The Ultimate Guide to Fantasy Sub Genres

[@CapturedInWords]

🌏 Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/capturedinwords It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ Table of Contents: 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - NordVPN 2:54 - High 3:56 - Epic 5:01 - Low 5:42 - Urban/Paranormal 6:24 - Historical 6:54 - Comedic 7:23 - Portal 7:42 - Dark 8:11 - Grimdark 9:18 - Military / Flintlock 10:02 - Steampunk 11:08 - Heroic Fantasy 11:43 - Sword & Sorcery 12:19 - Fairytale/Fable 12:32 - Romance/Erotica 12:57 - Mythopoeia 13:22 - Gaslight/Gaslamp 13:41 - Fantasy of Manners 14:11 - Court Intrigue 14:38 - Science Fantasy 15:05 - Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic 15:29 - Coming-of-age 16:10 - Magical realism 16:43 - Superhero

[@criticizedreviews1081]

Hey, where do you find the concept art for your videos, they look so sick, is their a site or account that you find it from?

[@CapturedInWords]

@@criticizedreviews1081 I search for them all over but usually I get most of it from ArtStation or DeviantArt

[@criticizedreviews1081]

@@CapturedInWords oh ok cool, thanks man

[@eduardoalvesfilho7458]

Which sub-genre do you like to write the most?

[@antimatters6283]

Comedic Fantasy? Get the fantasy books of The books of L. Sprague de Camp, suhc as: "Compleat Enchanter;" and "Goblin Tower" is 100% hilarious fun if a bit scattered. Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and more are nearly Steampunk-ish, ahead of its time. And just as a general heroic & myth related: "The Forge in the Forest" is worth a read, some real clever repackage of Norse and other myths. For a wild offshoot and inspiration the works of Carlos Castaneda are gripping, especially to younger readers. Be aware some people believe this is real. The Omaran Saga by Adrian Cole is worth looking at.

[@JuanGomez-jk9hl]

As a Colombian I have the legal obligation of recommending A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. One of the best examples of magical realism.

[@CapturedInWords]

I've heard a bit about that book! I'll definitely need to read it soon!

[@idkstuffig8190]

Since legal obligation has been brought up I now feel obliged to mention that the book is obviously filled with symbolism but it is better understood if you know Colombian history. The book takes place in what would’ve been the first half of the 1900s and a bit of the second half. It is an amazing book and you’re technically not needed to know history to like it but it is definitely so much more insightful and just easier to appreciate if you do understand the historical context

[@jfidrocki]

Does it translate it well, or should I try to read it in the original spanish even though I'll need to stop and look up words a lot?

[@JuanGomez-jk9hl]

@@jfidrocki I've only read the original spanish version so I can't give you a definite answer. I'd say the original spanish version is better just because that way you can experience the author's prose and use of language in full but a translated version should be fine too.

[@idkstuffig8190]

​@@jfidrocki Ok, to be completely honest I've never read it in English. And I realize you were probably asking the first commenter lmao. But maybe my opinion might help as well idk. Imma list what I personally think could be some pros and cons of reading it in one language or the other and maybe that'll help you pick or give you a bit more clarity. In regard to my first comment though, the symbolism I was talking about is mainly found in the actual events that are happening in the book, more so than the in the writing, so you should be able to catch most, if not all of that. Now, this other thing that I want to mention you should take with a grain of salt since I've only ever read the book in Spanish. This is just something that I've noticed when comparing things written in English vs in Spanish. I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing honestly, but Spanish works tend to be really description heavy. We will have really long passages describing probably irrelevant things and run on sentences are really common. There's less dialogue too usually. This could both be a pro or a con. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is really well known for his prose, and his vivid and beautiful descriptions. Since I haven't read the translated work, I don't know how well those translate, so you might miss out on that. But those are not things that are necessary for the plot. It's more of a part of the experience. On the other hand, depending on how fluid you are in Spanish, it could make it harder or not, specially taking into account that there might be some words or expressions exclusively used in Colombia. So, it really just comes down to comfort and personal preference. Sorry, this was very long, and I'm sure I missed a couple of things, it's been a while since I read it. This is just me trying to make that decision easier for you. I don't think you can go wrong either way. The only thing that I do heavily and wholeheartedly recommend is the investigating a little bit about the events the text is alluding. Makes the read so much better. Anyways, hope you do pick it up and enjoy it, it is a beautifully written novel, filled with nods to Colombian history and it does have its fair share of commentary when you understand the events the book is referencing. Hope this helped, sorry for the length😅

