When people think of fantasy books with an autumn theme or setting, they naturally—or inevitably—turn to scary stories with Hallowe’en settings.
But what if you’re feeling inundated with creepy tales during the fall season and you just want to escape that scene? What if you want an adventure set in the fall season without the obvious Hallowe’en or horror elements?
Maybe you simply want to cozy up in a wool sweater with a hot drink and a book in front of a nice fire. It could be that your imagination is calling you out of the cold and rain and into the warmth and mystery of a local inn where you can grab a mulled wine or a mug of ale, shake the wet leaves from your travel cloak and join some friends (and strangers) near a stone fireplace as the local bard weaves an epic tale of adventure.
Here are a few fantasy stories that will take you to such a place—or at least give you that cozy, mysterious fall feeling—on a dark and stormy autumn night.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
A good place to begin is with the first book in the Weis and Hickman classic Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Autumn Twilight. In fact, you’ll begin about forty feet off the ground, nestled in the shadows of the vallenwood, at the Inn of the Last Home.
From the book description:
“Once merely creatures of legend, the dragons have returned to Krynn. But with their arrival comes the departure of the old gods—and all healing magic. As war threatens to engulf the land, lifelong friends reunite for an adventure that will change their lives and shape their world forever…”
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The Name of the Wind
If it’s a tale of adventure you’re seeking on a cool autumn evening, you’ll find one of the best at the Waystone Inn, the opening setting for The Name of the Wind. If you’ve grown tired of classic fantasy, Patrick Rothfuss’ tale (and its sequel The Wise Man’s Fear) could be the spark that reignites that old flame.
From the book description:
“It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.”
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The Sword of Shannara
Many fantasy readers say that they love to re-read classics like The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit every autumn. Those books definitely feel like a dark, fall journey. If you’re looking for something similar yet a bit more contemporary, you might venture into Terry Brooks’ Shannara Chronicles. True, 1977 (The Sword of Shannara) is not really contemporary but more so than 1954 (The Lord of the Rings)
Book one, The Sword of Shannara, opens on what feels like a cool autumn evening (although it’s actually summer) in the safety of the Ohmsford family’s inn in Shady Vale. It’s the classic setting to begin a fantastic adventure series that finally concluded with The Last Druid in 2020.
From the book description:
“Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake.The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a trueheir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline,rests the hope of all the races.”
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Uprooted
If the classic inn-on-a-stormy-night tale is not what you’re looking for but you like the idea of a quiet village opening, you might consider what many consider a modern classic fantasy: Uprooted by Naomi Novik. The story’s main character, Agnieszka, has come to the end of her last summer with her best friend, Kasia, and her unexpected tale begins.
From the book description:
“The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.”
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The Night Circus
As I was researching fantasy books with an autumn theme, one modern title that kept surfacing was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. For good reason, I think. As the days grow shorter and nightfall comes earlier, it’s a great opportunity to enter Le Cirque des Rêves that “Opens at Nightfall, Closes at Dawn.”
From the book description:
“Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves. Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is underway – a contest between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in “a game,” in which each must use their powers of illusion to best the other.”
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First Frost
Moving away from classic epic fantasy but toward magical realism, you might consider something a bit lighter. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen has been called “a perfect read for Autumn” with “a touch of magic.”
From the book description:
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells, lose yourself in Sarah Addison Allen’s enchanting world and fall for her charmed characters in this captivating story that proves that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It’s where the real story begins.”
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The Graveyard Book
I hesitated to include this final book because I am intentionally avoiding traditional Hallowe’en or scary stories. Some people call Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book “creepy” and perhaps even a Hallowe’en classic. And I agree. But I didn’t realize that it’s much more than that until I read the final lines of the story (warning: if you like to start at the end of a book, resist the urge with this one because I fear you might lose the conclusion’s impact if you haven’t read the entire story).
Call it creepy or dark, The Graveyard Book is definitely one to be enjoyed in autumn. I agree with Booklist’s review: “There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming….this is a rich story with broad appeal.”
From the book description:
“Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.”
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More non-spooky fantasy books with an autumn theme
This collection of fantasy books with an autumn theme is a bit eclectic, but understandably so in a genre filled with so many dark stories. And I get it. Many readers enjoy a good scary story and even more so around Hallowe’en. But it seems to me there’s room for great autumn themed stories that don’t equate the darkness and changing season with evil and fear.
I hope to expand this collection someday. Let me know if you have any suggested books that might fit this category.
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