best new book series fantasy

The house in which we live has three wings. The west wing is where the Husband and I live. The east wing is where the children and their attending au pairs live. And lastly, the largest but ugliest wing, extending behind the house like a gnarled, broken arm, is where my 100 ex-boyfriends live. We live in L.A.

Stories deftly blur the lines between reality and satire, borrowing from speculative fiction conventions to create something entirely new and satisfyingly odd. It is a must-read. — NC

Cover image for The Spear Cuts Through Water, which depicts two figures fighting — one with a spear, one with a sword — through an opening in a tree canopy.

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Spear Cuts Through Water is many things. At its core, it’s the tale of Jun and Keema, two strangers who help a fallen god escape her captivity at the hands of her cruel husband, the emperor, and their sons, aptly dubbed the Three Terrors. But Jun and Keema’s adventure is actually being acted out in a magical theater in another dimension hundreds of years later, with the book’s narrative winds between Jun and Keema’s story, the performance of it, and the experience of one man watching from the audience — though he’s fated to forget what he’s witnessed as soon as he leaves the theater.

The Spear Cuts Through Water recalls Gabriel García Márquez with its surreal fluidity, though the way Jimenez weaves together first-, second-, and third-person perspectives creates an immersive style just his own. And his decision to consistently disrupt the primary story with the flowing thoughts of surrounding characters gives you the sense that you’re floating through this world, both tethered to and set free by Jimenez’s mesmerizing prose.

So, as I said, The Spear Cuts Through Water is many, many things. It’s a spellbinding tribute to oral storytelling and folklore. It’s a thoughtful exploration of identity and family. But more than anything, The Spear Cuts Through Water is a love story, and one unlike anything you’ve read before. — SG

Cover image for The Oldeander Sword, featuring a woman in a gorgeous dress lifting up a green curtain while holding a sword.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

While the first Burning Kingdoms book was a beautifully lush piece of world-building and slow-burn romance, The Oleander Sword is a brutal epic that relentlessly builds toward utter devastation. The Jasmine Throne ends with Malini’s and Priya’s paths diverging, as Malini wages her vengeful war against her brother to claim the throne and Priya steps into her role as an Elder of Ahiranya. But when the two women see an opportunity to come together to help each of their people, the lovestruck pair leap at the chance to reunite and end Parijatdvipa’s reign. Malini’s brother is not the only threat facing the kingdom, though. The rot continues to spread throughout the kingdom, and new revelations about the Yaska leave Priya and Bhumika reevaluating their people’s history and relationship to their faith. A series already beloved for its thorniness, Suri muddies the dynamics further in The Oleander Sword as political plots, romantic desires, and religious beliefs intertwine and clash in in engrossing and often heartbreaking ways. — SG

The cover image for Babel, a stark black-and-white drawing of a tall tower, with white birds around it and smaller buildings.

Babel: Or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang

In this masterful, lengthy book, R.F. Kuang sharply critiques British imperialism and the bureaucratic institutions that hold it up — particularly academic scholarship and monarchy. Historical fiction intertwines with fantasy, as a cohort of four students pursue translation studies at Oxford’s Babel. The end goal of their academic pursuits is to make magic-imbued silver for the crown. These magical silver bars are created through a process of translation — namely, that bit of meaning that’s lost between words in different languages, or as they’ve evolved over time.

One such example comes early in the book: the gulf between triacle and treacle , the former from Old French and Middle English with herbalist connotations of curing poisons and ailments. The contemporary in English is a kind of sweet and bitter syrup. This creates a silver bar with the power to heal, and that leaves a sweet aftertaste in the mouth. It is also the bar that Professor Lovell uses to save Robin Swift (this is the English name the boy chooses) from cholera in 1828, before whisking him from his home in Canton.

While studying at Babel, Robin and his cohort are given access to abundant resources they could have never dreamed of. At the same time, they see the ugly agenda of Oxford, and how even their mother tongues become tools of British imperialism. Their professors and classmates see the value in the silver they may produce, with their knowledge of such “exotic” languages, but view those who live in foreign countries as less than human and ultimately expendable. Robin and his friends must choose between two paths set before them: comfort and wealth in the bosom of the crown, or simply burning it all down. — NC

Cover image for Ramona Emerson’s Shutter, featuring a person walking down a dirt road in a red and brown landscape, as seen through concentric circles.

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

The National Book Award-winning novel follows a forensic photographer who — unfortunately for her — can see ghosts. The traumatized spirits haunt Rita at all hours, refusing to let her sleep and purposefully sabotaging her life. These hauntings are also what pushed her out of the Navajo reservation she grew up on, where even discussing death was seen as taboo. But no ghost has given her as much trouble as an alleged suicide victim, whose crime scene Rita is sent to photograph at the start of the novel. The rageful ghost is insistent that she was murdered and won’t stop terrorizing Ramona until her case is solved. Soon, Rita is in deep over her head as she finds herself immersed in a web of crime and corruption involving one of New Mexico’s top cartels.

A thrilling yet melancholy read, Shutter delivers on all levels. But be warned: If you can’t stomach too much gore, you might need to skim through the crime scene descriptions where Emerson’s own experience as a forensic photographer shines through in her grisly prose. — SG

Cover image for Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, featuring a woman in a teal dress standing in a large orange doorway, surrounded by growing vines on the house.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s newest novel is a retelling of the 1896 classic by H.G. Wells. But Moreno-Garcia sets it in 1871 in Yucatán, during the Caste War — a time when the Mayan people fought back against their Mexican and European oppressors.

As in her other works, this Gothic tale is told through the perspective of the young woman at its center. Sequestered in her father’s estate in the Yucatán Peninsula, Carlota Moreau lives alongside hybrid creatures, formed of animal and human DNA. She grows up alongside these hybrids, treating them as siblings, though the outside world would see them otherwise. She has long suffered from a “disease of the blood” that her father has treated with a regular injection of jaguar “gemmules.” To keep their work private, her father claims that he runs a sanatorium — attempting to hide the Lovecraftian horrors that lie within.

Carlota loves her home, and feels as if no other place would contain such natural beauty — though she begins to suspect all is not well. When Eduardo Lizalde, son of the doctor’s benefactor, visits the estate, her doubts only intensify. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau explores themes of colonization, class, and what it means to be human, all while being a suspenseful page turner. — NC

Cover image for A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, filled with bright colors and an orange skyline with circular shapes, as well as a cart going along a hilly road.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers’ newest installment of her Monk and Robot series follows Sibling Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap’s journey through the wilds of future human civilization. A Psalm for the Wild-Built , the first in the series, details the context of this world. In the future, AI has gained sentience — and in response, humans decided to let them form agency and leave to build their own civilization in the wilderness.

