Fantasy books are some of my favorites because they can envelope you in worlds that will never exist.  There is a certain feel of adventure (as if you were traveling) that I get when I start to read these books.  The fun for me is learning all the elements of the worlds in which the book exists.  Is there magic, creatures, superpowers?  The stranger the better, i feel.  Here are three series that helped me to love the genre.

1.  The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare:
Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess

These books cover the backstory of the Mortal Instruments books and I think are a better series.  I know that City of Bones is popular.  There will even be a T.V. show coming in January to ABC Family called Shadow Hunters.   I think I just like the time period better.  Set in the late 1800's, the story follows Will Herondale and his Parabatai James (Jem) Carstairs, shadow hunters in London.  When they meet Tessa Gray their world becomes even more complicated.  This is a fun mystery along with a touching romance.  We see characters that will pop up again later in the Mortal Instruments series and get information that will be relevant later on.  I liked the love triangle and found it to be lovely and bittersweet.  They characters shared common interests and were not simply hot for each another.

2.  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Lani Taylor:
Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight, Dreams of Gods & Monsters

An orphan is taken in by demons and earns her keep as a messenger.  Most of the time Karou is a normal high school student in Prague: dating, hanging out with her friends, trying to get her homework done. But then she also has a secret life as a messenger for a demon.  She doesn't question how this came to be, as she is so grateful to not be alone.  Then, one day, her world is shattered when she is cut off from her demon friends.  And is that an angel watching her from afar?  I loved this series as it is nothing like anything I have read before.  Identities and views change quickly.  Worlds are revealed, lost loves found, fantastical creatures are created.  All of it combines to a complex universe that kept me involved up to the amazing conclusion.  There are demons and Angels, but who are actually the good guys?  You'll change your views back and forth throughout the series.

3.  The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo:
Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising

This is another series that I loved due to it's unique settings and powerful characters.  Set in the mythical world of Ravka (which looks a lot like Russia), children are tested to see if they have certain abilities.  These might include manipulating the elements such as fire, or wind.  Or they might be able to heal...or stop a heart without touching the victim.  If they are, they are taken away from home and trained by The Darkling to serve the King.  Hiding her abilities, Alina tries to blend in to stay close to her childhood friend, Mal (who she is secretly in love with).  But Alina's gift is the most sought after of them all: the ability to summon light.  Once The Darkling finds her, he won't stop until he possesses her completely.  The Darkling is at once charming and monstrous.  This leaves Alina confused as she fights her attraction to him and struggles to understand her own worth.  This dynamic has so many parables to real-life abusive relationships that I found fascinating.  There are many other wonderful characters as well such as Mal, Prince Nikolai, and Genya that round out the story and make this series a truly rich experience.