10 Fairy Tales Books About Elves

Step into the realm of ancient forests whispered enchantments, and beings of unparalleled grace: welcome to the world of elves. If your heart yearns for tales (The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings, and Harry Potter) where elves face worlds filled with magic, mystery, and the age-old struggle between light and darkness, then you’ve found a haven. Elves, with their rich lore and complex societies, have captivated the imaginations of readers and writers alike, offering a gateway to worlds where the mundane meets the miraculous.

In this post, we’ll journey through spellbinding landscapes, uncovering stories that showcase elves in all their glory—from the wise and benevolent to the darkly fascinating. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of elvish tales or curious to explore these ethereal characters for the first time, prepare to be enchanted by their stories’ depth, beauty, and diversity. Grab your cloak and sense of wonder, and let’s delve into the forest of tales that await us.

10 Books About Elves

Elves are frequently featured in fantasy literature, inhabiting lush and fantastical worlds brimming with wonder and enchantment. They are nature guardians, keepers of the ancient wisdom of the universe and secrets of the fairy realm, and are not interested in harming humans as long as they do not destroy their shared home. Many elves and fairies have moved on to earthly worlds in higher dimensions in modern fairy books and are light-bodied.

Books about elves transport readers to immersive and imaginative settings, from ancient forests and hidden realms to bustling cities and majestic kingdoms, where magic and adventure await at every turn.

Here are my favorite ten books that represent elves. They feature thrilling adventures, epic battles, and quests for treasure, glory, and redemption as characters go on heroic journeys to save their world or fulfill their destinies. Let’s go!

1. The Silmarillion

This book shows how Middle Earth came to be and how the elves came to be, and dwarves. What events led to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings being possible in the first place? To know this answer, you need to read this.

Interestingly, this book was rejected by Tolkien’s editor when he proposed it as a prequel to The Hobbit. Then, it was only published posthumously by his son, Christopher Tolkien. You get to see an epic backstory and mythology of Middle Earth. I recommend it for the elves lover and fantasy readers.

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrator: Martin Shaw
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Average Rating: 4.8/5
Tropes: Literature, Mythology, Adventure, Fairy-tales, Emotion, Medieval
Number Of Pages: 386
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback

2. Homeland (The Legend of Drizzt)

This is part of the forgotten realms of the Dungeons and Dragons extended universe. It follows the story of Drizzt Do’Urden, the dark elf born into the evil underground city of Menzoberranzan. Here, he is brought up to be a ruthless killer.

However, Drizzt’s personality and worldview don’t align with the philosophy and general way of being of men’s brands. He is very moral with an acute sense of justice, which doesn’t suit the cutthroat, evil, dark environment he grew up in.

So Drizzt decides to leave the underground world and journey into the light to become the erotic hero he is destined to be. Salvatore’s writing is brilliant, beautiful, and especially good at fighting scenes. Overall, the story is decent but has some moral problems. You can enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure at a time. So don’t miss it.

Author: R. A. Salvatore
Narrator: Victor Bevine
Publisher: Audible Studios
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Tropes: Dragon & Myth, Action, Adventure, Magic, Role Playing Games
Number Of Pages: 160
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback

3. The Elven (Die Elfen)

Die Elfen is a German fantasy series inspired by traditional Nordic folklore and epic sagas. It follows the story of Mandred, a human who journeys into the elf world to save his village from a demon. Then, he goes on an adventure with two elves, Nuramon and Farodin, to save the woman they love from banishment.

So, the series got me wondering where the elves had gone in the first place. Also, it’s super fun and gets better as it goes along. Hennen is super good with his character work. But this book has excessive and repetitive descriptive issues. If you love German literature, you can give it a try. Don’t pick any hardcover because it has many issues and complaints, but the paperback is excellent for color, fonts, and binding.

Author: Bernhard Hennen
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Average Rating: 4.3/5
Tropes: Fairy Tale, Myths, German Literature
Number Of Pages: 991
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD

4. A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic)

This book is about a human girl called Luella, who the elf king abducted to come and make spring happen in his world. Then a romance ensues, and it’s a trashy romance novel. Elise Kova tries to portray Luella as having potentially been the victim of an abuser and manipulator before she meets the elf king who abducts her.

Our hero is boring, and the plot is predictable but satisfying in worldbuilding. Hades-Persephone and Beauty And The Beast retelling adapt the story. If you like retelling stories and elf characters, you must read it.

Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Average Rating: 4.3/5
Tropes: Dark Fantasy, Folklore, Romance, Magic, Enemies-to-lovers
Number Of Pages: 345
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle

5. The Last Smile in Sunder City (The Fetch Phillips Archives)

I believed it was in Jim Butcher’s urban fantasy realm, which has awful magical creatures. But I was wrong! There is a noticeable lack of all fantasy races in fantasy literature these days dwarves, orcs, goblins, whatever. So, Luke Arnold made up for everything by cramming everything here. This novel follows the story of Fetch Phillips, a man-for-hire detective. He is also looking into the disappearance of a vampire teacher.

Incidentally, all of this occurs in a world where magic has vanished. So, every single magical creature depended on magic to live. Then, one day, the magic stopped. It’s interesting because I’ve already read several series where the end game is to eliminate all magic. But this is the first one I read where everyone has to deal with the absence of magic. So, it’s super exciting and super well written.

A lot happens in 350 pages. I won’t detail it here because I have book two lined up and want to analyze this in-depth. Introspection Phillips is one of the people who contributed to magic disappearing and how he deals with essentially having betrayed all his magical friends daily. There’s a solid understanding of psychology. So, it is one of the best books about elves and other supernatural creatures I’ve read this year.

Author: Luke Arnold
Publisher: Orbit
Average Rating: 4.2/5
Tropes: Crime, Private Investigator, Dystopian
Number Of Pages: 352
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle

6. Exile’s Redemption (Chronicles of Shadow)

You’re looking for elves, and Dungeons And Dragons inspire this book. We have shadow elves in this one who were exiled into the underground world. It follows the story of a Raven, a dark elf who fled the underworld to come to the surface, learn about her origins, and attempt to unite the elven people.

Then, a portal opens, and a bunch of demons start killing people. With the help of Raven, a 10,000-plus-year shadow elf and demigod, walk the earth. She learns to fight off the demon hordes and maneuver around elves and politics.

I enjoyed Lee Dunning’s take on elves and politics. I have only read the first novel in Chronicles of Shadow, but I have big expectations for what comes next. Four books are available so far, so I will keep you updated. Please read them!

Author: Lee Dunning
Publisher: Wild Hunt Press
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Tropes: Military, Fantasy, Adventure
Number Of Pages: 309
Available: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle

7. The Black Elfstone (The Fall of Shannara)

This is the ultimate page-turner, and it wasn’t too much of a problem because it starts a new story with a new set of characters. That only moment I felt left out as they met a character. The book tells the story of Tarsha, who has a rare form of magic called Wish Song. Her older brother also has this. Only his magic is incredibly destructive, and he can’t control it. He is sent away to go and live with their uncle.

After several years without news of him, Tarsha decides to see him and discovers that he’s being abused. His uncle’s treatment makes him worse rather than better. Tarsha decides to seek the help of the world’s greatest Druid, the target of an assassination plot at this point in the story.

We get a lot of in-depth analysis into how the magic progresses and how he completely loses control and progressively delves into evil. Also, we get to see how he justifies his terrible actions inside his mind. Some unexpected plot twists are fairly predictable, and some characters are poorly present. Overall, you can enjoy the worldbuilding and magical scenes.

Author: Terry Brooks
Narrator: Simon Vance
Publisher: Random House Audio
Average Rating: 4.7/5
Tropes: Science Fiction, Epic
Number Of Pages: 318
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback

8. Blood of Elves (The Witcher)

The Witcher is a collection of short stories, and it was a particularly unpleasant experience. Every character has a strong personality and follows their internal logic so well. The story starts to build to an overarching plot that I can tell will be with the next few books, focusing on something that revolves around destiny and a chosen one. Having your main protagonist instead of being the chosen one, looking after the chosen one is enjoyable.

One of my issues was the writing style, and I wondered whether it wasn’t down to Sapkowski as the actual writing but more some translating issue. I don’t particularly appreciate how women are represented in this book because they want to throw themselves at Carol. Overall, this series is on track to be remarkable, and the formula has changed to one giant story and remained awesome.