Sibling Dex had been a Tea Monk, a profession that led them to human settlements; they would prepare tea and chat or offer guidance to those who sought their various brews. But one day the monk chose to eschew this path, leaving behind their profession to wander in the wilderness — where they stumbled upon Mosscap, a robot on a quest to learn about humans and their needs. In the first book, the two wander through uninhabited lands, discussing philosophical questions about the nature of being alive. In this second slim volume, the two finally enter a settlement of humans.

Chambers builds an alternate, gentler world than the one we live in — though it has its fair share of melancholy, sorrow, and prejudice. Through their questions back and forth, Dex and Mosscap get closer to the tender marrow of what keeps them going, and what their friendship might look like once their “quests” have come to a close. Chambers’ work has been called “hopepunk” by various critics, and this small novel continues on this theme. — NC

The cover image for Ken Liu’s Speaking Bones, which depicts a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables inside an antlered skull.

Speaking Bones by Ken Liu

I was dreading having to write this blurb because it’s incredibly intimidating — and I think, frankly, impossible — to do justice to Speaking Bones in a few hundred words or less. Though, my struggle is thematically aligned with one of the Dandelion Dynasty series’ larger points: that people’s truths are too complicated and contradictory to ever be fully captured. Often, the intricacies of people’s hearts, minds, and relationships become stripped of context, simplified, misinterpreted, or erased until what’s left is a cohesive, neatly wrapped-up history that’s easy to digest. But even within these stories, there’s truth and there’s power. And learning how to wield the power of storytelling is just as important in Speaking Bones as the ability to wield a sword, the might of a garinafin, or the grace of kings.

Speaking Bones is a detail-rich, multigenerational saga with a scope and ambition that would be unwieldy if not helmed by someone of Liu’s masterful talent. There are gods and war, political cunning and philosophical debates, pages upon pages of technical specifications for inventions, and dialogue that reads more like poetry. The questions the book raises and the empathy it extols are not things easily forgotten. But what has stayed with me the most is the gap between the characters’ stories that I read and the ways those stories get retold — within the book, but also outside it, as I try to share my love for this story with others. There’s so much that gets lost in that translation, but it doesn’t make either version any less true. — SG

Cover image of Saara El-Arifi’s The Final Strife, with a dark-skinned woman with long hair backgrounded by blue flowers.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

This epic fantasy remixes tropes to create something entirely new and impossible to put down. As in other dystopias, society is separated by a strict class system — this time by blood color. Embers have red blood, which affords them the powers and privileges of blood magic. Dusters, the middle classes, have blue blood, while Ghostings, the servant class who are maimed at birth, have transparent blood.

Sylah was raised as a Duster and trained to overthrow the Embers by winning the Wardens’ annual trials. But when the rebellion was quashed — killing her family, or so she believed — she coped by turning to other vices, hoping to vanish into the background. All of this changes when she sneaks into an Ember princess’s quarters and gets roped right back in. The Final Strife sets its bureaucratic squabbles and a gripping love triangle against the backdrop of a deadly competition. It’s thrilling and entertaining from start to finish. — NC

The cover image of Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda, featuring a woman in a red dress standing in front of a dilapidated building and behind some spiky plants.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

If you loved Mexican Gothic , then The Hacienda will be right up your (haunted) alley. This Gothic is set at the lavish Hacienda San Isidro, in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence. Beatriz faces dire prospects — her father had been executed, and she and her mother are near penniless. When Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes marriage, she feels as if her problems have been solved. She’ll turn Hacienda San Isidro into the home she and her mother have long craved, with bright windows and beautiful gardens.

But the Hacienda is not what it first appears. It is profoundly haunted, projecting visions of blood-soaked floors and walls caved in, blacking out the lights and rattling doors. In this tale, the monster is in the house — but the monster also is the house. Beatriz is abandoned without allies: Rodolfo has left on a business trip and his sister, who lives at the estate, turns her nose at Beatriz at every turn. Who will save her from this house? And who will give her and her mother a place to live if she cannot make this work? Only Padre Andrés, the young priest — with other secrets of his own — is there to help. — NC

Cover for Eyes of the Void, which features a planet and multiple space ships.

Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Architects, an alien species of moon-sized planet destroyers, are back, and the one thing that used to ward them off is no longer effective. So, how does humanity respond? With infighting, power grabs, and petty squabbles. At the center of all this is Idris Tellemier, the only person to ever communicate with an Architect, who spends the majority of Eyes of the Void being bargained over, used, and kidnapped for political gain and protection. But while Idris is the one burdened with saving the world, his friends on the Vulture God are tasked with saving Idris. Eyes of the Void finds Solace, Kris, Kit, and Ollie (who rightfully gets her own POV chapters this time around) navigating the tense political atmosphere and facing down enemies ranging from the Architects to cultists to their own people in order to protect their unusual family.

Adrian Tchaikovsky has built a dizzyingly complicated narrative, and his inventive world-building gets a chance to shine in Eyes of the Void, as the Vulture God crew becomes further entangled with new characters, species, and cultures — most of whom the crew finds various ways to piss off. And though the book raises more questions than answers, the compounding mysteries raise the stakes to heart-pounding heights as Idris’ quest to learn how to stop the Architects unravels startling truths about the very makeup of the universe. — SG

The cover for John Gwynne’s The Hunger of the Gods, which features a very angry wolf.

The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne

In its second outing, The Bloodsworn Saga remains a merciless and brutal series filled with graphic action, impeccable world-building, and an ever-growing ensemble of characters who straddle the lines of morality. Only now, it’s no longer just about mortals fighting for power, revenge, or family. Gods have returned to Vigrið, throwing the balance of society into chaos. As many scramble to find footholds of power in the shifting world order, our original protagonists — Okra, Elvar, and Varg — continue resolutely down their paths to rescue and avenge those taken from them, even if that means fighting (or enslaving) a god. While characters’ storylines were largely separate in the first novel, here they weave in and out of each other’s lives as fate and (mis)fortune reveal how intricately their paths intertwined. Tightly paced and with invigorating action throughout, The Hunger of the Gods is the epic payoff to the foundation Gwynne meticulously laid down in The Shadow of the Gods and a thrilling setup for the series conclusion. — SG

The cover for Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House, with a pixelated image of horizontal lines of all kinds of colors.

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

Like A Visit From the Goon Squad before it, The Candy House , the newest novel from Jennifer Egan, is written in the mode of its subject matter. While the 2010 outing’s connected-yet-discrete short stories functioned much like a mixtape, or an experimental album from a band that had gotten sick of releasing catchy singles, The Candy House functions more like the omniscient, hyper-reactive style of communication that defines social media, and the internet writ large.

