Top 16 Fairy Books For Adults Updated 04 /2024

A lot of people think that stories about mythical creatures like unicorns and fairies are only for kids. But some adults like a little magic in their lives, too. These are some of the best books for adults about fairies.

The War of the Flowers- Tad Williams

It's about to happen: Theo Vilmos is going to become a father. His life takes a weird turn at that point. He is chased by a terrifying animal and drawn into the world of Faery. Faery is run by the feuding aristocratic Flower Families, some of whom want to kill all of us and make the world a better place. There are two people working together: Theo and Applecore. They want to free fairykind and save the world.

The Darkest Part of the Forest- Holly Black

They live in the town of Fairfold, which is near a forest where fairies live. Hazel and Ben are a brother and sister who live in the town. Everyone who grows up in the town knows not to bargain with the fairies, but every now and then someone wants to try. Hazel gives the fairies ten years of her life in exchange for her talented brother being able to go to college and study music. The fairies interpret the deal in a way that doesn't make sense to Hazel. There is a glass coffin in the middle of the forest that has been there for generations. In it, a boy with horns has slept for many years. Hazel and Ben's generation get to see him finally come out of the cocoon and start moving.

 

I really like this book because it's about love, betrayal, and giving up for what you want. It also has interesting bits of fairy lore and descriptions of the Fair Folk's parties and how bad they can be when they're crossed.

Elsewhere- Will Shetterly

Ron, a teenager, follows his brother to Bordertown, a city on the border between Elfland and the rest of the world. There, humans, Elves, and "halfies" (half elf, half human) mix, and both technology and magic can go wrong. At Castle Pup, he meets the people who live there. He also works at a used book store called Elsewhere. If he wants to live long enough to find his brother, he has to be careful in the city.

Elsewhere is the fourth book in Terri Windling's Borderlands series, but it isn't part of that series. It is a stand-alone book. A group of elves from the Borderlands is proud. They are also strange at times. They can be pompous and silly at the same time. As a young adult book, Elsewhere will also be interesting to adults. It is very descriptive, moving, and even a little funny at times. Also, Shetterly wrote a follow-up called Nevernever, which is about a few of the characters from Elsewhere.

The Autumn Castle- Kim Wilkins

Christine gets a bump in modern-day Berlin, which makes a back injury she got in a car accident as a child even worse. Mayfridh, the fairy queen, and her adviser, the shape-shifting wolf, greet her when she wakes up in Faery, where she fell asleep. As Christine gets closer to Mayfridh, Mayfridh gets closer to Christine and her boyfriend. Meanwhile, a millionaire artist named Mandy has become obsessed with killing fairies for his art.

The Autumn Castle is a dark, urban fantasy book written by an Australian author named Kim Wilkins called "The Autumn Castle." It is the first book in Kim Wilkin's trilogy about European mythology, but all three books can be read on their own.

Tithe- Holly Black

With her mother, Kaye moves from city to city. When she's 16, she finds herself in the middle of a war between two faerie kingdoms.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A powerful curse is put on Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. This means that he will spend the rest of his life as a beast, away from his family and his kingdom. His only way out is to find someone who loves him. When Harper walks into Rhen's enchanted world, he has a new sense of hope and falls in love with her. But will she be able to see the real him in time? If you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast, you'll love this soft version. It will make you fall in love with Prince Rhen. The curse might be broken by you!

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

In what Amie Kaufman calls “a kickass, gender-flipped, feminist retelling” of Robin Hood, the people of Locksley are lost after Robin dies. What’s worse? The oh-so-terrible Guy of Gisborne is jumping to fill his role as protector, and take Marian as his wife… but not if she has anything to do with it. Forced with a choice, Marian decides that sometimes you have to become your own hero.

The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

It moves the story of Mulan to 15th-century Lithuania, where Mulan, disguised as a man, has joined the son of a German duke to train for a battle in which Mulan might finally be able to show her town that she's a real woman. Besides not telling anyone about who she is, another problem is that the two can't stand each other. But as time goes on, they start to share secrets and become closer. To fight for her family, kingdom, and Wolfgang, Mulan must decide if she will reveal who she is in order to do so.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

This one is for the people who are fans. Her favorite TV show character, Princess Amara, is going to be written out of Starfield. Imogen Lovelace wants to save her favorite TV show character from being written out. But Jessica Stone, who plays Princess Amara, can't wait to be done with her work. Both have no common traits, but they both look like each other. This leads to a case of mistaken identity, which puts the whole TV show at risk, and puts Jessica and Imogen on a mission to save Starfield from destruction and find their own happily ever afters.

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