Fantasy & Fairytales for Adult Readers

Enjoy this list of adult books that follow the theme for our SweetBean Reading Challenge in June!

Updated May 24, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi : a novel
Chakraborty, S. A.
Paper Book
"A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised-Chakraborty's storytelling is fantasy at its best." -- R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War "An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina's...
The awakening
Roberts, Nora
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy of adventure, romance, and magick in The Awakening. In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword--representing both power and the terrifying...
The bear and the nightingale : a novel
Arden, Katherine
Paper Book
Katherine Arden's bestselling debut novel spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.   "A beautiful deep-winter story, full of magic and monsters and the sharp edges of growing up."--Naomi Novik, bestselling...
The black god's drums
Clark, P. Dj©·l©?
Paper Book
Rising science fiction and fantasy star P. Djèlí Clark brings an alternate New Orleans of orisha, airships, and adventure to life in his immersive debut novella The Black God's Drums. Alex Award Winner! In an alternate New Orleans caught in the tangle...
A brightness long ago
Kay, Guy Gavriel
Paper Book
International bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay's latest work is set in a world evoking early Renaissance Italy and offers an extraordinary cast of characters whose lives come together through destiny, love, and ambition. In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a...
The city of brass
Chakraborty, S. A.
Paper Book
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal | Vulture | The Verge | SYFYWire Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty, an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings,...
The city we became
Jemisin, N. K.
Paper Book
An instant NYT Bestseller! Four-time Hugo Award-winning author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, the first book in The Great Cities Duology, a crackling tale of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New...
A Court of Thorns and Roses A Court of Thorns and Roses Series, Book 1
Maas, Sarah J.
Audiobook
#1 BESTSELLING GLOBAL PHENOMENON From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills...
Divine rivals : a novel
Ross, Rebecca
Paper Book
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family...
A master of djinn
Clark, P. Dje?li?
Paper Book
Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark goes full-length for the first time in his dazzling debut novel, A Master of Djinn. Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural...
Nettle & Bone
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller An Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022 A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022 An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022 A...
The poppy war
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
One of Time Magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time "I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year...I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang's] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin." -- Booknest From #1...
The Raven tower
Leckie, Ann
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 WORLD FANTASY AWARD Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods, and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this masterful first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie, New York Times...
A river enchanted : a novel
Ross, Rebecca
Paper Book
"Exquisitely written with compelling characters and romance . . . I was swept away by the enchanting and magical world Rebecca Ross crafted, and loved every moment of it." -- Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess Enter the isle of Cadence in this novel from...
Sistersong
Holland, Lucy
Paper Book
In an ancient land steeped in wild magic, three royal siblings fight to keep their kingdom safe from the warriors who threaten its borders--and their bond--in this lyrical debut of spells and song, sisterhood and betrayal. "ABSOLUTELY STUNNING."...
The ten thousand doors of January
Harrow, Alix E.
Paper Book
"A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers, and the doors they lead us through...absolutely enchanting."--Christina Henry, bestselling author of Alice and Lost Boys LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER! Finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula,...
That self-same metal
Williams, Brittany N.
Paper Book
This stunning YA fantasy debut "seamlessly weaves together history, fantasy, culture, magic, and love" (New York Times bestselling author Daniel José Older) and is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Justina Ireland. The Forge & Fracture Saga...
Thornhedge
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella! From New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways. *The very special...
Tress of the emerald sea
Sanderson, Brandon
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a rollicking, riveting tale set in the Cosmere universe--a standalone adventure perfect for fans of The Princess Bride. The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean...
Uprooted
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL * Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale. HUGO AWARD FINALIST * NAMED...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.