Following ancillary characters from Goon Squad , the sort-of sequel focuses on a groundbreaking consciousness-sharing app, its celebrity creator, and the multifarious cast that gave rise to its existence. As in Goon Squad, and even Manhattan Beach , Egan is above deploying the ramifications of such a godlike technology for soapbox diatribes — instead, she explores her own winding maze of characters and conflicting interests with disgust, empathy, and some of the year’s best prose: ”My problem is the same one had by everyone who gathers information: What to do with it? How to sort and shape and use it? How to keep from drowning in it? Not every story needs to be told.”

Above all, The Candy House explores both the danger and the sublime in humans’ compulsion to share their lives with others. Weaving stories from dozens of points of view in New York, the redwood forests, and the deserts of the American Southwest, among many others, it’s a sobering reminder that the connective technology — the “social media” — that could either save or ruin us is already here. — Mike Mahardy

The cover for Sea of Tranquility showing a moon behind the horizon

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel has demonstrated her talent for penning interlacing stories, with both Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel introducing their casts in piecemeal fashion, slowly revealing how each of these characters know each other. Sea of Tranquility is even more sprawling, stretching from the 1910s and into the further future, a time when people live in moon colonies. The book also creates an official Mandel multiverse , if that’s your thing, with characters from The Glass Hotel serving as some of the novel’s primary focuses.

My favorite part of Sea of Tranquility is its wholesale embrace of one of my favorite science fiction tropes. It’s a time travel story with a number of well-plotted turns, all in Mandel’s fluid, introspective writing style. It’s a great read for anyone who loves The Matrix movies or enjoyed Disney’s Loki (but maybe wished it stuck the landing a bit better). — NC

The cover of This Rebel Heart, with a young woman overlaidd on a burning city.

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke

Budapest is where Csilla’s family has lived for hundreds of years. It’s also where they died. In 1956, seven years after her parents were executed by the Soviet police, Jewish newspaper typist Csilla and her aunt are preparing to flee to Israel. But after chance encounters with a student revolutionary and an angel of death, Csilla begins questioning what means more to her: fighting to survive or fighting for a better life.

With its richly drawn characters and gutting depictions of post-Holocaust trauma and antisemitism, This Rebel Heart is a grounded, often heartbreaking account of Jewish life under Russian occupation. As Csilla finds herself on the forefront of the Hungarian revolution, she navigates the dueling realities that have shaped her — remembering and forgetting, survival and freedom, and loving a city that has never loved her back. Elegantly blending history with magical realism and Jewish folklore, Katherine Locke has created a profound tribute to those willing to risk everything for hope. — SG

The cover of The Way Spring Arrives And Other Stories, a collection of Chinese science fiction and fantasy in translation from a visionary team of female and nonbinary creators, edited and collected by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang. The cover features flowers.

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories edited and collected by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang

Chinese science fiction has become increasingly popular in the United States, as Ken Liu (an accomplished author in his own right) translated Liu Cixin’s groundbreaking Three-Body Problem into English. Since then, Chinese speculative fiction has gained popularity, making way for other literary talent.

The Way Spring Arrives is a collection of 17 Chinese science fiction and fantasy stories — and all of them have been written, translated, and edited entirely by women and nonbinary writers. Curated by Yu Chen and Regina Kanyu Wang, the excellent collection spans topics and tropes. — NC

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

In the near future, a mass white flight to space colonies has left the largely poor, BIPOC population to eke out an existence on Earth, which has become uninhabitable after ecological and human-made disasters. But though the powerful and privileged abandoned the planet, the system they profit off of remains intact. Now, years later, the space colonists have begun to return — some to gentrify the neighborhoods their ancestors deserted and others as trauma tourists seeking to gawk at those who’d been left behind. A nonlinear series of vignettes, Goliath switches between several characters’ perspectives, but the main focus is on a group of stackers, a Black and brown crew of workers who scrape by salvaging bricks from demolished buildings to send to the colonies. With no hope of circumstances improving, they’ve long ago come to accept that grief will be the primary constant in their inevitably short lives — if the cancerous air doesn’t kill them, the automated drone police will. But while so much of their lives are defined by pain, the stackers keep moving forward, searching for meaning and fleeting moments of joy in a world designed to destroy them.

Impressive in its scale, ambition, and range of voice, Goliath is a shattering work that is so much more than the sum of its parts. In addition to the stackers, Tochi Onyebuchi weaves in tales of a gay white couple leaving the colonies to play pioneer on Earth, a journalist hoping to tell the stackers’ story (but really, hoping to assuage her white guilt), an incarcerated Yale grad who becomes a negotiator in a prison protest, and a Black marshal dragging a slaver across the West to retrieve the body of a murdered boy. Goliath is simultaneously sprawling and intimate, exploring racism, classism, gentrification, the prison system, and the climate crisis through brief moments in these largely disconnected lives. But taken together, these small moments add up to a powerful look at America’s broken system and the harrowing trajectory we find ourselves on. — SG

Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor

If the first two installments in The Nsibidi Scripts series were about Sunny discovering and exploring her identity, Akata Woman is about her defining it. The inventive, adventurous novel follows Sunny during a period of great growth as she and Chichi are forced to uphold their bargain with the giant spider Udide to return her stolen ghazal. With Orlu and Sasha tagging along, the coven’s treacherous journey to retrieve the ancient scroll leads them to discover breathtaking new worlds and the increasing limits of their juju abilities. But as Sunny strains to keep up with her rapidly evolving powers, she must also face the growing fracture in her relationship with her spirit face, Anyanwu.

Being doubled and being a free agent both carry heavy burdens in Leopard culture, but throughout Akata Woman , Sunny discovers a strength and comfort in who she is and what she can do. It’s yet another beautiful leg in Sunny’s coming-of-age journey, made all the more impactful by Nnedi Okorafor’s rhythmic prose. — SG

The cover for How High We Go in the Dark which shows clouds as a backdrop

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Sequoia Nagamatsu’s How High We Go in the Dark is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year so far — and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s my absolute favorite by the end of the year. Tender and dystopian, the pandemic novel is told in a series of vignettes, each exposing a different pocket of future society — and eventually connecting through characters and circumstances.

