The 30 best fantasy book series for escaping to another realm

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Fantasy novels transport readers across magical lands, introduce them to mystical creatures, and take them on mythical adventures. It can be hard to contain a great fantasy story in one novel, so book series let readers revisit their favorite characters and worlds as they take on new enemies, discover new powers, and even fall in love. 

The recommendations on this list aren't just amazing novels — they also make great gifts for the fantasy reader in your life. Many of them come in stunning box sets and gifting the whole series means they can pick up the next book as soon as they close the last. 

Whether the reader in your life loves classic fantasy tales or gripping new fantasy adventures, here are the best fantasy series to gift in 2022.

An enthralling dystopian fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Legend" trilogy by Marie Lu, available on Amazon and Target .

"Legend," the first book in the series, available at Amazon .

In this dystopian fantasy series set in a future Los Angeles now known as the Republic, 15-year-olds June and Day may never have crossed paths, as she is a prodigy groomed for success and he is the country's most wanted criminal. But when June's brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect, the two are set on a collision path toward each other until the truth of what really brought them together is revealed.

A dark academia fantasy trilogy

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Scholomance" series by Naomi Novik, available on Amazon .

"A Deadly Education," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble .

This series kicks off with "A Deadly Education" where readers are introduced to Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted that students can't leave unless they graduate or die. Full of monsters, magic, and creepy dangers, this trilogy follows El as she navigates her dark powers, finds allies, and tries to survive.

A fantasy series well-known for its TV adaptation

best fantasy fiction book series

"Game of Thrones" series by George R.R. Martin, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"A Song of Ice and Fire," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Now wildly famous after the hit HBO series of the same name, George R.R. Martin's high fantasy series of dragons, seven kingdoms, and deadly winters began with the first novel — "A Song of Ice and Fire" — published in 1996. In this series, families are in a centuries-long power struggle for control of the Iron Throne while protecting the kingdoms from the supernatural creatures that lay beyond the Wall.

A delightfully witchy YA trilogy

best fantasy fiction book series

"Serpent & Dove" trilogy by Shelby Mahurin, available on Amazon .

"Serpent & Dove," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble .

"Serpent & Dove" is a young adult fantasy trilogy about Louise le Blanc, a witch that fled her coven, abandoned her magic, and settled in Cesarine, a town where witches are feared and burned if discovered. But when Louise is forced into a marriage with a witch hunter from the Church, she must choose to face her enemies, her true feelings, and her magic if she hopes to live.

This fantasy series that ties in epic science fiction elements

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Broken Earth" series by N.K. Jemisin, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Fifth Season," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Broken Earth" series debuted with the Hugo Award-winning novel "The Fifth Season," titled after the apocalyptic-level climate change endured every few centuries. In the first novel — known for its intense plot twists — Essun is on a mission to track down her husband who killed her son and kidnapped her daughter as the world deteriorates into devastation.

A fantasy series of magical parallel Londons

best fantasy fiction book series

"Shades of Magic" series by V.E. Schwab, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"A Darker Shade of Magic," the first book in the series, available on Amazon .

V.E. Schwab is a renowned fantasy writer, most well-known for her "Shades of Magic" series, where readers cross parallel universes with varying degrees of magic alongside a talented smuggler and a cunning thief. The series begins with "A Darker Shade of Magic," where readers inevitably fall in love with the story of Kell and Lila, two brilliant heroes who must save the worlds from a dangerous rise of magical power.

A seven-book childrens' fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Chronicles of Narnia" is a seven-book fantasy series first published in 1956 that begins with a young girl named Lucy discovering a magical, wintry world in the back of a wardrobe in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Trapped under a spell from the evil White Witch, Lucy and her siblings team up with a magical lion to free Narnia from the curse in this series that's been loved by children and adults for nearly 70 years. 

A historical, military fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Poppy War" series by R.F. Kuang, available on Amazon .

"The Poppy War," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Poppy War" is the first novel in this historical military fantasy series inspired by the second Sino-Japanese War in 20th-century China. When Rin aces the test to attend the Empire's prestigious military school, she thinks defying everyone's expectations is the last of her problems. While trying to survive at the academy, Rin finds she holds the magical and spiritual gift of shamanism — the ability to interact with spirits — and discovers a Third Poppy War may be closer than they imagined.

An adrenaline-inducing fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Blood and Ash" series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, available on Kindle .

"From Blood and Ash," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

The "Blood and Ash" series has captured readers' hearts since the first book, which has over 150,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads. In "From Blood and Ash," readers meet Poppy whose upcoming Ascension means the future of her kingdom rests on her shoulders — until a stunning guard named Hawke makes her question what she thought was her destiny. Readers love this series for its action-packed plot, strong heroine, and cliffhanger endings that force them to immediately grab the next book.  

An engrossing fantasy series from Stephen King

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Gunslinger," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

In this primarily dark fantasy series, Stephen King blends magical storytelling with elements of westerns, science fiction, and horror in this eight-book story which follows Roland of Gilead, the final gunslinger, on his mission to reach the Dark Tower and save the universe. Though King is mostly known for suspenseful horror, this fantasy series has proven a gripping must-read from "The Gunslinger" through the final installment, "The Dark Tower."

An emotional fantasy novella series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Binti" series by Nnedi Okorafor, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"Binti," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, "Binti" is the first in a series of fantasy novellas featuring earthling Binti, who's been offered a place at the finest university in the galaxy. She must travel through space to reach the school, surviving a furious alien race during her emotional journey.

A fantasy series that began as a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling

best fantasy fiction book series

"A Court of Thorns and Roses" series by Sarah J. Maas, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"A Court of Thorns and Roses," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Sarah J. Maas is adored for her many sexy and action-packed fantasy series, including "A Court of Thorns and Roses," a bestselling young adult fantasy series that began as a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling. Feyre is a hunter dragged into a magical kingdom, accused of murdering a faerie. Closely guarded, she begins to discover the secrets of this dangerous land, her mysterious captor, and an ancient curse. 

An epic and beloved fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Lord of the Rings" series by J.R.R. Tolkien, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Fellowship of the Ring," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Although "The Lord of the Rings" series begins chronologically with " The Hobbit ," "The Fellowship of the Ring" kicks off this epic, high-fantasy adventure with young hobbit Frodo Baggins and his journey across Middle-Earth. Entrusted with the task to destroy a powerful ring, Frodo, along with his hobbit, elf, and wizard companions, sets out to reach the Cracks of Doom and thwart the rise of the Dark Lord.

A dystopian urban fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Bone Season" series by Samantha Shannon, available on Kindle .

"The Bone Season," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Chosen as the first-ever TODAY Book Club pick, "The Bone Season" transports readers to 2059 where dreamwalker Paige Mahoney is scouting the criminal underworld for information by effectively intruding on people's minds. When she's kidnapped and taken to Oxford, a secret city ruled by a race of beings from another world, she must fight to regain her freedom in this original dystopian fantasy brought to life with elements of science fiction.

A captivating high-fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"An Ember in the Ashes" series by Sabaa Tahir, available on Kindle .

"An Ember in the Ashes," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"An Ember in the Ashes" is a four-book dystopian fantasy series where Laia is a slave in a brutal and tyrannically ruled world under the Martial Empire, living in constant fear. When Laia's brother is arrested, she hatches a plan to rescue him by attending the Empire's military academy and teaming up with Elias, a soldier desperate to be free.

A classic young adult fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Earthsea Cycle" series by Ursula K. Le Guin available on Amazon .

"A Wizard of Earthsea," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"Earthsea Cycle" is a high-fantasy series of six books and nine short stories beginning with "A Wizard of Earthsea," where readers meet Ged, now the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea but once known as Sparrowhawk in his youth. In the first novel, readers follow Sparrowhawk's story of accidentally releasing a shadow over the world and his journey to right his mistake. 

A historical, magical, and whimsical fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Daevabad Trilogy" by S.A. Chakraborty, available on Kindle .

"The City of Brass," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Set in 18th century Cairo, Nahri is a con woman who gets by on what seems like magic, though she's never believed any of it to be real. When she accidentally summons a mysterious warrior during a con, Nahri becomes bound to a legendary city laced with enchantments — and her schemes could leave her facing deadly consequences.

A dramatic fantasy series set in an Asia-inspired metropolis

best fantasy fiction book series

"Green Bone Saga" series by Fonda Lee, available on Kindle .

"Jade City," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Winner of the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, Fonda Lee's "Jade City" is the first in an urban fantasy trilogy about the Green Bone warriors who use jade to enhance their magic and defend the island of Kekon. Four siblings of the Kaul family battle rival clans as a powerful new drug emerges, allowing anyone to wield the coveted jade and resulting in a violent (and lethal) clan war.

A magical and romantic fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Earthsinger Chronicles" series by L. Penelope, available on Kindle .

"Song of Blood & Stone," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Selected as one of "TIME Magazine's Best Fantasy Books of All Time, " "Song of Blood & Stone" is a romantic fantasy novel where a crack in a magical vial threatens to tear two kingdoms apart. Jasminda and her Earthsong gift seem to be the only hope to heal the nation and prevent a rising war.

A mythological fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series by Rick Riordan, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Lightning Thief," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

In "The Lightning Thief," fantasy lovers meet Percy Jackson, a young boy who learns he's a demigod and the son of Poseidon. He sets out with the daughter of Athena across the United States to catch the thief who stole Zeus' lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. The Percy Jackson mythological fantasy series has thoroughly engrossed readers of all ages across its five books.

A series of witches, wizards, and romance

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Kingston Cycle" series by C. L. Polk, available on Kindle .

"Witchmark," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Kingston Cycle" is an award-winning queer fantasy romance series starring Miles Singer, who tried to escape his troubled past and darkly destined future by joining the war efforts, faking his death, and reinventing himself as a doctor. When a tragedy forces Miles to expose his magical healing powers, he risks his freedom to investigate the murder in this series of magical battles, betrayals, and heartwarming romance.

An intense fantasy faerie series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Folk of the Air" series by Holly Black, available on Amazon .

"The Cruel Prince," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"The Folk of the Air" series begins with "The Cruel Prince," where human Jude and her sisters live amongst the fey in the High Court of Faerie, taken against their will to live there after their parents' murders. Desperate to be one of the fey regardless of her mortality and their hatred of humans, Jude attempts to live among them, navigating their violence — and her complicated feelings for their prince.

A gripping fantasy series about demon hunters

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Mortal Instruments" series by Cassandra Clare, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"City of Bones," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instruments" series kicked off with the bestselling "City of Bones" in 2007, a paranormal fantasy novel where 15-year-old Clary Fray meets the Shadowhunters, a group of warriors who purge demons from the Earth. There are six books and three companions to the series through which readers experience dramatic betrayals, unsuspected evil, and exhilarating love.

A fantasy series set in a Dungeons & Dragons realm

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Legend of Drizzt" series by R.A. Salvatore, available on Kindle .

"Homeland," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

Drizzt Do'Urden is a dark elf who is destined to defend the world after emerging from an Underdark where his family wants him dead in this epic fantasy series with over 50 novels, companions, and short story compilations. This series takes place in the Forgotten Realm, a dimension in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, making this series a perfect collection for any high fantasy fan.

A fantasy series of good vs evil

best fantasy fiction book series

"Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind, available on Amazon .

"Wizard's First Rule," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

In this 21-book epic adventure fantasy series, each novel can act as a stand-alone book, but reading them in order takes readers on an epic high fantasy adventure that begins after Richard Cypher sets out to investigate his father's murder. As he navigates the woods, he meets Kahlan Amnell, who is being hunted by assassins. Together, they embark on a dangerous and magical journey of destiny, nightmarish creatures, and bending morality.

A destined faerie fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Iron Fey" series by Julie Kagawa, available on Kindle .

"The Iron King," the first book in the series, available on Amazon  and Bookshop .

In "The Iron Fey" series, Meghan is living a seemingly normal life until a dark stranger unveils a twisted secret: That she is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in their deadly war. Action-packed and gripping from the start, this faerie series is full of romance, mystery, humor, and features characters from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

A paranormal fantasy series with angels and vampires

best fantasy fiction book series

"Guild Hunter" series by Nalini Singh, available on Kindle .

"Angel's Blood," the first book in the series, available on Amazon .

With 12 books, four novellas, and 13 short stories published since the series launched in 2009, the "Guild Hunter" books are set in a world where angels rule over humans and vampires. When vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the powerful archangel Raphael, she's tasked to find an archangel gone rogue. Though the mission is dangerous and potentially impossible, Elena knows failure is not an option in this inaugural book of a gripping urban/paranormal fantasy series. With 12 books, four novellas, and 13 short stories published since the series launched in 2009, the "Guild Hunter" books are set in a world where angels rule over humans and vampires. When vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the powerful archangel Raphael, she's tasked to find an archangel gone rogue. Though the mission is dangerous and potentially impossible, Elena knows failure is not an option in this inaugural book of a gripping urban/paranormal fantasy series.

A post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"Penryn & the End of Days" series by Susan Ee, available on Kindle .

"Angelfall," the first book in the series, available on Amazon  and Bookshop .

In 2020, "Angelfall" — the first book in the "Penryn & the End of Days" series- ranked as one of " TIME Magazine's" Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time . In this paranormal and post-apocalyptic fantasy series, Penryn is 17 when the angels of the apocalypse descend upon the earth and capture her little sister. She teams up with a wounded enemy angel — her only hope for survival and finding her sister.

A romantic historical fantasy series

best fantasy fiction book series

"The Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon, available on Amazon .

"Outlander," the first book in the series, available on  Amazon  and  Bookshop .

The "Outlander" series was originally a practice novel for Diana Gabaldon in the 1980s, yet quickly became a bestselling historical fantasy series, with the ninth book due to be published later this year. It's about a woman named Clare who, while on a romantic trip with her husband after World War II, accidentally time travels to Scotland in 1743 where she embarks on an unprecedented journey and falls in love with a Highland warrior. 

A fantasy series with an elaborate and dangerous heist

best fantasy fiction book series

"Mistborn" series by Brandon Sanderson, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

"Mistborn: The Final Empire," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop .

The "Mistborn" saga is a high fantasy series made up of the original trilogy, a four-book additional series set 300 years later, and a third trilogy comprising books 8-10 which is currently in the works. The series' first book is "Mistborn: The Final Empire," where readers are introduced to the land of Scadrial, ruled by an immortal and unyielding Lord Ruler. Kelsier is a famous thief who leads an elaborate heist with a team of rebels to overthrow the emperor.

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The Best Fantasy Book Series

Ranker Books

A votable list of the all-time best fantasy book series, ranked by readers of fantasy fiction. Of fantasy books, readers can expect an intricately-created imaginary world with its own culture, history and rules of engagement.  The setting of most popular fantasy book series is internally consistent or self-coherent, where inspiration from mythology or folklore remains a consistent theme. Most authors of the top fantasy books use magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. In the structure of a good fantasy book, the fantastical element of the story can be anywhere: the story may occur entirely in a fantasy world (like J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series) or fantastic elements like magic can exist alongside an apparently real world setting (as in the seven Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling). Fantasy follows rules of its own making, but the great fantasy books are consistent with the rules that they lay out for themselves. In the best fantasy books, the reader suspends disbelief and loses himself in the imaginary world of the book.

Some of the fantasy book series included in this list are of the grand epic fantasy genre, some are more character-driven fantasy or coming of age tales, some may be simply fantasy that's part of a series. Vote up your favorites to determine the best fantasy series of all time. And if we missed any epic tales you love, be sure to add them to this list of the best fantasy book series. Then, check out the best new fantasy books - many the start of series that may soon be new favorites.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings

  • Dig Deeper... The Best Selling Books of All Time
  • # 1 of 92 on The 90+ Best High Fantasy Books You Should Read
  • # 46 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time

Dune

  • # 2 of 433 on The Best Adventure Books Of All Time To Read
  • # 130 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time

The Harry Potter Series

The Harry Potter Series

A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fire

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion

The Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time

The Dragonriders of Pern

The Dragonriders of Pern

The Stormlight Archives

The Stormlight Archives

Dragonlance Chronicles

Dragonlance Chronicles

The Mistborn Series

The Mistborn Series

The Kingkiller Chronicle

The Kingkiller Chronicle

The Dresden Files (Storm Front, Full Moon, Grave...)

The Dresden Files (Storm Front, Full Moon, Grave...)

The Dresden Files

The Dresden Files

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist

The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist

Percy Jackson Series

Percy Jackson Series

The Once and Future King

The Once and Future King

  • # 29 of 35 on T. H. White Books List
  • # 173 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time
  • # 77 of 85 on 35+ Books Everybody Lies About Having Read

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

  • # 45 of 433 on The Best Adventure Books Of All Time To Read
  • # 73 of 271 on The Top Must-Read Books of All Time
  • # 103 of 154 on The Greatest American Novels

Tales of Discworld

Tales of Discworld

The Legend of Drizzt Boxed Set, Books I-III

The Legend of Drizzt Boxed Set, Books I-III

Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin's Apprentice

The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind

The Belgariad

The Belgariad

Dragonlance Legends Trilogy

Dragonlance Legends Trilogy

The Malloreon

The Malloreon

Shannara series

Shannara series

The Colour of Magic

The Colour of Magic

The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon

  • # 220 of 437 on The Best Novels Ever Written
  • # 162 of 329 on Books That Changed Your Life
  • # 32 of 93 on NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower

  • # 7 of 45 on The 45 Best Western Novels You Should Read Now
  • # 47 of 257 on Stephen King Books List
  • # 30 of 73 on The All-Time Greatest Works Of Stephen King

Eragon

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Lists about films, TV series, novels & series, anime, and other media that explore imaginary universes and the characters and forces that live inside them.

Behind-The-Scenes Stories From Nostalgic Fantas...

The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

With a panel of leading fantasy authors—N.K. Jemisin, Neil Gaiman, Sabaa Tahir, Tomi Adeyemi, Diana Gabaldon, George R.R. Martin, Cassandra Clare and Marlon James—TIME presents the most engaging, inventive and influential works of fantasy fiction, in chronological order beginning in the 9th century

best fantasy fiction book series

N.K. Jemisin on the Timeless Power of Fantasy

best fantasy fiction book series

The Arabian Nights

best fantasy fiction book series

Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory

best fantasy fiction book series

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

best fantasy fiction book series

Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

best fantasy fiction book series

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

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Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

best fantasy fiction book series

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

best fantasy fiction book series

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

best fantasy fiction book series

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

best fantasy fiction book series

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

best fantasy fiction book series

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

best fantasy fiction book series

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola

best fantasy fiction book series

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

best fantasy fiction book series

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

best fantasy fiction book series

A Hero Born by Jin Yong

best fantasy fiction book series

The Once & Future King by T.H. White

best fantasy fiction book series

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

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The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

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A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

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The Wandering Unicorn by Manuel Mujica Lainez

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Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

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The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

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A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

best fantasy fiction book series

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

best fantasy fiction book series

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

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Watership Down by Richard Adams

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The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

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The Princess Bride by William Goldman

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Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

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A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle

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The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

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The BFG by Roald Dahl

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Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

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Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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Redwall by Brian Jacques

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Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

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The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones

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The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

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Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

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Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

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The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

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Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

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Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

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The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

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Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

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Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley

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A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

best fantasy fiction book series

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

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Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

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City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

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Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

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Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

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Angelfall by Susan Ee

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A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

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The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

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The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

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The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

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Get in Trouble by Kelly Link

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The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

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Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

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All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

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A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

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The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu

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Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

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The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

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The Changeling by Victor LaValle

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Jade City by Fonda Lee

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The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

best fantasy fiction book series

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

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Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

best fantasy fiction book series

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

best fantasy fiction book series

Circe by Madeline Miller

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Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

best fantasy fiction book series

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

best fantasy fiction book series

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

best fantasy fiction book series

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36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Are you looking for your next fantasy must-read? From wizards and werewolves to weird happenings underground, we've pulled together some of the WIRED team's favourite fantasy series. Some are set in strange and fantastic worlds, while others start a little closer to home. And, if you'd like more reading ideas, try our guide to the best sci-fi books or our picks of the best books on Audible .

It's Prime Day 2023, so we've uncovered the top discounts. Check out the best Prime Day deals in the UK here.​​

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Piranesi is a wondrous, genre-defying book, but if it had to fit somewhere, 'fantasy' would be the label we'd give it. The less you know about Piranesi , the better, but as a taster, it follows the life of a man who lives within the spectacular, statue-filled halls of a vast, labyrinthine house. Waves roll into the halls, birds and sea creatures come and go, but he has no idea why he's there or how he got there. He's more concerned with writing journal entries and documenting things he encounters.

It's a twisting novel that's both beautiful and deeply unsettling. It's one you could read in a single sitting because the narrator seems so unnervingly naive, and the more you discover, the more you itch for what secrets are hiding beneath the surface. Released in 2021, Piranesi was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and won a massive amount of critical acclaim for author Susanna Clarke. If her name rings a bell, it's because she's already well-known for her first novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell , which was published in 2004 and adapted into a TV series.

The Murky Campaign to Discredit Lab-Grown Meat

By Matt Reynolds

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Described as Game of Thrones meets Ocean’s Eleven , Six of Crows is set in the Grishaverse – like the award-winning Shadow and Bone trilogy, which is now a major Netflix show. In fact, the show might be called Shadow and Bone , but it draws from the cast of characters in Six of Crows , too. Six of Crows begins in Ketterdam, a raucous, busy hub of trade with an underbelly of crime. Kaz Brekker is a criminal mastermind who’s offered the chance to carry out a risky heist with a considerable reward. He handpicks a team to help, including a convict, excellent sharpshooter, and a spy – six outcasts in total, all trying to pull off the ultimate heist. Bardugo is brilliant at world-building, which is a treat if you’re entering the Grishaverse for the first time and a welcome return for anyone who’s read the Shadow and Bone trilogy or her latest duology set in the same universe, King of Scars . Yes, Six of Crows and the other Grishaverse books are technically YA, but don’t let that put you off.

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

If anyone deserves to be on this list twice, it’s Neil Gaiman. Stardust is a magical fantasy novel that’s a delight to read at any age. It’s about a young man called Tristran Thorn, who vows to find a star for the woman he loves after they see it fall from the night sky.

What follows is a fairy tale that weaves in stories, characters and settings that are already embedded in our cultural make-up, like pirates, spells, curses, witches, power struggles, falling stars, otherworldly beings and much more. Gaiman said: “I wanted to write a story that would feel, to the reader, like something he or she had always known” – and that’s the enduring appeal of Stardust. The book was adapted into a movie in 2007 with a star-studded cast, including Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Claire Danes. Once you’ve read the book, you should find it on your go-to streaming service, as it does Neil Gaiman’s original tale justice.

Price: £9 | Amazon | Waterstones | Audible trial

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Another award-winning entry, Jade City bagged The World Fantasy Award in 2018 and was shortlisted for many others, including the Nebula Awards and the Locus Awards. It’s an epic story that many have said is reminiscent of classic Hong Kong gangster movies. However, the twist here is that it’s set in Janloon, a fantastical metropolis that Lee describes incredibly vividly.

The central premise of Jade City is, as you might guess, all about Jade. This is a stone that’s the lifeblood of the city and has magical properties as it can enhance a person’s natural abilities. That’s why it’s so precious and controlled by two warring families. But when a new drug emerges that gives anyone the power to take advantage of the mystical energies of Jade, tension rises, and violence ensues. It’s stylish, full of beautiful, gritty descriptions and, despite being a fantasy book, touches on all kinds of relatable themes, like family honour and tradition.

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Considered one of the best fantasy books ever written, The Last Unicorn is a magical story about a unicorn living in a forest. One day, hunters arrive in the forest and believe it must contain a unicorn because of the magic protecting the creatures there. One of the hunters shouts a warning to the unicorn that she might be the last of her kind, which urges her to embark on a quest to find more unicorns – or learn what’s happened to them.

What comes next is full of sadness, adventure and wonder, with talking animals, witches, a harpy, spells, a magician, and much, much more. It’s another book that’s a trip back into the world of magic and fairy tales for adults, but a firm favourite for children of all ages, too. The Last Unicorn has since been adapted for the screen. In 1982, it was made into a movie featuring the voices of Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, and Christopher Lee.

Price: £16 | Amazon | Waterstones

Who Fears Death, by Nnedi Okorafor (2018)

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Written by award-winning science-fiction and fantasy writer Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death is set in Sudan in a far off, nuclear holocaust-ravaged future. There’s genocide and suffering between two warring tribes and, amidst this immense pain and violence, Onyesonwu is born – her name means “who fears death?” in an ancient language. Onyesonwu is special, displaying all manner of magical powers from an early age. This book is a mesmerising blend of magic, folk tradition, love and spirituality. But read it soon before it hits your TV screen if you’re a book-before-adaptation kind of person. Who Fears Death is being made into a TV series for HBO and George R. R. Martin is set to be an executive producer.

Price: £9 | Amazon | Waterstones | Audible

A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas (2020)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Imagine Beauty and the Beast but ramp up the romance and fantasy even more, transform Beauty into a huntress and Beast into some kind of fantastical faerie lord and that’s A Court of Thorns and Roses . Sara J. Maas might have used the classic fairytale as a starting pont for this epic fantasical romance, but it’s a brilliant story in its own right. So much so that it’s the first in a best-selling series of the same name. A Court of Thorns and Roses begins with Feyre, a huntress who kills a wolf to feed her family. But this was no ordinary wolf. In fact, it wasn’t a wolf at all and Feyre has to face the consequences of her violent actions. This is, technically, a YA (young adult) novel, but don’t let that put you off, it has a huge adult fanbase.

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The Power, by Naomi Alderman (2017)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

The Power could also be classed as science-fiction, but we’re including it in our fantasy recommendations because what’s more fantastical than every woman in the land suddenly being able to electrocute men Palpatine-style with their fingertips? That’s the searingly smart and brilliantly-explored premise of The Power , which allows us to imagine what would happen if the present balance in the world – or, more rightly so, imbalance, – was reversed in favour of women. Would we be living in a calm utopia within a fortnight? Would we face the same problems we always have? Or would there be a whole host of new challenges to contend with?

The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin (2016)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

It doesn’t feel like there’s a right way to begin explaining the truly monumental premise and proportions of The Fifth Season , so let’s just dive in. This book takes place on a planet with one massive supercontinent called Stillness. Every few hundred years the ‘fifth season’ occurs – a period of catastrophic climate change. The world-building prowess of Jemisin’s The Fifth Season is epic, there are different ethnicities, species, areas and castes with all kinds of powers and conflicts, and plenty of other details that won’t make sense until you read the book – be prepared to be a little overwhelmed when you’re first introduced to this new universe. This award-winning tome is the first in the Broken Earth series, with later books also scooping up prestigious Hugo Awards in their own right.

Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi (2020)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Set in the near future, Riot Baby might be a story with fantastical elements weaved throughout it, but it explores very real, pertinent and important issues of race and bias algorithms. The riot baby in this book is Kev, a young Black man who’s in prison. His sister, Ella, has a number of special powers – like being able to see into the future. Riot Baby is novella length (perfect for anyone whose concentration span isn’t what it used to be) and written in a fast-paced style that makes us, as readers, feel as if we’re witnessing flashes of memories in a manner that’s wedded to some of the central themes of anger and injustice.

Price: £14 | Amazon | Waterstones | Audible

Kindred, by Octavia E. Butler (2018)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Some might say Octavia E. Butler’s fantastic Kindred is a work of science-fiction or speculative fiction, but it’s in our list because Butler herself called it “a kind of grim fantasy”. This is a time travel narrative, but we’d bet it’s quite unlike any you’ve read before. Kindred follows the story of a woman called Dana who’s transported from 1976 Los Angeles to a Maryland plantation in 1815, where she’s assumed to be a slave. Like all good fantasy and science-fiction, the magical, surreal, time-travelling elements act as a way into a raw exploration of race, power and gender that’s as relevant and urgent now as it was when Butler first published it in 1979.

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The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch (2006)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Renaissance Venice meets fantasy meets the twists and turns of a well crafted crime novel. Scott Lynch builds a fascinating fantasy city with real detail and real grit. No shining heroes and wistful princesses here. Instead criminal gangs, corrupt officials and the high likelihood of being mugged in a back alley. There is almost a sense of Oceans 11 meets venetian masquerade, blink and you’ll miss the sleight of hand! Fantasy is almost an afterthought in this novel and it is really about the character building and storytelling. Sure there are shark matadors and alchemical alcoholic fruits, not to mention the mysterious Elderglass, but these are more a backdrop rather than plot driving and all combine to make, subtle and intriguing read. There are plenty of twists and turns as Locke navigates the underworld of Camorr, but it’s unlikely you’ll see all of them coming!? This is the first book of a trilogy and although it stands alone you’ll want to read the other two to see what happens next in Red Seas Under Red Skies and A Republic of Thieves .

Earthlings, by Sayaka Murata (2020)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Not one for the faint hearted, this dark fantasy comedy from the author of Convenience Store Woman is tricky to pin down into any one category and the final pages will probably leave you gobsmacked. Natsuki and Yuu are cousins who have long prepared to be abducted back to their home planet. So far, so childhood but then they grow up and the plan persists. In the meantime they have to try to function in regular society, securing partners and jobs and not drawing attention to themselves. No taboo is left unturned with Earthlings encouraging minor acts of rebellion from what 'society' tells us we have to do.

