Editor’s Note: This post has been revised and updated for 2025 with additional brands.

Candles are a popular go-to gift for good reason. They’re small and easy to transport, and you don’t have to worry about whether they fit with the recipient’s decor. Also, “no thanks, I have enough candles” hasn’t really been said by anyone ever. If you think giving someone a candle feels generic and impersonal, you’ll reconsider after taking a look at these fiction and fantasy candles for adventure lovers of all genres. As an added bonus, buying from these brands means you’re supporting small businesses!

Mythologie Candles has grown a lot since it opened in 2020, selling candle scents that take you on an adventure. The scent collections span history, fantasy, and folklore, with new seasonal themes released throughout the year. They’re probably the best option for Lord of The Rings candles and have multiple collections: Fellowship (for the LOTR trilogy), Atlas (for all of Middle-Earth), and Spring in the Shire (a limited seasonal release, but Mythologie Candle Guild members can access past seasonal and limited edition candles). They’re also perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, LARPing, cosplay, roleplaying games, and fantasy. But really anyone who likes candles will be blown away by these.

Note: Many of the seasonal collections sell out fast, so you’ll want to subscribe to their mailing list to make sure you can grab them while you can.

Reasons to Love

• Candles are non-toxic, made with coconut soy wax, and have either a cotton or clean-burning wood wick that doesn’t leave behind any messy ash. As a bonus, the wood wicks create an extra layer of ambiance with their soft crackling.
• Scents can fill a room without being overpowering and are friendly to scent-sensitive individuals.
• The large candles have extremely long burn times, so they last you a long while.
• Full-size candles come in high-quality reusable amber glass containers. All the packaging is top-notch and feels like a luxury experience.
• Multiple size offerings, plus wax melts and a selection of roll-on fragrances.

Reasons to Hesitate

• They are one of the more expensive fantasy candle brands.
• Between production and shipment times, plus limited stock for seasonal collections, actually getting your hands on the ones you want before they sell out or the ordering window closes can be tricky.
• Some scents are hard to imagine, making it a tough choice sometimes to spend money on a candle you’re not sure you’ll like (and likely won’t be able to get later if you start with a 4 oz. mini candle). It would be nice if they could mail out something like a scratch-and-sniff booklet.

Briarwick Candles

Offering candle scents inspired directly by character and setting descriptions, Briarwick Candles is the go-to gift for readers. The selection is massive and even includes officially licensed lines inspired by the worlds of Tamora Pierce and Sarah J. Maas. Whether you’re close enough to the bookworms in your life to get a candle inspired by their favorite romance trope — like There Was Only 1 Bed — or want to stick with something generally bookish like an Enchanted Library, Briarwick has a candle for it.

Reasons to Love

• Massive selection that goes beyond fantasy candles to include different authors and genres from classics to current best-sellers. Plus scents inspired by movies and TV series — there’s something for every fandom.
• Candles are non-toxic, Phthalate free, made with natural soy wax, and clean-burning cotton wicks.
• The candles and their packaging are fun, bright colors.
• One of the more affordable bookish candle brands.
• Multiple size offerings and wax melts.

Reasons to Hesitate

• The colored wax lacks the all-natural look and feel some people prefer. Also, the pigment can separate when the wax melts and reharden into a gnarly pattern (which might be a plus for some people).
• Some scents tend toward overwhelming.

Frostbeard Studio

You might’ve heard of Frostbeard Studio and their literature-inspired candles after they were featured by BuzzFeed in 2013. Their best-sellers are available year-round, but they also have a rotating selection of seasonal scents.

Reasons to Love

• Bright, attractive candles in fun packaging.
• They release a brand new scent every month.
• You can view the seasonal collections at all times, letting you plan ahead to get them.
• They keep a catalog of their less popular scents where you can submit a request to have it brought back for a limited run.
• Multiple size offerings, as well as wax melts.
• They offer a Candle of the Month Club, a good gift for the avid bookish candle collector in your life.
• You can get 10% off by purchasing through my referral link.

Reasons to Hesitate

• Some scents can be overpowering and perfumey.
• The overall selection feels small compared to other brands.

More Fantasy Candle Brands

These aren’t the only fantasy candle brands out there. You can find more themed candles from the brands below, though I haven’t given them a try myself.

Cantrip Candles

Designed to enhance and inspire tabletop gaming experiences with immersive, atmospheric scents like Stonemoss Chapel, Den of Thieves, Brinewater Tides, and more. The scent descriptions sound like they’d be great for fantasy and adventure writers, too!

Check out Cantrip Candles for your next D&D session.

Icey Designs

Candles and wax melts with scents inspired by anime and other fandoms (like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Animal Crossing: New Horizons), complete with cute packaging. One of the more affordable brands of themed candles, you can easily load up your cart with their other goodies like stickers and journals.

See everything Icey Designs has to offer.

Planeshift Candles

Another great option for RPG and D&D fans, these scents are inspired by specific games and some broader adventure settings (ranging from a Royal Palace to a Saltmarsh). What really sets Planeshift Candles apart is you can get your own one-of-a-kind candle with special blended fragrances based on your own character description. Not only is this a great gift to honor your favorite gaming buddy’s OC, there’s opportunity for writers and artists to collaborate.

Escape the ordinary with Planeshift Candles.

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Which Candle Are You Burning First?

Let me know which candles are your favorite! And if you don’t see your favorite bookish, fantasy, or adventure candle here, leave me a comment with your recommendations!

P.S. Want to know my favorite candle scents for the season? Check out my post Welcoming Autumn at Home With Small Touches.