Browsing through fantasy books recently has made me realize that the majority of fantasy seems to come in series form. I love series, but sometimes I want something a little shorter without actually being short stories.

So, I am hoping that I can get some recommendations for fantasy books that are only one book long. Omnibuses need not apply. ;)

Thanks in advance!

Series and trilogies are preferred by publishers because they can hook readers and sell better. But I love standalones too!

Not sure what you've already read but I recommend Threshold by Sara Douglass and Maledicte by Lane Robins. Also Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark. I'm sure I have more to recommend but I'd have to look at my shelves first :)

I completely understand about hooking buyers readers, but I'm sure there have to be some good single fantasy books out there too!

I haven't read any of those, but I do have Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell here at home, so maybe I will bump that one up my reading list. Thanks Shannon!

Crispan Magicker

By Roger Zelazny, all are stand alone novels & completely different.
This Immortal
Roadmarks
Bridge of Ashes
Lord of Light

Thanks for asking this question. I found a Zelazny book I don't have. I thought I had them all.

Thank you Jim, I'll take a look. :)

I can't find any description of Crispan Magicker. It's available all over the net, but nobody says what it's about.

I added all of the Zelazny books to my list. This Immortal looks especially intriguing. Thanks again!

No problem, Becky. There are a lot out there.

Quick, but good reads are:
Grendel is Beowulf from the monster's POV.
Three Hearts and Three Lions

Several by Steven Brust that stand alone are:
The Gypsy
Brokedown Palace
To Reign in Hell

The first books of a lot of series are good, stand alone books. Some, I know, aren't - they beg for another to get you off the hook.

Gordon R. Dickson turned The Dragon and the George into a series, but this book stands on its own just fine. It was a single for years, I think.

Similarly, Patricia Briggs wrote Dragon Bones as the first of the Hurog series, but I haven't read the second book. Not sure if there is one. Good story & finishes up on its own just fine. I wouldn't mind reading a second, though.

Christopher Stasheff wrote a lot of Warlock books, but The Warlock in Spite of Himself is also a stand alone book.

Those should keep you busy for a while! Enjoy!!!

Please be sure to nominate some of these for the monthly reading! I keep hearing about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and am interested in reading it.

Here's a few stand-alones that I enjoyed reading...

The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson
Little, Big by John Crowley
The Mask of the Sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer
The Little Country by Charles de Lint
The Stolen Child: A Novel by Keith Donohue
Tigana: 10th Anniversary Editionby Guy Gavriel Kay
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling
The Book of Flying by Keith Miller

I also liked Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, hope you enjoy it too Becky. :)

Thanks for the recommendations Rora! :)

Jim wrote: "No problem, Becky. There are a lot out there.

Quick, but good reads are:
Grendel is Be..."

One of my favorite Brust novels is Agyar, a most unusual vampire tale. Dave Duncan has a number of excellent standalones, including Cursed and Strings.

Oh yes, Tigana is excellent, I whole-heartedly second that one! It's long but don't let that daunt you, it flies by!

Thanks for the recommendation Marc, I will definitely have to look into Agyar.

I'm not so much concerned with the length of the individual book. It's just that if I start a series I feel the need to read the ENTIRE series. I can't just pick it up or leave off halfway through. So I really appreciate all of the recommendations. I'm really glad that I asked! :)

I have to second Jim's recommendation of Zelazny. Another of my favorites that wasn't on his list was Jack of Shadows.

If you like fantasy in a modern setting, I really suggest American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Charles de Lint has written a lot of novels in the same setting, but they are not part of a serial story. My favorite is Someplace to be Flying.

I'm trying to think what other stand-alone novels I have read lately, but I have been on a major Butcher & Wolfe kick, and they are definitely series sorts of guys. :)

I've hardly read any stand-alone fantasy books, but perhaps I can recommend one where the sequels don't have to be read: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. He so far has one sequel to it with another coming out next month, but Lies is a complete and wholly satisfying story by itself. It's also one of the best books I've ever read. His style reads a lot like George R.R. Martin and as a warning to some, there is an abundance of vulgarity and violence. But the story is absolutely amazing, the characters are wonderful and the writing style is clever and also very funny in places. For a summary, it follows a group of thieves called the Gentleman Bastards lead by a man named Locke Lamora who's risen from a lowly street urchin to one of the most legendary theives of all time. Even if that summary doesn't interest you, read it anyways. :)

As for Tigana, I'm not the biggest fan of Guy
Gavriel Kay, but that is a pretty good book.

