Genre
Where to start with fantasy? A beginner's guide
Fantasyis one of the richest genres — and one of the most intimidating when you're starting out. Ten-volume sagas, fold-out maps, invented vocabulary… Don't panic: you can ease in. Here's how to choose based on what you want.
Identify the subgenre that speaks to you
- High fantasy: fully imagined worlds, epic quests.
- Urban fantasy: magic in our contemporary world.
- Romantasy: fantasy + romance, the genre that's booming.
- Dark fantasy: grim worlds, morally ambiguous stakes.
Start short before committing
No need to dive into a 12-volume saga to test the genre. A standalone novel or a trilogy is enough to know if fantasy is for you. Our selection of the best fantasy books, ranked by the community, is a good starting point.
Lean on the community
The best way to avoid a false start is to see what readers with tastes close to yours are reading. On Novirae, every page shows the community rating and honest reviews (with spoiler masking). Follow a few readers and let their favorites guide you.
And if you're hooked?
Create a "Fantasy to read" list, follow your series volume by volume, and save the lines that strike you in your wall of quotes.
See also: what to read after Harry Potter.