13 Fantasy Books to Read When You Need an Escape

With a ship crew made up of her besties and a demon for an ex-husband, Amina al-Sirafi may be unhinged, at least by contemporary standards. But in the medieval fantasy realm where she operates, her badassery is basically a calling card for folks who need her services, like finding lost treasure, whatever (or whoever) it may be. A pirate, Amina al-Sirafi’s impressive reputation reaches a woman searching for her missing grandchild, Dunya. Embarking on a harrowing adventure, Amina discovers that she and Dunya share a unique connection, and without the other, each will suffer. This is a new take on the classic hero’s journey trope, upending the classic conventions to produce a story that’s edge-of-your-seat good.

Each year, six of the most talented magicians are invited to compete for a place in the Alexandrian Society, an elite group that manages and sequesters knowledge from civilizations of antiquity. If accepted into the secret society, they will enjoy a life of influence and power. Told in a kaleidoscope of voices, The Atlas Six follows the class of competitors as they go blow to blow against each other—and unforeseen enemies.

Right this way, dark academia fans. It’s the early 19^th century and orphan Robin Swift is a student at Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel. Robin immerses himself in his studies: Latin, Greek, Chinese, and, well, magic. Babel has helped the British Empire assert reign over the world, thanks to the school’s silver workings which manifest translations of lost languages. Robin relishes his time at school, developing friendships with his classmates and being engrossed with his classes. But when Robin learns the university’s plan to help foster a war against those he cherishes, he must decide to fall in rank with his beloved college or join a secret society fighting the empire’s colonialism and therefore eschew his academic dreams.

The first novel in The Dark Star trilogy unfurls an epic story of friendship, adventure, and plenty of danger. Tracker, a man with an uncanny sense of smell, has been employed to find a missing boy, the sole survivor of a massacre. To find the boy and his monster captors, Tracker must resist his lone-wolf nature and work with a crew of supernatural beings to recover the child. But, when they encounter a hefty amount of resistance in their pursuit, Tracker and his squad begin to wonder if there’s a bigger game at play.

Collum, a talented knight, is very late. Arriving at Camelot hoping to secure his place at the Round Table, Collum discovers that King Arthur and his knights are dead. And so, it’s up to Collum and a gaggle of misfit knights to rebuild the Round Table while protecting Britain from faeries and other magical powers. To do so, they’ll have to learn why King Arthur was felled—and avoid making the same mistake.

A retelling of the Greek myth, Circe follows the goddess of the same name through rounds of disappointment and struggle. Exiled to the island of Aiaia, Circe strengthens her witchcraft and encounters mystical beings. But she’s not alone—not when Hermes, an Olympian god visits her, or when Jason and Medea seek refuge on the island after committing a crime. During her time on the island, Circe endures betrayals and loss, while sharpening her survival instincts, which she unleashes to find solace after an eternity of hardship.

After slaying a mystical wolf in the woods behind her house, Feyre must venture into the dangerous adjacent fairy territory to protect her family from imminent danger. But as she learns more about her captor and the truth behind his mysterious mask, she realizes she might be the link to breaking a decades-long curse. This series has topped the lists for good reason: They’re delectable stories that read like an indulgent snack, and will surely have you hoping for a second serving.

We won’t hold it against you if you’ve watched the movie before reading the book (guilty). But reading Dune can majorly help decipher all the family trees, unique powers and talents of certain characters, and the general world where the story in the Timothée Chalamet-starring blockbuster occurs. Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi/fantasy novel is set on the planet Arrakis, where young royal Paul Atreides and his family are sent to oversee the mining of a special spice used for space travel and therefore in high demand across the universe. But, when conflict erupts on the planet between the Atreides clan and the former Arrakis overlords, the Harkonnens, Paul and his mother must flee to safety in the surrounding desert riddled with danger…and opportunity.

What would you do if you could live forever, but were remembered by no one? After making a deal with the devil, Addie LaRue roams the world for 300 years, destined to remain invisible to everyone she encounters. Until one day, countless minutes and days and years after she made the deal that changed everything, she meets Henry. They see each other again—and he remembers her. This heartbreaker of a novel spans multiple timelines and will leave you so shook you’ll probably need a hot bath or chocolate or a Housewives marathon to snap out of it.

This one is a buckle-up type of novel. After her suburban neighborhood is destroyed, Carolyn and several other orphans are taken in by a man who goes by Adam or Father. Each orphan has been relegated to a different section of his magical library, tasked with learning as much as possible about their assigned topic, ranging from healing to animal communication and even murder. Carolyn is assigned to languages of all types, including supernatural ones. Years later, Father has gone missing, and Carolyn and her adoptive siblings want to find him. But as drama unfolds within the group, she must tap into unlikely allies to help retrieve Father. Sweltering with surprises, this fantasy book is a fever dream that flirts with speculative fiction—and it doesn’t disappoint.

The third installment of Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series, Onyx Storm arrives later this month, meaning we can all finally relax. At least, until we race through this one like the others before it. After proving herself as the dragon rider she was destined to become, it’s time for Violet Sorrengail to fly free and leave Basgiath War College and the Aretian wards behind. And while Violet has dodged plenty of threats in her time training as a dragon rider at Basgiath, she’ll have to use all of her skills and talents—and more—to hunt for magic that can protect against the enemy threats in and outside the college’s walls. Violet must find the truth she’s searching for before it’s too late. Like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, Onyx Storm brims with can’t-put-downable tension until the last page.

File T.J. Klune’s series about a mystical orphanage in your cozy fantasy folder. The sequel to Klune’s list-topping The House in the Cerulean Sea, the newest installment follows Arthur Parnassus as he runs the Marsyas Orphanage, caring for magical children he hopes to adopt. A lot has changed since he was an orphan there. For one, the children are protected from government agencies that discriminate against people with unique abilities. And so, when Arthur and his partner Linus leave the island where the orphanage is located, he must navigate an unexpected turn that threatens the future of the orphanage and the children who live in it. Reach for this book if you need a major pick-me-up (who doesn’t?) that, while cozy, isn’t cloyingly sweet.

Book, stage production, or movie? Why not all three? In case you’re pining away for something to fill the Elphaba-sized hole in your heart—at least until Wicked: For Good comes out later in 2025—the original novel will more than satisfy. Wicked, an inspired prequel from the 1900 classic children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, gives the Wicked Witch of the West her roses. With its delightful take on the iconic story, you’ll fall in love with the characters—all of them.

Word to the wise: Not unlike Game of Thrones or even Harry Potter, Wicked is decidedly more mature than its screen and stage counterparts, and probably best reserved for a more grown-up audience. But, if you have a child-size, Elphaba fan on your hands and you’re eyeing the book for a potential bedtime story, just do a pre-read before tucking anyone in (consider this permission to double-down on defying gravity, we won’t tell).