Best Fantasy Books
Visible
Crowd
- 23009 voters
- 40 comments
- 44698 views
- 445 items
The publicly ranked version of BestFantasyBooks.com's Best Fantasy Books You've Never Read (http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-fantasy-books-you've-never-read.html).
This is a list of awesome fantasy books that for some reason are not as well known as they should be; that is, fantasy books that are under appreciated.
Vote on the entries or submit your own suggestions for under-appreciated fantasy books
Tags
1
The Name Of The Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
4.38 avg rating
33 Comments
This is the riveting first-person narrative of Kvothe, a young man who grows to be one of the most notorious magicians his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard.
15 Similar Reader Recommendations
1 Recs
1 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
2
6.6k
1.6k
Lord Of The Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.38 avg rating The 50th anniversary one-volume edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic
"An extraordinary work -- pure excitement." -- New York Times Book Review
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.
When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.
The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.
When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.
The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
12 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
3
5.1k
554
The Way Of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
3.67 avg rating Brandon Sanderson, widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, begins a grand cycle of his own, with The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive.
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.
Speak again the ancient oaths,
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.
and return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.
Speak again the ancient oaths,
Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.
and return to men the Shards they once bore.
The Knights Radiant must stand again.
9 Similar Reader Recommendations
1 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
4
6.0k
2.2k
A Game Of Thrones
by George R. R. Martin
2.9 avg rating
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.
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
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.
Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
BSFA
Nebula
World Fantasy
20 Similar Reader Recommendations
1 Recs
1 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
5
4.5k
1.4k
The Wheel Of Time
by Robert Jordan
3.72 avg rating The Eye of the World is book one of The Wheel of Time®, Robert Jordan’s internationally bestselling fantasy series. This edition features cover art by David Grove. The art, which originally debuted on the e-book, will grace bookstores for the first time on this handsome trade paperback edition.
1 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
6
3.5k
804
Mistborn
by Brandon Sanderson
3 avg rating From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.
This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
Oathbringer (forthcoming)
The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Collection
Arcanum Unbounded
Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener's Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
The Rithmatist series
The Rithmatist
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
3 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
7
2.7k
435
a wise man's fear
by Patrick Rothfuss
2 avg rating
Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle.
“I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda • “He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” —George R. R. Martin • “Rothfuss has real talent.” —Terry Brooks
DAY TWO: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale told from his own point of view—a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man’s Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.
Praise for The Kingkiller Chronicle:
“The best epic fantasy I read last year.... He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.”
—George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.”
—Terry Brooks, New York Times-bestselling author of Shannara
"It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing...with true music in the words."
—Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of Earthsea
"The characters are real and the magic is true.”
—Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice
"Masterful.... There is a beauty to Pat's writing that defies description."
—Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
“I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda • “He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” —George R. R. Martin • “Rothfuss has real talent.” —Terry Brooks
DAY TWO: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale told from his own point of view—a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man’s Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.
Praise for The Kingkiller Chronicle:
“The best epic fantasy I read last year.... He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.”
—George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.”
—Terry Brooks, New York Times-bestselling author of Shannara
"It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing...with true music in the words."
—Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of Earthsea
"The characters are real and the magic is true.”
—Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice
"Masterful.... There is a beauty to Pat's writing that defies description."
—Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
8
2.8k
610
The Blade Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
4 avg rating
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.
Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glotka a whole lot more difficult.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.
17 Similar Reader Recommendations
1 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
9
3.8k
2.0k
Harry Potter
by J.K. Rowling
4.57 avg rating
Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
1 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
10
1.9k
422
Lies Of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
5 avg rating
In this stunning debut, author Scott Lynch delivers the wonderfully thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his band of confidence tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part Robin Hood, one part Ocean’s Eleven, and entirely enthralling.…
An orphan’s life is harsh–and often short–in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains–a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected “family” of orphans–a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting.
Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld’s most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful–and more ambitious–than Locke has yet imagined.
Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi’s most trusted men–and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr’s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game–or die trying.…
From the Hardcover edition.
An orphan’s life is harsh–and often short–in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains–a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected “family” of orphans–a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting.
Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld’s most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful–and more ambitious–than Locke has yet imagined.
Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi’s most trusted men–and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr’s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game–or die trying.…
From the Hardcover edition.
17 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
11
1.9k
458
the hobbit by j.r.r. tolkien
by J.R.R. Tolkien
THE BOOKS THAT INSPIRED THE EPIC MOTION PICTURES
J.R.R. TOLKIEN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
THE HOBBIT
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
THE TWO TOWERS
THE RETURN OF THE KING
© New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s12)
Motion Picture Artwork © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
J.R.R. TOLKIEN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
THE HOBBIT
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
THE TWO TOWERS
THE RETURN OF THE KING
© New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s12)
Motion Picture Artwork © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
12
2.1k
804
assasin's apprentice
by Robin Hobb
3 avg rating
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.
As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.
Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Apprentice
“A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don’t want it to be over.”—Steven Brust
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.
As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.
Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Apprentice
“A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne.”—Publishers Weekly
“This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don’t want it to be over.”—Steven Brust
13
1.7k
458
The Dresden Files
by Jim Butcher
5 avg rating For Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name.
2 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
14
1.9k
734
Gardens Of The Moon
by Steven Erikson
4 avg rating The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, their lone surviving mage, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.
However, the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . .
Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding voice.
World Fantasy
16 Similar Reader Recommendations
1 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
15
1.6k
498
Magician
by Raymond E. Feist
4 avg rating
In the westernmost province of the Kingdom of the Isles, upon the world of Midkemia, an orphan kitchen boy named Pug was made apprentice to the magician Kulgan. Here starts an adventure that will span lifetimes and worlds. Discover where the story begins. The world had changed even before I discovered the foreign ship wrecked on the shore below Crydee Castle, but it was the harbinger of the chaos and death that was coming to our door. War had come to the Kingdom of the Isles, and in the years that followed it would scatter my friends across the world. I longed to train as a warrior and fight alongside our duke like my foster-brother, but when the time came, I was not offered that choice. My fate would be shaped by other forces. My name is Pug. I was once an orphaned kitchen boy, with no family and no prospects, but I am destined to become a master magician...
9 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
16
1.7k
674
malazan book of the fallen
by Steven Erikson
5 avg rating The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, their lone surviving mage, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.
However, the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . .
Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding voice.
17
1.5k
540
the night angel trilogy
by Brent Weeks
2.33 avg rating From New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks...
For Azoth, survival is just the beginning. He was raised on the streets and knows an opportunity when he sees one-even when the risks are as high as working for someone like Durzo Blint.
Azoth must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and become the perfect killer.
The New York Times bestseller The Way of Shadows launched Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy - one of the most successful fantasy series in recent years. Now, for the first time, get the complete story in one special edition boxed set.
Night Angel
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows
Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus)
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows
Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus)
Perfect Shadow: A Night Angel Novella (e-only)
The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel
The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel
For more from Brent Weeks, check out:
Lightbringer
The Black Prism
The Blinding Knife
The Broken Eye
The Blood Mirror
18
1.4k
479
The Warded Man
by Peter V. Brett
3 avg rating
As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity.
For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.
Look for Peter V. Brett’s complete Demon Cycle:
THE WARDED MAN | THE DESERT SPEAR | THE DAYLIGHT WAR | THE SKULL THRONE | THE CORE
For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.
Look for Peter V. Brett’s complete Demon Cycle:
THE WARDED MAN | THE DESERT SPEAR | THE DAYLIGHT WAR | THE SKULL THRONE | THE CORE
3 Similar Reader Recommendations
0 Recs
0 Recs
0 Recs
19
1.2k
259
the lightbringer series
by Brent Weeks
5 avg rating
The gripping sequel to New York Times bestselling fantasy epic The Black Prism from Brent Weeks.
Gavin Guile is dying.
He'd thought he had five years left--now he has less than one. With fifty thousand refugees, a bastard son, and an ex-fiancée who may have learned his darkest secret, Gavin has problems on every side. All magic in the world is running wild and threatens to destroy the Seven Satrapies. Worst of all, the old gods are being reborn, and their army of color wights is unstoppable. The only salvation may be the brother whose freedom and life Gavin stole sixteen years ago.
Gavin Guile is dying.
He'd thought he had five years left--now he has less than one. With fifty thousand refugees, a bastard son, and an ex-fiancée who may have learned his darkest secret, Gavin has problems on every side. All magic in the world is running wild and threatens to destroy the Seven Satrapies. Worst of all, the old gods are being reborn, and their army of color wights is unstoppable. The only salvation may be the brother whose freedom and life Gavin stole sixteen years ago.
Read the second book in Brent Weeks's blockbuster epic fantasy series that had Peter V. Brett saying, "Brent Weeks is so good, it's starting to tick me off!"
Lightbringer
The Black Prism
The Blinding Knife
The Broken Eye
The Blood Mirror
The Black Prism
The Blinding Knife
The Broken Eye
The Blood Mirror
For more from Brent Weeks, check out:
Night Angel
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows
Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus)
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows
Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus)
Perfect Shadow: A Night Angel Novella (e-only)
The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel
The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel
ITEMS 1 - 19 of 445
Comment on this list
33 comments
Anonymous | 2018-02-14 03:08:04
hello
www.hello123.com
Anonymous | 2018-02-06 03:03:50
The Amazon Legacy series. It came out in December and I couldn't put it down!
Anonymous | 2017-11-11 07:59:46
Dungeon Born - (The Divine Dungeon Series) - A new read - brilliant and entertaining.
Anonymous | 2017-10-21 04:16:38
Very good, I think I found the knowledge I needed. I will see and refer some information in your post. thank you.
slither io
Anonymous | 2017-09-18 07:11:30
Ningazia balance book series is good ! First two books are out now .