Nagamatsu sharply paints a picture of society inevitably building industry out of grief, as people fight for basic human dignity and struggle to hold onto memories of loved ones. It’s an ambitious critique of late-stage capitalism, wrapped up in a series of family dramas that sound wild out of context: a robo-dog toy that contains recordings of a deceased mother’s lullabies, a euthanasia state park for children whose parents want them to have happy final memories, and tech-bro-created funereal currencies are just a few of the scenarios. — NC

The cover of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lyn Tann, with a blue background, flowers, a figure in a dress, and the moon.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

This heartfelt, lyrical fantasy follows Xingyin, a young immortal raised in secret by her mother Chang’e, the moon goddess exiled to a life of solitude by the cruel Celestial Emperor. But when Xingyin’s existence is discovered, she must flee the only home she’s ever known and carve a new path for herself while hiding the truth of who she is.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess sweeps through the years of Xinglin’s journey with efficient, effortless speed, chronicling her evolution from a sheltered child to the Celestial prince’s unlikely but dearest companion and a decorated archer serving the very emperor she despises. All the while, Xingyin must juggle the desires and duties she develops in her new life with her long-held determination to free her mother from under the emperor’s thumb. A story about how far we go for love and the painful choices we must make along the way, Daughter of the Moon Goddess weaves together Chinese mythology, court intrigue, romance, action, and betrayal into one of the year’s most exciting debuts. –SG

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The Best Fantasy Book Series

From the Taoist beliefs of Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea books to the complexity of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen. From the ambition of Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant books to the beautifully written Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. These are - in our opinion - the very best fantasy book series available, and ones we highly recommend everyone read. The criteria? For the purpose of this list we have decided that a series must consist of at least four books. So no trilogies, that is deserving of a page all of its own.

A Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb’s trilogy of trilogies (Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man) are quite able to put a very strong case forward for their favoured works but few can deny that the quality and ambition of the ten books that make up A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen are unmatched within the genre.

“Erikson is an extraordinary writer… my advice to anyone who might listen to me is: treat yourself to Gardens of the Moon.” Stephen R. Donaldson

“I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy.” Glen Cook

A Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews: Gardens of the Moon , Deadhouse Gates , Memories of Ice , House of Chains , Midnight Tides , The Bonehunters , Reaper’s Gale , Toll the Hounds , Dust of Dreams , and The Crippled God

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A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin

George R. R. Martin is a wonderful writer and his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is so popular because it is excellent. This not a finished series, only five of the seven books have seen the light of day so far (but those who have watched the HBO series will have a good idea of what is coming next). Inspired by The War of the Roses, the English civil war of the fifteenth century the series features wonderful storytelling, a massive cast of characters that demand your attention and a narrative that shows that all humans of capable of being both cruel yet kind, intelligent yet foolish, brave yet cowardly. My advice to someone who has yet to read this series is this: Forget the hype, try to forget the HBO series – read A Game of Thrones on its own merit and I hope you revel in the experience. It’s rather good you know.

“The sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads… Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias” The Guardian

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones , A Clash of Kings , A Storm of Swords , A Feast for Crows , A Dance with Dragons , The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

A saga filled with unforgettable characters and a world steeped in rich history and legend. If you truly love the fantasy genre, passing up a chance to read The Wheel of Time would be an unbelievable mistake.

“With the Wheel of Time, Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal” New York Times

The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World , The Great Hunt , The Dragon Reborn , The Shadow Rising , The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords, The Path of Daggers, Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, Knife of Dreams, The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Is all the hype about the Harry Potter books justified? In a word, yes, the books are a joy to read and possibly the most rewarding young adult’s book since The Hobbit. Hogwarts is a truly magical place, not only in the most obvious way but also in all the detail that the author has gone to describe it so vibrantly. It is the place that everybody wishes they could of gone to when they where eleven. This book is highly recommended to anybody between the ages of 8 and 80.

“One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times” Sunday Telegraph

The Harry Potter Series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin has a reputation for exploring psychological and sociological themes within her books and this collection is no different. These novels can be read by children and enjoyed from the perspective of magic, wizards, adventure and the beautifully imagined world of Earthsea. They can also be appreciated by adults for the thought-provoking elements that the book conjures. This is a collection that makes you think and leaves you thinking. Ursula Le Guin’s creation, Earthsea – an ancient world of wizards, magic, darkness and light, and an ever-shifting balance of power – is an acknowledged masterpiece.

“One of the major works of fantasy in this century.” Observer

The Earthsea Cycle: The Earthsea Quartet: (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu) , The Other Wind and Tales from Earthsea

The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

“Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers! what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.” The Times

The Realm of the Elderlings: Assassin’s Apprentice , Royal Assassin , Assassin’s Quest , Ship of Magic , The Mad Ship , Ship of Destiny , Fool’s Errand , The Golden Fool , Fool’s Fate , Dragon Keeper , Dragon Haven , City of Dragons , Blood of Dragons , Fool’s Assassin , Fool’s Quest , Assassin’s Fate

The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood

Duncton Wood is a truly breathtaking and enchanting read that reminds us how savage yet full of love the animal kingdom truly is. It is unfortunate that these works must be compared to Watership Down but that is the only book with which I can really compare it to in terms of story line and excellence. This is a book for adults and is at times as dark as it is uplifting, first published in 1980 and has since become a best-selling novel. A story of courage, loyalty and the power of love… inspired by the shadows and light of England’s most beautiful countryside.

“A breathtaking achievement” Washington Post

The Duncton Chronicles: Duncton Wood , Duncton Quest , Duncton Found , Duncton Tales, Duncton Rising and Duncton Stone

The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman

Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library is a world I want to write in. I want the opportunity to play in this sandbox, to visit the Library and meet someone new, and to take them on adventures through this intricate and magical world of alternate Earths and mysterious interdimensional libraries. If you like you worlds colourful but dark, fantastical and adventurous, this is the book for you. Speak the name of the Library in the Language and the door will open. Step through at your own risk.

The Invisible Library Series: The Invisible Library , The Masked City , The Burning Page , The Lost Plot , The Mortal World and The Secret Chapter

The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever are a series of fantasy novels with tremendous scope and a psychological depth that had never before been attempted. They are very complex pieces of work but at heart you’ll find a good old-fashioned tale of epic fantasy. The series can not be read without the reader’s constant concentration, it is adult fantasy fiction and the casual fantasy reader may need a period of time in which to become accustomed to this – there are no lovable hobbits to ease you into the story, here you have a man that has lost everything, a man who is angry, bitter, an outcast from the life and the world he knew. But the effort spent in reading this series is rewarded ten-times over and I recommend that every fantasy fan read this seminal work.

The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, the Unbeliever: Lord Foul’s Bane , The Illearth War , The Power that Preserves , The Wounded Land , The One Tree , White Gold Wielder , The Runes of the Earth , Fatal Revenant , Against All Things Ending and The Last Dark

The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney

You could say that if Ursula Le Guin and The Sixth Sense merged then the outcome may be as good as The Spook’s Apprentice. I would heavily recommend The Spook’s Apprentice to young adults looking for a fantastic series. Chilling, memorable, full of wonderful characters and written in a fluid style that makes the narrative accessible to all ages.

The Wardstone Chronicles: The Spook’s Apprentice , The Spook’s Curse , The Spook’s Secret , The Spook’s Battle , The Spook’s Mistake , The Spook’s Sacrifice , The Spook’s Nightmare , The Spook’s Destiny , Spook’s: I Am Grimalkin , The Spook’s Blood , Spook’s: Slither’s Tale , Spook’s: Alice and The Spook’s Revenge

The Mythago Cycle by Robert Holdstock

For all its savagery, you are hoping that there is, somewhere in this world, a wood like this in existence. Mythago Wood is a fantasy masterpiece.

