests, futuristic dystopias and the supernatural existing alongside everyday life.

The genre has also proven to be remarkably inclusive, producing some of the most beloved young adult books ever written alongside works of epic fiction.  

Here is our selection of ten of the best fantasy books. 

Immerse yourself in these top fantasy novels 

Alchemised by SenLinYu

A gripping debut set in a dark realm, where the line between enemy and ally is never quite what it seems. Helena Marino, a former alchemist now held captive in the ruins of a lost war, carries a dangerous secret buried somewhere in her fractured memory. Sent to a powerful and ruthless necromancer to have her past excavated, Helena must fight to protect whatever truth lies hidden within her before someone else finds it first.

The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman 

Against the backdrop of a brutal war between humans and werewolves, Princess Aurora shows a moment of unexpected mercy that sets in motion a chain of events she could never have anticipated, including her own kidnapping at the hands of a powerful alpha. Swept into a domain she was raised to fear, Aurora begins to question everything she thought she knew as danger closes in and a forbidden attraction refuses to be ignored.

The Night Prince by Lauren Palphreyman

The anticipated sequel to The Wolf King picks up with Princess Aurora still bearing the scars of her last battle, literally. Marked by the Wolf King and bound by his laws, she is far from free. To have any chance of defeating him, Aurora must enter a perilous alliance with Blake, a feared and secretive wolf whose life is dangerously entangled with her own. With an ancient evil stirring and loyalties shifting, Aurora must decide who — and what — she is truly fighting for. 

Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen

Meryn Cooper has always resented the elite warriors who bond with fearsome direwolves, until her sister is taken and survival demands she become one of them. Thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, she must navigate treacherous training, a feral direwolf who won't cooperate, rivals out for her blood and an attraction to the crown prince that only paints a bigger target on her back.

Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen

The crown was never part of the plan, but war waits for no one. In this electrifying sequel, Meryn Cooper finds herself ruling a fractured kingdom where nobody trusts their new queen and enemies circle from every direction. With her sister in grave danger and political treachery at every turn, Meryn must lean on the one person she least expected: Stark Therion. Impossible to ignore, his loyalty may be her greatest weapon, if she can keep her heart out of it.

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

A breathtaking fantasy in which a princess who has spent her life playing a role finally discovers what she is truly capable of. When a legendary monster hunter arrives on her shores, everything changes; a hasty marriage, a binding magical treaty and a journey into a dangerous kingdom. What follows is a story about the myths we dismiss and the monsters we become, as one young woman learns that power was never as far out of reach as she was led to believe. 

Vow of Eternal Night by Lily Crozier

This enchanting retelling of Beauty and the Beast reimagines the classic tale with fangs. Clara Wagner has always known Prince Raleigh for what he is: a creature who treats his people as prey. But when she finds herself unwillingly betrothed to him, escape seems impossible. Her only chance at freedom is breaking his vampiric curse before the year is out. Slow-burning and deliciously tense, this tale is about monsters, love and how easily the line between the two can blur.

Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto

A captivating romance following a princess-turned-spy who has spent years learning to feel nothing, until her mission makes that impossible. Exiled from her homeland and raised within a secretive order of spies, Aella has always followed the rules. But when she is sent to infiltrate a rival royal court alongside her forbidden former flame, obedience becomes harder to maintain. With old feelings resurfacing and the mission fracturing around her, Aella must choose between loyalty to her orders and loyalty to herself.

The Ascension of Souls by Bronte-Marie Wesson

]For generations, two nations have been locked in a cycle of war dictated by ancient fate — until now, when that cycle shatters, and the future becomes dangerously uncertain. When a palace servant and a newly crowned ruler form an unexpected and forbidden bond, hidden powers begin to surface with world-altering consequences.

We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark 

Ruthless royals and vengeful gods are at the heart of this pulse-pounding high fantasy, where a deadly magical tournament decides who is worthy of the emperor's elite guard. Arvelle enters the Sundering with one goal — saving her brother's life — but survival grows complicated when the vampire who once broke her heart steps back into the arena. With rivals targeting her and an assassin stalking the competition, an alliance with the last person she would ever trust begins to look like her only way out. 

Find more fantasy reads 

The best fantasy novels don't just tell a story, they open a door to somewhere else entirely.

Whether you're drawn to the heady rush of romantasy books or want to get lost in the unique landscapes of magical fantasy books, these titles invite you to explore places brought to life by possibility.