Anonymous | 2017-08-05 12:13:50
"It's like a cross between Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones"-George R. R. Martin on The Dinosaur Lords
Anonymous | 2016-12-05 07:32:12
HPMOR:
Best fantasy, i've read so far, better than GRRM or PR. and just one book, no prequels, no sequels, no bundle-making
Anonymous | 2016-11-20 12:00:23
Seriously the Warded Man? That's one of the worst books in the history of Fantasy.
And it's ranked higher than the Stormlight Archives.
Anonymous | 2016-09-02 06:45:34
Why the hell is If I Did It by OJ Simpson on the list? That book's not fantasy at all.
Anonymous | 2016-09-01 12:59:27
When will people understand that Doctor Who is not fantasy.
Anonymous | 2016-09-01 12:53:45
Why the heck is Diary of a Winpy Kid on here? It's not fantasy at all.
Anonymous | 2016-09-01 12:53:06
Twilight is one of the worst books of all time.
Anonymous | 2016-09-01 12:49:14
It's cool to think CD Projekt got Polish death metal band Vader to do a song for The Witcher game.
Anonymous | 2016-09-01 12:46:06
Master of the Five Magics is what inspired Megadeth's Five Magics.
Anonymous | 2015-08-06 09:00:25
Also - appreciate the existence of the list anyway. There are plenty of books on this list that I haven't read yet so it's nice to have this list to refer to.
Anonymous | 2015-08-06 08:58:39
Where are the highly acclaimed books "The Queen of the Tearling" and "Invasion of the Tearling"? Also - LOTR has to be number one - it is Literary Fiction of the highest order and not merely a story. The Mists of Avalon should be higher too.
Anonymous | 2015-03-23 01:45:22
Somehow Mary Stewart's books are being forgotten, yet they are some of the best literary fantasy books in print. A fantastic retelling of the Arthurian story from Merlin's point of view.
Anonymous | 2015-03-03 08:57:47
This interplanatary fantasy romance novel combines a gripping quest for true love with a planet's necessity to end the danger of extinction. The writing is engaging and intimately universal. It may change your mind, your heart, your life.
Anonymous | 2015-01-08 02:17:55
can we opt to have twilight removed, it's an embarrasment to fantasy
Anonymous | 2015-01-08 02:10:05
the silmarillion is on it twice
Anonymous | 2014-11-18 07:58:52
David Eddings, Kathrine Kurtz, how could these two be left out? Does anyone have a location of a ... better list?
Anonymous | 2014-08-22 02:51:10
Harry Potter?
Anonymous | 2013-11-04 03:06:15
R Scott Bakker brings new life to what would, at anyone else's hands, be old hat. You don't recognize anything that has been done before when reading his books. His characters drive the plot. His moral dilemma forces ambiguity into the reader's own moral compass. I have never seen a better writer in fantasy, though Martin is his equal.
Anonymous | 2013-08-06 04:07:18
Magic Kingdom For Sale, Another Fine Myth, A Gift for Chameleon, and The Book of Three are all great books that are rated low. Magic Kingdom is slightly cheesy but good pull on emotions and different than most fantasies. Another Fine Myth is built on puns and jokes, as is A Gift for Chameleon. The Book of Three is basic fantasy, with geography remarkably similar to Whales.
Anonymous | 2013-07-15 12:56:04
it is just a list of what people like/liked to read.
Anonymous | 2013-07-04 07:55:19
Came for guidance to a good read, left puzzled. This is a rather embarrassing list: superb work under-rated (Gaiman, Mieville); dreadful work praised (Jordan). Many of the works are wonderful for children but don't age well (McKillip, for example). The list has a curious tolerance for dreadful class and sexual politics: nostalgia for resentful white boys who don't read much?
Anonymous | 2013-05-21 01:56:52
Hyperion, Perdido Street Station, Brightness Reef, Fire Upon the Deep, and maybe others I missed are all SF and not fantasy.
They're great reads btw; they just appear to be miscategorized.
Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy is great for any male OR female 7th grader.
It has strong female and male lead characters, plus "animal" companions that will be sure to draw any reader in.
Has a few sad parts, but no graphic violence.
Has romance and realistically complex parent/child relationships, which should be right up any blooming teenager's alley.
Anonymous | 2013-04-25 04:41:55
is good for seventh grader and is in a simple language
Anonymous | 2013-02-23 10:16:45
I guess I don't understand fantasy because I have enjoyed most of the Terry Brooks Shanara series and Wishsong novels but he isn't mentioned once here.
Anonymous | 2013-02-16 09:33:04
This list doesn't even make sense... in some cases there are single books while in others there are entire series. So which is it?
Anonymous | 2013-02-07 05:33:54
wow why is sword of truth rated so low
Anonymous | 2012-10-13 08:23:26
So which fucktard can't take a list seriously. Three little pigs.....you are a wanker
Anonymous | 2012-10-06 06:38:13
three little pigs should be number one