Classic fantasy reading list for the modern reader (2023)
Elves and dwarves, wizards and swordmasters—all are mainstays in the classic fantasy stories we love.
While The Lord of the Rings might come to mind first, if you’ve been out of the loop, you may not realize there are some newer entries to the scene with their own towering merits!
Just because it’s “classic” doesn’t mean classic fantasy can’t be written for the modern reader. The eight titles below (and a bonus one) will give you all your favorite fantasy things, while setting them in a world so fresh they’ll feel new again.
Check them out to discover the next great classic for your bookshelf!
Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill
Born in fire. Tempered in blood.
Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.
In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving – a test of courage and skill that not all survive.
But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.
There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.
He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will.
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.
Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?
And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.
Fate of Wizardoms by Jeffrey L. Kohanek
Where wizards rule, magic reigns supreme.
Power. The ambitious thirst for it.
But when a power-hungry wizard lord seeks to expand his rule, he triggers events unforeseen. The balance of magic is altered, races of old return, and beasts of legend stalk the land.
Unlikely heroes armed with magical objects are drawn into the conflict:
Jerrell "Jace" - A snarky, clever thief whose outrageous exploits force him to hide his identity.
Narine - A daring wizardess caught between her mad wizard lord father and jealous brother.
Rhoa - A determined acrobat, armed with enchanted blades and a thirst for revenge.
Rawk - Exiled for urges he cannot control, this dwarf possesses unique magic abilities.
Brogan - A disgraced warrior who labors beneath the weight of his regrets.
These characters lead a compelling and memorable cast including ruthless wizards who vie for thrones able to grant the power of a god. How do you defeat a god?
Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike
A disgraced Dwarven hero. A band of deadbeat adventurers. His last shot at redemption could get him killed.
If Gorm Ingerson really wanted to drink himself to death, he never should have helped the Goblin. When his good deed lands him in a bad contract, Gorm finds himself entangled in a quest that will pit him against business magnates, the king of the Freedlands, and a mad goddess trying to fulfill a suicidal prophecy.
But Gorm’s tarnished circumstances may be hiding a golden opportunity. If he and his half-baked party can overcome deep conspiracies and dark magics, he just might redeem himself and his career enough to be a professional hero once more.
Malice by John Gwynne
The world is broken. . .and it can never be made whole again.
Corban wants nothing more than to be a warrior under King Brenin's rule -- to protect and serve. But that day will come all too soon. And the price he pays will be in blood.
Evnis has sacrificed -- too much it seems. But what he wants -- the power to rule -- will soon be in his grasp. And nothing will stop him once he has started on his path.
Veradis is the newest member of the warband for the High Prince, Nathair. He is one of the most skilled swordsman to come out of his homeland, yet he is always under the shadow of his older brother.
Nathair has ideas -- and a lot of plans. Many of them don't involve his father, the High King Aquilus. Nor does he agree with his father's idea to summon his fellow kings to council.
The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Now, the stones weep red and giant wyrms stir, and those who can still read the signs see a danger far worse than all that has come before. . .
Dragon’s Reach by JA Andrews
Sable would do anything to protect her younger sister Talia from Kiva, the ruthless gang boss—including keeping secrets: a money stash, a family secret, and her own magical ability to sense the truth in people’s words.
But when Sable disobeys Kiva and he begins to unravel her secrets, her entire world unravels with them.
With Talia torn from her and Kiva’s henchmen at every corner, Sable stumbles into the most unexpected help – a traveling theater troupe. Far more than a means of escape, the mismatched band of actors quickly becomes the family Sable so desperately needs.
And with their help, the true power in her magic begins to awaken.
When Sable and the troupe come face to face with a looming danger that threatens the entire land, they risk everything to return and warn the city. Against time and her own self-doubts, Sable must perform the lead role in a play powerful enough to gain the attention of the entire city – including Kiva, who’s still hungry for her blood.
Og-Grim-Dog: The Three-Headed Ogre by Jamie Edmundson
Two heads are better than one.
Three can be a real pain in the arse.
Everyone knows ogres can't be heroes. But Og-Grim-Dog is no ordinary ogre.
Recruited by a team of eccentric dungeon crawlers, all three heads are determined to prove their worth. Will their new crewmates accept them? Will the pencil pushers at the Bureau of Dungeoneering be able to stop them? Will Gal'azu become a more tolerant society...and will Og-Grim-Dog solve the dark mystery that drew them into this new world in the first place?
Court of Assassins by Philip Quaintrell
MYTH. LEGEND. NIGHTFALL HAS LONG BEEN RUMOURED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN WHISPERS ON THE BREEZE.
IF ONLY IT WERE SO…
In those halls of darkness, where children are taken from the world and given to shadow and dust, Asher is destined for that same fate. He will become the myth. He will become the legend. He will become the whisper of Death itself.
That which he was is dead, forgotten. Now he is a blade in the dark, a weapon to be wielded by his masters. A killer.
Yet, despite all his training and years of spilling blood, there is a crack in Asher’s conditioning. Something within him is broken, unbound even. A sliver of humanity has survived and dreams of freedom. Now, standing on a knife’s edge, his mind threatens to unravel, taking him from the only path he has ever known and away from the clutches of Nightfall.
It has never been done. Exile is not a choice. It is a death sentence.
But there is another life that calls to him, a life roaming the wilds and protecting the innocent from the monsters which would prey upon them. Hunting monsters, however, is no easy task, especially when Asher himself is hunted by those who would drag him back to Nightfall. Back to the darkness.
You might also try my classic fantasy series, Legend of Tal. Check out the first book below!
A King’s Bargain by J.D.L. Rosell
The legend of Tal Harrenfel is sung across the Westreach—and with each telling, the tales grow taller. But though he's declared a hero by his king, Tal has never claimed to be more than a man...
After three decades of fighting warlocks, killing mythical beasts, and hunting enchanted treasure, Tal has had enough. Running from the deeds of his past, he retreats to his home village under a different name and meets an unlikely companion: Garin, a village boy who dreams of making a name for himself and seeing the world beyond their sleepy town.
When Tal receives a mysterious visitor, both he and Garin are thrown into a journey across the kingdom. Soon, they become embroiled in the plots of monarchs, on the frontlines of an ancient war, and at the mercy of a fabled sorcerer.
Now Tal must live up to his legend, and Garin discover his own power, to survive the forces pitted against them...
Have some favorite classic fantasy stories of your own? You can add them to the list on Goodreads! Visit it here.
Check back in the future for more lists like this geared toward other niches within high fantasy. I'll see you then!
- Josiah
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