43 books like Enchanted Forest Chronicles

As high priestess to the Nameless Ones, Tenar’s quest to rise up within a patriarchal system and question her given belief system fueled my own journey.

The epic symbol of a labyrinth of tombs below ground, where one is kept in darkness, has resonated through my life since first reading the Earthsea books. One may be born into a weaving darkness that is then embraced. An entire life may be given in service to that system, partly because the person’s been kept from any further knowledge.

Tenar’s tenacity, bravery, openness, and inquisitiveness aided me in seeing that there might be an escape for myself. She encouraged me to walk up into the light.  

The Pit Dragon Chronicles have haunted me since they were first written by Jane Yolen.

Her arid setting of Austar IV was so unfamiliar to my lived experience. Now, when I travel through deserts, her characters and dragons are easy to imagine in the hot sands. I can envision the quests of Akki and Jakkin to free the oppressed and communicate with dragons. 

That drive to connect with a creature has made my own life rich, whether with a cat, a dog, or a bird. I’m sure the series’ early example of friendship working to alter societal systems encouraged my own current attempts in protesting, voting, and writing for change. 

In this series, the paladins are generally noble, honest, and wholesome – they are paladins, after all, even if their god is dead. But I don’t read these books for the paladins. What I most adore are the backdrop machinations of the Temple of the White Rat, a religious order interested in saving the world in the most sensible of all ways: with lawyers, doctors, social workers, and a sound understanding of economics.

At least once per book, the delightful – and very, dangerously practical–Bishop Beartongue will turn up to throw a wrench into events, and it delights me every time. I hope she gets her own book someday. Even if she doesn’t, I will continue to eat up this series like the most scrumptious chocolates.

Despite my love for fantasy, I had grown tired of stories set in a generic Europe of the Middle Ages. So when I discovered this book, I was delighted to find that it drew on something entirely different: a re-imagined “crossroads of the world” based on the Byzantine Empire.

It felt entirely fresh to be immersed in this fertile place and time that had such an impact on world history but that had been largely ignored in most modern fantasy. I was further intrigued by the intricate forms of magic Pierce developed for her four mages-in-training–distinct and carefully designed things such as thread magic and plant magic that were unlike any I had read before.  

I’m not much of a re-reader, yet after I finished the five books in this series, I turned straight back to page one and started over, cackling all the while.

Although Johannes Cabal would be far from charming if you met him, following his adventures is a delight due to Jonathan Howard’s delicious, dry wit. Whether it’s coming out on top in a deal with the Devil, solving a murder on an airship, or surviving a time loop in a Lovecraftian universe, I have confidence that Cabal’s clever mind–and giant revolver–will see him triumph with black humor and grumpiness intact. (The only thing that may be his undoing is his annoyingly charming vampire brother.)

These are some of the funniest fantasies around, and it’s a crying shame how little-known they are.

I loved The Book of Three because it was the first story that made me feel like adventure could begin anywhere—even for someone as unsure of themselves as Taran.

I connected with his clumsy eagerness to prove his worth, and watching him grow gave the journey real heart. The companions he meets—Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and Gurgi—bring warmth and humor, showing that bravery isn’t about perfection but about loyalty and sacrifice.

Lloyd Alexander’s world of Prydain felt alive with magic, danger, and wonder. It made me believe that even ordinary people could rise to do extraordinary things.

This book was one of my first reads where a woman disguised herself as a man to perform a traditionally male role.

Her strength and bravery were an inspiration to me as she traded places with her brother Thom. Her secret and success as a knight were aspirational. From making allies to dealing with enemies, I could revel in her battles and victories. I felt empowered to enter my own fray and fight for justice.  

Pia is forced to steal from a dragon hoard. She knows it’s wrong but she is stuck. Dragos is furious someone got into his hoard let alone took something from it. So I love how the two characters meet in this book. I also love how this woman is not the fainting flower. In fact, even though she’s faced with an alpha male to the Nth degree, she faces him down. This book holds humor, adventure, magic, and love. This one is definitely an adult book. 

Here’s another sacrifice for the girl to improve the family fortunes story. Creel’s aunt sets her up to be sacrificed to a dragon but no one really thinks a dragon will show up. When one does everything changes. Creel is stuck with an old brown dragon who doesn’t want to be bothered with fighting a dragon. Creel offers a trade – she wants something from his hoard to bring her good fortune. Again, we have a heroine who is tired of her life and seeks out her fortune in another way. I love the strong female lead and I love how clueless she is about something. I also enjoy the way the author breaks away from the typical tropes about princes. 

What a joy it was to read this book as it both surprised and delighted me by making an unlikely pairing—dragons and tacos—but it makes total sense after reading the book. 

I had no clue what the plot was about before diving in to read, so I was delighted at how the story unfolded with each page creatively and artfully leading up to its hilarious ending. The storytelling is whimsical, unpredictable, and funny. The writer did a good job of feeding my taco-loving soul while also giving a pretty darn good explanation for why these mythical creatures breathe fire. 

I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the story as much as my son! Books that both entertain kids and their grown-ups are always a slam dunk for me.