Join the Guild: A Guide to Fall Fantasy

Though the temperatures in Nashville may be hovering around ninety degrees, still there lingers a hint of autumn in the air. A chill approaches that brings with it a turning of the page, a step away from the beach reads of summer and towards the sensational spooky reads of fall foliage, dark magic, and other worlds. 

Whether or not Fantasy is your go-to genre, cooler weather brings the desire to curl up inside with a cinnamon scented candle and lose yourself in a good story. Fantasy novels are a portal to new realms, and Parnassus is here to guide you in this journey of genre with recommendations and a brand new book club! 

Launching this fall, Parnassus will host the Fantasy Readers Guild, a book club for readers who prefer their pages dipped in magic. The club will be hosted by booksellers and long-time fantasy aficionados Rachel and Jenny! All are welcome to join the guild.* Keep readings for more details and book recommendations, and join the mailing list here! 

OUR FIRST BOOK CLUB PICK

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)

By Rebecca Yarros

If you are one of the few people left in the world who has not read this yet, now is the time! Dragons, war college, disability rep, and a slow burn enemies to lovers romance for the ages. And if you’ve already read this one, then mark your calendars! The Fantasy Readers Guild will meet on September 24th to discuss it for our first meeting. 

FOR MORE DRAGONS

A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos)

By Samantha Shannon

If you are like us, after reading Fourth Wing you are ravenous for anything about dragons. Luckily Samantha Shannon, the Queen of Dragons,  just released A Day of Fallen Night this year. If you haven’t read Priory of the Orange Tree, don’t worry: this is a prequel story so you can read it first. We also have signed copies!

DYSTOPIAN FANTASY

Immortal Longings (Flesh & False Gods #1)

By Chloe Gong

Young adult author Chloe Gong made her adult fantasy debut this year with Immortal Longings. Similar to Fourth Wing, Immortal Longings has some dystopian vibes with gritty characters and a tough-as-nails world. Typical of Gong, Immortal Longings is action packed and character-driven. You won’t be able to put this one down!

ALTERNATE HISTORY

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution

By R. F. Kuang

R.F. Kuang described Babel as her “love-hate letter to academia” and there’s just no better way to describe this one. Babel explores all the terrors of colonization and the British empire with one little twist: magic is real. It may be over 500 pages and full of footnotes, but the prose, plot, and characters will drive you to read this in a weekend or less. Also the perfect place to dip your toe in if you’re not typically a fantasy fan. Now out in paperback!

URBAN FANTASY

Masters of Death: A Novel

By Olivie Blake

Olivie Blake is the master of genre-bending genius. In Masters of Death, a vampire real estate agent must sell a haunted house, and then things just keep going wrong until the entire universe hangs on a mystery game of gambling between Death, the King of Demons, and our lovable ensemble of main characters. To top it off, it’s all told out of order and every other line will make your heart stop. (Plus, queer friends to lovers, a second chance romance, and starcrossed soulmates.) 

HIGH FANTASY

Tress of the Emerald Sea: A Cosmere Novel

By Brandon Sanderson

Prolific and epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson introduces us to a retelling of the infamous Princess Bride that he wrote for his wife during 2020. Set in the Cosmere universe, we meet a heroine who leaves her ordinary life to save her forbidden love. Brandon Sanderson is the king of worldbuilding and you won’t be disappointed with this one. 

DARK FANTASY

The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown #1)

By Hannah Whitten

Local author Hannah Whitten writes a compelling new fantasy series about a young woman who has dark and dangerous powers. Full of court intrigue and forbidden romance, The Foxglove King is a powerful start to a compelling series. We can’t wait till the sequel comes out in 2024!

COMING SOON

The Fragile Threads of Power

By V. E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab returns to the famous story and characters of the A Darker Shade of Magic series. The last book, A Conjuring of Light, left us equal parts happy and destroyed, and The Fragile Threads of Power picks up seven years later with new intrigue, new characters, and much more to lose. 

There are still some tickets left for our event with V.E. Schwab in partnership with the Nashville Public Library on October 5th!

Sword Catcher

By Cassandra Clare

Our second book club pick, Sword Catcher, is not only Cassandra Clare’s first adult fantasy work, but is her first book outside of the Shadowhunters universe. Clare does what she does best, but for an adult audience: these are characters that you will love despite their chaos, and this is a world that you will want to escape to over and over again. Since finishing it, I have reread my favorite parts several times. We can’t wait to talk about it in-store on November 26th!

There are still some tickets left for our event with Cassandra Clare in partnership with the Nashville Public Library on October 11th!

Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2)

By Rebecca Yarros

If you’re still stuck in that Fourth Wing reading slump after finishing all of our recommendations, then it seems like you need to place a pre-order! The good news is you won’t have to wait long for the sequel. Iron Flame comes out this November and is the second installment in a series of five planned novels within this world of war and dragons. 

Once you’ve picked a book, find a cozy spot and start turning pages to help us summon the autumnal spirit of wonder. And don’t forget to join the Fantasy Readers Guild! 

 

*Please note that this group is intended for those 18 and up. Most of this book club’s selections include violent and mature themes due to the nature of Fantasy and Sci-Fi as a genre.