Fantasy books have a way of transporting readers to an imaginative world, often with magic, mystical creatures and adventurous storylines.
A well-written fantasy book keeps readers engaged throughout the story, and eager to flip to the next page.
All the books in this round-up can theoretically be read in just a few hours, given their low page counts.
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If you’re looking for a quick read that falls into the fantasy genre, choose one of the books below that is under 300 pages.
Check out this list!
The fantasy books in this guide can be started and finished in a relatively short time. (iStock)
- “The Time Machine,” H.G. Wells
- “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” C.S. Lewis
- “Stardust,” Neil Gaiman
- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” J.K. Rowling
1. “The Time Machine,” H.G. Wells
“The Time Machine” is an 1895 book by H.G. Wells.
The short, 128-page story was the first book published by the famous author.
This book follows an unnamed time traveler who ventures 800,000 years into the future.
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In this future, there are two human races, the Eloi and Morlock. The Eloi exhibit childlike characteristics, while the Morlocks are more monstrous beings.
This book has been remade a few times for the screen, but the most famous version was released in 2002.
2. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” C.S. Lewis
This classic children’s book introduces readers to the mystical land of Narnia.
In this book by C.S. Lewis, young Lucy finds an old wardrobe that turns out to be a magical portal to the land of Narnia.
The whimsical land is full of talking animals, mystical creatures and an evil witch.
After Lucy first discovers Narnia on her own, she brings her siblings Peter, Susan and Edmund along when she returns. As it turns out, the siblings are part of a prophecy and are very important to the well-being of Narnia.
“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is the first book of seven in the series about the magical land of Narnia. (E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Disney Pictures)
In total, there are seven books in this series.
After “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” are “Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia,” “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” “The Silver Chair,” “The Horse and His Boy,” “The Magician’s Nephew” and “The Last Battle.”
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A few of these books have been made into movies.
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” came out in 2005, 2008 and 2010, respectively.
3. “Stardust,” Neil Gaiman
“Stardust” is a 288-page fantasy book that was published in 1999.
In this story, Neil Gaiman tells of Tristan Thorn, who will do anything to prove his love for Victoria Forester.
This leads him on a quest to the land of the Faerie in order to bring Victoria back a fallen star he promised her.
This book, like the others on this list, was made into a movie. The “Stardust” film was released in 2007.
4. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” J.K. Rowling
A common misconception about the “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling is that the books are very long. While this is true of certain books in the series, it is not true for all.
The first book in the series is actually very short.
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The most popular version of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” just misses the mark of being under 300 pages at 309.
That said, the first U.K. edition of this book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” is actually 223 pages. Authentic copies are pretty hard to come by today, and you’ll have to dish out a lot of cash to get your hands on one.
The first “Harry Potter” book is the shortest in the series. (Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)
Even the second and third books of the series, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” aren’t too long, both around 400 pages.
The rest of the series is where the page count really grows.
The fourth book, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” is over 700 pages, and the fifth, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” is almost 900 pages long.
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“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the last two books in the series, drop back down a little bit, both at around 700 pages.
These books were all made into blockbuster movies.
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