Books of fantasy: what to read? Fantasy with a love line, about fellows, about dragons

Today on the shelves of shops you can find a huge number of different books. However, most of the authors are simply not known to us. Therefore, very often the question arises: "What to read?" Fantasy in this respect is one of the most popular genres. And in this article we tried to collect the best books of this section of the literature to help the reader determine the answer. In general, proceed.

The best books of fantasy

So, what to read? Fantasy, as many certainly know, has many subsections. This is a romantic fantasy, and urban, and children's, and dark, and Slavic, and epic, etc. Present an overview of all possible sections within one article is simply impossible, so we will list the ten best books ever written in the genre of fantasy .

"Lord of the Rings"

What to read (fantasy)? About this book, J. Tolkien, perhaps, everyone heard, even if he did not read or did not watch the famous kinotrilogy. For the first time this famous fantasy epic was published in the distant 1954. And it became the most famous work of this genre, having generated a lot of imitations and sequels.

"The Lord of the Rings" was created as a single book, but its volume was too great, therefore the publishing house proposed to divide it into three volumes: "The Brotherhood of the Ring", "Two Fortresses", "The Return of the King". And to this day the novel is published in three parts.

The story unfolds in the same fictional world that was created for the "Hobbit". The main character is the hobbit Frodo, who will have to destroy the Ring of Omnipotence, which has a huge dark power.

"Song of Ice and Fire"

If you are looking for what to read from fantasy, not to come off, then this cycle is just for you. A series of epic novels by J. Martin became popular in Russia after the release in 2012 of the series "The Game of Thrones" based on books. The first book of the series was published in 1991. And then only three parts were conceived. However, the cycle later expanded. To date, five volumes have been issued, and two more are in the works.

The first three parts of the novel were awarded the prize "Locus" for the best fantasy novel. Later, the author published several novellas prequel to the main series, which were also awarded several prizes.

To date, this is one of the most popular fantasy series, which has been translated into 45 languages.

The Chronicles of Amber

What to read (fantasy) yet? An excellent option - a series of books by the American science fiction writer Roger Zelazny. The cycle consists of 10 books, which are divided into two parts of five books each. The first book - "The Nine Princes of Amber" - was published in 1970, and the last one - "The Prince of Chaos" - in 1991.

The first part of the series, entitled "The Pentateuch Corvina" tells about the life of Prince Corwin. The main hero of the second part, the "Pentateuch of Merlin", is his son Merlin.

The universe of books is a set of parallel worlds that are "reflections" of the world of the order of Amber and the Chaos Courts. These secondary worlds are able to move, and the closer they are to one of the poles, the more like it. In the universe there is a category of people who are able to travel between these parallel worlds. This gift is enjoyed by all the children of King Amber of Oberon.

"Harry Potter"

What to read interesting from a fantasy? A series of books about a wizard boy can conquer the heart not only of a child, but also of an adult. The cycle consists of seven novels, which began to publish since 1997. The last book of the series - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - was published in 2007.

The cycle is inherently a mixture of several genres. This is the usual fantasy, and a teenage novel, in addition to the elements of a detective, adventure, thriller, love story. In addition, the text of the work contains many cultural references. Despite the fact that the novel is intended for children, Rowling in one of the interviews stated that the main hero of her books is death. It is also important that the cycle touches on such topical topics as corruption and prejudice.

"The Sword of Truth"

Another great cycle in the genre of fantasy. To take the best in this case means to overcome not only the books of the main cycle - their 11, but also 5 novel-sequels and 2 novels of spin-offs. The author of the series is Terry Goodkind, the famous American science fiction writer. The first novel was published in 1994 and was called "The First Wizard Rule".

The main character of the novels is Richard Cypher, who serves as a simple forest conductor. However, soon his life changes abruptly. It turns out that he is the heir of the royal house of Ralov. This makes him the Seeker of Truth and the real ruler of the empire of D'Har.

Now, along with his grandfather Zedd, a magician of the first rank, he has to overcome many trials, find new friends and allies. But its main goal is to liberate the Middle Lands from the conqueror and tyrant and finally become a great magician.

