Forbes 30 Great Fantasy Novels to Read to Escape Reality

Any list that talks about fantasy novels is one that I will be checking out and seeing how good or bad it is. And today, we will be looking at Forbes 30 great fantasy novels to read when you want to escape. And oh boy, this list is going to be a memorable one.

As the title suggests, fantasy novels are great for escaping reality. But many fantasy novels still touch issues that derive from real life problems. And that is the case for some of the books here. And while you can never fully escape reality, these novels will keep you entertained. You can see Forbes’ list of the 30 best fantasy novels to read below

30 Great Fantasy Novels to Read to Escape Reality

• Between Earth and Sky series by Rebecca Roanhorse (2020-2024)
• Woven in Moonlight series by Isabel Ibañez (2020)
• Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (2015-2019)
• An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir
• The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)
• The Magicians series by Lev Grossman (2009-present)
• Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)
• Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)
• Cypher series by Daniel José Older (2015-2020)
• Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo (2012-2014)
• The Once & Future King series by T.H. White (1938-1958)
• Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968-2001)
• Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (1990)
• Dark Star series by Marlon James (2019-present)
• A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas (2015-present)
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)
• His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
• The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (1990-2013)
• The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2016)
• My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola (1954)
• Legends of the Condor Heroes series by Jin Yong (2019)
• A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin (1996-current)
• The Changeling by Victor LaValle
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2012)
• The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937-1950)
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum (1900-1920)
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007)
• Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin (2015-2017)

Books that Just Made the List

If you have ever tried to compile a list of your favorite fantasy books, you will know that after the first five books, it gets a lot harder to choose what books to include. And on this list, the end of the list includes many books I haven’t heard of or read before. But there are still some interesting names that are worth talking about.

Seeing The Chronicles of Narnia here feels right because it is an important fantasy series but it isn’t as good as it is hyped up to be. While others might have a problem with its placement, I am okay with it. What I am annoyed about is that The Magicians series by Lev Grossman is on this list. It is a poor man’s Harry Potter and I wouldn’t recommend that book to anyone.

There are some good gems at the end of the list such as Circe, the Shadow and Bone series, and the Earthsea Cycle series. Seeing A Court of Thorns and Rose series on the list is refreshing as the series has become very popular in a short amount of time. Its success has led it to being targeted and banned in some U.S states unfortunately.

The Top Ten is a Mess

The top ten has A Song of Fire and Ice series as the ninth best book and I was shocked it was this low. The Changeling is nowhere near as good as George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series and yet it is ahead of it. The Night Circus was a great inclusion but leaving The Lord of the Rings out of the top five feels like a crime.

The three books ahead of it, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Watership Down are great novels that should be in the top ten. Just not ahead of The Lord of the Rings. Harry Potter coming in second is not surprising as it is a beloved fantasy series. What did surprise me is that The Broken Earth Trilogy came in first.

And honestly, I can’t even be mad at that. After reading this series, I can understand why it topped the list. Even I had to think about where The Broken Earth Trilogy ranks on my list. And while I wouldn’t put it about The Lord of the Rings, it is an amazing series that everyone that loves fantasy books should read.

Conclusion

This list got a lot of things wrong but I do respect it for changing things up. That does take courage and while mistakes will be made, ti does start a fun conversation and has people coming out of the den to vouch for their favorite books. I know everyone has their own preference and this is just one of thousands of lists online.

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