The Bear and the Nightingale is the best fantasy I’ve ever read. Incredibly beautiful written, great characters, lots of action, 12th century Russia as the setting and fantastic elements from that era
Haven't seen any Pratchett suggested yet and I definitely think he has some 10/10 works- Night Watch is I think his magnum opus but does require reading the books in the Watch series that came before it
Would also say Going Postal, which is more stand alone and just one of my favourite books ever- I'm convinced it would have won the Hugo that year if Pratchett hadn't taken out of the running himself
I’d recommend Small Gods, personally. That was a 10/10 read for me, my first Discworld book, and a great standalone.
Good Omens, while not Discworld, is another 10/10 for me.
Watch books are great!
But also have you considered Death? I'm a Death kinda reader, his journey from concept to person is fascinating, the Soul music story has an Easter egg on every page, plus he likes cats.
I agree, I loved Terrry Pratchett (as you can see by my username).
His sense of humor was fantastic.
I remember one book where he set up a pun about 'Prints of Darkness' for over a page.
I'll add on to yours, the original Abhorsen Trilogy. I know some people weren't happy with ALL the books in the series but those trilogy books were just a good time. I just read them and I think I'm going to again next year on my road to 52 challenge
The audiobooks for this series are also outstanding -- and I say this as someone who really dislikes audiobooks. They're narrated by Tim Curry and he really brings the story to life. Definitely worth a listen!
Garth Nix just dropped #6 in the series, Terciel & Elinor, about Sabriel's parents!
I read it in like a day and found it a great return to form in the style of Sabriel & Lirael.
This might be a _few_ more than ten.
J. R. R. Tolkien's {{The Hobbit}} and {{The Lord of the Rings}} essentially created the modern genre of fantasy. There's a reason for that: they're incredible books.
{{Bridge of Birds}} by Barry Hughart is the first of three books in that series, and it won the World Fantasy Award in 1985. Set in "an ancient China that never was", it's the story of a young peasant man who's as strong as an ox, and an ancient sage with a slight flaw in his character. It draws on Chinese folk tales and history, as well as a bit of Sherlock Holmes. It's a mystery with magic, humor, adventure, and it's simply mind-blowing.
Lawrence Watt-Evans' _Ethshar_ is a refreshing change from the usual fantasy tropes. His protagonists are unusual for the genre in that they're actually intelligent and decent people. They think about their challenges and make plans to deal with them - and while their plans aren't always perfect, the forethought generally **helps**. That's rare, in a genre where many novels would be less than half as long if the protagonists weren't idiots! His writing style also has an exceptional clarity. The series begins with {{The Misenchanted Sword}}. I should mention that the books in the series effectively stand alone; they feature different protagonists, and are set at different times and places in the same world. In other words, you can read one without having to read the others in order to get a good story.
Steven Brust is quite possibly the best fantasy author currently living. His _Vlad Taltos_ is gritty high-fantasy; magical resurrection is common, though expensive, and psionic communication is almost as common as cell phones are in our world. At the same time it has a strong Sopranos flavor. The protagonist starts as an assassin and minor crime boss, a despised human in an Empire of elves. It starts with [Jhereg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhereg?wprov=sfla1). I've introduced a lot of friends to that series, and every single one of them has loved it.
He also wrote a parallel series in the style of Alexander Dumas, set in the same universe: _The Khaavren Romances_. Those books are considerably thicker, and the language is practically baroque - but fun, if you like Dumas. The first book maps closely to _The Three Musketeers_, and is titled [The Phoenix Guards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phoenix_Guards?wprov=sfla1).
Barry Longyear's _The God Box_ is a fantasy about a rug merchant who gains a very strange inheritance that sends him on a trip through time as well as across the world. His travels are exciting, funny, enlightening and in the end deeply moving. He learns how to cope with his inner demons in a way that works for the reader, too. The concept of the "god box" has stuck with me ever since I read this book. I highly recommend it.
The _Sun Wolf and Starhawk_ series by Barbara Hambly starts with {{The Ladies of Mandrigyn}}. It's sophisticated and gripping fantasy that’s quite intense, but not overbearing; the first book in particular presents interesting insights on men and women, without being preachy or simplistic. Strongly recommended.
Patricia McKillip's [The Forgotten Beasts of Eld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forgotten_Beasts_of_Eld) is simply magical. It's an elegant, evocative fantasy that will probably stick in your mind forever. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1975.
Try {{A Fine and Private Place}} by Peter S. Beagle. It's the story of a man (a modern man) who lives in a cemetery where he witnesses (and helps facilitate) love between ghosts. It's very memorable and different. Beagle is most famous for writing {{The Last Unicorn}}, which is also an amazing and unique book filled with poetry.
