Best Fantasy Books for Beginners: Easy-to-Read Novels 

Find the best beginner-friendly fantasy books that are easy to read, with magic, romance, and epic stories for adults and YA readers alike. 

Fantasy books are fun, but they can also feel too big or too slow. Some are long series with dark themes or confusing language. That makes many beginners unsure of where to start.

You don’t need to read a 900-page epic to enjoy fantasy. There are many good books written for beginners that are short, well-paced, and easy to understand. These books are great for teens and adults.

A beginner fantasy book should have a clear story, strong characters, and simple magic rules. It should also be fun to read and not filled with hard words or confusing places. Some good ones mix action, romance, and a little mystery, too.

YA fantasy books are often the best choice to start. They are easy to read and written for readers who are new to fiction. Some are stand-alone novels, while others are short series that you can finish without stress.

We recommend books that are well written and easy to follow. These picks are great for beginners who want to start reading fantasy but don’t know which books are good. You’ll find epic adventures, magic, and romance—all in books you can actually finish

On this Content ...

1. Graceling

2. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

3. Throne of Glass

4. Scythe

5. Spin The Dawn

6. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

7. The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass

8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel

9. The City of Brass: A Novel

10. The Name of the Wind

11. Duel of Fire

12. Harry Potter

13. Foundryside: A Novel

14. An Ember in the Ashes

15. Mistborn Trilogy

16. A Song of Ice and Fire

17. The Lord of the Rings

18. Dish World

19. Wheel of Time

20. Elric of Melniboné and Other Stories

1. Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill.

As the niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace — or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away.. a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.”

2. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

It’s a West African-inspired fantasy with immersive world-building and an interesting magic system.

The story follows a boy and a girl who are enemies but develop feelings for each other.

It’s a good book for those who are new to fantasy and might find high fantasy overwhelming.

The book is a debut novel with a sequel coming out soon, making it a good time to start reading.

3. Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The more you hope, the harder you fall. To be honest, two chapters are my limit. The whole text reveals a strong Mary Sue atmosphere.

Not to mention that it is completely different from Ice and Fire, it is also far from The Hunger Games. Is the heroine really a trained killer?! What nonsense!

Sarah J. Maas’s writing style can no longer be described as bad. American teenagers are so impressed by it that they are really out of their minds.

4. Scythe

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

The setting of the immortality world is novel and enticing. The matter of life and death hovers through the whole story, kinda pushing you to contemplate this question subconsciously.

For scythes like Citra and Rowan living in such a world, I guess the most important thing is to know yourself and figure out who you truly are.

The two young characters are adorable, and you are with them all the way round, seeing them advancing during this enigmatic and also dramatic journey. You’ll be touched by their struggles and faith in their hearts.

5. Spin The Dawn

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

I don’t normally get all that excited when reading YA fantasy, like, at all, as often, it is always the same thing over and over and over again.

Read the most(or a few) popular ones, and the rest are simply all trying to imitate that success, every single time.

Which is truly unfortunate. Yet for some reason, I keep wanting to give young adult fantasy more tries, despite it, for the most part, lagging far behind adult fantasy in most aspects.

The thing was, was that I was actually sort of excited to start this, generally good ratings with a world based on the East were all pretty cool to see.

And besides, it is about tailoring, which is not normally a topic that is seen too often, especially when it is made the center of the storyline.

I actually really enjoyed part one of the book, and just for that part alone, my rating was leaning towards four stars, but with parts two and three of the book, I dropped it down to an unfortunate two. I’m aware lots of people did really love this book, but please do respect my opinion.

6. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

The part before the protagonist enters Nevermoor is very similar to HP, and I wanted to relive HP several times.

The several tests are the most interesting part, but they can’t cover up the childish design and the protagonist’s cheating. I also don’t like to make things mysterious.

Jupiter waits until the end to answer the protagonist’s questions and so on. I also have no feelings for the characters. I don’t understand why Hawthorne and Jack became friends with the protagonist, but their friendship didn’t develop.

As for the character of the protagonist, the character developed after 11 years of life, and the background of unwarranted accusations is no different from that of a child from an ordinary family.

I don’t think there is anything special about it. Furthermore, the villain, besides paving the way for the protagonist, doesn’t know what he wants to do, and I don’t know what he likes about the protagonist.

He has lived for hundreds of years and still behaves like a young man. Overall, neither engaging nor boring.

7. The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass

The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher

The steam crystal world on the chimney needs to be built, and there are five or six protagonists who have to fight until they are exhausted and covered with injuries, as usual.

Naturally, there is not much space to tell the plot, so the story is relatively thin. Fortunately, the protagonists seem to be good for the time being. The teenagers are clear and upright, and they are not narcissistic or self-harming.

The author’s views are relatively positive when not suppressed by narcissism. Although the POV is arrogant, the cats’ names are all based on the sounds of the cats.

8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

This book seems to be a fantasy novel for children, but in my opinion, it is undoubtedly a fairy tale suitable for adults.

Some plots in the book may only be understood by adults, and many details in it may only be understood by adults. When you grow up, you will have some understanding when you look back at the path you have taken.

The book tells the story from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy. An adventure with Moti brings monsters from another world who act as nannies and hungry birds that can devour monsters, stars, and the world. And the neighbor at the end of the driveway.

It is a witch who is the same age as the universe. They all seem to be unrealistic fantasies, but these fantasies are actually a reflection of everyone’s inner world as they grow up.

Inner loneliness and fear can be transformed into powerful monsters and hungry birds. But every time there is a strong spiritual power that can help us overcome inner difficulties, just like the witch who firmly supports herself, and when the little boy is immersed in the ocean in the bucket,

He becomes an omniscient person who knows everything, almost I have lost myself a little bit. In the process of growing up, how many times will I encounter such a situation where I lose myself?.

9. The City of Brass: A Novel

The City of Brass: A Novel by S. A Chakraborty

Although it is classified as Adult Fantasy, I personally feel it is closer to YA (teenagers). If you are not familiar with Middle Eastern culture, it may be difficult because there are many new words.

In the beginning, the heroine’s behavior is a bit too teenage, and the strong sense of entitlement she shows when getting along with the second male lead (?) is completely inconsistent with her growth experience of struggling to survive in the streets of Cairo.

And then the male protagonist… he was so stupid and naive at the beginning, it was almost like he was living in a fantasy land. The second male lead carries a violent, terrifying, and absolute power of beauty when he fights.

But when the male lead is not fighting, he often acts like a hot-tempered, reckless man, and his charm value drops like a flood.

However, in the last fifth of the book, the pace suddenly picks up speed, and conflict breaks out, which is very exciting. In addition, it is rare to see fantasy novels with Middle Eastern themes, so I give it four stars.

10. The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

After reading the whole book, I feel that the stage for the hero has just been set up. There are still many stories that have not been told, many difficulties that have not been overcome, and many secrets that have not yet been revealed. This is a good book.

It unexpectedly broke the impression that it was just another fantasy story. In addition to fantasy, there are many other things, such as philosophy. In addition to the protagonist, there are also many supporting characters.

The author of this book has always revealed warmth and touchingness in some small plots.

For example, when a legendary hero first began to feel that he was some kind of hero, it was not that he killed the dragon or rushed through the sea of fire to save a girl, but that he cast “magic” on a little girl. She, this magic will always protect you.

For example, to describe the women in my life, “let me say one thing before I start. I’ve told stories in the past, painted pictures with words, and told hard lies and harder truths.

Once, I sang colors to a blind man. That, I think, was easier than this. Trying to make you understand her with nothing more than words. You have never seen her, never heard her voice. You cannot know.”

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