Whether someone is starting their reading journey or has spent years deep reading fantasy books; our holiday shopping guide for fantasy book recommendations will be able to help. All the following books and their attached series’ have been read. Also, we have combined these recommendations with our personal preference but also with reader reviews. It’s not just LWOS.Life’s perspective for these fantasy book recommendations but also reviews from all fantasy readers.
Holiday Shopping Guide: Fantasy Book Recommendations
5. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle
Ease of entry: Easy
Rating: 4.5/5 with 806,961 ratings
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is a great fantasy book recommendation for anyone. It is an easy read that serves as a great introduction for new readers to fantasy. Experienced readers may also enjoy this book as a contrast if they have been reading a lot of dark fantasy, comparatively, this is quite light in tone. There are three books in The Kingkiller Chronicle series. Learning the characters, world, and magic system are very easy.
4. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Ease of Entry: Hard
Rating: 3.9/5 with 103,200 ratings
As far as fantasy book recommendations go, Gardens of the Moon is one of the harder-to-enter books. The characters, magic system, and world are not simply introduced to the reader. Certain concepts introduced in Book 1 are barely explained after the full 10 book series of Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, Gardens of the Moon is a fun, short, and adventurous introduction to this series. This book opens with Gods fighting empire armies and that pace doesn’t let up.
3. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn
Ease of Entry: Very Easy
Rating: 4.4/5 with 482,320 ratings
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson is perpetually high on lists of fantasy book recommendations. It is a very fun book that serves as a great introduction to its world, magic system, and characters. This book focuses on characters and adventure. It is a must-read for fans of books with great reviews on GoodReads. This is a great first step in the Mistborn series.
2. Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire
Ease of Entry: Medium
Rating: 4.1/5 with 75,134 ratings
This is not the typical suggestion one will get when discussing the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Popularized by the HBO television show Game of Thrones the series by George R. R. Martin is unmatched in popularity. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a short and fun adventure novel that follows the life of only one single knight. And, the Game of Thrones series did not cover this story, so the reader won’t already be spoiled, and it doesn’t tie into the larger series. Therefore it makes for quite a simple and fun read if someone doesn’t want to read a six-book epic just yet. And if they have finished the entire series already, like myself, I would still recommend it as it is quite fun.
1. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Series: The Stormlight Archive
Ease of Entry: Easy
Rating: 4.6/5 with 368,206 ratings
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson is one of the highest-rated fantasy books in history and gets the top spot for fantasy book recommendations. Sanderson has created a rich tapestry of politics and magic, but with humble and hard beginnings. This book follows the political elite trying to maneuver and navigate, while also covering the lowest born peasants. People who have everything and people who’ve lost everything. A great book to read for people who have already started in fantasy book reading, but even better for those looking to start. The entire Stormlight Archive series is brilliant.
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