[@lausdeo4944]

Your videos are probably the best produced "Book-Tube" videos I've seen. I love your work; please dive into Malazan soon, I want to see you geek out about it.

[@zerohero6602]

Definitely need more Malazan 💯

[@krane1012005]

This is what I’ve been saying since the beginning all he had to do was make the videos. I love this dude!!

[@warbrothers7745]

What series is Malazan?

[@krane1012005]

@@warbrothers7745 umm you might be new to fantasy or haven’t been around the fantasy book tube block but it’s a super intense series by Steven Ericson( may have gotten the name wrong) but it’s real love or hate with the community but some people go super hard core with it.

[@lausdeo4944]

@@warbrothers7745 Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erickson.

[@dscvestrit]

Your editing skills are amazing. You're my favorite booktuber and I think this is one of your best videos!

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you so much 😄

[@LuisGLC31]

Truly, his editing skills has stepped up a notch or two lately, and I'm loving it.

[@charlesburge2564]

Easily the best edited videos out of all Booktubers I've seen

[@basvandedood9821]

Love how at 13:42 you mistake the old city of Kraków, in Poland, for a fantasy painting. Living here and loving this picture!

[@Vic-ne3cg]

I’m so happy that someone has finally recommended The Dragonriders of Pern it is one of my all time favourites I do recommend anything by Anne McCaffrey especially The Tower and Hive series, The Crystal Singer trilogy and The Catteni Sequence.

[@RosLanta]

I love the Catteni books

[@paulasargent7363]

She is also one of my favourites i havent tried the catteni series but love the other 3!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

This is a very helpful and beautifully produced video! I'll be recommending it to my students in my fantasy novels course in the fall. Cheers, Jay!

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks Philip, glad you enjoyed! Wow that's awesome you'll recommend it to your fantasy novels course! Much appreciated!

[@booksandocha]

Really good list, even if it cannot be exhaustive. A few of the more prominent examples it seems to be missing are distinctly newer genres like LitRPG fantasy and Progression Fantasy as well as a whole slew of non-Western Fantasy genres like the Chinese (Wuxia or Martial Arts, Xianxia or Immortal Cultivation, Xuanhuan or Eastern Fantasy), together with the overpopulated Japanese Isekai -genre (with Reincarnation and Transmigration subgenres) that can be kind of similar to Doorway Fantasy series that were once more popular in the West (and which are also missing from the list: think series like Narnia or the Fionavar Tapestry, for example).

[@adamnesico]

Id add too the myths and legends of different cultures and their national epics. Is there any isekai wich isn’t childish escapism?

[@montetiger866]

@@adamnesico Yes there are if you are interested in reccomendation the channels giguk and mothers basement are good places to start . Accendance of a bookworm worm sick girl gets reincarnated and has to navigate the complex political social and economic ties of the medieval world KZbin doesn't like links to channels Trash-Tier Waifu has a playlist going through the books in detail if you are interested . Isekai for me is less childlike escapism it is more like escapism from the exhaustion of modern life working insane hours with little time to do anything else especially in Japan

[@ajdynon]

Also related, Slow Life Fantasy, which aims for a relaxed atmosphere, with the protagonist pointedly NOT going on epic quests or the like.

