by Heather Bellingham

Created on: January 05, 2010

There are numerous books that could be classified as fantasy, and what is considered “essential” is, of course, debatable and really a matter of personal opinion. In fact, what one can consider “fantasy” is entirely debatable as well. In general, the common themes are some form of magic and monstrous creatures. If one wishes to delve into reading fantasy, a good series is the way to go. That way, you get more of the same characters and story and maximize the experience you have in these “worlds”.  

Some recommendations, in no particular order:

* The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is the grandfather of all fantasy series, and the one that all of the others are judged against, so really, it is a fantastic place to start. The three books in the series are The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, however it is a wise idea to start by reading The Hobbit, as it will provide the background information essential to the story.

* The Inkworld Trilogy by Cornelia Funke

This is an excellent series, which takes the love of books and reading to a whole other level. The main character, Meggie, is able to do what many people dream of – enter books. The series includes Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath.

* The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Don’t let the terrible film adaptation fool you, Eragon is a fantastic book with a far slower and more understandable development than what was shown on screen. The next two books in the series are Eldest and Brisingr, with a fourth and final yet-to-be-released title.

* The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

This is another famous series, that includes The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew and The Last Battle. The Pevensie siblings enter another world by travelling through a magical wardrobe, meeting many fantastical creatures (not to mention Aslan, a talking lion) along the way, and entering a battle with the evil White Witch.

* His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

This series includes The Golden Compass (called Northern Lights in the UK and Australia), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The series is highly contentious, as it follows 11 year old Lyra Belacqua’s quest against religion.

* The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay

This series includes The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road. Another book, Ysabel, also takes place in the land of Fionavar. Five University of Toronto students enter a realm in which their destiny is to become heroes.

* The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix

The series includes Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen. Garth Nix is currently working on a prequel and a sequel to the series, which follows a bloodline of people charged with maintaining the border between life and death.

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