Some of the best fantasy (and science fiction) books
Discover the best fantasy and science fiction books of all time! Explore our curated list of must-read titles that will transport you to magical worlds and futuristic realms.
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Weasel's Luck
by Michael Williams
Galen, also known as the Weasel, joins forces with Sir Bayard Brightblade, and Agion, a centaur, in their attempts to defeat the Scorpion, an evil magician
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The Sword
by Deborah Chester
In this first book of a new romantic fantasy trilogy, the great king watches and waits. He sees the half-elven boy Dain earn his place at the court of the Crown Prince Gavril. He sees the girl Alexeika rally the followers of her father when the old rebel leader dies on the battlefield. He sees the evil drawing near his kingdom. And he knows that only Dain and Alexeika can fulfill the prophecy to save the land.
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Dark Lord of Derkholm
by Diana Wynne Jones
Mr. Chesney operates Pilgrim Parties, a tour group that takes paying participants into an outer realm where the inhabitants play frightening and foreboding roles. The time has come to end the staged madness . . . but can it really be stopped? Master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones serves up twists and turns, introduces Querida, Derk, Blade, and Shona and a remarkable cast of wizards, soldiers, kings, dragons, and griffins, and mixes in a lively dash of humor. With all the ingredients of high fantasy, this unforgettable novel will delight fans old and new.
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Year of the Griffin
by Diana Wynne Jones
It is eight years after the tours from offworld have stopped. High Chancellor Querida has retired, leaving Wizard Corkoran in charge of the Wizards' University. Although Wizard Corkoran's obsession is to be the first man on the moon, and most of his time is devoted to this project, he decides he will teach the new first years himself in hopes of currying the favor of the new students' families—for surely they must all come from wealth, important families—and obtaining money for the University (which it so desperately needs). But Wizard Corkoran is dismayed to discover that one of those students—indeed, one he had such high hopes for, Wizard Derk's own daughter Elda—is a hugh golden griffin, and that none of the others has any money at all. Wizard Corkoran's money-making scheme backfires, and when Elda and her new friends start working magic on their own, the schemes go wronger still. And when, at length, Elda ropes in her brothers Kit and Blade to send Corkoran to the moon . . . well . . . life at the Wizards' University spins magically and magnificently out of control. This breathtakingly brilliant sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm is all one would expect from this master of genre.
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Fall
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Textured pictures and simple text introduce the concept of autumn, including such things as Thanksgiving, leaves, and turkey.
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Alien Terror
by Chris Archer
As the legend goes, an alien landed in the cornfields of Metier, Wisconsin. After a short while most of the aliens left. But others assimilated and cross-bred with humans. These children have lived ordinary lives--until now. At age 13, these offspring will manifest their alien powers . . . and have been targeted for termination. In "Alien Terror", Ethan Rogers used to be a wimp. But suddenly he knows martial arts, wrestling moves, combat skills and even weaponry. He'd think it was pretty cool--if he wasn't running for his life.
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The Color of Magic
by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestsellers in England, where they have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. The Color of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins--with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.
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Lady in Gil
by Rebecca Bradley
In the 70 years since the barbarous occupation of the kingdom of Gil, its exiled Scions have tried in vain to recover the legendary Lady in Gil--a statue whose powers will overthrow their usurpers. Now, Gil's destiny lies in the hands of an unlikely hero--the scholarly but clumsy Tigrallef.
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Transformation
by Carol Berg
The first novel in national bestselling author Carol Berg's Rai Kirah saga follows one man's journey from slave to savior... Seyonne was not always a slave. Once his people were the guardians of magic such as the land had never seen, protectors and defenders. But the Derzhi came, and enslaved them. Now, years of degradation and misery have blurred Seyonne’s memory, and sapped his strength. To his people, he is already dead. And to him, death is all that is left—until he finds hope in a most unlikely place… Sold once again, Seyonne is bought by Aleksander, the heir to the Derzhi Empire. His new master is cold, and heedlessly cruel. But within Aleksander, the seeds of greatness wait. All it would take is guidance from one such as Seyonne once was… But time is short, for demons have also noticed Aleksander—and what they cannot control they will destroy. “A wonderful debut novel…hooks the reader with vividly drawn characters and draws us into an exotic, dangerous, and beautifully crafted world. Her heroes come alive on the page, with genuine emotions and concerns.”—Lynn Flewelling, author of Traitor’s Moon “Vivid characters and intricate magic combined with a fascinating world—luscious work!”—Melanie Rawn, author of The Diviner’s Key
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Sandry's Book
by Tamora Pierce
Having been sent to Winding Circle Temple, Daja, Briar, Tris, and Sandry begin to feel that they finally found a place where their magical gifts are respected. Reprint. AB. K. VY. C.
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Magic Steps
by Tamora Pierce
Lady Sandrilene Fa Toren must combine her magic with that of her young student Pesco in order to reveal a mysterious murderer who has the power to reduce essence to nothingness.
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Mairelon the Magician
by Patricia Wrede
Kim, a streetwise girl disguised as a boy, and Mairelon, an itinerant magician dressed as a dandy, share adventures in a Regency England that is populated with sorcerers and riddled with magic.
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The Magician's Ward
by Patricia Wrede
Happy in her new life as an apprentice to the powerful magician Mairelon, 16-year-old Kim is horrified when a nosy relative determines to turn Kim - a former street urchin - into. . .a lady! But real trouble begins when several wizards of Kim's acquaintance disappear. Then Mairelon's magic disappears! It's up to Kim to unravel the mystery. And to do that she will have to return to her old life back in the dark and dirty streets of London.
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A Business of Ferrets
by Beth Hilgartner
A Business of Ferrets, a fantasy done in the style of the Thieves' World series. For those who remember and love the magic, intrigue, and honor among friends of that series. In the decadent Empire of Bharaghlaf, the Scholar King Khethyran sits uneasily on the throne while in the Slums of his capital city an apprentice thief, Ferret, and her four young friends eke out a hand-to-mouth existence. When the beggar Owl disappears, Ferret and the others set out to learn his fate. Sold as a slave to the powerful House Ghytteve, Owl is destined to be the bait at the center of a complicated grab for power. But Owl, whose gifts as a Seer are just beginning to emerge, is far more than the helpless pawn he seems. As Ferret and her friends come closer to the truth, they too are inexorably drawn into the vicious intrigues of the Council Houses. From the enigmatic longshoreman, Sharkbait, to the Emperor's foreign witch, the friends enlist a formidable and varied band of allies-and set out to beat the scheming nobles at their own, ruthless game.