[@iShoLuvCHICKEN]

was literally bout to say myself that bro forgot LitRPGs before I seen your comment

[@swanshawn_]

The editing on your videos is absolutely insane, it takes me forever just to cut around and insert memes 🤣but great video! I never thought of prince of thorns as coming of age just with how brutal it was but looking back it holy shit it was. To me my favorite reads that aren't afraid to mix the subgenres, bits of grimdark, epic scales, threads of humor, leaving your PI job as a wizard in Chicago to step through a portal to fight ancient fairy tale creatures...etc

[@dpgenghis]

Another recommendation for comedic fantasy -- the Xanth series, by Piers Anthony. I'm not aware of an earlier example of a comedic fantasy series than Xanth, there are currently nearly 50 books in the series. Another comedic series that started around the same time is the Myth Adventures series by Robert Lynn Aspirin. Both of these series are full of puns and absurd situations, along with some pretty good fantasy.

[@eweirdguy]

Piers Anthony also started another series, The Incarnations of Immortality. The first book is, On A Pale Horse. More Urban Fantasy than Xanth.

[@Charette166]

Just started with the fantasy genre and I really needed this. Thank you so much!

[@matheusvmoraes]

I don't know if I'm more pleased by the great content, or the stellar editing upon the video. Nice job man, tons of fine recommendations.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Grimdark and Sword & Sorcery are my favorites. I like some urban fantasy, weird fiction, bizzaro fiction and fantastical horror if those count too haha.

[@LuchoBlackk]

It amazes me how you always succeeds at pulling a topic more interesting and appealing than the previous one. You really deserves all the great comments you receive. Thanks for the valuable content.

[@bobd4401]

Another fun comedic fantasy series was the Myth Adventures by Robert Asprin, later co-authored by Jody Lynn Nye. Such titles as "Another Fine Myth", "Myth Conceptions", "Myth Directions" and quite a few more.

[@eweirdguy]

Also, don't forget Piers Anthony and the Xanth series of books. Apparently, I live in Mundania.

[@vivic.k.c.4244]

I have no words to describe how I love your videos! The editing, the artworks, the music, it’s all perfect! It always makes me excited to read more and my TBR always get bigger!❤

[@CapturedInWords]

That makes me so happy to hear!! I put a lot of work and passion into making my videos, so I'm glad they're enjoyed 😁

[@briankivuti]

I love how Sanderson just peppered his way through numerous subgenres. That giant is productive af!

[@RedFuryBooks]

Another great video! I'm going to be reading Piranesi this month as well - I've heard such great things about it. My top 5 subgenres would have to be High, Epic, Heroic/Sword & Sorcery, Dark and Grimdark. I think. Hard to nail down!

[@AzureSkull]

I randomly came across this channel a few weeks ago, now i'm reading Mistborn and i love it!

[@SheriffJoe]

Two of my favorite magical realism novels: House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Gorgeous novels.

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you for the recs, I'm going to add both of those to my lists of books to read!

[@michaelcortez1716]

Like Water for Chocolate is such a trip. Good way to spend the day reading the book.

[@M.A.R.S.]

3:22 bro those transitions got me geekin theyre so smooth

[@nobodytosomebody2725]

Your editing is always top notch. Got me hooked to read more fantasy.

[@matthewwoolley4131]

Really great summary! Genres are a little arbitrary (and every series can be considered multiple), but it's a good way to kinda identify your own personal tastes and find good recommendations. My favorites definitely skew towards High/Epic Fantasy, Coming of Age, Dark Fantasy, and Sci-Fantasy

[@mel__4167]

Your videos are so awesome, the editing always on point 👌 thanks for all the hard work you put into them!!

[@sandisteinberg731]

This is absolutely one of your best videos EVAH! Masterful, informative, and fun.

[@CapturedInWords]

Wow, thank you! :)

[@jenniferarmstrong7722]

Love all if your videos!! I am so glad you did a video for this topic in the fantasy genre. I had no idea there were so many!! Just added tons more books to my TBR pile. Lol Thanks!! 😊

[@CapturedInWords]

You're so welcome! And thank you for watching! :D I'm happy the video is helpful!

[@BruceMount]

Great video Jay! Recently, I have really enjoyed many of the books by Drew Hayes, especially "The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant" and other books in that series. It's not quite comedy fantasy, but I guess I would call it light-hearted (mostly).

