Fantasy books in first person perspective tend to bond readers to a character with particular power. Since it’s more common for fantasy authors to write novels in third person though, what stories are in first?
Here are six great fantasy books in first person perspective:
- Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
- Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
- The Assassins of Tamurin by S.D. Tower
- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
For a quick view of the books, here’s a chart comparing them.
Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
Description
Most everyone thinks Ward of Hurog is a simple-minded fool — and that’s just fine by him. But few people know that his foolishness is (very convincingly) feigned. And that it’s the only thing that’s saved him from death.
When his abusive father dies, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog…until a nobleman declares that he is too dim-witted to rule. Ward knows he cannot play the fool any longer. To regain his kingdom, he must prove himself worthy — and quickly.
Riding into a war that’s heating up on the border, Ward is sure he’s on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly serious turn. For he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep.
The bones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them…
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.06
Most Common Rating: 4
Positive Comments
First on our list of fantasy books in first person perspective is Dragon Bones. Whether it was main characters or supporting ones, this story’s delightful and likable characters captivated readers.
Fans said that all of the characters came across as unique and had their own charming traits. In particular, several of them mentioned that Ward, the protagonist, impressed them with his righteousness in the face of his dark circumstances. Oreg, on the other hand, interested and entertained them with his wit.
Negative Comments
If readers didn’t enjoy Dragon Bones though, what did they say? These critics generally said that while the book started off well, it began to meander and lose focus as it progressed.
They found themselves encountering moments in the book where they didn’t understand how it tied into the overall story. Because of this, these readers eventually found the book confusing and slow.
Others said that they didn’t connect strongly enough to the protagonist, Ward. Some explained that they expected him to experience more emotionally. When he didn’t, he came across to them as unconvincing.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Description
My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life.
I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature — the story of a hero told in his own voice.
It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.54
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
Second on our list of fantasy books in first person perspective is Name of the Wind. This coming of age novel has legions of raving fans. In fact, as of this writing, 69% of Goodreads reviewers rated this story a 5!
Why did this story captivate so many people? Readers suggested that its power came from a convergence of several great strengths. First off, fans praised the nuance and believably of the main character’s, Kvothe’s, point of view.
Kvothe felt real and so very human to these readers, who immediately bonded with him. They described The Name of the Wind‘s character portrayal and development as incredible.
Other readers pointed to the story’s simultaneously intricate and expansive world-building, as well as the poetic prose used to describe it. The Name of the Wind details legends, religions, magic systems and more in a vivid and engaging manner. All of this happened without ‘info-dumping’ on or confusing readers.
Negative Comments
If so many readers adored The Name of the Wind, what made readers who didn’t feel this way?
Those who didn’t enjoy the book had two main reasons. The first was that they came into the story expecting a fast-paced, thrilling ride with clear direction and purpose. Instead, The Name of the Wind is a character-driven story that focuses on immersing the reader in its characters and world. Because of this, critics described the story as slow and found themselves asking, ‘Where is this story going?’
The second main reason had to do with the main character, Kvothe. Unlike fans, critics simply didn’t like him.
Some attributed this to his extraordinary skills across multiple disciplines. At some point, they thought that this wasn’t just unrealistic, but irritating. Kvothe stopped seeming like character to them and started seeming like a wish-fulfillment tool.
Along the same lines, another reason these critics cited was Kvothe’s character flaws. It wasn’t that he had flaws that bothered them; instead, these readers were frustrated because they didn’t feel that Kvothe’s arrogance was portrayed negatively. Instead, they saw it as another instance of the story unduly favoring him.
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Description
In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely.
Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship.
But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.15
Most Common Rating: 5
Positive Comments
Another one of our fantasy books in first person is Assassin’s Apprentice.
Readers who loved this book enjoyed the slow burn nature of the story, which focused heavily on character growth and world-building.
Although a fantasy book about assassins, Assassin’s Apprentice is primarily the story of a boy growing into adulthood without the love of a family. As such, Fitz’s journey provoked deep feelings from these readers, who found themselves strongly invested in the characters and sharing their hopes and fears.
In addition, they remarked that there wasn’t a single character they felt apathetic about. Fans said that they felt something for all the characters, whether it be love or hate.
Negative Comments
Are you a reader looking for an action-packed, adrenaline-charged adventure? If so, readers confirmed that Assassin’s Apprentice won’t be your cup of tea.
Expecting action and suspense, readers who didn’t enjoy the novel found its pacing slow. Plenty of tragic events happen in Fitz’ life, but they seemed more like meanderings than building blocks serving a larger narrative purpose.
Others mentioned that Fitz, despite aging around ten years, doesn’t seem to change much character-wise. Readers get to know him, but not see him change or to grow based on what happens. This made it difficult for some of these readers to connect to him.
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Description
In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.
The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace.
But unbeknownst to him, his father was a celebrated assassin and a member of the Tribe, an ancient network of families with extraordinary, preternatural skills.
When Takeo’s village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor—and to his own unimaginable destiny…
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 4.06
Most Common Rating: 4
Positive Comments
Next on our list of fantasy books in first person is Across the Nightingale Floor. This book transported readers into its world through its beautiful, evocative atmosphere. As for its story, fans praised the book for being both heartfelt and brutal.