I'm not sure if The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany is SF or Fantasy, but it is one of my favorite books. Weird because I don't like most of Delany's books. That one is awesome, though.

How could I have forgotten "Agyar" or "Jack of Shadows"? I think the latter was the first book I ever read by Zelazny.

Eric, I definitely need to read more Gaiman! I'm about 3/4 of the way done with Good Omens and so far I am liking it very much. That's definitely on the list.


Josh wrote: "Even if that summary doesn't interest you, read it anyways. :)"
You're funny Josh. With an argument like that for it, how can I refuse? I'll add it to my list. ;)


Jim, I saw your post for The Einstein Intersection in... well one of our other groups, and I've already added it. Thanks!

Becky wrote: "Jim, I saw your post for The Einstein Intersection in... well one of our other groups, and I've already added it. Thanks! "

I thought that was another group. <sigh>
I get confused as to where I am. It's all this high tech stuff.  ;-)

That's OK Jim... It just allowed me to add the book that much quicker! ;)

In addition to the ones other members have mentioned, most of Patricia A. McKillip and Robin McKinley's books are stand alone. It depends what you're looking for. For fairy tales, you might like Kissing the Witch or Wildwood Dancing. Classic fantasy would have to include The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn. You might also like The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, or other books by Neil Gaiman or Guy Gavriel Kay. They have several stand-alone books.

Thanks Elizabeth, I will have to look into those!

Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist is a wonderful standalone novel.

John Moore has written a number of what appear to be standalone, humorous fantasy novels. The one I've read, Heroics for Beginners was light, but amusing.

Although David Gemmell's Drenai books are all part of the same world, the vast majority of them are standalone novels, often with only minor references to some of the others. He also has some complete standalone books, such as Morningstar.

As already mentioned, Jonathan Strange Mr. Norrell is a very different, quirky sort of book and definitely worth a look.

Neil Gaiman has already been mentioned. I think American Gods can be a bit heavy, but his other books: Good Omens, Anansi Boys, Stardust and Neverwhere are all worth a read.

A number of people have recommended Zelazny, who I'm not personally very big on, although I do like his more humorous books such as A Night in the Lonesome October and Doorways in the Sand.

Thanks for the recommendations Michael. I'll definitely look into those as well. :)

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner is fantastic. I read it on my honeymoon and I loved it. Oh and The Ragwitch by Nix and Freedom and Necessity by Brust and Bull and if you like urban fantasy War for the Oaks

The Hob's Bargain by Patricia Briggs is short and sweet. :)

Thank you Imperfectlyrua and Moony for the recommendations... I'll have to look into those books. :)

I must confess that I prefer series - I think it gives the author more times to grow the characters over a longer stretch of time. But I too have been hearing a lot about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark and have recently put it on my TBR list.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is a long book, so if you normally like the longer stretch of time, this is a good stand alone book for you. It's also brilliant (in my opinion, obviously). I'm a fan of literature set in (or written in) that period in England and Clarke captures the tone and language of the time very well. I was very impressed with it.

Good to hear Elizabeth. Thanks for weighing in.

I do really enjoy reading series too, in fact I'm reading the His Dark Materials Omnibus right now, but since I am one of those weirdos who have to read all the books of a series in order, sometimes I need something a little less demanding on my time. I can't just pick up "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and read it. I have to read 1-4 first.

So, from time to time, I want something that will be read, and then done without having to cycle through all 3, 7, 15, or 78 books of the series... ;)

Hi people im a new member on this site and decided to join this group.

I too enjoy shorter fantasy tales in short story,novella collections and good stand alones. Wish there were more of them by the most talented authors.