[@nanimaonovi2528]

You might like Dakota Krout too. Dungeon Born was a fun read, if you like killer bunnies and mayhem.

[@BruceMount]

@@nanimaonovi2528 thanks, I'll check that out!

[@HeatherSchrivener-el2mx]

The Dungeon Eternium series and the following Completionist Chronicles by Drew Hayes are downright awesome. Puns, snarky characters, and absurdism abound. Like, one guy has T-Rex heads for hands and somebody else makes up a war crimes song to the tune of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

[@BruceMount]

@@HeatherSchrivener-el2mx I'm glad you enjoy Drew Hayes, although I think Dakota Krout wrote The Completionist Chronicles.

[@josephscarfone9740]

Commenting mostly for engagement but high fantasy, grim dark, and historical are my favourites and it’s always a bonus if some come in standalone books. Looks like you put a lot of effort into your video here and excited to see what you make you next!

[@doha4258]

your editing is so exciting! im pretty well versed in fantasy anyway but i loved watching this!! so concise and helpful

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you!! I'm happy you enjoyed it 😁

[@avantgardenovelist]

what a teacher you are. I learn more from you than any other booktuber. thank you!😊

[@AlexNitsu]

Great video, one of your best! You've alway done awesome editting, but this is just on the next level! I appreciate the nod to Kings of the Wyld when talking about high fantasy (that is not neessarilly epic).

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks Alex! I tried to switch up my editing style a lot in this one, so I'm glad it was enjoyed! :D

[@birgertales]

Thank you so much for this summary! ^_^ I especially appreciate your explanation of the Dark Fantasy sub genre since I focus on it in my own writing 😊💙

[@CapturedInWords]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Yoshinori76]

I'm a new subscriber and I dig your content. If you haven't already, would you consider a series of videos based on this one where you give your recommendations for each sub genre of fantasy?

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks for subscribing! I've actually been thinking of making videos like that, I plan on making individual 'Sub-genre Explained' videos where I talk about the origin of the sub-genre then dive into some recommendations. Hope to start making those later this month :)

[@aainsley19]

Loved this video! My top 5 are… 1. Epic Fantasy 2. Grimdark 3. High Fantasy 4. Sci-Fantasy 5. Steampunk

[@CapturedInWords]

Great choices!! The book I'm writing is a blend of Sci-Fantasy, Grim Dark, and a little bit of steampunk

[@IrisGarciaMoonsilver]

I love this video. I would love a deep dive series of videos like: “Ultimate Fantasy Guide Part 1 , 2 , 3….. : ( about 3 or 4 sub-genres ) taking time to explain what they are, using visuals please 🙏🏻 (which I love 🤩🤩🤩 in this video) the evolution of clasic books in that genre vs new books in the same genre.

[@NiceBeard]

There's also Progressive Fantasy, a Power fantasy focused on Character progression in power rather than character development, for example, series like Cradle, and Thousand Li

[@tkachovsergei1778]

one of the best feelings after watching is that there are some other people that like fantasy that much as I do ) thank you for the list, it opened my eyes to what I could read next )

[@CapturedInWords]

I'm happy to hear this, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@thelibrarianofalexandria6200]

Fun video. Some of these were new to me. My faves: Time travel books, steampunk, paranormal fantasy, retellings, historical fantasy.

[@pdb1088]

The quality of these videos is just amazing

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you!!

[@Ciestiel]

I was so happy you included Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series in the science fantasy section! That’s one of my favorite series of all time and I hardly see anyone talk about it or mention it, and usually it’s not positive when I do see it. Made my day! I love high and epic fantasy, urban fantasy, science fantasy, grim-dark, and supernatural fantasy. Though as long as the characters and plot can engage me I’ll try probably any sub genre 😅

[@hillbillycomics7408]

For Superhero Fantasy, I DEFINITELY wanna highlight Invincible!! It's probably my favorite piece of Superhero media!!

[@SojournistActual]

This is terrific! So good to have all the genre differences laid out side by side. My top five: 1. High Fantasy 2. Epic Fantasy 3. Portal Fantasy 4. Science Fantasy 5 Steampunk Fantasy

[@CapturedInWords]

Great choices! As I did research for this video it made me realize that there's a lot of subgenres I haven't read much of. I've always liked the idea of steampunk, but haven't actually read much of it other then a few books

[@SojournistActual]

@@CapturedInWords Ditto on the steampunk.

[@acoupleofschoes]

The Critical Failures series by Robert Bevan is a good comedy fantasy series. A group of friends (who aren't the smartest) get sucked into their D&D game as their characters. They have to either make do being level 1 adventurers making money or try and figure out a way back home.

[@jdk7798]

Another great video Jay, I always look forward to your latest upload. My top 5 are: 1) Epic And then in no particular order Grimdark, Portal, Coming of Age. Then in the #5 spot Sword and Sorcery, which I generally only read one or two books in this subgenre a year, but I find it a great way to break up the above subgenres when things get to heavy.

[@whatevanreads]

Fantastic video, man! Thanks for making this 👌

[@CapturedInWords]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@vajs6312]

As someone who has read and loved about 10 Discworld books so far, I can confidently say that "Orconomics" by J. Zachary Pike is a fun comedic fantasy book. There's also a sequel, "Son of a Liche" which I have yet to listen to. The first book is a satire like Discworld, but it still has its own style and specificities. The humor is dry and fast-paced, the narrative revolves around satirizing the heroics in fantasy through the lens of capitalism and corporate cost-effectiveness. As much as Discworld is utterly British in its humor, the same can be said about Orconomics and its American style of early slapstick wit and humor. It just works and the whole experience is seamless and an amazing palate-cleanser.

[@notkristen133]

Ok, top 5 sub genres: High, epic, steampunk, gas light, and fantasy of manners. Also, it’s cool to hear the Goblin Emperor get a mention, it’s one of my favorite books!

[@CapturedInWords]

Great choices! The Goblin Emperor is soooo good! It's definitely one of my favorites as well, and it deserves more love

[@RosLanta]

The Goblin Emperor is also one of my favourites I adore it

[@nelisezpasce]

The editing is so sick!

[@SalvaLP22]

Loved the video; so nice to know you are reading Piranesi! Aaaand, I like how your hair looks haha

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you!! 😁

[@amalia2277]

This was such an interesting, well thought out and informative video!

[@wadeklingler6434]

I love your videos! I can't tell you how many books I have read just because you suggested them. Plus, I can't even think of a single book you suggested that I haven't liked! Thanks so much for your suggestions and videos!

[@CapturedInWords]

That makes me really happy to hear! I'm glad you've enjoyed my recommendations! :D

[@fabianwolf6849]

Thanks to you I've discovered, that the book series I'm currently writing is mainly nested in Mythopoeia and Court Intrigue Fantasy but has a Sci-Fantasy aesthetic to it, so I guess the people who sort the book stores will have a fun time finding a shelve for this stuff. 😂 No really, thank you so much! You've answered a question, that many other creators didn't, with your video. ❤

[@CapturedInWords]

I'm really happy to hear my video helped! 😀 Good luck with your writing!

[@fantasyfanatic6038]

Awesome video as always, Jay!

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks for watching!

[@rainer333]

Thank you for recommending Nausicaä. It’s my favorite of Miyazaki’s amazing works.

[@CapturedInWords]

Nausicaä is probably my favorite of all his works too, I love both the manga and the movie!

[@joshyaks]

My favourite portal fantasy: The "Fionavar Tapestry" trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay

[@olgaleinveber5484]

I've started reading fantasy not so long ago so I'm not good at recognizing it's sub genres yet. But since I love The First Law series grimdark looks perfect to me. And I think, epic and urban will work for me as well. I'm also willing to look closer into military fantasy. And everything I've read by Sanderson. The Wax and Wayne series is terrific. Especially Wayne. Glad I've found this channel, very helpful videos. Thanks!

[@splifftachyon4420]

Nice overview! My personal favourites are Sword & Sorcery and it's slightly more sci-fi oriented Sword & Planet. Hey, I'm a sucker for a really great adventure! I also really enjoy Urban Fantasy. A particular favourite of mine in that subgenre is Charles de Lint. I would recommend his books 'Moonheart', 'Yarrow', and 'Memory & Dream', three of my all-time favourites. Also for some really unique dark urban fantasy, try Elizabeth Hand's 'Waking the Moon' and 'Black Light'.

[@countrymonkOSB]

Comedic fantasy series: The Xanth novels of Piers Anthony...? But top five subgenres for me are grimdark, heroic, epic, urban, sword and sorcery. Great video, btw!

[@thebigshep]

I've been following you and other fantasy book tubers for a while now, but I have a confession: I only recently (like 2 days ago) started the first fantasy novel/series I've read in years and years. I went with Book of the New Sun, and I'm enjoying it immensely

[@CapturedInWords]

That's awesome to hear you're getting back into reading, Book of the New sun is a great choice! It's an incredible story!

[@aoihitori]

I'll keep this vid as a reference since I'm currently writting a Fantasy story but I didn't know that it had various sub-genre aside from what I know. This could help which Fantasy Genre should I focus first.

[@LilFL117]

I absolutely adore your content ❤. You’re one of my favorite youtubers, cant wait for more videos!

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you so much!!

[@loicapreda4239]

What a visual masterpiece this video is! Wow! 😱

[@drummertp12]

Came to leave a like but now i do have found some new titles for my tbr

[@imJMatik]

Thank you for the recommendations! I think the pace if this video was a bit fast. It made it somewhat exhausting to watch. Other that that great job as usual!

[@jennifersterken4869]

Also would love in depth videos about the subgenres. I love learning about bookish history.😊

[@taraminter5424]

I learned a lot from this video! Thanks for taking the time to research the topic. My top five sub genres are Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction. Octavia E. Butler is my favorite Speculative Fiction writer.

[@gordonburroughs2474]

Great job with the video! My top five genres: Epic Fantasy (SA, WoT) Portal Fantasy (Pawn’s Dream, Last Rune Series) Magical Realism (Neverwhere) High (LotR, Mistborn) Horror (Salem’s Lot) Coming of Age and Quest genres work especially well paired with the above.

[@gegamst7323]

High fantasy, coming of age and dark fantasy is probably my favourites, but I love the Dresden files too so I guess I have to add urban fantasy. I think gaslight fantasy will soon be on my top 5 list as well as I really enjoyed the ones I:ve already read. That's not surprising as I've always had a love for old Britain and Charles Dickens is one of my favourite authors.

[@ditzykunoichi]

Top 5 fantasy sub genres: High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Coming of Age, Grimdark, and Mythopoeia. I would further include Dark, Portal, Heroic, Fairytale, and Military. I think combining a Coming of Age story with any of the Fantasy sub genres makes for a really interesting story, because there's so many different ways people can grow up and develop in these strange worlds.

[@BookishChas]

This is a great breakdown of the sub-genres Jay!

[@irltopinambour6572]

Here is my top 4! 1: Dark. My two favorites being Berzerk and the Witcher 2: Epic Fantasy. Having a real hard time choosing between Lord of the Rings and Stormlinght Archives here.... 3: Casual Fantasy. It's low stakes and dumb fun. Often overlaps with Comedic fantasy. I love it. Two examples that I love are Legends and Latte and A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. I love to read these between two more serious books. 4:Grim Dark. The first law is a must here. Tell me what you think!

[@PDShimel]

I enjoyed A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (Magical Realism) and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (several genres). Just to add a couple to your great list. If you like older fantasy, there's George MacDonald, Lilith and there is Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen

[@starmorpheus]

Damn dude the editing was killer. Great video.

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you!

[@chico6988]

I love the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms novels (specifically the ones about Drizzt by R. A. Salvatore.) I never really knew where they fit in (High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery or heroic fantasy.) I am currently making my way through the Malazan books, and am really enjoying them! For recommendations on Erotic Fantasy, I suggest anything by William D. Arand/ Randi Darren (same author, but the Randi Darren books are quite a bit more spicy.) Thanks for the break down of the sub genres! Top 5 have to be: High Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, and Epic Fantasy. Thanks for all the recommendations as well! There are a few I wasn't aware of, and now need to check out!

[@leonmayne797]

I love the Reckoners series! Its what got me into Sanderson. Glad someone on booktube is showing it some love.

[@CapturedInWords]

I need to continue the Reckoners! I read the first 2 books and really enjoyed them :) I definitely think they should be talked about more

[@leonmayne797]

@@CapturedInWords The last one is amazing. I think it might be my favourite in the series, although that could be recency bias. As much as the first one is the perfect opener for me, the last one is the perfect conclusion.

[@crystalr.castillo2784]

this is such a great informative video 🙌🏽 thank you for making 🖤

[@elfflame]

Your differentiation of High and Epic fantasy explained something to me that I had not considered but knew always bothered me. Because I do see Arthurian fantasy as Epic, but it's not High because it's in our earth, if fantastical. So thank you for that. For comedic fantasy, I highly recommend the Myth Adventures books. Robert Asprin was a fabulous author. And for Court Fantasy, I definitely suggest the Dragon Prince books, which is very much intrigue- and politics-based. And because of that, I would also suggest Celtic fantasy, which leans on the Celtic Myths and Legends, as well as Norse Fantasy, which is what Tolkien pulled from. My top 5? High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Steampunk, Urban fantasy, and Fairy Tale Fantasy.

[@alex_pier]

I have found it hard to find a grimdark/mythic fantasy book yet but i really think they would work well together. Mythical world, grimdark heroes and villains.

[@kristieheath2181]

Really enjoyed your video. Two comedic series I have enjoyed are Unconventional Heroes by L G Estrella (the Audible versions are very good and laugh out loud) and Magic 2.0 by Scott Meyer (first three books good go downhill from there). I also LOVE the Benedict Jacka series Alex Verus -everyday London, fantastic action and such intriguing magic and a “grey” hero. I relisten to this series a lot.

[@AlexPhaedrus]

Enjoyed the video. Clearly a labour of love. Due to the essentially limitless potential of fantasy fiction, the number of subgenres is also limitless. Subgenres are essentially just combinations of theme and tropes that gain popularity over time. Seems like you've covered the most popular ones up til now. As for some of the comments about subgenres not covered, exploring these emerging subgenres would make for a great follow up video down the road (most of us may not have even heard of them). Personally I'm interested in something that's probably more of a trope than a subgenre, but I enjoy the concept of "elder gods" -- ancient, powerful beings from a previous age who somehow return to the world or influence the world through their worshippers/acolytes (which brings me to Lovecraft's stuff, Kraken by China Mieville, and I also like Dan Simmons's Hyperion -- which is more sci-fi). Are there any fantasy books that use that theme/trope? Sometimes dragons or demons, I guess, can act as elder gods too.

[@dinocollins720]

editing is sooo good!

[@eweirdguy]

1. High Fantasy 2. Epic Fantasy 3. Heroic Fantasy 4. Urban 5. Grim-Dark Have you read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson? Some of my favorite fantasy through college.

[@davidwilson7042]

Great delineation of some great sub genres. May I suggest a man whose works often stride across several of these? Tim Powers, especially in these books: The Anubis Gates, On Stranger Tides, Last Call, Declare, and The Stress of Her Regard.

[@0MrScruff0]

Would have been nice to mention iskai (basically portal but usually involves dieing and reincarnating), VR, LitRPG, progression and cultivation/ Xianxia.

[@tristanmisja]

My favorite fantasy novel is The Beginning After The End. It's a portal fantasy, epic fantasy, coming of age, and sword & sorcery book.

[@susanangelicamanriquevarga8463]

He gave us homework 😩This was awesome dude. Very good video ❤

[@CapturedInWords]

Glad you enjoyed! 😊

[@RosLanta]

My top 5 are high, epic, court intrigue, military and science fantasy. Honourable mentions to portal, fantasy of manners and coming of age.

[@gregsquires6201]

High fantasy, heroic fantasy, and coming of age, which are all similar enough to overlap significantly, are my top 3, followed by sword and sorcery and comedic fantasy (for Discworld on its own)

[@staceywinter3835]

One of my favorite authors is Tom Holt. His novels are a crossover between comedic & portal fantasy. He has stand-alone novels based on myths and legends. But he also has his "YouSpace" multiverse series with doughnuts as portals.

[@zosiasmok664]

I think that Six of Crows and The Croocked Kingdom duology along The Grisha Triogy and Nikolai Duology also fall into the Grimdark Fantasy subgenre. I highly recommend all of them (Mainly The Six of Crows and THe Crooked Kingdom Duology ;>) And as for favourite genres 1. Definitely High Fantasy combined with Grimdark one, a journey of heroes that are flawed and not-so-heroic in a whole new magical world and their character development is something that stikes a chord in my heart (As I mentioned before Leigh Bardugo's books fall pretty well into that, the whole Grishaverse) 2. Next Epic Fantasy with coming-of-age, where young people don't know much about their power, they still learn and yet, they are made to fight for the world, here Spirit Animals could be a good example if someone doesn't really mind writing style changing each book 3. I also love the idea of Urban and Fantasy of Manners, for now having read only the first book, The atlas six really immersed me in that whole intrigue and how to manipulate others to get what one wants And being honest I'm out of ideas. I have read in my life but not too much and now I'm going to read much more Thank you for help in search for good books!

[@danic9304]

For Magical Realism, I highly recommend '100 Years of Solitude' and 'Love in the Time of Cholera' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

[@myosotis3058]

Great content ! love it 😍

[@bernhardenengel9367]

i just stumbled apon your channel as i looked for new books to read after i finished LotR and Mistborn in the last weeks. Super good and well made video love the images that you used. The only negative i have to say is the first edit of the pictures wich made me a bit sick xD. Otherwise great video now subscribed to the channel.

[@shughes5778]

Epic, High, Intrigue, Coming of Age, and Comedic are my top five. Grimdark gets an honorary mention since I've been reading the First Law series, and I'm liking it more than I expected.

[@CapturedInWords]

Great choices! I had the same experience with First Law, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did

[@azurastar3223]

The Xanth novels are definitely my go to for comedic fantasy and the first thing I think of. A Spell for Chameleon is one of my favorite fantasy books, and just the beginning of Piers Anthony's story. It is a series full of puns. I love this series it is awesome. I've never read Terry Pratchett, but from what I've heard, I think readers would definitely fall in love with Xanth.

[@jeebay5188]

For urban fantasy I would recommend the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It has magic, werewolves, vampires, and fae. Five favorite sub genre no particular order. 1 sword and sorcery 2 epic fantasy 3 high fantasy 4 grim dark 5 sword and sandal

[@HeatherSchrivener-el2mx]

The Mercy Thompson books are great! I also love Seanan McGuire’s urban fantasy series (Incryptid and the October Daye ones specifically). If you like sassy, ass-kicking heroines, you’ll like these.

[@NICKREADSFANTASY]

Idk if someone has mentioned it, but Orconomics by Zachary Pike is a self-published comedic fantasy that is absolutely wonderful. He is doing a Kickstarter to launch his three and final book in his Dark Profits trilogy now.

[@GwenCooper-l1b]

Thank you! That was super helpful. I am not sure I understand the difference between Low Fantasy and Magical Realism?

[@Gidizz]

Great content, phenomenal editing!

[@CapturedInWords]

Much appreciated!

[@jfidrocki]

Late to this video but I'm going to recommend Fonda Lee's Greenbone Saga as an excellent example of urban fantasy.