Reading List

A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)

Before the 1960s, the fantasy genre was dominated by male authors. Then Ursula Le Guin arrived on the scene with her iconic A Wizard of Earthsea. This book is officially for children, but with its rich style and enchanting world, adults can enjoy it too.

The story is set on the island of Gont, a place known for its powerful wizards. The most powerful of all is Ged – but at the start of his life, he was nothing more than a reckless, awkward boy.

When Ged discovered he had a gift for magic, he was sent to attend a magical school. But he pushed too hard, and secretly attempted a spell beyond his means. Inadvertently, he unleashed a terrible shadow-beast on the rest of the world. As he comes of age, can he find a way to stop it?

The Colour of Magic (1983)

Terry Pratchett is renowned for his satirical and humorous approach to fantasy. The Colour of Magic, the first novel in his extensive Discworld series, introduces readers to a flat world supported by four elephants standing on top of a giant turtle.

The story follows Rincewind, the world’s worst wizard, who has an important job: look after Twoflower, an insurance clerk who also happens to be Discworld’s first ever tourist. Twoflower is accompanied by the Luggage, a vicious suitcase on legs.

The peace and prosperity of the entire world depends on Twoflower’s safety. But looking after him will not be easy. Not with all the monsters, thieves and mercenaries who would like to see him dead.

Northern Lights (1995)

In 1995, Philip Pullman published Northern Lights. He wanted this book to bring a greater degree of thematic depth to the fantasy genre – his Secondary World was meticulously designed to tackle questions about religion, innocence and sin.

The story follows Lyra Belacqua, an eleven-year-old girl who lives in a magical version of Oxford University. In Lyra’s world, human souls manifest as animal companions called daemons, which follow you everywhere, and know how to talk.

Lyra finds herself caught up in an adventure which takes her north to the frozen Arctic, a land of witches and ferocious, armored polar bears. This journey will have enormous consequences, not just for the world of Lyra, but for hundreds of other worlds too.

Assassin's Apprentice (1995)

Before the 1990s, Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden wrote under the pen name Megan Lindholm. Her works were well received by critics, but did not sell particularly well. She decided to try again under a new pen name – Robin Hobb – and her career finally took off.

Robin Hobb’s first book was Assassin’s Apprentice. It tells the story of Fitz, the bastard son of a crown prince, who is shunned and despised by the rest of the royal family. He is raised in the stables, where he must rely on his unusual gift with animals if he wants any kind of company.

Then Fitz is whisked away from that life, and given a new opportunity: to train as a royal assassin. He instantly finds himself caught up in a world of violence, intrigue, and magic.

American Gods (2001)

Neil Gaiman is an English author whose first ever fantasy novel was a collaboration with Terry Pratchett. After that, he turned his hand to solo writing, and became a fantasy icon, with a number of powerful books.

One of Neil Gaiman’s most famous works is American Gods. The story follows Shadow Moon, an American convict who is released from prison three days early after his wife is killed in a mysterious car crash.

On the plane home, he meets an enigmatic stranger called Mr. Wednesday, who claims to be an ancient god, and the true king of America. Together, they embark on a road trip, exploring the shadowy corners of America, and meeting other ancient gods along the way.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004)

Susanna Clarke was working as a full-time cookbook editor when she started writing Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. The book took her ten whole years to finish, but it was worth the wait. It won six major awards, and became an instant fantasy classic.

The story is set in a version of 19th century England. The entire story is written in a style which echoes the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. But this is a 19th century England with a difference: magic is part of the world.

Only two men know how to use it. One is Gilbert Norrell, a fussy introvert who learns magic from books. The other is Jonathan Strange, a handsome extrovert who learns magic by instinct. When the two magicians clash with each other, it sends ripples through the rest of England.

Wizard of the Crow (2006)

A lot of fantasy works were originally written in English, but not all of them. In 2006, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, a Kenyan author and scholar, published Wizard of the Crow. The entire book was written in Kikuyu first, then translated into English later.

The story unfolds in an imaginary country: the Free Republic of Aburĩria. This place is controlled by an autocratic leader, who calls himself the Ruler. To honor his birthday, he demands that the country builds a tower reaching up to the gates of Heaven.

While the tower goes up, other factions vie for power. One is the Wizard, who symbolizes local folklore. Another is the Missionary, who symbolizes Christianity. A third is the Global Bank, which symbolizes greed. This story represents a poignant exploration of Africa’s recent past.

The Way of Kings (2010)

Brandon Sanderson is probably the most successful author currently writing in the fantasy genre. He made major headlines in 2022, when he announced four new novels on Kickstarter, and quickly received more than $40 million of backing from his fans.

His most popular series is The Stormlight Archive, starting with The Way of Kings. This epic story takes place on Roshar, a world ravaged by devastating, supernatural storms. This world was once protected by mystical knights, but now, inexplicably, they are gone.

Three protagonists struggle to navigate this storm-torn world. The first is Kaladin, a soldier-turned-slave. The second is Shallan, an aspiring scholar. The third is Dalinar, a nobleman haunted by visions of those knights who vanished in the distant past.

Uprooted (2015)

Naomi Novik grew up in America, but her parents were Eastern European. She grew up on fairy tales from that part of the world, and in 2015, she decided to write a fantasy novel inspired by all those stories.

Uprooted follows Agnieszka, a young woman who lives in a village at the edge of an evil, magical forest. Her village is kept safe by an enigmatic wizard known only as the Dragon – but his protection comes at a price.

Every ten years, he demands a tribute: a young woman to come and live in his tower, and serve him whenever he needs her. Agnieszka is convinced that her friend will be chosen; he usually takes the prettiest girl in the village. But when the Dragon comes, he chooses Agnieszka, and her world is torn apart.

The Fifth Season (2015)

The Hugo Award is the most prestigious prize for science fiction and fantasy, and N.K. Jemisin is the only author to have won it three years in a row. She published The Fifth Season in 2015, and blew readers away with her gritty, groundbreaking approach.

The story is set in a world plagued by seismic events called Seasons. The earth shatters and shakes, volcanoes blow open, and ash clouds darken the sky. Some people are born with a gift to control this seismic activity – but they are shunned and despised for their strange, unnatural powers.

Essun is a woman with this seismic gift, but she hides it from everyone she knows. Not even her husband knows the truth. Then one day she comes home, and finds her son murdered. Somebody else must have realized that this little boy had the seismic gift as well.