Best Fantasy Books of 1985

Below you will find a list of the fantasy books published in 1985 that we enjoyed most. Click on a book title to read the full review.

The Handsmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She has only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.

"I've been meaning to read The Handmaid's Tale for a long time - it's probably one of the most famous dystopian novels alongside Brave New World and 1984, and maybe because it's so well regarded I hesitated to pick it up in case it didn't meet my expectations. I'm very glad I did eventually get round to reading it because it truly is both disturbing and beautifully written."

Published: 1985

The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat OShea

Whether you have some small humans to introduce to the pleasures of reading, or just want a whimsical, charming tale of the dreams of the Emerald Isle, with a surprising turn into chaos and darkness towards the end, Hounds of the Morrigan is definitely one classic which deserves to be remembered!

Published: 1985

The White Rose by Glen Cook (Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the North, Book 3)

There is nothing bad that I can say about Cook’s writing. He writes with the sense of purpose and conviction that you would expect from someone who has seen the worst of humanity, and he writes with the sense of hope of the same: out of the ashes, and all of that. Glen Cook is truly amazing and deserves all the praise that comes his way for the continued trust to reality his writing conveys.

Published: 1985