The fantasy genre is my go-to genre because it is easily able to make me read and lose myself in a book or more often a series. But not all fantasy novels are the same. Some are a lot better than other and as someone who has devoured hundreds of fantasy novels, I know that from personal experience.
There are the timeless classic fantasy novels that most people have heard of. Or have seen Netflix trying to make an adaptation of. And there is nothing wrong with that. I found The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski and that is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. But that is just scratching the surface of what this amazing genre has to offer. I often find myself reading classic fantasy novels and new ones released every year. And in the future, I will make lists for those specific novels but this article will cover everything.
Even then, many of the novels that made this list are well known by avid readers. These novels are popular for a reason and many of the most popular novels are popular for a reason. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any duds because I have come across a few. I won’t name them because they are still good novels but I just couldn’t get into them.
One of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy series, Dune by Frank Herbert, was hated by J.R.R. Tolkien. But Tolkien decided to not publicly criticize the novel because he didn’t want to do that to a fellow writer.
I don’t have any such conflict of interest and this list is my honest feelings about these novels and ones I think are must read by fantasy fans. Lists like these are always tough for me because I can recommend or keep adding books to this list. But for now, these books will have to do. You can see the full list below!
20 Fantasy Novels That Fantasy Fans Must Read
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
- A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
- Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- 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 Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
- 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 Kingkiller Chronicle, #1 by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch
The Lord of the Rings Top the List
If you haven’t read The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, then stop reading immediately and get to it. This is easily the best fantasy novel of all time and holds up well almost a century later. Also, this also includes The Hobbit because it is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. So many novels on this list have been influenced by this classic series and the epic adventure fantasy format that Tolkien created has been used by hundreds of novels. All fans of fantasy novels should read this and even if it doesn’t end up being your favorite, at least you will be able to see where your favorite author’s influences come from.
A Song of Ice and Fire
I have a love and hate relationship with A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I love this fantasy series and while I do have my criticism of all the sex and violence, this is an amazingly well written fantasy series. What I hate about this series is that it will most likely never be complete. I have given up faith in Martin and I will be sad that this epic fantasy series will never see a proper conclusion. And yes, I am completely ignoring the HBO’s Game of Thrones ending.
His Dark Materials
One of my hot takes that I hold dearly to my heart is that His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is one of the five best fantasy series ever written. The writing, plot, and characters make this an amazing adventure novel that is appropriate for all ages. Because it is often considered a children’s novel, it gets overlooked but there is a reason that is ranks very highly on many lists. Alongside Harry Potter, I think this might be a big reason children and teenagers fall in love with reading.
Mistborn
Switching things up, another fantasy series in my top five is the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I loved everything about this amazing series and this is the novel that made me a Sanderson fan. I know that The Stormlight Archive series is his most well-known series but Mistborn is the one that connected with me a lot more. If you haven’t read any books by Sanderson, then you are missing out because his take on magic systems and world building are meticulous and his plots are always fresh.
The Wheel of Time
The Lord of the Rings has influenced many novels and authors and The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan is considered to be the best novel influenced by Tolkien’s writing. Jordan’s take on the prophetic protagonist is refreshing but I grew tired of it fast. I get what Jordan is trying to do but it didn’t work for me. And while this series was not for me, it is beloved by many and one that everyone should give a read and see if it is as good as everyone says it is.
Dune
Speaking of novels that borrow the Tolkien format, Dune by Frank Herbert is yet another spin on the prophetic protagonist but with science fiction. The world building by Herbert is overwhelming and the politics make this a heavy read. But Herbert does a wonderful job of making it a great read and this series helped science fiction novels become mainstream. After reading so many fantasy novels, you sort of become irritated at how many books about destiny there are but Herbert’s novels is one of the earlier ones before this trend took off.
The Night Circus
Most of this list is filled with fantasy series but there are also standalone fantasy novels that I was never ended. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is one of those novels and I loved how this novel made me feel and it makes you fall in fall with magic and it is a great break from your typical adventure fantasy novels. Novels like these are why I love the fantasy genre and the potential that is has. Adventure novels are becoming a thing of the past and there is still a lot that this genre has to offer and books like this will always make me a lifelong fan.
The First Law
When I first decided to read all of the popular fantasy novels out there, I came across The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie and I was not prepared for what this novel had to over. Typically, fantasy novels are not that violent and gruesome but Abercrombie decided to try a different approach and it worked out amazingly. This formula works because it reflects the protagonist and serves a purpose. I don’t think Abercrombie knew that he would influence a subgenre of gritty and gruesome fantasy novels that make his novels look like butterflies and dandelions in comparison.
The Witcher
Some fantasy novels can be overlooked or don’t make it into the conversation because they are in another language. The fact that The Witcher has made it into the discussion tells you just how good the series. The series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski saw its popularity increase because of the Netflix adaptation. But what makes this series special is Sapkowski’s brilliant writing. What is incredible about this series is the Polish influence as well as influence from The Mists of Avalon by Marrion Zimmer Bradley. This fantasy novel has fun characters and amazing lore as well as the prophetic protagonist that defined a lot of fantasy books from the 20th century.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Before A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin, wizards were always old and wise men like Gandalf. But Le Guin decided to flip the script and wrote a novel about a boy wizard attending magic school. Nope, she didn’t write Harry Potter but she inspired Harry Potter even if J. K. Rowling hasn’t publicly said so. This is a beautiful coming to age novel and a self-discovery novel and deserves a lot more credit than it is given. Le Guin also invented the naming magic system that many authors have used including the series The Wheel of Time.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
There are some fantasy novels that once you read them, you wonder why you never read them before. And The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin is one of those novels. This may be my favorite modern fantasy series and I loved how different and unique this novel was while also writing about topics that we have seen in many fantasy novels such as climate change. With novels like this, I think the fantasy genre is still thriving and as newer authors push the boundaries, we will be seeing even newer takes that will inspire many future authors.
Conclusion
That is all for this list of the 20 fantasy novel that fantasy fans must read. From timeless classics to newer novels, we cover everything. How many of these fantasy books have you read? What otherbooks should have made our list? Let us know in the comments below!
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This is a great list! I will definitely be adding some of these to my TBR list.
I now so much love fantasy novels. Thanks