A big hello to all you fantasy fans out there! I just recently decided to compile a list of fantasy books. Check out these books from your nearby libraries and don't forget to comment if you read them. These books mark the beginning of a series and you will definitely want to read the entire series if you like your selected reading. Just a reminder, there are plenty of fabulous fantasy books out there and these are just some of my personal favorites.
Sabriel by Garth Nix (Book One of The Abhorsen trilogy)
One of my all-time favorites. If you're interested in the fighting of necromancy, demons, wizards and the undead, then this is the book for you. Sabriel, daughter of an Abhorsen, is the heir to protect an Old Kingdom. Armed with seven bells and the Abhorsen's Sword, find out her destiny.
Quote: “Does the walker choose the path or path the walker?”
The Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (Book One of The Sword of Truth series)
An exceptional reading in a world comparable to Tolkien's. The magical boundaries between kingdoms are crumbling. Richard Crypher, armed with the Sword of Truth, must stop the evil wizard Darken Rahl from gaining ultimate power. Aided by Kahlan Amnell, a young woman with a secret of her own and Richard's friend the wizard Zedd, they must find the last of the three boxes of Orden to stop Rahl.
Quote: “The wizard's first rule: people are stupid.”
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Book One of The Inheritance trilogy)
A very enjoyable novel set in the world of dragons, shades and orcish creatures called Urgals. Eragon, a farm boy from Palancar Valley, finds a dazzling blue stone. From it hatches a dragon called Saphira, and he realizes he is the only dragonrider to come into existence in many years. He chooses to resist the evil king Galbatorix but it will be a difficult task.
Quote: “Darkness falls…Despair abounds…Evil reigns.”
Fall of a Kingdom by Hilari Bell (Book One of The Farsala trilogy)
The prosperous kingdom of Farsala has enjoyed peace for many years. As a new enemy approaches Farsala, its rulers believe they are invincible and cannot be beaten. However, three young people: Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi realize that they are headed towards destruction. Find out what happens next in this enchanting read.
Quote: “Stories are told of a hero who will come to Farsala's aid when the need is great.”
The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore (Book One of Forgotten Realms: The Icewind Dale trilogy)
One of the most popular fantasy action books yet. Read about Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf warrior who has left his race's traditional home and protection and his friends: the dwarf Bruenor Battlehammer; the halfling Regis; and the barbarian Wulfgar. Their adventures together include defending their home from an army monsters and many more in the subsequent series.
Quote: “Of heroes bold and friendships fast…And the horror of the Crystal Shard.”
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (Book One of The Bartimaeus trilogy)
An amazing novel told in the perspective of Bartimaeus, a five thousand-year-old djinni. The story takes place in present-day London, where magicians rune the British Empire using the power of demons in a magic oriented aristocracy. Nathaniel, a young teenager summons Bartimaeus and they team together to defeat the evil Simon Lovelace.
Quote: “I am Bartimaeus! I am Sakhr al-Jinni, N'gorso the Mighty and the Serpent of Silver Plumes!”-Bartimaeus
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (Book One of The Song of the Lioness quartet)
Alanna of Trebond, who aspires to become knight of the realm of Tortall but which proves nearly impossible as she is a female. She switches places with her brother Thom, who learns magic in a school where she would have learned to become a lady. In time, Alanna befriends the King of Thieves and struggles to defeat a powerful enemy wizard.
Quote: “From now on I'm Alan of Trebond. I'll be a knight.”-Alanna
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (Book One of The Queen's Thief series)
Eugenides or “Gen”, a skilled thief in the prisons of the Sounis, is taken out by the Magus to find a stone with incredible powers called the Hamiathes Gift. Along the journey the exchange tales of gods, politics and the alliances and kingdoms of the time. They eventually develop an unlikely friendship but we find out more about Gen and why he is called The Queen's Thief.
Quote: “He steals more than treasure…”
The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron (Book One of The Lost Years of Merlin series)
If you have ever wondered about the early years of Merlin, this is the book for you. It starts with a young Merlin washed out in the shores of Wales and he must eventually defeat the ancient dragon called Wings of Fire. Witness the powers of Merlin that will only magnify through time.
Quote: “Spat out by the sea, the boy lay on the rocks, as still as death. Even if he survived the day, he had no home. No memory. And no name.”
The Rover by Mel Odom (Book One of The Rover series)
Here is the story about the imperfect hero and an easily distracted dreamer, the halfling Third Level Librarian Edgewick Lamplighter. His learning is disrupted when he is captured and sold off to slavery in a far-off land. This does not stop him from gaining experience in a wider world which he eventually hopes to add back home in Greydawn Moors, where the world's remaining library is stored in the “Vault of All Knowledge”. Comparable to Tolkien's Hobbit where the main character is a reluctant adventurer.
Quote: “The elven wardens guarded the island's forests and mountains, the humans pretended to be pirates out in the Blood-Soaked Sea, and the dwarven guards and craftsmen all serve to protect the Vault of All Knowledge secretly hidden in Greydawn Moors.”