The Mythago Cycle: Mythago Wood , Lavondyss , The Bone Forest, The Hollowing , Merlin’s Wood, Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn and Avilion

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Great characters, a mystery that twists and turns like a corkscrew and above all, Harry, a wizard with a world weary sense of humour, who takes life on the chin.

The Dresden Files: Storm Front , Fool Moon , Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Night, Small Favor, Turn Coat , Changes, Ghost Story, Cold Days , Skin Game , Peace Talks and Battle Ground

Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde

A great combination of humour thriller, science-fiction, detective and fantasy,. In my opinion this book really takes the fantasy fiction genre further. I know I am going to repeat myself but this series is how Thursday would have said it: “mad as pants”. It combines some great elements that truly make this book comes to life in more than one dimension. Combining funny and witty dialogues but also numerous literary ideas with the bookworms and names of several of the characters make this a terrific read and should be compulsory for everyone.

Thursday Next: The Eyre Affair , Lost in a Good Book , The Well of Lost Plots , Something Rotten , First Among Sequels , One of our Thursdays is Missing and The Woman Who Died a Lot

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower boasts some of the best characters in fantasy and the first instalment introduces to us the obsessive and lonely gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, and the innocent yet world-weary Jake of New York. And as we read they form a tender and loving relationship that is pivotal to all that follows. From the beginnings in the desert and through events and flashbacks we then visit the doomed town of Tull, visit Gilead, see the New York of Jake’s when and finally travel through the mountains to the moment when Roland faces the most difficult decision of his life. King’s magnum opus is a towering achievement.

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger , The Drawing of the Three , The Waste Lands , Wizard and Glass , The Wind Through the Keyhole , Wolves of the Calla , Song of Susannah and The Dark Tower

The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Stylishly creepy; at turns gorgeous, humorous, horrifying and awe-inspiring.

“Stunningly original” The Guardian

The Edge Chronicles: The Curse of the Gloamglozer , The Winter Knights, Clash of the Sky Galleons, Beyond the Deepwoods , Stormchaser , Midnight Over Sanctaphrax , Last of the Sky Pirates , Vox, Freeglader, The Immortals and The Lost Barkscrolls

Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook

There are no larger than life characters to be found in The Black Company, all contain frailties and failings that are found in all humans. The books are beautifully amoral and contain no two-dimensional characters. Wonderfully amoral books, often dark and containing violent battles and fantastic characters. Glen Cook changed the face of the fantasy genre forever – and for the better.

Chronicles of the Black Company: The Black Company , Shadows Linger , The White Rose , Shadow Games , Dreams of Steel , Bleak Seasons , She Is The Darkness , Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live

Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist

If you gain any enjoyment whatsoever from reading fantasy then this is a series that you simply must read. One of the highest regarded fantasy book series of all time, it is epic in scope, moves at a breathless speed, and is full to the brim with intrigue and action.

The Riftwar Saga: Magician , Silverthorn , A Darkness at Sethanon , Prince of the Blood and The Kings Buccaneer

The Rigante Novels by David Gemmell

A book by David Gemmell is about morally grey heroes, who fight for what they believe in, and regularly get kicked in the nuts by fate. A tavern brawler who selflessly stands up when faced with injustice. A drunkard that, without a moment of hesitation, sacrifices his life in favour of an innocent family. A burly woodcutter that travels to all corners of the world to rescue his captured crush. A pacifistic priest forced to slay numerous enemies. These tales tell of honour and glory, duty and loyalty, courage and resolve, all coated in a wonderful blend of action, black humour and suspense.

The Rigante Novels: Sword In The Storm, Midnight Falcon, Ravenheart and Stormrider

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Be careful! Once you have read and enjoyed one Discworld novel you may find yourself making your way through the whole series of 41 books.

Discworld: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rights, Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, Guards! Guards!, Faust Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man and 31 more

Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody

When you put your mind to considering some of the greatest writers of the English language, it is a source of continuing pity that Isobelle Carmody’s name is not up there along with some of the greats like Tolkien, Lewis and Hemingway. Though some of her work has been criticized, writing science fiction, fantasy, children’s and young adult literature, Carmody is probably most well known and praised for her work on the Obernewtyn Chronicles.

Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn, The Farseekers, Ashling, The Keeping Place, Wavesong, The Stone Key, The Sending and The Red Queen

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

The Book of the New Sun is a science fantasy classic that improves with every read. Too often overlooked, possibly due to being dense in allegory and symbolism, the joy of coming to understand Wolfe’s craft is part of the joy of reading it. The lead character Severan, is an unreliable narrator, and this adds another layer of complexity. If you’re a fan of both science fiction and fantasy, it is a must-read.

The Book of the New Sun: The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, Sword & Citadel, The Sword of Lictor, The Citadel of Autarch, The Urth of the New Sun and Shadow & Claw

A Tale of Einarinn by Juliet E McKenna

This is a series which looks at a whole range of different cultures and how they interact with one another, and how a relatively normal girl who was making a living on the outskirts of society managed to land in extraordinary circumstances. If you’re looking for a great fantasy series to get into, give this a go.

A Tale of Einarinn: The Thief’s Gamble, The Swordsman’s Oath, The Gambler’s Fortune, The Warrior’s Bond and The Assassin’s Edge

The Drenai Novels by David Gemmell

David Gemmell is a master of heroic fantasy. Gemmell’s characters are always struggling with their inner demons: past mistakes, hubris, greed, you name it. Yet in spite of these ‘flaws’ the protagonists fight for what they think is right. Or just because they like fighting… The worlds Gemmell creates are dark, cruel and full of danger.

The Drenai Novels: Legend, The King Beyond the Gate, Waylander, Quest for Lost Heroes, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend, The Legend of Deathwalker, Winter Warriors, Hero in the Shadows, White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day

Bartimaeus Trilogy? :{ (You're right, I agree, it needs to be in there, may turn the list up to 11 - Ed) (Hi Burr - Bartimaeus can be found on our recommended trilogy page - Lee @ Fantasy Book Review)

What about The Dresden Files? It should be on the list, it's a pretty cool series even if it's not yet complete?? (Hi Simon, good call and the Dresden Files are now listed - Lee @ Fantasy Book Review)

A very good list. The series that I've read are much better than those that have been left off such as WoT. And I agree that Fire and Ice may never be completed, it's dubious to include it.

Eamonn Sullivan

A Song of Ice and Fire is brilliant, however it is not complete. Martin has only completed the first 4 of these books and I think we've been waiting since 2005/6 since he published book 4. It's conceivable that Martin may not finish this series for 10 more years. Do you really want to wait that long? In saying that, they are brilliant books.

