Lions and Tigers and Dragons? Oh my! The Most Influential Fantasy Books

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

With these words Robert Jordan was able to capture the imagination of millions. The opening book of the WoT series told the story of a group of young people who had to flee their home as the Dark One sent his minions to kill them.

The Lord of the RIngs series is like the granddaddy of all modern fantasy. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings tells the story of a young Hobbit who must flee his home in the Shire to defeat the odds and help bring peace to the land. The hobbit is joined by a group of self proclaimed protectors from each of the races.

Most new readers may find Tolkiens writing to be dated, but if you were to stick with it and see the novel to the end, you will realize that you have just treated yourself to some of the best Fantasy writing. Ever.

Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him....

The Sword of Shannara was the first Fantasy novel that I ever read and still holds a special place in my heart. The action is intense and the characters are so lifelike that it is hard to remember that you are reading Fantasy. It is truly an epic tale that spawned many more titles from Terry Brooks.

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

The wickedly funny debut novel from master storyteller J.K. Rowling tells the story of Harry Potter who, having endured 11 miserable years with his hideous aunt and uncle, is invited on his 11th birthday to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he learns of his distinguished wizard pedigree-and his frightening destiny.

Author J.K. Rowling has opened up the world of reading to so many young children and adults alike that her first Harry Potter novel will always hold a special place in my heart and I hope as well as yours.