Experiencing something magical has never been so hard when you’re low on time.
Imagine wanting to escape into a magical world but all you find are series that demand your attention all the time.
If you are that someone who loves the occasional fantasy experience but feels afraid of committing to a series, this post is for you.
Here are 6 standalone fantasy books for you to get lost in.
The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang
Elements: Feudal Japan-inspired world ¦ Element Based hard magic system ¦ Exemplary World Building ¦ High Fantasy ¦ Military Fantasy ¦ Self Published
Why should you read it: On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the fictional world of Duna.
They are superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice.
The Sword of Kaigen takes heavy inspiration from Japanese culture and narrates the story of a mother and her son who struggle to find their purpose in life while being overseen by a stone-hardened husband/father.
This absolute delight of a book offers a very unique experience with a plot and world that's intricate to the smallest detail and also profound with a wide range of elements, subplots, and emotions converging together to streamline all that detail into a beautiful story.
The narrative is set in the third person and follows Mamoru and Misaki and through them, we explore a story unlike any other.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein
Elements: Low Fantasy ¦ Magical Competition ‑ Duel ¦ Beautiful Writing ¦ Extraordinary Visuals in a Circus
Why should you read it: The Night Circus is a uniquely fantastic tale that exaggerates the magic that circuses are usually associated with it.
While the titular circus plays an important role with marvels and delights awing and oohing the readers, it secretly serves as a battlefield between two sorcerers who create these marvels to compete against one and another.
The story is a simple one, with very little complexity and a lot of intrigues but what makes the book a definite winner is the beautiful prose Morgenstein uses to illustrate her creativity into the minds of her readers.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Elements: High Fantasy ¦ Dragons ¦ Soft Magic System ¦ Beautiful Characterization and Plot ¦ LGBTQ representation ¦ Powerful female leads
Why should you read it: The Priory of the Orange Tree is a behemoth of a book, with vast cultures coming together into one beautiful story.
There are dragons and magicians, queendoms, and evil sorcerers, stories bigger than the world itself.
Medieval High Fantasy at its best.
You feel like you live in an era of castles and mythological creatures!
The character development highlights the flaws, as well as its, does strengths.
Achieves a fine balance in the way the characters are sculpted and let loose to grow in this imaginary world.
And did I mention that there are dragons?
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
Elements: Magical World ¦ High Fantasy ¦ Hard Magic System ¦ Novella ¦ Smart Protagonist
Why should you read it: Allow me to introduce you to one of the best novels out there.
This 150-page story pulls you into a world so magical, so complex, and deposits you right next to the protagonist who happens to be one of the smartest people you will read about out.
The Emperor’s Soul takes a simple idea like forgery and creates a beautiful story out of it.
Imagine living in a fantasy world and is tasked to forge an exact copy of an emperor’s soul.
This is Brandon Sanderson at his best and if you are looking into reading his other books, I strongly recommend you try this to get a feel of what it is like.
Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
Elements: Urban Fantasy ¦ Creation Magic ¦ Magical Competition ‑ Duel ¦ Beautiful Visuals of Magic Powered Toys
Why should you read it: The Toymakers as the title suggests is a story about toys and their makers.
No sir, no.
These are toys that come alive, bring joy to the kids who play with them, bring back an ounce of delight for every dollar that was spent on them.
And the book does that too.
This wonderful standalone novel gives the reader a surreal experience like nothing before.
It extrapolates on your creativity and imagination and builds a world that you grow to love.
Never Die by Rob J Hayes
Elements: Feudal Asian-inspired world ¦ Qi-based Magic ¦ Exemplary Character Arcs¦ High Fantasy ¦ Military Fantasy ¦ Strategy ¦ Gods ¦ Self Published
Why should you read it: Never Die by Robert J Hayes is a masterpiece.
It is a standalone high fantasy novel that narrates the story of Ein, a child who has been blessed with the ability to bring people back from the dead.
The Shinigami (god of death) who gives him this ability also entrusts him with a task to assemble a team of dead warriors and kill an immortal, almost invincible Emperor.
The book is one of those stories that make you visualize everything.
It makes you feel like you're watching a movie or an animated series while munching on your favorite snacks.
It makes a number of personal associations through the characters and ventures into an alley of extraordinary narration.
ABOUT OUR STAR AUTHOR
Hari Krishnan Prasath is a 26 years old MBA graduate who has made for himself a career in Marketing.
When he’s not sifting through data to determine the right approach for a marketing campaign, he’s lounging in his favorite chair, sipping hot coffee, and reading his current favorite book.
He runs a successful Instagram account by the name of @theobviousmystery where he talks and suggests books to like-minded readers.
His work was recognized when he was recently listed among the top Bookstagrammers in India by Buzzfeed.
When asked why he does what he does, he says -
"My primary intention of running the blog is to encourage more people to pick up books and for the right reasons."