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Circe, by Madeline Miller (2018)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Circe, daughter of Titan sun god Helios, finds herself overshadowed in the halls of the gods until she discovers her own, different power: witchcraft. Banished to a deserted island for abusing her magic, and repeatedly let down by the men she puts her trust in, Circe must forge her own path: as a goddess, a witch, and a woman. Miller’s novel offers a new perspective on tales of Greek myth, with Circe’s centuries-long story seeing her appear at the birth of the Minotaur, face off with goddess of war Athena, and host hero Odysseus on his long return from Troy. An accessible read with larger-than-life characters and an adventurous plot, Circe is mythology as you’ve never known it before.

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Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, by Tad Williams (1988 to 1993)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

The three books in this trilogy, The Dragonbone Chair , Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower , are beautifully crafted fantasies that deftly interweave almost comically simple tropes with a rewarding complexity and depth. Game of Thrones fans will find much to enjoy – George R. R. Martin readily admits they were a big inspiration for him – as Williams takes a similarly methodical approach to creating the fictional continent Osten Ard and the races that inhabit it. His tales of the humble kitchen scullion who has great things ahead of him are full of joyful and sorrowful moments that will have you laughing and crying, making them a delightful diversion from life's ups and downs.

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Malazan Book of the Fallen series, by Steven Erikson (1999 to 2011)

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Spanning 10 books and over 9,000 pages of brutal, beautiful and complex fantasy writing, Steven Erikson's series delivers world building on a larger scale than Tolkien and Jordan put together. Erikson will have you laughing and crying as you follow the lives of disparate heroes and anti-heroes across a sweeping vista of worlds peopled by a unique set of races and animals. You will fall in love with his characters and you will hate them, either way you will want to know what happens next. Beginning with the Gardens of the Moon , Erikson’s ability to write epic convergence is unparalleled and will leave you unable to stand the tension leading up to the major events he depicts.

The First Law Trilogy, by Joe Abercrombie (2006 to 2008)

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Joe Abercrombie writes brilliant characters. Be it the story of an ageing berserker, a crippled torturer or a pompous noble, his The First Law Trilogy immerses you in a bloody mire of violent, visceral and gritty adventures. You will see the glory of battle in all its bowel spilling ineptitude and hopelessness, but there is always someone to root for even if it is not the god blessed heroes and heroines you might usually expect. As an added bonus there are also three standalone books and a collection of short stories that revisit some of the First Law characters and world, something you will be eager to devour once you’ve read the first trilogy.

Price: £17 | Amazon | Waterstones | 30-day Audible trial

The Golem and the Djinni, by Helene Wecker (2013)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Helene Wecker's debut novel is an eerie tale of two magical creatures set loose in 19th century New York. A golem – a mythical creature of Jewish lore – awakens during a sea voyage, and is taught to pass as human among the diverse groups of people living in the city. At the same time, a tinsmith in New York accidentally frees a genie from a flask after centuries of imprisonment, but he's trapped in human form seeking a way to return to his full power. The pair meet and become friends, and must team up to counter an evil sorcerer who wants to enslave them both.

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Dune, by Frank Herbert (1965)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Welcome to a desert planet where water is more precious than gold, everyone wears moisture-preserving jumpsuits and giant worm creatures can come out of the earth's floor that can kill you at any moment. This is Dune, a stark wasteland where warring houses scheme against each other in bloody battles that can alter the course of human history. Although it's science-fiction on the surface, Frank Herbert's epic tome features the fantasy tropes of betrayal, redemption and freedom in spades, and is rightly considered one of the most important of the genre. Herbert's masterpiece not only helped to inspire Star Wars – it still resonates today, tackling environmental concerns, the rise of superpowers and rebellion of people exploited on their own land.

The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King (1998)

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"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." This iconic line kicks off Stephen King's iconic The Dark Tower, which mashes together fantasy, westerns and elements of science fiction. The first of seven books follows gunslinger Roland as he pursues a mysterious, malevolent presence across a strange world that's linked to our own. From there, it sprawls into a rambling epic that highlight's King's imagination as well as his touch for horror.

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A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin (1996)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Fans of the television series have been distancing themselves from Game of Thrones in droves since that disastrous final season, but George R.R. Martin's books remain relatively untainted. A Game of Thrones , the first in the A Song of Ice and Fire Series, sets the tone – with violence and adult themes rarely seen in a lot of mainstream fantasy up to that point. Each chapter follows an individual character's point of view, and although the series does becomes slightly bogged down in later entries, it is gripping – and the ending is still to come.

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Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (1990)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Both Pratchett and Gaiman feature in their own right on this list and Good Omens , composed in part over answerphone messages three decades ago, delivers on the promise of a fantasy literature titan team up. It's the extremely silly story of an angel, Aziraphale, and a demon, Crowley, played with glee by Michael Sheen and David Tennant in this year's Amazon Prime Video series, trying to stop Armageddon. Most fantasy books ask for a serious commitment but Good Omens is a fully formed, read-in-an-afternoon treat.

Rivers of London series, by Ben Aaronovitch (2011)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Set in a lovingly described version of present-day London, the Rivers of London series charts the adventures of Detective Constable Peter Grant, one of two wizards in the Metropolitan Police. It grounds its fantastical elements in the scientific method, and the mixture of flying spells and police jargon gives the ongoing series a unique and enjoyable tone. The first book, Rivers of London describes an encounter with a malevolent spirit that draws Grant into the capital's magical underworld.

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The Wheel of Time series, by Robert Jordan (1990-2007)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

An epic fourteen novel saga, (as well as a prequel novel and two companion books), the author James Oliver Rigney Jr. (pen name Robert Jordan), published the first entry in 1990 and was still writing on his death in 2007. Too vast to summarise, the fantasy world – actually a distant version of Earth – is epic and magical, with a gigantic cast of characters. The series has spawned a video game, a roleplaying game, a soundtrack album and a forthcoming TV series, and the books have sold more than 80 million copies, making it one of the bestselling fantasy series since Lord of the Rings .

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The Gormenghast series, by Mervyn Peake (1946-56)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

The first instalment of Mervyn Peake’s epic fantasy series, which features three books and a novella, was published in 1946. It follows the residents of Castle Gormenghast – a giant, gothic castle. In the first book, we meet title character Titus Groan, who stands to inherit the castle and its kingdom. Populated with a host of fantastical creatures, Gormenghast is like a Lord of the Rings that didn’t blow up. Unlike much of the fantasy genre gets high praise in literary circles too: Harold Bloom called the series best fantasy novels of the twentieth century.

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His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman (1995)

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Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights is a children’s book with a depth and complexity that can satisfy adults. We follow Lyra Belacqua and Pantalaimon, her daemon – her inner self given animal form – as she investigates rumours of children being separated from their own spiritual companions. Over the three-book series, this transitions into a battle between humanity and heaven. It functions in part as a retelling and inversion of John Milton's epic Paradise Lost . The second entry of a three-part sequel trilogy was published in late 2019.

The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman (2018)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Philip Pullman has returned with a follow-up to the His Dark Materials trilogy. The Book of Dust is a second trilogy set in the world of Lyra Belacqua and her inner self in animal form, Pantalaimon. At the point of writing two of the trilogy have been released: La Belle Sauvage (2018) and The Secret Commonwealth (2019). The first of these is set before the tumultuous events of His Dark Materials. But the second fast forwards to a decade after their conclusion. There's espionage, spies and frantic attempts to stop the world from vanishing into darkness.

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The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher (2000)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Harry Dresden is a professional wizard in a version of modern-day Chicago where fantastical creatures lurk just underneath the surface. He makes his living as a private detective, solving cases that bridge the worlds of the real and the uncanny. In Storm Front , the first book in long-running series The Dresden Files, he finds himself duelling with vampires, werewolves, and the mob.

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Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville (2000)

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China Miéville's work falls more accurately under the banner of Weird Fiction, an amalgamation of fantasy and horror pioneered by HP Lovecraft. This work, one in a series of books set in the world of Bas-Lag, lies closer to the fantasy genre. As Mieville describes it "it's basically a secondary world fantasy with Victorian-era technology. So rather than being a feudal world, it's an early industrial capitalist world of a fairly grubby, police statey kind”.

Price: £11 | Amazon | Waterstones | 30-day Audible trial

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (2001)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

The Amazon Prime series failed to spark, but Neil Gaiman's richly described novel is well worth a read. American Gods pits the abandoned folk deities of the old world against the modern idols we worship now. It follows Shadow Moon, a convict who finds out – days before his release – that his wife has died in a car accident, and falls into the surreal orbit of Mr Wednesday (Odin) and a looming showdown between the old gods and the new.

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula Le Guin (1968)

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Ursula Le Guin is one of the titans of fantasy and sci-fi – her books explore political and feminist themes in fantastical settings. The Left Hand of Darkness focuses on an androgynous civilisation, and The Dispossessed is set in anarchist Utopia. The Earthsea series is more traditional but still brilliant – we follow Ged, a teenager at magic school, who causes a disaster dabbling in the dark arts. Readers have pointed to the similarities between Ged’s school and Hogwarts.

The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobbs (1995-1997)

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Robin Hobbs' epic fantasy series hero follows FitzChivalry Farseer, or Fitz for short, the bastard son of the crown prince. Raised in a stable and trained as an assassin, the story charts his adventures through the kingdom of The Six Duchies: magic, murder, and political intrigue abound, as well as a zombie curse. Sound familiar? Definitely a good choice for those suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawal symptoms.

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The Accursed Kings, by Maurice Druon (1955-77)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

A curveball: not fantasy (the books cover the French monarchy in the 14th century), but a book for fans of fantasy. Its author Maurice Druon is the hero of George RR Martin, who penned the series that became Game of Thrones . As Martin wrote in the Guardian: “ The Accursed Kings has it all: iron kings and strangled queens, battles and betrayals, lies and lust, deception, family rivalries, the curse of the Templars, babies switched at birth, she-wolves, sin and swords, the doom of a great dynasty and all of it (or most of it) straight from the pages of history."

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke (2004)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

One of the more recent publications on this list, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The book’s premise is that magic has returned: two men, Gilbert Norrell and Jonathan Strange, wield it. Written in a comedy of manners, Jane Austen style, it took its author British writer Susanna Clarke (see Piranesi above) ten years to write and was widely acclaimed on its release in 2004.

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Mort, by Terry Pratchett (1987)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

One of the best entries in Terry Pratchett’s inimitable Discworld series, Mort focuses on a teenager who is taken under the apprenticeship of Death. Appearing in nearly every one of the Discworld books, Pratchett’s Death is one of the author’s greatest creations, and the source of some of the series’ most famous quotes ("Don’t think of it as dying, just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush.”) It’s in Mort that Death grows into a sympathetic and likeable character, who loves cats and curry and is continuously baffled by the irrationally of humans.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James (2019)

36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read

Marlon James, who won the Booker prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings , is not traditionally a fantasy writer, but he dubbed his latest book the African Game of Thrones . (Although he later revealed the comparison was a joke). This book focuses on the political tensions between warring states, in a world populated by a host of magical creatures: cannibals, vampires, witches, ghosts and sorcerers.

Books and Bao

20 Best Fantasy Series (Books You Must Read)

By: Author Willow Heath

Posted on Last updated: 1st February 2024

Fantasy books are, more often than not, very epic things. Expansive worlds with entire histories, all built out of the imaginations of a single author.

When you have a fictional fantasy world with its own laws, politics, lore, traditions, and geography, it makes sense to want to make a series out of it. For that reason, so many fantasy authors can’t simply stop at one book, and end up writing an entire fantasy series set in the world they’ve so carefully crafted.

best fantasy series books

The Best Fantasy Series of Books

And so, if you’re interested in getting lost in some of the best fantasy series of books ever written, these are the ones to jump into. These authors have cultivated incredibly rich and detailed worlds, and from those exciting worlds have emerged some of the best fantasy series of books you’ll ever read.

Just bear in mind you won’t find any standalone fantasy books here, or even The Lord of the Rings and Gormenghast , since they were both envisioned as singular epics. If you do want to read more about those classic fantasy epics, and other essential fantasy novels, you can do so right here.

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

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

While including A Song of Ice and Fire on a list of the best fantasy series of books ever might seem like a no-brainer, it’s also an undeniable truth.

George R.R. Martin cultivated an enormous world, complete with its rich and deep histories, cultures, and (most importantly) intricate political systems.

The politics make A Song of Ice and Fire stand out amongst all the best fantasy series and turned Game of Thrones into such a runaway hit of a show.

Across this epic fantasy series, readers follow an enormous cast of characters that grows and diminishes with every heartbeat, as chess pieces move and are removed entirely.

The world grows larger; protagonists are unceremoniously killed off; villains become heroes; betrayal and changed allegiances become par for the course.

No series of fantasy books has ever come close to matching the scope of A Song of Ice and Fire when it comes to its political machinations.

Having based much of his world and its political events on British history, which is itself expansive and epic, it’s no wonder that Westeros (and beyond) is so enormous in scope.

If you love political games and the journeys that heroes and villains alike take across years, you’ll love A Song of Ice and Fire , one of the very best fantasy series of books ever written.

Buy A Song of Ice and Fire here!

The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is my own personal favourite fantasy writer, and she gets bonus points here for having multiple trilogies of fantasy books all set within the same incredible world.

We begin with The Farseer Trilogy , which follows the life of a royal bastard raised by a kindly stablemaster to be an assassin protector of the royal family.

Hobb’s second trilogy, The Liveship Traders , follows a family of seafaring traders in a coastal region of the world where ships come to life.

Robin Hobb has written five trilogies — fifteen fantasy books — all set within a single world which expands in richness and detail with each word she writes.

Her scope might be enormous, but her genius as a fantasy author comes from her compassion towards individuals and their personal struggles.

She has an uncanny ability to make the reader marvel at magical concepts, sweeping epic landscapes and seascapes, but also cry at the personal tragedies of her heroes.

There is so much sympathy and attention poured into her characters, which is what makes them some of the most beloved characters in fantasy fiction.

And also what makes her trilogies some of the best fantasy series of books ever written.

Buy The Farseer Trilogy here!

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

When it comes to the most influential and very best fantasy series of books, The Wheel of Time is another no-brainer.

This is a fantasy series so large in its scope and breadth that its author died before he managed to finish it.

Fortunately, the series was ultimately finished by veteran fantasy author Brandon Sanderson.

Robert Jordan wrote books 1-11, the series prequel New Spring , and he also plotted out the remaining three books.

Sanderson was hand-picked by Jordan’s widow, Harriet McDougal, to do the series justice and finish it as Jordan envisioned.

Read More: The Best Romantasy Books

Authors dying before their works are completed isn’t as uncommon an event as you might think, but it’s rare that a series is completed properly despite the author’s own death.

And what we have as a result is an enormous fantasy epic, heavily inspired by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings .

Few fantasy series’ have as satisfying a scale and scope as The Wheel of Time , a tale of light vs. dark that takes readers on a long and unforgettable journey.

Essential reading for all fans of epic fantasy.

Buy The Wheel of Time here!

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

the fifth season nk jemisin

Here’s a trilogy of modern fantasy novels that really changed the game, breathing new life into the fantasy genre.

Not only that, but The Broken Earth Trilogy was very much recognised for it, too, with all three books winning the Hugo Award.

This is a series of fantasy books that plays with time and linearity, and that introduces a middle-aged mother as a protagonist, bucking so many trends immediately.

It’s also a trilogy that does away with so many tropes and conventions, pulling them apart and examining them critically, in an almost metatextual way at times.

Like many modern fantasy books, The Broken Earth is also more explicitly allegorical that older fantasy books, specifically pointing to the effects of climate change on a world.

Fantasy has a nasty habit of falling into tropes, meaning that fans start to expect certain things from a genre that should be all about imagination and creativity.

Jemisin built a world unlike any you’ve ever seen in fantasy, telling readers that fantasy is about building something unique from your imagination.

And there are few things as exciting and unique as this; The Broken Earth Trilogy is one of the best fantasy series of books ever written by anyone.

Buy The Broken Earth here!

The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett

the discworld

Sir Terry Pratchett was a gift to the world of literature. His Discworld series includes forty-one novels, all set within the same strange and wonderful world.

That world is a flat disc, orbited by a sun and moon, that sits atop four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, hurtling itself through space.

Some of the most eccentric and hilarious people you’ll ever meet in fantasy fiction live on this disc. Many of them will become your favourite characters and protagonists.

For decades, Sir Terry gently expanded the Discworld by having us follow the adventure and exploits of characters like Captain Sam Vimes, the witch Granny Weatherwax, the wizard Rincewind, and even Death himself.

Pratchett used the Discworld to explore real-world social and political issues through clever wit and satire.

Touching on issues of politics, religion, policing, class, capitalism, and so much more, Pratchett knew the power of allegory through fantasy fiction.

He was one of the few writers to use the power of fantasy in a more explicitly satirical and allegorical way, making him a genius of the genre.

An incredible satirist, a kind and empathetic man, truly one-of-a-kind.

Pratchett’s Discworld is a beautiful place , and readers have forty-one novels through which they can explore it to their heart’s content.

Nothing in the world like the Discworld contains one of the best fantasy series in the world of fiction.

Buy the first Discworld book here!

Read More : 16 Must-Read Cozy Fantasy & Found Family Books

The First Law by Joe Abercrombie

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Closely following Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie is my other personal favourite fantasy writer, a master of grimdark fantasy like no other.

While Abercrombie has written a fantasy YA fantasy trilogy set in a cold and desolate Viking-inspired world called Shattered Sea , he’s best known for his First Law series.

The First Law is a series of fantasy books comprising a trilogy that begins with The Blade Itself , as well as three standalone novels, a short story collection, and a second full trilogy of novels.

This is a welcomingly unique approach to fantasy fiction, creating an epic and expansive grimdark world and exploring it through trilogy, standalone novels, and short stories.

What a refreshing way to tour readers around your world, shifting publication style to dig into the cracks of your world.

Like with Pratchett’s Discworld, Abercrombie continues to expand his world in terms of time and space, with the First Law ’s second trilogy being set during an industrial revolution.

Shifting from medieval-inspired fantasy to industrial fantasy is such an exciting and welcome change.

Abercrombie does so many things differently, things that really allow him to stand out from the crowd of fantasy authors.

If you love grimdark fantasy and want to spend time in a world that shifts and changes with the tide, The First Law is one of the best fantasy series of books you could ever read.

Buy The First Law here!

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin

earthsea books

Ursula K. Le Guin was a gift to science fiction and fantasy genres.

Celebrated for her standalone speculative science fiction novels like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed , she also crafted her own expansive fantasy world.

This world, made up of islands and archipelagos in a vast ocean, is called the Earthsea, and it follows the story of a shepherd boy on a remote island who grows into a wise and powerful wizard.

Magic schools, reckless youths growing into wise men, unique and intriguing magic systems; The Earthsea Cycle has (and invented) many of the genre’s beloved tropes.

Le Guin was a gift to the genres of science fiction and fantasy, and the landscape of fantasy fiction would look very different without the gifts that she gave us.

If you’ve never read The Earthsea Cycle , it is one of the most important and best fantasy series you’ll ever read.

Buy The Earthsea Cycle here!

Legends of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong

a hero born jin yong

Legends of the Condor Heroes is a long-running fantasy series by Chinese author Jin Yong, beginning with the novel A Hero Born . Lovingly translated into English by Anna Holmwood and Gigi Chang, these books belong to the wuxia genre of Chinese epic fantasy.

Wuxia is a popular style of adventure fiction defined by its focus on martial arts, and this particular series is set in 13th China, while the Jin and Song dynasties were at war.

A Bond Undone

Our protagonist is Guo Jing, a boy whose father was a legendary warrior and martial artist who is killed by the Jin army as the series begins. Guo Jing is then raised in Mongolia and taught to become a master of martial arts by seven other legendary warriors.

Film fans will be familiar with the movies of Yi-Mou Zhang, director of the wuxia films Hero and House of Flying Daggers . This series of epic fantasy novels is similar in tone and style, and its writing flows with a wonderful fluidity and a gripping pace.

Buy A Hero Born here!

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

mistborn brandon sanderson

For years now, Brandon Sanderson has been one of the fantasy genre’s most beloved and celebrated authors. Hand-picked by Robert Jordan’s widow to finish his Wheel of Time series, Sanderson has also created his own vast and exciting fantasy worlds.

Sanderson’s first novel, The Final Empire , was the first in a trilogy which later expanded into an entire series of epic fantasy novels.

This series, known as Mistborn , is a colossal undertaking for any fantasy fan, bolstered by intricate world-building, a satisfying magic system, and so much personal and political growth.

We begin with an empire controlled by an immortal god-like thing known as the Lord Ruler, and a group of underclass slaves who form a rebellion to tear down an empire which has stood for a thousand years.

Mistborn ‘s magic system, Allomancy, involved ingesting a burning different metals to awaken certain powers, such as the ability to calm or enrage other people’s emotions, strengthen one’s own body, and move in unique ways.

Reminiscent of Star Wars , with a massive empire to overthrow and powers similar to those granted by the Force, Mistborn is an incredible and vast fantasy series of books that you won’t soon forget.

Buy the first Mistborn trilogy here!

Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding

Retribution Falls fantasy game of thrones

Frustratingly, this is something of a hidden gem. I say frustratingly because it very much should not be.

Chris Wooding’s series of four steampunk fantasy novels, beginning with Retribution Falls , is a masterful fantasy series that is too often overlooked by fans of the genre.

Perfect for fans of Cowboy Bebop and Firefly , Tales of the Ketty Jay is a heart-pounding, often hilarious thrillride of a fantasy series.

We follow Frey, captain of an airship called the Ketty Jay, crewed by a batch of runaways and ne’er do wells who take on (often illegal) odd and dangerous jobs for money.

The world of this fantasy series is deceptively complex, and important political issues of class and race and explored in poignant allegorical ways.

At its heart, Tales of the Ketty Jay is a series about a found family of miscreants with hearts of gold, going on personal and interpersonal journeys together.

A real masterpiece and a hidden gem of a series; one of the best fantasy series of books I’ve ever read, and one I’ll forever shout from the rooftops about.

Buy Tales of the Ketty Jay here!

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

the lord of the rings books

The works of J.R.R. Tolkien, set in the fantasy world of Middle-earth, are often what people first think of when they think “fantasy” in any sense.

For that reason, they’re the most obvious choice (and that’s why they’re not at the very top of this list). But obvious or not, they are a beautiful, revolutionary, expansive, and vital element of the fantasy genre.

Many of us read The Hobbit as children, and if you return to it now you’ll find that the novel remains a truly captivating, charming, and sweeping adventure to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

the hobbit

After writing the first ever fantasy novel, Tolkien immeasurably expanded the world of Middle-earth with The Lord of the Rings trilogy: a sweeping saga of war, adventure, and victory over evil.

This is a world of greedy, dragons, of little folk in quiet villages, of immortal elves, angelic wizards, armies of deadly orcs, and so much more.

There has never been, and never will be anything quite like Tolkien’s Middle-earth, and exploring this enormous fantasy series of books from where it began in The Hobbit is a truly unforgettable adventure.

Buy a copy of The Hobbit + The Lord of the Rings here!

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

the witcher the last wish

Most fantasy fans will be familiar with The Witcher , made popular first by a trilogy of video game adaptations from Polish developer CD Projekt RED, and then later adapted to TV by Netflix. It’s an enormous series steeped in lore, with a setting and bestiary inspired by Eastern European folklore.

All of this began with a series of fantasy novels and short stories by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, written throughout the 1990s. The first book in the series, The Last Wish , was translated into English by Danusia Stok and — very much bucking the trend of fantasy books — is a short story collection, rather than a novel.

There are seven stories in this book, with the very first simply being titled The Witcher , and this is where series protagonist Geralt of Rivia was first introduced.

While this collection of stories gives us a satisfying overview of the world and its characters, five novels would eventually follow, collected as The Witcher Saga , and a standalone novel was written several years later.

All in all, fans have a five-novel series, a sixth standalone novel, two short stories collections, a selection of video games, and a TV series to enjoy. The world of The Witcher is vast indeed.

Buy a copy of The Last Wish here!

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

her majestys royal coven

This magical fantasy series began with the titular Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (or HMRC — get it?), and continues with The Shadow Cabinet and the upcoming Human Rites .

Set in modern day UK, HMRC presents us with an alternative world in which witches and warlocks exist, but few ordinary humans (or “mundanes”) known of their existence.

Around the world, there are covens who answer to their governments, and that of the British Isles is the titular Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (named in respect for secret royal witch Anne Boleyn, not Elizabeth II).

Our protagonists are a group of thirty-something witches living in London and Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. These women were all childhood friends, and their roles as witches have sent them down unique paths.

One is the head of HMRC; another has left to set up her own coven in London for queer and minority ethnic witches. Two others are living relatively peaceful lives up north.

the shadow cabinet juno dawson

But when a young orphaned warlock is found, one who is extraordinarily powerful, whispers of a doomsday prophecy surface with him, and our protagonists must decide how to deal with him.

It transpires soon enough that this child, Theo, is in fact transgender, which explains his power (witches are always far more powerful than warlocks), and Theo is now being raised and trained with kindness in Hebden Bridge.

After the dramatic conclusion of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven , its sequel The Shadow Cabinet continues to expand on Dawson’s excellent wold-building and character growth, raising the stakes and spreading beyond the UK’s borders.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a fantasy series that excels at blending modern-day life with the magical and the impossible. A wonderful adult fantasy series for fans of magic, witchcraft, and urban fantasy.

Buy Her Majesty’s Royal Coven here!

The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence

prince of thorns

Mark Lawrence turned a lot of heads with The Broken Empire ; a series that came into popularity as Game of Thrones was taking off.

This was a moment where fantasy fans new and old were accepting the more gritty, grim, bloody, and sexually explicit side of fantasy fiction.

And The Broken Empire is very much all of these; beginning with a grimdark fantasy trilogy that follows a near-psychopathic antihero on a journey of greed and redemption.

After the trilogy concluded, Lawrence immediately brought fans more of the good stuff, with a new trilogy set in that same world (think The Legend of Korra to The Last Airbender ).

This is also a series that, at first, only subtly hints at being a post-apocalyptic world. Slowly but surely, we come to recognise this landscape as a Europe of the far, far future.

A bleak medieval world that should absolutely be explored by fans of grimdark fantasy.

Buy The Broken Empire here!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

the chronicles of narnia

British author C.S. Lewis, friend of fantasy legend J.R.R. Tolkien (above), brought us what is not only one of the best-loved and long-lasting fantasy series’ ever, but also one of the most popular and revered series’ of children’s books.

The Chronicles of Narnia , inspired by Lewis’ own relationship to religion and the stories of The Bible, is a collection of seven fantasy novels for children. While they were written during a specific time, they maintain a timeless quality that still enchants children and adults alike to this day.

Beginning with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe , this series begins with four children evacuated to a country estate from London during WWII. There, they find a magic portal that takes them to the fantasy world of Narnia.

While his friend Tolkien was inspired by the folk tales and mythologies, of Europe, Lewis was inspired by the Christian mythos. The first novel’s titular lion, Aslan, represents Jesus Christ, and these stories are allegorical to those found in The Bible.

Buy the Chronicles of Narnia collection here!

Green Creek by TJ Klune

wolfsong tj klune

TJ Klune is an author of queer adult fantasy known for injecting romance and positivity into his stories, including his breakout hit The House in the Cerulean Sea .

Green Creek , named for the town in which it’s set, is his first full fantasy series, and it begins with Wolfsong , a book which answers the question, “What if Twilight was gay and also actually good?”

Wolfsong follows a boy named Oxnard Matheson (Ox for short). The first thing we see Ox do is say goodbye to his deadbeat dad as he leaves home for good. Soon after, his life is changed by the arrival of strange new neighbours.

Those neighbours are the Bennett family: a mother and father, the father’s brother, and three young sons. (Why Klune chose to name the mother Elizabeth Bennett is beyond me).

ravensong tj klune

It soon transpires that the Bennett family are werewolves, that Ox’s friend and boss Gordo is a witch, and that Ox has become tethered to these people, bound forever to the family’s youngest son, Joe.

Wolfsong is a fantasy romance about gay werewolves, and it is an example of how to blend urban fantasy, romance, and queerness together into something savage, intense, heartbreaking, and sometimes cruel.

This is an expansive fantasy series that switches protagonists from book to book as the narrative grows and the world expands, with Gordo the tattooed witch taking the protagonist role in Ravensong , the series’ second book.

Buy a copy of Wolfsong here!

The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo

shadow and bone leigh bardugo

Leigh Bardugo set the world of YA fantasy on fire with her Shadow and Bone trilogy and its Six of Crows spin-off duology.

While she has also done great things for the world of dark academia with The Ninth House and Hell Bent , she also created a sweeping YA fantasy world with The Grishaverse .

A trilogy and a pair of duologies — that’s plenty of time and space to play with when creating an intricate and exciting fantasy world.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Being YA fantasy, tropes and cliches abound, but this is also a uniquely exciting fantasy world thanks to its pre-revolution Russian influences.

Bardugo wrote a trilogy of novels that is beautiful in its simplicity and execution, before upping the ante with the beloved and wicked Six of Crows duology.

If you want a YA fantasy series to really sink your teeth into and get lost in, Bardugo’s Grishaverse is an absolute must-read.

Buy Shadow and Bone here!

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

The Dark Tower The Gunslinger stephen king

Stephen King is the most successful and renowned horror writer in history, having written such classics as Cujo , The Shining , Carrie , IT, and so many more.

But he also spent several years writing an incredible fantasy epic like no other: a series of eight fantasy novels called The Dark Tower .

Increasing constantly in size, scale, and strangeness, there is nothing in the world of fantasy fiction that even closely resembles the unique world of The Dark Tower .

Beginning as a simple Western-inspired chase through a post-apocalyptic landscape, The Dark Tower quickly descends into a manic multiversal epic journey.

