The Fantasy genre is crowded with amazing novels. Knowing which ones to read first is not always easy. That is why we have created a list of the 5 must read fantasy books of all time. Keep reading to find out which books made our list!
There are tons of great fantasy books to to read. Choosing only 5 means that many will be left off the list. These five are the ones that stood out the most to me but a few can be substituted and I wouldn’t disagree. You can see the full list below.
The Five Must Read Fantasy Books of All Time
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Lord of the Rings
I If you love fantasy novels, then you have to read The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Not only is it an amazing series but it is the formula that many fantasy authors have used to write their novels. If you have read a bunch of fantasy novels, then you have most likely come across troupes that were popularized by Tolkien.
The First Law
One of my favorite series on the list is The First Law by Joe Abercrombie. It is a gritty and bloody series that feels like it belongs on HBO. The characters are interesting and the protagonist has his moments. The world building is what makes this novel special and one of a kind. If you love fantasy novels and want a different spin on the genre, then you’ll love this series.
Dune
A sci-fi class that made our top five list is Dune by Frank Herbert. The world building and storytelling made this a fan favorite. And one of the later books in the series went on to be the first sci-fi book to become a New York Times bestseller. Ironically, Tolkien was not a fan of the novel but refused to review the novel because he didn’t think it would be fair to Herbert, a fellow author.
His Dark Materials
One of the most amazing fantasy novels I read early on was His Dark Material by Philip Pullman. After reading The Lord of the Rings, being transported to the epic fantasy world of His Dark Materials feels magical. The characters, plot, and worldbuilding make this series one of my all time favorite.
A Wizard of Earthsea
When you are talking about the best fantasy novels of all time, you can’t forget Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. It is the novel that inspired Harry Potter, created a magic system many novels have adopted, and was one of the first to imagine a wizard as someone young and not someone who is old and wise. These are just some of the things that make this a must read and I loved every second of it.
Conclusion
That ends this list of the five must read fantasy books of all time. How many of these books have you read? What other fantasy books should we have included? Let us know in the comments below!
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I thought is was the bible.
Not a fantasy
Yes. It is.
I’ve never understood the fascination with the Wizard of Earthsea. The Belgariad is a far superior story and is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy.
The fact that Andre Norton, T. H. White David Gemmell, Mercedes Lackey, Lois McMaster Bujold or even Poul Anderson wasn’t included is a serious injustice
The Wizards first rule.
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The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe is far superior to any of these. It’s in a different class.
Was this compiled by AI? I know Libraries have long lumped Science Fiction and Fantasy together, but Dune as top five must read Fantasy? Really? There’s no shortage of excellent Fantasy out there, so let’s not bring needlessly bring over Science Fiction. Give that genre its own list.
Personally, I’d have liked to see Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series and Hambly’s Dark series as dark horse picks. But it’s kind of strange not to see Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, or Valdemar on a list like this.
The title is “most read,” not “must read.” There is no judgement as to quality, just popularity.
“Songs of Earth and Power” by Greg Bear or “The Complete Book of Swords” by Fred Sabrehagen “Elminster: The Making of a Mage” by Ed Greenwood “The Runelords Series by the late David Farland. Just a few amazing reads.
Patrick Rothfuss is the greatest I have ever read. His prose is poetry set to music. Read and re-read . The Name of the Wind, A Wiseman’s Fear. The Narrow Road Between Desires. No one can write like him!
What moron put Dune – a *hard core* science fiction novel – no a *fantasy* list?
And why do they still have a job?
Even though for a younger crowd, I feel like Chronicles of Narnia should be on this list.