The Summoner’s Handbook Author Taran Matharu Shares the Fantasy Classics That Made Him

Taran Matharu’s The Summoner’s Handbook hits shelves today, a crucial volume within the world of Matharu’s bestselling Summoner series. Summoning is a storied magical art, and fans will love this beautifully illustrated handbook comprising a guide to its basics, a demonology, and the enlightening journal of James Baker.
To celebrate its release, author Matharu has shared a few of the classic fantasy books and series that inspired him.
I grew up reading YA fantasy. In fact, I spent so much time reading that my school asked my parents to buy me fewer books so I would go outside and play! It’s also true that we are living in the golden age of fantasy. It seems like there’s a new YA fantasy book to read every day. And while I adore many of the new books coming out, I often find myself straying back to the old books that inspired me to make writing my life’s work. So here they are—the fantasy classics that made me.

Redwall, by Brian Jacques
Don’t let the anthropomorphic animals throw you off: Redwall is teen fantasy at its finest. Where Tolkien used cruel orcs, serene elves, and gruff dwarves as fantasy races, Brian Jacques uses warrior-monk mice, mountain-lord badgers, and nefarious rats (to name but a few) instead. Written in an easy reading style and filled with vivid worldbuilding, epic battles, and colorful characters, Redwall is an excellent introductory fantasy series for all ages.

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
I devoured these books. It all begins when a millionaire boy genius and his erstwhile bodyguard kidnap a police officer from an advanced, secret race of fairies for ransom. It only gets better from there! You can’t help rooting for Artemis, the antihero protagonist, and the world that Eoin Colfer has built is absolutely fascinating. Give the first book a shot; you won’t be disappointed.

The Discworld series, by Terry Pratchett
Discworld is a sprawling, rich world that’s impossible to sum up in a single paragraph. There are many entry points to the Discworld books, but my personal recommendation, particularly for YA readers, would be The Wee Free Men and its sequels. A story about the magic of tradition, the power of local legend, and the courage of the unremarkable, we follow Tiffany Aching, a frying pan–wielding heroine who sees things differently than those around her, and her friendship with the gnomelike Nac Mac Feegles, a Scottish race of “pictsies” who are equal parts rebellious, stubborn, and loyal. Hilarious, soulful, and fantastical, these books are essential reading for fantasy lovers everywhere.

The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
One for the older teen reader, Robin Hobb’s Farseer is an intricately plotted, well-told story that stretches and enriches the imagination. Dark, beautiful, and spellbinding, we follow the story of FitzChivalry, a royal bastard who trains as an assassin while also learning Wit, an ancient, mistrusted magic that allows him to bond telepathically with animals. Robin Hobb is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and almost all of her books are accessible to both older teens and adults alike.

The Earthsea series, by Ursula K. Le Guin
For many, it was Harry Potter that made them fall in love with magical boarding school settings, but for me, it was Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea. Though it’s aimed at the slightly older reader, I battled through this book at the tender age of twelve, then went right back to the start when I finished. It’s classic fantasy done right, and though the protagonist is as flawed as they come and not the most sympathetic of characters, the rich worldbuilding and beautiful, ethereal magic kept me hanging onto every word. When graduating to adult fantasy, I would recommend starting with this.
The Summoner’s Handbook is on sale now.