Fantasy books to give as gifts
Gift ideas for someone who reads fantasy. Every book starts a series or stands alone, and there's one book per author.
Out since 2025
Books in this genre first published last year or this year.
Sure bets
The books this genre's readers start from, for someone who hasn't read them yet.
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll133 pages · Out 1865
Early literary nonsense fantasy that established portal narratives and dream-logic world-building.
- The Hobbit
The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien310 pages · Out 1937
Introduced Middle-earth and bridge folklore into modern commercial novel form.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis186 pages · Out 1950
A central foundation of children's portal fantasy and allegorical myth-making.
- A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin205 pages · Out 1968
Pioneered the magic school concept and replaced martial conflict with psychological resolution.
- The Colour of Magic
- The Eye of the World
- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
- The Blade Itself
Notes on the sure bets are written with AI.
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How we choose
- Books come from the genre's page on BookSense, never from paid placement.
- No later books in a series: a gift should be one the person can start with.
- One book per author, and nothing flagged for sexual content or violence that suits only some readers.