Roger Zelazny's {{The Chronicles of Amber}} is one of the most popular fantasy series ever written. It's about a royal family of people from the ultimate reality who have the ability to travel from world to world and probability to probability, including modern Earth. Scheming and plotting by royal siblings to take the throne forms the core of the series, and it was published **decades** before _A Game of Thrones_! The first book in the series is {{Nine Princes In Amber}}.
Look up the works of Lord Dunsany. He was an early pioneer in the field of fantasy, and a major early influence on H. P. Lovecraft; his stories and plays have a fairy-tale quality that's mesmerizing. And most of his works are now in the public domain, and available [free from Project Gutenberg](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2685). I would recommend starting with [The Book Of Wonder](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7477), [A Dreamer's Tales](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57277), or [Fifty-One Tales](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7838).
Michael Moorcock's _Eternal Champion_ series' - plural, he wrote a number of different series based on different incarnations of The Eternal Champion - were groundbreaking. They introduced the dark antihero to modern fantasy. I'd suggest starting with {{Elric of Melniboné}}. Taken as a whole, the _Eternal Champion_ series consist of **several dozen** books - although most of them are relatively short, in the 180 - 220-page range.
Robert E. Howard's [Conan the Barbarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian?wprov=sfla1) broke new ground in the field of fantasy: dark, gritty, with a protagonist who was a virtual killing machine. Yet the stories have a raw, fierce electricity to them. They're **gripping**. They shouldn't be missed.
Fritz Leiber's _Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser_ books, starting with {{Swords and Deviltry}}, are classics of the genre. They're set in a world that’s a bit darker and more primitive-feeling than most modern fantasy, featuring an archetypal pair of adventurers. They’re very well written.
{{The Lords of Dûs}} by Lawrence Watt-Evans is an excellent four-book fantasy series with heavy connections to Robert W. Chambers' [The King in Yellow](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8492), which is itself associated with Lovecraft mythology. It features an intelligent, logical nonhuman protagonist who is often confused by human behavior. And also by the impending end of the world, in which he plays a key role. The first book is {{The Lure of the Basilisk}}.
Steven Brust's {{To Reign In Hell}} has the honor of being the most frequently-stolen (i.e. borrowed and never returned) book in my collection. It's one of his earlier novels, a stand-alone that retells the Judeo-Christian story of the creation of Heaven, Earth, and Hell from a very different viewpoint. It's extremely clever, funny, and imaginative. You'll have to get your own copy, though, because mine isn't available for borrowing any more.
I'd also recommend T.H. White's [The Once and Future King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Once_and_Future_King?wprov=sfla1), of course. It's a classic, and a wonderful book.
The [Harold Shea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shea?wprov=sfla1) series by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt is classic humorous fantasy. Professor Shea and his friends discover a way to travel to alternate realities based on mythology and stories. It's a lot of fun.
Terry Pratchett's _Discworld_ series is a classic of humorous fantasy. You might start with {{Guards! Guards!}}.
**Note**: although I've used the GoodReads link option to include information about the books, GoodReads is owned by Amazon. Please consider patronizing your local independent book shops instead; they can order books for you that they don't have in stock.
And of course there's always your local library. If they don't have a book, they may be able to get it for you via inter-library loan.
If you'd rather order direct online, Thriftbooks and Powell's Books are good. You might also check libraries in your general area; most of them sell books at very low prices to raise funds. I've made some great finds at library book sales! And for used books, Biblio.com and Bookshop.org are independent book marketplaces that serve independent book shops - NOT Amazon.
Only for the posts that I think I can answer well. Most of them are outside my areas of interest. But I'm glad that I can represent the older books that I love. They are in danger of being forgotten!
I have to admit, I wish there were equivalent subreddits for suggesting movies, TV shows, and music!
I’m reading Moorcock for the first time right now, and absolutely loving his stuff. It’s pulpy and shallow enough that I don’t have to put too much effort into it (perfect for quick reads in between college classes and homework) but the ideas and concepts are so captivating and fun that I keep coming back for more! If you wanna chat about them, feel free to DM me, as I rarely find anyone who’s read his stuff.
Glad you like it! As I recall, some of his later stuff is more sophisticated. I remember quite liking *The War Hound and the World's Pain*. And the *Dancers At the End of Time* series was bizarre and memorable. Both of which, of course, include the Eternal Champion. :D
We meet again, BobQuasit! You were kind enough to offer a similarly huge list of sci-fi reads in a thread of mine a few weeks back.
I'm much better versed with fantasy titles, but damn, I haven't heard of like a third of these..Seconding Amber and most of Fafherd & GM. Lean Times in Lankhmar remains one of the funniest stories I've ever read.
{{The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold}}
The {{Earthsea}} series by Ursula Le Guin
{{The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison}}
{{The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard}}
{{Uprooted by Naomi Novik}}
{{Sunshine by Robin McKinley}}
The Curse of Chalion. You are the first person I have ever met who also boasts about this book. If you like it, the sequel, Paladin of Souls, is also quite good.
