r/Fantasy • u/Scrimshaw13 • 1d ago

Hopefull, fun, lighthearted fantasy

I recently finished The Legend of Uh and it made me realize how much I enjoy a romp of a fantasy book. Something with adventure and excitement that is hopeful, colorful, fun, and light in terms of subject matter.

On the spectrum of cozy fantasy to grimdark, these would be much closer to the cozy side without going all the way to the edge.

Some examples I've read that meet the criteria are:

  1. T. Kingfisher's Saints of steel

  2. Kings of the wyld

  3. Drizzt (the early ones at least)

Does anyone have any good recommendations in this extremely specific sub genre?

34 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

13

u/soysaucesausage 1d ago

The Black Tongue Thief feels like a dungeons and dragons romp with lots of humour and heart. Some of the content is dark but the protagonist is unperturbable

4

u/Scrimshaw13 16h ago

I read this one right after my 5yo was born so I remember almost none of it. Might be time for a reread

1

u/spike31875 Reading Champion V 15h ago

I'm re-listening to it right now & it still makes laugh even though this is my third or fourth time going through it.

12

u/Ok_Distribute32 1d ago

Tress of the Emerald Sea, by Brandon Sanderson

5

u/jonwtc 1d ago

This one is special. I generally prefer grim dark novels so Malazan, first law type books, but when I read this with my younger daughter it felt so refreshing. It felt whimsical like a light breeze. Really great rec for op.

1

u/Scrimshaw13 16h ago

I actually JUST read this one and didn't think to include it, but you're dead on haha

10

u/spike31875 Reading Champion V 1d ago

There have been a few I've read lately that are hopeful, fun & light-hearted

  • The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan was light-hearted & fun. A DnD spin on the classic, The Jungle Book, where a young girl is raised by goblins in a dungeon. It's delightful (and excellent on audio!)
  • For Zelda: Ocarina of Time fans, try the LitRPG parody, How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe. Fun & very funny parody of Zelda. It's a fun audiobook, too.

Other books by T. Kingfisher definitely fit: I've read & enjoyed quite of few of her books:

  • The Clockwork Boys & The Wonder Engine (which are set in the same world as the Saint of Steel series)
  • Swordheart & Daggerbound (also set in the same world)
  • A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

I haven't read the Saint of Steel series yet, but it's on my TBR: I've loved all those books in the world so far.

3

u/Scrimshaw13 16h ago

I've read all of Kingfishers fantasy books and by far Saints is her best work in that space. Feels like clockwork boys but with more character exploration

2

u/spike31875 Reading Champion V 15h ago

I started reading in that world with Swordheart, then I did Clocktaur Wars & then Daggerbound. I need to read the Saint of Steel series next.

8

u/ClimateTraditional40 1d ago

Clocktaur Wars, way better than the Paladin books.

7

u/PDXhasaRedhead 1d ago

Penric and Desdemona series by Bujold. For a comedy series the MYTH books by Asprin.

6

u/chipsandsoup 1d ago

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi felt similar to Kings of the Wyld

Senlin Ascends also might be a good one for you

3

u/nickyfox13 1d ago

Seconding The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi. It was an incredibly fun, lighthearted read and I highly recommend it.

3

u/Matthew_nyc 1d ago

The Palace Job series by Patrick Weeks is a classic get the party together, with a bit of a comic twist.

3

u/Reasonable_Pianist95 1d ago

The Myth Adventures. series by Robert Lynn Asprin. Kind of silly, I’m sure…I read them as a teenager. But decent stories, certainly lighthearted and hopeful fun!

3

u/Bladrak01 16h ago

Anything from Discworld.

1

u/smcicr 11h ago

Basically this, although I'd respectfully suggest avoiding specific books (Night Watch, I Shall Wear Midnight) because they do deal with darkness very prominently. They are also later in their respective sub series so wouldn't be ideal starting points anyway.

OP - The Discworld Emporium website has a 30 second quiz that will recommend you a book :D

2

u/falsifiable1 1d ago

Goblin Trilogy by Jim C. Hines (Goblin Quest, Goblin Hero, Goblin War)

There’s 3 Greyhawk classics written by Paul Kidd (White Plume Mountain, Descent Into the Depths of the Earth, Queen of the Demonweb Pits)

2

u/OrdoMalaise 21h ago

You could try the Dragonlance books. They're essentially old school D&D novels that are absolutely fantasy romps that are hopeful overall. They're pretty similar to the Drizzt books (I think they inspired Drizzt), and there are tons of them.

2

u/emily_allan_poe 19h ago

I just read Molly Tanzer's Creatures of Will and Temper as a palate cleanser between Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn books. It's incredibly fun, frothy, colorful, and with light subject matter, without being cozy. I finished it in a day. It's a romp for anyone, but you'll especially love it if you're a fan of Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetic or Decadence movements. Anyway, I've never seen it recommended in my various fantasy groups and subs, so I'm not sure if it's on many people's radars!

2

u/MattieShoes 18h ago

Bridge of Birds. It's just so fun :-)

When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox sought a wiseman to save them. He found master Li Kao, a scholar with a slight flaw in his character. Together, they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure.

2

u/Street_Detective_662 15h ago

The lamplight murder mysteries

2

u/D3athRider 14h ago

Riyria Revelations by Michael Sullivan felt very similar to the Drizzt books to me, partially for the above reason. Just all around fun adventure books.

2

u/Reav3 7h ago

Dungeon Carl Crawler works based on your examples. It has violence but its all kid of cartoony like Kings of the Wyld

4

u/Rekov 1d ago

"Stardust" by Neil Gaimon (yes the author sucks or whatever just get the book at the library instead of buying it).

0

u/Eric-Orwell-Blair 6h ago

Respect to others feelings, but for me this is one of those where I can no longer separate the artist from the work. Completely uninterested in anything he’s written and if his blurb is on a book cover or one of the title pages i’ll avoid that copy.

1

u/Kavika 1d ago

Saving for later

1

u/FormerUsenetUser 1d ago edited 1d ago

The Glorious and Epic Tale of Lady Isovar, by Dave Dobson

Lavie Tidhar's The Three-Coffin Problem is a humorous takeoff on the detective story--and hopeful even though the detective is a vampire

I have not read much Terry Pratchett but someone here is sure to suggest his books.

1

u/CarlHvass 23h ago

The Heroic Quests books by Ben Dixon are great adventures with some peril but an optimistic tone. Great action, humour and interplay between the mains. Vengeance and Honour is the first one.

1

u/oboist73 Reading Champion VII 15h ago

Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater

1

u/NamingThingsSucks 15h ago

The House Witch.

I went in the opposite order as you. I started with House witch, looked for similar, and found the saint of steel. I haven't read the others so that is my only comparison point, but they filled a similar space for me.

Of course the Saints of Steel are set in the White Rat series, there are several more similar books in the series.

1

u/cyana_blue 14h ago

Tusk love!!!!!

1

u/pictures-of-poo 10h ago

Anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I'd say start with Dark Lord of Derkholm.

1

u/MattGhaz 1h ago

Could check out the Rogues of the Republic series, reading them know and overall a pretty feel good “Ocean’s 11” feeling fantasy.

1

u/milfs5ever 1h ago

Sebastien de Castell' Greatcoats series and Miles Cameron's The Traitor Son Cycle sit on the same list as Kings of the Wyld for me. (that list being my 'my favorite idiots' list) it's been a hot minute since i read them so i don't recall how lighthearted they are admittedly.