by 33 people |
What is Fantasy?
If you came here looking for good fantasy books to read, you probably know all about the genre already. For those who don't, here's the definition. Fantasy is a genre that uses magic as it's primary setting. The technology in most fantasy works is at the level of European middle ages. What they have instead are the things we all love: dragons, magic spells, brave warriors, witty bards, graceful elves, and long evenings telling epic tales at the warm tavern.
You might want to choose some excellent works to read from our list of best fantasy books; or, vote for your favorite fantasy series. If there's one you think absolutely has to be on the list, you can even add it yourself!
Top Fantasy Books
A list of best fantasy book series.
1
Lord of the Rings
An epic high fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien.13 points
2
Harry Potter
7 book series by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of Phoenix, Half Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows).12 points
3
His Dark Materials
Trilogy by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass).11 points
4
A Song of Ice and Fire
7 novels (not all yet released) by George R. R. Martin.9 points
5
The Discworld Series
36 novels up to date by Terry Pratchett.8 points
6
Abhorsen
Trilogy by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen).8 points
7
The Chronicles of Narnia
Seven fantasy novels by C. S. Lewis.7 points
8
Stellar Wind 2012
A mix of ancient history and fantasy by Catherine Catherine Barber.7 points
9
KnorraSky The Deception By R.A. Knowlton
KnorraSky the Deception, is an exciting story of courage and heartbreak amidst a medieval setting. The opening pages describe a confident king, Noman, who leads his people without hesitation. Soon things changes when during an epic battle a Deception occurs and Noman is forced to confront his worst fears. KnorraSky the Deception covers 3000 miles and five years as King Noman tries desperately to regain what he has lost.7 points
10
The Chronicles of Amber
Fantasy series by Roger Zelazny6 points
11
The Wheel of Time
Fantasy book series by Robert Jordan.5 points
12
Earthsea
Fantasy series by Ursula K. Le Guin (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea, The Other Wind).5 points
13
Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis by Christopher S. Ledbetter
Set in ancient greece, Prince Caenus competes in a tournament where the best contestants are aided by the gods. He later fights his nemesis over his true love, even descending to Hades to reclaim her soul. It is a moving, romantic historical fantasy novel.5 points
14
Inheritance
Trilogy by Christopher Paolini (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr).4 points
15
The Sword of Truth
Epic fantasy series by Terry Goodkind.4 points
16
The Dresden Files
The adventures of Harry Dresden, a wizard-for-hire in modern Chicago. A great mix of detective work, fantasy, magic and suspense.4 points
17
The Black Company
Series of dark fantasy novels by Glen Cook.3 points
18
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy
Three books by Tad Williams, (The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower).3 points
19
The Shannara Series
Fantasy Series by Terry Brooks, including The Original Shannara Triology, and several other trilogies3 points
20
'mancer series
5 book series by Don Callander (Pyromancer, Aquamancer, Geomancer, Aeromancer, Marbleheart).2 points
21
Dragon series
Trilogy by Don Callander (Dragon Companion, Dragon Rescue, Dragon Tempest).2 points
22
MythAdventures series
Humorous fantasy series by Robert Lynn Asprin.2 points
23
Howl's Moving Castle
Fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones.2 points
24
The Death Gate Cycle Series
A series of seven books by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, (Dragon Wing, Elven Star, Fire Sea, Serpent Mage, Hand of Chaos, Into the Labyrinth, The Seventh Gate).2 points
25
Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Fantasy series by Steven Erikson (Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, The Bonehunters, Reaper's Gale, and three more to come.2 points
26
The Little Goddess Series
by Amy Lane2 points
27
The Astonishing life of Octavion Nothing, Traitor to the Nation
I love this book! It is about a black slave boy who was bought up in a house that experiments on everything. It was so weird and I liked it alot. If you like fantasy, you'll like this book. It was written by M.T. Anderson2 points
28
The Dead Days Omnibus
A story about an orphan boy who works for a magician who might not be just a magician. The magician, Valerian is in trouble and Boy and Valerian set out to find a mysterios book. Boy learns that he has family and makes a new freind. This is a good book.2 points
29
The Witcher Series
Short stories and 5 novels by Andrzej Sapkowski.1 point
30
Soldier Son
Trilogy by Robin Hobb (Shaman's Crossing, Forest Mage, Renegade's Magic).1 point
31
Riftwar Saga
Series of fantasy novels by Raymond E. Feist.1 point
32
Kingmaker, Kingbreaker
Two book series by Karen Miller (The Innocent Mage, The Awakened Mage).1 point
33
Conan series
Dark fantasy series by Robert E. Howard.1 point
34
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels
This fantasy series is written by Laurell K. Hamilton. It is about a Vampire Hunter and all of her adventures. Very well written!1 point
35
Arrows Series
By Mercedes Lackey. She's written lots of other books about Valdemar, too, so if you like it, there's much more to read!1 point
36
Darkover
Science fiction series set on a world where clairvoyance and other psychic powers rule (literally).1 point
37
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
This book has everything...it's humorous and terrifying and completely beleivable1 point
38
The Septimus Heap Series
Written by Angie Sage, is about a boy who is the seventh son of the seventh son and has powerful magic1 point
39
The Janna Mysteries by Felicity Pulman
I really enjoyed this book. It envolved the mystery of Janna's dead mother who Janna thinks was posioned. It uses herb law and other interesting things.1 point
40
Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
The series consists of 18 novels/novellas, including Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums1 point
41
Liveship Traders
Trilogy by Robin Hobb (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny).0 points
42
Fire Dancer series by Ann Maxwell
Rheba is the sole survivor of a blaze that destroyed her planet, and Kirtn is the Bre'n warrior sworn to protect the exquisite, sensual fire dancer on a perilous journey to a far-off planet.0 points
43
Mistborn Trilogy
by Brandon Sanderson0 points
44
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
0 points
45
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
0 points
Personal Recommendation: The Dresden Files
Awesome mix of fantasy and mystery set in modern day world.
Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Being the only professional wizard and investigator of things paranormal in modern-day Chicago is hard. The pay sucks and most people think you're a fraud.
That's why when police asks for his help on a murder case where black magic was seemingly involved, Harry Dresden takes up the job. The only problem is, there's usually a black mage behind the black magic. And now he knows Harry's name...
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Subgenres of Fantasy
The fantasy fiction is divided into many branches.
Fantasy is very popular nowadays, so it's no wonder it has many subgenres. They are hard to define clearly, so most are just a matter of agreement. You can find most prominent ones and their descriptions below.Contemporary fantasy
Fantasy of this subgenre is set in the real world in current times, but with added fantasy elements. Probably the most famous example would be the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy refers to the stories which represent the medieval brutality, or has horror elements. A good example would be the Black Company series by Glen Cook.
High fantasy
High fantasy usually tells the story of epic struggle between clearly distinguished sides of good and evil. A classic example would be the Lord of Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Low fantasy
Low fantasy is the opposite of High fantasy. It usually contains realism and a cynical world view; also, it tends to have characters which can be called neither good nor evil. A good example would be Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard. Such fantasy often overlaps with other genres, like Dark fantasy.
Steampunk
Such fantasy is often set in Victorian or Edwardian eras. Like the name suggests, the steam power is widely used in steampunk worlds, but other fantasy or science fiction elements are present as well. It's really a cross-breed between sci-fi and fantasy; an example would be Last Exile anime.
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy might tell the history of an alternate fantasy world, similar to ours, or our own world, with added fantasy elements. A great example would be A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
[More on fantasy subgenres on Wikipedia...]
Top Fantasy Series List from Amazon
Vote for your favorite, or add your own!
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Do You Enjoy Reading Fantasy Books?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byFantasy books are awesome!
ycntiwn says:
I love to read, just about anything will do, but I have been reading fantasy all my life........it's the best. Terry Pratchett is an absolute genius. You have a good list but I can't believe you don't have Piers Anthony's Xanth series on it.LOL
Posted June 22, 2009
SixB says:
I read only non fiction or high fantasy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my all time favorite books of any genre. Which may explain why I have been a member of http://www.lotrplaza.com for 5 years.
Posted April 16, 2009
eternal-rapture says:
I love fantasy books, they let you esape to a world where magic and fantastic creatures exist, and can be thrilling, imaginative tales. My favourite genre :D
Posted April 16, 2009
jjj1 says:
I love both high fantasy and contemporary fantasy. The Lord of the Rings is my all time favourite, the Shannara novels were great as were the Pawn of Prophecy series and - of course - Harry Potter.
Posted February 26, 2009
Fantasy books are stupid.
