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
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
As a fantasy fan, you won’t ever stop hearing about Tolkien and his influence on the genre. But what makes the novels special are the simple messages it conveys. From friendship to good versus evil, the themes are simple but with a touch of magic.
A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
When you talk about the best fantasy books and series ever writtem you have to mention A Song of Ice and Fire. It is amazing storytelling and reminded everyone why fantasy is beloved by millions of people around the world.
Not knowing if the series will ever be completed is a frustrating feeling. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that this series is incredible and captures many of the amazing elements of fantasy novels that we love.
The First Law by Joe Abercrombie
One of my favorite series on the list has to be The First Law. 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.
There are grimdark fantasy novels that are too much and I would prefer to avoid them as much as I can. But with this series, I felt like was never too dark and was enjoyable. This subgenre has a lot to offer and The First Law is a must read if you are a fan of darker fantasy novels.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Dune is a fantasy series that every fantasy lover must read at least once. It has great world building, a lot of attention to detail and is unlike any other fantasy series on this list. You don’t often have a sci-fi and fantast series that is able to balance both genres well but Dune showed that it was possible.
J.R.R. Tolkien wasn’t a fan of Dune but he kept his opinions of the novel to himself for the most part. He declined to review the novel because he didn’t want to tarnish another author in a public forum.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
If you are someone who hasn’t fallen in love with fantasy novels, then a novel I would recommend you to read would be A Wizard of Earthsea. It flips the common fantasy tropes on its head and free itselfs from Tolkien’s influence on the genre. And what is left is an incredible story unlike anything before it.
While J. K Rowling hasn’t publicly credited Ursula K. Le Guin for influencing Harry Potter, many people have pointed out the many similarities. And this novel and series has influenced dozens of other fantasy novels including the popular power of naming things. But at the end of the day, the novel is about self-discovery and has a positive message that many people can take away from it.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
I came across The Fifth Season at a time when I felt like I had read all the best fantasy novels ever written. But after reading this novel and series, I was a fan of the genre all over again. This is one of the best fantasy series written and one that every fan of fantasy needs to read.
Jemisin is pushing the genre forward and is a great storyteller. But what makes her books exceptional is her characters. They feel like people you may know and she is able to convey different emotions and thoughts to her characters that few are able to do. This is a masterpiece in my opinion and easily one of my favorite fantasty series ever written.
Conclusion
That is all for this list of the 26 must read fantasy books of all time. Many of them are timeless classics that you will see on a variety of lists. But we also chose to include newer fantasy novels that are reshaping the genre and pushing it towards new boundaries.
I am optimistic about the future of fantasy novels and can’t wait to see which other books become household names in a few years. And maybe we might get George RR Martin to finally finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
How many of these fantasy books have you read? What books should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
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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 😊
Nothing by Zelazny?
Terry Good kind – Sword of Truth series over the likes of Dune everything. It covers just about every aspect of the genre!
Flawed.
Mythago wood and Lavondyss by robert holdstock
Tigana? Nothing by Guy Gavriel Kay? Really?
David Eddings, Raymond E Feist, Terry Brooks etc etc???
American gods is on the list twice
I think The Dwarves series by Markus Heitz is a good series to read.
I don’t see any Weiss & Hickman or David 3
Eddings.