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrator: Peter Kenny
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Average Rating: 4.6/5
Tropes: Polish Literature, Magic, Gothic
Number Of Pages: 398
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Mass Market Paperback

9. The Elf and the Hunter

This is a manga with cuteness overload. Our protagonist, Magritte, is a little elf; her trusted huntsmen are Yura. When you go to a dungeon or on a quest, you need many artifacts that can come in handy. Magritte has these abilities and is considered the best in the business, world-renowned for her magical creations.

Another thing I enjoyed about this is that she is tiny and gets a lot of backlash for this. People talk down at her or make fun of her because of her height. When you look down at someone, you look down at a child. So it’s okay to talk down at them and patronize them. Small people deserve respect.

Author: Aoi Umetaro
Average Rating: 4.5/5
Number Of Pages: 160
Available: Paperback

10. Cursed Prince (Night Elves Trilogy)

The book is about two elves (Night Elf and High Elf) getting together to get lockets worn in the world of the dead and coming back. First, we meet Marroc, a High elf who is a cursed prince. We don’t know that he’s a cursed prince jailed for over a thousand years. He can do small spells, and he has memory loss. His soul is stored somewhere or is kept in a safe somewhere. So he doesn’t know what’s happening.

Then we have Ali, a Night Elf who is an assassin. She’s tasked to break into a bank robbery. So, she is doing this bank robbery with his brother, and she is to retrieve something that looks interesting. Marroc does a spell that says that whoever is going to retrieve his ring, his soul will bind itself to his perfect match. That’s the story they capture. After that, she is dropped at the bank, and they jail her next to him, and then he realizes she is the same girl.

There were a lot of secrets. It’s far from epic, and you can sense what’s happening. The romance and character-building are not satisfying for me. But I enjoyed the story and magic.

Author: C.N. Crawford
Narrator: Amanda Dolan
Publisher: Corey Press
Average Rating: 4.4/5
Tropes: Fantasy Romance, Mythology, Fae
Number Of Pages: 310
Available: Audiobook | Paperback | Kindle

5 Romance novel books about elves

1. “An Enchantment of Ravens” by Margaret Rogerson

This novel tells the story of Isobel, a talented portrait artist, and Rook, an autumn prince of the fae who becomes her unlikely suitor. When Isobel paints mortal sorrow in Rook’s eyes—a weakness among his kind—their journey to the fae courts tests their resolve, trust, and deepening affection. Set against a backdrop of fae politics and danger, their story explores themes of art, power, and the timeless nature of love.

2. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black

Part of “The Folk of the Air” series, this book dives into the treacherous world of the High Court of Faerie, where human Jude battles for power and recognition. Amidst political intrigue, she becomes involved with Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the High King. Their complex relationship, marked by antagonism and attraction, weaves a tale of ambition, deception, and the quest for belonging.

3. “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas

When human huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, she’s dragged to the magical land of Prythian by a faerie named Tamlin, who reveals himself to be an immortal High Fae. As Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin transform from hostility to fiery passion, the dark shadow over Prythian threatens their world. This series mixes romance, adventure, and fantasy, exploring themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of love to transcend curses.

4. “Elvish” by S.G. Prince

This is the story of Venick, an elf captured and tortured by humans, and Ellina, a human nurse who treats his wounds and seeks forgiveness for her people’s cruelty. Their forbidden attraction grows amidst war and prejudice, challenging their beliefs and loyalties. “Elvish” is a tale of healing, forgiveness, and the unlikely love that blooms in the darkest times.

5. “Lord of the Fading Lands” by C.L. Wilson

The first book in “The Tairen Soul” series introduces Rain Tairen Soul, a powerful Fey king, and Ellysetta, a young woodcarver’s daughter whose fate becomes irrevocably tied to his. As ancient evils resurface, their bond becomes a beacon of hope for their people. This epic fantasy romance explores destiny, courage, and the power of love to conquer darkness.

Our journey through the world of elvish literature has reminded us of the power of myth and fantasy to illuminate the complexities of life, love, and the eternal dance between light and shadow. These stories of elves, with their rich lore, intricate cultures, and timeless battles, offer more than just an escape—they provide a lens through which we can view our world with a renewed sense of wonder and possibility.

Whether you’ve found new favorites among these tales or have been inspired to seek out even more stories of these captivating beings, we hope your adventure into the realm of elves has been as enchanting as the creatures themselves. Until our next foray into the fantastical, happy reading, and may the elegance and wisdom of the elves inspire you in your journeys, both on the page and off.

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