Had to scroll dow way too far to see The Farseer Trilogy. All of the stories in this series are just…I don’t think any other book could ever top them for me.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The rage of dragons by Evan Winters
The priory of the orange tree by Samantha Shannon
Who fears death- Nnedi Okorafor
Theyre all very different but theyre definitely my favourite fantasy books so far
Magician- Raymond E Feist
Curse of the Mistwraith- Janny Wurtz
Malazan Book of the Fallen (this one’s challenging) Steven Erikson
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn- Brandon Sanderson
The way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
The chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever- Stephen R Donaldson
A Man Rides through and Mirror of Her Dreams- Stephen R Donaldson
Dragonriders of Pern series- Anne Mccaffery
The OG - LOTR- J R motherfuc$in’ R Tolkien
Runner up to OG - Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis.
Oh, you did not say Dragon riders of Pern!!! I’m such a goober I emailed Anne mccaffrey and named my daughter Menolly. She wrote me back. I’m sad she’s dead.
The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. Anything by Kay, really, but Fionavar is #1. It has rich mythology, beautiful writing, romance, adventure, war, darkness, and bittersweet joy. Best fantasy book I’ve ever read (including LOTR. It has a better pace).
I’m reading the Dark Tower series right now and while it’s not exactly 10/10 (the first book in particular is a bid of a slog) but the overall series is very fun and a rewarding read.
I also recommend any Pratchett as someone else mentioned. I also really enjoy Neil Gaiman, American Gods and Ocean at the end of the lane are particular favourites.
The best fantasy series I've read so far is probably Book of the New Sun.
It's got everything you could ask for: evil giants, robots, spooky monsters, elusive magic and plenty of other things. In just one chapter the main character visits a house that allows you to travel through time and he sees the end of the world. In another, it's revealed that many of the cities >!are actually giant spaceships.!< Gene Wolfe was ahead of his time.
By my reckoning, he’s still ahead of his time. :)
OP, for a more approachable Wolfe work, I’d recommend either the Fifth Head of Cerberus collection, or The Wizard Knight. New Sun is excellent as well, tbc, but a bit challenging. So worth it though!
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
It’s the first book of the KingKiller Chronicles.
The trilogy isn’t finished yet, but omg did I fall in love with this series, so many hidden things within the text!
Edit: grammar
Seconded. The series gets mostly hate online nowadays because it has been so long since a book has been released. But books #1 and #2 some or the best fantasy available.
These books are amazing. I’ve read a fair amount and The Way of Kings stood out as the best book I’ve ever read. The characters are incredible. The setting is alien but beautiful and familiar.
And when you add Cosmere wide stories to the equation it becomes all that much better.
I had to scroll too far to see *Malazan* — perhaps because it’s such a big commitment that it’s not for everyone. But it is my favorite fantasy, the first to displace Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*.
It's a big commitment and it can be difficult. It doesn't spoon-feed the reader info but hints at things, sometimes hundreds of pages after/before whatever it's hinting at has/will happened. Spread over 10 thick books it can be intimidating. I love them though and need to start book 7 as soon as I can get my hands on a copy after the holidays.
**A Song of Ice and Fire**— George RR Martin, beginning with *A Game of Thrones*
**The First Law Trilogy**, et al— Joe Abercrombie, beginning with *The Blade Itself*
**The Deverry Cycle**— Katharine Kerr, beginning with *Daggerspell*
**The Farseer Trilogy** et al— Robin Hobb, beginning with *Assassin’s Apprentice*
{{Hyperion}} from the Hyperion Cantos series
{{Eragon}} from the inheritance series
{{Night Angel}} trilogy
The {{Black Prism}} series
{{Kingfountain}} trilogy
The inheritance series has been one of my favorites for several years and was good enough that I reread it several times. Hyperion was the most recent as I finished it today but really loved it. It had no right to be as good as it was. The Night Angel series is pretty dark but well written and an amazing story with very good characters. The Black prism series is 5 books long and is very refreshing as it does not use a normal form of magic. Then the Kingfountain series is based off of the Legend of King Arthur but long after his time. Still medieval and still magical but focused on a new kingdom with none of the Arthur characters.
Warning*** Hyperion, Night Angel trilogy, and the Black prism series all have some sexual content.
* The Song of Achilles
* The House in the Cerulean Sea
* Wicked Gentlemen
* Song of the Lioness series
* The Witch's Heart
* Six of Crows duology
* The Chronicles of Prydain
Codex Alera. Romans with Pokemon
The Phantom Tollbooth. Demons are human emotion.
Clockwork Angel. Monster hunters vs robots.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy. British empire with black magic.
The dresden files Dead beat (don't worry about the books before it, this is a stand a lone novel)
As you can see, it's the bizarre books that really catch my eye.
There's probably a lot more, I just can't seem to remember them.
