The best fantasy novels with characters you love getting to know

D.L. Gardner Author Of Sword of Cho Nisi Book 1: Rise of the Tobian Princess
By D.L. Gardner

Who am I?

I write, I read, I love people, and I have been living in a fantasy world ever since I was small. Personalities fascinate me and I have studied the little quirks and oddities that flavor individuals both in my artwork (I’m a portrait artist/oil painter), in my college major (counseling), and while writing my stories. What makes us who we are, and who our characters are, involves our backstories, our hopes, our fears, our dreams. Everyone has them and our characters in our stories should too. Oftentimes when I’m writing I find myself exploring a character more than I thought I would and that’s the fun part. I enjoy authors who do the same. 

I wrote...

Sword of Cho Nisi Book 1: Rise of the Tobian Princess

By D.L. Gardner, Mario Teodosio (illustrator),

Book cover of Sword of Cho Nisi Book 1: Rise of the Tobian Princess

What is my book about?

From the moment Erika makes a fatal mistake that could cost her father his kingdom, she meets the challenge of redemption head-on, tackling the Dark Wizard, rescuing her brother from a torturous curse, and wrestling with a stormy love affair. She's not alone, for the struggles are more than one person could handle, and her help comes from both family and unexpected sources. Regardless of who proves their allegiance, the Sword of Cho Nisi Rise of the Tobian Princess is a test of courage for all our heroes.

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The books I picked & why

Half a King

By Joe Abercrombie,

Book cover of Half a King

Why did I love this book?

In the first chapter as Yarvi stands before his father as the king and suffers verbal abuse, I wanted to rush into the throne room and support him. With only one arm, this young disabled prince had to go out into a bloodthirsty world to prove that he was not only worthy of the throne (which he didn’t want), but that he could survive the cruelties of his enemies while lacking the ability to hold a shield or swing an axe. I was pulling for Yarvi from the very beginning and through the entire series. I also love the titles of the Shattered Seas. Half a King, Half a War, and Half the World. So good!

Half a King

By Joe Abercrombie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Half a King as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME AND THE WASHINGTON POST • LOCUS AWARD WINNER

“The Shattered Seas trilogy has worked its way into a very exclusive group of my favorite fantasy novels of all time.”—James Dashner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner

“A fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.”—George R. R. Martin

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”

Prince Yarvi has vowed to…

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Mistborn

By Brandon Sanderson,

Book cover of Mistborn

Why did I love this book?

I am completely awe-struck by Sanderson’s magic system in Mistborn. The story is as unique and the world captivating. The plot twists kept me turning pages. However, if I don’t fall for a character, I’ll shelf the book, so I must add that in Mistborn, Sanderson does not disappoint. Vin was a compelling female lead, but my heart went out to Kelsier (even though I could sense Sanderson trying to persuade me to root for Vin. I have to admit I found another character to support in the next book). Mistborn was a fun, imaginative, and exciting read, and I think this series is one of his best.

Mistborn

By Brandon Sanderson,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Mistborn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Brandon Sanderson - the international phenomenon who finished the Wheel of Time sequence - introduces a fantasy trilogy which overturns the expectations of readers and goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash…

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The Eye of the World

By Robert Jordan,

Book cover of The Eye of the World

Why did I love this book?

I think book 1 of his 14-book series Wheel of Time is Robert Jordan’s best. I absolutely adored Rand (and Mat). The story is a classic because the detail is so vivid, the pacing perfect, and the world building as rich and vast as Tolkien’s Middle Earth. I’m the kind of reader who wants to get lost in a story and stay there as long as I can. Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time will. As for the characters, every one of them has distinct personalities and I quickly chose my favorites. There were some I loved to hate as well. 

The Eye of the World

By Robert Jordan,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Eye of the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When a vicious band of half-men, half beasts invade the Two Rivers seeking their master's enemy, Moiraine persuades Rand al'Thor and his friends to leave their home and enter a larger unimaginable world filled with dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light .

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel…

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Dune

By Frank Herbert,

Book cover of Dune

Why did I love this book?

Dune is science fiction, a little off course for me although it takes place in an equally fantastic world as any epic fantasy, and the dreams and visions certainly expand the reader’s imagination. It’s difficult to understand in some ways, yet there are golden nuggets, little quotable passages of truth offerings one gets to chew on and digest. What I liked most about Dune is the relationships. In a completely alien world where moons rise and fall and people and creatures inhabit multitudes of planets, we still have mother-son, father-son, relationships that tug at the heart. It’s a good book!

Dune

By Frank Herbert,

Why should I read it?

47 authors picked Dune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.

Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.

Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

When the Emperor transfers stewardship of…

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The Girl from Everywhere

By Heidi Heilig,

Book cover of The Girl from Everywhere

Why did I love this book?

It’s not often you can pick up a fantasy book and laugh. Not only laugh but travel with a rogue group of people and enjoy every minute of it. The Girl from Everywhere is just plain fun! I loved the characters, so much personality! That it’s a time travel story makes it exciting, and I have a passion for tall ships, so she had me with the sailing adventure. Add to that humor and a feisty dialogue. I can’t say enough about this book.

The Girl from Everywhere

By Heidi Heilig,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Girl from Everywhere as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility. Its sparkling wit, breathless adventure, multicultural cast, and enchanting romance will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir and Leigh Bardugo. 

As the daughter of a time traveler, Nix has spent sixteen years sweeping across the globe and through the centuries aboard her father’s ship. Modern-day New York City, nineteenth-century Hawaii, other lands seen only in myth and legend—Nix has been to them all.

But when her father gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. Rae Carson meets Outlander in this…

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One Giant Leap

By Ben Gartner,

Book cover of One Giant Leap

Ben Gartner Author Of The Eye of Ra

New book alert!

Sponsored by Ben Gartner Author

Who am I?

I love to read a good action-adventure story. I’ve also written a few. And I know that no matter how high the stakes, if there’s no heart in the characters then there’s very little engagement to make it any more memorable than a temporary thrill. I love thrills, but the stories that stick with you after the excitement of the moment is over, those are the true gems. Besides the fun of reading that type of book, maybe you even learn something about yourself or the world and come out a wee bit wiser than when you went in. And isn’t that a fantastic use of our imaginative powers?!

Ben's book list on new action-packed middle grade with heart

Book cover of Frances and the Monster Book cover of Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls Book cover of The Unforgettable Logan Foster Book cover of Journey Beyond the Burrow Book cover of The Last Shadow Warrior

What is my book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

One Giant Leap

By Ben Gartner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Giant Leap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

Praise for…

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