My favorite types of books are easily fantasy novels by a landslide. That is why I am always looking for new fantasy books to read. That is why I made this list of the 26 must read fantasy books of all time for other readers like me. Keep reading to find out which books made the list!
There are tons of amazing fantasy books to read. This list should help you get started with the bets of the best. These books are some of the most popular works of fiction and have millions of followers.
But beyond this list, there are thousands of fantasy novels that are also worth reading. If you love the fantasy genre as much as I do, then you’ll always be looking for new fantasy novels to read and new worlds to travel to. You can see the full list below!
The 26 Must Read Fantasy Books of All time
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
- A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
- Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson
- The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- The Night Angel by Brent Weeks
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Discworld by Terry Pratchett
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
- Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1 by Patrick Rothfuss
- Temeraire by Naomi Novik
- The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen Trilogy by Steven Erikson
- Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
Fantasy Novels to Read
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.
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.
A fantasy series that every fantasy lover must read is Dune by Frank Herbert. It has great world building, a lot of attention to detail and is unlike any other fantasy series. The biggest fantasy author, Tolkien, wasn’t a fan of Dune. But out of respect for another fellow author, he wouldn’t review the novel.
My favorite fantasy writer has to be Brandon Sanderson without a question. He has many great fantasy series and all of them have made me a fan. His characters are likable and his world-building is great. The Stormlight Archive and the Mistborn series have made him a star in the fantasy world.
Conclusion
That is all for this list of the 26 must read fantasy books of all time. How many of these fantasy books have you read? What books should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below!
Unless the series is complete it should not be allowed on the list…
American Gods is on there twice
Why only Way of Kings instead of the Stormlight Archive series?
Dune and Hunger Games don’t really seem like fantasy. There’s a case for Dune being Sci-fantasy, but Hunger Games doesn’t fit at all.
Where is The Dark Tower?
The Black Prism/Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks is incredible. If you loved the type of characters in Game of Thrones and wrote them in a series with a unique magic system you will love it. A five book series with fantastic characters. First four books all 5/5 stars. Final book a bit of a letdown for me but I’ve read over 100 fantasy books and this series might be my favourite. (It would also be nice if Pat Rothfuss got off his ass and finished the final book of his trilogy).
This book column is more an advertisement for the book mentioned, rather of their fame,
Sweden
All very good, but very few female authors in that list…
It’s not surprising for an all-time list. For most of the time that fantasy has been around there have been many more male authors than female in the genre.
On the other hand, in recent years there have been a lot more female fantasy & sci-fi writers, and many of them have gotten a lot of recognition. Most of the Hugo winners for best novel in the last decade have been women for example.
I don’t think the lack of female authors for an all-time list is a sign of prejudice, so much as a reflection of the disproportionately lower number of female authors working specifically in sci-fi/fantasy until the last several decades.
I’ve read nearly every book listed here, and I agree with your choices overall. The Dark Tower definitely belongs. So does something by Clive Barker, imo 😊