Fall Fantasy Book Lists
Aug 25 2023
Booktok has called it, folks: summer is for romance, and fall is for fantasy. Obviously, seasons should never limit the types of books you’re reading, but many readers have agreed that fall is the perfect time to switch from lighter books to something a bit more intense—a bit darker, if you will. What’s on your fall reading list? It’s spooky season! Grab your cauldrons and start reading.
Continuing the dark academia theme, "Ninth House" is a perfect combination of chaotic academia with sinister spells. Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s first-year class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed, and her home is destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?
Dark academia, vampires, and time travel. Fans of Outlander will appreciate the historical accuracy of 17th-century England in this paranormal romance. Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. 
Bustling with magic and elite private school drama, this four-book series follows Blue Sargent’s graveyard encounter with Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that encompasses three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die (think Practical Magic). She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. 
For fans of Harry Potter, Akata Witch offers a fresh and inventive take on one unexpected hero’s adventure with the occult.Readers are transported to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged into the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset.
Building the perfect fall reading list
Creators on social media have been sharing fall book recommendations since early August— the month that fall fanatics like to refer to as “Augtober”—and fantasy is a recurring genre. It’s become such a staple in the bookish world that many refer to these book recs as “Fantasy Fall Book Recommendations.” As a fall enthusiast myself, I had to go ahead and share some of my own favorite Fantasy Fall books for you to add to your fall TBR. Find various Fall Fantasy book recommendations below!Check out our Fantasy Fall Book List on Fable!
More witchy books for fall!
Last year, Fable's Cameron Capello created a list of 13 Witchy Books for Spooky Season. If you are looking for more books, here are a few titles from that list:"Ninth House" by Leigh Bardugo
Continuing the dark academia theme, "Ninth House" is a perfect combination of chaotic academia with sinister spells. Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s first-year class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
"The Hacienda" by Isabel Cañas
In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed, and her home is destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?"A Discovery of Witches (All Souls, #1)" by Deborah Harkness
Dark academia, vampires, and time travel. Fans of Outlander will appreciate the historical accuracy of 17th-century England in this paranormal romance. Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. "The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)" by Maggie Stiefvater
Bustling with magic and elite private school drama, this four-book series follows Blue Sargent’s graveyard encounter with Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that encompasses three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die (think Practical Magic). She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. "Akata Witch" by Nnedi Okorafor
For fans of Harry Potter, Akata Witch offers a fresh and inventive take on one unexpected hero’s adventure with the occult.Readers are transported to a magical place where nothing is quite as it seems. Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged into the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Find fantasy and horror reading book clubs and book recommendations on Fable
In a world struggling with cognitive dissonance and toxic behaviors on social media, we believe that a reading habit delivers digital nutrition. Our platform ensures that our community members can reap the general health benefits of reading and the mental well-being benefits of reading books on our platform.Fable community members enjoy the many benefits of reading while making deeper human connections with other readers. Start by exploring our exceptional book recommendations from some of the world’s great tastemakers. Each Folio covers an important theme, and some of our Folio curators include LeVar Burton, Paulo Coelho, Wolfgang Puck, and Jasmine Guillory.Discover great spooky recommendations on Fable!
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