Beginner Fantasy Books

Easy-to-Read fantasy for new fantasy readers

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If you are new to the genre of fantasy, it can be confusing deciding what books to read. There are seemingly endless fantasy books -- most are bad, some are good, and a few are stellar.

I’ve put together a selection of easier-to-read fantasy books that are easy to read while still being somewhat entertaining. These are the books that many fantasy readers started out with -- so it’s good to get them out of the way if you feel you need to read them. If you are new to fantasy, you will find your fantasy tastes start to evolve and mature the more you read.

Full disclosure here: I'm not a fan of most of the books on this list (in fact, many of them made my "Worst Fantasy Books list"). But I will admit that I grew up on some of these "bad" fantasy books many years ago as there was NOT a huge selection of great fantasy books to choose from twenty or thirty years ago.

If you want to skip the fantasy training wheels and start off at the top, you can check out the Top 25 Best Fantasy Books list. Some people want to get into the good stuff right away, but you may want to take a slower pace with your fantasy readings and work your way up with easier-to-read fantasy books.

Fair warning: It's likely you won't want to come back and read SOME of these books if you start with the best fantasy books list, so if you have any inkling that you might like to read the books on this list, read them first.

The ranking

Pawn Of Prophecy (The Belgariad) Start here

by Eddings, David

There books that are great in their complexity and moral exploration, and ones that are amazing simply for the entertainment they provide. David Edding's Belgariad series falls into the second category and it's better...

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Lord Of The Rings

by Tolkien, J.r.r.

Possibly the most, well-recognized world of fiction in history. The Lord of the Rings is the third best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. This high fantasy novel follows the adventures of Fro...

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The Chronicles Of Narnia

by Lewis, C. S.

A classic high fantasy series with much adventure to offer. But, it can also be read allegorical and incorporates Christian imagery.

These well-written series of children's novels tell the story of English children who visit a fanciful land known as Narnia. Narnia is full of talking animals, villains, heroes, witches and adventures, and is ruled over...

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Harry Potter

by Rowling, J. K.

This incredibly popular series is a story of an alternate world, a secret world of wizardy that exists within our own, but seems ever so vast.

Yes, everyone has probably read this. In fact, these these may have been the books that got you started reading fantasy in the first place. These books do make for a good read and as the series progresses, the plot...

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Sword Of Shannara (The Sword Of Shannara) Start here

by Brooks, Terry

A remake of Lord of the Rings.

Terry Brooks is one of the most popular fantasy authors. He’s been writing fantasy for decades and is a household name. His books are pretty simplistic -- boy finds special talisman, sword, item and fights against...

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Icewind Dale

by Salvatore, R.a.

If you're a fan of RPG, Icewind Dale will appeal to you. It takes place in the Forgotten Realms – a world in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Yes, it's dorky. Should you care? No. Because Drizzt wouldn't.Why it made th...

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Dragonlance

by Weis, Margaret

These are literally everywhere in the bookstore. These are the cheeseburgers of the fantasy world. They taste good, but you get indigestion after. If you are looking for something easy to read that delivers the sam...

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Forgotten Realms

by Greenwood, Ed

These, in my estimation, are pretty similar to Dragonlance books. There are a ton of them, they are easy to read, feature uncomplicated plots and cardboard cutout characters. But, they are tasty in the way that goi...

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The Black Magician (Black Magician)

by Canavan, Trudi

Amazon Description This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants w...

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Trending Books in Beginner Fantasy Books

Pawn Of Prophecy (The Belgariad) Start here

Eddings, David

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Sword Of Shannara (The Sword Of Shannara) Start here

Brooks, Terry

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