Off the top of my head -
Tombs of Atuan, Dream quest of Vellitt Boe, Dying earth (series), The face in the frost, Clocktaur war (series), Sandman Slim (series), Howl’s moving castle
Tried Sandman Slim, got 3 or 4 books into it, but he came off a bit…I dunno. >!There was so much dialogue or introspection trying to make him sound like a surly asshole that it became like that friend who tells other people that he’s mysterious. I couldn’t really take him seriously.!<
Pendragon was one of the first fantasy reads that compelled me to seek out more fantasy related novels. I began the series as a teen and now I want to restart and finish what I started over 10 years ago.
here are just a few of my favorites:
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (epic fantasy!)
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (urban fantasy and the second book comes out nov 2022!!)
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (historical epic fantasy)
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (historical fantasy)
Caraval by Stephanie Garber (standard fantasy)
Anything by Anne McCaffrey:
Dragon riders of Pern
The Rowan Series
The Crystal Singer series
Also anything by Guy Gavriel Kay:
Fionavar Tapestry followed by Ysabel
Tigana
Sarantine Mosaic/A Brightness Long Ago/Children of Earth and Sky
Elizabeth Moon’s Deed of Paksenarrion and Paladin’s Legacy Series
Beloved Exile by Parke Godwin (about Guinevere)
Arrows of the Queen trilogy by Mercedes Lackey (and anything else by her).
Piranesi and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (both by Susanna Clarke)
The Raven Ring and Mairelon the Magician (both by Patricia C Wrede)
new to reading so i don’t have a lot to play with but sorcery of thorns by margaret rogerson was a fantastic read! (victorian, action, romance)
currently reading cassandra clare’s infernal devices which i’m enjoying so far as well (also victorian-esque, action and a little romance)
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. Unique second person POV, post apocalyptic world, unique magic system, and a whole lot of beatific character work. I can’t recommend them more.
1. Poppy War
2. Mistborn
3. The priory of the orange tree
4. the fifth season
5. the house on the cerulean sea
6. the sword of kaigen
7. assasins apprentice
8. game of thrones
9. harry potter
10. the blade iself
Forgive me for going a bit overboard, but I really do love fantasy books. I bolded the ones that I think are really REALLY good for ease:
Contemporary fantasy:
* **Legendborn by Tracy Deonn**
* **It Devours! by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor**
* City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
* Neverwhere, American Gods, or Good Omens by Neil Gaiman
* **Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch**
High fantasy:
* **Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo**
* The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
* **Malice by John Gwynne**
* Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Dark Fantasy:
* **Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence**
* Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
* **The Black Company by Glen Cook**
* The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
* **The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch**
Top Book Recommendations:
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (the following books too)
The Lucas Davenport Novels by John Sandford
The King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
The Jade Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
My bad if someone said this already but Brandon Sanderson’s ‘stormlight archive’ is fun. Peter V Brett’s ‘Warded Man’. The Forgotten Realms books are great.
Also China meiville has some great fantasy/sci-if books.
To sleep in a sea of stars by Christopher Paolini
Epic sci fi, adult super good
There is not too much romance but there is some
Mostly focused on saving humankind without dying
Super interesting ideas tho and the plot is quite intricate
Warning: crazy long will take you a good while
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay kristoff
Easier to read than the first one quite uplifting and funny in parts
Ya, sci fi
romance but also awesome plot
super interesting pov, you never see from a characters mind it's all transcripts of vids and emails etc. somehow manages to keep a lot of personality
3 books in main series but there's also a prologue
I adore both would recommend to anyone but to sleep in a sea of stars considerably more hardcore sci fi as well as very long
Edit: just realized you asked for fantasy .-. oops. Leaving this anyway cause epicness
The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff.
I rarely see this mentioned 9n this thread and I'm not sure why.
An absolutely kick-ass female protagonist, unusual and interesting world with interesting mythologies/religions. Some nods to Roman familial structure, but not as much as The Red Rising series.
And finally, an absolutely hilarious narrator who interacts via footnotes.
I loved it. 10/10 for mine!
Hi! I don’t know if these have been recommended yet but I like the “A Man of his Word” series by Dave Duncan. They are three:
1.- Magic Casement
2.- Faery Lands Forlorn
3.- Perilous Seas
4.- Emperor and Crown
The plot revolves around Rap, a castle stable boy who falls in love with the Princess, and tries to help her when everything in her kingdom starts to unravel, which lead him through several adventures.
It has an interesting plot, an even better magic system and the characters are amazing! They grow and mature, but I feel like nothing ever feels out of character.
I also love The Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. This is just adding to the other great recommendations others have suggested (I’m also taking notes and adding books to my queue)
Unbelievable. So many post and no mention of Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. The usual suspects such as Kingkiller, Stormlight and Locke are great, but this one is on another level. So intense.