Blending urban fantasy and horror with, as I said, Western and post-apocalyptic aesthetics, The Dark Tower is a truly original and wonderfully bizarre fantasy series.

If you like your fantasy worlds to be strange in ways you can’t even fathom, The Dark Tower is certainly one of the best fantasy series of books for you.

Buy The Dark Tower here!

Magic of the Lost by C.L. Clark

the unbroken cl clark

This fantasy series, which begins with The Unbroken , is set in a world of empire and rebellion.

The Empire of Balladaire has taken the land of Qazāl, to the south, and many of Qazāl’s children have been taken by the empire to be raised as soldiers.

Touraine is one of those children. Twenty years have passed since she was taken, given a new name, and raised as a fighter by the army of Balladaire. Now, she is a loyal lieutenant.

She and several other conscripts have been sent back to their homeland, along with Luca, the princess of Balladaire, to quash a rising rebellion by freedom fighters in Qazāl.

This rebellion will test Touraine’s loyalties to the empire that stole and raised her.

And muddying these waters further is a growing and complex relationship between her and the princess, who takes a quick liking to Touraine after the soldier foils an assassination attempt on the princess.

Two queer protagonists on opposite sides of a war between colonisers and rebels. A captivating and addictive setup.

Magic of the Lost is a fantasy series that offers the world of epic fantasy a refreshing take: a world of empire and rebellion, deftly presented with drama, tension, and excellent world-building.

Buy a copy of The Unbroken here!

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

northern lights

British author Philip Pullman turned so many heads for so many reasons when he created the beloved YA urban fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials .

Beginning with Northern Lights , this is a fantasy series set in an alternative version of modern England’s historic city of Oxford.

This is a world of witches and talking armoured polar bears, and a world where parts of our souls live on the outside as our animal-like companions.

His Dark Materials is also an explicitly anti-theistic series of fantasy books, which is one of the reasons that many heads were turned.

As an angry anti-theistic teenager who didn’t grow up reading, His Dark Materials changed me forever, and I can’t thank it enough for that.

There hasn’t been anything quite like His Dark Materials since Pullman wrote it, and so this remains one of the best fantasy series of books ever written.

Buy His Dark Materials here!

The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

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Blog – Posted on Saturday, May 30

The 60 best fantasy books of all time.

The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

Whether you’ve sat around waiting for your Hogwarts letter or looked for Narnia in the back of a closet, you've probably dreamt of stepping into your favorite fantasy books and leaving the real world behind. But the genre isn’t all witches, wardrobes, and whimsy! Beyond offering temporary escape from the pressures of daily life, the best fantasy books help us confront them. 

Stories of the otherworldly allow readers to make sense of this world, refracting change, wickedness, and heartache through a magical lens so we can see them all more clearly — and face them head-on. A good fantasy book illuminates the mind with childlike wonder, but also lingers in our memories because of its connection to real life.

In other words, great fantasy books show us the world in another guise, yet each is also a universe unto itself. We hope you enjoy exploring them in this list of the best fantasy books of all time!

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of amazing fantasy books on hand, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized fantasy series recommendation  😉

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1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)

Even if you’re not a math geek, you’re probably familiar with the algebraist Charles Dodgson — you just know him his much more famous alter-ego, Lewis Carroll. Unlike Dodgson, Carroll wrote stories that defied logic, twisting it into dreamlike, fantastical shapes: a hookah-smoking caterpillar, a flamingo-filled croquet-ground, a perpetually tardy White Rabbit. The result was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , which has delighted adults and children alike since it was published over a century and a half ago — and today is recognized as a momentous early foray into the fantasy genre as a whole.

2. The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1924)

The King of Elfland’s Daughter is a fairy tale with deep, dark roots — as well as a love story rendered with piercing emotional honesty. It’s also an unlikely immigration novel, about an elfin princess’s attempts to deal with her fractured sense of self as she adjusts to the homeland of her beloved human husband. Another remarkably early entry into the fantasy genre, this book prompted Arthur C. Clarke to name Dunsany as one of the greatest writers of his century, and World Fantasy Award winner Jane Yolen to call him “the great grandfather of us all.”

3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

It might be a childhood favorite, but The Hobbit gives adult fantasy readers one of the genre’s most relatable protagonists: a middle-aged homebody who just wants to chill. The iconic Bilbo Baggins speaks to all grownup introverts who like nothing more than a good meal and a cozy chair. But we all hope we’d find Bilbo-like reservoirs of heroism within us — yes, while a career as a Chosen One might be out of reach for us, we can all aspire to be Bilbo Baggins. 

4. The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White (1938)

We all know what happens after King Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone; The Sword in the Stone takes a look at the before . Predictably, it’s much less glamorous. In this telling, the archetypical fantasy monarch was once just a boy called Wart — teased by his foster-brother Kay and subjected to a punishing round of lessons that would make any modern high-schooler wince in sympathy. Only Wart’s education doesn’t involve AP Calculus and JV Track... and his teacher, Merlyn, prefers to instruct by turning his students into animals instead of grilling them with the Socratic method.

5. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1950)

When the four Pevensie siblings leave bomb-ravaged London to wait out World War II in the countryside, they discover a portal to the magical land of Narnia behind a pile of fur coats. But their magical new vacation spot suffers from bad leadership: it’s governed by a witch whose only policy decisions are about ensuring eternal winter with no Christmas cheer. The Pevensies have to oust her — with the help of a talking lion! If you’re a fantasy buff, you’ll already know that the lion is a Christological stand-in, and that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a meditation on redemption, sacrifice, and faith. But you don’t need to worship anything to want to drop in on Narnia for an hour or two.

6. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1966)

Like the first five books on this list, The Master and Margarita is often considered one of the 20th century’s finest novels. Unlike them, it’s definitely not for kids. Written at the height of Stalinist repression, it braids together two narrative strands: one a psychologically subtle take on the death of Christ, the other a devilish satire on Soviet intellectual life. And where does the mysterious Muscovian author, known only as the Master, fall in all of this? In reality, fearful of political repression, Mikhail Bulgakov fed his first attempt at this story to the flames; fortunately for Russophiles and demonologists everywhere, he gave it another try.

7. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)

With its shimmering, lilac-scented prose, The Last Unicorn treads the line between novel and poetry — reading with the ease of a bedtime story and the depth of an allegory. In this gossamer world, we meet an immortal Unicorn, who’s grieved to learn from a hunting party that she might be the last of her kind. Upon leaving her enchanted forest to investigate their claims, she finds that humans perceive her as an ordinary white horse. The Unicorn’s wanderings put her in the company of ringmasters and harpies, magicians and kings: some who want to harm her, and some who do their best to help.

8. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)

On a dense cluster of islands, inhabited by dragons and raised out of the water by a god, master fantasist Ursula K. Le Guin spins out elegant, character-driven tales, enriched by her knowledge of world mythology. Her first installment in the Earthsea series, A Wizard of Earthsea , is a bildungsroman of the old school, albeit enlivened with wizardry: a magical coming-of-age that treats hefty themes like death, the environment, and cosmic balance — all with Le Guin’s characteristically deft touch.

9. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (1968)

The Lord of the Rings has made its mark on high fantasy’s DNA more than any other work — and this is the volume that started it off. Like The Hobbit , its prequel of sorts, The Fellowship of the Ring is a story that turns on ordinary acts of courage. Running as a counterpoint alongside the thundering motifs of kingly destiny and good-versus-evil, we see the innocent bravery of country gentlemen and the loyalty of gardeners. These, the book argues, are the real engines of historical change. And in today's fantasy landscape overshadowed by the grimdark, returning to Tolkien’s brand of clear-eyed hope can be a real breath of fresh air.

10. Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)

If you don’t think a rabbit warren could be reasonably described as epic fantasy, clearly you’ve never read Watership Down . This stirring adventure story has it all: warriors and visions, harrowing escapes and heartbreaking deaths — its stars just happen to be unusually soft of fur and long of ear. Indeed, when human encroachment on their environment threatens their way of life, the rabbits react the way any self-respecting group of noble warriors would: by going on a quest. Despite its adorable premise, Richard Adams’ novel draws on a rich wellspring of literary precedents, and reads like Beowulf by way of Beatrix Potter.

11. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)

A perennial favorite of both elementary schoolers and their teachers, The Dark is Rising renders the cosmic conflict between Light and Dark in lively style, at a scale accessible to young readers. It centers on British schoolboy Will Stanton, who discovers, on his eleventh birthday, that he’s actually an immortal Light warrior known as an Old One — bound to play out an eternal struggle against the forces of the Dark. This story is perfectly contextualized by Susan Cooper's vast mythological knowledge, drawing generously from the sea-scented myths of her native British Isles, especially the Arthurian legend.

12. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)

Besides its iconic adaptation , Goldman’s novel is most famous for its delightfully complicated framework: the core story deals with a farm boy called Westley, a gentrywoman named Buttercup, and the many colorful — and hilarious — obstacles that impede their love. According to The Princess Bride 's extensive (fictional) footnotes, this picaresque romance was drawn from Goldman’s favorite childhood tale, which his father had always read aloud. Years later, when he finally read it for himself, he found out that Goldman Sr. strayed pretty liberally from the text... but the heartwarming adventure story that resulted as all the better for it.

13. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip (1974)

With its elegant language and a thoughtfully rendered heroine, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld has won the love of readers young and old (not to mention the 197 World Fantasy Award). The story centers on teenage orphan Sybel, whose only companions are the sentient, mythical creatures who share her mountain home — and with whom she cohabits happily. But one day, a stranger named Coren arrives, along with a newborn he claims to be the rightful heir to the kingdom of Eld. Together, the man and the baby conscript Sybel into single parenthood — and drag her quiet mountain refuge into a world of political turmoil. 

14. A Midsummer Tempest by Poul Anderson (1974)

Poul Anderson is better known for his science fiction, but this slim, strange, and utterly engrossing book demonstrates his range as a storyteller. A Midsummer Tempest takes place in an alternate version of 17th century — one where everything Shakespeare wrote actually happened and fairies were very much real. Inventive as the premise sounds, this one’s really quite faithful as far as Shakespearean fanfic goes: all the noble characters speak in iambic pentameter, as if they were written by the Bard himself. 

15. Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson (1977)

The first installment in the 10-book Chronicles of Thomas Covenant , Lord Foul’s Bane starts off in a decidedly un-Tolkien-esque fashion: with a protagonist who’s American, a novelist, and newly recovered from leprosy, a disease to which he lost two fingers. And as far as his new neighbors are concerned, the titular Thomas, with his two missing fingers, is a dead ringer for their culture-hero, Berek Halfhand — a misunderstanding that kicks off this complicated and morally grey giant of the genre.

16. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks (1977)

Terry Brooks’ 1977 fantasy takes place in a post-nuclear-holocaust Pacific Northwest, in which the surviving humans have diverged into five species: Men, Dwarves, Gnomes, Trolls, and Elves. The plot centers on Shea Ohmsford, a half-elven boy destined to wield a legendary sword against a dreaded Warlock Lord. Thanks to this post-apocalyptic premise, The Sword of Shannara interweaves fantasy with science fiction; you might say it depicts fantasy as a result of science fiction, unimaginable violence producing a future that looks like an enchanted vision of the past.

17. Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979)

Kindred has been described as a “neo-slave narrative using science fiction framework” — a designation that effectively encompasses the thematic complexity of the book. The author herself, however, called Kindred “a kind of grim fantasy.” Indeed, its time-traveling protagonist, a young black woman named Dana, finds herself flickering between 1976 Los Angeles and 1815 Maryland. In the antebellum South, she winds up in the company of her own ancestors — an enslaved woman named Alice and a slave-owner named Rufus. Butler’s spare prose and mastery of psychological detail render the human cost of slavery with devastating clarity. 

18. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (1979)

Like fellow multimedia phenomenon The Princess Bride , The Neverending Story uses a framework narrative to reflect on the power of, well, stories. The title refers to a book within the book: an antique volume unearthed by a boy called Bastian, an outsider at odds with schoolyard bullies and a distant father. As he reads — with us peering over his shoulder — Bastian is literally pulled into the story of Fantastica, a magical realm ruled by an immortal Childlike Empress. But the empress is dying, and without her power, Fantastica and all its people will disappear. It’s up to reader-turned-protagonist Bastian to save her.

19. Little, Big by John Crowley (1981)

Little, Big is the perfect fantasy novel for people who don’t like fantasy. It reads like a prestigious generational saga, the kind of thing you’d find in English dissertations and on Booker Prize shortlists — just with a few fairies thrown into the mix. No wonder literary critic Harold Bloom, notorious for thumbing his nose at the likes of Harry Potter , praised it as a “neglected masterpiece.” At its center is the Drinkwater family, whose architect patriarch built their sprawling family estate in the hazy borderlands between the Faerie world and New York — which invites a great deal of complexity into their lives.

20. The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1982)

Stephen King is best known for infiltrating our nightmares with stalkers and murderous clowns. But The Gunslinger proves he’s got a gift for fantasy too — just don’t expect it to be light and fluffy! This novel pulls from a broad palette of influences, from cowboy westerns to the poetry of Robert Browning. The hero, Roland of Gilead, wields his gun in pursuit of a shadowy Man in Black who's as dangerous as he is mysterious, with the power to spawn demons and raise the dead. Luckily or not, Roland's not alone in his pursuit; he finds a traveling companion in Jake Chambers, a schoolboy from our world.

21. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (1983)

Beloved fantasy writer Terry Pratchett made his name on tales from Discworld: a flat, circular planet, carried on the backs of four elephants balanced on a turtle. The 41-book series is a world unto its own — and it all began with The Color of Magic . Pratchett conceived the book as an antidote to the dark lord-y, paint-by-numbers fantasy that saturated the market at the time. The result is playful-yet-thoughtful story about an incompetent wizard and a ignorant tourist, whose adventure reads like a hilarious, sparkling travelogue.

22. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983) 

The most influential reimagining of the Arthurian legend since The Sword and the Stone , this sharply observed novel turns a feminist gaze on age-old tales. The Mists of Avalon centers on Arthur’s sorcerous half-sister Morgaine — better known as Morgan le Fay. A pagan priestess of Avalon blessed with clairvoyance, she’s troubled by the encroachment of Christian missionaries into the land she loves. Her sister-in-law Gwenhwyfar, meanwhile, emerges as her opposite: a devout and increasingly fanatical Christian. The ideological clash between them represents a far greater conflict, which the book unflinchingly depicts with all the dark tragedy of the original legend.

23. The Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart (1984)

In an era when “fantasy” was synonymous with “fake medieval Europe,” The Bridge of Birds gave us something wonderfully original: a novel set — as its subtitle explains — in “an ancient China that never was.” We see this reimagining through the eyes of Number Ten Ox, a young man those village is ravaged by a mysterious plague that destroys silkworms and renders its children unconscious. He finds aid in Master Li Kao, a scholar with a drinking problem — and an encyclopedic knowledge of poisons. Together, Number Ten Ox and Master Li set off in search for a cure... only to be drawn into the heady world of imperial politics.

24. Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)

Celebrated for its dazzling prose, Mythago Wood is as densely enchanting as the English forest at its center: the ancient, otherworldly Ryhope Wood. Make your way between the old-growth trees and you'll discover its inhabitants — myth-images, or mythagos, who have come out of ancestral memory and the story-seeped subconscious of the human mind. These might be monsters, centaurs, or several different versions of King Arthur. We explore Ryhope Wood with the Huxley brothers: World War II veteran Stephen regards the forest’s mysteries with measured skepticism, even as his brother Christian starts to lose himself within it.  

25. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1986)

Gorgeously brought to life by the Studio Ghibli anime of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle combines whimsy and poignancy in the tradition of the best children’s fiction — and doesn't skimp on the allusions, moving breezily from Shakespeare to Lewis Carroll. The story begins with 18-year-old Sophie Hatter, who seems condemned to a lifetime of drudgery at the family hat shop. But when she’s aged several decades by a witch’s curse, a suddenly geriatric Sophie finds her way to a moving castle ruled by the eccentric wizard Howl, whose fire-demon servant holds the key to restoring her youth. 

26. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (1990)

The end of the world has never been so funny. Equal parts biting and heartwarming, this charmingly English take on the Apocalypse combines the talents of golden-age Terry Pratchett and a young Neil Gaiman just discovering his novelistic voice. Take this dream team, add 50% more laughter than you think is possible, and you’ll have Good Omens . The book’s tween Anti-Christ, Adam, is refreshingly human and irresistibly likable. But its true stars are the fussy angel Aziraphale and sauntering demon Crowley, who steal the show with their unlikely bond — and their rogue efforts to put a pin in Armageddon.

27. The Famished Road by Ben Okri (1991)

Booker Prize winner The Famished Road makes an eloquent case for the place of magical creatures in the literary big leagues — and, in 1991, brought fantasy out of its traditional Anglo-American silo. Author Ben Okri moves fluidly between genres and influences: combining Yoruba oral traditions and Shakespearean allusions, mixing magical realism with Enlightenment philosophy. His very protagonist, Azaro, is a creature of the hybrid and the in-between: an abiku , or child spirit, he dwells between the realms of the living and the dead. But Okri manages to ground this unorthodox story with spare, elegant prose and devastating pathos.

28. Was by Geoff Ryman (1992)

This wildly inventive novel snagged a nomination for the World Fantasy Prize, but it’s about as far from sword and sorcery as you can get. A gritty remix of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , Was uses L. Frank Baum’s sunny fable to examine the mundane tragedies of modern life, from child abuse to HIV. The main character of this tale is an orphan named Dorothy Gael, whose Uncle Henry abuses her with Aunty Em’s tacit consent. Her story runs alongside another one equally tragic — that of a gay actor weakened by AIDS. Close to dying, he rallies for a final pilgrimage to Kansas, drawn by memories of his childhood fascination with Oz.

29. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1994)

Haunting, sexy, and grim, Anne Rice’s gothic novel paved the way for Twilightmania — just don’t expect her vampires to sparkle. Interview with the Vampire centers on 200-year-old, world-weary Louis, who finds himself telling his life story to a cub reporter. As we listen in on their interview, we meet the colorful characters who shaped Louis’ long afterlife: his cruelly charismatic lover Lestat — the vampire who turned him — and their tragic “daughter” Claudia, whose eternally childish form can’t contain her sharp wit and grown-up rage.

30. Towing Jehovah by James Morrow (1994)

This oddball religious satire spins the famous Nietzsche quote into a fantastic story: God is dead, and now there’s another corpse in the Atlantic, looking like any old white guy — except two miles long. As a result, oil tanker captain Anthony Van Horne finds himself with an unexpected new gig, courtesy of the archangel Raphael. The heavenly hosts expect him to, well, tow Jehovah : transport His corpse to the Arctic to be embalmed by its icy waters. Morrow’s effervescent cleverness has drawn endless comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut , but Towing Jehovah ’s theological snark evokes Good Omens , too. 

31. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb (1995)

A stunning example of high, epic fantasy played straight, Assassin’s Apprentice introduces us to the bravest bastard this side of Jon Snow. The illegitimate son of a prince named Chivalry, the boy called Fitz grows up a loner. If he wants company, he prefers to draw on the Wit — his telepathic link to animals — instead of talking to another human. But when his powerful relations finally summon him to court, Fitz is forced to change his wild ways — and soon begins training as an assassin and kingsman to the new ruler, Shrewd (another symbolic name).

32. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995)

This stunning YA fantasy opens the His Dark Materials trilogy, which can only be described as the anti-Narnia: a literary monument to secular humanism. This first installment centers on Lyra Belacqua, an orphan raised by a committee of graybeards at Oxford. Her fantastical world is crafted by Pullman with all the deft-fingered care of a Renaissance painter, laying on the details stroke by stroke. Perhaps most excitingly, here there be daemons: externalized souls that tail each person in animal form. Lyra’s daemon, Pantalaimon, is one of the book’s most lovable (and important) characters — and after reading The Golden Compass , you’ll definitely want your own.

33. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1996)

While we wait for G.R.R. Martin to finish up his long-running series’ sixth installment, it’s worth revisiting the book that made his name — and gave its name to the show that brought TV fantasy into the mainstream. If His Dark Materials is the anti-Narnia, then A Game of Thrones and its sequels are the anti-LOTR. In a sharp-toothed reaction to Tolkien’s idealism, Martin gives us a quasi-medieval setting as rich in magic as Middle-earth, though it runs on cynical realpolitik instead of quiet courage. In this grimdark world , winter is coming, debts must be paid, and noble characters can die ugly, senseless deaths at any time.

34. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)

If you need a summary of this book, you’ve been living under a rock for the past few decades. Love them or hate them, the Harry Potter series has shaped millennials more than any other media phenomena, creating a generation of bookworms inclined to question authority. The Boy Who Lived is now approaching middle-age — canonically born in 1980, he's just about 40 now. But as the book that kickstarted his literary career, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone remains as influential as ever, with Hogwarts houses being as legitimate a source of identity as zodiac signs.  

35. The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre (1997)

A Game of Thrones might be the more famous book today, but The Moon and the Sun narrowly beat it out to win the prestigious Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1998! An intricate historical romance made magical through the addition of mermaids and immortality quests, The Moon and the Sun takes place in the palace of the Sun King, who ruled over late 17th-century France. We encounter his dazzling world through the eyes of Marie-Josèphe de la Croix, a lady-in-waiting who is the only person at court able to see Versailles’ new mermaid resident as a person instead of a monster (with delicious shades of The Shape of Water ).

36. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (2000)

China Miéville has defined his own work as “a breathless and genre-slippery macabre fiction” — and with its heady mixture of Victorian tech , black magic, and organized crime, this book is par for the course. Perdido Street Station takes place in the steampunk city of New Crobuzon, where humans rub shoulders with other strange and intelligent species. But this peaceful coexistence is jeopardized when a hallucinogenic experiment unleashes the slakemoth: a mind-eating monster with paralytic in its wings. As they attempt to save the city, protagonist Isaac and his friends soon find themselves pulled into the seedy underbelly of New Crobuzon politics, discovering more than they ever wanted to know about their bizarre home.

37. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2001)

A decade after Good Omens , Neil Gaiman returned to the world of religious fantasy with this magnificent solo venture. American Gods blends old legends with a modern noir sensibility — it’s peopled with deities and convicts, and the distinctions between them aren’t always clear. At its center is the improbably named Shadow Moon, a new widower who drifts into the employ of a con-man named Mr. Wednesday. They go on a good, old-fashioned American road-trip — but Shadow soon discovers that their cross-country trek isn’t all that it appears to be

38. The Etched City by K.J. Bishop (2003)

The Etched City ’s cloak-and-dagger plot stands out thanks to a richly drawn setting — one that crosses the Wild West with the medieval Islamic world. Following a civil war where their side lost, bounty hunter Gwynn and healer Raule are chased out of their homeland. As the pair attempt to find their footing in this Etched City, they experience the very human costs of exile and political turmoil. This is K.J. Bishops’ first and only work of book-length fiction, but it’ll make you look out eagerly for more. 

39. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)

Every once in a while, you encounter a voice of such talent and originality it stands out like a signal fire against the night. In the world of fantasy, Susannah Clarke is that voice. Her magnum opus, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell , is an alternate history of England during the Napoleonic Wars, combining Gothic fiction with comedy of manners to interrogate romantic myths of the English past. After a full decade in the making, it catapulted straight from Bloomsbury’s press to The New York Times bestseller list. The rest is history — or, should we say, alternate history.

40. The World of the End by Ofir Touché Gafla (2004)

This witty, sci-fi/fantasy take on the afterlife has shades of both The Good Place and Black Mirror — and fittingly enough, reflects consistently on the notion of endings. Before his suicide, protagonist Ben Mendelssohn was a professional ender: a ghostwriter for authors unable to finish their own stories . And after putting a bullet in his own head, Ben emerges in the Other World: a strangely sterile afterlife where the shades of the dead can customize their own microclimates. Clearly, The World of the End was an incredibly precocious — maybe even prophetic — work, anticipating pop cultural themes a decade ahead of time. 

41. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

The Name of the Wind boasts another complicated framework narrative that, in this case, turns the entire work into a meditation on the importance of storytelling. It’s told as a fictional autobiography whose subject — and narrator — is the legendary culture-hero Kvothe, living incognito at the novel’s beginning as a humble innkeeper. But his cover’s blown following the appearance, in the flesh, of a demon long relegated to the realm of myths. Long story short — or if you read the whole thing, long story long — Kvothe ends up recounting the submerged stories of his past, from his magical education to his myriad heartbreaks.

42. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2009)

This high fantasy novel (in the guise of New Yorker -friendly lit fic) follows a high school senior named Quentin, who finds his way into magic college en route to his Princeton interview. But there are no sun-drenched Quidditch matches at Brakebills: instead, the curriculum turns on classical philology and the memorization of magical hand positions. Indeed, between this and its frank treatment of sexuality and mental health, The Magicians has often been touted as a “Harry Potter for grownups.” And if you’re more Ravenclaw than Gryffindor, you might find yourself daydreaming about Brakebills instead of Hogwarts — at least until Grossman deconstructs the trope of the magical boarding school with devastating acuity.

43. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (2010)

Guy Gavriel Kay is a sorcerer in the realm of alternate history — his usual M.O. entails magic-drenched versions of ancient Constantinople or Renaissance Italy. In Under Heaven , Kay turns his talents to medieval China, with a version of the country called Kitai having recently achieved a hard-fought peace. Shen Tai, the second son of a legendary general, takes advantage of the ceasefire to bury the long-abandoned dead: both his own Kitai countrymen and their Taguran enemies, whose ghosts still haunt the site of their fatal defeats. In response, the Taguran empress gifts him a herd of 250 prized horses — making him an immediate target in the next round of Kitai political intrigues.

44. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (2010)

These days, N.K. Jemisin is a bona fide thought leader who writes full-time, but The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was the match that sparked her incandescent career. It opens as such: following her mother's death, a biracial woman named Yeine Darr is summoned to the floating city of Sky and told she’s descended from Sky’s ruling house. But on her father’s side, she belongs to the Darre — a people considered barbarians by her mother's kin. This revelation pulls her into a struggle of succession and identity, all of which Yeine must navigate as she tries to solve her mother's mysterious murder.

45. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (2010)

This searing novel is rooted in the real-life tragedy of weaponized rape in the Darfur conflict, which Okorafor read about just as she was beginning work on it. The narrator of Who Fears Death , Onyesonwu, is the product of similar racial violence; she's born to an Okeke woman, raped by the light-skinned Nuru sorcerer responsible for the massacre of her village. Named for a question — “Who Fears Death?”— she develops magical gifts to rival her wicked father’s. And after honing her abilities under the tutelage of a powerful shaman, Onyesonwu takes on a quest: to end the genocide of her mother’s people forever.

46. Among Others by Jo Walton (2011)

This inventive, award-winning book portrays the coming-of-age of Morwenna Phelps, a teenager who recently lost both her twin and the use of her legs thanks to a magical accident. Her story is refracted in a charmingly meta fashion, and has a comforting familiarity of form, as we see everything through Mori’s journal entries — where she vents about math classes, bra shopping, and first love along with the difficulties of spell-casting. If you’re into quirky, genre-bending works, you’ll definitely find Mori a charming and relatable guide to the world of Among Others , a place at once totally strange and achingly familiar.

47. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)

The Night Circus began as a stab at NaNoWriMo , but its success has long since transcended its origins. This romantic, quasi-Victorian confection of a fantasy takes place, predictably enough, at a circus that’s only open at night. The mysterious carnival has been prepared as the dazzling battleground for a duel between two magicians, Celia and Marco — both raised as puppets in the rivalry between their two powerful mentors. But instead of giving their all to the coming battle, Celia and Marco have done something unforgivable: they’ve fallen in love, and now must find a way to fulfill their contracts without killing each other.

48. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (2013)

This wildly imaginative historical fantasy involves an unexpected pair of magical creatures — the titular golem and jinni, from Jewish and Arabic mythology respectively. The former, Chava, was brought to life by a wicked kabbalist to serve as a mail-order bride; the latter, Ahmad, lived for centuries inside a copper flask, only to end up as a tinsmith once freed. After a chance encounter in the 19th century, Chava and Ahmad become friends — swapping stories on their struggles to pass as human. The Golem and the Jinni draws the reader in with a touching portrait of friendship while weaving in tantalizing threads of history and myth. 

49. A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar (2013)

This gorgeous debut novel turns fantasy into poetry, telling a story of hauntings both literal and figurative. It tracks the son of a pepper merchant, Jevick of Tyom, who finds himself in unwanted company — he’s tailed by the ghost of an illiterate little girl. And when he seeks help from a group of exorcist-priests, Jevick quickly finds himself enmeshed in a power struggle that he never anticipated. A Stranger in Olondria writes out the power of narrative in a way that’s human and moving, with just the right amount of meta.

50. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (2014)

The Bone Clocks shines with both literary pedigree and imaginative worldbuilding, up for both the Man Booker Prize and the World Fantasy Award in 2015. Its title hints at the darkly magical world we find inside — “bone clocks” are what immortals call the rest of us, ordinary humans whose bodies tick out the passage of time through their slow decay. We soon encounter two groups of immortals through a bone clock named Holly Sykes. But mortal as she is, Holly isn’t an ordinary young woman. Her psychic abilities make her a lightning rod for unusual phenomena — and the eventual focal point for an epic supernatural war.

51. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015)

Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro penned this elegiac, post-Arthurian fantasy over the course of a difficult decade. The result was well worth the wait: The Guardian’ s glowing review hailed it as “Game of Thrones with a conscience.” The Buried Giant considers the entanglement of old age, memory, and national history in a setting infused with the otherworld. At its center are an elderly couple named Axl and Beatrice, Briton villagers living in a world where King Arthur has died, leaving behind a seemingly durable peace. But everyone in Axl and Beatrice’s village continues to suffer: not from armed conflict, but from the mist, an amnesia that seems to have eaten away all their memories of a son they’re certain they’ve lost. 

52. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (2015)

The Fifth Season is perhaps N.K. Jemisin's most fully realized work, combining her trademark psychological complexity with an ultra-immersive world and a magic system of startling originality. It's set in a Pangaea-like supercontinent called the Stillness — an ironic name, since the land is ravaged periodically by earthquakes. Because of this, the Stillness is a dangerous place for orogenes, who have the ability to control earthquakes and channel temperature. Called “roggas” and savaged by mobs because of their dangerous powers, orogenes rarely make it to adulthood. But those who survive — generally by hiding their abilities — are herded towards a training facility called the Fulcrum, where they suffer oppressions of their own.  

53. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (2015)

The first installment in a planned trilogy, The Grace of Kings is entertaining as well as erudite. It’s already become a foundational work of the sensibility Liu terms “silkpunk” : an East Asian-inflected spin on steampunk that trades in gears and goggles for bamboo and paper. The Grace of Kings uses this silkpunk framework to rewrite some of the most exciting stories from a canonical Han-dynasty text. The result is a page-turner even for bookworms who don’t have knowledge of Chinese history — and full of delightful easter eggs for those who do. 

54. A Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho (2015)

In A Sorcerer to the Crown , debut novelist Zen Cho serves up historical fantasy with humor and heart. Set in a magical version of Regency England, it's equal parts white-gloved gentility and side-splitting wit. But the story also tackles race with a deft touch: Zacharias Wythe is the new Sorcerer Royal of black African descent, and Prunella Gentleman is a biracial, magical finishing school drop-out. Together, they have to prevent an all-out war between powerful magical factions — all while dealing with the constant indignities of prejudice.

55. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (2016)

All the Birds in the Sky is a love story for nerds. Sparks fly between the compelling leads — and between the two speculative genres they represent. Patricia Delfine, a witch, is fantasy. Her childhood friend Laurence Armstead, a gadgeteer, is science fiction. But after banding together against junior high bullies, the two lose touch: Patricia runs from witchcraft accusations to wind up in a school of magic, while Laurence is shipped off to military school to shape up among other ill-behaved teenage Muggles. Luckily, they reunite as adults — just in time to tap into their combined skills to stop the Unraveling of the universe.

56. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2016)

In the world of Neal Shusterman's Scythe , hyper-advanced technology has eliminated death by natural causes, rendering humans biologically immortal. But this seemingly utopian premise turns dys topian with the reality that overpopulation is still a problem — and to cull it, a select group of citizens must act as “Scythes” to determine who will live and die. This is the role taken on by our teenage protagonists, Citra and Rowan, who grapple with intense issues of mortality and morality as they train to be Scythes — growing more suspicious all the while of inner-circle corruption that threatens to derail their society.

57. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (2017)

A dazzling fantasy set in the 18th-century Egypt, The City of Brass wraps a tale of magical adventure around a core of Islamic mythology. But its heroine is a skeptic — at first. A talented swindler with an instinct for healing, Nahri tricks Ottoman nobles into filling her purse by claiming magical powers she doesn’t actually have. Then one day, she fakes an exorcism... only to find herself face-to-face with a very real djinn. This unexpected new acquaintance, named Dara, spirits her away to the enchanted, brass-walled city of Daevabad. Here Nahri finds out the truth about her own heritage — the key to her talent for the healing arts. 

58. Jade City by Fonda Lee (2017)

Jade City reads like Game of Thrones meets The Godfather , with a modern, pan-Asian aesthetic all its own. In its vividly drawn magical underworld, organized crime centers around jade — not the green jewel we know, but a mineral that grants superpowers to those who wield it, provided they have the right training and genes. After a cataclysmic conflict, the One Mountain Society that protected the island of Kekon has shattered into rival crime families. As they fight over the future of the jade trade, their battles spring to life in stunning fight sequences undergirded by Lee's martial arts knowledge and rich worldbuilding. 

59. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (2019)

For anyone ever intrigued by the hush-hush and vaguely felonious undercurrents of Ivy League secret societies, Ninth House is the novel to sate your imagination. It kicks off with 20-year-old Alex Stern, ghost-seer and sole survivor of a brutal homicide, receiving a full-ride scholarship to Yale — under the condition that she use her spiritually perceptive powers to monitor the university's eight Houses of the Vale. As part of the titular ninth house, Lethe, Alex must work to uncover the magical abuses of these occult organizations — but what she can't know is how dark things will get, and how deeply she's enmeshed in them already.

60. Starsight by Brandon Sanderson (2019)

Finally we've arrived at Starsight , the most recent undertaking by fantasy phenom Brandon Sanderson. In this outer-space spectacular, Sanderson seamlessly picks up the narrative thread of Spensa Nightshade — a passionate, psychically gifted young pilot who's become a key weapon in the human war against the alien Krell. Here, Spensa embarks on a dangerous undercover mission to steal a Krell hyperdrive, but what will happen when her true identity is revealed? (Our only advisory before diving headfirst into Starsight is to read the previous installment, Skyward, first — especially if you have an Ender's Game -shaped hole in your life.)

Can’t get enough top-shelf fantasy? Check out our roundup of the best fantasy series of all time . Or try listening — to this list of 45 fantasy audiobooks !

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Screen Rant

The best fantasy book series of all time, according to ranker.

From works like The Mistborn Series to The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, Ranker has compiled a list of The Best Fantasy Book Series.

With Amazon's tv series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power  releasing this fall, along with the recent release of films such as  Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore   and six-time Oscar winner  Dune ,  there is certainly an appetite for films in the fantasy genre.

These films and shows often come from existing book series. For example, C.S. Lewis'  The Chronicle of Narnia   series contains magic, fantastical beasts, and the struggle between good and evil; all essential elements in any good fantasy story. Based on themes, characters, world-building, magic, relatability and more,  Ranker has compiled a list of what fans view as the best fantasy book series.

Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have been changed after this publishing.

Tales of Discworld

Cover for the book Tales of Discworld.

Throughout a period of just over 30 years, English author Terry Pratchett wrote 41 books in the comic fantasy genre. What made his series so unique is that it parodies and satirizes other works in the realm of fantasy, science fiction, folklore and fairy tales.

Related:  10 Best Fantasy And Sci-Fi Books With Upcoming TV And Movie Adaptations

This parody is clearly evident in the name itself. Discworld   is literally a flat planet that rests on the backs of four elephants, which themselves rest on the back of a turtle. If that isn't enough to get readers hooked, there are many interesting characters, including Death. The beauty of this series is that a reader can read from any book in the series - there is no particular order.

The Dragonriders of Pern

Cover of the book The Dragonriders of Pern.

Written by Anne McCaffrey,  The Dragon Riders of Pern  began in 1967 and is still going strong, with 23 books currently available. McCaffrey was the first woman to win the Hugo (best science fiction or fantasy works) and Nebula (best science fiction or fantasy works in the United States) awards respectively.

The science fiction series deals with humans colonizing the planet Pern and fighting a spore called Thread. It's a preindustrial society like medieval Europe which includes lords and dragons. However, what makes the series unique is that there are elements of technology also, such as flamethrowers and telescopes.

The Silmarillion

Title for the book The Silmarillion.

Many people recognize J.R.R. Tolkien for writing  The Lord of the Rings ,  but they may not know that he also wrote  The Silmarillion.  This fantasy involves the creation of Tolkien's universe and the history up to and after the events detailed in  The Lord of the Rings , thus giving context to it.

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Influenced by Greek mythology (Numenor) and its gods (Valor), the book was named after the Silmarils, which were three jewels, similar to the MCU Infinity Stones. The main antagonist, Melkor, was betrayed by his lieutenant, Sauron. Ideas from The Silmarillion  will most likely be explored in  The Rings of Power .

The Mistborn Series

The covers of the first three Mistborn books

Since beginning the Mistborn  series in 2006, Brandon Sanderson has written seven books totaling over 3,000 pages.  Mistborn  is a young adult high fantasy series that has remained quite popular with readers of all ages.

The characters are somewhat flat, yet the world-building is well-enough thought out to make up for it. It centers around the question, "What if evil conquered good and a tyrant was in charge?" However, it's the intricate magic system that sets it apart from the rest. After all, magic is a key part in any fantasy novel series.

The Stormlight Archives

Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson

One of multiple popular series written by Sanderson, there are currently four books with ten more in the works. Interestingly, The Stormlight Archives is set in the same universe as  The Mistborn series ,  so fans of one series will likely be fans of the other.

The drawback is the length, but the strength is in the world-building. For example, the planet Roshar, ravaged by severe storms, is brought to light with impactful detail and acts as a memorable backdrop to parts of the story. Class structure is a key focus as well, but it's the idea of discrimination that really sets this series apart. Discrimination is unfortunately nothing new for the real world, but shifting the focus of this divide to something like eye color paints how trivial discrimination is at its core.

The Wheel of Time

Moiraine over the Wheel of Time book covers

The original author, Robert Jordan, passed away after writing 11 books in the Wheel of Time series, and Brandon Sanderson was brought on to finish the last three. The series began in 1990 and was finished up somewhat recently in 2013.

The Wheel of Time   is partially known for the chemistry between its memorable characters, but its strength lies in the large scope and detailed world creation- all while remaining somewhat grounded. It does have criticisms, but the more popular something is, the more people will look for flaws. Similarly, The Wheel of Time Amazon series drew both praise and criticism.

The cover of the novel Dune

The original work from Frank Herbert began in 1965, and  Dune  has remained so popular (partly due to the giant sandworms) it has spawned many other works including books, novels, short stories, comics, films, tv adaptations, and games.

What makes Dune  so intriguing is that the planet Arrakis is essentially a metaphor for the colonization of Africa. It contains a valuable resource, in this case, spice, that outside groups fight to attain.  David Lynch tried to faithfully adapt  Dune  in 1984, but it wasn't until Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-winning adaptation in 2022 that Herbert's novel was truly brought to life. Dune: Part 2   is due next year.

A Song of Ice and Fire

An A Song of Ice and Fire book set

In 1991, George R.R. Martin set out to make an epic fantasy series that began with the first novel,  A Game of Thrones .  It was published within five years, and four more novels have since been released in the Song of Ice and Fire series (with two more still in the works). Most fans will be familiar with the TV series on HBO and its upcoming prequel series,  House of the Dragon .

Related:  10 Game of Thrones Book Quotes That Should Have Been In The TV Show

Martin chose to focus each chapter on a certain character(s) perspective, so the reader gets a really good sense of that particular character(s) thoughts and feelings. The series is so popular because of its political intrigue and unexpected twists (often deaths). Everyone is fighting for control of the Iron Throne, which means betrayal and death lurk around every corner. The quality with which the characters are given depth makes it all the more heartbreaking (or satisfying) when they meet their end.

The Harry Potter Series

All seven Harry Potter books lined up

In a true rags to riches story, J.K. Rowling came to fame penning the story of the boy wizard. Harry Potter's story spanned seven books and became an inspiration for many other fantasy franchises .

The popularity of Harry Potter is clearly evident in the "Muggle" world. For example, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is located at Universal Studios, even though it's a Warner Bros. property. Seeing the demand for more wizarding content, Rowling has created the  Fantastic Beasts   prequel series. Perhaps this popularity stems from how relatable the character of Harry Potter is. Rowling made fans feel like they too could become a wizard.

The Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings Books JRR Tolkien

Written over a span of 12 years, J.R.R. Tolkien created what Ranker fans vote as the best fantasy book series of all time. The books are so well-known that they have been translated in over 30 languages and have spawned numerous adaptations and parodies.

What makes Tolkien's work so impressive is the amount of detail put into the world-building.  Influenced by real history, he created a unique world complete with its own lore, languages, and compelling characters. However, it's the themes Tolkien presents that define  The Lord of the Rings.  It's the ultimate battle between good and evil. In between that, there is tragedy, loss, hope, courage, and the costs of obsession. More importantly, it teaches readers that they have the ability to change the world if they have the will to do so.

Next:  The Greatest Fantasy Worlds Ever Created, According To Ranker

best fantasy fiction book series

25 Of The Top Fantasy Books On Goodreads

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Vernieda Vergara

Vernieda Vergara is a freelance writer who loves anime, manga, and all things creepy. Her work has appeared on Den of Geek, Women Write About Comics, The Comics MNT, and other venues scattered across the internet. She lives in the Washington DC suburbs where she takes care of far too many plants and drinks even more tea. Twitter: incitata

View All posts by Vernieda Vergara

If you’re a new—or old—fantasy reader, you might be wondering what the top fantasy books are. It’s a reasonable question. It makes sense to begin with what’s popular if you’re starting out in the genre. Or maybe you’re just curious to see how mainstream your preferences are.

But in trying to answer this question, you’ll immediately run into problems. How do we determine what makes a top fantasy book? Sales? Let’s be honest. Some bestselling books may not be that good. We can use ratings but as Rioter Tasha discovered when she looked at the highest rated books on Goodreads , reader-generated rankings and lists lead to other problems. The actual number of ratings might be too low. A book with more ratings may garner more lower ratings simply because of the increased reader pool. Many excellent series populate the fantasy genre , and the longer the series, the more readers the first book is likely to have. There’s also no denying that certain authors dominate the genre. And if those authors happen to be prolific, their books are going to be highly rated due to their exuberant fanbase.

How I Put Together a List of Top Fantasy Books

In putting together this list, I used Goodreads and looked at a variety of metrics. It’s not scientific. There’s no math involved. I considered the number of ratings, the spread of ratings, and the year of publication. Fantasy is such an established genre, and one of the most popular on Goodreads, so older books have a distinct advantage over newer books.

I focused on single books, not boxsets. I only included one book per series (usually the first book because I know my fantasy readers and I know how hard it is for us to read out of order), and I picked only one book per author.

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Did I overlook some novels? Probably. You might think a specific title absolutely belongs on a list of top fantasy books. Or, remembering that I limited this list to only one book per author and only one book per series, you might think another selection from that author or series is a better choice. That’s okay. In the end, this list is just a starting point.

The Top Epic Fantasy Books

When we think of the fantasy genre, we usually think of epic fantasy. Important quests to save the world. Royal families fighting for control of the kingdom. Spectacular magic battles. The aesthetic established by J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings , let’s just say.

Game of Thrones book cover

Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

(4.45 avg rating; 2,000,614 ratings)

This novel launched the Song of Ice and Fire series and upended the established tropes of 1990s-era epic fantasy. Let’s not forget that shocking death at the end! I know it’s hard to believe now, but back then, that was something of a fantasy no-no.

The Name of the Wind book cover

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

(4.53 avg rating; 720,012 ratings)

While good writing certainly permeates the fantasy genre, it’s not necessarily a requirement. Above all, we want a good story and as long as the prose is readable, that’s fine. Rothfuss’s debut novel showed us that an epic fantasy novel could feature not only good writing, it could showcase beautiful prose. But what’s most interesting about The Name of the Wind is its structure. We first meet Kvothe when he’s a broken man, after the battle has been fought. The mystery of how he got to that end point from his beginnings as an audacious prodigy is part of the series’s charm.

The Way of the Kings book cover

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

(4.63 avg rating; 305,994 ratings)

Sanderson is arguably one of the most prolific fantasy writers working in the genre today. In a genre where readers are used to waiting years between series installments, that’s very refreshing. I can’t overstate this fact. It’s one of the reasons he’s gathered a very large, dedicated fanbase. If you’re not familiar with Sanderson’s work, he’s best known for his clearly delineated, almost scientifically laid out magic systems.

A Wizard of Earthsea book cover

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin

(3.99 avg rating; 242,314 ratings)

Confession time: I first discovered LeGuin through her science fiction. I didn’t learn she’d also written fantasy until I was well into adulthood. Unfortunately, the Earthsea series is probably better known for the whitewashed adaptation that aired on the SyFy channel. A true tragedy because as anyone who’s read her books knows, LeGuin was a master of world-building and depicting culture.

Assassin's Apprentice cover - Robin Hobb

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

(4.15 avg rating; 236,411 ratings)

Royal bastards figure prominently in the fantasy genre. So do assassins. They’re usually two different people, though. The main character in the first book of Hobb’s Farseer trilogy, however, is both.

cover image of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

(4.27 avg rating; 224,608 ratings)

In addition to royal bastards and assassins, thieves also run wild through the fantasy genre. Who’s surprised? There are a lot of important mystical artifacts to steal. And let’s face it, a fantasy setting is the perfect background for a heist caper.

Kushiel's Dart

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

(4.01 avg rating; 72,095 ratings)

Courtesans are another staple of the epic fantasy genre. While they’re usually supporting characters—either in the form of allies or enemies—Carey’s debut novel introduces us to Phedre, a courtesan marked by a god to feel pleasure and pain as one. In other words, she’s a masochist. But alongside her courtesan-related talents, she’s also a spy. This unlikely combination in a protagonist explains why it’s one of the top fantasy books on Goodreads, even though it doesn’t necessarily resemble the traditional quest-style epic fantasy tome.

Find even more of our epic fantasy recommendations here.

Contemporary Fantasy Books

While the fantasy genre often conjures images of dragons and wizards, fantasy need not take place in alternate worlds. They can take place in our world.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

(4.11 avg rating; 761,532 ratings)

While Gaiman’s short stories are my personal favorites of his writings, most fiction readers meet him through his novels. American Gods reimagines myths and gods in the modern age, mashes them up with Americana, and takes you on a road trip. I can see why this is one of his most famous works.

The Night Circus book cover

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

(4.03 avg rating; 688,655 ratings)

A standalone novel in the fantasy genre is a rare feat, but The Night Circus succeeds—much to the dismay of its fans who wish it had a sequel or two. Revolving around a competition between two magicians who fall in love, the lush prose has won the heart of many readers across the world. It’s collected over half a million ratings on Goodreads! That is a big accomplishment for an author who didn’t publish her follow-up,  The Starless Sea , until eight years later.

Find more contemporary (or low) fantasy novels here.

Urban Fantasy Books

The sister sub-genre to contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy experienced a boom in the 2000s and early 2010s. It’s since contracted and stabilized—although I’d argue we’re seeing a revival featuring more diverse casts and authors—but here are a couple stand-out top fantasy books from that prior era.

Moon Called cover - Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

(4.15 avg rating; 176,892 ratings)

In a sub-genre populated by investigators and mercenaries, coyote shifter Mercy Thompson stands out because she’s a mechanic. How refreshing. The staples of the genre—gremlins, werewolves, vampires, and more—can be found in Mercy’s world and her relationships with them are what often get her into trouble.

Vampire Academy book cover

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

(4.12 avg rating; 511,242 ratings)

As someone who read a lot of vampire novels, both adult and YA, in the late 2000s, I admit I’m a little surprised to see how many ratings this book had on Goodreads. And I was a big fan of this series! I don’t know how I missed its popularity. About a dhampir who’s dedicated her life to protecting her best friend, a vampire princess, what I appreciated most about these books was the female friendship that ran throughout. Over a decade later, I still love seeing that fierce dedication between girls—especially in YA.

Find more of our urban fantasy recommendations here .

Top Fantasy Books for Young Readers

The Lost Hero book cover

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

(4.33 avg rating; 628,065 ratings)

One of the most beloved middle grade authors out there, picking one Riordan book to recommend is impossible. Thankfully, I had my previously mentioned restrictions to make things easier. Set in the world of the Percy Jackson books, The Lost Hero once again features Riordan’s take on Greek mythology but with a whole new cast of characters.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin cover

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

(4.27 avg rating; 37,280 ratings)

Given the nature of Goodreads, it can be difficult to find the highly rated fantasy books for younger readers. It seems like there’s a gap between middle grade novels and picture books. I’m sure they exist, but they’re not easiest to find. Based on Chinese mythology, Lin’s book pulls together the pieces of many different stories and weaves them into something new. Featuring a determined heroine who never gives up, this story about her quest to improve her family’s fortune delights children and parents alike.

Do your children love fantasy? We got 50 of our top fantasy books for kids here.

Young Adult Fantasy Books

You knew it was coming. Young adult books are booming, and the fantasy genre makes up a huge chunk. More to the point, it has an enormous presence on Goodreads. But given those things, I can see why a primer of the top fantasy books for this age category might be necessary.

Clockwork Angel book cover

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

(4.32 avg rating; 670,055 ratings)

The first book in the prequel trilogy to the hugely popular The Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Angel takes place in Victorian London. It delivers everything Clare’s fans want and expect from her books.

Throne of Glass book cover

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

(4.20 avg rating; 601,767 ratings)

If you’re a regular voter in the annual Goodreads book awards, you’ll recognize Maas’s name. She and her novels are a mainstay in the competition. This is the debut novel, about an assassin, that started it all.

cover image of The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

(4.04 avg rating; 569,501 ratings)

If you ever wondered what X-Men would look like in a fantasy setting, this book might provide an answer for you. In a world where people with silver blood have superpowers and people with red blood are the people they subjugate, a girl with red blood discovers she has special abilities of her own.

graceling cover

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

(4.07 avg rating; 386,770 ratings)

Published in 2008, Graceling was one of the earliest fantasy novels in the current young adult renaissance. Set in a world where people known as Gracelings are born with an extreme skill, Kaisa has the ability to kill. Unfortunately, the nature of her gift traps her into serving as her uncle’s enforcer. By the way, her uncle is the king, and not the most benevolent one.

six of crows book cover

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

(4.43 avg rating; 320,906 ratings)

Bardugo’s Grishaverse books have inspired a huge legion of fans since Shadow and Bone was first published in 2012. A quick glance at bookstagram will show you just how much these books are beloved by the reading community. Six of Crows introduces us to a crew of thieves out to pull off an impossible heist. If you’re a fan of The Lies of Locke Lamora , this is the book for you. Even if you think you don’t like young adult novels, I still think you should give this one a try, and given the number of Goodreads ratings, so do a lot of other people.

daughter of smoke and bone cover

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

(4.01 avg rating; 301,954 ratings)

If I had to describe this book, I’d say it was about angels and demons, and that answer is both accurate and inaccurate. If you’ve never read a Laini Taylor novel, be prepared for fascinating characters, unique settings, and creepy imagery that catch you off-guard because they always come when you least expect!

The Cruel Prince book cover

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

(4.12 avg rating; 220,434 ratings)

Holly Black has established herself as the Queen of Faerie Novels. The Cruel Prince takes us back to the world first featured in her debut novel, Tithe , and introduces us to Jude, a mortal heroine whose rage and determination cuts through a courtly politics and a quest to find a place she can call home.

an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir cover

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

(4.27 avg rating; 183,882 ratings)

Inspired by ancient Rome, An Ember in the Ashes explores oppression and tyranny via the story of Laia, who hopes to save her brother by spying on the Empire for the rebellion. This mission leads her to Elias, who is set to become the best soldier the Empire has ever seen.

Children of Blood and Bone book cover

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

(4.11 avg rating; 154,906 ratings)

Originally published in 2018, Adeyemi’s debut has shot up through the Goodreads rankings at an astonishing pace. It almost reached 50,000 ratings in its first year alone, which is no small feat for a new author. No doubt, the book’s fast pace and action-filled adventure contributed to its popularity. Interested in reading more novels like Children of Blood and Bone ? Find even more African-inspired fantasy novels here .

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh cover

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

(4.11 avg rating; 114,603 ratings)

Of all the potential retellings out there, I never expected to see a YA retelling of 1001 Nights . It’s not a strict retelling, so if you’re a fan of the nested story within a story structure, this is not the book for you. But if you want to see a different take on the original, Ahdieh’s debut might be worth checking out.

Find even more YA fantasy picks here !

Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

I must make a confession. I have a weakness for fantasy takes on the end of the world. A lot of apocalyptic stories approach the concept from a science fiction angle or even a horror one. Fantasy ones are a rarer but always worth looking at. Find 20 more recommendations in this subgenre here .

Angelfall book cover

Angelfall by Susan Ee

(4.13 avg rating; 165,949 ratings)

Originally a self-published title, I remember when this book made a huge splash. An apocalypse caused by angels! Given the nature of the Bible, perhaps this shouldn’t have been so astonishing. While the portrayal of mental illness isn’t what I consider to be the best (at all), the protagonist’s quest to save her younger sister—which leads her to joining forces with the enemy—is a gripping one.

The Award-Winning Top Fantasy Novel

Book Cover for The Fifth Season, showing the title in white over a green-blue stone background. In the bottom left corner is some filigree style stonework.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

(4.28 avg; 150,656 ratings)

The Fifth Season may not have the most ratings on Goodreads, but the trilogy it begins (The Broken Earth trilogy) has made history. Each of the three books has won the Hugo, making Jemisin the first author to win the award in consecutive years. If that doesn’t mark a top fantasy novel, I don’t know what does.

To find even more fantasy recommendations (we’ve got loooots), check out our sci-fi and fantasy podcast, SFF Yeah  or subscribe to Swords & Spaceships , our email newsletter about all things in the world of science fiction and fantasy.

best fantasy fiction book series

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NPR Books Summer Poll 2021: A Decade Of Great Sci-Fi And Fantasy

We asked, you answered: your 50 favorite sci-fi and fantasy books of the past decade.

Petra Mayer at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 21, 2019. (photo by Allison Shelley)

Petra Mayer

Deborah Lee for NPR

The question at the heart of science fiction and fantasy is "what if?" What if gods were real, but you could kill them ? What if humans finally made it out among the stars — only to discover we're the shabby newcomers in a grand galactic alliance ? What if an asteroid destroyed the East Coast in 1952 and jump-started the space race years early?

Summer Reader Poll 2021: Meet Our Expert Judges

Summer Reader Poll 2021: Meet our expert judges

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Summer Reader Poll 2018: Horror

Click if you dare: 100 favorite horror stories.

We Did It For The LOLs: 100 Favorite Funny Books

Summer Reader Poll 2019: Funny Books

We did it for the lols: 100 favorite funny books.

This year's summer reader poll was also shaped by a series of "what ifs" — most importantly, what if, instead of looking at the entire history of the field the way we did in our 2011 poll , we focused only on what has happened in the decade since? These past 10 years have brought seismic change to science fiction and fantasy (sometimes literally, in the case of N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth series), and we wanted to celebrate the world-shaking rush of new voices, new perspectives, new styles and new stories. And though we limited ourselves to 50 books this time around, the result is a list that's truly stellar — as poll judge Tochi Onyebuchi put it, "Alive."

As always, a pretty extensive decision-making process went into the list, involving our fabulous panel of expert judges — but we know you eager readers want to get right to the books. So if you're inclined, follow these links to find out how we built the list (and what, sadly, didn't make it this year ). Otherwise, scroll on for the list!

We've broken it up into categories to help you find the reading experience you're looking for, and you can click on these links to go directly to each category:

Worlds To Get Lost In · Words To Get Lost In · Will Take You On A Journey · Will Mess With Your Head · Will Mess With Your Heart · Will Make You Feel Good

Worlds To Get Lost In

Are you (like me) a world-building fanatic? These authors have built worlds so real you can almost smell them.

The Imperial Radch Trilogy

Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie

Breq is a human now — but once she was a starship. Once she was an AI with a vast and ancient metal body and troops of ancillaries, barely animate bodies that all carried her consciousness. Poll judge Ann Leckie has created a massive yet intricate interstellar empire where twisty galactic intrigues and multiple clashing cultures form a brilliant backdrop for the story of a starship learning to be a human being. Your humble editor got a copy of Ancillary Justice when it came out and promptly forced her entire family to read it.

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The Dead Djinn Universe (series)

A Master of Djinn, by P. Djélì Clarke

What a wonderful world P. Djélì Clarke has created here — an Arab world never colonized, where magic-powered trams glide through a cosmopolitan Cairo and where djinns make mischief among humans. Clarke's novella Ring Shout also showed up on our semifinalists list, and it was hard to decide between them, but ultimately our judges felt the Dead Djinn Universe offered more to explore. But you should still read Ring Shout , a wild ride of a read where gun-toting demon-hunters go up against Ku Klux Klan members who are actual, pointy-headed white demons. Go on, go get a copy! We'll wait.

The Age of Madness Trilogy

A Little Hatred, by Joe Abercrombie

One of my pet peeves with fantasy novels is they sometimes don't allow for the progression of time and technology — but in Joe Abercrombie's Age of Madness series, the follow-up to his debut First Law trilogy, industrialization has come to the world of The Union, and it's brought no good in its wake. More than that — machines may be rising, but magic will not give way, and all over the world, those at the bottom of the heap are beginning to get really, really angry. This series works as a standalone — but you should also read the excellent First Law series (even though it's old enough to fall outside the scope of this list).

The Green Bone Saga

Jade City, by Fonda Lee

This sprawling saga of family, honor, blood and magical jade will suck you in from the very first page. Poll judge Fonda Lee's story works on every conceivable level, from minute but meaningful character beats to solid, elegantly conveyed world-building to political intrigue to big, overarching themes of clan, loyalty and identity. Plus, wow, the jade-powered martial arts sequences are as fine as anything the Shaw Brothers ever put on screen. "Reviewing books is my actual job," says fellow judge Amal El-Mohtar, "but I still have to fight my husband for the advance copies of Fonda's books, and we're both THIS CLOSE to learning actual martial arts to assist us in our dueling for dibs."

The Expanse (series)

Leviathan Wakes, by James S.A. Corey

Yes, sure, you've seen the TV show (you HAVE, right? Right?) about the ragtag crew of spacers caught up in a three-way power struggle between Earth, Mars and the society that's developed on far-off asteroid belts. But there's much, much more to explore in the books — other planets, other characters, storylines and concepts that didn't make it to the screen. Often, when a book gets adapted for film or TV, there's a clear argument about which version is better. With The Expanse , we can confidently say you should watch and read. The only downside? Book- Avasarala doesn't show up until a few volumes in.

