Unique Fantasy books to read: Books that aren't Lord of the Rings
If stories can cast spells, then fantasy is the wand most receptive to magic. And for us would be witches and warlocks, the princes willing to pull shiny swords from stone; fantasy has become a home. A place to escape when we are in need of an escape.
There was a time when fantasy was considered a lesser genre and treated like a stepchild. Today you can’t walk two steps without stepping into a dungeon or sliding on a dragon’s back. Fantasy fans are feasting well. Maybe too well. A side effect of this overexposure and mass production is over saturation of the market: what was fresh yesterday has turned into tropes. Not that ever stopped us from digging for treasure and searching for new wonders.
5 Fantasy Book Recommendations That Aren’t Generic
Norendy tales
A collection of three fairytales written by one of my favourite authors, Kate Dicamillo. Set in a magical world of Norendy with themes of destiny, longing and family.
Puppets of Spelhorst
The king demands a song that breaks the heart and sews it back together. The wolf, proud of her sharp teeth, yearns to run through the woods. The boy with a bow waits on a remarkable deed. The girl with violet eyes wonders at the world, the moon, and its song. And the owl says wise things. All the puppets belong in a story.
Their shared fate leads to an astonishing truth.
The Hotel Balzaar
A young girl named Martha lives with her mother in a hotel that acts like a playground for her dreams and longing for her missing father. A mysterious countess checks into the hotel, promising seven distinct interconnected stories.
The story combines themes found in a lot of Dicamillo’s work and presents it in a unique structure, almost like Arabian style, where each tale leads into another and circles back in the end.
Lost Evangeline
The story of a little girl, no taller than a mouse, and a kind shopkeeper who adopts her as his daughter. The shoemaker’s wife, however, fears that Evangeline has bewitched her husband, so when an opportunity arises to rid herself of the girl, she takes it. And the small thing goes on a big adventure, and despite the size, her small light makes a difference in the end.
Lost Evangeline combines old fairy tales like Thumbelina and pulls themes of love and longing, courage under distress, and the power of believing from Kate’s own work, especially Despereaux.
Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
Way before Harry Potter, a young wizard named Duny (later named Ged) discovered his magical abilities and was enlisted in a school of magic. Earthsea has been so influential in the fantasy space that even if you have not read the original work, you might have come across a lot of its elements in other works. But while a lot of its decendants focused on entertainment and the magical elements, Earthsea stands out for its beautiful themes and lore. It pulls from eastern spirituality, mainly Taoism, and instead of good vs evil, its world coexists between dualities.
Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
The story follows Ronia, the spirited daughter of Matt, the robber’s chieftain. She spends her days dancing and singing with the band, but it is in the forest alone that she truly feels at home. Then one day Ronia meets Birk, the son of Matt’s archenemy. Soon after Ronia and Birk become friends, the worst quarrel ever between the rival bands erupts, and Ronia and Birk are caught in the middle.
When I first read the book, I was a little miffed that I wasn’t introduced to this story sooner. The novel is fun, exciting, and deep. But more than that, it’s one of those tales that respects the adult in the child and recognises the child in the adult: the tensions that can arise from denial of the two.
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Discworld rests on the back of four giant elephants, which, in turn, rest on the back of a turtle floating through the space. All of this is fitting, as one would require all the giant supernatural creatures to carry the weight of Terry Pratchett’s incredible work. A forty-one-book series that is funny, entertaining and wise, with each book ranging from excellent to great.
There are sub-series within the series, with each book existing in the same universe. The sheer number can be a little intimidating, but each book can be picked on its own and not get lost – a testament to the skills of Terry Prachett.
There are a few starting points if you have never read any of the Discworld novels:
- Guards Guards: A night watch series featuring cynical and disillusioned Sam Vimes and his ragtag and often considered pathetic crew.
- Going Postal: A smooth con artist, Moist von Lipwig, sentenced to death by hanging, and instead of the noose, the ruler of the city of Ankh-Morpork, Lord Vetinari, offers him a job as the city’s new Postmaster general.
