Kulture Korner: Five Fantasy Books Kellogg Students Swear By

By: Shade Bullock, Co-Editor and Chief

Was your New Year’s resolution to read more, or just to emotionally attach yourself to morally gray fae? Did you promise yourself you’d finally tackle “serious literature,” only to realize you do not, in fact, want to spend your evenings decoding generational trauma in 400 pages of minimal punctuation?

Give me dragons. Give me ancient prophecies. Give me a brooding warrior with communication issues and a sword. 

Life is hard enough. I do not need my reading material to be.

Now, I could give you my personal fantasy recommendations. But after a recent incident involving my mother-in-law and an unsuspecting book club, I’ve decided that outsourcing may be the wiser path. I once recommended one of my favorite fantasy novels, and without reading it first, she confidently brought it to her group. Let’s just say… they were surprised. Not everyone is prepared for unexpected spice on a Tuesday night.

So instead of risking further literary chaos, I turned to the real experts: the #fantasy-sci-fi Slack channel. If I was going to derail my productivity, I wanted professional guidance.

Here are five fantasy books that come highly recommended by your fellow Kellogg students (in no particular order):

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

This book tells the life story of Kvothe, a once-famous magician and hero who is now living in hiding. He recounts his childhood in a traveling performance troupe, the violent event that orphaned him, and his years studying magic at a prestigious university. As he grows up, he searches for the truth behind the mysterious beings who destroyed his family. It’s part coming-of-age story, part mystery, and part magical education.

A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) – George R.R. Martin

Set in a medieval-style world, this series follows several powerful families like the Starks fighting for control of a kingdom’s throne. Alliances shift, wars erupt, and betrayal is common. At the same time, an exiled princes

s gathers strength across the sea, and a dangerous supernatural threat begins to rise in the far North. It’s a political power struggle wrapped inside an epic fantasy world.

Mistborn – Brandon Sanderson

In a world where a cruel ruler has controlled society for a thousand years, a young street thief named Vin discovers she has rare magical powers. She joins a group planning to overthrow the empire. The magic system is based on metals that grant specific abilities when consumed, and the story blends rebellion, strategy, and mystery about how the world ended up under this tyrant’s rule.

The Inheritance Cycle – Christopher Paolini

The story begins when a farm boy named Eragon finds a dragon egg that hatches into Saphira. He becomes one of the last Dragon Riders, warriors who once protected the land but were nearly wiped out by an evil king. Eragon trains in magic and combat while joining a rebellion to overthrow the empire. It’s a classic hero’s journey filled with dragons, battles, and fantasy creatures.

The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson

Set on a world constantly battered by massive magical storms, this novel follows three main characters whose lives slowly intersect during an ongoing war. Kaladin is a soldier betrayed and forced into slavery. Shallan is a young scholar trying to uncover dangerous secrets. Dalinar is a powerful military leader beginning to question the morality of the war he’s fighting. As ancient powers begin to return, the story explores survival, leadership, and what it means to live with honor in a broken world.

If you’re new to fantasy, start anywhere. If you’re already deep in it, you probably have strong opinions—and I respect them. Either way, take this as your permission slip to choose dragons over realism and prophecies over practicality. The serious books will still be waiting. For now, there are kingdoms to save. More Articles by Shade Bullock: 6 Lessons from Professor Carter Cast E2 Shuts Down Resident Google Sheet After Realizing It Was Saving Everyone Money The Book of Mormon