... Twilight? Not really. Discworld! It should be on the list - it's such an epic series!

The Prince of Nothing (R. Scott Bakker series) is amazing too!

Although Twilight is an entertaining read it is nothing more than cheap thrills filled with angst. It shouldn't be on the list. Wheel of Time, in my opinion, should be, but it did have some problems along the middle of the series. It's still my favourite but I can see why it wouldn't be on here. Terry Pratchett has written so many books, all of which can't really be described as a series and can't be seen as anything by themselves. Maybe they just couldn't be defined as easily.

The Best Fantasy Books of 2022

The year of our Lord 2022 was a heck of a time to be a fantasy fan—in multiple mediums. While we were all rejoicing over the arrival of long-awaited adaptations like The Wheel of Time , The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , and The Sandman on our screens, the shelves at local bookstores were full to bursting with thrilling, magical new titles, in a perfect storm of new release kismet. Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the publishing industry finally began to truly ease, favorite authors were crossing genres to write in the adult fantasy space, and multiple highly anticipated sequels and series’ conclusions seemed to arrive on what seemed like a monthly basis.

What I’m saying is, there were a lot of incredible fantasy releases in 2022—more than could possibly fit on a single list or that one person could even feasibly get through in a single calendar year. So here’s our attempt to narrow it down a little bit for you—the best fantasy books our team here at Paste Books read this year, which will hopefully have something for everyone.

Unlike so many stories that have come before it, there are no easy answers in the series finale The Golden Enclaves . Everyone is complicit to some degree in the damaging choices that have built the world they’re living in and even the happy endings in this story come with bittersweet sacrifices attached. But the tale is full of clever twists and meaningful resolutions to almost every major character’s arc, some that pay off groundwork laid hundreds of pages prior. Most importantly, this final installment ultimately embraces a larger message of hope and resilience, one that says there’s nothing we’ve done that’s so bad we can’t fix it—if we all simply choose to find a better way together and refuse to give up on each other. I’m not sure that there’s a more appropriate moment to put that kind of call to action out in the world than right now. It’s a rich, fully satisfying conclusion that makes the whole trilogy stronger and more meaningful in retrospect. —-Lacy Baugher Milas

crescent city house of sky and breath small.jpeg

While Bryce remains a generally delightful heroine, the novel gradually unspools a much larger and more intricate tale than the adventures of a college grad and her friends, largely focused on the brewing rebellion against the god-like beings known as the Asteri (who claim to possess the power of the stars). Its sprawling scope encompasses nearly a dozen main characters, with multiple romances and competing narrative threads, and its story is so complicated there are moments where it feels like the novel’s eight-hundred-plus-page count isn’t quite long enough.

That said, every flaw in House of Sky and Breath will likely be erased by the book’s ending, the sort of gutsy, inevitably controversial storytelling twist that is either going to make fans utterly ecstatic or mildly furious. How the events of this book’s final fifteen pages—which are maddening and exhilarating and nothing that anyone likely expected—will play out in Maas’ subsequent books to come is anyone’s guess. But what a ride we’re in for. —Lacy Baugher Milas

To be clear, Babel is an incredible feat of writing and absolutely the most ambitious fantasy novel you’ll read this year. It’s a book with plenty of flaws, but its obvious depth of research, lovely prose, fascinating linguistic-based magical system, and utter dedication to giving voice to sorts of topics we rarely see tackled at this level of depth in this genre make it a book that’s worth your time. It’s not a perfect story—but as you’ll learn within these pages, almost nothing is—but author R.F. Kuang absolutely gets an A for effort. —Lacy Baugher Milas

Leslye Penelope sets her story in 1920s Washington D.C., an era of thriving creativity within the African American community. While racial injustice is never far distant from the story, that’s not the point of the story. It’s the idea of building community—and the power of that same community to help a person know exactly who they are—that drives the book’s larger narrative forward. A heist is central to the plot, but the objective isn’t wealth or glory; by the end, the goal is saving the people who are in the thick of this world with them, facing the same prejudice and discrimination, no matter how rich or poor. Brightly painted with hues and shades of magic, set against a backdrop of jazz music and drag balls, Penelope has taken a specific historical place and moment and made them feel vibrantly alive. She expertly weaves threads of folklore, mythology, and Bible stories into the tapestry of the setting, creating a texture that ties the story to this world and its history while allowing the fantastic to breathe and flow. —Alana Joli Abbot

From its ragtag group of heroes—which includes witches, demons, and resurrected bone animals—to its unflinchingly honest representation of the abuse and misogyny that makes much of its traditionally framed fantasy world go round, there’s a specifically wonderful alchemy at work in T. Kingfisher’s Nettle and Bone that threads the thin line between humor, horror, and heart in order to create something that feels both fresh and utterly necessary. (This is the only book that has an entry on multiple Paste Books “Best of the Year” lists—and there’s a reason for that.) A true delight from the first page to the last, it’s a deeply feminist, fiercely funny fairytale that delightful and unexpectedly subverts so many of the tropes we typically see in stories like it. —Lacy Baugher Milas

Thanks to the thorough world-building that takes place in Jasmine Throne , sequel The Oleander Sword is able to hit the ground running, weaving together the battle for the fate of a kingdom, the future of the series’ central relationship, and the threat of an encroaching magical disease known as the rot into something truly epic in scope. Wrestling with issues of theology, politics, magic, family, and love, this is a sequel that takes everything you loved about the first book in the series and cranks it up to eleven before essentially smashing it on the ground while you watch. Though its ending is the emotional equivalent of a knife to the heart for almost every major character, it’s hard to see how things could have gone any other way. (Which is part of the reason this book is so great.) It’s going to be a long wait for the trilogy’s third installment. —Lacy Baugher Milas

Though it contains some subtle homages to rom-comes of yore, Megan Bannen’s adult debut The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is wholly unique, with an imagined setting that will hook you in from page one and keep you reading until the catharsis of its ending.

The novel’s greatest strength is found in the relationship at its center. Hart and Mercy have an undeniable connection from the moment they start sharing the text together, and whether they’re sniping or unconsciously admiring each other’s attributes, their building tension is heading in a divinely inevitable direction. More than physical chemistry (although even that is exquisite, both teased and fully realized), the most heartwrenching revelation comes from understanding that these two people are quite lonely, and even though they aren’t initially aware of their true romantic potential, their souls figure it out for them first, reaching across the yawning chasm of misunderstanding that separates them and bringing them together to forge a fulfilled whole. With The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy , Bannen has crafted a fantasy romance that should be on everyone’s radar—a story about love, about loss, and yes, about death, but ultimately about how important it is to live, especially when you find the one person you want to spend that life with most. —Carly Lane

But since the Locked Tomb series as a whole frequently defies description, it shouldn’t shock anyone that its latest installment, Nona the Ninth , does too.

