Our Favorite Novellas Set in Famous Fantasy Worlds

The Kingkiller Chronicle definitely have the potential to be the next biggest series in high fantasy, with a compelling hero, lyrical prose and a gorgeously detailed secondary world. However, the third installment, Doors of Stone is still a long way off—but readers can still get a taste of Rothfuss’s wondrous worldbuilding and evocative prose with the novella The Narrow Road Between Desires, set in the same world. It’s actually an expansion of the short story “The Lightning Tree” (published in the anthology Rogues) and throws light on Bast, a mysterious and charming fae with his own schemes. Pleasant, whimsical and filled with fey shenanigans, The Narrow Road Between Desires is a rather entertaining read. 

Marissa Meyer’s bestselling Lunar Chronicles all feature strong-willed female protagonists, plucked from traditional fairytales and striving for their own happily-ever-afters. The novels are set in a futuristic cyberpunk world, with a conflict brewing between the inhabitants of Earth and the moon (Luna), and Fairest, the bridge book between Cress and Winter, answers some burning questions about Queen Levana, the Lunar ruler and the main villain of the series. From details of her traumatic childhood to mastering the art of “glamour,” this is Levana’s darkly fascinating backstory. 

From fey exploits to court intrigue to a delicious slow-burn romance, The Folk of Air series by Holly Black is simply delightful and spellbinding. And if you’ve binge-read the trilogy and can’t get enough of the characters, especially a certain fey High King, you should treat yourself to a copy of How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories. 

The novella not only sheds some light into Cardan’s life before the events of The Cruel Prince, but also includes some never-before-seen moments from the series itself as well as scenes wholly from Cardan’s perspective, paired with lavish illustrations. A perfect keepsake for devoted fans!

Perhaps one of the most prolific and productive writers working today, Brandon Sanderson’s body of work is certainly formidable. Curious readers might even feel scared or clueless as to where to begin, because his Cosmere books are part of an ever-expanding universe. Those readers can try a taste of Sanderson’s work with The Emperor’s Soul, a Cosmere novella set in the same world as his novel, Elantris and the winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella. Polished, haunting and achingly beautiful, The Emperor’s Soul is a thoughtful story of unexpected friendship and loyalty with a wondrous magic system about faking royal seals and forging souls. 

If you belong to the science fantasy crowd, you’ll have dollops of fun with Nnedi Okorafor’s Afrofuturist book that kickstarts her Binti novella series. The book follows the riotously fun escapades of Binti, a young woman accepted to a fancy intergalactic university—except that her ship is soon hijacked by a jelly-fish-like alien species en-route. From delving into ethnic rivalries to dubious peace negotiations, Okorafor’s Binti is an engaging and entertaining adventure that tackles some serious themes as well.

Aliette de Bodard’s Fireheart Tiger is a lovely sapphic novella, tackling the toxicities of colonial power politics and romantic manipulations, with soft worldbuilding that hints at a deeper world, reminiscent of a magical, pre-colonial Vietnam. Much of the narrative follows princess Thanh who has now returned to her mother’s imperial court, navigating her new role as a political diplomat while also untangling issues of the heart. Filled with luscious prose and plenty of subtext, Fireheart Tiger encourages the reader to fill in the gaps, while luxuriating in the soft details of this spellbinding realm.

If committing to a high fantasy series feels too much, you can get a taste of epic action with this novella duology by Tobi Ogundiran. These back-to-back fantasy books follow Ashâke, a young acolyte who yearns to serve the orisha, except the gods do not speak to her. She decides to take matters into her own hands and tries to trap an orisha—only to get embroiled in an epic, cosmic war and discover the secrets of her own past. Intriguing, fast-paced and filled with heart, both In The Shadow of the Fall and At the Fount of Creation make for great reads, infused with West African religion, mythology and folklore.  

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin: Finally, if you can’t get enough of novellas, you should add George R.R. Martin’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to your TBR. Set in the same world as his Song of Ice and Fire novels, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms collects not one but three novellas in a single, collector’s volume. 

A sort-of prequel, these stories focus on "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and "Egg" (the future King Aegon V Targaryen), and thus, are informally referred to as the “Tales of Dunk and Egg”—perfectly suited for fans of court politics and outrageous adventures.