The Daevabad Trilogy

The City of Brass, S.A. Chakraborty

Nahri is a con woman (with a mysteriously real healing talent) scraping a living in the alleys of 18th century Cairo — until she accidentally summons some true magic and discovers her fate is bound to a legendary city named Daevabad, far from human civilization, home of djinns and bloody intrigues. Author S.A. Chakraborty converted to Islam as a teenager and after college began writing what she describes as "historical fanfiction" about medieval Islam; then characters appeared, inspired by people she met at her mosque. "A sly heroine capable of saving herself, a dashing hero who'd break for the noon prayer," she told an interviewer . "I wanted to write a story for us, about us, with the grandeur and magic of a summer blockbuster."

Teixcalaan (series)

A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine

The Aztecs meet the Byzantines in outer space in this intricately imagined story of diplomatic intrigue and fashionable poetic forms. Mahit Dzmare is an ambassador from a small space station clinging desperately to its independence in the face of the massive Teixcalaanli empire . But when she arrives in its glittering capital, her predecessor's dead, and she soon discovers she's been sabotaged herself. Luckily, it turns out she's incredibly good at her job, even without her guiding neural implant. "I'm a sucker for elegant worldbuilding that portrays all the finer nuances of society and culture in addition to the grandness of empire and the complexity of politics," says judge Fonda Lee. "Arkady Martine delivers all that in droves."

The Thessaly Trilogy

The Just City, by Jo Walton

Apollo, spurned by Daphne, is trying to understand free will and consent by living as a mortal. Athena is trying to create a utopia by plucking men and women from all across history and dropping them on an island to live according to Plato's Republic. Will it all go according to plan? Not likely. "Brilliant, compelling, and frankly unputdownable," wrote poll judge Amal El-Mohtar , "this will do what your Intro to Philosophy courses probably couldn't: make you want to read The Republic ."

Shades of Magic Trilogy

A Darker Shade of Magic, by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab has created a world with four Londons lying atop one another : our own dull Grey, warm magic-suffused Red, tyrannical White, and dead, terrifying Black. Once, movement among them was easy, but now only a few have the ability — including our hero, Kell. So naturally, he's a smuggler, and the action kicks off when Grey London thief Lila steals a dangerous artifact from him, a stone that could upset the balance among the Londons. Rich world building, complex characters and really scary bad guys make Schwab's London a city — or cities — well worth spending time in.

The Divine Cities Trilogy

City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennett

On the Continent, you must not, you cannot, talk about the gods — the gods are dead. Or are they? Robert Jackson Bennett's Divine Cities trilogy builds a fully, gloriously realized world where gods are the source of power, miracles and oppression, and gods can also be killed. But what happens next, when the gods are gone and the work of running the world is left to regular human men and women? What happens in that unsettled moment when divinity gives way to technology? This series spans a long timeline; the heroes of the first volume are old by the end. "And as ancient powers clash among gleaming, modern skyscrapers, those who have survived from the first page to these last have a heaviness about them," writes reviewer Jason Sheehan , "a sense that they have seen remarkable things, done deeds both heroic and terrible, and that they can see a far and final horizon in the distance, quickly approaching."

The Wormwood Trilogy

Rosewater, by Tade Thompson

Part of a recent wave of work celebrating and centering Nigerian culture, this trilogy is set in a future where a fungal alien invader has swallowed big global cities, America has shut itself away and gone dark, and a new city, Rosewater, has grown up around a mysterious alien dome in rural Nigeria. It's a wild mashup of alien invasion, cyberpunk, Afro-futurism and even a touch of zombie horror. "I started reading Rosewater on vacation and quickly set it down until I got home, because Tade Thompson's work is no light beach read," says judge Fonda Lee. "His writing demands your full attention — and amply rewards it."

Black Sun (series)

Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse

Author Rebecca Roanhorse was tired of reading epic fantasy with quasi-European settings, so she decided to write her own . The result is Black Sun , set in a world influenced by pre-Columbian mythology and rich with storms, intrigue, giant bugs, mysterious sea people, ritual, myth and some very scary crows. (They hold grudges, did you know?) This is only Book 1 of a forthcoming series, but we felt it was so strong it deserved to be here, no matter where Roanhorse goes next.

Words To Get Lost In

If you're one of those people who thought genre fiction writing was workmanlike and uninspiring, these books will change your mind.

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

Susanna Clarke at last returns to our shelves with this mind-bendingly glorious story — that's a bit hard to describe without spoiling. So we'll say it's about a mysterious man and the House that he dearly loves, a marvelous place full of changing light and surging tides, statues and corridors and crossings, birds and old bones and passing days and one persistent visitor who brings strangely familiar gifts. Clarke "limns a magic far more intrinsic than the kind commanded through spells," wrote reviewer Vikki Valentine , "a magic that is seemingly part of the fabric of the universe and as powerful as a cosmic engine — yet fragile nonetheless."

Circe, by Madeline Miller

Imagine Circe, the fearsome witch of the Odyssey, as an awkward teenager, growing up lonely among scornful gods and falling for what we modern folks would call a f***boy, before coming into her own, using her exile on the island of Aiaia to hone her powers and build an independent life. Circe only shows up briefly in the Odyssey, but Madeline Miller gives her a lush, complex life in these pages. She has worked as a classics teacher, and as our reviewer Annalisa Quinn noted , Miller "extracts worlds of meaning from Homer's short phrases."

Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A sharp young socialite in 1950s Mexico City travels to a creepy rural mansion to check on her cousin, who has fallen ill after marrying into a mysterious family of English landowners. What could possibly go wrong? Silvia Moreno-Garcia "makes you uneasy about invisible things by writing around them," said reviewer Jessica P. Wick. "Even when you think you know what lurks, the power to unsettle isn't diminished." Not to be too spoilery — but after reading this stylishly chilling novel, you'll never look at mushrooms the same way again.

The Paper Menagerie And Other Stories

The Paper Menagerie, by Ken Liu

"I taught Liu's 'The Man Who Ended History' in a graduate seminar one semester," says judge Tochi Onyebuchi, "and one of the toughest tasks I've ever faced in adulthood was crafting a lesson plan that went beyond me just going 'wtf wtf wtf wtf wtf' for the whole two hours. Some story collections are like those albums where the artist or record label just threw a bunch of songs together and said 'here,' and some collections arrive as a complete, cohesive, emotionally catholic whole. The Paper Menagerie is that."

Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik

Judges had a hard time deciding between Spinning Silver and Uprooted , Novik's previous fairy tale retelling. Ultimately, we decided that this reclamation of "Rumpelstiltskin" has a chewier, more interesting project, with much to say about money, labor, debt and friendship, explored in unflinching yet tender ways. Judge Amal El-Mohtar reviewed Spinning Silver for NPR when it came out in 2018. "There are so many mathemagicians in this book, be they moneylenders turning silver into gold or knitters working to a pattern," she wrote at the time . "It's gold and silver all the way down."

Exhalation: Stories

Exhalation: Stories, by Ted Chiang

"I often get the same feeling reading a Ted Chiang story as I did listening to a Prince song while he was still with us," says judge Tochi Onyebuchi. "What a glorious privilege it is that we get to share a universe with this genius!" This poll can be a discovery tool for editors and judges as much as audience, so hearing that, your humble editor went straight to the library and downloaded a copy of this collection.

Olondria (series)

A Stranger in Olondria, by Sofia Samatar

In Olondria, you can smell the ocean wind coming off the page, soldiers ride birds, angels haunt humans, and written dreams are terribly dangerous. "Have you ever seen something so beautiful that you'd be content to just sit and watch the light around it change for a whole day because every passing moment reveals even more unbearable loveliness and transforms you in ways you can't articulate?" asks judge Amal El-Mohtar. "You will if you read these books."

Her Body And Other Parties: Stories

Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado

These eight stories dance across the borders of fairy tale, horror, erotica and urban legend, spinning the familiar, lived experiences of women into something rich and strange. As the title suggests, Machado focuses on the unruly female body and all of its pleasures and risks (there's one story that's just increasingly bizarre rewrites of Law & Order: SVU episodes). At one point, a character implies that kind of writing is "tiresome and regressive," too much about stereotypical crazy lesbians and madwomen in the attic. But as our critic Annalisa Quinn wrote , "Machado seems to answer: The world makes madwomen, and the least you can do is make sure the attic is your own."

The Buried Giant

The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Axl and Beatrice are an elderly couple, living in a fictional Britain just after Arthur's time, where everyone suffers from what they call "mist," a kind of amnesia that hits long-term memories. They believe, they vaguely remember that they once had a son, so they set out to find him — encountering an elderly Sir Gawain along the way, and long-forgotten connections to Arthur's court and the dark deeds the mist is hiding. Poll judge Ann Leckie loves Arthurian legends. What she does not love are authors who don't do them justice — but with The Buried Giant , she says, Kazuo Ishiguro gets it solidly right.

Radiance, by Catherynne M. Valente

Do you love space opera? Alternate history? Silent film? (OK, are you me?) Then you should pick up Catherynne M. Valente's Radiance , which mashes up all three in a gloriously surreal saga about spacefaring filmmakers in an alternate version of 1986, in which you might be able to go to Jupiter, but Thomas Edison's death grip on his patents means talkies are still a novelty. Yes, Space Opera did get more votes, but our judges genuinely felt that Radiance was the stronger book. Reviewing it in 2015, judge Amal El-Mohtar wrote , " Radiance is the sort of novel about which you have to speak for hours or hardly speak at all: either stop at 'it's magnificent' or roll on to talk about form, voice, ambition, originality, innovation for more thousands of words than are available to me here before even touching on the plot."

Will Take You On A Journey

Sure, all books are some kind of journey, but these reads really go the distance.

The Changeling

The Changeling, by Victor LaValle

It's easy(ish) to summarize The Changeling : Rare book dealer Apollo Kagwa has a baby son with his wife, Emma, but she's been acting strange — and when she vanishes after doing something unspeakable, he sets out to find her. But his journey loops through a New York you've never seen before: mysterious islands and haunted forests, strange characters and shifting rhythms. The Changeling is a modern urban fairy tale with one toe over the line into horror, and wherever it goes, it will draw you along with it.

Wayfarers (series)

Wayfarers (series), by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers writes aliens like no one else — in fact, humans are the backward newcomers in her generous, peaceful galactic vision. The Wayfarers books are only loosely linked: They all take place in the same universe, but apart from that you'll meet a new set of characters, a new culture and a new world (or an old world transformed). Cranky space pacifists, questing AIs, fugitives, gravediggers and fluffy, multi-limbed aliens who love pudding — the only flaw in this series is you'll wish you could spend more time with all of them.

Binti (series)

Binti (series), by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti is the first of her people, the Himba, to be offered a place at the legendary Oomza University, finest institution of learning in the galaxy — and as if leaving Earth to live among the stars weren't enough, Binti finds herself caught between warring human and alien factions. Over and over again throughout these novellas, Binti makes peace, bridges cultures, brings home with her even as she leaves and returns, changed by her experiences. Our judges agreed that the first two Binti stories are the strongest — but even if the third stumbles, as judge and critic Amal El-Mohtar wrote, "Perhaps the point is just having a Black girl with tentacles for hair possessing the power and freedom to float among Saturn's rings."

Lady Astronaut (series)

Lady Astronaut (series), by Mary Robinette Kowal

What would America's space program have looked like if, say, a gigantic asteroid had wiped out the East Coast in 1952 — and started a countdown to destruction for the rest of the world? We'd have had to get into space much sooner. And all the female pilots who served in World War II and were unceremoniously dumped back at home might have had another chance to fly. Mary Robinette Kowal's Hugo Award-winning series plays that out with Elma York, a former WASP pilot and future Lady Astronaut whose skill and determination help all of humanity escape the bonds of Earth. Adds judge Amal El-Mohtar: "Audiobook readers are in for a special treat here in that Kowal narrates the books herself, and if you've never had the pleasure of attending one of her readings, you get to experience her wonderful performance with bonus production values. It's especially cool given that the seed for the series was an audio-first short story."

Children of Time (duology)

Children of Time (duology), by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Far in the future, the dregs of humanity escape a ruined Earth and find what they think is a new hope deep in space — a planet that past spacefarers terraformed and left for them. But the evolutionary virus that was supposed to jump-start a cargo of monkeys, creating ready-made workers, instead latched on to ... something else, and in the intervening years, something terrible has arisen there. Poll judge Ann Leckie says she can't stand spiders (BIG SAME), but even so, she was adamant that the Children of Time books deserve their spot here.

Wayward Children (series)

Wayward Children (series), by Seanan McGuire

Everyone loves a good portal fantasy. Who hasn't looked in the back of the closet hoping, faintly, to see snow and a street lamp? In the Wayward Children series, Seanan McGuire reminds us that portals go both ways: What happens to those children who get booted back through the door into the real world, starry-eyed and scarred? Well, a lot of them end up at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children. The prolific McGuire turned up on our semifinalists list A Lot. We had a hard time deciding between this and her killer stand-alone Middlegame , but the Wayward Children won the day with their shimmering mix of fairy tale, fantasy and emotional heft — not to mention body positivity and solid queer and trans representation. (As with a lot of the also-rans, though, you should really read Middlegame too.)

The Space Between Worlds

The Space Between Worlds, by Micaiah Johnson

There are 382 parallel worlds in Micaiah Johnson's debut novel, and humanity can finally travel between them — but there's a deadly catch. You can visit only a world where the parallel version of you is already dead. And that makes Cara — whose marginal wastelands existence means only a few versions of her are left — valuable to the high and mighty of her own Earth. "They needed trash people," Cara says, to gather information from other worlds. But her existence, already precarious, is threatened when a powerful scientist figures out how to grab that information remotely. "At a time when I was really struggling with the cognitive demands of reading anything for work or pleasure, this book flooded me with oxygen and lit me on fire," says judge Amal El-Mohtar. "I can't say for certain that it enabled me to read again, but in its wake, I could."

Will Mess With Your Head

Do you love twisty tales, loopy logic, unsolved mysteries and cosmic weirdness? Scroll on!

Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James

Poll judge Amal El-Mohtar once described Black Leopard, Red Wolf as " like being slowly eaten by a bear ." Fellow judge Tochi Onyebuchi chimes in: " Black Leopard, Red Wolf is a Slipknot album of a book. In all the best ways." Set in a dazzling, dangerous fantasy Africa, it is — at least on the surface — about a man named Tracker, in prison when we meet him and telling his life story to an inquisitor. Beyond that, it's fairly indescribable, full of roof-crawling demons, dust-cloud assassins, blood and (fair warning) sexual violence. A gnarly book, a difficult book, sometimes actively hostile to the reader — yet necessary, and stunning.

Southern Reach (series)

Southern Reach (series), Jeff VanderMeer

The Southern Reach books are, at least on the surface, a simple tale of a world gone wrong, of a mysterious "Area X" and the expeditions that have suffered and died trying to map it — and the strange government agency that keeps sending them in. But there's a lot seething under that surface: monsters, hauntings, a slowly building sense of wrong and terror that will twist your brain around sideways. "If the guys who wrote Lost had brought H.P. Lovecraft into the room as a script doctor in the first season," our critic Jason Sheehan wrote , "the Southern Reach trilogy is what they would've come up with."

The Echo Wife

The Echo Wife, by Sarah Gailey

Part sci-fi cautionary tale, part murder mystery, The Echo Wife is a twisty treat . At its center are a famed genetic researcher and her duplicitous husband, who uses her breakthrough technology to clone himself a sweeter, more compliant version of his wife before ending up dead. "As expertly constructed as a Patek Philippe watch," says poll judge Tochi Onyebuchi. "Seamlessly blends domestic thriller and science fiction," adds fellow judge Fonda Lee. "This book is going to haunt my thoughts for a long time."

The Locked Tomb (series)

The Locked Tomb (series), by Tamsyn Muir

This series is often described as "lesbian necromancers in space," but trust us, it's so much more than that. Wildly inventive, gruesome, emotional, twisty and funny as hell, the Locked Tomb books are like nothing you've ever read before. And we defy you to read them and not give serious consideration to corpse paint and mirror shades as a workable fashion statement. There are only two books out now, of a planned four-book series, but Gideon the Ninth alone is enough to earn Tamsyn Muir a place on this list: "Too funny to be horror, too gooey to be science fiction, has too many spaceships and autodoors to be fantasy, and has far more bloody dismemberings than your average parlor romance," says critic Jason Sheehan. "It is altogether its own thing."

Remembrance of Earth's Past (series)

Remembrance of Earth's Past (series), Liu Cixin

Liu Cixin became the first author from Asia to win a Hugo Award for Best Novel, for The Three-Body Problem , the first volume in this series about one of the oldest questions in science fiction: What will happen when we meet aliens? Liu is writing the hardest of hard sci-fi here, full of brain-twisting passages about quantum mechanics and artificial intelligence (if you didn't actually know what the three-body problem was, you will now), grafted onto the backbone of a high-stakes political thriller. Poll judge Tochi Onyebuchi says, "These books divided me by zero. And, yes, that is a compliment."

Machineries of Empire (series)

Machineries of Empire (series), by Yoon Ha Lee

In the Hexarchate, numbers are power: This interstellar empire draws its strength from rigidly enforced adherence to the imperial calendar, a system of numbers that can alter reality. But now, a "calendrical rot" is eating away at that structure, and it's up to a mathematically talented young soldier — and the ghost of an infamous traitor — to try to repair the rot while a war blazes across the stars around them. " Ninefox Gambit is a book with math in its heart, but also one which understands that even numbers can lie," our critic Jason Sheehan wrote . "That it's what you see in the numbers that matters most."

Will Mess With Your Heart

Books that'll make you cry, make you think — and sometimes make you want to hide under the bed.

The Broken Earth (series)

The Broken Earth (series), by N.K. Jemisin

In the world of the Stillness, geological convulsions cause upheavals that can last for centuries — and only the orogenes, despised yet essential to the status quo — can control them. N.K. Jemisin deservedly won three back-to-back Hugo awards for these books, which use magnificent world building and lapidary prose to smack you in the face about your own complicity in systems of oppression. "Jemisin is the first — and so far only — person ever to have won a Hugo Award for Best Novel for every single book in a series. These books upheaved the terrain of epic fantasy as surely and completely as Fifth Seasons transform the geography of the Stillness," says poll judge Amal El-Mohtar.

Station Eleven

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel

Author Emily St. John Mandel went on Twitter in 2020 and advised people not to read Station Eleven , not in the midst of the pandemic. But we beg to disagree. A story in which art (and particularly Shakespeare) helps humanity come back to itself after a pandemic wipes out the world as we know it might be just the thing we need. "Survival is insufficient," say Mandel's traveling players (a line she says she lifted from Star Trek ), and that's a solid motto any time.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Max Gladstone & Amal El-Mohtar

Enemies-to-lovers is a classic romance novel trope, and it's rarely been done with as much strange beauty as poll judge Amal El-Mohtar and co-author Max Gladstone pull off in this tale of Red and Blue, two agents on opposite sides of a war that's sprawled across time and space. "Most books I read are objects of study. And more often than not, I can figure out how the prose happened, how the character arcs are constructed, the story's architecture," says judge Tochi Onyebuchi. "But then along comes a thing so dazzling you can't help but stare at and ask 'how.' Amal and Max wrote a cheat code of a book. They unlocked all the power-ups, caught all the Chaos Emeralds, mastered all the jutsus, and honestly, I'd say it's downright unfair how much they flexed on us with Time War , except I'm so damn grateful they gave it to us in the first place." (As we noted above, having Time War on the list meant that Max Gladstone couldn't make a second appearance for his outstanding solo work with the Craft Sequence . But you should absolutely read those, too.)

The Poppy War Trilogy

The Poppy War Trilogy, by R.F. Kuang

What if Mao Zedong were a teenage girl? That's how author R.F. Kuang describes the central question in her Poppy War series . Fiery, ruthless war orphan Fang Runin grows up, attends an elite military academy, develops fire magic and wins a war — but finds herself becoming the kind of monster she once fought against. Kuang has turned her own rage and anger at historical atrocities into a gripping, award-winning story that will drag you along with it, all the way to the end. "If this were football, Kuang might be under investigation for PEDs," jokes judge Tochi Onyebuchi, referring to performance-enhancing drugs. "But, no, she's really just that good."

The Masquerade (series)

The Masquerade (series), by Seth Dickinson

Baru Cormorant was born to a free-living, free-loving nation, but all that changed when the repressive Empire of Masks swept in, tearing apart her family, yet singling her out for advancement through its new school system. Baru decides the only way to free her people is to claw her way up the ranks of Empire — but she risks becoming the monster she's fighting against. "I've loved every volume of this more than the one before it, and the first one was devastatingly strong," says judge Amal El-Mohtar — who said of that first volume, "This book is a tar pit, and I mean that as a compliment."

An Unkindness of Ghosts

An Unkindness of Ghosts, by Rivers Solomon

The Matilda is a generation ship, a vast repository of human life among the stars, cruelly organized like an antebellum plantation: Black and brown people on the lower decks, working under vicious overseers to provide the white upper-deck passengers with comfortable lives. Aster, an orphaned outsider, uses her late mother's medical knowledge to bring healing where she can and to solve the mystery of Matilda 's failing power source. Poll judge Amal El-Mohtar originally reviewed An Unkindness of Ghosts for us , writing "What Solomon achieves with this debut — the sharpness, the depth, the precision — puts me in mind of a syringe full of stars."

The Bird King

The Bird King, by G. Willow Wilson

G. Willow Wilson's beautiful novel, set during the last days of Muslim Granada, follows a royal concubine who yearns for freedom and the queer mapmaker who's her best friend. "It is really devastating to a critic to find that the only truly accurate way of describing an author's prose is the word 'luminous,' but here we are," says judge Amal El-Mohtar. "This book is luminous. It is full of light, in searing mirror-flashes and warm candleflame flickers and dappled twists of heart-breaking insight into empire, war and religion."

American War

American War, by Omar El Akkad

This was judge Tochi Onyebuchi's personal pick — a devastating portrait of a post-climate-apocalypse, post-Second Civil War America that's chosen to use its most terrifying and oppressive policies against its own people. "It despairs me how careless we are with the word 'prescient' these days, but when I finished American War , I truly felt that I'd glimpsed our future," Onyebuchi says. "Charred and scarred and shot through with shards of hope."

Riot Baby, by Tochi Onyebuchi

Poll judge Tochi Onyebuchi centers this story on the kind of person who's more often a statistic, rarely a fully rounded character: Kevin, who's young, Black and in prison . Born amid the upheaval around the Rodney King verdict, Kevin is hemmed in by structural and individual racism at every turn; meanwhile, his sister Ella has developed mysterious, frightening powers — but she still can't do the one thing she truly wants to do, which is to rescue her brother. This slim novella packs a punch with all the weight of history behind it; fellow judge Amal El-Mohtar says, "I've said it in reviews and I'll say it again here: This book reads like hot diamonds, as searing as it is precise."

On Fragile Waves

On Fragile Waves, by E. Lily Yu

Every year, we ask our judges to add some of their own favorites to the list, and this year, Amal El-Mohtar teared up talking about her passion for E. Lily Yu's haunted refugee story On Fragile Waves . "I need everyone to read this book," she says. "I wept throughout it and for a solid half-hour once I had finished it, and I know it's hard to recommend books that make you cry right now, but I have no chill about this one: It is so important, it is so beautiful, and I feel like maybe if everyone read it the world would be a slightly less terrible place."

Will Make You Feel Good

Maybe, after the year we've just had, you want to read a book where good things happen, eventually? We've got you.

The Goblin Emperor

The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison

In a far corner of an elven empire, young half-goblin Maia learns that a mysterious accident has left him heir to the throne. But he has been in exile almost all his life — how can he possibly negotiate the intricate treacheries of the imperial court? Fairly well, as it turns out. Maia is a wonderful character, hesitant and shy at first, but deeply good and surprisingly adept at the whole being-an-emperor thing. The only thing wrong with The Goblin Emperor was that it was, for a long time, a stand-alone. But now there's a sequel, The Witness for the Dead — so if you love the world Katherine Addison has created, you've got a way back to it. "I just love this book utterly," says judge Amal El-Mohtar. "So warm, so kind, so generous."

Murderbot (series)

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

Oh Murderbot — we know you just want to be left alone to watch your shows, but we can't quit you. Martha Wells' series about a murderous security robot that's hacked its own governing module and become self-aware is expansive, action-packed, funny and deeply human . Also, your humble poll editor deeply wishes that someone would write a fic in which Murderbot meets Ancillary Justice 's Breq and they swap tips about how to be human over tea (which Murderbot can't really drink).

The Interdependency (series)

The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi

John Scalzi didn't mean to be quite so prescient when he started this trilogy about a galactic empire facing destruction as its interstellar routes collapse — a problem the empire knew about but ignored for all the same reasons we punt our problems today. "Some of that was completely unintentional," he told Scott Simon . "But some of it was. I live in the world." The Interdependency series is funny, heartfelt and ultimately hopeful, and packed with fantastic characters. To the reader who said they voted "because of Kiva Lagos," we say, us too.

The Martian

The Martian, by Andy Weir.

You don't expect a hard sci-fi novel to start with the phrase "I'm pretty much f****d," but it definitely sets the tone for Andy Weir's massive hit. Astronaut Mark Watney, stranded alone on Mars after an accident, is a profane and engaging narrator who'll let you know just how f****d he is and then just how he plans to science his way out of it. If you've only seen the movie, there's so much more to dig into in the book (including, well, that very first line).

Sorcerer to the Crown/The True Queen

Sorcerer to the Crown/The True Queen, by Zen Cho

A Regency romp with squabbling magicians, romance and intrigue, with women and people of color center stage? Yes, please! These two books form a wonderful balance. Sorcerer to the Crown is more whimsical and occasionally riotously funny despite its serious underlying themes. The True Queen builds out from there, looking at the characters and events of the first book with a different, more serious perspective. But both volumes are charming, thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable.

How We Built This

Wow, you're some dedicated readers! Thanks for coming all the way down here to find out more. As I said above, we decided to limit ourselves to 50 books this year instead of our usual 100, which made winnowing down the list a particular challenge. As you may know, this poll isn't a straight-up popularity contest, though, if it were, the Broken Earth books would have crushed all comers — y'all have good taste! Instead, we take your votes (over 16,000 this year) and pare them down to about 250 semifinalists, and then during a truly epic conference call, our panel of expert judges goes through those titles, cuts some, adds some and hammers out a final curated list.

What Didn't Make It — And Why

As always, there were works readers loved and voted for that didn't make our final list of 50 — it's not a favorites list if you can't argue about it, right? Sometimes, we left things out because we felt like the authors were well known enough not to need our help (farewell, The Ocean at the End of the Lane , Neil Gaiman, we hope you'll forgive us!), but mostly it happened because the books either came out before our cutoff date or already appeared on the original 2011 list. (Sorry, Brandon Sanderson! The first Mistborn book was actually on this year's list, until I looked more closely and realized it was a repeat from 2011.)

Some books didn't make it this year because we're almost positive they'll come around next year — next year being the 10th anniversary of our original 2012 YA poll, when (spoiler alert!) we're planning a similar redo. So we say "not farewell, but fare forward, voyagers" to the likes of Raybearer , Children of Blood and Bone and the Grishaverse books; if they don't show up on next year's list I'll, I don't know, I'll eat my kefta .

And this year, because we had only 50 titles to play with, we did not apply the famous Nora Roberts rule, which allows particularly beloved and prolific authors onto the list twice. So as much as it pains me, there's only one Seanan McGuire entry here, and Max Gladstone appears alongside poll judge Amal El-Mohtar for This Is How You Lose the Time War but not on his own for the excellent Craft Sequence . Which — as we said above — you should ABSOLUTELY read.

One Final Note

Usually, readers will vote at least some works by members of our judging panel onto the list, and usually, we let the judges themselves decide whether or not to include them. But this year, I put my editorial foot down — all four judges made it to the semifinals, and had we not included them, the final product would have been the less for it. So you'll find all four on the list. And we hope you enjoy going through it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

whatNerd

  • Fantasy Books

The 13 Best Fantasy Books for Adults, Ranked

best fantasy fiction book series

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Wizards, dragons, and elves aren't just for kids. If you're a fan of Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings , you already know how easy it is to get immersed in fantastical realms for the mature.

The truth is, fantasy is a genre that's even better for adults than kids. As we get older, we tend to neglect our inner child, we forget how to imagine, and we lose our sense of wonder.

Adult fantasy books help us to re-establish those important aspects that lay dormant within us. More than that, adult fantasy books reinvigorate us while providing an escape from mundane life.

Not to mention all the different kinds of fantasy subgenres ! It's not all magic and rainbows; in fact, there's plenty of dark fantasy with heavy subjects that can make even the most adult readers grimace.

Ready to dive into new fantastical worlds that'll whisk you away and fill you with magical excitement? Here are our picks for the best fantasy books for adults that'll suck you right in!

13. Wizard's First Rule

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Terry Goodkind

First published in 1994

836 pages — 4.12 on Goodreads

Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule introduces a world that's separated by magical borders. Richard Cypher, a woods guide in Westland, loses his father to a mysterious murder.

He takes to the forest in search of clues, only to stumble upon Kahlan Amnell, a woman who's being hunted by assassins. Richard soon learns that Kahlan needs more than protection: she needs help to prevent a great evil from taking over the world.

