Fantasy novels are what made me want to start this blog. And since then, I have discovered a ton of amazing fantasy books since then. Which is why I will be sharing three fantasy books to read in 2026 for book lovers. Keep reading to find out what books we chose as just reads this year.
Whenever you ask someone for a fantasy book recommendations, they will name you a celebrated classic. A few names will come to their mind such as The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. And while those are great recommendations, they are books most people have read by now.
That is why we decided to make a list of three fantastic fantasy book recommendations that are not as well known. While you may have heard of them, these books are ones that many readers never get around to reading.
Unfortunately for them, they are missing out on some of the best fantasy books that I have read. The world building and magic systems in this book are intriguing and easy to follow. And they have some of the best fictional characters I have read. You can see the full list below!
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
- The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
- The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The first novel on this list is one that I hold in high regard. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the best fantasy novels and series that I have read. Considering that this was Le Guin’s first attempt at writing a fantasy novel, it came out pretty well.
The novel is about a young wizard named Duny as he learns magic. What follows is a journey to learn magic and to correct his own mistake while journeying across the world. Le Guin’s novel introduced the idea of a young wizard and it avoided the usual tropes of a fantasy novel.
Many people have credited Le Guin of influencing Harry Potter but J. R. Rowlin has never publicly admitted it. The idea of a young wizard and a school for wizards are in a Wizard of Earthsea and people have connected the dots.
Le Guin’s novel has influenced many books including creating a magic system based on knowing the true name of a person or thing. One popular work that uses this magic system is Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki.
This novel is up there with The Lord of the Rings in influencing the fantasy genre. And it is just as good. If you haven’t read this novel, then now is the time. Because you can’t call yourself a fan of fantasy books without reading this novel and series!
The Sunlit Man
The second book on the list is one of the best books I read in all of 2025. The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson is a beautifully written fantasy novel about a stranger with unique powers going to a new planet and getting caught up in a war.
Sanderson has become one of the best fantasy authors right now and his track record is incredible. His has four incredible series under his belt and many more standalone novels. The Mistborn series is my favorite but The Way of Kings is the more popular one for many fans.
His worldbuilding is as good as it gets and you can see that in The Sunlight Man. Even though it is a standalone novel, Sanderson does an amazing job building this world and the magic system of the protagonist without ruining the pacing of the novel.
I loved every page of this book and wished that it wasn’t a standalone novel. What makes Sanderson special is that his characters are always well written. They feel like someone you may know and for many readers, they can imagine themselves as the protagonist. If you want to read a fantasy novel that isn’t a long series, then this is the book for you.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
No matter how many books you read, there will always be an amazing book that you haven’t. When I finally got around to reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, I was over the moon because of how good this novel and series was.
The plot is simple but don’t let it trick you into labeling this novel as generic. Yeine Darr is an outcast who is summoned to the city by her grandfather. She has been chosen as one of the one of the three heiresses in line to inherit the throne. Yeine has to learn fast or she will be fodder for her enemies as well as the gods who serve them.
I have read hundreds of fantasy novels but even then, I was amazed at the creativity of this novel. The magic system and the inclusion of gods makes this a unique fantasy novel. The writing, storytelling, and plot make this novel one of the best fantasy novels I have read in the past couple of years.
And this isn’t even my favorite series by Jemisin. The Fifth Season is one of the ten best fantasy books that I have ever read. That should give you an idea of how talented a writer Jemisin is. It is no wonder she became the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel for all three books in the Broken Earth Trilogy.
If you want a fantasy novel that is unlike anything you have read before, then you’ll love The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I enjoyed every book in the series and can’t stop talking about it. This is one series that will definitely get you back into reading.
Conclusion
No matter what books I end up reading, I always find myself thinking about the next fantasy book I want to read. These three novels were some of the best books I read recently and know that fellow fantasy lovers will it as much as I did.
You can browse lists online but there is a good chance you will get a generic list. And if you are an avid reader, you will most likely have read them. But there is little chance you have read these fantastic fantasy novels that you need to. Until next time, happy reading!
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