"Dark tower"

"Dark Tower" - the famous cycle of the master of horrors Stephen King. Books were written at the junction of several genres: fantasy, horror, science fiction, western, etc. In total, the series includes eight novels, published from 1982 to 2012.

The cycle tells about the wanderings of an arrow named Roland Deschain, who is looking for the legendary Dark Tower. King himself calls this cycle his most important work in life. The series on the Dark Tower covers many characters, themes, ideas, storylines from other author's books that are completely unrelated to the "Dark Tower".

The prototype of the protagonist of the cycle was the nameless hero from the series of films by Clint Eastwood "The Dollar Trilogy." Roland - the last knight from the ancient Order of the Riflemen. Its task is to establish order in the world. If you reach the center of all the worlds, the Dark Tower, and climb to its summit, you can see who controls the universe.

"Flat world"

If you are trying to answer a question about what to read from fantasy, not to tear yourself away, then the books of Terry Pratchett will be an excellent answer. A series of novels about the Flat World, or World Disc, is written in the genre of humorous fantasy, which provided her incredible popularity among readers. In addition, Pratchett's books are notable for topicality and small philosophical reflections all in the same humorous vein.

The action of novels takes place on some fantastic planet, which has the form of a disk. This world has its own physical laws: in the rainbow of 8 colors, there is magic, light moves very slowly. In this universe, all myths become reality. And the World Disk itself rests on the backs of 4 elephants, which, in turn, stand on a huge tortoise named Great A'Tuin.

The Saga of the Seers

American writer Robin Hobb in Russia is almost unknown, but in Europe her works are very popular and beloved.

The cycle "The Saga of the Seers" consists of three novels: "The Apprentice of the Assassin", "The Royal Assassin", "The Wanderer's Wanderings". All of them are written in the genre of psychological and adventure fantasy. It was this series that brought Robin Hobb to worldwide fame. Books were named the best fantasy cycle of the 90s.

The protagonist of the novels is Fitz, the royal bastard, who grew up among servants. By order of the king, the grandfather of a boy, he was trained as a secret killer from childhood. The life of a young bastard was surrounded by slander, treason, betrayal and contempt. It is Fitz who is to help the country survive the hard times, in which her sick and weak ruler, the enmity of the heirs of the throne and the bloodthirsty pirates were cast.

"Earthsea"

What is the most famous fantasy? Perhaps one of the main contenders for this title is the cycle of Ursula Le Guin "Earthsea". The series includes six books, including 5 novels and one collection of short stories "Tales of the Earthsea". In addition, the cycle includes two stories - "The Rule of Names" and "The Word of Liberation."

The world of Earthsea is an archipelago, which consists of a huge number of islands inhabited by various magical creatures and ordinary people. Also here is the magic of True Speech, which is that any object has a true name. Knowing this true name, a mage can control an object or living being.

The hero of most of the cycle novels is Ged, who will master the magical art and become a great wizard.

"The Chronicles of Narnia"

The cycle, written by Clive S. Lewis, includes seven books of fairy tales. These novels tell about the adventures of children who lived during the Second World War. Heroes fall into a magical land called Narnia. Here live animals speaking in human language, live powerful sorcerers, and around there is an unceasing struggle between good and evil.

In the Chronicles of Narnia, there are many references to Christian stories. In addition, in the books there are characters from Roman and Greek mythology.

The first book is called "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and was published in 1950. The final part - "The Last Battle" - was published in 1956. Despite the fact that the cycle was written half a century ago, it is very popular among children to this day.

Romantic Fantasy: what to read?

Romantic fantasy is becoming more popular, especially among the fair sex. In this there is nothing surprising, because in such books are combined and a touching love story, and a fantasy story.

So, if you like women's fantasy, what to read?

You can start with the book "Black Yangar" Karina Demina. This is a story about Black Yangar, the best fighter of the North, who decided to marry Pirkko, but instead got her illegitimate sister Inna. The narrative of the book is stylized as an epic.

Tatyana Zaychenko's "Silver Flame" also can be attributed to the genre of female fantasy. What to read, if you want to plunge into a romantic tale? Are you asking this question? Then stop your attention on this book. The novel tells how emotional pain and treason can be the basis for the beginning of a new relationship.