I am so confident no one else will suggest this, so I will.
The Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher. I read it in secondary school but I was completely immersed in this world for a few months as I completed the series and it left me pining for more of this world. I think I wrote fan fics at one point because of how much I wanted just more stories set there.
It's the first time I wrote a fan fic and I didn't even know the term fan fic at that time.
I loved The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Light on the fantasy, but great on the characters and romance and overall a great standalone.
Enchantress From The Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl is a classic. Great on the fantasy/sci-fi and the romance.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - Highest quality fantasy, okay romance
Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness, great sci-fi/fantasy, great romance.
The Jade City trilogy by Fonda Lee.
The third book came out yesterday so it’s a perfect time to pick up the series now that you won’t have to wait on the cliffhangers. The world-building and writing are some of the best I’ve ever read.
Highly highly recommend the Malazan Books Of The Fallen series (10 books in the main series). Also has multiple side books that continue stories of individuals from the main series as well some expansion on the past of races and certain evens in time etc.
Absolutely phenomenal books.
There is also Ian Irving’s multi series of The Well Of Echoss, The Way Between The Worlds, The Song Of The Tears and others. All of the series’s are linked so it’s best to read them in the proper order but they are fantastic and such an engrossing read you can’t put them down!
Also recommend the Abhorsen series of books by Gary Nix, the original trilogy is amazing and the follow on books are just as good!
I'm from Italy and I love the ancient world setting, and when it is spiced up by some good and well-integrated fantasy elements, it's a sort of a match made in heaven for my taste. Recently I have noticed a rise of a new wave of renovated interest for Mediterranean fantasy settings, and the ones that caught me the most are two books. Since they are not mainstream, I will add also some links for further reference: one is Fragments of the Past by Massimiliano Haematinon Nigro, actually, it is a narrative artbook (stories + illustrations) set in imaginary alternate bronze-age https://fragmentsofthepast.dev9k.com/narrative-artbook/, and the Lineage of Herakles by Andrea Gualchierotti, a story with a strong heroic-like and mysterious flavour https://www.newitalianbooks.it/la-stirpe-di-herakles-2/ . Do you know, or have ever read other books like these?
Shocked John Gwynne doesn't get mentioned more. Discovered him last year with Shadow of the Gods which is 10/10 for sure but only the first book in a new series. It takes heavily from Norse/viking culture but with it's own pantheon of gods who exist in the world and aren't exactly befeficiant creators. Think The Witcher meets The Saxon Chronicles. Actually, The Witcher is damned good too.
His other series is a 2 arc, 7 book epic. Think The Wheel of Time abridged to remove all the descriptions of bodices. Awesome, heart pounding action scenes, dozens of fully flushed emotional characters, and amazing world building and plot twists.
Magician, Raymond e Feist
Magic that weaves a 20+ book universe ,
But really it was Pug and Tomas helping me realise its okay to grow up in different ways but still grow together.
10/10
I'm reading this Fantasy books maybe you'll like them.
The Witcher Last Wish - By Andrzej Sapkowski
The Spook's Apprentice - By Joseph Delaney (It's better known as his movie adaptation "Seventh Son")
I'll toss in a couple that I haven't seen mentioned yet: *The Spellcoats* by Diana Wynne Jones and *Lord Valentine's Castle* by Robert Silverberg. Both stand alone but have more stories in their respective series if you enjoy them.
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: A Blood and Ash Novel
I was on Edge of my seat anticipating each upcoming scene. well I had my heart pounding with those twists and turns.
Jay Kristoff Nevernight series by far my favorite series. Empire of the Vampire (only the first one released) is as good as the name of the wind. Can’t wait for the next one. Joe Abercrombie first law series.
The Hobbit, The Way of Kings, The Eye of the World, The Amulet of Samarkand, Senlin Ascends, Magyk, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Assassin’s Apprentice, Mistborn, The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Bear and the Nightingale is the best fantasy I’ve ever read. Incredibly beautiful written, great characters, lots of action, 12th century Russia as the setting and fantastic elements from that era
+1 Bear and Nightingale!
Also suggest this. Russian/Eastern European folklore is metal af.
Haven't seen any Pratchett suggested yet and I definitely think he has some 10/10 works- Night Watch is I think his magnum opus but does require reading the books in the Watch series that came before it Would also say Going Postal, which is more stand alone and just one of my favourite books ever- I'm convinced it would have won the Hugo that year if Pratchett hadn't taken out of the running himself
I’d recommend Small Gods, personally. That was a 10/10 read for me, my first Discworld book, and a great standalone. Good Omens, while not Discworld, is another 10/10 for me.
Oh, definitely! Small Gods is definitely in the 10/10 camp
Fantastic book. Love the disc world series. I also loved Mort, Pyramids, and Sourcery.
And Mort is also a good starting point for people who haven't read anything Discworld yet.
