Gifts for Fantasy and LitRPG Readers

Fantasy readers commit to series that run ten books and four thousand pages. They tend to know exactly what they have read and what is coming next. The safe moves are the first book of a series they have not started, a handsome edition of one they love, or gear for long reading sessions. Find out which camp they are in: epic fantasy, romantasy, or LitRPG and progression fantasy, where characters level up like a video game.

Under $25 10 ideas

  1. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

    Book one of the Stormlight Archive, the big modern epic that many readers rank above everything else. For someone who has finished their last series and wants a long one.

    Brandon SandersonBook

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  2. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

    A heist novel in a world where the hero won, with a metal-burning magic system that rewards attention. The usual entry point to Sanderson.

    Brandon SandersonBook

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  3. Cradle: Unsouled by Will Wight

    Book one of the series that defined progression fantasy: an underdog fighting his way up a ladder of power. Short, fast and very bingeable, and the series is complete.

    Will WightBook

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  4. Beware of Chicken by Casualfarmer

    A cultivation novel where the hero gives up fighting to run a farm and his rooster gets stronger instead. Cozy progression fantasy for readers tired of grimdark.

    CasualfarmerBook

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  5. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

    A royal bastard trained as a killer, told with real emotional weight. The first of sixteen books in one world, for readers who like character over battles.

    Robin HobbBook

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  6. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

    A huge standalone with dragons, queens and a sapphic romance. Epic scope without signing up for a series.

    Samantha ShannonBook

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  7. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

    Grim, darkly funny fantasy with a torturer as one of its best narrators. For readers who find most fantasy too polite.

    Joe AbercrombieBook

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  8. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

    A sheltered maiden, a forbidden guard and a long series of twists. A popular next step for romantasy readers who have finished ACOTAR and Fourth Wing.

    Jennifer L. ArmentroutBook

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  9. The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad

    Detailed maps of every journey in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, down to the day-by-day routes. A reference Tolkien fans keep beside them on a reread.

    Karen Wynn FonstadBook

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  10. Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light

    Hands-free light for 'one more chapter' at 2 a.m. without waking anyone. Works with a heavy hardcover or a Kindle.

    GlocusentStocking stuffer

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Under $50 5 ideas

  1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Hardcover)

    Dragon riders, a deadly war college and a romance between enemies. It is the fastest way into romantasy, and the sequels are already out.

    Rebecca YarrosBook

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  2. The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Illustrated Edition

    The beloved first Kingkiller book in a big illustrated hardcover with new art and author notes. Fans who reread it while waiting for book three will treasure this edition.

    Patrick RothfussBookFor display

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  3. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

    A man and his ex-girlfriend's cat fight through a game-show dungeon broadcast to the galaxy. The crossover hit of LitRPG: funny, violent, and oddly moving.

    AceBook

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  4. The Wheel of Time Premium Boxed Set I

    The first three Wheel of Time books in a boxed set. Fourteen books in all, so this is a winter project for someone who wants a long series to live inside.

    Robert JordanBook

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  5. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

    A standalone fairy-tale adventure on a sea of spores, in the spirit of The Princess Bride. A good choice for a Sanderson fan or someone wary of a ten-book commitment.

    Brandon SandersonBook

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Under $100 2 ideas

  1. The Lord of the Rings: Illustrated by the Author

    The full trilogy in one volume with Tolkien's own maps, drawings and paintings. A shelf edition for the reader who already owns three battered paperbacks.

    J.R.R. TolkienBookFor display

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  2. A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set

    The whole ACOTAR series in one box, the series that turned romantasy into a shelf of its own. For a reader who has heard everyone talk about it and has not started.

    Sarah J. MaasBook

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$100 and up 3 ideas

  1. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB)

    Thousand-page fantasy doorstops weigh almost nothing on a Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited is where much of LitRPG lives. The upgrade a fantasy reader will use every day.

    Amazon

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  2. LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: The Shire (10354)

    Bag End in brick form, with a detailed interior and hobbit minifigures. A long build for an adult Tolkien fan, then a centerpiece on the shelf.

    LEGOFor display

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  3. Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks Gift Set (2024)

    The Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual in a slipcase. For the fantasy reader who wants to stop reading adventures and start running one.

    Wizards of the CoastBookAn experience

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