Fantasy Books You Should Read Right Now, Part 2
The full version of this List (with images, videos, articles and/or datatables) is available at https://listjar.com/list/fantasy-books-you-should-read-right-now-part-2
Here's a lovely list of fantasy books of the "stand-alone" variety: i.e. these books aren't part of a (what some might dare to call 'overly-long') series! Check it out!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
In the most extraordinary circus the world has ever seen, an all-out magical battle breaks out between two gifted young magicians. Raised by mercurial mentors, Celia and Marco grow up with only magic in their mind day and night. They are fated to be each other’s greatest rivals, but as their duel of circus supremacy becomes imminent, the two inadvertently fall in love. With the fates of the entire circus performers and patrons alike hanging in the balance, the stage is set for an ultimate showdown of reverie and might.
ON AMAZON (#ad): The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
With the prophesied Rapture fast approaching, a heaven-sent angel and a hell-born demon who have spent centuries living on Earth must gear up for the ultimate battle between Good and Evil. The problem is, the two have gotten way too comfortable living among mortals. Hijinks and mayhem of armageddon proportions soon ensue as the two realize that the Antichrist had been misplaced. Now a much beloved Amazon Prime series starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, this darkly funny modern fantasy was the product of a rare collaboration between two of the greatest fantasy novelists in recent memory.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Once upon a time, in a sleepy countryside village called Wall, lived a hopelessly romantic young man called Tristran Thorn. He is in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester, who keeps the poor boy on a string all through their youth. To win her heart once and for all, Tristan promises to bring back a fallen star to her. Thus, he sets out on a daring quest beyond the wall of his humble hometown and into the wicked world of the Faerie. Tristan could’ve never anticipated that his star turns out to be a beautiful immortal, Yvaine. Amid encounters with flying pirates, warring princes, and witch queen who all have their eyes set on Yvaine, they embark on a sweeping adventure full of whimsy, magic and unexpected romance.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Babel by R.F. Kuang
In Babel, a young orphaned boy from China is brought to train in the world of ancient translation in 19th-century Oxford University. In the prestigious institution known as Babel, scholars gather to decipher lost languages and, using enchanted silver bars, secrets to a powerful magic that has allowed the British Empire’s colonization to thrive. As he’s caught in the middle of the British's invasion of China, the boy finds his desire for knowledge clashing with his allegiance to his birth nation. Soon, he must decide where he stands in the oncoming unjust war over silver and opium.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Babel by R.F. Kuang
Circe by Madeline Miller
In this reimagined Greek mythology, sun god and the mightiest of the Titans Helios’ daughter Circe embarks on an adventure to save those she loves against the powerful force of the Olympian gods. Banished by Zeus who fears her formidable ability to transform rivals into monsters, Circe’s journey takes her to wild encounters with revered figures of Greek mythology and a transformative journey that sharpens her impeccable craft. It’s a richly written saga of palace intrigue, rivalry, love and loss that eventually culminates in a poignant epic about female strength in a man’s world.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Circe by Madeline Miller
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
A National Book Award finalist as well as a New York Times bestseller, this fantasy graphic novel is a beguiling tale of villainy and epic adventure for the ages. Nimona, a wily shapeshifter, teams up with Lord Ballister Blackheart to wreak havoc at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics. This uncanny pair of supervillain and sidekick sets out to expose the not-so-chivalrous truth about the men of the Institution to the entire kingdom. Along the way, things enter wilder territory when Nimona’s power is revealed to be more suspicious than she lets on.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Set in 1800s Victorian England, magic has become a distant memory only imprinted on relics and old papers. But it all changes when two charismatic magicians appear with the long-forgotten craft, charming the entire country with much needed aid during the historic Wellington-Napoleon war. At first joined as like-minded allies, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell gradually find themselves straining toward different paths. As rivalry breaks out between them, the pursuit of a dangerous ancient magic threatens to crumble everything they hold dear.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
A reimagining of the classic Cinderella story, this charming fantasy revolves around Ella, a young girl who’s forced to live with a fairy gift of obedience given to her at birth. As a result, Ella grows up not being able to resist any order, no matter how silly. When Ella can no longer tolerate living under her wicked stepmother and stepsisters who abuse her “gift”, she embarks on a quest to find the fairy that gave her the gift and make her break the curse.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
"Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house...." This morbidly fascinating tale from fantasy stalwart Neil Gaiman tells the story of Coraline, a girl who discovers a mysterious house that strangely mimics her own, only better. There, she encounters another mother and father who pamper her. Everything seems great.. until this house’s parents want her to stay forever. Now, Coraline must use all her wits and courage to return to her ordinary life.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
With tons of accolades to its name – NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, USA TODAY BESTSELLER, NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER, THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER – this romance fantasy enthrals the world with a sumptuous epic that spans across time and distance. A young woman made a bargain to live forever and in return, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she ever knows. For nearly 300 years, she wanders through life alone as Addie LaRue… until one day she stumbles on a man who remembers her name.
ON AMAZON (#ad): The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Tigana is the magical story of a beleaguered land struggling to be free. It is the tale of a people so cursed by the black sorcery of a cruel despotic king that even the name of their once-beautiful homeland cannot be spoken or remembered. But years after the devastation, a handful of courageous men and women embark upon a dangerous crusade to overthrow their conquerors and bring back to the dark world the brilliance of a long-lost name. Magnificently-rendered, both sensuous and barbaric, Tigana is a sweeping epic of a passionate people pursuing their dream.
ON AMAZON (#ad): Tigana: Anniversary Edition Paperback