Fantasy Books Under 200 Pages To Add To Your TBR

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I was eager for it to come out, and it didn’t disappoint. Veronica Roth takes you on a trip to a modern Chicago overlaid with a mix of Slavic mythology.

This book has great mobster vibes as three enemy characters—Dymitr, Ala, and Niko—work together to find the mysterious and powerful Baba Jaga. The book covers one night from each of their points of view. This story will blow you away with its action and urban fantasy theme.

This novella is the first in the The Murderbot Diaries series, and a diary it truly is. In this book, a self-aware SecUnit is discovering what it is to be part human and part robot, originally designed to follow an established program.

You will laugh your way through the dry humor of this introverted SecUnit, which calls itself "Murderbot," as its only desire is to watch soap operas and not engage with humans. As things go awry on a mission, Murderbot suddenly finds itself helping humans.

How about a more Renaissance-style fantasy setting? Illuminare is a story built on poetic prose, visceral imagery, and dark humor. Sir Desmond Edenry, a soldier worn out from war, returns home to settle accounts, while Laudilas de Glas is a bored royal son who yearns for the stage.

These two men become entangled in a cat-and-mouse game as an immortal steals a book they both need. This story explores the theme of light and darkness as the characters take you on a journey through canals and crowded streets.

I have yet to read this one, but I desperately want to experience the poignant storytelling. Set in a utopian-dystopian futuristic world, this book follows our young protagonist, who discovers his limitations of choice and self-direction.

This story will make you question what it might be like to experience the world singularly, never knowing what the highest or lowest lows might be. It may be a short story, but it offers a heady topic to delve into. I am looking forward to reading it soon. 

To bring in a more lighthearted read and one for younger readers to enjoy, you can push through the wardrobe coats to find yourself in the wintry land of the legendary Narnia. Follow the Pevensie children—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—in this first installment of the series as they embark on an adventure of wonder and growth, working together to break the curse that has taken over the land.

Rife with mythical beings and talking animals (like the awe-inspiring Lion Aslan), this story is filled with whimsy and wonder as the characters learn about the ties of family and what it means to give one’s life as an act of love for another. 

Finally, to add a fun comic to the bunch, let me introduce you to Fangs! Created by comic artist Sarah Andersen of Sarah’s Scribbles, this is the sweet and funny story of a 300-year-old vampire, Elsie, who’s dating her werewolf boyfriend, Jimmy.

Told in Andersen’s black-and-white comic style, you follow these two unlikely characters as they fall for each other and embrace their differences so they can be happy together. This one is a must-read; you won’t want to miss out on the jokes, the puns, the visual gags, and the sweet romance.