Fantasy is the one genre with the ability to transport me completely to a new world. It carries me to worlds so far from reality and beyond my own mind. These worlds become so real to me that I can easily imagine myself inhabiting them. This is a list of the most influential fantasy novels in my life that everyone should read.
1. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
This book makes the list not only for its intriguing story, but for the fact that it is the first fantasy novel I remember reading on my own. It is the book that first made me become interested in the genre as a whole. The book tells the story of a young woman who is recently orphaned and must live with her uncle. Her uncle lives in their historic family estate that is rumored to be haunted. Through the course of events she becomes acquainted with the ghosts who turn out to be her late relatives from the Revolutionary War. Pope weaves together the stories of the living and the dead to create mystery, adventure, and of course romance. It's written for children, but still just as good as when I read it at twelve.
2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I love "Harry Potter" for its own sake, but it also holds a special place in my heart because my older sisters read the series to my siblings and I. Everyone knows the story of Harry Potter, the orphaned boy who discovers that he is a wizard. This leads him on several adventures with his friends as they work their way through Hogwarts school of Wizardry and fight off the evil of Voldemort. It is one of the greatest fantasy series in the world, and everyone should read it at least once.
3. Crown Duel by Sherwood Williams
Everyone has that one book or movie that is a little cheesy but they love anyways. That is what this book is for me. While it does not go as deep as some novels, I find myself rereading it more than any book on my shelf. "Crown Duel" is actually two books put together. The first half is about Mel, a daughter of a duke in the imaginary country of Remalna. At her father’s death she and her brother promise him to protect their people from the king who has become corrupt. Eventually a war ensues between the crown and the common people lead my Mel and her brother. The second half of the novel depicts the struggle of politics after the war. It is cheesy, it is fun, and I will read it a million times more!
4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is the quintessential fantasy novel of all time! Truthfully, it took me forever to read this series. In my opinion, the first book can be slow in parts, but everything that follows makes up for it shortcomings a hundred times over. It has everything that a fantasy lover could want. It has love, adventure, magic, good versus evil, mythical creatures and long forgotten prophecies. What more could one ask for? It goes without saying that if you call yourself a true fantasy lover then you have to read this series.
5. The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix
This is by far my favorite series of books. I will recommend them to anyone, regardless if they like fantasy or not. Garth Nix is known as a children’s author, but diverges to write a series for young adults. The world he creates in these stories is split by a wall. On one side lies Ancelstierre, a country that uses science and technology. On the other side is the Old Kingdom where technology does not work and magic is possible. Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen, a necromancer who puts the dead back to sleep. Unfortunately, this job falls into her hands when he becomes trapped in death and she must fight to save him. The world created by Nix is vividly written and the plot is mesmerizing. It will ensnare any reader from the first page to the last.
