37 Insanely thrilling Fantasy standalones you won’t be able to put down

Recently updated on July 19th, 2024 at 10:20 am

Searching for fantasy standalones? Here are the best fantasy standalones for when you don’t want to commit to a full series.

This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.

Picture this. You’re searching for a new fantasy book to read. But you don’t want to commit to a full series.

Sound familiar?

10 book epic fantasy series are incredible. The problem is sometimes you just don’t have the time. And most fantasy books tend to be a long series.

That’s why I’ve compiled the best fantasy standalones. Whether you’re after ya fantasy standalones or fantasy standalones for adults. Read on for the best fantasy standalones.

Read on for the best fantasy standalone

The best fantasy standalone

YA fantasy standalones

Searching for more ya fantasy books? I have a post full of recommendations. Check out my article on ya fantasy books here

1. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

This standalone fantasy has a compelling enemies to lovers romance. Plus, the autumnal worldbuilding is perfect for cottagecore fans.

We follow Isobel, she creates stunning portraits for the dangerous fair folk. One day she creates a portrait of the Autumn Prince. But she makes a deadly mistake. And paints humanity in his eyes.

This standalone is ideal for fans of enemies to lovers romance. Highly recommend.

2. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 

A standalone Sapphic Cinderella retelling. This features an adorable romance, enchanting forest imagery and an engaging plot.

The premise is that teen girls are now required to appear at an annual ball where men select wives. But Sophia wants to marry her childhood best friend Erin. And isn’t a fan of the whole parade in front of suitors thing.

She decides to flee and decided to take down the king once and for all.

3. Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Fan of The Hunger Games? Or maybe Percy Jackson? You’ll love Lore. This thrilling standalone features trials, Greek Mythology and romance.

Every seven years Greek Gods are hunted by descendants of ancient bloodlines. If the hunters succeed they seize their immortality. We follow Lore Perseus. She has turned her back on this world.  But as the next hunt dawns, two participants seek out her help.

It has an excellent revenge storyline. So if you like revenge plots then you’ll love Lore.

4. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust 

Are you a fan of Kalynn Bayron? Then you’ll love this enchanting Sleeping Beauty retelling. This enchanting ya fantasy standalone draws on Persian Mythology. The result is a compelling retelling.

We follow Soraya, a cursed princess poisonous to the touch. Soraya is only safe in her garden. Hidden away and apart from her family.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves.  The answer to her freedom.

 5. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Are you a fan of cozy fantasy books? Then you’ll love Howl’s Moving Castle – a magical and heartwarming standalone.

Howl’s Moving Castle follows Sophie. One day she attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste. The Witch transforms Sophie into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking the spell? The ever moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.

One of the best fantasy standalones.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Searching for books with magical worldbuilding? Then you need to read The Night Circus. This is slow-paced, but the fall/winter vibes are unmatched.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there when yesterday it was not. But it’s only open at night.

And behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway between two rival magicians -Celia and Marco. 

7. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Fan of a heist? Then you’ll love Little Thieves. A magical heist with a fast-pace and twisty plot.

Little Thieves is a Goose Girl retelling. We follow Vanja Schmidt. She knows no gift is freely given. Not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt.

Vanja is the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune. And she was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care.

And Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

8. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Searching for a gothic read? Fan of horror or creepy books? Then you’ll love House of Hollow. With a chilling plot, mystery and fast-pace.

Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar.

Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing, Iris learns just how weird her life can get.

9. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Searching for atmospheric read? this creepy fantasy is an excellent choice. Plus, this short book is quick to read.

Coraline is fed up with the lack of attention from her parents. She discovers a family from a parallel universe. And they give her everything she wants.

But is everything as it seems?

Neil Gaiman writes excellent fantasy books with several enchanting standalones. Highly recommend checking out his work if you’re after fantasy standalone

10. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Searching for books like The Hunger Games? Or Dystopian standalones? Then you’ll love The Grace Year.

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. Girls have the power to lure grown men from their beds. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood

So they’re banished for their sixteenth year. And they release their magic into the wild. They then return purified and ready for marriage. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman.

 11. Spellhacker by M.K. England

A standalone fantasy hiest book. This has high stakes, banter and a criminal mastermind. It also has a diverse cast with chronic illness representation.

Set in a world where magic ( known as maz) was once freely available. But now maz is a tightly controlled and expensive commodity. We follow Diz who runs an illegal maz siphoning business with her three best friends.

