The best fantasy novels about supernature – magic, alchemy and enchantment

My favorite fantasy novels are those that take place in real and recognizable worlds because they allow me to imagine more clearly what it could be like if the marvelous, the magical, and the mythical were just as real as the kitchen sink and the laundry basket.

Susanna Clark’s iconic first novel, set against the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, is built upon a recognizable and very credibly created backdrop of social and economic unrest, bloody conflict, and international politics—at the heart of which is the quest of the eponymous Strange and Norrell to bring real magic back to the world. 

The two magicians are the only people able to make the magic work—and as they become more successful in their endeavors, they become the most famous men of their day—helping the Duke of Wellington to defeat Napoleon and setting the country on its heels with their rivalries. 

I cannot hide that this is a long book—over 1000 pages—and it is not a quick read, but it is an absolute delight. Susanna Clark has created a fabulous hinterland of enchantment and faerie, which she describes and documents beautifully and in quite remarkable detail. 

I first read Virginia Woolf’s book when I was in my late teens—and I was absolutely captivated by the idea of this incredible person who lives for hundreds of years, changes their gender, and gets to meet some of the most remarkable people in history. There is no explanation given as to why all this happens—and that really doesn’t matter; it just does, simply and beautifully.

It is a very playful book, which is one of the reasons I have always loved it so much. However, it is also an exceptional work of fantasy, doing what I believe a fantasy writer is best placed to do—shining a light on the everyday world and showing us hidden truths. 

It is very hard to choose a single book by Terry Pratchett, as he was an utter genius and creator of some of the most powerful and energetic works of fantasy I have ever read. As I can have only one, I have ultimately chosen this one, one of the last books written by Pratchett and featuring some of his most glorious and memorable characters—the Witches of the Discworld. 

There is so much that I love in this book—the deft and delicate use of language, the humor, and, ultimately, the heart. Sometimes, authors use fantasy to create a parallel world where they can explore ideas, ethics, concepts, and beliefs without having to weigh things down with real politics—and this is what Pratchett does so elegantly and brilliantly.

I love all Alan Garner’s novels but have chosen this one because I have long been captivated by the deft and frequently quite terrifying way that Garner weaves a dark heart of fantasy and elemental magic into an everyday story of modern relationships—divorce, re-marriage, class prejudice, and economic inequality.

The book has haunted my imagination for over thirty years now, which, to me, is a sign of the work of a truly great author. I also love the way the book retells stories from ancient legend, reworking some of the central themes of the Welsh Mabinogion—some of the very earliest tales of magic and fantasy.

I’m going to stick my neck out and say that, in my opinion, this book is the greatest ever retelling of the Arthurian story. Why do I love it? Primarily I think because his characters are so well-defined and crafted—they have feelings and families, emotions and frustrations—and are frequently not at all heroic. 

I love the elements of the book that play out within the animal kingdom—the rigid, controlled society of the Ants, the free and liberal existence of the Wild Geese—all brought to life by an author who was a renowned natural historian and who is using the power of his fantastical imagination to provide insight into the broad spectrum of political models and options for ruling. 

I first read this book when I was studying Politics and Philosophy as an undergraduate, and I was blown away by White’s insight, humanity, and the choices he made when telling the story of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and the tragedy of Camelot.