10 best fantasy books on Kindle Unlimited
Reading? That’s for nerds, so sign me up. Reading fantasy? That’s for turbo-nerds; now I’m really interested. Reading fantasy for zero extra dollars? Cancel all my plans; my day is booked. Pun intended. Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription has thousands of fantasy books to read, but if the sheer amount of options gives you analysis paralysis, then by all means, consult this list. These are the 10 best fantasy books available to download and read on Kindle Unlimited.
Beware of Chicken by CasualFarmer
While it sounds like an alektorophobe’s worst nightmare, Beware of Chicken is, in fact, a dreamy tale of a heavenly warrior trying his hand at farming. Jin Rou is a martial arts master in his xianxia world and once dreamed of using his skills to topple the gods. Tired of all the divine drama, he turned his back on his quest for glory and began the simple life of a farmer. While farming carries less cosmic complexities than battling gods, Jin Rou learns that barnyards and bare earth are equally mighty opponents. Originally a webcomic by CasualFarmer, Beware of Chicken is a delightful slice-of-life novel about one man’s quest to become not the universe’s greatest warrior but the best farmer he can be.
The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes
What do you get when you cross Dungeons and Dragons with Ocean’s Eleven? You get The Palace Job, that’s what. Penned by Patrick Weekes, this high fantasy novel tells the tale of the rougeish Loch and her rag-tag gang of sticky-fingered degenerates as they attempt to break into a floating fortress to steal an ancient elvish scroll. While the group’s shared moral compass points squarely towards Chaotic Neutrality, Loch is justified in her heist. After all, the scroll once belonged to her family before being stolen by the realm’s most powerful man. If you’re looking for a slick and entertaining romp about an adventuring party on a quest to commit grand larceny, this is the novel for you.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl is the nightmare version of an isekai anime—instead of being hit by a truck and transported to a fantasy world of his wildest dreams, Coast Guard vet Carl lives to see the end of his own. Aliens have invaded the planet, killing millions, toppling buildings, and they have subjected the survivors to compete in a galaxy-wide reality TV show. They must dungeon-crawl their way to victory or be (sometimes literally) devoured by the jaws of defeat. If looking out for his own skin wasn’t hard enough, Carl also has to protect his ex-girlfriend’s prized show cat, Princess Donut from the DnD themed horrors that await. But at least he got out of a failing relationship to begin with. That’s a plus!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Arguably the most high profile name on this list, Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing flew to the very top of BookTok’s reading pile. It’s the story of reluctant dragon rider Violet Sorrengail, who is pressured out of a pencil-pusher job at Basgiath War College and into a saddle attached to a fire-breathing lizard. Lucky for her, her fellow dragon rider classmates are really sexy. Unlucky for her, some of them are so competitive that they’ll resort to murder to get ahead. A steamy romance story set during a kingdom-wide war, Fourth Wing features hot dragon fire and hotter hookups. It’s Game of Thrones as a CW show, and who’s complaining?
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen isn’t about a sword at all, but a thousand blades of razor sharp ice! On a remote peninsula in the far corner of the Kaigenese Empire, a group of hydrokinetic warriors control the power of the ocean and wield swords made of frozen salt water. Their frigid home is known across the kingdom as The Sword of Kaigen, and the 14-year-old Mamoru is set to take up his family’s mantle and join the next generation of warriors. Set in a parallel world inspired by feudal Japan, the young Mamoru soon learns that the kingdom to which he has dedicated his life harbors dark political secrets—secrets that will alter the course of his destiny forever.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Before it was a Studio Ghibli movie featuring the most eligible bachelor in animedom, Howl’s Moving Castle was an equally charming book. Diane Wynne Jones’ novel centers around the young Sofie Hatter, cursed to take the form of a withered old woman after running afoul of the villainous Witch of the Wastes. Wandering the wilderness seeking a magical cure, Sophie stumbles upon the ambulatory castle helmed by the wizard Howl. Cantankerous, mysterious, and possibly cursed himself, Howl’s secrets are slowly unraveled by Sophie in a slow-burn romance as warm and bright as the fire demon the wizard keeps for his servant. If you were left enraptured yet slightly confused (same) by the movie, the book breaks down all the ambiguities while keeping that sense of whimsy intact.
Song of Chaos by Michael R. Miller
Like Fourth Wing, Michael R. Miller’s Song of Chaos trilogy is a tale of an unlikely dragon rider called to greatness, albeit with far less sex. Holt Cook was meant to be nothing more than what his last name suggests, but after the young kitchen helper discovers a rejected dragon egg, he takes pity on the young, blind dragon slumbering within. While he and his dragon are initially seen as an embarrassment by the dragon riders of the Order, the pair rehabilitate their public image by helping to save the world from a plague of the undead. If you need more convincing, judge this book by its cover and tell me it doesn’t feature the most badass-looking dragon you’ve ever seen. Satoru Gojo in fire-breathing lizard form, hell yeah!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
While one could argue it’s technically sci-fi, Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built feels more like fantasy with the sheer amount of wonder and whimsy injected into its pages. Wild-Built is a solarpunk story—the foil of the dark and dreary cyberpunk genre—where the people’s lives are improved with technology rather than oppressed by it. A non-binary novice decides to dedicate themselves to becoming a tea monk but discovers that giving sage advice to people in need is more difficult than previously thought. After a robot stumbles out of the forest searching for answers to life’s unanswerable questions, the pair decide to embark on a journey to find meaning in the mystery.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Inspired by the bloodstained history of 20th-century China, R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War is a New York Times best-selling military epic that doesn’t disappoint. Hailing from a poor village in the middle of nowhere, the young warrior Rin surprised the polticial elite after acing her entry exam to the nation’s most prestigious military academy. While Rin thought that her acceptance into the halls of power would spell the end of her life of hardship, the young warrior soon realizes that her troubles have just begun. Threatened by her conniving classmates, Rin must keep her head on swivel lest she get stabbed in the back. Luckily, her hereditary shamanic powers have begun manifesting at the perfect time, and with a little magical help, she might survive long enough to graduate.
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
It’s good that Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles is free on Kindle Unlimited, as you’ll save money for the many hours of therapy you’ll need after reading it. This witheringly romantic retelling of The Iliad by Homer will leave you a heaving emotional wreck, and you will fall madly in love with every sentence. After being exiled from his home as a child, Patroclus strikes up a best-friendship with Achilles (yes, the Achilles) while living as the ward of a Greek king. The pair’s boyhood relationship soon blossoms into a love as deep as the Aegean Sea, which the pair soon crosses to meet their fate during the Trojan War. It’s an epic tale of heroes told in achingly intimate moments, and while it ends in the expected Greek tragedy, it’s the journey and not the destination that matters.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
