5 Great Series for People New to Adult Fantasy
The fantasy genre, from the outside, can seem quite intimidating to get into. Fantasy worlds are new and strange, there are histories and cultures to learn, and the audience is asked to suspend their disbelief to a much higher level than in, say, a mystery or romance.
However, fantasy is also extremely rewarding to read. The genre is full of high adventure and wonder, with themes and stories being able to be explored in new and unique ways. Fantasy is populated by memorable characters, fascinating worlds, and incredible storytelling unlike what any other genre can achieve.
But if you’re new to the genre, where do you start? Or, what if you’ve only read middle grade and young adult fantasy and want to move up to adult, but feel overwhelmed by the options? If you’ve been reading other genres and are looking for a particular feel, what series do you lean toward?
If you don’t want to just go to a bookstore and library and take a chance with picking a series at random, how do you choose?
Well, here are some of my recommendations of where you can start with adult fantasy.
If you want something that feels classic and adventurous:
Riyria Chronicles/Riyria Revelations; by Michael J. Sullivan
This is a series that I love dearly, and it is one of my favourites to recommend to people.
Following two thieves with a buddy-cop dynamic, the two Riyria series are full of fun and adventure, with an easy writing style to get into and a fast-paced, satisfying plot. The characters are charming, the plot is well put together and intriguing, and the world has enough history to feel complex without feeling overwhelming to a new reader.
The writing of Riyria is also very smooth and easy to read without sacrificing complexity, making it a perfect read for people who are nervous about how dense adult fantasy books can be.
Riyria Revelations is six books, with two books per volume. Riyria Chronicles is a prequel series that is technically ongoing, but each volume has a more contained plot.
If you want something classic and well-beloved:
The Lord of the Rings; by J. R. R. Tolkien.
What can I say? It’s a classic for a reason.
Acting as arguably the biggest influence on modern fantasy, Tolkien’s work is a timeless and classic read. The story is full of adventure and classic heroism, the depth of lore and worldbuilding is still unparalleled to this day, and the writing (while a bit dense due to its age) is beautiful and poetic.
If you somehow haven’t heard the premise of the story, it follows a group of characters as they go on a quest to destroy an ancient evil that is threatening their world. Over the course of their journey they encounter various allies and enemies alike, fighting in epic battles and facing down great evils. It’s a story of courage, heroism, and finding hope in the darkest of places.
The Lord of the Rings is a story that has inspired millions, and it’s a great entry point into adult fantasy.
If you want good mystery and a noir feel:
The Dresden Files; by Jim Butcher
Take a private investigator in modern-day Chicago, and make him a wizard solving crimes involving supernatural beings. Give him a healthy dose of sarcasm and a chip on his shoulder, and you get Harry Dresden, leading man of The Dresden Files.
The books each follow their own storyline, with an overarching plot tying them all together and creating a larger storyline over the course of the series. Each one has a different mystery that Harry has to deal with, pitting him against all manner of supernatural beings, from faeries and vampires to fallen angels and skinwalkers.
This series is very much on the adult side of adult fantasy, with a lot of mature content and general darkness. On the flip side, it also has a lot of heart, amazing characters, and absolutely fantastic character arcs. While it does take a couple books to get into its stride (the beginning of the series is definitely the weakest point), the series grows into something truly beautiful, deep, and fun.
If you want something gritty, dark, and grounded:
The First Law; by Joe Abercrombie
Joe Abercrombie is seen as the king of grimdark fantasy for good reason, and that reason is The First Law.
The First Law World is a multi-part series, comprised of the First Law, three standalones, and The Age of Madness trilogy, as well as several short stories.
The world has a brutal, gritty feel to it, with the darkness of humanity at the forefront and characters who are a mix of charismatic and morally depraved. The first trilogy in particular has a vibe of subverting older fantasy tropes and giving them a gritty edge. The series has a lot of war and visceral violence, so it’s very firmly in the adult space. It also has beautiful prose and absolutely incredible character voice, and is an absolute treat if you’re a sucker for writing technique like me.
If you want creative worldbuilding unlike anything you can find in our world:
The Cosmere; by Brandon Sanderson
If you’ve been a reader or in reader spaces online, odds are you’ve at least heard the name Brandon Sanderson tossed around. He’s one of the biggest names in fantasy for a reason, and that reason is his wildly successful and massive shared universe: The Cosmere.
The Cosmere is Brandon Sanderson’s magnum opus, comprised of almost all of his adult fantasy work, with a mix of series, standalones, novellas, and even a series of graphic novels. His work is known for extremely creative worldbuilding and unique magic systems, taking strange concepts and finding ways to make them work. (Seriously–one of the reasons for part of The Stormlight Archive‘s magic system was because he wanted to justify having unrealistically huge armour and weapons.)
The utter creativity of his worldbuilding is a big part of why he’s so popular, and if what you want out of fantasy is creativity, then there are few better authors to start with, considering he has helped redefine what worldbuilding can be.
There are many places you can start in the Cosmere, though I personally recommend starting with one of the standalones, such as Elantris, Warbreaker, or Tress of the Emerald Sea, since it’s less of a commitment than diving into one of the series.
Anyway, those are some of my recommendations of starting points for people who want to start reading adult fantasy. The most important thing is to find one that has a concept that catches your attention and sparks your imagination, and I hope that some of these may have helped. If you’d like to see some books that I recommend based on their exceptional worldbuilding, you can find that list here.
Happy reading, and I’ll talk to you in the next one.
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