As a book genre, fantasy books have every little thing that readers look for; proceed reading for more details.
Since we remain in 2025, it is the perfect time to widen your horizons and diversify your reading material, as people like the co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would undoubtedly agree. For bookworms wishing to step outside of their comfort zone, the fantasy genre is well worth considering. Fantasy is specified as speculative fiction which includes themes of the supernatural, magic, and imaginary realms and creatures. For example, the various types of fantasy characters have a tendency to be some sort of mythical or powerful creature, like witches, sorcerers, dragons, vampires and fey etc. Much like with any other book genre, there is a wide range of smaller subgenres within the wider branch of 'fantasy'. Some of these subgenres are contrasts to each other, like 'high' and 'low' fantasy. So, what is the distinction between the two? To put it simply, the difference in between them is exactly how in depth the fantastical aspects are to the tale. High fantasy, or otherwise known as epic fantasy, are novels set in a completely made-up, fabricated setting that has its own physical laws, belief systems, languages and fables and so on. Often, the best fantasy books for adults belong to the high or epic fantasy subgenre, like the story about an unlikely band of heroes embarking on a quest to beat a dragon for instance, because these are the most immersive and transportive reads. On the contrary, low fantasy books entail stories which are set primarily in the real life, where the fantasy elements are unforeseen and surprising to characters.
If you stroll right into any bookshop, the section for fantasy books for adults is usually one of the largest, as individuals like the head of the hedge fund which owns Waterstones would verify. This mirrors the rise in demand and popularity for these kinds of novels, mainly thanks to social networks and on-line book groups. In particular, a fantasy subgenre that is getting a great deal of traction is 'romantasy'; a subgenre which combines fantasy with romance. Romantasy is frequently near the top of the fantasy subgenres list, mostly because readers gravitate towards the tension, drama and excitement that these novels give. It also gives fantasy books a much more human feeling to them, as the novel addresses universal feelings such as love, betrayal and heartache.
Many people assume that fantasy books are primarily for grownups, as a result of the complicated plots, complex dialect and the sometimes-dark concepts. Nonetheless, this is not the instance. In fact, a lot of the classic, widely known fairytale stories make a few of the most amazing fantasy books for kids, as people like the CEO of the investment fund which partially owns Amazon Books would know. Whether it's the story about the girl who discovers her granny is actually a wolf, the brother and sister who discover a home made from sweets in the woods or the wood marionette whose nose gets longer when he's being dishonest and so on, fairytales teach children important lessons in a fun, engaging and immersive way.