Fiction and Fantasy Candles: Gifts for Readers, Writers & Dreamers (Updated for 2026)

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!

Cantrip Candles is based in Los Angeles, offering scents designed to enhance and inspire tabletop gaming experiences. But you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate their immersive, atmospheric scents like Stonemoss Chapel, Den of Thieves, and Hellscape. Readers and writers of fantasy and adventure will enjoy them, too.

If you’d like my impressions of some of their scents, I wrote a review for the Cantrip Candles scents I’ve tried so far.

Reasons to Love

• Candles are made with 100% natural soy wax, making them non-toxic, clean-burning, and eco-friendly
• They’re committed to collaborating with and crediting talented artists to foster a diverse and vibrant community of talent.
• Each candle comes with a narrative snippet on the label.
• They offer wax melts and ambiance sprays.
• Their 16oz candles are double wicked and include a metallic d20 dice inside the candle.
• One of the more affordable fantasy candle brands.
• Local pickup and candle-making classes are available.

Reasons to Hesitate

• Some of the names and references might not make sense to those less familiar with D&D at a glance. However, the scent descriptions and the narratives with each scent make it very clear what the product will actually smell like.

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.

If you’d like my impressions of some of their products, I wrote a review of the Frostbeard Studio candles I have tried so far.

Reasons to Love

• Bright, attractive candles in fun packaging.
• They release a 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 them 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.
• They offer a broad range of scents not related to specific book genres, making Frostbeard Studio candles a promising choice for non-fiction readers.
• One of the more affordable bookish candle brands.
• In addition to offering rewards to repeat customers, they also have a referral program. (I do participate in Frostbeard’s referral program. If you use my link below to shop their candles, you’ll get a discount on your order, and I will receive a small store credit.)

Reasons to Hesitate

• Some scents can seem overwhelming and perfumey at first, but this often clears up after letting the candles air out for 10-15 minutes.
• The overall selection feels small compared to other brands.

Briarwick Candles

Opinions contributed by Megan Balser.

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.

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.

Emberlight Archives Candle Co.

Candles, wax melts, and room sprays inspired by a passion for stories, fantasy, horror, mythology, and more. A friend gifted me their Northern Forests room spray (which smells like alpine fog, willow, and rain-soaked moss), and I am eager to try more from them. It’s worth noting their selection includes cosmic, science fiction scents, too.

Check out Emberlight Archives.

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.

Mythologie Candles

Mythologie was the first fantasy candle brand I tried, and I was an enthusiastic repeat customer for many years. However, I’ve chosen to stop supporting them as of 2026. I made this decision for several personal reasons, including Mythologie’s use of AI-generated images to market their products. I cannot in good conscience support or recommend a brand that will not pay a human artist, preferring to use technology that steals from artists and has devastating environmental consequences.

Because I was a big fan of the company for so long, there are many mentions of and links to them across my blog. I am working to update every post where such references appear.

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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!