Wizard's First Rule is the first in the Sword of Truth saga. While the series has its issues—it's derivative, it's politically preachy, it's dated in its tropes—this first book is still a fun and solid read for adults.

12. Ninth House

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Leigh Bardugo

First published in 2019

461 pages — 4.04 on Goodreads

Galaxy "Alex" Stern is a freshman at Yale University, but she doesn't really fit in because she's a high school dropout who prefers to spend her time on other activities than pursuing academic excellence.

At least, that what it seems like on the surface. The truth is actually much darker than that: Galaxy is the only survivor of a mysterious series of homicides and she can see ghosts.

While in the hospital, she's mysteriously offered a cost-free enrollment at Yale. Why her? Why now? She'll soon discover that there are dark, secret societies that put her whole life into perspective.

11. The Fifth Season

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by N. K. Jemisin

First published in 2015

468 pages — 4.31 on Goodreads

Essun lives in a small town and her life is more or less mundane. One day she comes home to discover the violent death of her son and the kidnapping of her daughter—at the hands of their own father.

While this personal tragedy unravels, the empire collapses and the sky is soon covered in ashes.

Essun must now find her daughter, who might be lost forever. With her world physically collapsing, without drinkable water, with so many dangers ahead, she faces the impossible to save her child.

The Fifth Season is a science fantasy book that takes place on a completely different planet and introduces us to the world of the Broken Earth series, one of the best fantasy trilogies of the last decade.

10. The Lies of Locke Lamora

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Scott Lynch

First published in 2006

752 pages — 4.30 on Goodreads

The Lies of Locke Lamora takes place on the island city of Camorr. The protagonist is the young orphan Locke Lamora, who manages to survive the harsh streets by thieving.

But Locke Lamora is more than just a thief. He grows to become the leader of the Gentleman Bastards—an entire band of thieves and con artists—who are prominent in the criminal undercity.

Locke thrives by building a reputation for himself, but soon a new player emerges—one who's even more dangerous than he is. To save everything he holds dear, Locke will need to face this mysterious enemy and try to not die in the process.

best fantasy fiction book series

9. American Gods

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Neil Gaiman

First published in 2001

635 pages — 4.11 on Goodreads

Shadow Moon is about to be released from prison when he learns that his wife Laura has died in a car crash. On his way home, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who's escaping from a faraway war.

Mr. Wednesday claims to be a former god of America—and not just a former god, but the leader of the Old Gods. His war is one against the New Gods, who have overtaken America as the people of the land have shifted in what they worship.

American Gods is a fascinating blend of different mythologies with modern fantasy, and it remains one of Neil Gaiman's best books.

best fantasy fiction book series

8. The Starless Sea

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Erin Morgenstern

498 pages — 3.86 on Goodreads

One day, Zachary Ezra Rawlins finds a mysterious book that he decides to read. While reading, he realizes that this book tells the story of Zachary's own childhood. But how could that be?

Following some clues, he soon discovers what's at the root of this strange phenomenon—yet the answer doesn't put his mind at ease. Instead, it launches him into a series of adventures taken with several companions and allies he encounters along the way.

The Starless Sea is like a narrative collage: there are many different stories, accounts, and folk tales woven together into one larger depiction of Zachary's life and purpose. It's one of the best examples of a standalone fantasy book that gets it right.

best fantasy fiction book series

7. The Poppy War

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by R. F. Kuang

First published in 2018

545 pages — 4.17 on Goodreads

When we think of fantasy books, we often think straight to a medieval European setting with knights, knaves, and kings. But there are so many other kinds of fantasy settings!

One of my own favorites is the Asian-inspired setting of The Poppy War , an epic historical military fantasy book that tells a story that was heavily inspired by real-life events in 20th century China.

Follow the adventures of Rin, who discovers her shamanic power and must embrace those powers to face her destiny. She's the only one who can save her people from the schemes of long-forgotten gods.

6. The Blade Itself

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Joe Abercrombie

515 pages — 4.20 on Goodreads

The Blade Itself features the intertwining stories of several intriguing characters.

Not only will you meet a barbarian named Logen Ninefingers, but you'll also encounter a crippled torturer, a hot-headed wizard, and a narcissistic nobleman.

All of these quirky characters combined with a murderous, action-packed plot make this a must-read for fantasy fans.

5. Assassin's Apprentice

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Robin Hobb

First published in 1995

435 pages — 4.17 on Goodreads

Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice follows FitzChivalry Farseer (known as Fitz), the illegitimate child of Prince Chivalry. Fitz is raised by his father's stableman and remains isolated from royalty.

Although he has a lonely childhood, he possesses the Wit, a shunned ability that allows him to form friendships with animals.

When King Shrewd hires Fitz, Fitz must give up his Wit and learn the ways of the assassin instead.

Assassin's Apprentice is a fantasy classic that was first published in 1995. As an older novel, it helped establish some of the popular tropes that have come to dominate fantasy stories with assassin protagonists.

best fantasy fiction book series

4. Mistborn: The Final Empire

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Brandon Sanderson

537 pages — 4.47 on Goodreads

The Final Empire is the first entry in Sanderson's Mistborn series, and it'll have you hooked. It's set in Scadrial, a place where ash always rains from the sky. The oppressed Skaa people lead miserable lives under the tyrannical rule of the Lord Ruler.

When Kelsier, the half-Skaa prisoner, finds out that has the powers of a Mistborn, he manages to escape the Pits of Hathsin. Kelsier is determined to take down the Lord Ruler, and he'll tempt fate with the help of the best allomancers and criminals.

best fantasy fiction book series

3. The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Andrzej Sapkowski

First published in 1993

400 pages — 4.14 on Goodreads

The Witcher may have its own video game franchise and Netflix original series, but it's important to know that it all started with a book.

The Last Wish is the first in Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher collection, and was originally written only in Polish. The anthology contains six short stories, all of which connect to Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter.

As an injured Geralt rests in the Temple of Melitele, he has a series of flashbacks that comprise each story in the book.

best fantasy fiction book series

2. The Name of the Wind

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Patrick Rothfuss

First published in 2007

662 pages — 4.52 on Goodreads

The Name of the Wind follows the epic story of Kvothe, a young man who becomes one of the world's most well-known wizards.

He relays his past to a Chronicler, starting from his childhood that he spends as a traveling performer, to his experience as an orphan in the slums of a dangerous city.

With no funds but tons of motivation to expand his knowledge, Kvothe becomes a student at a famous magic university.

The Name of the Wind will have you spellbound—you'll feel one with Kvothe as he retells the entrancing story of his life.

best fantasy fiction book series

1. Gardens of the Moon

best fantasy fiction book series

Authored by Steven Erikson

First published in 1999

657 pages — 3.91 on Goodreads

Gardens of the Moon is the first book in Steven Erikson's acclaimed 10-book series Malazan Book of the Fallen .

From the very first page, Gardens of the Moon throws you into the deep end. The Malazan Empire is actively waging war across the continent of Genabackis with various factions struggling against them.

This is an epic-scale fantasy series unlike any other, with hundreds of characters that each feel uniquely their own, fleshed out with backstories and relationships that feel tangibly real.

Gardens of the Moon is the weakest entry, yet it's already a deeper and more complex story than most fantasy books out there. There's so much to wrestle with here—and if you're willing to put in the effort, no other fantasy series will be as rewarding as this one.

Without question, without competition, Malazan Book of the Fallen contains many of the best fantasy books for adults, period.

best fantasy fiction book series

The Fantasy Review

Home » All Posts » 12 Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

12 Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

best fantasy fiction book series

The Fantasy Review’s list of 12 Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots.

Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

From the blurb of book 1:

Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself Athera is besieged by the Mistwraith, which blights the land and dims the mysteries guarded by the last fugitives of the old bloodlines. But from a prophecy springs hope: the gifts of two brothers – one dark, one fair, raised on opposite sides of a relentless war – when paired may challenge the Mistwraith’s invasion, though at brutal cost…

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen’s rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins ….

The Reborn Empire by Devin Madson

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

Seventeen years after rebels stormed the streets, factions divide Kisia. Only the firm hand of the god-emperor holds the empire together. But when an unexpected betrayal destroys a tense alliance with neighboring Chiltae, all that has been won comes crashing down.

In Kisia, Princess Miko Ts’ai is a prisoner in her own castle. She dreams of claiming her empire, but the path to power could rip it, and her family, asunder. …

The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

The world is broken. . .and it can never be made whole again. Corban wants nothing more than to be a warrior under King Brenin’s rule — to protect and serve. But that day will come all too soon. And the price he pays will be in blood. Evnis has sacrificed — too much it seems. But what he wants — the power to rule — will soon be in his grasp. And nothing will stop him once he has started on his path. …

The Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

Even as a young girl, Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible  realm. Little did she know her extraordinary friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past and a fateful future. Four hundred years—and many lifetimes—ago, one selfish young lord caused the death of two innocent lovers. …

The Drenai Saga by David Gemmell

best fantasy fiction book series

Druss, Captain of the Ax, is the stuff of legends. Tales of his battles are told throughout the land, and the stories expand with each telling. But Druss himself grows older, until finally, the warrior turns his back on glory and retreats to his mountain lair. There he awaits his old enemy: death. 

But far below, the barbarian Nadir hordes are on the march. All that stands between them and the Drenai people is a mighty six-walled fortress, Dros Delnoch—a great citadel that seems destined to fall. If it does, the Nadir will sweep inexorably across the land, killing all who oppose them….

Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey

best fantasy fiction book series

Chosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyond imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queen’s own elite guard. For Talia has certain awakening talents of the mind that only a Companion like Rolan can truly sense.   But as Talia struggles to master her unique abilities, time is running out. For conspiracy is brewing in Valdemar, a deadly treason that could destroy Queen and kingdom. …

Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan

best fantasy fiction book series

The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. 

Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire….

Sartorias-deles by Sherwood Smith

best fantasy fiction book series

Indevan-Dal is the second son of the Prince and Princess of Choraed Elgaer, destined to become his elder brother Tanrid’s Shield Arm-his military champion. Like all second sons, he is to be privately trained at home by Tanrid, the brother whose lands he will one day protect.

When the King’s Voice comes to summon Inda to the Military Academy, he might well feel foreboding, or even fear-war is imminent-yet youthful Inda feels only excitement….

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

best fantasy fiction book series

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them…

Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan

best fantasy fiction book series

Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path – one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier’s life in the king’s army.   Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. …

The Age of Uprising by Richard S. Ford

Must-Read Epic Fantasy Book Series with Epic Plots

The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, whose responsibility it is to keep the gears of the empire turning. That’s exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation. 

Conall, the eldest son, is sent to the distant frontier to earn his stripes in the military. It is here that he faces a threat he could have never seen coming: the first rumblings of revolution….

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Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books

The lord of the rings by j. r. r. tolkien.

Cover of 'The Lord of the Rings' by J. R. R. Tolkien

This epic high-fantasy novel centers around a modest hobbit who is entrusted with the task of destroying a powerful ring that could enable the dark lord to conquer the world. Accompanied by a diverse group of companions, the hobbit embarks on a perilous journey across Middle-earth, battling evil forces and facing numerous challenges. The narrative, rich in mythology and complex themes of good versus evil, friendship, and heroism, has had a profound influence on the fantasy genre.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Cover of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams

This comedic science fiction novel follows the intergalactic adventures of an unwitting human, Arthur Dent, who is rescued just before Earth's destruction by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for a galactic travel guide. Together, they hitch a ride on a stolen spaceship, encountering a range of bizarre characters, including a depressed robot and a two-headed ex-president of the galaxy. Through a series of satirical and absurd escapades, the book explores themes of existentialism, bureaucracy, and the absurdity of life, all while poking fun at the science fiction genre and offering witty commentary on the human condition.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Cover of 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card

A young prodigy is enlisted into a military academy in space, where he is trained through complex war games to combat an impending alien invasion. Despite his initial struggles with isolation and manipulation by the academy's leaders, he rises through the ranks due to his strategic genius and leadership skills. The protagonist grapples with the moral implications of war and the cost of his own humanity, as he is groomed to be the Earth's ultimate weapon against the alien threat.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Cover of 'Dune' by Frank Herbert

Set in a distant future, the novel follows Paul Atreides, whose family assumes control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, jurisdiction over Arrakis is contested among competing noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature, as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family's reign.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Cover of 'A Game of Thrones' by George R. R. Martin

This epic fantasy novel is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, where 'summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime'. The story follows three main plot lines: the Stark family's struggle to control the North; the exiled Targaryen siblings' attempt to regain the throne; and the Night's Watch's fight against the supernatural beings beyond the Wall. As these stories intertwine, a game of power, politics, and survival unfolds, where you either win or you die.

Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

Cover of 'Nineteen Eighty Four' by George Orwell

Set in a dystopian future, the novel presents a society under the total control of a totalitarian regime, led by the omnipresent Big Brother. The protagonist, a low-ranking member of 'the Party', begins to question the regime and falls in love with a woman, an act of rebellion in a world where independent thought, dissent, and love are prohibited. The novel explores themes of surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Cover of 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury

In a dystopian future where books are banned and burned by the government to prevent dissenting ideas, a fireman named Guy Montag, whose job is to burn books, begins to question the society he serves. After a series of events, including meeting a free-thinking teenager and witnessing a woman choosing to die with her books, Montag begins to secretly collect and read books, leading to his eventual rebellion against the oppressive regime. The narrative serves as a critique of censorship, conformity, and the dangers of an illiterate society.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Cover of 'Foundation' by Isaac Asimov

This science fiction novel centers around Hari Seldon, a mathematician who has developed a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory. With it, he can predict the future on a large scale. Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting 30,000 years before a second great empire arises. To shorten this period of barbarism, he creates two Foundations at opposite ends of the galaxy. The book follows the first few centuries of the Foundation's existence, focusing on the scientists as they develop new technologies and negotiate with neighboring planets.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Cover of 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley

Set in a dystopian future, the novel explores a society where human beings are genetically bred and pharmaceutically conditioned to serve in a ruling order. The society is divided into five castes, each with its specific roles. The narrative follows a savage who rejects the norms of this new world order and struggles to navigate the clash between the values of his upbringing and the reality of this technologically advanced, emotionless society. His resistance prompts a deep examination of the nature of freedom, individuality, and happiness.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Cover of 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman

A recently released convict discovers that his wife and best friend died in a car accident. He then meets a mysterious stranger who hires him as a bodyguard. As they journey across America, it is revealed that the stranger is an old god, traveling to rally his fellow forgotten deities to wage a war against the new American gods born from society's modern obsessions with media, technology, drugs, celebrity, and more. The story blends elements of fantasy, mythology, and Americana to explore themes of faith, belief, and the nature of American identity.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Cover of 'The Princess Bride' by William Goldman

This book is an illustrated edition of a classic tale of true love and high adventure. It tells the story of a beautiful princess and her one true love. After he is reportedly killed, she agrees to marry a wicked prince instead, only to be kidnapped and face numerous dangers. The story is filled with humor, romance, and swashbuckling action, all brought to life by vivid illustrations.

The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

Cover of 'The Wheel of Time Series' by Robert Jordan

The Wheel of Time series is a high fantasy saga that follows a group of friends from a small village as they are thrust into a world teeming with magic, political intrigue, and ancient prophecies. The main protagonist, a young man destined to be the reincarnation of a powerful figure who could either save or destroy the world, must navigate complex alliances, face dark forces, and learn to control his own burgeoning powers. The series is renowned for its detailed world-building, complex plotlines, and large cast of characters.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Cover of 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell

"Animal Farm" is a satirical fable set on a farm where the animals revolt, overthrow their human farmer, and take over the running of the farm for themselves. The story is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin, and the tale is told by the animals that inhabit the farm, primarily pigs who become the ruling class. Despite their initial attempts at creating an equal society, corruption and power ultimately lead to a regime as oppressive as the one they overthrew.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Cover of 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson

In this groundbreaking cyberpunk novel, a washed-up computer hacker is hired by a mysterious employer to pull off the ultimate hack. As he navigates a dystopian future filled with artificial intelligence, corporate espionage, and virtual reality, he must confront his own past and the dark realities of the digital world. The narrative explores themes of technology, identity, and consciousness, pushing the boundaries of science fiction literature.

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Cover of 'Watchmen' by Alan Moore

Set in an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1980s, the story follows a group of retired superheroes who are brought out of retirement after the murder of one of their own. As they investigate, they uncover a plot that could change the course of history and the balance of world power. The book explores complex themes such as the morality of power, the definition of heroism, and the value of human life.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Cover of 'I, Robot' by Isaac Asimov

The book is a collection of nine short stories that revolve around the interaction of humans and robots. The stories are tied together by a framing narrative featuring a reporter interviewing a retiring robopsychologist, Dr. Susan Calvin. The stories explore the three "Laws of Robotics" and how they are interpreted and manipulated by humans and robots. Throughout the stories, the robots often end up behaving in unexpected ways due to their interpretation of these laws, leading to thought-provoking and often ironic outcomes.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'Stranger in a Strange Land' by Robert A. Heinlein

The novel follows the life of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who was raised on Mars and returns to Earth in early adulthood. Smith struggles to understand human culture, norms, and conventions, while also possessing extraordinary psychic abilities. As he navigates Earth society, he begins to question many of its institutions and values, ultimately creating his own religion to pass on the wisdom he gained on Mars. The book explores themes of freedom, self-reliance, and the nature of humanity, and is considered a classic of science fiction literature.

The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Cover of 'The Name Of The Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss

This fantasy novel follows the tale of a gifted young man who grows from a precocious child into a notorious wizard, known as the most notorious magician, musician, thief, and assassin. His life is one of hardship and danger, as he seeks knowledge and revenge following the tragic murder of his family by a group of supernatural beings. The story is told in retrospect as the protagonist recounts his past to a chronicler over the course of three days, revealing the truth behind the myths and legends that have come to surround his enigmatic persona.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Cover of 'Slaughterhouse-Five' by Kurt Vonnegut

The novel follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran who has become "unstuck in time," experiencing his life events out of order. This includes his experiences as a prisoner of war in Dresden during the Allies' firebombing, his post-war life as a successful optometrist, his abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, and his eventual death. The book is a critique of war and a demonstration of the destructive nature of time, with a nonlinear narrative that reflects the chaos and unpredictability of life.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Cover of 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley

This classic novel tells the story of a young scientist who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. The scientist, horrified by his creation, abandons it, leading the creature to seek revenge. The novel explores themes of ambition, responsibility, guilt, and the potential consequences of playing God.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Cover of 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the novel presents a future where Earth's life has been greatly damaged by a nuclear global war, leaving most species extinct. The remaining human population has been encouraged to emigrate to off-world colonies to preserve the human race. Those who remain on Earth are tasked with maintaining the ecological balance by owning and caring for animals, replacing extinct species with mechanical replicas when necessary. The story revolves around a bounty hunter, who is tasked with "retiring" rogue androids that pose a threat to humans, and his emotional and moral struggles as he goes about his work.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Cover of 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood

Set in a dystopian future, this novel presents a society where women are stripped of their rights and are classified into various roles based on their fertility and societal status. The protagonist is a handmaid, a class of women used solely for their reproductive capabilities by the ruling class. The story is a chilling exploration of the extreme end of misogyny, where women are reduced to their biological functions, and a critique of religious fundamentalism.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Cover of 'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King

In a desolate and archaic world that mirrors the Old West, a stoic and enigmatic gunslinger embarks on a relentless quest across a desolate landscape to find the mysterious figure known as the Man in Black. Along his journey, he encounters strange characters, reflects on his troubled past, and confronts both physical and metaphysical challenges. His ultimate goal is to reach the elusive Dark Tower, a place that is said to be the nexus of all universes, where he believes he can right the wrongs of his decaying world. The narrative blends elements of fantasy, horror, and Western genres, creating a unique and haunting tapestry that sets the stage for an epic series of interdimensional proportions.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Cover of '2001: A Space Odyssey' by Arthur C. Clarke

This science fiction novel follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL after the discovery of a mysterious black monolith affecting human evolution. Dealing with themes of existentialism, human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence and extraterrestrial life, it is a journey of discovery that takes a dangerous turn when the onboard computer begins to malfunction. The story is a complex mix of science, philosophy, and conjecture.

The Stand by Stephen King

Cover of 'The Stand' by Stephen King

This post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel presents a world devastated by a deadly plague, killing 99% of the population. The survivors, drawn together by dreams of a charismatic and benevolent figure, gather in Boulder, Colorado to form a new society. However, a malevolent figure also emerges, attracting a following of his own and setting the stage for a classic battle between good and evil. The story delves into themes of community, morality, and the capacity for both destruction and regeneration within humanity.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Cover of 'Snow Crash' by Neal Stephenson

In a future America where the federal government has largely collapsed and been replaced by corporate entities, a computer hacker and pizza delivery driver becomes embroiled in a plot involving a dangerous new drug and a computer virus called "Snow Crash". He is joined by a teenage skateboard courier and a host of other characters in a high-stakes race to uncover the truth behind the virus and its origins in ancient Sumerian culture. The narrative explores themes of linguistics, philosophy, computer science, religion, and cryptography.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Cover of 'The Martian Chronicles' by Ray Bradbury

This science fiction novel is a collection of intertwined short stories that depict the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists. The book delves into issues such as nuclear war, racism, and censorship. As the human settlers arrive and begin to shape the Martian landscape to their needs, they face a series of strange and haunting encounters with the Martian civilization, leading to unexpected and often tragic outcomes.

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cover of 'Cat's Cradle' by Kurt Vonnegut

This novel is a satirical commentary on modern man and his madness, exploring issues of science, technology, and religion. The story revolves around a narrator who becomes involved with the children of a deceased scientist, who had developed a substance capable of freezing water at room temperature. This substance, if misused, has the potential to end all life on earth. The novel is filled with strange and twisted characters, and culminates in a cataclysmic event, highlighting the dangers of uncontrolled technological advancement.

Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Cover of 'Sandman' by Neil Gaiman

"Sandman" is a dark and fantastical series that follows the character Dream, also known as Morpheus, one of the seven Endless who personify certain universal concepts that transcend beyond gods. The narrative explores Dream's realm and responsibilities, his interactions with humans, gods, and his own family, as well as the consequences when he is captured and subsequently escapes after 70 years. The series is renowned for its blending of myth, history, and contemporary issues, creating a richly nuanced universe that delves into the nature of storytelling itself.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Cover of 'A Clockwork Orange' by Anthony Burgess

This novel follows the life of a violent young man named Alex, who is part of a youth subculture in a dystopian future England. Alex and his gang engage in a nightmarish spree of rape, assault, and robbery, until he is arrested and subjected to a psychological experiment by the government to "cure" him of his violent tendencies. The novel explores themes of free will, morality, and the nature of evil, while using a unique slang language invented by the author.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'Starship Troopers' by Robert A. Heinlein

The book is a military science fiction novel set in the future, where humanity is engaged in an interstellar war against an alien species known as the Arachnids or "Bugs." It follows the story of Juan "Johnny" Rico, a young infantryman in the Mobile Infantry, a futuristic military unit equipped with powered armor suits. The narrative delves into Rico's experiences and growth from a naïve recruit to a seasoned officer, exploring themes of citizenship, duty, and the moral complexities of war. Through Rico's eyes, the novel examines the structure of a militaristic society where full citizenship and the right to vote are earned through military service, presenting a society that values sacrifice and responsibility in a perpetual struggle for survival against a hostile universe.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Cover of 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams

This novel follows a group of rabbits as they flee their warren due to a foreseen catastrophe. The rabbits, led by Hazel and his psychic brother Fiver, face numerous challenges and adventures as they search for a new home. They encounter predators, hostile rabbit communities, and human threats. The book explores themes of leadership, survival, and freedom, all set within the natural world and its inherent dangers.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

Cover of 'Dragonflight' by Anne McCaffrey

In a world where telepathic dragons and their riders protect the land from the destructive Thread that rains down from the sky, a young woman unexpectedly becomes the new Weyrwoman, bonding with the last queen dragon. As the traditional ways of the past clash with the urgent need to defend their world, she and her enigmatic dragonrider ally must rediscover ancient secrets and take to the skies in a perilous quest to unite the dragonriders and save their planet from annihilation. Their journey is fraught with challenges, both political and personal, as they strive to harness the full power of the dragons and ensure the survival of their way of life.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

Cover of 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Robert A. Heinlein

In the late 21st century, the moon has become a penal colony where the inhabitants, known as "Loonies", live under harsh conditions and are exploited by the Earth's government. A supercomputer named Mike, a one-armed computer technician named Mannie, and a revolutionary named Wyoming Knott lead an uprising against the Earth's oppressive rule. With Mike's intelligence, Mannie's technical skills, and Wyoming's charisma, they successfully instigate a rebellion, navigating political intrigue, military strategy, and complex human relationships along the way.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller

Cover of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' by Walter M. Miller

"A Canticle for Leibowitz" is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that explores the cyclical nature of history through the lens of a Catholic monastery in the American Southwest. After a devastating nuclear war, the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz work to preserve the remnants of mankind's scientific knowledge until the world is again ready for it. Over the course of centuries, civilization rises and falls, wars are fought, and scientific advancements are rediscovered and then lost again. The novel is a poignant commentary on the potential for humanity to repeat its mistakes.

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

Cover of 'The Time Machine' by H. G. Wells

A Victorian-era scientist invents a machine that allows him to travel through time. He first journeys to the year 802,701 A.D., where he encounters the Eloi, a society of small, elegant, childlike adults who live in harmony but lack curiosity and drive. He later discovers the Morlocks, a nocturnal, subterranean species who prey on the Eloi. After rescuing an Eloi named Weena, the protagonist loses his time machine and must devise a plan to recover it and return to his own time, all while exploring the social and evolutionary implications of the two distinct societies.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Cover of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' by Jules Verne

This classic science fiction novel follows the adventures of Professor Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and harpooner Ned Land as they are captured by the enigmatic Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus, a technologically advanced submarine. As they journey 20,000 leagues under the sea, they encounter a variety of sea creatures and underwater phenomena. The narrative explores themes of exploration, scientific discovery, and man's relationship with nature.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Cover of 'Flowers for Algernon' by Daniel Keyes

Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind of mental twilight. He knew knowledge was important and had learned to read and write after a fashion, but he also knew he wasn't nearly as bright as most of the people around him. There was even a white mouse named Algernon who outpaced Charlie in some ways. But a remarkable operation had been performed on Algernon, and now he was a genius among mice. Suppose Charlie underwent a similar operation... ([source][1]) [1]: http://www.danielkeyesauthor.com/algernon.html

War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

Cover of 'War of the Worlds' by H. G. Wells

This classic science fiction novel tells the story of a Martian invasion of Earth, as experienced by an unnamed protagonist and his brother. The Martians, who are technologically far superior to humans, cause widespread devastation with their heat-ray weapons and towering tripods. Despite humanity's best efforts to resist, they seem unstoppable. The novel is a commentary on British imperialism and explores themes of human survival and evolution.

The Chronicles Of Amber by Roger Zelazny

Cover of 'The Chronicles Of Amber' by Roger Zelazny

The series unfolds the complex tale of a royal family from Amber, the only true world, with the rest of reality being mere shadows of it. The protagonist, suffering from amnesia, discovers his identity as a prince of Amber and becomes embroiled in intricate family politics, magical battles, and the manipulation of different realities. As he regains his memory and navigates the treacherous landscapes of Amber and its shadow worlds, he uncovers dark secrets about his family and the nature of their universe, all while contending with the machinations of his ambitious siblings who vie for the throne of Amber.

The Belgariad by David Eddings

Cover of 'The Belgariad' by David Eddings

The series follows the journey of a young farm boy who discovers his extraordinary destiny as the heir to a powerful artifact that must be retrieved to prevent a dark god from dominating the world. Raised in a rural village, he is initially unaware of his royal lineage and the prophecy that foretells his role in an epic battle between good and evil. As he travels across diverse lands with a group of companions, including a wise old sorcerer, a fierce knight, a cunning thief, and a beautiful princess, he learns about his true heritage and the magical powers he possesses. Together, they face numerous challenges and adversaries, all while the fate of the world hangs in the balance, culminating in a climactic confrontation with the forces of darkness.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Cover of 'The Mists of Avalon' by Marion Zimmer Bradley

This novel reimagines the Arthurian legends from the perspectives of the women involved. It centers around Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister, who is a priestess of Avalon, and Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's queen. The story explores their roles in the political and spiritual conflicts that arise as Christianity begins to replace the old pagan ways. It delves into themes of love, loyalty, and power, while offering a fresh take on a classic tale.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Cover of 'Mistborn' by Brandon Sanderson

In a grim, ash-covered world ruled by the immortal Lord Ruler, a young street urchin discovers she possesses unique magical abilities—Allomancy, the power to ingest and burn metals to enhance physical and mental capabilities. She joins a group of rebel skaa, the oppressed class, led by a charismatic criminal mastermind, to overthrow the centuries-old tyranny. Together, they devise an elaborate heist to infiltrate the noble houses and spark a revolution, uncovering dark secrets and unexpected truths about their world and the origins of the Lord Ruler's power along the way.

Ringworld by Larry Niven

Cover of 'Ringworld' by Larry Niven

The ' (1970–2004), by science fiction author Larry Niven, is a part of his Known Space set of stories. Its backdrop is the Ringworld, a giant artifact 600 million miles in circumference around a sun. The series is composed of four standalone science fiction novels, the original award-winning book and its three subsequent sequels: 1970: Ringworld 1980: The Ringworld Engineers 1996: The Ringworld Throne 2004: Ringworld's Children The core series was developed with three side series of prequels set in the same Ringworld universe, and written in collaboration: 1988–2009: Man-Kzin Wars (by various edited by Niven) 2007–2010: Fleet of Worlds (by Niven and Edward M. Lerner) 2010-2011: Juggler of Worlds (by Niven and Edward M. Lerner)

The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Cover of 'The Left Hand Of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin

The novel is a groundbreaking work of science fiction that explores themes of gender, politics, and identity. Set on a planet called Gethen, where the inhabitants are ambisexual, shifting between male and female, the story follows an envoy from Earth who struggles to understand this alien society. As he navigates the complex political landscape of Gethen, he must also grapple with his own preconceptions about gender and sexuality. The book is a profound exploration of difference, otherness, and what it means to be human.