Highly recommend if you’re after standalone fantasy books.

12. Flowerheart by Katharine Blakewell

A young adult fantasy romance ideal for plant moms and cottagecore fans.

We follow Clara, a girl with flower magic. Her magic has always been wild, but never dangerous. Then one day she accidentally causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father’s chest.

The only way to heal him is to cast a difficult spell requiring perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier. Xavier has grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.

13. Briar Girls by Rebeccas Kim Wells

An enchanting read with fairytale vibes and beautiful forest imagery. This is a standalone Sleeping Beauty retelling.

We follow Lena. The touch of her Skin can kill. Before Lena was born, a witch cursed her. Lena has always lived in fear and isolation. But after a devastating mistake, she and her father are forced to flee to a village near the Silence, a mysterious forest with a reputation for luring people into the trees, never to be seen again

Until the night an enigmatic girl stumbles out of the Silence and into Lena’s sheltered world.

 14. Robber Girl by S.T Gibson 

this is perfect if you’re after books with winter vibes. A Sapphic Snow Queen retelling with enchanting worldbuilding set in Sweden. Think robbers, witches and snowy mountains.

We follow Helvig. Her brigand father raised her to steal whatever treasure catches her eye. Her men ambush a strange girl on the road, with pale hair and a crow on her shoulder. Helbig cannot resist bringing home a witch.

15. Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

A Fantasy standalone based on Greek Mythology. This beautifully written fantasy was a New York Times Bestseller.

Each spring, Ithaca condemns twelve maidens to the noose. This is the price vengeful Poseidon demands for the lives of Queen Penelope’s twelve maids, hanged and cast into the depths centuries ago.

But when that fate comes for Leto, death is not what she thought it would be. Instead, she wakes on a mysterious island. And she meets Melantho, a girl with the power to command the sea. And Melantho says death can stop a thousand.

16. Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar 

Midnight in Everwood is an underrated standalone fantasy book. This nutcracker-inspired fantasy transports you to a magically, wintery world.

We follow Marietta Stelle. She loves ballet. But after Christmas, her dreams will be over as she is obligated to take her place in Edwardian society.

While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure. And he wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms.

When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own.

17. Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker

Searching for an easy-to-read standalone? Mooncakes is the book for you. A light-hearted graphic novel with a cute romance.

We follow teen witch Nova. She works at her Nana’s magical bookshop. And she helps them loan out spell books. But she also investigates supernatural occurrences in her local town.

One day, she is tasked to investigate reports of a white wolf in a nearby forest. She then discovers her childhood best friend,  Tam, fighting a demon werewolf.  Together they investigate the demon and rekindle their feelings towards each other.

18. Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

An underrated mystery standalone. Set in a boarding school, this is ideal if you enjoy dark academia fantasy books.

The Grimrose Girls is a modern take on classic fairytales such as The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

The heroines of the stories are re-imagined as friends attending an elite boarding school. After their friend dies, the police rule the death as suicide. But they decide to investigate to find out what really happened.

19. The Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Are you a fan of a creepy fantasy? Then you’ll enjoy Sawkill Girls. A dark, moody and atmospheric fantasy book. This has multiple POVs but they work together perfectly.

We are introduced to three girls: Zoey, Val and Marion. They have the power to save the island. If they are willing to come together and try.

Highly recommend if you’re after ya fantasy standalones.

20. Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas

A magical ya fantasy standalone. This combines cozy and spooky imagery for an Autumnal feel. The romance is adorable and the plot is fast-paced.

Cemetery Boys follows Yadriel whose traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender. To prove himself, he performs a ritual. And sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin.

Highly recommend if you’re searching for ya standalone fantasy books.

21. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Whimsical, funny and heartwarming. If you enjoy beautiful worldbuilding, you will love a Sorcery of Thorns.

All sorcerers are evil. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn

22. Hunted by Meagan Spooner

One of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings. It captures the fairytale vibe with beautiful writing. An excellent standalone.

Yeva grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge. But she knows that the forest holds secrets.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance

23. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

A whimsical and wonderful ya standalone. This is lighthearted and low-stakes with a cozy fantasy vibe.

We follow Tress. She lives a simple life on her island home in an emerald-green ocean. Full of simple pleasures, such as listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes. Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea.

