17 Best Fantasy books that will give you serious wanderlust

14 | Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

13 | Soulless by Gail Carriger

Story:

Alexia Tarabotti lives in an alternate history version of  Victorian-era Britain where werewolves and vampires live amongst people. Alexia is no ordinary human either since she has no soul. This leaves her unaffected by the powers of supernatural beings which only further complicates her life when she accidentally kills a vampire that had attacked her.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
This book will make you want to travel not just England but time as well! Funny, quirky steampunk dream comes alive on the pages of Soulless. Only after a couple of pages in the book, you’ll find yourself craving for a good cup of tea and a long walk on the beautiful streets and alleys of London.

Soulless book is definitely one of the most unique fantasy books I have ever read. If you’re looking for a great fantasy book with vampires, a kick-ass female lead, and steampunk elements you found what you’re looking for.

12| Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

11| The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Story:
Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players. His years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city.

His daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
This book is filled with adventure, magic and exciting life stories and will leave you craving for more of these in your own life as well!

10| Dracula by Bram Stoker

Story:
The novel tells the story of Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
Everyone heard about Dracula a lot less have actually read the book. This book will leave you wanting to visit spooky castles and small villages and not just to take photos but actually grab a piece of paper and a pen to write about your experiences.

9| Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Story:
Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way, there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power.

All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
A unique book and not just because of the story but also because of where it takes place. Eastern Europe and Russia are not part of the most visited countries on earth. However, there are plenty of magic, myth, and folklore you can find in these countries.

8 | The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Story:
Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master, the husband who commissioned her, dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York in 1899.

Ahmad is a Djinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free – an unbreakable band of iron binds him to the physical world.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
New York is probably already on your bucket list or you’ve already been there. But this book will make you want to explore more than just the usual touristy sites. It makes you want to discover hidden places, old quarters, and old tales in this centuries-old famously modern city.

7| The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Story:
Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax.

But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
This book takes you to the cobbled streets and alleys of Barcelona and lets you experience the city’s unique, otherworldly feel.  This book is an experience that will definitely stay with you and help you to actually go on a trip you only dreamed about.

6| The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Story:
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy.

A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
This book is pure magic, satisfying both cinema and book lovers equally. Paris is most people’s dream city, a magical, romantic place everyone yearns to visit. This book shows you a significant reason how Paris become Paris. Lets you peek into the world of dreamers and helps you see what so many artists have seen throughout history.

5| Pandora by Anne Rice

Story:
The novel opens in present-day Paris in a crowded café, where David meets Pandora. She is two thousand years old, a Child of the Millennia, the first vampire ever made by the great Marius. David persuades her to tell the story of her life.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
Imperial Rome, Paris, and New Orleans. This book is a beautiful journey throughout centuries and even though we can’t travel back in time we can still visit and experience the magic of these places.

4| American Gods By Neil Gaiman

Story:
Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday and embarks on a journey he could never have imagined.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
American Gods shows you the roots and the diversity of America in a way that not many books, tv shows or movies do. Shadow’s stories invite you along for his adventures and will make you want to travel and experience more of the US than Miami, LA, and NY.

3| Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Story:
Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year-old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied.

But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged into the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. 

What all the wanderfuss is about:
Magic and reality collide on the pages and takes you to a Nigeria you’ve never been before. This book will most certainly provide a fresh look at Nigeria and Africa and will make you want to learn and understand more about this beautiful country.

2| Watership Down by Richard Adams

Story:
Set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage, and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home.

Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
England’s countryside is beautiful and can be adventurous as well! This moralistic tale will make you want to visit more than just London on your visit to the UK. This beautiful fantasy book with animals as its lead will mess with your mind a little but will be one of the most interesting reads of your life.

1| Monkey: The Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en

Story:
Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic sixteenth-century novel is a combination of picaresque novel and folk epic that mixes satire, allegory, and history into a rollicking adventure.

It is the story of the roguish Monkey and his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres, monsters, and fairies.

What all the wanderfuss is about:
This Chinese classic will help you understand more of the country’s culture and religion and it does so in a funny, adventurous way. This book will make you want to leave the big cities of Beijing or Shanghai for the ancient villages and temples in China’s countryside.

What was the book that gave you wanderlust?