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Everyone enjoys a good novel-length retreat, but the human concerns of fiction don't always cut it. To experience a fantastical world through the eyes of a magical creature is an experience like no other. When dragons loom in the distance, who needs taxes?

There is a never-ending number of mythical and folkloric creatures to play in the ever-growing fantasy genre. So fasten your seatbelts if you're a fan of fantasy monster features. Here are 11 wonderful fantasy books about magical creatures, ranging from smart golems to violent sirens.

Ariel

By Steven R. Boyett

During the events of this fantasy novel, civilization has come to a screeching halt, with 90% of the human population having vanished and the cities they once inhabited overrun with magic and its creatures. A few of the Change's survivors, like Pete Garey, remain. Ariel, a sarcastic talking unicorn, introduces Pete to his new and intriguing world, and the two begin a friendship. Ariel's horn has a high value, and the two unexpected companions must work together to survive in this harsh land.

A Creature of Moonlight

By Rebecca Hahn

The story of Marni, a princess and the sole heir to her kingdom's throne, is rich and compelling in this novel from Rebecca Hahn. Unfortunately, even though she is heir to the throne, the king of her nation does not wish to see her assassinated. If Marni is to leave the kingdom that despises her, she must go on a journey that she has no idea what awaits. Her father, a wild dragon, has sent his magical woodlands on a quest to capture her. When you're half-dragon, finding out who you really are can be a bit of a challenge.

Outcast

By Adrienne Kress

This coming-of-age tale set in the Deep South features a fresh take on the mythology of angels. Riley Carver, a sixteen-year-old girl, is sick of the angels swooping in and stealing the people of her town. Once, on a dark night, Riley decides to take matters into her own hands.

In her mind, she's going to obtain the answers she's been looking for. Rather than a man who is alive and breathing, she gets a man who has no idea what is going on. When it comes to time, he is so out of date that he believes it is still 1956.

The Golem and the Jinni

By Helene Wecker

In this enthralling fantasy romance, Wecker expertly weaves together Yiddish and Middle Eastern culture. Chava, the golem, is a clay figure given life in order to marry a man who perishes at sea. From the Syrian desert, Ahmad—the jinni—is born from the flames and imprisoned in a copper flask. After meeting in New York City in the late 19th century, they form a lasting friendship.

If you're looking for a fantasy story with a little more substance, The Golem and the Jinni is an excellent choice.

Tithe

By Holly Black

Kaye, a sixteen-year-old rock fanatic who travels the country with her mother's band, is an independent and fearless young woman. As a result of the attack on Kaye by a mystery hostile entity, she returns home to the industrial New Jersey city that she deems her own. Kaye is caught in the heart of an ancient rivalry between two faerie kingdoms. Is Kaye's lack of knowledge going to harm her?

Tithe is the first book in the wildly famous Modern Faerie Tales series, which also includes Valiant and Ironside as beloved favorites.

Wintersong

By S. Jae-Jones

An extensive goblin mythology and an insatiable passion for music characterize Wintersong. Liesl, an eighteen-year-old innkeeper's daughter, begins to lose her "childish" demeanor as she helps her family operate their inn. She used to daydream about the imposing and fearsome Goblin King as a child, an enigmatic creature that provided inspiration for her music. Until her sister was kidnapped and transported to the Goblin King's Underground, Liesl had thought he was just a fantasy from her past.

There's more to the Goblin King than meets the eye. Liesl learns a lot about herself as a person and what she desires as time runs out on her life.

Succubus Blues

By Richelle Mead

Georgina Kincaid, a Seattle-based succubus, is the protagonist of a six-book series. Being a succubus is a great deal for most people, as they can change their appearance and rely on the souls of others to feed themselves. When she's not working in the bookstore, though, Georgina only wants to hold hands with her literary crush, Seth Mortenson, and not take anything from him in return.

To deal with an unimaginable crime and an outside power, Georgina must put her big girl succubus pants on to investigate in Seattle. Georgina has a lot on her plate: a diabolical crime world and an unsatisfying romantic life.

To Kill a Kingdom

By Alexandra Christo

She's known as a lethal hero because she's killed 17 human princes. Lira is a siren princess. It is only after Lira has killed another siren and returned to the sea with Prince Elian's heart that she will be allowed to return to the sea as a human again. Lira must stay a human for the rest of her life if she fails to achieve her mission by the winter solstice.

Prince Elian is the rightful heir to a large land-based kingdom and the best siren-hunter in the world. A woman in danger of drowning offers to help him end the siren race once and for all, and how could he possibly refuse?

Fireborn

By Keri Arthur

In her many lives, Emberly has risen from the ashes and foretold others' deaths in her lucid dreams. After all these years, she should know better than to mess with her recurring nightmares, but when the man she's always loved—her ex Sam—is doomed, she finds herself in a lot more trouble than she bargained for after saving him.

 

The two ex-lovers are soon reunited to look into the ramifications of a government experiment gone wrong. Emberly's issues just get getting worse as she follows a trail of killings, virus-infected humans, and lost research.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

By J.K. Rowling

Newt Scamander, the famed wizarding world magizoologist, is the author of this encyclopedia of wizarding world monsters. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them features stunning illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill, a fantasy book necessity. Discover the oddities and perils of amazing magical monsters throughout five continents!

The Bone Mother

By David Demchuk

In David Demchuk's fantastical horror fantasy novel, there are some creepy and less-known magical creatures. Folklore from Slavic countries is the focus of Demchuk's book of short stories about supernatural animals on the verge of extinction before WWII. The Strigoi, the Romanian spirits that inspired modern-day vampires, and the Drevniye, the ghostly monsters that disguise themselves as their victims, are among these immigrants. These tales are tense and intertwined, and they will leave you shaking with fear.
 

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