Avid book readers who like being able to boast they read the book before the movie (or the show) should take heed of the following list, because several notable fantasy novels are receiving adaptations soon! Before Fourth Wing soars onto TV and Percy Jackson braves the Sea of Monsters, make sure you read the novels ahead of time so you understand the author's original creative vision.
With studios snatching up book rights all the time, it can be hard to keep tabs on which projects are actually happening and which get stuck in development hell. Every book on this list has an adaptation that has either finished filming or is in the works.
1. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros
Published in 2023, Rebecca Yarros's adult fantasy romance novel Fourth Wing (the first in The Empyrean series) took the book world by storm. It quickly became one of the most popular novels of the year and went viral on social media, particularly within TikTok's reading community #BookTok.
The first book in the series introduces us to the fictional kingdom of Navarre, which has been at war for centuries. In this story, the most essential people on the battlefield are the dragon riders. We follow protagonist Violet Sorrengail as she trains to become a rider at the Basgiath War College, which requires her to push herself to the limit by competing in dangerous quests while trying not to die at the hand of a powerful (and charming) rider named Xaden Riorson.
Amazon Prime Video acquired the rights to The Empyrean series in October 2023, and for a while, it seemed like the series might fall into development hell. But earlier this month Deadline revealed that the lack of updates over the past couple of years stemmed from a behind-the-scenes shakeup, with original showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett exiting the series.
According to the outlet, Amazon has shifted its sights to Agatha All Along and WandaVision producer Jac Schaeffer, hoping to nab her as Fourth Wing's executive producer, writer, and showrunner. The deal isn't official yet, but this news is a positive sign.
2. Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1) by Tomi Adeyemi
Tomi Adeyemi's acclaimed YA novel Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in her Legacy of Orïsha series, is finally getting adapted for the big screen. Filming started earlier this year and reportedly wrapped recently, though the movie won't be released until 2027.
This adaptation has been in development for a while, with casting finally revealed this past March. Thuso Mebdedu (The Woman King) landed the lead role of headstrong heroine Zélie Adebola. Living in the kingdom of Orïsha, Zélie fights to restore magic to the maji people after years of suppression at the hands of the ruling class.
Other cast members include Tosin Cole, Damson Idris, Lashana Lynch, Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba, Regina King, Cynthia Erivo, Viola Davis, and Ayra Starr.
3. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix's next novel to get adapted is his campy vampire story The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Previously, this TV adaptation was in development at Amazon before recently moving to HBO, where Hendrix will work on the project alongside The Righteous Gemstones veterans Danny McBride and and Edi Patterson, per Deadline.
His previous book, My Best Friend's Exorcism, was adapted into a movie at Amazon. I found it to be an alright film but I have a little more hope in this one thanks to the writing team attached to it. The Righteous Gemstones is great and I think McBride and Patterson's sense of humor will translate well to the tone of Hendrix's novel, which follows a woman who joins a book club and gets entangled with a handsome, but dangerous, vampire.
4. The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia #6) by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia is a classic fantasy series from C.S. Lewis that has already been adapted multiple times for film and television. But if you haven't gotten around to reading these books yet, now is the time to brush up.
Academy Award-nominated director Greta Gerwig (Barbie, Little Women) will write and direct at least two adaptations of the books for Netflix, reportedly starting with The Magician's Nephew. Despite being published as the sixth novel in the series, it is a prequel. Chronologically, it is the first book in the series. While The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is well-known, The Magician's Nephew is more obscure and has never been adapted for the screen.
A couple of months ago, we reported that Sex Education star Emma Mackey had landed the role of the White Witch. Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep, and Carey Mulligan are also reportedly in talks for roles in the film. Gerwig's first Narnia film is expected to be released exclusively in IMAX theaters on Thanksgiving 2026 before landing on Netflix in December.
5. Piranesi by Susanne Clarke
Laika, the acclaimed Oscar-nominated studio that brought us Kubo and the Two Strings and Coraline, has secured the rights to make a stop-motion adaptation of Susanna Clarke's fantasy novel Piranesi. The company's president and CEO Travis Knight will direct, he also did for Kubo.
I think animation is the perfect medium to deliver this dreamlike story. It will allow for the creators to envision a more accurate depiction of the novel's surreal setting without the limitations of reality or needing to over-rely on CGI.
Piranesi is a meditative and atmospheric story about a man living inside a sprawling House filled with statues and ebbing tides. He spends his days documenting everything he witnesses and consulting with the only other living person there, the enigmatic "Other," as they try to solve the House's many mysteries.
6. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini
An adaptation of Christopher Paolini's popular dragon fantasy series Eragon has been in the works for years now without many updates, but it seems like things are finally moving forward on the Disney+ adaptation.
Earlier this year, Paolini posted on X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that the show is still on the right path, but they haven't finalized the contracts yet, emphasizing that "Hollywood negotiations take *forever.*"
It's generally a good sign when the actual author of the project is involved with the adaptation, so this update bodes well for the show's future, though I imagine it will still be at least a couple of years before we see it come to television screens.
7. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and The Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
The Disney+ Percy Jackson series, about a young boy who discovers the son of the Greek god Poseidon, has been pretty well-received for the most part by fans of Rick Riordan's books, likely because Riordan himself co-created the show and works as a writer on it, making it much more faithful than the previous film versions.
Ahead of the upcoming second season, which premieres this December, you might want to brush up on the second book in the series, The Sea of Monsters. And if you're invested, you can also pick up book three, The Titan's Curse, as Disney already renewed the show for a third season.
The Sea of Monsters follows Percy and his friends on a quest to retrieve the mythical Golden Fleece to save Camp Half-Blood.
8. The Tales of Dunk and Egg by George R.R. Martin
Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire fans have no shortage of content to look forward to in the coming years, with the next scheduled adaptation on the horizon being A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, arriving in 2026.
This prequel series is based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, beginning with The Hedge Knight. Since these are novellas and shorter than Martin's usual books, I recommend purchasing the complete collection (like the one shown above) and reading all three of the novellas; the first season of the show will be based on the first one.
Peter Claffey (Vikings: Valhalla) and Dexter Sol Ansell (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) star as titular characters Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg, a knight and squire who travel the Seven Kingdoms about 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones, seeking out work and protecting the innocent. It's set to be a lighter, funnier adventure through Westeros, although it will still have its share of violence and plotting.
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