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

Cover of 'The Silmarillion' by J. R. R. Tolkien

The book is a collection of mythopoeic stories that form the prelude to a well-known fantasy saga, detailing the creation of the world and the history of its early ages. It encompasses the tragic tale of the quest for the titular jewels, which imbue their creators with great power and beauty. The narrative follows the rebellion of a group of elves against the gods, the subsequent wars and the downfall of noble houses, interwoven with themes of heroism, fate, and the struggle against the ultimate evil. The work is rich with languages, cultures, and epic poetry, setting the stage for the later adventures in the renowned fantasy realm.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White

Cover of 'The Once and Future King' by T. H. White

This novel is a retelling of the Arthurian legend, from Arthur's childhood tutelage under the wizard Merlyn to his eventual death. The story follows Arthur's journey from a naive boy to a wise and just king, his establishment of the Round Table, his marriage to Guinevere, and his complex relationship with his illegitimate son, Mordred. The narrative explores themes of power, justice, war, and human nature, offering a nuanced and humanizing portrayal of a well-known mythical figure.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Cover of 'Neverwhere' by Neil Gaiman

In this dark and imaginative fantasy, a young Londoner named Richard Mayhew finds his mundane life turned upside down when he stumbles upon a young woman named Door, bleeding on the sidewalk. After aiding her, he is thrust into the shadowy, parallel world of London Below, a realm of magic, danger, and intrigue that exists beneath the streets of London Above. As Richard journeys through this eerie underworld with a cast of bizarre and fantastical characters, he must confront malevolent forces and unravel a complex conspiracy to help Door discover why her family was murdered, all while trying to find a way back to his old life.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Cover of 'Childhood's End' by Arthur C. Clarke

"Childhood's End" is a thought-provoking science fiction novel that explores the evolution of humanity under the guidance of mysterious extraterrestrial beings known as the Overlords. Set in the near future, the book follows the transformation of society as the Overlords bring peace, prosperity, and advanced technology to Earth. However, as the human race reaches a new level of enlightenment, questions arise about the true intentions of the Overlords and the future of humanity itself.

Contact by Carl Sagan

Cover of 'Contact' by Carl Sagan

The book is a science fiction novel that explores the concept of human contact with extraterrestrial life. The protagonist, a scientist, deciphers a radio signal from a distant star system that contains plans for a complex machine. After building and entering the machine, she and her team are transported to a distant star system where they meet an alien species. The novel delves into philosophical discussions about religion, science, and the nature of human existence.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Cover of 'Hyperion' by Dan Simmons

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Cover of 'Stardust' by Neil Gaiman

"Stardust" by Neil Gaiman is a fairy tale adventure set in the land of Faerie. The story follows the journey of a young man named Tristran Thorn, who sets out to capture a fallen star in order to win the heart of his true love. Along the way, he encounters a variety of magical creatures and characters, including witches, unicorns, and a ruthless prince. As Tristran navigates the dangers and wonders of Faerie, he learns valuable lessons about love, sacrifice, and the power of destiny.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Cover of 'Cryptonomicon' by Neal Stephenson

E-book extras: "Stephensonia/Cryptonomica": ONE: "Cryptonomicon Cypher-FAQ" (Neal addresses "Frequently Anticipated Questions" and other fascinating facts); TWO: "Mother Earth Motherboard" (Neal's landmark nonfiction account of, among other techno-feats, the laying of the longest telecommunications cable on earth); THREE: "Press Conference": Neal answers "Why write about crypto?" and other penetrating questions.The smash New York Times bestseller and cult classic is at last a special-features-loaded e-book. Dashing between World War II and the present day, Cryptonomicon is an epic adventure of codemakers and codebreakers; soldiers, hackers, spies, pirates, lovers, prisoners; power, secrets, conspiracies, great escapes -- and a buried fortune in gold."Engrossing … insightful ... fascinating and often hysterical... Cryptonomicon is really three novels in one, featuring healthy portions of World War II adventure, cryptography, and high-tech finance, with treasure hunting thrown in for good measure... But that's only half of it." —USA Today "Hell of a read." —WiredNeal Stephenson (Snow Crash; The Diamond Age) hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that shaped the twentieth century — and that have led us into the twenty-first. In 1942, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse — mathematical genius and young Captain in the U.S. Navy — is assigned to Detachment 2702. It is an outfit so secret that only a handful of people know it exists, and some of those people have names like Churchill and Roosevelt. The mission of Waterhouse and Detachment 2702 — commanded by Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe — is to keep the Nazis ignorant of the fact that Allied Intelligence has cracked the enemy's fabled Enigma code. It is a game, a cryptographic chess match between Waterhouse and his German counterpart, translated into action by gung-ho Shaftoe and his forces. Fast-forward to the present, where Waterhouse's crypto-hacker grandson, Randy, is attempting to create a "data haven" in Southeast Asia — a place where encrypted data can be stored and exchanged free of repression and scrutiny. As governments and multinationals attack the endeavor, Randy joins forces with Shaftoe's tough-as-nails granddaughter, Amy, to secretly salvage a sunken Nazi submarine that holds the key to keeping the dream of a data haven afloat. But soon their scheme brings to light a massive conspiracy with its roots in Detachment 2702, linked to an unbreakable Nazi code called Arethusa. And it will represent the path to unimaginable riches and a future of personal and digital liberty … or to universal totalitarianism reborn. A breathtaking tour de force and Neal Stephenson's most accomplished and affecting work to date, Cryptonomicon is profound and prophetic, hypnotic and hyper-driven, as it leaps forward and back between World War II and the World Wide Web, hinting all the while at a dark day-after-tomorrow. It is a work of great art, thought, and creative daring; the product of a truly iconoclastic imagination working with white-hot intensity.

World War Z by Max Brooks

Cover of 'World War Z' by Max Brooks

The book is an apocalyptic horror novel presented as a collection of individual accounts in the aftermath of a global pandemic that leads to a catastrophic zombie outbreak. Through interviews with survivors from various countries and walks of life, the narrative unfolds the social, political, cultural, and environmental implications of the zombie crisis, known as World War Z. The personal stories explore the widespread panic, the collapse and resurgence of governments, military strategies employed to combat the undead, and the human resilience in the face of a decimated world. The novel serves as a critique of societal responses to disasters and a commentary on the human condition.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Cover of 'The Last Unicorn' by Peter S. Beagle

In this enchanting fantasy tale, a solitary unicorn, believing she is the last of her kind, embarks on a poignant journey to discover what has become of the other unicorns. Along the way, she is joined by a bumbling magician and a tough yet tender-hearted woman. Together, they face trials and confront an evil king to unravel the mystery of the missing unicorns. The unicorn must also grapple with the complexities of love, the loss of innocence, and the painful beauty of existence, as she seeks to restore her kind and witness the return of magic to the world.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

Cover of 'The Forever War' by Joe Haldeman

"The legendary novel of extraterrestrial war in an uncaring universe comes to comics, in a stunningly realized vision of Joe Haldeman's Vietnam War parable epic war story spanning relativistic space and time, The Forever War explores one soldier's experience as he is caught up in the brutal machinery of a war against an unknown and unknowable alien foe that reaches across the stars" -- The monumental Hugo and Nebula award winning SF classic-- Featuring a new introduction by John Scalzi The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand--despite the fact that the fierce alien enemy they would oppose is inscrutable, unconquerable, and very far away. A reluctant conscript drafted into an elite Military unit, Private William Mandella has been propelled through space and time to fight in the distant thousand-year conflict; to perform his duties and do whatever it takes to survive the ordeal and return home. But "home" may be even more terrifying than battle, because, thanks to the time dilation caused by space travel, Mandella is aging months while the Earth he left behind is aging centuries...

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

Cover of 'Small Gods' by Terry Pratchett

In a satirical fantasy world, a once-powerful god finds himself nearly forgotten, his power diminished to almost nothing as he's left with a single believer, a novice monk. This unlikely duo embarks on a journey to confront the corrupt religious institution that has lost sight of true faith, challenging dogma and hypocrisy. Along the way, they encounter a host of quirky characters and navigate philosophical quandaries, ultimately seeking to restore genuine belief and the god's rightful place in the hearts of the people. The narrative cleverly explores themes of religion, belief, and the nature of power through a humorous and thought-provoking lens.

The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson

Cover of 'The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever' by Stephen R. Donaldson

The series follows Thomas Covenant, a cynical writer who is transported to a magical realm called "The Land" after a tragic accident leaves him a leper and an outcast in his own world. In "The Land," he is mistaken for a reincarnated hero and is reluctantly drawn into a struggle against an evil entity known as Lord Foul, who seeks to escape the metaphysical barriers of the realm and wreak havoc. Despite his disbelief in the reality of this other world and his own role as a savior, Covenant's actions have profound consequences for both "The Land" and his personal redemption, as he grapples with power, responsibility, and the possibility of hope amidst despair.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

Cover of 'Falling Free' by Lois McMaster Bujold

*From the back cover:* Leo Graf was just your average highly efficient engineer: mind your own business, fix what's wrong and move on to the next job. Everything neat and according to spec, just the way he liked it. But all that changed on his assignment to the Cay Habitat. Could you just stand there and allow the exploitation of hundreds of helpless children merely to enhance the bottom line of a heartless mega-corporation? Leo Graf adopted 1000 quaddies--now all he had to do was teach them to be free.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Cover of 'Going Postal' by Terry Pratchett

In this satirical fantasy novel, a notorious con artist is given a second chance at life by being forced to revive the defunct Ankh-Morpork Post Office. As the new Postmaster, he must contend with outdated mail systems, a haunted post office, and the competition from a powerful, unscrupulous clacks communication company. Using his wits and a motley crew of postal employees, he embarks on a madcap journey to restore the postal service, outmaneuver the corporate villains, and ultimately redefine the meaning of communication in a city teeming with magic and mayhem.

The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven , Jerry Pournelle

Cover of 'The Mote In God's Eye' by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

"The Mote In God's Eye" is a gripping science fiction novel set in the distant future, where humanity has expanded its reach to the stars. When a mysterious alien race, known as the Moties, is discovered, a team of human scientists and diplomats embark on a mission to establish contact and learn more about their civilization. However, as they delve deeper into the Moties' society, they uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas that could have catastrophic consequences for both species. Filled with political intrigue, moral dilemmas, and thought-provoking themes, this book explores the complexities of interstellar relations and the potential dangers of encountering an unknown extraterrestrial civilization.

The Sword Of Truth by Terry Goodkind

Cover of 'The Sword Of Truth' by Terry Goodkind

In this epic fantasy novel, a young woods guide named Richard Cypher embarks on a quest to stop the sinister spread of the dark magic that threatens his world. After the brutal murder of his father, Richard's life is turned upside down when he discovers his own hidden destiny and the powerful artifact known as the Sword of Truth. Guided by a mysterious woman named Kahlan and a wizard named Zedd, Richard must navigate a world of dangerous magic and political intrigue, confronting his own fears and moral dilemmas while fighting to prevent a tyrannical ruler from unleashing an ancient and malevolent power.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Cover of 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy

In a post-apocalyptic world, a father and his young son journey through a desolate landscape, struggling to survive. They face numerous threats including starvation, extreme weather, and dangerous encounters with other survivors. The father, who is terminally ill, is driven by his love and concern for his son, and is determined to protect him at all costs. The story is a haunting exploration of the depths of human resilience, the power of love, and the instinct to survive against all odds.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Cover of 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell' by Susanna Clarke

Set in a parallel 19th-century England, this novel tells the story of two practicing magicians, Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange. Norrell, who aims to restore magic to respectability in England, is initially thrilled by Strange's natural aptitude for magic, and the two form a student-teacher relationship. However, their partnership soon deteriorates into rivalry as Strange, driven by the loss of his wife to the fairy realm, seeks to reintroduce the old, wilder forms of magic that Norrell disdains. Their conflict escalates, culminating in a magical duel that has profound consequences for the future of magic in England.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Cover of 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson

The novel is a post-apocalyptic horror story that centers around a solitary man who may be the last human alive on earth after a pandemic has turned the rest of humanity into vampire-like creatures. He spends his days fortifying his home, hunting for food, and killing these creatures while they sleep. At night, he is tormented by their attempts to break into his home and kill him. His isolation drives him to the brink of insanity, and the novel explores themes of loneliness, survival, and the human capacity for hope in the face of utter despair.

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Cover of 'Magician' by Raymond E. Feist

The book is a fantasy epic that follows the journey of a young boy named Pug, who rises from humble beginnings as an orphaned kitchen boy to become a powerful magician in the Kingdom of the Isles. His life takes a dramatic turn when he and his friend Tomas are swept into a conflict against an ancient enemy from another world, threatening not only their homeland but also the very fabric of reality. As Pug masters the arts of magic under the tutelage of the enigmatic magician Kulgan, he must navigate a path fraught with danger, political intrigue, and war. Alongside a diverse cast of characters, Pug's destiny unfolds as he becomes a key player in the struggle to save his world from destruction.

The Sword Of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Cover of 'The Sword Of Shannara' by Terry Brooks

In a classic epic fantasy tale, a young man named Shea Ohmsford discovers his royal heritage and embarks on a perilous quest to retrieve the legendary Sword of Shannara. With the guidance of the mysterious druid Allanon, Shea and a diverse group of companions must navigate treacherous lands filled with malevolent creatures and dark magic. Their mission is critical: to use the Sword's power to vanquish the fearsome Warlock Lord and prevent his dominion over the Four Lands. The journey tests their courage and bonds, as they confront the darkness both around them and within themselves.

Conan The Barbarian by R.E. Howard

Cover of 'Conan The Barbarian' by R.E. Howard

The book follows the epic tales of a formidable warrior from the ancient, mythical land of Cimmeria. Known for his exceptional strength, courage, and swordsmanship, the protagonist embarks on a series of adventures across treacherous lands filled with sorcery, fierce creatures, and ruthless enemies. His journey is marked by battles for power, the quest for treasure, and encounters with a diverse cast of characters, both friend and foe. Throughout his exploits, the barbarian hero confronts the dark forces of civilization and the mysteries of an age-old world, all while forging his own legend in a savage, untamed world.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Cover of 'Assassin's Apprentice' by Robin Hobb

The novel follows the journey of Fitz, the bastard son of a noble prince, who is taken into the royal household of the Six Duchies and secretly trained in the art of assassination. As he grows, Fitz is caught between his loyalty to the throne and his own moral compass. He must navigate a court rife with political intrigue, magic, and treachery, all while grappling with his own identity and the magical Skill that he possesses. His quest for acceptance and purpose is further complicated by the kingdom's need for his unique talents to protect the realm from internal and external threats.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Cover of 'The Time Traveler's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger

The novel tells the story of a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. Their love story endures many separations and dangerous experiences due to his condition. The story's central theme is the effects of time travel on their marriage and their passionate love for each other.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Cover of 'The Way of Kings' by Brandon Sanderson

In a world ravaged by ferocious storms and embroiled in war, three main characters navigate their own paths. Kaladin, a skilled soldier turned slave, struggles to protect his fellow slaves while grappling with his own inner demons. Shallan, a brilliant and ambitious scholar, is on a dangerous quest to steal a powerful artifact to save her family from ruin. Dalinar, a high-ranking military leader, is plagued by visions of ancient times and a mysterious warning. As their lives intertwine, they must confront their own truths and fight for survival in a world on the brink of destruction.

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Cover of 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' by Jules Verne

This science fiction novel revolves around a German professor who believes there are volcanic tubes leading to the center of the Earth. He, his nephew, and their guide embark on an adventurous expedition down an Icelandic volcano into the Earth's core. They encounter prehistoric animals, natural disasters, and otherworldly phenomena along their journey. The expedition is both thrilling and dangerous, testing the limits of their courage and survival skills.

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore

Cover of 'The Crystal Shard' by R.A. Salvatore

In the icy realm of Icewind Dale, a young barbarian named Wulfgar seeks to prove his worth, while the cunning dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden, an outcast from his own people, strives to find his place in the world. Their lives are thrown into chaos when a powerful mage discovers a magical crystal shard with the ability to dominate the minds of others. As the shard's dark influence spreads, the two unlikely heroes must join forces with a dwarf named Bruenor and a halfling, Regis, to prevent the malevolent artifact from unleashing an ancient evil upon their land, facing a host of dangerous creatures and treacherous enemies in their quest to keep the shard from the clutches of those who would use its power for domination.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Cover of 'Old Man's War' by John Scalzi

In this science fiction novel, elderly citizens of Earth are given a chance to join an interstellar army, trading their decrepit bodies for rejuvenated, genetically enhanced versions to fight in a seemingly endless war across the galaxy. The protagonist, a widower who enlists on his 75th birthday, navigates the complexities of his new existence, including the physical and emotional challenges of being young again, the camaraderie and loss within the ranks, and the ethical quandaries posed by the conflict with various alien species. As he rises through the military's ranks, he confronts the harsh realities of this expansive and deadly cosmic battlefield.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Cover of 'The Diamond Age' by Neal Stephenson

The story of an engineer who creates a device to raise a girl capable of thinking for herself reveals what happens when a young girl of the poor underclass obtains the device.

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

Cover of 'Rendezvous with Rama' by Arthur C. Clarke

Written in 1973, a massive 50 kilometre long alien cylinder begins to pass through the solar system provoking a hurried effort to intercept it. The closest available ship rushes to rendezvous so as to have a quick study before it gets too close to the sun. Able to enter via an airlock on one end of the ship, the crew explores the huge world found inside, a world full of wonder and mystery. As usual, the science is spot on. This is the best novel of Clarke's since 2001 and Childhood's End and is a truly grand adventure full of puzzles and ideas that lead you asking more questions than are answered. Enough questions in fact to lead to numerous inferior sequels, but enough answers to leave you satisfied. Don't pass up this gem of hard science fiction.

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Cover of 'Kushiel's Dart' by Jacqueline Carey

In a world where political intrigue and divine destinies intertwine, a young woman born with a scarlet mote in her eye is marked by the gods for a unique destiny. Trained in the arts of love and espionage, she navigates the complex web of courtly life in a realm where sensuality and pain are intertwined. As a pawn and a player in the game of thrones, she uses her unique gifts to uncover secrets and protect her homeland, all while serving a mysterious patron whose motives are as enigmatic as the unfolding divine plan. Her journey is one of self-discovery, loyalty, and betrayal, set against a backdrop of opulence, ritual, and power struggles, where love can be both a weakness and a formidable weapon.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Cover of 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula K. Le Guin

The novel is a profound exploration of two vastly different societies on twin planets, Urras and Anarres. The protagonist is a brilliant physicist from Anarres, a planet with an anarchist society, who travels to Urras, a planet with a capitalist and authoritarian regime. The book explores his struggle to reconcile his anarchist beliefs with the stark realities of a different socio-political system. It's a thought-provoking investigation of human nature, power structures, and the idea of utopia.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Cover of 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' by Ray Bradbury

In this dark fantasy novel, two thirteen-year-old friends, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, encounter a sinister traveling carnival that arrives in their small Midwestern town just before Halloween. The carnival's malevolent proprietor, Mr. Dark, possesses the power to grant the townspeople's deepest desires, but at a terrible cost. As the boys uncover the nightmarish truth behind the carnival's attractions, they must confront their own fears and temptations. A battle between good and evil ensues, with the fate of their souls and the soul of the town hanging in the balance. The story is a coming-of-age tale that explores the struggle between youth and maturity, and the recognition that every individual harbors both darkness and light within them.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Cover of 'Wicked' by Gregory Maguire

This novel reimagines the land of Oz, telling the story from the perspective of the misunderstood green-skinned witch Elphaba. It explores her early life, education, and complex relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch, as well as her eventual transformation into the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The book delves into themes of good versus evil, the nature of wickedness, and the societal structures that label and ostracize individuals. It provides a rich backstory to a classic tale, challenging readers to reconsider their preconceived notions about villainy and the true cost of standing against injustice.

Gardens Of The Moon by Steven Erikson

Cover of 'Gardens Of The Moon' by Steven Erikson

In a dark and complex fantasy world, an elite group of soldiers known as the Bridgeburners navigate political intrigue and ancient magic as part of a vast empire's expansionist wars. The city of Darujhistan becomes the focal point of conflict, where gods, mages, and various factions vie for power. Amidst the chaos, an ancient force is awakening, threatening to change the balance of power. The soldiers and citizens alike must contend with betrayal, ancient prophecies, and their own personal demons in a struggle that blurs the lines between heroism and ambition, with the fate of the empire and the world itself hanging in the balance.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Cover of 'The Eyre Affair' by Jasper Fforde

In a parallel 1985 where literature is taken to extremes, a literary detective named Thursday Next navigates a world where the boundaries between reality and fiction are blurred. When a criminal mastermind begins kidnapping characters from classic novels, Thursday must enter the pages of Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre" to pursue the villain and restore the beloved story to its rightful course. Her journey is fraught with danger, wit, and a touch of romance, as she contends with a time-traveling father, a pet dodo, and the complexities of her own life entwined with the fictional landscapes she protects.

Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks

Cover of 'Consider Phlebas' by Iain Banks

"Consider Phlebas" is a science fiction novel set in a vast and chaotic universe where different civilizations and species clash. The story follows a protagonist named Bora Horza Gobuchul, a shape-shifting mercenary who becomes entangled in a dangerous mission to retrieve a powerful artifact from a religious cult. As Horza navigates treacherous alliances and battles, he also grapples with questions of identity, loyalty, and the nature of humanity. With its epic scope and thought-provoking themes, the novel explores the complexities of war, morality, and the search for meaning in a universe teetering on the brink of destruction.

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

Cover of 'The Crystal Cave' by Mary Stewart

"The Crystal Cave" is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Merlin, the legendary wizard of King Arthur's court. The book follows Merlin's early life, from his birth as the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess to his discovery of his magical powers and his journey to become a wise and powerful advisor to the future King Arthur. Set against the backdrop of early medieval Britain, the novel explores themes of destiny, power, and the struggle between pagan and Christian beliefs.

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Cover of 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson

Anathem, the latest invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle, is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination that ushers readers into a recognizable — yet strangely inverted — world.Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside "saecular" world by ancient stone, honored traditions, and complex rituals. Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent's walls. Three times during history's darkest epochs violence born of superstition and ignorance has invaded and devastated the cloistered mathic community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe, becoming out of necessity even more austere and less dependent on technology and material things. And Erasmas has no fear of the outside — the Extramuros — for the last of the terrible times was long, long ago.Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fraas and suurs prepare to venture beyond the concent's gates — at the same time opening them wide to welcome the curious "extras" in. During his first Apert as a fraa, Erasmas eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn't seen since he was "collected." But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change.Powerful unforeseen forces jeopardize the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros — a threat that only an unsteady alliance of saecular and avout can oppose — as, one by one, Erasmas and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Suddenly burdened with a staggering responsibility, Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world — as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.

Furies Of Calderon by Jim Butcher

Cover of 'Furies Of Calderon' by Jim Butcher

In a fantasy realm where humans bond with elemental forces known as furies, a young shepherd named Tavi struggles with his apparent lack of this magical connection. As his homeland, the Calderon Valley, faces an invasion by a savage tribe, Tavi finds himself embroiled in a desperate conflict. Without the aid of his own fury, he must rely on his wits and courage to help defend his people and uncover a deeper, sinister plot that threatens not only Calderon but the entire realm. Alongside a diverse cast of characters, including a powerful female Cursor and a steadfast warrior, Tavi's journey is one of growth, bravery, and the discovery of his own unique strengths.

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

Cover of 'The Book of the New Sun' by Gene Wolfe

"The Book of the New Sun" is a four-volume science fiction series set in a far future, post-apocalyptic Earth, known as Urth. The story follows a journeyman torturer named Severian who is exiled for showing mercy to one of his victims. As he navigates through a world filled with strange and mythical creatures, political intrigue, and ancient technology often perceived as magic, Severian discovers his destiny is far greater than he could have ever imagined. The narrative is dense and complex, filled with allegory and symbolism, making it a challenging yet rewarding read.

Heir To The Empire by Timothy Zahn

Cover of 'Heir To The Empire' by Timothy Zahn

Set five years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the book follows the New Republic as it struggles to maintain peace in the galaxy. The remnants of the Empire, under the strategic command of Grand Admiral Thrawn, are regrouping and pose a new threat. Thrawn's tactical genius and his discovery of a hidden cache of Emperor Palpatine's warships give him the tools to challenge the New Republic. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo face personal challenges and the burden of leadership as they fight to protect the fledgling democracy from both external and internal turmoil. The story weaves a complex tapestry of intrigue, betrayal, and battles, setting the stage for a new chapter in the Star Wars saga.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Cover of 'Outlander' by Diana Gabaldon

The novel follows a World War II nurse who accidentally time travels back to 18th century Scotland. There, she meets a handsome and brave Scottish warrior and is torn between her loyalty to her husband in her own time and her growing love for the warrior. As she becomes more entwined in the past, she must navigate the dangers of a time not her own, including political unrest and violence, while trying to find a way back home.

Elric Of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock

Cover of 'Elric Of Melniboné' by Michael Moorcock

The book follows the tale of a brooding albino emperor with a frail constitution who wields a soul-drinking sword, Stormbringer. As the ruler of the ancient island of Melniboné, he is a sorcerer of considerable power, yet he is an atypical leader, filled with introspective doubt and conflicting emotions. His story is one of tragic heroism, as he navigates political intrigue, eldritch threats, and cosmic battles, all while grappling with his own moral compass and the dark destiny that his sword seems to bring. The narrative is steeped in dark fantasy, exploring themes of fate, power, and the struggle for personal identity against the backdrop of a decaying, once-mighty empire.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Cover of 'The Illustrated Man' by Ray Bradbury

"The Illustrated Man" is a collection of eighteen science fiction short stories that revolve around the mysterious figure of the illustrated man, whose body is covered in moving tattoos that predict the future. Each story explores themes of technology, humanity, and the consequences of our actions, taking readers on a thought-provoking journey through dystopian worlds, alien encounters, and the depths of human imagination. With vivid imagery and compelling narratives, the book delves into the complexities of human nature and the potential dangers of our own creations.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Cover of 'Sunshine' by Robin McKinley

"Sunshine" is a dark fantasy novel by Robin McKinley that follows the story of a young woman named Rae "Sunshine" Seddon, who works as a baker in a small town. One night, she is kidnapped by a group of vampires and taken to an abandoned mansion where she is held captive with a vampire named Constantine. As they work together to escape, Sunshine discovers her own hidden powers and becomes entangled in a dangerous world of magic and supernatural beings. The novel explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the power of love and friendship.

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

Cover of 'A Fire Upon the Deep' by Vernor Vinge

Thousands of years in the future, humanity is no longer alone in a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures, and technology, can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions of thought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence. Fleeing this galactic threat, Ravna crash lands on a strange world with a ship-hold full of cryogenically frozen children, the only survivors from a destroyed space-lab. They are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle.

The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov

Cover of 'The Caves Of Steel' by Isaac Asimov

"The Caves of Steel" is a science fiction novel set in a future where Earth is heavily populated and humans live in massive enclosed cities. The story follows a detective and his robot partner as they investigate a murder that could potentially spark a conflict between Earth's human population and the Spacers, a group of humans who live on other planets. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a complex conspiracy that challenges their beliefs about robots, humanity, and the future of their world.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Cover of 'Red Mars' by Kim Stanley Robinson

Red Mars is the first novel of the Mars trilogy, published in 1992. It follows the beginnings of the colonization of Mars, from the arrival of the First Hundred to the First Martian Revolution.

Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven , Jerry Pournelle

Cover of 'Lucifer's Hammer' by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

In this science fiction novel, humanity faces an apocalyptic threat when a comet, initially an awe-inspiring celestial event, collides with Earth, unleashing catastrophic destruction. As civilization crumbles, survivors are plunged into a brutal struggle for existence. The story follows a diverse group of characters, including a television scientist, an astronaut, and a senator, who must navigate the chaos and lawlessness of a drastically changed world. Amidst the backdrop of natural disasters and societal breakdown, these survivors must band together to rebuild society while contending with dangerous factions and the harsh realities of a new world order.

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Cover of 'Doomsday Book' by Connie Willis

Somewhere in the future, ordinary history students must travel back in time as part of their university degree. An award-winning best-seller in the United States, this is the first of Connie Willis' brilliant Oxford trilogy.Kivrin knows everything about the Middle Ages - she's read all the books. She knows it's dangerous: cutthroats in the woods, witch hunts, cholera, and millions dying in the plague. For a young historian, it's fascinating.When Kivrin's tutors in Oxford's history lab finally agree to send her on an on-site study trip, she jumps at the chance to observe medieval life first-hand. But a crisis that strangely links the past and future leaves her stranded in the most deadly and terrifying era in human history, face to face with the heart-rending reality behind the statistics. And while she fights for her own life, Kivrin finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope in this dark time.Five years in the writing, Doomsday Book is a storytelling triumph. Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the timeless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Cover of 'Perdido Street Station' by China Mieville

In a sprawling steampunk metropolis teeming with bizarre creatures and arcane technologies, a gifted scientist unwittingly unleashes a nightmare upon the city. When his experiment with a rare caterpillar goes awry, monstrous, dream-eating moths are set loose, preying upon the citizens' minds and plunging the city into terror. As the scientist grapples with the consequences of his actions, a motley group of individuals, including a renegade artist, a wingless bird-man, and other outcasts, come together in a desperate attempt to save their city from the eldritch horrors that now haunt its shadowy streets. Their journey takes them through the city's various layers, from the opulent heights to the grimy depths, revealing the complex tapestry of cultures and conflicts that define this urban labyrinth.

