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Fantasy (or maybe really fantasy romance) has exploded onto the scene with a vengeance these past few years, after a hundred years of us fantasy fans being labeled as huge nerds. Now that it is cool everyone wants in on the action, but fantasy novels can be pretty confusing or daunting at the beginning. They are like 500+ pages and they make up words. All in all they are kind of scary to start- BUT I am here to help!
Basic Elements
One thing that most people consider a defining characteristic of the genre is magic. Magic systems can be hard to understand at the beginning of novels but they can also be incredible plot devices that help move the story along. Magic can create and solve problems for a protagonist.
However, if magic can do anything, it can make the conflict of plot go away lickity split, which wouldn’t make for a very good book. Because of this, writers give magic checks and balances. Some examples of this would be “magic always comes with a price” or only certain people are born with magic. Maybe it is that there is a limited quantity of magic someone can use or maybe it is only those who know spells that can wield. Knowing magic is never going to be limitless can make the fantasy journey a little less daunting and that much more exciting.
Many fantasy novels also include magical creatures. Everyone’s favorite is of course dragons but authors throw in all numbers of beings into the mix. My recommendation here is just Google. Most creatures in these books are not totally made up, they come from some ancient mythology around the world so info can be found about what the heck they are on the internet!
Another commonality of fantasy novels is the type of story. Many are “chosen one” stories in which one unlikely hero is destined to save the world. Take Harry Potter for example, a quintessential chosen one tale.
Others are more in the style of a hero’s journey, where the protagonist must go on some sort of quest or adventure, usually to save the world. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a perfect example of this.
Most fantasy novels, while rife with magic and villains, are truly about relationships, meaning many of them explore the trope of found family. The protagonist often collects comrades along their plotlines, growing closer with them through high stakes trials and nail-biting victories. It is one of my favorite parts of the genre.
Where to Begin!
Even with a little extra background information, it can still be daunting to just jump right into a fantasy series. Here are some of my recommendations of where to start that can help ease you in a bit.
One of the first places to start is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I like this as a jumping off point because it is a standalone novel. The magic in this book is beautifully written and actually relatively simple so it is not a chore to figure out.
If you want to start with a series, I cannot recommend the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas enough. You have probably already heard of SJM because of her other books, but ToG is by far her best work. It is a great place to begin because she introduces you to the world very slowly. The first book is a very contained story and each book after adds a few more characters and some more locations. By the end, you are shocked to realize how much bigger the story gets from the first book to the last, without you even realizing. Also- Maas has been a fantasy fan her whole life and you can see that influence in these books. It is a very palatable introduction (p.s. DO NOT START WITH ASSASSINS BLADE TIK TOK IS FULL OF LIARS)!
Happy reading!