Good fantasy stand alones i can recommend after having read them are :

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson(classic)
Cyrion by Tanith Lee
Knights of Dark Renown by David Gemmell
The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams

Thank you Mohammad, I'll look into those. And welcome to the group, too!

I want to second Thomas the Rhymer and Patricia McKillip. I just read Alphabet of Thorn by the latter and found it absolutely beautiful. Jerlayne by Lynn Abbey was a great modern fantasy. Mary Brown has some great novels. Each is in the same world and centers around the same theme but most are stand alone books.

Thanks for the welcome Becky.

Mohammed wrote: "Hi people im a new member on this site and decided to join this group.

I too enjoy shorter fantasy tales in short story,novella collections and good stand alones. Wish there were more of them by ..."

welcome Mohammed - do you read a lot of the fantasies like "2008 best fantasy" etc? I have a few of them floating around but have not read them yet and would be interested in recommendations.

-- Wife of GR author Michael J. Sullivan: The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

I have yet to read a fantasy anthology. There are far too many to know where to start.

Most of my fantasy are older,literary fantasy reads. Jack Vance,Dunsany,Poul Anderson,Moorcock etc I also adore Sword and Sorcery/Heroic fantasy authors like Robert E Howard,David Gemmell,Tanith Lee,Charles Saunders,Leiber,Sapkowski etc

I like reading short story collections of an author. Instead of series i like those short stories,novellas. A good,great author can tell alot in that type stories.

I use library,second hand book to find an author to try and then get their collections.

It would be fun to try new fantasy authors in anthologies like i do with my SF reads but you dont know where to start.

Thanks for the welcome.

Lawrence Watt Evans, Diana Wynne Jones, and John Moore both do fun fast stand alone books.

Anne McAffrey's Brainship books are each stand alones though they exist in the same universe.

Mercedes Lackey has several good stand alone books which are novelized versions of fairytales (Firebird, The Fire Rose, The Gates of Sleep, The Serpent's Shadow)

Robin Mckinley (The Blue Sword, Hero and the Crown, Deerskin, Spindle's End, Sunshine)

One of my all time favourites...

The forgotten Beast of Eld - Patricia Mckillip

I just finished Brandon Sanderson's Elantris. I liked Mistborn better, as far as Sanderson goes, but Elantris was very good as well.

Thanks Robert, added to the ever-growing TBR list!

I especially enjoyed The Alphabet of Thorn which has already been mentioned; it's a fantastic stand alone book.
The Gates of Sleep by Mercedes Lackey is another one that I enjoyed.

One I didn't see on here, but which I can highly recommend is Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin. It's about vampires set in the steamboat era.

Both Songs of Earth and Power by Greg Bear and Pawn's Dream Eric S. Nylund are stand alone, although Songs is acually an omnibus. I enjoyed both and reread frequently.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card is a good stand alone.

I haven't actually read any "adult" fantasy, i'm still making my way through the YA section of the library, but my aunt who has been a librarian since before she graduated college still says her favorites are YA. so here's one I liked that stands on its own.
The White Mists Of Power

An excellent stand-alone novel I read about a year ago is The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick. It's urban fantasy, really, but one of the most original stories I've ever read.

I just finished Howl's Moving Castle Although Diana Wynne Jones does have series I don't think this is one.

I thought it was a good book especially if you like "fairytale" type stories like Gaiman's Stardust.

I have not read Howl's Moving Castle but it is one of my favorite movies. It is also my daughter's who just turned one. She will just sit there and watch everything. I like the idea that she likes movies like Howl's versus sleeping beauty, little mermaid and other princess movies.

There are sequels to Howl's, actually. Castle in the Air follows but Howl and Sophie are minor characters as I recall. A new one called House of Many Ways came out this winter, but I haven't read it yet to see how prevalent Howl is.

Hi, everyone, I'm new here. I don't see Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. There were sequels, but Mists is complete in itself. A great retelling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of the women in the story - it reads as if that was how the story should have been told in the first place!

I love The Stand too. I've tried often to get into Robert R. McCammon's Swan Song because I really enjoyed his other work but somehow I can never get past the first few pages. The Stand is one I can reread at least once a year.