The fall season is upon us! As the weather cools, the leaves change colors, fall-scented candles are lit (although it might rival the smell of book pages), and coffee shops serve pumpkin spice-flavored drinks, the change in season can cause a shift in a reader’s TBR list, perhaps towards fantasy books.
If you’re not a fan of the chilly weather, what better way to escape it than by reading fantasy? Lose yourself in a book that transports you to a different world. And if you love the chilly weather, nothing feels better than reading about a fantastical world full of make-believe and imagination while bundled in blankets and drinking a nice hot drink to stay warm. Overall, fantasy provides an extremely fun reading experience and is the perfect genre for fall. Therefore, here are some fantasy recommendations to fall right into your TBR list.
1. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Sue Lynn Tan intertwines Chinese mythology into a captivating fantasy novel about the adventures of immortals and magic. Used to loneliness, Xingyin grew up on the moon. But she doesn’t know it’s to keep her hidden from the Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother because she stole his immortality elixir. Suddenly, Xingyin’s existence is found when her magic flares causing her to leave her mother behind as she runs from home.
Disguising herself, Xingyin heads to the Celestial Kingdom and takes the chance to learn and master archery and magic alongside the emperor’s son. And perhaps, something between the two ignites. But in order to save her mother, she goes on an adventurous quest. Now torn between losing everything she loves or forcing the realm into chaos since she must challenge the Celestial Emperor.
2. Cursed Princess Club by LambCat on Webtoon
Princesses really don’t have it all, Gwendolyn is proof of that. She may live in a castle, and her father may be the king, but she isn’t like the typical fairytale princess. Gwendolyn has a big heart, and she isn’t attractive, nor does she have the type of singing voice every Disney princess has.
But her life changes when she accidentally stumbles upon the Cursed Princess Club, ladies who have been hexed and cast out. They show her that just because she doesn’t fit a certain mold of a princess, it doesn’t make her any less of one.
3. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
Brought back to life four years ago, Rosalind Lang no longer sleeps and ages due to an experiment. She can also heal from any wound. Now she is an assassin for her country, and she is seeking redemption from her past. Her code name? Fortune.
A series of murders change her mission. Now, Rosaline needs to infiltrate the foreign society and identify the culprits. She poses as a married couple to avoid suspicion, and who better to be her pretend husband than Orion Hong, another Nationalist spy? His indifferent attitude and playboy demeanor enrage her, but she has to for the greater good. As the conspiracy and mystery unravel, more horrifying aspects are revealed as well.
4. Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
All her life, Signa has been raised by guardians interested in only her wealth. And each of them has met their end. The Hawthornes, an eccentric family, are her only relatives left who live at an estate that is glittering and gloomy. However, trouble lies within the family as the father throws wild parties to mourn his late wife, the son tries to control the family’s dwindling reputation, and the daughter has a mysterious illness.
However, their mother’s spirit appears, telling them she was poisoned. Now the family is in danger, and Signa must find the killer with help from an ill-natured stable boy. But she ends up making an alliance with Death himself to undercover the murderer. Death has been a dangerous shadow that seems to follow Signa her whole life. There’s a growing connection between the two that is more powerful and irresistible than she could ever imagine.
5. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
The Sunbearer Trials happen every decade to replenish the Sun’s power to keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. The Sun God, Sol, picks ten semidioses (half human, half god) between 13-18 years old to compete in the trials, and the winner will carry light and life to all the temples in Reino del Sol. However, the loser will be sacrificed to Sol as their body fuels the Sun Stones which protect the people for the next decade.
Teo is a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds. He doesn’t have to worry about the trials as only Gold semidioses are selected, except this year, two semidioses who aren’t Gold are picked. The two chosen are 13-year-old Xio, the child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and Teo. They must compete in five trials against others who are more powerful than them for fame, glory, and survival.
6. Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Every witch goes through a Calling, a trial they pass to come into their powers. And it’s one Voya Thomas unexpectedly failed. She gets a second chance to complete her Calling. However, her task is to kill her first love, and if she fails, then every Thomas witch loses their magic.
She wants to save her family’s magic no matter what, but she’s never been in love before. To succeed, she needs to quickly find the perfect guy first. Voya uses a genetic matchmaking program to help her find a guy to fall in love with and finish her task. But how can she fall in love when her match is the infuriating Luc, who wants nothing to do with her?
Caught between morality and duty to her bloodline, will Voya be able to save her family’s magic and Luc?
7. The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill
The Tea Dragon Society tells the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice. She is suddenly intertwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons.
Greta finds a lost tea dragon and learns how to care for tea dragons from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. She now sees how the art form and craft enrich their lives and, soon, even hers.
8. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Hart is a marshal who patrols the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. Mercy single-handedly keeps Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of jerks like Hart, who always shows up when her patience is wearing thin.
After a tiring interaction with Mercy, Hart writes a letter simply addressed with “A Friend.” Suddenly, an anonymous letter arrives as a reply. Then, a friendship begins that has Hart baring his soul to the one person he can’t stand most, Mercy. As dangers from Tanria grow, will their friendship and possible romance survive when they find out their pen pals are the people they find most infuriating?
Hopefully, these fantasy book recommendations helped you fall even more in love with the fall season or the fantasy genre.
If you’re looking for more book recommendations for fantasy or other genres, please click here!