This coming of age novel features plenty of assassination training and lessons, which these readers loved. They also mentioned that while the protagonists are teenagers, the storytelling and themes made it more of an adult-targeted fantasy novel than a Young Adult one.
Negative Comments
If readers didn’t give Across the Nightingale Floor a high rating, they had two consistent comments.
The first was that they didn’t like the fact that the romance between the two protagonists started with love at first sight. As the story progressed, it didn’t develop much beyond that.
The second comment readers made was that they wanted an even stronger portrayal of Japanese culture. These readers came into the reading experience saying that they expected a historical fiction setting. Instead, they came across the supernatural elements and found it jarring.
The Assassins of Tamurin by S.D. Tower
Description
The river god had spared the infant girl the villagers found drifting on a boat with a dead man and dying woman, so the superstitious townsfolk believed it would be a sacrilege to let the child die as well.
The name Lale, meaning “lucky,” is the last good thing they give her, and she grows up abused, unloved, and resented – until, at age eleven, she comes to the attention of Makina Seval, “Mother Midnight,” the absolute ruler of the Despotate of Tamurin.
Enrolled in Three Springs, the Despotana’s special school for orphaned and unwanted girls, young Lale finally finds what she has always coveted: respect, affection, community . . . a home.
But Three Springs is an institution of dark and shadowy purpose, a place where the wards of Mother Midnight are trained to become perfect spies and cold-blooded, ruthlessly efficient killers. And Lale has learned her lessons well.
At age twenty, she stands poised to play her role in the Despotana’s grandest scheme: vengeance.
Years earlier Makina Seval’s entire family – including her infant son, the rightful heir to the Bethiyan throne – was brutally slain through the plots of a devious chancellor, who then raised up a young usurper to be the Sun Lord.
Now it is Lale’s duty to insinuate her way into the court – and the bed – of that same usurper, Terem Rathai, no longer a child but a powerful and dangerous foe. And after she has earned Terem’s trust, Lale is to kill him.
Bound by the blackest sorcery to remain loyal to her beloved Mother, Lale will suffer nightmarish torment – even death – if she fails.
But once enmeshed in the web of deceit and treachery that has been spun around her, the young assassin begins to doubt the righteousness of her sworn mission.
For not only will the Despotana’s grand design bring doom upon the world itself, there hangs over Lale yet another appalling catastrophe — one that threatens all that she is, all she has ever believed.
Lale has fallen in love with the man she must destroy. . . .
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 3.89
Most Common Rating: 4
Positive Comments
The Assassins of Tamurin is another fantasy book in first person that gripped readers. With its vividly cast world and Asian-inspired setting, this fantasy novel tells a coming of age story through first-person narration.
Readers said that this made it easy for them to connect with Lale, the protagonist, and root for her as she begins to question how she’d been raised and who she wants to become.
Others mentioned that they appreciated the novel’s fleshed out culture and social backdrop. In tandem with Lale’s convincing character growth, this had several readers reflecting on similar real-life situations throughout world history.
Negative Comments
What did readers who didn’t enjoy The Assassins of Tamurin say?
Several commented that despite being a fantasy boon in first-person, the story seemed to keep Lale’s motivations and reactions at a distance. Even as events affect her, her emotions aren’t mentioned.
These readers said that this made it difficult to feel attached to Lale and where the story might take her.
Other readers seemed to come in with the expectation that this would be an action-packed adventure. These readers expected daring escapades, assassin training and pages that bristled with secret killings. As such, these readers felt disappointed when The Assassins of Tamurin resembled a coming of age story.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Description
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered — in suspiciously draconian fashion.
Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs.
While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
What Do Readers Say?
Goodreads Rating: 3.97
Most Common Rating: 4
Positive Comments
Seraphina is last on our list of fantasy books in first person. Filled with these scaled creatures, this novel captured readers with its multi-dimensional and relatable protagonist as well as its deep world-building.
Seraphina, they said, is a protagonist who acts life-like: she laughs and cries, but also acts foolish, struggles to summon courage and can stay steadfastly loyal. Because of this, readers frequently commented on how much they enjoyed reading about her.
Aside from that, fans often described this YA fantasy book as intelligent and thoughtful. This wasn’t just because of the characters’ realistic personalities, but also because the concept of dragons taking on human shape allowed the story to explore themes other books might not have.
For instance, two key themes revolved around what made someone ‘human’ or ‘not human’ (dragon, in this case) as well as the process of accepting others and one’s self.
Negative Comments
If readers didn’t think this book was for them, though, what did they say? Generally, they had two comments. The first was that even though the characters were well-fleshed out and relatable, they weren’t characters that reads connect with emotionally. They were realistic, but not engaging.
These readers said that they felt indifferent as they read instead of eager to see either what the characters would do or what would happen to them.
The second part of the book that critics cited as a negative was the romance. These readers said that while they appreciated that it wasn’t a love-at-first-sight tale, it still seemed like Seraphina fell in love too suddenly.
Best Fantasy Books in First Person You Must Read
How Do These Fantasy Novels Compare?
Best Fantasy Books in First Person You Must Read
- Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
- Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
- The Assassins of Tamurin by S. D. Tower
- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Related: 25 Incredible Epic Fantasy Books You Must Read
