Reading is great in so many ways. It can be an incredible stress reliever, it can be a great way to meet new people, as well as help you sleep better. Reading is a hobby I think everyone should indulge in, but for those who don’t read regularly, it can be hard to find the perfect book for you. So I have narrowed it down to my top five dystopian and fantasy book series for new readers. Dystopian and fantasy are some of the best books I think you can enjoy as a new reader. Being able to read about fantastical worlds, mythical creatures, and undesirable governments and societies, is some of the most thought-provoking and imaginative books there are, so they make for a perfect reading experience!
- The Daughter of The Pirate King By: Tricia Levenseller
This duology is a staple for the fantasy genre. The plot follows our main character Alosa, as she is captured by an enemy ship and taken in as a prisoner. The ship doesn’t know that the kidnapping was planned all along and has been sent by her father, the pirate king, to collect a hidden treasure map on the ship. This book is filled with action, romance, and an incredibly fast-paced plot which is perfect for new readers. I really loved getting to know the world and experiencing all of the different aspects of the pirate’s lives as well. The following book in the series, Daughter of The Siren Queen, takes place right after the first book and continues with the same action-packed novel that we started with. The second book explores more of the world which I find intriguing because world-building can help the reader get more in touch with the story. The Daughter of The Pirate King is a great book duology to read to escape for a couple of hours or even to just read something fun and lighthearted, I highly recommend these books.
- Shadow and Bone By: Leigh Bardugo
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy is an incredible start to the world of fantasy. It takes place in the Grishaverse, a world created by author Bardugo, and has an add-on duology, Six of Crows. The plot follows Alina who is a part of a spilt country known as Ravka. The country was split by the mysterious and terrifying Shadow Fold, an area of darkness with horrifying mythical creatures lurking inside. While trying to cross the Fold, Alina discovers her rare new power that could save the country of Ravka and she embarks on a journey to do so. This trilogy is a great series to get into more complicated fantastical worlds with magical powers, new languages, and more lists of characters. The plot was very interesting and filled with action-packed drama, this is a great way to immerse yourself into the world of fantasy as a first-time reader of this genre.
- The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games trilogy is a classic within the dystopian genre. Having only been on the book market for 15 years, this series will definitely be shown as a classic in the near future. Our main character, Katniss lives in a broken dystopian society in which every year the government hosts an annual Hunger Games, which chooses one male and female tribute to fight to the death for the entertainment of the capital. This brilliant book series is a very intelligent way of making connections between real problems that we see in our own society, which makes this book so popular among all ages. This is a great introduction to the world of dystopian fiction and I highly recommend it. With the intriguing plot, amazing action, incredibly deep characters, and thought-provoking sequences, this could be a great book for you!
- Divergent By: Veronica Roth
Another dystopian trilogy to add to the list, Divergent is another great introduction to get into reading or just reading dystopian in general. The plot follows our main character, Tris, who lives in a society with a fragmented government that makes children at age 16 choose what faction they will live in. There are five factions; Dauntless, Amity, Abnegation, Candor, and Erudite. All of them have a specific personality trait that resides within each faction that determines what faction the people of the society will choose. I really enjoyed the world that was featured in this novel, especially the tension between our main character and the stress of picking a faction that our main character and the rest of this society goes through. This is a great read if you want to start reading dystopian novels and could jump start your reading journey.
- Dance of Thieves By: Mary E. Pearson
This fantasy duology is another well-beloved series in the fantasy genre. Our main character Kazi, is a professional street thief and meets our other main character, Jase, the leader of a fallen empire. Kazi is sent on a secret mission by the queen herself to prove herself worthy to her and runs into Jase, on a secret mission as well. After running into each other, both try to use the other to fulfill their secret missions while also falling for the other in the process. This duology, while a tad bit on the complicated side of the fantasy genre, is an incredible book to get lost in. A classic enemies to lovers and filled with drama and action, this is a great book for all ages to enjoy and experience. I truly enjoyed reading the world-building in this novel and learning about all of the fantastical elements, which is another reason why this book could be interesting to someone who is trying to get into reading. Definitely check this book out if complicated fantastical worlds intrigue you as well as amazing character chemistry.
All five of these book series are a great start to get anyone interested in reading. There are multiple book series that are also amazing to get started with that were not on this list, but these five are ones I would recommend to start with if you don’t know where to start. Happy reading!
