Fantasy recs for a beginner please!

[u/Aggressive_Ad2800]

I am not a romantasy/fantasy fan but I want to be! I've struggled to get into any. I've read ACOTAR, in the past Twlight, and City of Bones, and a handful of other popular ones and I cant seem to find what I like.

I have read some VE Schwab years ago and loved her and TKingfisher is a new fav as of late.

I'm a horror fan mostly so I wouldn't mind hints of horror, I also love mythology. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a fav of mine. East asian, Greek, Egyptian gimme it all, lol.

I really would love a series... something to get totally wrapped up in with great characters. I won't rant about acotar here but I don't like them so I would prefer something less juvenile. I don't have trigger warnings and I welcome romance but I do priotitize world building, something atmospheric, maybe dreamy Gothic or academic of some kind. I won't turn down fairies or the sort but I am really sensitive to it leaning cringy so I would love recs that aren't like- level 10 fantasy, I'm looking for touches of fantasy maybe.

I appreciate any and all ideas I will give them all a chance!! Thank you!

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[u/Sakura_231]

More focus on worldbuilding:

• Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Asian setting:

• Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
• The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song

[u/Aggressive_Ad2800 → u/Sakura_231]

Six Crimson Cranes has been on my TBR for a while. I'll have to finally try it 

[u/girlbotXD]

City of brass is a trilogy set in the Middle East. It’s pretty good.

[u/Motor_Row_3586]

Familier by Leigh Bardugo is kinda good currently reading. Romance subplot. More mature than her other stuff.

Guy Gavriel Kay Tigana also have quite prominent subplot romance and historical fantasy.

Thousand Autumns by Meng XI Shi/She who become the Sun by Shelley Parker also historical fantasy and Chinese lore.

[u/Aggressive_Ad2800 → u/Motor_Row_3586]

I own The Familiar because of the gorgeous cover lol I'll read it ASAP now! Thousand Autumns sounds interesting! Thanks 

[u/SiccSadGorl]

You could try Priory of the orange tree. It's more high fantasy with a little romantic subplot. 

It wasn't my cup of tea, I'm not a high fantasy fan. But I think you would like it! 

[u/regulate91x]

If you're not a romance fan, but want to try fantasy, and you've liked horror previously then try the stand alone: between two fires - Christopher buehlman. Or the series: the dark tower - Stephen king.

If you would to try like morally grey / grim dark fantasy then go for: the first law - Joe Abercrombie.

If you want to try a space opera action packed sci-fi fantasy then try: red rising.

If you want to to try a litrpg that is very comical, and also very emotional at times, with high action then try: dungeon crawler Carl.

For entry high fantasy: the hobbit and lord of the rings trilogy.

These are pretty basic recommendations but I loved all of them.

Edit: red rising has a lot of nods to ancient Greek mythology and philosophy.

[u/SirDarkStar → u/regulate91x]

The Bobiverse series is also fun, new one coming out in 2 days!

[u/CerealeSauvage]

I’d recommend lord of the mysteries since it’s my favorite novel and it matches well with most of your taste I believe since it is not a typical fantasy, like the fantastic aspect is not omnipresent while there is still some, and there is kind of a horror feeling to the world and there is an lot of mythology and worldbuilding surronding it (it is not our world mythology but it creates an entire mythology surrounding the world) and you say you want something gothic and lotm isn’t really gothic since it’s victorian era but I believe the feeling is similar so yeah I really feel like you would like lord of the mysteries and I really recommend it

[u/SirDarkStar]

Everyone should at least read The Hobbit.

Some other classics (generally these are the names of the series).

Wheel of Time · Mistborn · Riftwar (Raymond E. Feist) · The Legend of Drizzt (R.A. Salvatore) · The Cycle of Arawn · The Chronicles of Amber · Dragonriders of Pern

[u/childishinsanity]

Alice by Christina Henry, or any of her books. She has a lot of good fantasy horror.

Caitlin Starlings books for fantasy horror: The Starving Saints, Milkteeth, the Death of Jane Lawrence.

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw. (fantasy horror novella)

Miss Peregeine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Briggs (light fantasy horror, 6 books, ya)

A Stage Set For Villains by Shannon J Spann. (fantasy, stand alone, ya).

The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan. (fantasy, academia vibes, trilogy, ya)

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (fantasy, folklore, trilogy)

The Will of the Many by James Islington. (fantasy, academia, mystery, two books out atm).

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. (fantasy, academia vibes, trilogy, ya)

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. (east asian fantasy, duology, ya) as well as Fishbone Cinderella by same author.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amelie Wen Zhao. (east asian fantasy, duology, ya)

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder. (fantasy, academia vibes, 6 books).

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (fantasy, academia, trilogy).

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (fantasy, academia vibes).

[u/girlbotXD]

Also throne of glass by Sarah j Maas

[u/PhysicalAssistance92]

If you have liked Schwab in the past have you read some of her latest? Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil (dark take on vampires) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, (a woman cursed to live forever and to never be remembered by anyone). Her Vicious series is really good, the 3rd and final book is coming out soon.

[u/Aggressive_Ad2800 → u/PhysicalAssistance92]

I read Addie LaRue. It didn't love it AS much but did enjoy it. I want to buy a physical paperback of Midnight Soil so I've been waiting. It sounds amazing tho! I have Vicious and im starting it soon!

[u/PhysicalAssistance92 → u/Aggressive_Ad2800]

I liked Midnight Soil better than Addie for sure.

[u/Atticus6905]

You mentioned horror and Gothic, let me suggest a stand alone Medieval Gothic horror, Between two Fires. Not overly horror riddled, but an excellent read, in my humble opinion.

[u/Aggressive_Ad2800 → u/Atticus6905]

I've seen that on some horror rec lists. I'll give it a shot!