The titular circus is Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams), which appears at will and without warning, full of wonders and illusions from dusk to dawn. (By the way, I’ve read the definition of phantasmogorical several times now, and I’m still not quite sure I get it – a similar experience to reading this book). When a book is billed as a ‘phantasmogorical fairy tale’ and is set in ahistorical Victorian England, you had better believe you’re in for a RIDE. If you like trippy and bizarre fantasy stories, you’ll love The Night Circus. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011) With a mix of wonderful, challenging new voices and bittersweet farewells to well-loved worlds, it’s been a very good decade for fantasy.ġ. This is all reflected in the best fantasy novels of the 2010s we’ve selected here. Much of its heart lies in the battle between good and bad. Fantasy births creatures of power and terror, beings of magic and attraction.

Fantasy is incredibly broad, with some tales set in worlds just one step away from our own, and others that carry little trace of it. When we have to grow up, it remains one of the last bridges back to our childhood. It’s often served to teach youngsters about life and death, good against evil, philosophy and religion. Because of these echoes, it still serves as an excellent tool for teaching fundamental truths about the human condition and exploring complex and layered questions. You don’t have to dig far to trace its roots back to some of the most primal forms of storytelling mythology and folklore.

Best books to read 2017 fantasy