Often, what marks a good fantasy novel is the in-depth world building. We open the pages to be transported to other worlds and times, where our characters embark on epic quests and good battles evil with nothing less than the fate of the world as the outcome. They’re thrilling, but the action is usually balanced with quieter moments to allow the world to come to vivid life.
And then there are action fantasy novels. Here, plot is king. The other elements are still present and integral to the story, but the momentum is carried with fast-paced narration and non-stop action. The battles are quick and intense, the scenes are fueled with adrenaline, and the characters are often directly in danger almost all of the time.
These novels are popular because they’re so addictive. They can range from typical urban fantasy to lush epic fantasy, ensuring that no matter what kind of fantasy you’re looking for, there’s an action fantasy novel for you. Here are seven action fantasy novels you can devour right now.
Monster
Judy's seemingly normal life ends when she finds a Yeti in the freezer aisle. That’s when she meets Monster. He runs a pest control agency and has a girlfriend from hell. But he does more than catch pests, he catches actual monsters.
The two don’t exactly hit it off, but they're forced to fight these creatures together for the fate of the universe. Oh, and they also have to deal with Monster's girlfriend from hell… who’s actually from Hell.
Melusine
Mélusine is a city as beautiful as it is corrupt. Inside its walls, the talented Felix Harrowgate gathers the dark secrets of his fellow wizards. But Felix has secrets of his own and when a man from his past returns, it leads to Felix’s falling. Weakened, broken, and lost, Felix finds himself on the door of Mildlay the Fox, an assassin and thief. Together, they escape the city, traveling through strange lands where they stumble on a shocking secret that will bind them together forever.
Nobody
Some people are never seen. Never noticed. Never end up on anyone’s radar. They’re so overlooked, they might as well be nobody. And that’s what makes them the perfect assassins. The Institute searches for people like this. When they find them, they train them. Sixteen-year-old Claire has managed to evade the Institute’s watchful eye her entire life. But was soon as they find her, they send an assassin to kill her. Because an untrained Nobody is a threat, and all threats must be eliminated.
Flesh and Spirit
Valen knows exactly what his path in life is. He comes from a long line of the magically gifted. His life has been planned down to his death, forcing him to rebelling in an attempt to gain control. But life as a thief wasn’t exactly the best plan. When he’s wounded during a heist, Valen is left for dead with nothing but a worthless book of maps. He’s taken to a monastery, where he’s introduced to a secret society obsessed with the fall of civilization.
As civil war looms, promising to usher in a dark age unlike any before, Valen discovers his worthless book may be the key to salvation. But only if he finally stops running and learns how to embrace his destiny.
Dungeon Crawler Carl
On a random winter night, Carl finds himself in the cold in nothing but a jacket, a pair of boxers, and his ex-girlfriend’s pink Crocs trying to get her cat out of a tree. In a flash, every building, every car, every human structure on the planet collapses into the ground. They’ve all been atomized to create an 18-level labyrinthian Dungeon. Anyone who survived the collapse can enter… but once you do, you can never get out.
Each level has a time limit. And everything inside wants you dead. And to make everything worse, this isn’t just about survival, it’s about entertainment. Get views. Get followers. Get benefactors. For the universe, it’s a game. For Carl, it’s the fight of his life. Welcome, Crawler.
Anji Kills a King
Anji is a servant in a castle working for a king she hates. When she gets a rare chance to kill him, she takes it, cutting his throat and then going on the run. The kingdom erupts into chaos and a bounty that is more than she ever dreamed she was worth is put on her head. Suddenly, a fearsome group of mercenaries are after her. It’s Hawk who finds her, but to Anji’s surprise, doesn’t kill her. She doesn’t tell Anji why she wants her alive. With the kingdom’s deadliest killers hot on their trail, the two have to work together, forging what becomes an alliance that just might change the world.
Storm Front
Harry Dresden is good at finding lost things. When Chicago P.D. comes across cases that they don’t have answers for, they come to him. After all, the world is filled with the strange and magical. And when those things cross over into reality, Harry is there to help. That’s what wizards are for. But dabbling in the paranormal doesn’t exactly pay well. So, when the police ask him to help solve a double murder that seems like black magic was involved, Harry sees dollar signs.
Unfortunately, where black magic lurks, a black mage follows. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. Magic might be interesting, but it can also be deadly.
