Best Fantasy Books That Aren’t Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings
For any fantasy geek out there, you’ve probably read about Harry Potter’s troublesome schoolyears and Frodo Baggins’ perilous journey to Mordor about nine million times by now, so how about something new? After all, there are many fantasy worlds out there worthy of getting lost in and so many interesting characters just waiting to tell their own stories. So, if you call yourself a true fantasy geek, then prove it by reading all these ASAP!
The Books of Babel: Senlin Ascends
What are we capable of doing without knowing its inside of us? In Senlin Ascends, author Josiah Bancroft takes us on a fascinating journey with strict, unadventurous, and downright dull school headmaster Thomas Senlin. When his new wife goes missing during their honeymoon to the ancient and mysterious Tower of Babel, Thomas learns the true meaning of courage within himself and the devious nature of others during his search for her. A book with fascinating characters, a heart-tugging story and a page-turning narrative, Senlin Ascends is different from anything you’ve ever read before.
The Kingkiller Chronicle: The Name of the Wind
In The Name of the Wind, we follow the truly incredible life of Kvothe, a boy forced to become an adult very quickly when his entire family is killed by a vicious gang, leaving him the sole survivor of the attack. The story flits between the modern day and Kvothe’s recollections from his time spent begging and thieving in a city to his education at the famous University, where he discovers magic, love, and betrayal. Sometimes sad, occasionally funny, but always gripping, The Name of the Wind is a story by Patrick Rothfuss that will keep you hooked from the first page.
The Riftwar Saga: Magician
Not to be confused with recent hit TV show The Magicians, Raymond E. Feist’s first book is a masterclass in riveting storytelling, compelling characters, and fantastic action set pieces. Magician centres around the lives of boyhood friends Pug and Tomas. While Pug learns about the art of magic, Tomas is granted godly strength after discovering the sword and armour from an ancient warrior. The two boys must put their powers to use quickly when a host of soldiers and magicians from another world attack their home. Pug and Tomas become two of the most feared humans on the planet, yet become powerful men through very different and dark paths.
His Dark Materials: Northern Lights (a.k.a. The Golden Compass)
Set in a parallel universe where every human is accompanied by a talking/shapeshifting animal called a dæmon, Northern Lights is fantasy on a truly epic scale that’s rarely reached by other books. Created by Philip Pullman, the story is about a plucky 12-year-old named Lyra, who comes into possession of a magical and rare device which provides the answer to any question. Along the way, Lyra meets armoured bears, powerful witches, and crazed zealots, all the while trying to learn the mystery of Dust and what it means for the lives of humans all over the world. The book and its sequels have been turned into a new BBC series, set to appear on TV in 2019.
We hope those keep you busy and entertained! While many of us never think we can ever reach the lofty heights of other fantasy authors, sometimes all it takes us a great idea mixed with a ton of passion and dedication. We recommend all budding authors to get any fantasy/sci-fi book written in a Word doc and preferably reproduced in a hard copy with a book printing service like print24. If you’ve got a lot of fun characters and amazing worlds floating around in your imagination, then share them with others in a book – the world can never have enough great stories.