A Spell For Chameleon by Piers Anthony

Cover of 'A Spell For Chameleon' by Piers Anthony

In this fantasy novel, we follow the adventures of Bink, a young man from the magical land of Xanth, who lacks his own magic in a realm where magic is the norm. Facing exile for his deficiency, Bink embarks on a quest to discover his true magical talent. Along the way, he encounters a variety of creatures, challenges, and a mysterious woman named Chameleon, whose beauty and intelligence shift with the phases of the moon. Bink's journey reveals not only the secret of his own latent magic but also addresses themes of self-discovery, the value of nonconformity, and the nature of love and loyalty in a world where everything and everyone is more than they seem.

Out Of The Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis

Cover of 'Out Of The Silent Planet' by C. S. Lewis

In this science fiction novel, a man named Dr. Elwin Ransom finds himself transported to another planet called Malacandra. As he explores this strange new world, he encounters various intelligent beings and learns about their unique cultures and languages. Ransom soon realizes that he has been brought to Malacandra as a sacrifice, but he manages to escape and embarks on a thrilling journey to return home. Along the way, he grapples with themes of good versus evil, the nature of humanity, and the existence of a higher power.

NPR , 100 Books

NPR did a readers survey of the Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy books in 2011. More than 60,000 ballots were cast in our annual summer reader's survey — click here to see the full list of 100 books, complete with links and descriptions. Below is a list of the top 100 winners.

This list has a weight of 1% . To learn more about what this means please visit the Rankings page .

Here is a list of what is decreasing the importance of this list:

  • voted on by the general public
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If you think this is incorrect please e-mail us at [email protected] .

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The best recent science fiction and fantasy – reviews roundup

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown; Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi; Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde; Past Crimes by Jason Pinter; The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

Cover image of the Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (Bantam, £16.99 ) When Cassie receives the gift of a small leatherbound book, her life is transformed. It has the power to make “any door every door”, allowing her to walk out of her New York apartment on to a street in Paris, Venice, Prague – anywhere she’s been, or seen a picture of. Her best friend, Izzy, worries about how criminals could use it, while Cassie thinks they should just enjoy this amazing freedom. But Izzy was right to worry: the Book of Doors is just one of a small number of magical books, each with a different power, and although not many know they exist, some collectors won’t stop at murder to get what they want. What begins like a joyous daydream soon becomes a suspenseful thriller. It’s a truly magical book: exciting, intricately plotted and emotionally compelling.

Cover image of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi

Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi (Gollancz, £2 2) The first novel from the Nigerian author of award-winning short stories is set in two worlds: ours, and the spirit side, where ancient gods have modernised into corporate board members who employ lesser spirits to deal with prayers and petitions. Shigidi, a minor god of nightmares, falls in love with the sexy, mysterious Nneoma, a succubus who feeds on human souls, and convinces him to be her partner in the freelance life. But his employer, the Orisha Spirit Company, won’t release him unless he steals back a precious sacred object from the British Museum. With their supernatural powers, the partners expect it to be an easy heist – until they tangle with London’s own spirit guardians. Moving back and forth in time, and between Lagos, London, Singapore and Algeria, this is a vivid, entertaining tale of love, power and revenge.

Cover image of Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde ( Hodder & Stoughton , £ 20 ) The long-awaited sequel to 2010’s Shades of Grey continues the story set in a country that used to be Britain – before Something Happened. Society now operates on a hierarchical, colour-based system, where everyone’s place and role are determined by the range of colours they are able to see. Eddie and Jane belong to hues of red and green: strictly prohibited from marriage, and now awaiting trial for a murder they did not commit. No one is allowed to question the many strict rules , no matter how absurd. But Eddie and Jane are in love, smart and curious, willing to run any risk to find out the truth about their world. Cleverly constructed, with engaging characters and lots of good jokes, this sparkling Wizard of Oz-inspired fantasy is the second book in an intended trilogy, and one of the quirkiest dystopias ever imagined.

Cover image of Past Crimes by Jason Pinter

Past Crimes by Jason Pinter ( Severn House, £21.99 ) The first venture into science fiction by a well-regarded crime writer is set in the 2040s, when Americans are spending most of their waking hours in an immersive virtual reality network known as Earth+. The popularity of true crime as entertainment has grown exponentially, with new tech allowing total sensory engagement. Subscribers to the simulations produced by entertainment company Past Crimes have the option of being not merely observers but players in famous historic crimes. Cassie West, the widow of the man held responsible for an outbreak of mass suicides and murders known as the Blight, is probably the only person in the world who believes the real culprit got away with it. She thinks she’s found evidence that he’s planning to strike again, with a massacre timed to coincide with the release of the highly anticipated Blight simulation. But will anyone believe her? A tense, unputdownable near-future thriller, chillingly believable about some of the drawbacks of life lived increasingly in non-physical spaces.

Cover image of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers ( Hodderscape, £20 ) The Everly family is cursed: for generations, their youngest has been taken by the terrifying, ageless Penelope in payment of a long-ago debt. Violet is the last of the line, since her mother vanished on a quest to break the curse; unless she returns, Violet will be sacrificed instead. As the deadline approaches, newly adult Violet goes on her own quest. She looks to Penelope’s assistant, Aleksander, for help, knowing she shouldn’t trust him, but tempted by his stories of another world, where he lives in a city of scholar-magicians. Things soon turn very dark in an ambitious debut that doesn’t live up to its initial promise, flawed by an overly complicated, confusing plot and thin characterisations.

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Inside the Censorship Scandal That Rocked Sci-Fi and Fantasy's Biggest Awards

Last week, the Hugo Awards melted down over unexplained disqualifications. Insiders tell Esquire what really happened—and what it could mean for the future of literary awards.

A thousand miles west of Shanghai, on a vast plain between two mountain ranges teeming with giant pandas, it looks like an alien spacecraft has landed in the fourth-largest city in China.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to resemble a star nebula, this is the 59,000-square-foot Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, constructed at lightspeed over the course of a single year to host the 81st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as WorldCon. For writers and readers of science fiction and fantasy, it's like the National Book Awards, the Academy Awards, and San Diego Comic-Con all rolled into one.

On Saturday, October 21st, 2023, thousands of people gathered here for panels, parties, and the annual Hugo Awards ceremony, which celebrates the best works of science fiction and fantasy published or released during the previous calendar year.

In Hollywood, a Hugo Award for best film or TV series may not carry the same cachet as an Oscar or an Emmy, but in bookstores from New York to Moscow, a bright Hugo Award badge on the cover of a novel can help it stand out. “We usually make a display in the store for the nominees and winners,” says Matthew Berger, co-owner of the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego. In their early days, the Hugo Awards recognized writers who have since become genre legends, like Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Frank Herbert; more recently, honorees have included modern masters like George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and N.K. Jemisin.

main venue for 81st world science fiction convention

That evening in Chengdu, in a massive auditorium shaped like the belly of a whale, Dave McCarty—a middle-aged software engineer for an Illinois trucking company and lifelong sci-fi fan who was chosen by the convention’s leaders to oversee last year’s Hugo Awards—walked onstage to thundering applause. Within the WorldCon community, he’s nicknamed the “Hugo Pope” for serving on so many awards committees over the years.

“With the help of fans from all over the world, including many fans here in China participating for the very first time, we identified a ballot of 114 deserving finalists,” McCarty said behind a podium, wearing a black tux over a white waistcoat and bow tie. “We then asked the community to rank those choices as they saw fit.”

But that’s not what happened. Something had gone horribly wrong.

Among sci-fi and fantasy fans, the uproar was immediate and intense. Had government officials in the host country censored the finalists? Did the awards committee make a colossal mistake when tallying the votes, then try to cover it up? Or did something even stranger occur?

To get to the bottom of the mystery, I spoke with more than a dozen past Hugo winners, finalists, and committee members, some of whom requested anonymity. But to understand what these insiders believe really happened —and what it means for the future of the Hugos and other literary awards—we have to utilize a science fiction trope and go back in time.

The Hugo Awards have courted controversy before. In 2015, a right-wing voting bloc led by Brad R. Torgersen dominated the ballot after he complained that the Hugos had become “an affirmative action award” for “underrepresented minority or victim group” authors and characters. In 2021, the voting process to select the host city for the 2023 convention became a lightning rod for conspiracy theories. Each year, anyone who purchases a membership in the World Science Fiction Society can vote on where WorldCon will be held two years later. In 2021, voters could choose between Chengdu and Winnipeg, Canada for the 2023 convention. “There were concerns that a couple thousand people from China purchased memberships [in the World Science Fiction Society] that year to vote for Chengdu,” says Jason Sanford, a three-time Hugo finalist. “It was unusual, but it was done under the rules.”

While Sanford welcomed the participation of new Chinese fans, other people were alarmed that many of the Chinese votes for Chengdu were written in the same handwriting and posted from the same mailing address. The chair of the convention that year, Mary Robinette Kowal, says some members of the awards committee wanted to mark those votes as invalid. “But if you’re filling out a ballot in English and you don’t speak English, you hand it to a friend who does,” she says. “And the translation we’d put in could be read as ‘where are you from,’ not ‘what is your address.’”

Eventually, a few votes were invalidated by the committee, but most were allowed to stand. “China has the largest science fiction reading audience on the planet by several magnitudes, and they are extremely passionate,” Kowal says.

Later, when Chengdu was announced as the winning site for the 2023 convention, more than 100 authors—including N. K. Jemisin, G. Willow Wilson, S. A. Chakraborty, and Tochi Onyebuchi—signed an open letter “in protest of serious and ongoing human rights violations taking place in the Uyghur region of China.” Other authors were concerned about the Chinese Communist Party’s history of censoring LGBTQ content, as well as material that criticizes the party’s government.

These concerns planted the seeds for this year’s crisis, which reached a boiling point on January 20, 2024.

the 81st world science fiction convention opens in chengdu

Compared with other literary awards, the Hugos are usually remarkably transparent and democratic. While the National Book Awards and the Booker Prizes are selected behind closed doors by a panel of judges, anyone can vote for the Hugos by purchasing a supporting membership in the World Science Fiction Society for each year’s convention.

Most years, the Hugo committee shares the nominating statistics later the same evening after the winners are announced, or a few days later, at most. This year, Dave McCarty didn’t share the statistics until January 20—91 days after the awards ceremony, with no explanation for the delay. “The World Science Fiction Society’s constitution says the statistics have to be released within three months, but it’s never taken that long before now,” says Sanford.

When McCarty finally shared last year’s nominating statistics on his Facebook page, authors, fans, and finalists were shocked. In the history of the awards, no works had ever been deemed ineligible like this. Many people who had expected Kuang to win for Babel were now stunned to see she very well could have, and McCarty’s refusal to explain what happened made everything worse. (McCarty did not respond to interview requests for this story.)

“Fandom doesn't like people fucking with their awards, no matter who does it or why,” says John Scalzi, a three-time Hugo Award winner who was a finalist last year in the Best Novel category: the very same category in which R.F. Kuang should have been nominated for Babel, according to the nomination count on page 20 of McCarty’s document. “The reason people are outraged right now is because they care about the award, in one fashion or another, and this lack of transparency feels like a slap,” Scalzi says.

Brandon Sanderson , another past Hugo winner, says this incident damages the reputation of the award: “To find out that the committee behind the scenes [overrode] the voter base without saying anything AND with possible political motivations is extremely unsettling.”

Neil Gaiman didn’t respond to my interview request, but he did comment directly on McCarty’s Facebook post : “Is there anyone who could actually explain WHY Sandman episode 6 was ineligible?”

McCarty responded: “The only statement from the administration team that I can share is the one that I already have, after we reviewed the constitution and the rules we must follow, we determined the work was not eligible.”

Since then, hundreds of people have asked McCarty to explain what exactly in the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) constitution or rules made these works ineligible, but his responses quickly deteriorated into insults, such as “Are you slow?” and, “Clearly you can't understand plain English in our constitution.” However, there isn’t a single rule in the WSFS constitution that could possibly explain why any of these writers were deemed ineligible.

“When I started seeing Dave McCarty’s responses, I was utterly unsurprised,” a former WorldCon committee member who asked to remain anonymous tells me. “That is very consistent with who he is, and how he’s treated other people. It’s incredibly disrespectful on every level.”

china sichuan chengdu worldcon cn

A few days later, McCarty apologized for his “inappropriate, unprofessional, condescending” responses, but still refused to explain the ineligibles. Without answers from McCarty, many Hugo enthusiasts have coalesced around two theories: either the awards committee miscounted early-round votes and realized their mistake too late, or the ineligible writers were censored under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party.

“If they had issued a statement saying there was a miscount and we’re deeply sorry about it, people would have been mad, but it would have been understandable,” Kowal says. Some fans have pointed to mathematical irregularities in the voting statistics compared to past years, and an additional former WorldCon committee member tells me, “I’m guessing someone made a mistake—probably more than one.”

Meanwhile, allegations of censorship have spread like Star Trek tribbles, especially because the protagonist of R. F. Kuang’s Babel is queer, Zhao is non-binary, and all four “ineligible” writers have criticized the Chinese Communist Party or its policies at some point in the past.

Gaiman, Kuang, and Zhao declined to comment on this story, but confirmed on social media that they were just as shocked as everyone else. Weimer says one of his Patreon posts from 2021, where he expressed concerns about holding the Hugos in China, may have marked him for censorship. “It's possible that the [Chinese Communist Party] took umbrage at my piece, or the [convention] felt that they might, and so I was rendered ineligible,” he says.

However, multiple former WorldCon committee members who spoke with me on the condition of anonymity do not believe the Chinese government—nor the Chinese members of last year’s Hugo Awards administration—directly or indirectly censored the awards. Rather, they believe that one or more members of the executive committee mismanaged this year’s awards—and failed to explain why four popular works were deemed ineligible.

On January 31, less than two weeks after McCarty revealed the voting statistics that kicked off the controversy, the California nonprofit that owns the Hugo Awards trademarks released a bombshell statement : McCarty resigned from the organization, alongside the chair of its board of directors, Kevin Standlee. Additionally, the nonprofit censured McCarty “for his public comments that have led to harm of the goodwill and value of our marks and for actions of the Hugo Administration Committee of the Chengdu Worldcon that he presided over.” Two other members of the Chengdu awards committee, Ben Yalow and Shi Chen, were censured as well, “for actions of the Hugo Administration Committee of the Chengdu Worldcon that [they] presided over.”

Yalow and the rest of the 2023 awards committee did not respond to my interview requests for this story. None of my sources know why Yalow or Chen were censured, though as co-division heads of the convention, they would have been McCarty’s superiors.

Meanwhile, organizers of the upcoming 2024 Hugo Awards in Glasgow, Scotland, released a statement of their own to calm the waters: “We will also publish the reasons for any disqualifications of potential finalists, and any withdrawals of potential finalists from the ballot.”

china sichuan chengdu worldcon cn

While this may be the last we hear about the Chengdu crisis, each year’s WorldCon and Hugo Awards are run by a different crop of volunteers, leaving many authors, fans, and finalists hopeful about the future, albeit insistent that permanent changes need to be made to the WSFS constitution that can’t be ignored by individual committees.

“At the very least, I think those [writers] who were removed should have their eligibility extended by a year, and perhaps it's time for a long hard look at the Hugo committee and overhaul how the award is managed,” Sanderson says.

Scalzi agrees. “The thing I would like to stress here is that the Hugos have been to this point pretty resilient: there have been major crises involving them before… and the [community] moved to address them,” he says. “So while this is a problem and needs to be addressed, quickly and comprehensively, I feel pretty confident the community will address it and the Hugos will come out the other side a better award.”

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that the transparent voting process makes the Hugo Awards special. “I love the Hugo for its unique method of walking the line between being a juried award and an open-voting, ‘who has the most fans’ award,” Sanderson says. “It's like an Academy Award, except if any person dedicated enough to the genre were able to join the Academy and participate.”

Perhaps in the future, other literary awards will be inspired by the transparency of the Hugos, if not the controversies that have occasionally accompanied them. Imagine the thrill and tragedy of finding out a book was one vote away from winning or becoming a finalist for the National Book Awards or the National Book Critics Circle Awards. Imagine the drama!

.css-f6drgc:before{margin:-0.99rem auto 0 -1.33rem;left:50%;width:2.1875rem;border:0.3125rem solid #FF3A30;height:2.1875rem;content:'';display:block;position:absolute;border-radius:100%;} .css-1aglugu{font-family:Lausanne,Lausanne-fallback,Lausanne-roboto,Lausanne-local,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1aglugu{font-size:1.75rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1aglugu{font-size:2.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}.css-1aglugu b,.css-1aglugu strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-1aglugu em,.css-1aglugu i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;}.css-1aglugu:before{content:'"';display:block;padding:0.3125rem 0.875rem 0 0;font-size:3.5rem;line-height:0.8;font-style:italic;font-family:Lausanne,Lausanne-fallback,Lausanne-styleitalic-roboto,Lausanne-styleitalic-local,Arial,sans-serif;} "Fandom doesn't like people fucking with their awards."

But when I reached out to those award organizations, they didn’t sound too wild about the idea. “The National Book Awards judges make their decisions independently of the National Book Foundation staff and Board of Directors, and deliberations are strictly confidential,” says Ale Romero, communications and marketing manager at the National Book Foundation, which presents the National Book Awards.

A rep for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) says that privacy is part of what gives the award its personality. “Much like the Quakers, nearly every decision made at the NBCC is one undertaken by the entire group, [and] I believe it would be very difficult to persuade a majority of our board to vote for such a change,” says Keetje Kuipers, vice president of awards and diversity, equity, and inclusion for the NBCC. “Releasing a voting statistics tally would not be in keeping with the tenor of our traditional deliberation style, which favors passionate critical argument over all else.”

At the end of my Zoom call with Sanford, I see some emotion in his face around the eyes. “When I was young, science fiction and fantasy books literally saved my life,” he says. “I looked for books that were Hugo finalists or winners, and they showed me a way forward. They showed me there are other people out there who think like me.”

Whatever happens to the Hugos moving forward, one thing is clear: No one should have the power to erase books from the reading lists of future Jason Sanfords.

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10 Must-Read Books By Black Authors Using Fantasy to Explore Black Imagination

We've rounded up the best fantasy books by black authors whose tales will transport you to new worlds of magic, mystery, dragons and more..

The outsized impact Fantasy has had on literature is often minimized because so many people view this genre as escapist fiction. But historically, authors have used Fantasy not only to entertain but also to comment on issues and injustices society avoided engaging with, and today, many talented Black authors are turning to Fantasy to shatter seemingly impossible-to-break-through glass ceilings, drive awareness of unchecked injustice and shine a light on revelatory Black storytelling.

SEE ALSO: The Best Books to Cozy Up With When You’re Feeling Romantic

Why Fantasy? Because the genre can do something other forms of storytelling often can’t: reshape reality entirely, for better or for worse, to showcase the best and the ugliest truths about us all. Black History Month is a great time to restock your shelf with books by Black authors who are telling fantastical tales inspired by true events and otherworldly stories with wild Star-Wars-meets-the-Authurian-legend vibes. It’s also a great time to acknowledge that the best books in the genre are increasingly being penned by diverse voices. There’s a lot to love in this list of ten amazing books that use Fantasy to explore Black imagination.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A book cover featuring a woman with red light swiling around her wrist

Legendborn is one of the most stunning books of recent years. Bree Matthews enters a secret society she discovers is connected to her mother’s mysterious death. They are the Legendborn, the exalted heirs of King Arthur’s knights who fight demons in the contemporary South. Members keep the famous tales of King Arthur alive but also exemplify the institutional racism of historical and modern-day America. This is a complicated tale of grief and Black girlhood but one that’s so full of what readers of Young Adult Fantasy find so appealing: secret societies, intense romantic moments in between demon fights, brooding goth boys and shocking family secrets. Deonn’s fresh take on the genre has been much needed.

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

A book cover featuring a woman floating in water

Jamison Shea’s Young Adult novel is a fantastical read focused on Black girl excellence in a racist institution—it’s also one of the best books of 2023 . Laure Mesny, a talented ballerina in the cutthroat world of Parisian ballet, is continuously overlooked for top positions. She’s ready to go to such extreme lengths to reach her ambitions that she makes a deal with a river of blood, and her monstrous instincts pull her down into a grim underworld in this book that’s both perfectly disturbing and spectacularly cathartic.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

A book cover featuring a woman with braided hair looking outward

If you’re looking to read more gothics by Black authors, Lauren Blackwood’s Young Adult novel is a perfect book to add to your list. Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian re-imagining of Jane Eyre with an exorcist in the titular protagonist’s role. Andromeda is hired to cleanse the household of ghostly manifestations and finds herself drawn toward Magnus Rochester, who is as interested in her as she is in him.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

A book cover featuring the words THE DEEP

The Deep , written by the author of An Unkindness of Ghosts , is ostensibly about the African slave women tossed overboard during the Middle Passage but in this short read, they are immortalized as mermaids in a mesmerizing underwater society. Originally a Hugo Award-nominated song by Daveed Diggs’ band, Clipping, this brilliant story tells the story of Yetu, who holds the memories of her people to keep the painful archives of their ancestors from disappearing. But keeping that trauma with her continuously proves traumatic. It’s a smart story that uses Fantasy to unpack the nuances of modern survival and generational trauma.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

A book cover featuring a close up of a woman looking down

Remembered as one of Science Fiction’s most iconic and canonical authors, Octavia Butler’s Kindred should be on every American’s shelf. Butler originally wrote Kindred as a response to the minimization of slavery and its impact. It’s an insightful, emotionally packed story about a Black woman facing the everyday horrors of her female ancestors. Dana is transported to the Antebellum South to the home of Rufus, the heir of the plantation where her ancestors were enslaved. Every time Dana is transported back in time, the closer she grows to knowing her ancestors and the difficult, complicated realities of their lives.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

A book cover featuring a woman with her arms outstretched

A story of colonialism, The Unbroken was inspired by France’s brutal colonization of North Africa. Touraine, stolen as a child to be groomed as a soldier of the empire, breaks off from what is expected of her and joins the rebellion. Luca, a princess who takes a liking to her, brings Touraine into her plot against her uncle. Together, they live lives of allyship, revenge, political maneuvering and romance. C.L. Clark’s debut Fantasy novel is perfect for fans of military fiction—this book adds a complex perspective-driven layer that enriches the usual narrative.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

A book cover featuring black gloves

In Ring Shout, or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times , P. Djeli Clark puts a demonic twist on the rise of the Klan after the release of 1915’s Birth of a Nation . Across America, the Klan spreads fear as part of a plan to bring Hell to Earth. Maryse Boudreaux, a Harlem Hellfighter , hunts the Klan’s demons and then sends them back to Hell. With fascinating worldbuilding and strong characterization, Clark uses Fantasy paired with African American folklore to comment on real historical events that had a long-lasting impact on the U.S.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

A book cover featuring a dragon skull

Evan Winter’s debut novel, The Rage of Dragons , is a coming-of-rage tale for anyone who has been searching for a beautifully told, Africa-inspired Dragon Fantasy. The Emehi, who have the power to call dragons, have been stuck in a centuries-long war. Tau, enraged at the loss of a loved one, becomes a warrior intent on taking revenge on his enemy.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

A book cover featuring two women underwater

Tavia is a siren forced to keep her identity hidden in a society threatened by her kind. By her side is Effie, who is bent on escaping her own traumatic past in a city (a magical version of Portland, Oregon) that is buzzing about a siren murder trial. The girls try to live their lives as normally as they possibly can given this terrifying news. But when the murderer goes free, Tavia reveals her identity at the worst possible moment. A Song Below Water is Young Adult Fantasy set in a world where Black girls get to be mermaids, embrace Black girlhood and fight for justice in the same breath.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

A book cover featuring two people, one shorter and younger and one older and taller

Tristan Strong is mourning the loss of his friend after a catastrophic bus accident. When he’s sent to Alabama to live with his grandparents, a strange creature takes his friend Eddie’s journal and pulls them both into a world inspired by African-American folklore. With John Henry and Brer Rabbit, Tristan is determined to find a way back home—but he’ll have to barter with the famed trickster god of West African mythology, Anansi. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is a middle-grade Fantasy story that emphasizes the importance of children hearing the tales of their ancestors and knowing where their families come from.

10 Must-Read Books By Black Authors Using Fantasy to Explore Black Imagination

  • SEE ALSO : ‘Suncoast’ Is Another Mediocre Coming-of-Age Movie That Makes Too Many Wrong Choices

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best fantasy fiction book series

BookTok trend and 'publishing phenomenon' Sarah J Maas sends Bloomsbury profits soaring

The company, which is perhaps best known for publishing the Harry Potter series, said it had been boosted by strong demand for fantasy and sci-fi books.

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

Wednesday 14 February 2024 15:12, UK

Sarah J. Maas , at the 65. Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt Main, Germany, October 2013 Photo by: Frank May/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Bloomsbury Publishing has said its profits for the last 12 months are set to be "significantly" ahead of previous expectations thanks to fantasy author Sarah J Maas and the so-called BookTok social media trend.

The company said Maas's novel House Of Flame And Shadow, which topped book charts in the UK and around the world following its release last month, had been a major factor in its "exceptional growth".

The American author signed with the publisher 13 years ago and her popularity has soared in recent years with reported sales of more than 38 million books worldwide.

Bloomsbury said Maas's latest release - which tells the story of a half-fairy, half-human woman - had also driven demand for her 15 previous works.

It plans to publish a further six titles as part of its contract with her.

Money latest: Mortgage rates up; broadband and mobile providers in 8.8% hikes

The rise of the BookTok trend on TikTok - in which users upload videos of themselves talking about books - had also helped to fuel sales, Bloomsbury said.

Analysts previously forecast the firm would have sales of £291m and profit of £37m for the year ending 29 February 2024. Its preliminary results will be announced in May.

In the 2023 fiscal year it reported revenue of £264m and £25m profit.

Bloomsbury, which is perhaps best known for publishing the Harry Potter series, said bumper sales of Maas's books reflected a broader trend of growing demand for fantasy fiction and sci-fi.

It pointed to figures by Nielsen Bookscan, which said the genre had grown by more than 50% in the last five years in the UK.

The company also publishes hit Chinese fantasy writer Cixin Liu, and is set for a further boost next month when a Netflix adaptation of his popular Three Body Problem trilogy is released.

However, the firm said other bestsellers had also helped its fortunes, including Pub Kitchen by Tom Kerridge and award-winning children's novel Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell.

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best fantasy fiction book series

Read more from business: Inflation rate remains at better than expected 4% Shoplifting 'epidemic' hits record high Train drivers at five companies vote to continue strike action

Bloomsbury chief executive Nigel Newton: "I am overjoyed to report an exceptionally strong period of trading, principally driven by the increasing demand for fantasy fiction.

"Sarah J Maas is a publishing phenomenon and we are very fortunate to have signed her up with her first book 13 years ago.

"Her books have a huge audience which continues to grow, backed by major Bloomsbury promotional campaigns, driving strong word of mouth recommendation, particularly through TikTok and Instagram channels."

The publisher's shares rose more than 9% on Wednesday following its trading update.

IMAGES

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  2. 10 of the Best Fantasy Book Series Everyone Should Read

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  3. 23 Of The Best Fantasy Book Series for Adults

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  5. The 10 Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time

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  6. The Best Fantasy Book Series Of All Time (2021 Edition)

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    If you love political games and the journeys that heroes and villains alike take across years, you'll love A Song of Ice and Fire, one of the very best fantasy series of books ever written. Buy A Song of Ice and Fire here! The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

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  10. The Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time

    A list of some of the best fantasy series of all time, from classics like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings to modern favorites like The Black Company and The Dark Elf Trilogy. Each series is described by its first book and a brief overview of its plot and style.

  11. Best Fantasy Series, Trilogies, and Duologies (1937 books)

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  12. The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

    The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time Whether you've sat around waiting for your Hogwarts letter or looked for Narnia in the back of a closet, you've probably dreamt of stepping into your favorite fantasy books and leaving the real world behind. But the genre isn't all witches, wardrobes, and whimsy!

  13. The Best Epic Fantasy (fiction) (3967 books)

    Some typical characteristics of epic fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, invented languages, quests, coming-of-age themes, and multi-volume narratives. Whether a single book or a series, what do you think is the best epic fantasy of all time?

  14. The Best Fantasy Book Series of All Time, According to Ranker

    Published Jun 13, 2022. From works like The Mistborn Series to The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, Ranker has compiled a list of The Best Fantasy Book Series. With Amazon's tv series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releasing this fall, along with the recent release of films such as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and ...

  15. 25 Of The Top Fantasy Books On Goodreads

    25 Of The Top Fantasy Books On Goodreads Vernieda Vergara Jul 19, 2020 If you're a new—or old—fantasy reader, you might be wondering what the top fantasy books are. It's a reasonable question. It makes sense to begin with what's popular if you're starting out in the genre. Or maybe you're just curious to see how mainstream your preferences are.

  16. The 50 best science fiction and fantasy books of the past decade

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  18. The 13 Best Fantasy Books for Adults, Ranked

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  23. Best Fantasy 2022

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  28. BookTok trend and 'publishing phenomenon' Sarah J Maas sends Bloomsbury

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