Perfect for fans of ya fantasy standalones.

Fantasy standalones for adults

24. One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake

One For My Enemy is a standalone retelling of Romeo & Juliet. Set in New York, it has witches, romance and magic.

Set in New York, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their criminal ventures. On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters, each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless.On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless.

Searching for fantasy standalone for adults? You’ll love this One for my Enemy.

25. Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid

A dark standalone fantasy perfect for horror fans. This is a gothic retelling of the Wolf and The Woodsman

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart.

As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and magic.

26. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Heartwarming, cozy and uplifting. This is the perfect fantasy romance for Spooky season.

Mika Moon is isolated witch, she hides her magic. With one exception. Mika posts videos on her online account pretending to be a witch. An unexpected messages begs her to travel to the remote Nowhere House to teach three young witches to control their magic.

27. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

No fantasy standalones post would be complete without Priory of the Orange Tree. A compelling standalone fantasy with dragons and magic. The size is intimidating but worth reading.

Queen Sabran the Ninth is still unwed but must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction.

But assassins are closing in on her.  Ead is an outsider who has risen to the position of lady in waiting.

Ead is loyal to a hidden society of mages and keeps a close eye on Sabran. She protects her using forbidden magic.

28. Babel by R.F. Kuang

A dark academia fantasy that touches on colonialism and racism. This is an incredible standalone fantasy.

We follow Robin Swift. Orphaned by cholera, The mysterious Professor Lovell brings him to London. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek and Chinese to prepare for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation and magic—also known as Babel.

29. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

A low-stakes, cozy fantasy ideal for fans of romantasy. This is a cross between Howl’s Moving Castle and You’ve Got Mail.

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the magical wilds of Tanria. Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat. After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return.

Searching for fantasy standalone for adults? Highly recommend the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

30. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This is How you lose the Time War is a standalone novella that divides readers. This isn’t a light read and the pace is slow.

This is How You Lose the Time War is set in the midst of a war. An agent of the Commandant finds a letter that reads burn before reading.  

This letter sparks an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents.   But what first begins as a taunt, grows into something more. Something romantic.

However, the discover of their bond would mean death for each of them. After all, there’s still a war going on. A war that someone has to win.

31. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

Are you a fan of historical fantasy? This regency standalone is ideal for Bridgerton fans. A cozy historical romance but with fae.

Finding a husband in Regency England is difficult when you’re a young lady with only half a soul. We follow Theodora Ettings. Cursed by a faerie, she has no sense of fear or embarrassment. A condition making her prone to scandal.

One of the top fantasy standalones for adults.

32.  Jonathon Strange & Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke

Do you enjoy fantasy books that cross over into literary fiction? Then you’ll enjoy Jonathon Strange & Mr Norell. A standalone dark academia fantasy book.

It’s set in England in 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. Except one remains. The reclusive Mr Norell. 

And Nr Norell’s displays of magic thrill the country. 

But the cautious Norell is challenged by another magician. The brilliant novel Jonathon Strange.Strange the the very opposite of Norrel. And a dangerous battle starts between them.

33. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Rumpelstiltskin)

This magical standalone offers a unique take on the story Rumpelstiltskin. The Eatern European worldbuilding set this atmospheric fantasy apart.

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.

34. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

A magical standalone fantasy about a secret underground world. Erin Morgenstern is exceptional at worldbuilding. She crafts magical fantasy worlds you long to escape to.

We follow graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins as he discovers a mysterious book with a story from his childhood. Bewildered, he uncovers a series of clues leading to a masquerade party, a secret club and a doorway to an ancient library hidden below the surface of the Earth.

35. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Don’t let the size put you off – this is a compelling urban fantasy. The audiobook of American Gods is incredible. With a full cast of narrators, I would recommend the audiobook version over the physical book.

We follow Shadow. Days before his release, his wife dies in a mysterious car crash. He is released early and makes his way back home. On the plane he encounters the strange yet enigmatic Mr Wednesday.

Highly recommend if you’re after fantasy standalone.

36. Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang

A popular fantasy standalone. This is a standalone prequel to a series. It has incredible characters and thrilling fight scenes.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

37. A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

A Study in Drowning is perfect if you enjoy gothic fantasy books. This story has eerie, gothic vibes.

We follow Effy, a student. She has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice.

Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

This post was all about the best fantasy standalone

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