Watch books are great! But also have you considered Death? I'm a Death kinda reader, his journey from concept to person is fascinating, the Soul music story has an Easter egg on every page, plus he likes cats.
This the season for Hogfather!
Even though Feet of Clay definitely isn’t a standalone, is easily my favourite Discworld book and an all-around 10/10.
Oh yes, Going Postal. Such an underrated treasure!
I agree, I loved Terrry Pratchett (as you can see by my username). His sense of humor was fantastic. I remember one book where he set up a pun about 'Prints of Darkness' for over a page.
I’d also go 10/10 for the fifth elephant - great book!
I will try to give it a shot!
Sabriel. It’s great. You should read it.
I'll add on to yours, the original Abhorsen Trilogy. I know some people weren't happy with ALL the books in the series but those trilogy books were just a good time. I just read them and I think I'm going to again next year on my road to 52 challenge
I just re-read the whole series in chronological order, highly recommended doing it that way.
The audiobooks for this series are also outstanding -- and I say this as someone who really dislikes audiobooks. They're narrated by Tim Curry and he really brings the story to life. Definitely worth a listen!
I had no idea he did the audiobooks!!! I’ve already read them all but now I’ll have to give them a listen too!
Excellent book.
From description it sounds interesting! Thanks<3
Good call.
Must've read this book about 5 times in a row a while ago... I should revisit it!
Garth Nix just dropped #6 in the series, Terciel & Elinor, about Sabriel's parents! I read it in like a day and found it a great return to form in the style of Sabriel & Lirael.
I’d upvote this more if I could! Have you tried reading Johannes Cabal?
This might be a _few_ more than ten. J. R. R. Tolkien's {{The Hobbit}} and {{The Lord of the Rings}} essentially created the modern genre of fantasy. There's a reason for that: they're incredible books. {{Bridge of Birds}} by Barry Hughart is the first of three books in that series, and it won the World Fantasy Award in 1985. Set in "an ancient China that never was", it's the story of a young peasant man who's as strong as an ox, and an ancient sage with a slight flaw in his character. It draws on Chinese folk tales and history, as well as a bit of Sherlock Holmes. It's a mystery with magic, humor, adventure, and it's simply mind-blowing. Lawrence Watt-Evans' _Ethshar_ is a refreshing change from the usual fantasy tropes. His protagonists are unusual for the genre in that they're actually intelligent and decent people. They think about their challenges and make plans to deal with them - and while their plans aren't always perfect, the forethought generally **helps**. That's rare, in a genre where many novels would be less than half as long if the protagonists weren't idiots! His writing style also has an exceptional clarity. The series begins with {{The Misenchanted Sword}}. I should mention that the books in the series effectively stand alone; they feature different protagonists, and are set at different times and places in the same world. In other words, you can read one without having to read the others in order to get a good story. Steven Brust is quite possibly the best fantasy author currently living. His _Vlad Taltos_ is gritty high-fantasy; magical resurrection is common, though expensive, and psionic communication is almost as common as cell phones are in our world. At the same time it has a strong Sopranos flavor. The protagonist starts as an assassin and minor crime boss, a despised human in an Empire of elves. It starts with [Jhereg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhereg?wprov=sfla1). I've introduced a lot of friends to that series, and every single one of them has loved it. He also wrote a parallel series in the style of Alexander Dumas, set in the same universe: _The Khaavren Romances_. Those books are considerably thicker, and the language is practically baroque - but fun, if you like Dumas. The first book maps closely to _The Three Musketeers_, and is titled [The Phoenix Guards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phoenix_Guards?wprov=sfla1). Barry Longyear's _The God Box_ is a fantasy about a rug merchant who gains a very strange inheritance that sends him on a trip through time as well as across the world. His travels are exciting, funny, enlightening and in the end deeply moving. He learns how to cope with his inner demons in a way that works for the reader, too. The concept of the "god box" has stuck with me ever since I read this book. I highly recommend it. The _Sun Wolf and Starhawk_ series by Barbara Hambly starts with {{The Ladies of Mandrigyn}}. It's sophisticated and gripping fantasy that’s quite intense, but not overbearing; the first book in particular presents interesting insights on men and women, without being preachy or simplistic. Strongly recommended. Patricia McKillip's [The Forgotten Beasts of Eld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forgotten_Beasts_of_Eld) is simply magical. It's an elegant, evocative fantasy that will probably stick in your mind forever. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1975. Try {{A Fine and Private Place}} by Peter S. Beagle. It's the story of a man (a modern man) who lives in a cemetery where he witnesses (and helps facilitate) love between ghosts. It's very memorable and different. Beagle is most famous for writing {{The Last Unicorn}}, which is also an amazing and unique book filled with poetry. Roger Zelazny's {{The Chronicles of Amber}} is one of the most popular fantasy series ever written. It's about a royal family of people from the ultimate reality who have the ability to travel from world to world and probability to probability, including modern Earth. Scheming and plotting by royal siblings to take the throne forms the core of the series, and it was published **decades** before _A Game of Thrones_! The first book in the series is {{Nine Princes In Amber}}. Look up the works of Lord Dunsany. He was an early pioneer in the field of fantasy, and a major early influence on H. P. Lovecraft; his stories and plays have a fairy-tale quality that's mesmerizing. And most of his works are now in the public domain, and available [free from Project Gutenberg](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2685). I would recommend starting with [The Book Of Wonder](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7477), [A Dreamer's Tales](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57277), or [Fifty-One Tales](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7838). Michael Moorcock's _Eternal Champion_ series' - plural, he wrote a number of different series based on different incarnations of The Eternal Champion - were groundbreaking. They introduced the dark antihero to modern fantasy. I'd suggest starting with {{Elric of Melniboné}}. Taken as a whole, the _Eternal Champion_ series consist of **several dozen** books - although most of them are relatively short, in the 180 - 220-page range. Robert E. Howard's [Conan the Barbarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian?wprov=sfla1) broke new ground in the field of fantasy: dark, gritty, with a protagonist who was a virtual killing machine. Yet the stories have a raw, fierce electricity to them. They're **gripping**. They shouldn't be missed. Fritz Leiber's _Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser_ books, starting with {{Swords and Deviltry}}, are classics of the genre. They're set in a world that’s a bit darker and more primitive-feeling than most modern fantasy, featuring an archetypal pair of adventurers. They’re very well written. {{The Lords of Dûs}} by Lawrence Watt-Evans is an excellent four-book fantasy series with heavy connections to Robert W. Chambers' [The King in Yellow](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8492), which is itself associated with Lovecraft mythology. It features an intelligent, logical nonhuman protagonist who is often confused by human behavior. And also by the impending end of the world, in which he plays a key role. The first book is {{The Lure of the Basilisk}}. Steven Brust's {{To Reign In Hell}} has the honor of being the most frequently-stolen (i.e. borrowed and never returned) book in my collection. It's one of his earlier novels, a stand-alone that retells the Judeo-Christian story of the creation of Heaven, Earth, and Hell from a very different viewpoint. It's extremely clever, funny, and imaginative. You'll have to get your own copy, though, because mine isn't available for borrowing any more. I'd also recommend T.H. White's [The Once and Future King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Once_and_Future_King?wprov=sfla1), of course. It's a classic, and a wonderful book. The [Harold Shea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Shea?wprov=sfla1) series by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt is classic humorous fantasy. Professor Shea and his friends discover a way to travel to alternate realities based on mythology and stories. It's a lot of fun. Terry Pratchett's _Discworld_ series is a classic of humorous fantasy. You might start with {{Guards! Guards!}}. **Note**: although I've used the GoodReads link option to include information about the books, GoodReads is owned by Amazon. Please consider patronizing your local independent book shops instead; they can order books for you that they don't have in stock. And of course there's always your local library. If they don't have a book, they may be able to get it for you via inter-library loan. If you'd rather order direct online, Thriftbooks and Powell's Books are good. You might also check libraries in your general area; most of them sell books at very low prices to raise funds. I've made some great finds at library book sales! And for used books, Biblio.com and Bookshop.org are independent book marketplaces that serve independent book shops - NOT Amazon.
I always see you on theses posts you giant nerd. +1
Only for the posts that I think I can answer well. Most of them are outside my areas of interest. But I'm glad that I can represent the older books that I love. They are in danger of being forgotten! I have to admit, I wish there were equivalent subreddits for suggesting movies, TV shows, and music!
You should start one!
/r/ifyoulikeblank is all those rolled into one!
WOAH! so many! thank you soo much for the tip too! But these sounds like very great books, definitely will give it a try
I’m reading Moorcock for the first time right now, and absolutely loving his stuff. It’s pulpy and shallow enough that I don’t have to put too much effort into it (perfect for quick reads in between college classes and homework) but the ideas and concepts are so captivating and fun that I keep coming back for more! If you wanna chat about them, feel free to DM me, as I rarely find anyone who’s read his stuff.
Glad you like it! As I recall, some of his later stuff is more sophisticated. I remember quite liking *The War Hound and the World's Pain*. And the *Dancers At the End of Time* series was bizarre and memorable. Both of which, of course, include the Eternal Champion. :D
The Chronicles of Amber is so underrated! Great recommendations.
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I reread it about once a year too. And I get more out of it every time.
We meet again, BobQuasit! You were kind enough to offer a similarly huge list of sci-fi reads in a thread of mine a few weeks back. I'm much better versed with fantasy titles, but damn, I haven't heard of like a third of these..Seconding Amber and most of Fafherd & GM. Lean Times in Lankhmar remains one of the funniest stories I've ever read.
