A new year means new books or even revisiting old classics that you loved the first time around. And today, we will be discussing the fantasy books you need to read that shaped the genre!
Sometimes this blog feels like it solely covers fantasy books. It is my favorite genre and I am always reading new fantasy books. This blog post is for the fans that haven’t read some of the best fantasy books ever written or just want to revisit them.
Whether you are reading them for the first time or the 9th time, you are always in for a treat. You can see the full list below!
Must-Read Fantasy Novels That Shaped the Genre
- 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
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- The Night Angel by Brent Weeks
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
- 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 Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
- Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
The Lord of the Rings
There some fantasy novels that are dear to my heart and if you haven’t read them, then you are missing out. The first series that everyone should read is The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
This series along with the prequel, The Hobbit, have shaped the genre as we know it. Hundreds of books and many books on this list are influenced by Tolkien. After reading this novel and series, you will see its influence in many fantasy novels. The fantasy genre would look very different without this series.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Right below The Lord of the Rings is A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin. The series is violent and includes many mature themes and despite that, Martin has written an incredible work of literature.
His storytelling and character writing ability makes this series impossible to put down. I don’t know if this series will ever be finished which is my main criticism against it. I am also not the biggest fan of the violence and bloodshed but that’s central to the themes of these novels.
His Dark Materials
The His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman trilogy is a beautiful children’s fantasy series and one that introduces many young readers to the genre alongside Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
I would personally choose His Dark Materials over Harry Potter because it captures the fantasy element that the genre is known for a lot better. But I know that Harry Potter is a lot more influential and introduced literature to many children growing up.
The First Law Trilogy
One thing I love about the fantasy genre is evolves and changes over time. The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is a gritty and dark novel and very different from your typical Tolkien inspired novel. And I loved every second of it and the endless possibilities that fantasy novels encompasses.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Speaking of how different fantasy can be, a good example is A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. The novel flipped traditional tropes and changed how many people viewed fantasy novels.
This novel and series created the first magic school and a magic system of power in names that many novels built upon. Even though J.K. Rowling never has mentioned Ursula K. Le Guin’s novel as an influence, it is impossible to ignore the similarities.
The Fifth Season
Lastly, a fantasy novel that I recently read and fell in love with was The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Novels like these is why I love reading fantasy novels and the endless world-building and storytelling that authors conjure up.
The novel imagines a world where climate change has made the world barely inhabitable and how dark a future like that will be. In a few years, I do think this novel and series will be up there as a must read. It is beautiful written and incorporates the best elements of the fantasy genre as well as pushing it to new heights.
Conclusion
These are some of the many incredible fantasy books you need to read. You can’t go wrong with any book on this list. There are classics such as The Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Earthsea that everyone needs to read.
And then there are newer novels that are pushing the genre forward such as Mistborn and The Fifth Season. I am excited to be a fan of fantasy novels in this day and age and to see where it will go next!
How many of these books have you read or plan to read? What other fantasy novels should have made out list Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
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