A book that wasn’t even supposed to exist in the first place—the bones of this story were originally slated for the first act of the upcoming series finale Alecto the Ninth — Nona is the series’ most personal and human. To be fair, it also contains just as much violence and cruelty as its predecessors. Characters die, get resurrected, and swap bodies just as easily as ever. But where Gideon the Ninth ended in tragedy and Harrow the Ninth was a study in grief, Nona the Ninth feels like something altogether different: A story about life, and maybe even a little bit about hope. —Lacy Baugher Milas

The adult fantasy debut from popular YA author Rebecca Ross, A River Enchanted contains many of the same strengths that can be found in her YA writing: Slow-burn love stories and enemies that gradually turn into lovers to reluctant Chosen Ones and family members willing to trade anything for one another. And yet, thanks to her delicately intricate writing, Ross makes these tropes feel fresher than they have any right to be.

A story that mixes fantasy staples with political intrigue and a dash of mystery on top, A River Enchanted is, quite simply enchanting. Set on a vividly imagined, clearly Scottish-inspired island known as Cadence whose people have existed under a curse for centuries—which leaves their land literally torn in two—the story follows two former childhood rivals forced to work together for the betterment of their kingdom and their adventures through a lush, vividly realized world of fairies and elemental spirits. And it’s gorgeous, in every sense of the word. —Lacy Baugher Milas

It’s hard to believe that Abdullah, an American-Kuwaiti writer who grew up on some of the traditional tales she embellishes, is a debut writer. The prose is polished, the world rich with depth, and the characterizations endearing. With lies and secrets, she lulls her readers in with a story that feels familiar, simultaneously crafting a tale that undermines expectations. The finale changes the stakes for the series to come, and while it’s not quite a cliffhanger, the last pages are told almost breathlessly. The wait for the second book will be long, with no publication date yet announced, leaving readers to imagine an endless desert filled with ruins and danger—and jinn. —Alana Joli Abbott

A gorgeously written coming of age story about a young woman’s struggle to free her mother from a magical imprisonment, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is packed with lush descriptions of immortal life and beautiful, intricately rendered settings. Its strong grounding in Chinese mythology and culture makes even the most well worn or expected tropes feel magical and fresh, and its story is nonstop adventure as Xingyin goes on all manner of quests to try and prove herself to the emperor of the Celestial Kingdom.

Throw in some dragons, mer folk, demons, and a love triangle where both sides are (initially at least!) compelling options for our heroine, and you can’t ask for much more in a story like this. Bonus points, the book’s sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior also hit shelves in November of this year, meaning you can read this entire magical duology right now. — Lacy Baugher Milas

But where For the Wolf focused primarily on Redarys’s journey into the Wilderwood and her slow-burn love story with Eammon, the titular Wolf of the forest, For the Throne follows the story of her sister Neve’s journey through the Shadowlands, the dark inversion of the golden magical forest above and a terrifying place populated by bones, dying gods, and the villainous Five Kings, semi-immortal murderous despots who long return to the real world and reclaim their powers. A beautifully balanced tale of love in many forms, For the Throne is not just a satisfying conclusion to the story that began in For the Wolf , but a bittersweet reminder that in real stories, happily ever after doesn’t exist, and it’s up to us to muddle through the best we can and try to make a future with the people we love. —Lacy Baugher Milas

Black has spoken before about the ways that shifting to writing an adult novel has allowed her to explore more complex sorts of issues, such as the stagnation of adulthood and the ways we’re less able to adapt and change as we get older than perhaps we once were. And that’s honestly a big part of the reason why young con woman Charlie feels so relatable as a heroine. Because even though you (probably?) can’t magically control your shadow, well, who among us hasn’t wondered what we were doing with our lives? Or questioned whether we were failing at this whole adulting thing? And while the story isn’t perfect—it drags in more than a few places, and doesn’t fully explain the hierarchy and rules of shadow magic as well as some readers would likely prefer—it’s an exciting introduction to a new world of seemingly limitless possibility. And a story that feels like it could go anywhere. —Lacy Baugher Milas

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The 10 Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time

Asking any group of fantasy readers which are the “best fantasy books” is a truly dangerous proposition.

Because there are just so many amazing books to choose from.

And I mean that 100% literally: from among the thousands of epic, awe-inspiring, moving, action-packed, and breathtakingly beautifully-crafted stories authors have gifted us for over 100 years, it’s pretty much impossible to narrow it down to just a few.

But I’m going to give it a try!

Long before I got up the courage to write what is now the Darkblade Series (my first of 40+ novels), I was a die-hard fantasy reader—and still am to this day. I’ve read every one of the books on my list below multiple times, and will highly recommend them to anyone who asks for fantasy book/series recommendations.

Check out my list of the best fantasy books below, and perhaps you might just find yourself a spectacular new read—or an old, familiar favorite.

I’ve also put together a list of what I think are the best science fiction books if you’re curious.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Is there any other book series truly deserving to top this particular list? Lord of the Rings is the first epic high fantasy novel series, and to this day, one of the absolute best.

Few stories are as memorable as Frodo’s journey to throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, of Aragorn’s battles beside the elf Legolas and dwarf Gimli against hordes of orcs, of Gandalf’s plunge into the depths of Moria while fighting the terrible Balrog, and, most of all, the courage and loyalty of Samwise Gamgee.

Even now, nearly a century after its release, it is still one of the best-loved and most-read fantasy series. And the movie series by Peter Jackson is still regarded as one of the best movie trilogies of all time—not fantasy movies alone, but in any genre.

Published : 1954 (though The Hobbit , its prequel, was published in 1937)

Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard (and others)

Before there was Lord of the Rings , there was Conan the Barbarian , the fierce, ruthless, utterly unstoppable reaver of Cimmeria.

Robert E. Howard’s sprawling series of short stories and novels introduced fantasy readers to entire corners of our world as of yet unknown—or lost to time—with breathtaking and daring adventures taking place in the mystical and marvelous Hyborian Age.

Thief, warrior, rebel, and king, Conan was everything readers love, never defeated, never equaled, always emerging triumphant at the end—often with the love of a fair maiden to boot.

Though Robert E. Howard only wrote 21 Conan stories over his lifetime, over the years since his death, multiple writers have taken up the pen and continued his truly amazing story.

Published : 1932

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

As Lord of the Rings introduced the world to a new flavor of story (grand, stirring epics), so, too, did Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time .

Inspired by the great works of J.R.R. Tolkien and others, Robert Jordan penned the world-spanning journey that started with five youths from a town in the middle of nowhere, who grew into the heroes needed to save the world from Shai’tan, the Dark One.