The novel "Winterfield" by Natalia Ipatova tells of the love of the elderly Guardian of the Borders and the young lady's maid of honor. Their novel will begin with the fact that a severe warrior will be instructed to teach a young girl fencing, but in the end it will teach him to really feel.

"Cinderella from the tavern on the square" Kauri Lesssy is a beautiful fairy tale about how the young mistress of the inn, who lost her husband, falls in love with a stranger who happened to be in her place. However, not everything is so simple, and soon the heroine will become clear that it is not only circumstances and his position in society that can divide her and her beloved, but also a terrible curse that will be worse than any human prejudices.

"Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer - today is one of the most famous cycles about love. The story tells of the relationship of an ordinary girl with a century-old vampire and a young werewolf. This work is another wonderful example of romantic fantasy.

What to read? Love, adventure, danger - these are the components of a good female fantasy. And an example of such a book can serve as the work "Boltovye dolls" by Elena Kocheshkova. It, among other things, combines two storylines. The first tells about a girl from the real world, and the second tells about another world where the main characters will be dancers from the temple of the Great Goddess.

The novel "How to fall in love with a warrior" by Diana Olkhovitskaya consists of two parts, which tells about a talented witch and a formidable warrior. Their complex relationship develops against the backdrop of incessant adventures and adventures.

Now you know what to read from a love fantasy. And when next time you find yourself in a bookstore, it will be much easier for you to decide on a choice.

Fantasy about dragons

If you are interested in the answer to the question about what to read from fantasy with a love line, then pay attention not only to romantic fantasy, since almost every novel has one or another love motive.

For example, Christopher Paolini's series "Heritage", consisting of four books. This is the story of a young man named Eragon and his faithful friend Draconian Sapphira. In addition, the book also has a love story about the relationship between the young dragon rider and Arya's elf. The first novel of tetralogy was "Eragon", published in 2003. This book was filmed in 2011. In Russia at the moment only the first three novels have been translated.

Another novel, where one of the main characters is a dragon, is the book of J. Tolkien "The Hobbit, or There and Back." Smoug is a dragon, the main villain of this work, he is the embodiment of greed and evil. It is to fight against him that the gnomes go, from whom he took the house, the hobbit, accustomed to comfort and sedentary life, and Gandalf, the great wizard who has a great deal to hide from his companions.

In the cycle "The Witcher" Andrzej Sapkowski, dragons also often meet. Unlike the monsters that witches kill, dragons are intelligent creatures that can even turn into people. That's why killing dragons is prohibited. In addition, the Witcher series has a number of other advantages: an amazing study of the world and characters, complex political games and constant intrigues, an unceasing struggle for power and power, in which the protagonist Geralt turns out to be a pawn. This cycle is worth reading to every fan of fantasy and fantasy.

What to read (fantasy)? Popadantsy

Books about heroes that come to the real world from the real world have always been very popular. In fact, this is one of the main plot techniques of the fantasy genre.

He often moved his heroes to other worlds Andrei Belyanin. This refers to the most famous cycles of the author - "The Secret Search of the King of Peas" and "Sword without a name."

In the first case, the main character Nikita Ivashov, a police lieutenant, gets into the magic world of Russian fairy tales. He finds himself locked up in the basement in the suburbs, but Baba-yaga is already releasing him from prison. To date, the cycle includes 9 novels and is considered unfinished.

In the series "Sword without a name", telling about the adventures of Lord Skimnok, the main character also gets into the fairy-tale world from the real. This happens to him during the festival of folk art. The cycle includes three novels: "Sword without a name," "Ferocious Landgrave," "The Age of St. Skimnok." This work brought Belyanin fame.

The hero of the cycle of Pavel Kornev "Borderland" also comes from reality into the world, where the boundary between reality and the world of magic lies. The peculiarity of this series is that, in addition to the main character, the reality space itself also falls into the surreal world. In addition, virtually all of the characters in the novels are hit-and-run.

Another cycle about travelers between worlds - "Worlds beyond the edge" K. Muraviev. The protagonist is a student, an unusual world is getting to where literally at every step adventures and unusual discoveries are waiting. This new world is created by magical laws, and the hero will have to learn them and try not to say goodbye to life.

We hope that this article helped you to answer the question about which book of fantasy to read, and it turned out to be quite useful.