Gone are the days when conversations about sorcery, wizards, and warlocks were relegated to comic book conventions and Gothic teenagers huddled around an Ouija board at some creepy old basement.
Today, with shows like Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and Vikings being some of the most popular TV shows of all time and celebrities like Charlize Theron, Kat Graham, and Zoe Saldana embodying those fantasy movie roles fiercely, more and more people are turning to the fantasy genre to detach from their already-complicated lives.
So, if you’ve binge-watched through the entire fantasy movie category on Netflix and are looking for a book or audio tape to take your mind off the f**ked up global crisis, here are seven of our favorite fall fantasy reads of 2023.
Warning: These books will make you feel warm and fuzzy, your toes all curled up, and your mind on read and keep reading mode, so make sure to have your pipping hot cider, cozy throw blanket, and pocket tissues on standby.
That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon By Kimberly Lemming
If fun is what you subscribe to? Get. This. Book. Right. F**king. Now!
It’s got some real humor sprinkled in fantasy and is perfect for anyone who doesn’t care much for books peppered with “thee,” “thine,” and whatnot.
In it, Cin – whose main goal in life was to maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm, and really anything that doesn’t involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off – runs into a demon who informs her that she’s been worshipping an evil goddess.
He drags Cin into his evil-goddess-killing mission (despite her protests), but on the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt…?
It’s funny as hell. And if you can’t get enough of it, Kimberly’s That Time I Got Drunk And Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf and That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Human can help fill up all your free time this fall.
Throne Of Glass By Sarah J. Maas
Looking for some romance, adventure, and mystery in your life? Get this book ASAP. Like Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, this fantasy read will have you hooked from start to finish.
After serving a year of hard labor in the salt mines, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince, who offers her one chance to earn her freedom. All she has to do is defeat 23 deadly killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the king’s champion.
It sounds straightforward to an assassin like Celaena, but she’s soon thrust into an ages-long conflict, much more than she signed up for.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches By Sangu Mandanna
If you’re big into cozy fantasy reads, this one by Sangu Mandanna promises to be everything off your wishlist.
Characters you’ll consider to be your real-life friends? Check. Crazy laugh-out-loud moments? Check and check. Moments that’ll make you feel like you’re being loved on and hugged? Check, check, and more checks!
And to top all that off, the book will also give you a romance that you can’t help but root for (yeah, there’ll be no gagging or ‘skip to next’ with this book).
The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue By V.E. Schwab’s
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman, Addie LaRue, makes a Faustian bargain to gain immortality – and is met with a curse to be forgotten by those she meets.
That’s until, 300 years later, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore, and he remembers her name.
No wonder #BookTok is currently obsessed! It’s the ultimate fall fantasy read of 2023!
Witchful Thinking By Celeste Martin
Now you know fall calls for a love story based in a small town (hello, every Hallmark movie ever made?), and this is what Witchful Thinking brings to the table – love in a small town but with magical creatures – hence it being a fall fantasy read.
The story starts with Lucinda Caraway, a young witch who happens to be living in Freya Grove, a magical seaside town where charms, hexes, and supernatural beings of all kinds are the norm.
But although Lucinda loves living here, she can’t help but wish for more. Until one night, after a spell goes wrong, Lucinda…isn’t able to say no anymore!
Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros
Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the Fourth Wing is every romance x adventure-loving girlie’s dream.
20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a serene, quiet life among book enthusiasts and history lovers.
Now, the commanding general – also referred to as her tough-as-talons mom – has demanded she joins the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
Will she succeed, or will she meet an untimely end – because there are only two ways out at Basgiath War College – graduate or die!
“It’s Divergent meets The Hunger Games (or more like Harry Potter) but with dragons” – Reader’s Digest.
Hallowe’en Party By Agatha Christie
Any Agatha Christie fan knows her books make for the perfect fall fantasy read (yeah, there’s nothing like perusing through a murder mystery during a cold wintery afternoon).
And Hallowe’en Party, which is set during a – you guessed that right! – Halloween party is one of the coziest reads you can get for days when you need a sprinkle of excitement.
If you’ve already perused through this one, you can check out Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, And Then There Were None, or the film adapted, Murder On The Orient Express.
Root Magic By Eden Royce
The historical fantasy novel brings to life the lives and culture of the Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of African-American families. Sprinkle in some fun, magical adventure, and you get everything you’ve ever wanted in a book.
There’s more where these came from – so if you’re up for more adventure, check out our feel-good Black-women-written and Colleen-Hoover-like books that you can cozy up with this fall.
