The fantasy genre is filled with so many classics and timeless novels. Trying to cover all of them is an impossible task. Which is why we decided to cover the three must read classic books. Keep reading to see which ones made our list that you need to read!
When I think of classic novels, I don’t think about fantasy novel and I realize that I should. There are a ton of amazing classic fantasy novels that have shaped the genre over the years. For many of us, these are the noels that made us fantasy fans.
This list covers three of our favorite classic fantasy novels that we had to share. While one of them might be an obvious pick, the other two will likely surprise you. You can see the full list below!
Must Read: Three Classic Fantasy Books You Can’t Miss
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
- Watership Down (Watership Down, #1) by Richard Adams
The Lord of the Rings
Whenever I think of classic fantasy novels, the first book that comes to mind is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien series. It is without a doubt the greatest fantasy series ever written. And it has only gotten better over time.
As a fantasy fan, you need to read this novel. Not only has it influenced hundreds of fantasy novels, it has helped many readers fall in love with reading and fantasy novels over the years. Even the movies are iconic and have their own loyal fans that watch them annually.
The plot of TLOTR is simple which is likely why many people love it. Frodo is a hobbit who lives alone in the Shire. One day, he is visited by Gandalf the Wizard to journey to destroy the Ring of Power. But he can’t do it alone.
Frodo is accompanied by his friend Sam Gamgee and his cousin Pippin Took. They leave the Shire for the first time in the hopes to destroy the ring. But the group is pursued by mysterious black riders that are after the ring.
On their journey, the Hobbits meet Elves, Dwarves, and humans who aid them on their journey and guide them forward. but the soldiers of the Dark Lord Sauron are persistent and continue to hunt the group.
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
While TLOTR seems like an obvious choice, the next book I chose is not as well known. The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams series is up there in quality with many classic fantasy novels. And it is one that you need to read if you haven’t already read it.
The novel tells the story of Simon, a 14-year-old orphan who works as a kitchen boy and servant at the Hayholt castle. He keeps getting into trouble which lead to him becoming an assistant to Doctor Morgenes, the castle doctor and wizard. He teaches Simon how to read and educates him over time.
The death of king John Presbyter throws the castle into chaos. His eldest son Elias inherits the throne but he influenced by an evil cleric named Pryrates. The disappearance of King Elias’ younger brother Josua is followed by bad omens across the kingdom.
One day while Simon is exploring the castle, he finds himself in the castle dungeons and comes across Josua imprisoned. With the help of Morgenes, Simon frees the prince and finds himself hunted by Pryrates.
Now, Simon must escape the castle and embark on an adventure, uprooting his life and all he has known as he flees from Pryrates. With little to go on, Simon must learn how to survive in the wild and aid Josua in his fight against his brother and current king.
What I loved about this series is that you can see the influence of The Lord of the Rings all over. But it is a darker novel and one that questions tropes that Tolkien made popular in fantasy novels.
I really enjoyed this series and I am not surprised that this novel inspired A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Martin somehow makes his novel even darker and filled with more violence and sex, pushing the gene in a direction that few authors dared to at the time.
Watership Down
The third novel that I decided to choose is one that flips the genre on its head. Watership Down by Richard Adams is not your typical fantasy novel but it is just as good as the other two novels on this list. Who knew a fantasy novel about rabbits would be so interesting?
When a rabbit has a vision of the destruction of the warren where and other rabbits live, Most of the rabbit decide to leave. Some rabbits decide to stay behind, ignoring the warning.
The rest of the group leaves and what follows is an adventure of them in search of a new home. They make new friends and enemies and share stories about a revered rabbit of legend.
Richard Adams used to tell his two daughters stories about rabbits as bedtime stories. Eventually, they convinced him to write it down and after approaching a few publishers, the novel was published, proving his daughters right that people would love them.
The novel went on to win The Carnegie Medal along with a bunch of other awards. It is a great story and even more impressive when you discover that the publisher Rex Collings was a one-man publishing company that wasn’t even able to pay an advance on the book. Now, the rest is history and this novel is considered a classic and rightfully so.
Conclusion
These are the three must read classic fantasy novels that made our list. Choosing The Lord of the Rings was an easy choice. But choosing the other two was a lot more difficult. With so many classic fantasy novels to choose from, I know I had to pick the ones that helped shape the genre.
I know that I left off some classic fantasy novels but I will eventually get around to sharing them in future lists Yes, I know I should have included your favorite classic fantasy novel. And if it is truly great, it will make a future list.
These are three books that I wanted to share with my fellow fantasy lovers. I wanted to change it up and focus on classic fantasy novels. It is always fun to revisit your favorite books and remember why you fell love with them int he first place.
How many of these classic fantasy books have you read or plan to read? What other fantasy novels do you want to see in future lists? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading?
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Discover more from Books of Brilliance
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.