Spanning fourteen volumes, the story weaves politics, magic, intrigue, grand battles, and subtly nuanced characters together into a truly spellbinding masterpiece of epic fantasy.

Though the author died before completing the last book, his protégé, Brandon Sanderson (see below) saw his life’s work to fruition, and with it forever established the Wheel of Time as one of the greatest works of fiction ever written .

Published : 1990

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

Where Robert Jordan strove for the grand and epic, The Name of the Wind excels in bringing to life people and making them feel truly relatable and real.

The prose itself is glorious, with writing that seems to sing on every page and brings images to life in your mind with vivid clarity. The main character, Kvothe is flawed yet utterly believable as the “hero” to follow, and the magic system is complex but understandable enough that it draws you in.

There are no grand battles or world-shaking magical displays; no, the story is much smaller, a coming-of-age tale that shows the truth of regret, loss, and love.

Unfortunately, we readers have been waiting on the promised third (and final) book since 2011, with no promise of its release anytime soon.

Published : 2007

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

HBO’s Game of Thrones put this series on the radar of the world at large, drawing in even non-fantasy readers from around the globe with its compelling narrative, gritty world, and complex political interplay between the many fascinating characters. But long before the show graced our TV screens, we fantasy readers had fallen in love with—and been utterly shocked by—the world of Westeros and Essos as written in A Song of Ice and Fire .

The story of the dynastic war among the many factions and houses of Westeros felt like something out of the history books, yet brought so beautifully alive that we couldn’t help being drawn in.

Though the last two books remain to be written (as with The Kingkiller Chronicles ), we die-hards still hold out hope that we will one day soon learn who ascends the Iron Throne once and for all.

Published : 1996

The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson

Before he took up his pen to complete The Wheel of Time series after the passing of his mentor, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson was an established author in his own right, with the Mistborn series being a much-loved addition to the world of fantasy fiction. But his work on the sprawling epic instilled in him a love of grand-scale fantasy, and gave rise to The Stormlight Archives .

As Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time served as tentpoles to their eras, so is The Stormlight Archives to our modern era of fantasy fiction.

It’s as complex and awe-inspiring as the original “masters of fantasy”, but written for today’s audience, with modern sensibilities and themes that are relatable to current generations.

All wrapped up in a truly spectacular, action-packed, magic-rich story with compelling characters that you can’t help but love. With a planned ten books (four of which are currently released), it’s an endeavour of legendary proportions.

Published : 2010

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia were intended to be children’s stories, but over the decades, have become some of the best-loved fantasy novels by readers of all ages.

Every book takes you on a simple yet wondrous adventure through the realm of Narnia, home to talking animals and ancient magics. Through the eyes of children from our world exploring this fantastical kingdom, we come to understand the subtler truths woven beneath the action-packed adventures.

Though the work is heavily inspired by Christian apologetics, with Christian-based themes throughout all seven books, they were not intended to be allegorical, merely an expression of the author’s thoughts and opinions on the struggles the young heroes faced.

The result, however, is a book far deeper than it might appear on the surface, one that has shaped modern literature—both adults and children’s fiction—for decades.

Published : 1950

Dragonlance by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragons have always been a beloved aspect of fantasy fiction, so any series that revolves so heavily around dragons is bound to be well-received. And yet it was the non-dragon characters—of Tanis Half-Elven, Tasslehoff Burfoot the kender, Flint Fireforge the dwarf, Sturm Brightblade the human knight, and the Majere brothers, Caramon and Raistlin—who were truly the best-loved of the series.

For through their rises and falls, strengths and weaknesses, we experienced what it meant to be a hero, and how even the mightiest heroes could succumb.

The Dragonlance novels were born from the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, among the first to bring the fascinating world into stirring, heart-pounding novels—of which, there are now over 190.

Published : 1984

Icewind Dale by R. A. Salvatore

The Icewind Dale Trilogy did something fascinating: they took a typical “villain” (a dark elf, which had until that time, been typically an “evil” race) and created a flawed hero or anti-hero.

Drizzt Do’Urden was born to darkness, but found his way into the light, and within the heart his own people had tried to twist to evil, settled a deep sense of justice and a desire to search for good.

Drizzt’s stories are all fascinating tales that dive into the high cost of his fight to remain moral and upright, but every one is a thrill ride of swordplay, magic, intrigue, and epic battles.

Few characters have captured the imagination of fantasy readers like Drizzt the dark elf with hits magical blades and his faithful panther companion Gwynhevar.

The Forgotten Realms novels, of which these were the first, have gone on to become some of the most recognizable and best-loved fantasy novels of the modern era.

Published : 1988

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

Ask any fantasy reader what makes the Malazan Book of the Fallen so spectacular, and each will have a different answer for you. That’s because Malazan is an epic of such shockingly grand scale that it’s nearly impossible to absorb everything on the first, second, or even third reading.

No, it takes multiple journeys through the world of the Malazan Empire to peel away the many, many layers cleverly penned by Steven Erikson, and even then, there will always be more.

The scope is audaciously epic, the plot complex (and often mystifying), the characters fascinating yet so wonderfully human.

Among the ten books are countless moments that stay burned into your memory forever—from the Chain of Dogs to the half-moon of Anomander Rake to the magic of Dragnipur to the Crippled God himself.

Published : 1999

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The 45 best fantasy books of all time
The Thousand Eyes. by A. K. Larkwood. Book cover for The Thousand Eyes.
The 30 best fantasy book series for escaping to another realm
An enthralling dystopian fantasy series · A dark academia fantasy trilogy · A fantasy series well-known for its TV adaptation · A delightfully
The Best Fantasy Novels of 2022
10. The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake · 9. The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean · 8. Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher · 7. Saturnalia, Stephanie Feldman · 6. Spear
The 25 Best Fantasy Book Series Ever Written
The 25 Best Fantasy Book Series Ever Written · 1. The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee · 2. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang · 3. Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K
The 21 Best Fantasy Series That You Can Binge Right Now
The 21 Best Fantasy Series to Binge · 1. Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson · 2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. · 3. The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo · 4. The Young
The best science fiction and fantasy books of 2022
Runners-up: · House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson · The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang · The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid · What Moves the Dead by
New Releases: Epic Fantasy Books
28 Results ; Blood of Tyrants · Naomi Novik ; League of Dragons · Naomi Novik ; The Quarrygate Gambit · Marshall Ryan Maresca ; Critical Role: The Mighty Nein--The
The Best Fantasy Book Series
The Best Fantasy Book Series · A Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson · A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin · The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.
The Best Fantasy Books of 2022
The Best Fantasy Books of 2022 · The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik · Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas · Babel by R.F. Kuang.
The 10 Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time
The 10 Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time · Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien · Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. · Wheel of Time by Robert