Ever fancied dipping your toe into the Fantasy Fiction genre but found yourself lost among the many titles, unsure where to begin or wondering after browsing some blurbs how you could possibly relate to a book about sexy fairies?

Only a couple of years ago I’d have sworn to you that fantasy was ‘not my thing’, and if this is you, I’m here to convince you to think again.

Perhaps you’ve tried to read a fantasy book before and just found it totally too far fetched for your taste. I’ve got three books for you that I feel are perfect Fantasy books for beginners.

First of all, all of these books are part of a series, but are brilliant as standalone novels in their own rights. Secondly, if youre usually a romance reader, a thriller lover or an action enthusiast, you’ll find all of these in these fantasy novels. They’re a little bit of everything and in fact probably would suit a much wider audience than first thought.

Whilst characters and a good ‘meet cute moment’ might be the key to a successful romance novel, for fantasy fiction it is all about world building. How convincing is the world that the author has built for the character to live in and how relatable is the character the author has designed to live in it and guide us through the story?

All three of these have different worlds but all are completely credible, perfectly executed and surprisingly relatable.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

In this thrilling alternative universe, Juno Dawson crafts a captivating tale filled with magic, mystery, and politics. Set in the UK, the story follows witches and wizards who have come out of hiding and explores themes of sisterhood, power and identity.

The story follows Lavinia, a witch appointed as the advisor to the Queen of the British Isles. In her line of work she discovers a dark conspiracy that threatens the safety and harmony of the magical community. She must with her sisterhood of witches and other allies fight to save the world she knows from a dark power. It’s action packed and totally nail biting stuff!

The author expertly blends elements of fantasy, adventure and romance, creating a spellbinding page turner with a totally relatable world to the reader and some really thought-provoking themes around gender and identity.

There’s also some awesome nineties nostalgia thrown in which will appeal to most millenials!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

If steamy romance and kick ass female protganists are your usual flavour then this story of adventure, family, belonging, magic and romance is for you. Think of the main character traits of Katniss Everdeen meeting the romance trope of Beauty and the Beast, meeting the world building of Game of Thrones. POW. Now thats a book.

Because of it’s relatability to other (new) classic but widely universal dystopian and fantasy stories, this book is such an easy first step into the fantasy genre without it all feeling a little too unfamiliar.

The story follows Feyre (Fay-ruh), a young huntress who unknowingly becomes entangled in the dangerous world of the fae after accidentally killing a wolf in the woods. As punishment, she is taken from her difficult poverty filled life to the land of the rich fae, where she discovers that her captor is actually Tamlin, a High Lord with a devastating curse hanging over his realm.

Initially angry at being taken from her sisters and for the mistake she has made, Feyre begins to develop feelings for beautiful strong Tamlin, and even makes some close friends behind the wall who she seeks to protect. Confused and torn emotionally between the two worlds, there’s a lot to unpack here. At the same time Feyre deepens her understanding of the politics of the new world in which she resides and seeks out how to help Tamlin and his people lift the curse.

With its richly detailed world-building, characters you’ll go from hating to loving and scenes of heart racing romance, you’ll fly through this book.

It’s also really beautiful to watch how Feyre develops as a character.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

If thrilling action packed heists are more your bag, then Six of Crows should be your next pick. Set in the same Grisha Verse world as some of the author’s other books, this book takes you on an absolute ride with an amazing cast of characters.

The story follows a diverse group of six outcasts: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, and Wylan. Each with their unique skills and backgrounds, they come together to pull off an impossible heist in the bustling city of Ketterdam (a fantasy Amsterdam, although thats never explicitly said!). Their target is an incredibly valuable hostage responsible for the development of a super power boosting drug that helps manipulate human minds.

This reads like the script for a blockbuster movie. Leigh Bardugo skillfully immerses you in the gritty streets of Ketterdam and the morally ambiguous world of criminals and magic.

Beyond the main story line, she also explores deeply into the motivations and vulnerabilities of the characters creating real depth to the story.

Fast-paced action, intricate plot twists and interesting characters, you will find yourself hooked from the very first page.

If youre in the UK I strongly suggest having a look at the works as you’ll find the paperback editions of these books at a good discount. There are some gorgeous editions of these books if you find yourself falling head over heels for them (fantasy books seem to have the best special editions!).

I hope youve enjoyed this post, I’m super keen to hear from you if youre feeling inspired – just drop me a comment below!

Until the next Chapter,

Emma X0