Who doesn’t love a good fantasy story? Epic battles with dragons and elves, daring rescues from goblins and trolls, axe-wielding dwarves and staff-wielding mages? If these are your guilty pleasures- they sure are mine!- then you’ve got to check out these great titles!

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini takes place in the medieval time period in the made up world of Alegasia. Eragon is just a young farm boy, dreaming of adventure and travel. But when he hatches a dragon egg, he gets much more than he bargained for. For the tyrannical king, Galbatorix, won’t stand to have any free Dragon Riders other than himself. The Varden, a rebel force, desperately need Eragon’s help in overthrowing the king, and they’ll do anything to get it. And the temperamental elves have yet to decide if Eragon is good enough to train as a Rider in the first place. With death threats at every corner and even more people to please, Eragon must fight to save his home and those that he loves, even at the cost of his own life.

• The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare takes place in modern day NYC. Clary just wants to have a normal summer, with art camp and friends. But when she witnesses something she’s not supposed to see, she’s dragged into the world of the Shadowhunters, the ones who keep the Downworlders and humans from interacting. Clary would do anything to go back to her carefree life before. But when her mother disappears, Clary starts to realize that she’s not as normal as she always thought, and that if she wants her mother back, she’s going to have to take some desperate measures.

• Here There Be Dragons by James Owens takes place in early- to mid-1900s. When three men are brought together, only connected by their combined acquaintance with the famous Jules Verne, things are not what they expected. They’re taken to a place called the Archipelago of Dreams, where dragons and wizards and magic reign supreme. The three travelers are told they are to be the next generation of guardians for the the Imaginarium Geographica, the books of maps that capture the cartography of the archipelago. Only one copy is known to exist and there are many forces who would do anything to get to it–even start a war.

If you liked these titles, you should definitely try some of these!

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis.                                  The Lost Years Of Merlin by T. A. Barron.

Faerie Wars Chronicles by Herbie Brennan                          Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman                                  A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Wild Mage by Tamora Pierce                                                      Inkheart by Cornelia Funk

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster                             Peter Pan by J. M. Barry

Sabriel by Garth Nix                                                                       The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan