The Ultimate Guide to an Awesome Fantasy Book Club
- iyrunner9
- Apr 23
- 5 min read
The Ultimate Guide to an Awesome Fantasy Book Club
Creating real conversation, shared experience, and stories worth remembering.
You know the feeling.
You open a fantasy novel “just for a minute,” and next thing you know—you’re lost. Hours have passed. You’ve crossed a continent, seen magic reshaped, and stood in silence while two characters changed the fate of the universe.
Every fantasy reader knows what I am talking about. These stories transport you, softens the real world’s edges, and gives you something to carry home with you.
A book club is one of the best ways to share that. To gather people around a single story and find the unseen angles through the eyes of each other. Not every club does this. But the best ones do.
They don’t just read the book.
They step into it.
"The Ultimate Guide to an Awesome Fantasy Book Club" is here to help you build that kind of club—not perfect, but personal. Wonderful adventures, together.
1. Start with the Extras
Fantasy thrives on the things many genres skip—maps, glossaries, prophecies, footnotes. Don’t treat those as trivia. Treat them as invitations.
Begin your meetings here. Let each person share the location on the map they’d most like to visit—or avoid. The place that pulled them in while reading, after, or even before!
2. Did the World Feel Alive?
Ask your group a simple question: Could you feel it?
Could you hear the wind, smell the rain, sense what the people didn’t say?
Did the world live on its own terms—or just serve the plot?
Usually, just one specific detail—a market scene, a phrase, a kind of tree—makes it click.
3. Set the Atmosphere
Every fantasy book has a mood. Some are sharp and cold. Some are lush and slow. Some hum with tension.
You don’t need a big budget. A little music. A candle. A cup that looks like it’s from somewhere else. The smallest details can make a space hit different.
4. Celebrate the Strange
Fantasy is where we meet the unfamiliar. Sometimes it’s a race or species. Sometimes it’s a way of thinking.
Ask: What does this culture, creature, or character reflect back at us?
Or take it one step further. Invite each person to choose a group they’d belong to—and why. Their answers will tell you more than you expect.
5. Make the Rules Matter
Magic, politics, power—fantasy builds systems. And systems need rules.
Did the story follow its own laws? If not, did it earn the break?
When the internal logic holds, the world holds. When it doesn’t, the spell breaks.
6. Stack the Worlds
All fantasy books exist on a spectrum.
Brutal vs. gentle. Hopeful vs. dark. Realistic vs. whimsical.
Try making a shared chart. Where does this book fall compared to Mistborn, Earthsea, or The Hobbit?
Even more, ask if anyone would live here and why or why not. Ask what other worlds they'd live in.
7. Where Would You?
Pull up the map. Ask each member: Where would you build a life? Where would you go if you had to flee. Where would bury a fortune?
A quiet farm, a guildhall, a mountaintop? Let them explain.
This one question opens the door to who they are.
8. Break Down the Magic
Good magic doesn’t just serve the plot—it reveals the world. And the characters in it.
Ask: What fuels it? Who controls it? What does it cost?
Is it mechanical? Mystical? Spiritual? How did it build the story, characters, or themes?
Draw it. Chart it. Discuss it.
9. Systems That Shifted the Genre
Some magic systems did more than work—they reshaped how we think about fantasy.
Talk about them. Mistborn. The Fifth Season. The Broken Earth.
Ask: What changed because of this book? In the story—and in us?
Then: ask everyone to create their own system. What would it do? Who could use it? What would go wrong?
10. The Impossible, Earned
Fantasy doesn’t have to be realistic. It has to be honest.
The real question: Did it feel true?
Magic, dragons, immortal empires—none of it matters if there are no stakes.
Look for the moments where the impossible felt earned. That’s where the story has done its work.
Let the Meeting Feel Like the Book
You’re not just running a discussion. You’re creating a space. Here’s how to invite people in:
Choose the Right Space
A warm corner of a library. A coffee shop with mismatched chairs. Even a Zoom call with a fantasy background. What matters is intention.
Small Touches Go Far
A scroll. A map. A glass of something golden.
Atmosphere doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be real.
Snacks and Sips
Lembas-style shortbread. A bottle of cider with glitter. A stew from a fictional kitchen. These aren’t about aesthetics—they’re about hospitality.
Formats That Keep It Fresh
Rotate who leads the discussion
Use cards with prompts
Let characters argue through you (role-play)
Make maps, playlists, or art together
Try fun and strange question like: Should the villain have been spared?
Whatever you choose—make space for everyone, especially the quiet ones.
Choosing the Right Books
Keep it varied. Mix tones, genres, and page counts. Let the group vote. Pair books with similar themes or total contrast.
Here are some of my favorites for a rich discussion:
The Name of the Wind – lyrical, character-driven
Mistborn – smart plot, solid structure
The Hobbit – warm and timeless
The Library at Mount Char – strange and unforgettable
Disorientation – satire that cuts deep
Run the Club with Intention
Stick to 60–90 minutes
Ask more than you answer
Let the structure flex
Add meaning, if you want—donate fantasy books to a school, a shelter, or a little library
One Last Thing
Fantasy reminds us: things could be different. That there is hope. That the dragons can be slayed. And these reminders are most powerful when shared.
Want to Make Your Next Book Club Unforgettable?
I've got something special for you.
Reach out to me for:
Bulk discounts for book clubs, schools, and libraries
Themed recipes to pair with your book
Atmosphere guides with music, decor, and prop ideas
Creative activities to keep things fun and immersive
It’s everything you need to make your club feel like stepping into the story.
Warmly,
Izaic Yorks
Epic Fantasy Author
Comments