As a book genre, fantasy novels have every little thing that readers look for; proceed reading for more details.
Now that we remain in 2025, it is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and diversify your reading material, as individuals like the co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would certainly concur. For book lovers wanting to step outside of their comfort zone, the fantasy genre is well worth taking into consideration. Fantasy is specified as speculative fiction which involves themes of the superordinary, magic, and imaginary realms and creatures. For example, the various types of fantasy characters have a tendency to be some sort of mythological or powerful being, such as witches, sorcerers, dragons, vampires and fey etc. Just like with virtually any other book genre, there is a large range of smaller subgenres within the wider branch of 'fantasy'. A few of these subgenres are opposites to each other, such as 'high' and 'low' fantasy. So, what is the difference in between the two? To put it simply, the difference in between them is how in depth the fantastical elements are to the tale. High fantasy, or otherwise known as epic fantasy, are novels set in a completely made-up, fabricated atmosphere that has its own physical laws, belief systems, languages and fables etc. Often, the best fantasy books for adults come from the high or epic fantasy subgenre, like the novel about an unlikely band of heroes embarking on a quest to beat a dragon for example, since these are the most immersive and transportive reads. However, low fantasy novels involve tales which are set predominantly in the real world, where the fantasy components are unexpected and surprising to characters.
If you walk right into any bookshop, the area for fantasy books for adults is often one of the most extensive, as individuals like the head of the hedge fund which owns Waterstones would undoubtedly confirm. This shows the rise in demand and popularity for these kinds of novels, mainly thanks to social networks and on-line book communities. Particularly, a fantasy subgenre that is obtaining a lot of traction is 'romantasy'; a subgenre which integrates fantasy with romance. Romantasy is often near the top of the fantasy subgenres list, mostly due to the fact that readers gravitate towards the tension, drama and excitement that these novels give. It also provides fantasy books a far more human feel to them, as the story showcases universal emotions like love, betrayal and pain.
Many individuals assume that fantasy books are generally for grownups, as a result of the complicated plots, elaborate language and the sometimes-dark themes. Nevertheless, this is not the instance. Actually, a lot of the classic, widely known fairytale stories make several of the most remarkable fantasy books for kids, as individuals like the CEO of the investment fund which partially owns Amazon Books would definitely understand. Whether it's the story about the girl who discovers her grandma 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 lying etc, fairy tales teach youngsters necessary moral lessons in an enjoyable, engaging and immersive way.