Treasures-By-Brenda says:
I did not read fantasy books so I have had to stretch to learn to read them with my sons. I still cannot read many of them.
Brenda
Posted April 14, 2009
Jack says:
My father used to read a lot of those. I tried a few, but never could get into them. Magic, dragons, fairies...?? Please, is that what grown people should be reading? I just don't understand the weird fascination some people feel about this all fantasy.I wouldn't calll anyone reading them stupid, by no means,but those books have no appeal to me. Read a psychology or a self help book those will do you much more good!!
Posted August 21, 2008
Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem
Your chance to get into the wizarding world...
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition
Amazon Price: $10.18 (as of 07/06/2009)
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five wizard fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Ordinary muggles weren't even permitted close to this priceless artifact.
Now a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was made available by J.K.R. to all the muggles of the world. This is your chance to read the ancient and mysterious tales of the wizarding world!
Comments
eternal-rapture wrote...
Your list at the beginning was awesome, I took some time to vote my favourites up lol this is a great lens about my favourite genre! 5*
http://www.squidoo.com/books--haiku
Posted April 16, 2009
Treasures-By-Brenda wrote...
That list at the beginning of your lens is very interesting. You've taken a representative sampling of fantasy enjoyed by those who have passed by! Nicely done and blessed by an Angel.
Brenda
Posted April 14, 2009
vanidiana wrote...
Sometimes, I teach my little girl virtues of life through fantasy story... nice lens!
Posted March 10, 2009
Jacob wrote
I didn't like His Dark Material, and is the Wheel of time series any good. I want to read them but my library doesnt have them :(. Flight of the Nighthawks is a really good book. Also didn't care For Chronicles of Narnia.
Posted March 03, 2009
Daniel King wrote
if you wanted to come to my here is the URL a really good place to get books for cheap (sorry i did not put the URL in the first blurb).
Posted December 07, 2008
Daniel King wrote
This is the best site on were to find the top books I have ever seen. I love how the author of this page created the top 34 or so and had them listed. I have been to some places that takes hours to try to find number 11 or something like that. Can't wait to see what the author of this page does next.
Feel like going to my site come here best site for getting the best books yet.
Posted December 07, 2008
ChloeComfort wrote...
Great lens. Glad to see that you had the "Wheel of Time" and "Sword of Truth" listed. Both series are incredible. Currently waiting for the last book in the "Wheel of Time" series (RIP Robert Jordan - you will be missed) and have been watching the television show "Legend of the Seeker" that's based on the Goodkind novels (Sword of Truth). The show isn't too bad but much different from the book.
Posted December 04, 2008
SudokuNut wrote...
Some interesting choices here and a few authors I've not heard of before. Stellar Wind 2012 sound particularly interesting.
Posted October 21, 2008
emmalarkins wrote...
Great lens! I'll have to check back here, I've been looking for some good fantasy books to read!
Posted October 20, 2008
Wait! Before You Go...
Amazon has picked three fantasy book titles which are the hottest right now:
Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $13.16 (as of 07/06/2009)
Teaching Fantasy Novels: From The Hobbit to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $32.00 (as of 07/06/2009)
Bloggers' Opinion on the Best Fantasy Novels
Just off the press: newest blog posts about fantasy books.
- Fantasy Book Critic - an Interview with Liviu and Cindy - Post ...
- You can check it out here - and it comes also at a great moment in the history of Fantasy Book Critic, when it break no less than ONE MILLION PAGEVIEWS in 28 months of activity. Congratulations are in order to the entire crew, ...
- Fantasy Book News & Reviews: Today in Fantasy: July 6, 2009
- -Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson (I own the first 2 limited editions, but plan to pick up this Tor release when it hits shelves, as I have yet to read any of them) Authors/News: ...
- Temple Library Reviews: Reviewer Time: Liviu & Cindy [Fantasy Book ...
- It's a very unearthly sensation to sit down in front of the keyboard and write a review-like representation of ?Fantasy Book Critic?. Considering how book review blogs are very well becoming the hottest new thing to do on the World Wide ...
- Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: 'Complete Zombies vs. Robots ...
- Graeme's Fantasy Book Review. Monday, 6 July 2009. 'Complete Zombies vs. Robots' ? Chris Ryall & Ashley Wood (IDW). Sometimes a comic book comes along that I just have to get my hands on. Anything with zombies in it will at least be ...
by Chadrew
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