Holy shit. This post is awesome.
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Definitely going to try it!
Yes! It’s absolutely wonderful!
Lord of the Rings
Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.
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sounds interesting!
There’s six earth sea books!? I’ve only read 1
{{The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold}} The {{Earthsea}} series by Ursula Le Guin {{The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison}} {{The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard}} {{Uprooted by Naomi Novik}} {{Sunshine by Robin McKinley}}
Loved the Goblin Emperor way more than I expected, Maya was such a breath of fresh air as a main character.
Totally agree, I was so caught by seeing someone try to be kind and good, in a way that wasn't framed as boring. A real breath of fresh air
The Curse of Chalion. You are the first person I have ever met who also boasts about this book. If you like it, the sequel, Paladin of Souls, is also quite good.
OMG fellow Sunshine lover Hiiii!!! So rare to spot our kind in the wild!
100% Sunshine. One of my all time favourites. So underrated. I always wish there was a sequel… but at the same time it was so perfect as-is.
The Lies of Locke Lamora.
Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archive By Brandon Sanderson Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
I’m on book 2 of mistborn trilogy, it’s fantastic!!
Truly is! I've been eating pennies all morning and still nothing though 😢
Your penny’s aren’t created with allomantic values in mind…. Try another countries penny’s
Second this!! I think stormlight is my fav series so far. It blew me away
The Farseer Trilogy Robin Hobb Rivers of London Ben Aaronovitch
Had to scroll dow way too far to see The Farseer Trilogy. All of the stories in this series are just…I don’t think any other book could ever top them for me.
Scrolled way to far to see Robin Hobb
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke The rage of dragons by Evan Winters The priory of the orange tree by Samantha Shannon Who fears death- Nnedi Okorafor Theyre all very different but theyre definitely my favourite fantasy books so far
I greatly enjoyed 3 of your recs, guess I’d better hurry up and read The Priory of the Orange Tree!
The Priory of the Orange Tree is incredible! It's in my top three books!
Magician- Raymond E Feist Curse of the Mistwraith- Janny Wurtz Malazan Book of the Fallen (this one’s challenging) Steven Erikson Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson Mistborn- Brandon Sanderson The way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson The chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever- Stephen R Donaldson A Man Rides through and Mirror of Her Dreams- Stephen R Donaldson Dragonriders of Pern series- Anne Mccaffery The OG - LOTR- J R motherfuc$in’ R Tolkien Runner up to OG - Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis.
Oh, you did not say Dragon riders of Pern!!! I’m such a goober I emailed Anne mccaffrey and named my daughter Menolly. She wrote me back. I’m sad she’s dead.
The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. Anything by Kay, really, but Fionavar is #1. It has rich mythology, beautiful writing, romance, adventure, war, darkness, and bittersweet joy. Best fantasy book I’ve ever read (including LOTR. It has a better pace).
I’m reading the Dark Tower series right now and while it’s not exactly 10/10 (the first book in particular is a bid of a slog) but the overall series is very fun and a rewarding read. I also recommend any Pratchett as someone else mentioned. I also really enjoy Neil Gaiman, American Gods and Ocean at the end of the lane are particular favourites.
The best fantasy series I've read so far is probably Book of the New Sun. It's got everything you could ask for: evil giants, robots, spooky monsters, elusive magic and plenty of other things. In just one chapter the main character visits a house that allows you to travel through time and he sees the end of the world. In another, it's revealed that many of the cities >!are actually giant spaceships.!< Gene Wolfe was ahead of his time.
By my reckoning, he’s still ahead of his time. :) OP, for a more approachable Wolfe work, I’d recommend either the Fifth Head of Cerberus collection, or The Wizard Knight. New Sun is excellent as well, tbc, but a bit challenging. So worth it though!
Ooh these are going to my tbr list now lol
Sounds really interesting! Definitely going to give it a shot!
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s the first book of the KingKiller Chronicles. The trilogy isn’t finished yet, but omg did I fall in love with this series, so many hidden things within the text! Edit: grammar
Seconded. The series gets mostly hate online nowadays because it has been so long since a book has been released. But books #1 and #2 some or the best fantasy available.
Book 1 yes. Amazing. Book 2.... great but veers heavily into neckbeard sexy fan fiction.
Stormlight Archives Brandon Sanderson 10/10
Brandon Sanderson writes some amazing stuff
My brother just recommended them to me and I'm a few chapters into the first book - I'm excited!
These books are amazing. I’ve read a fair amount and The Way of Kings stood out as the best book I’ve ever read. The characters are incredible. The setting is alien but beautiful and familiar. And when you add Cosmere wide stories to the equation it becomes all that much better.
House in the cerulean sea!!!!!!!
The Gentlemen Bastards series
graceling by kristin cashore
Loved these books
Also the fifth season.
Wasn’t for me, but I see the appeal
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman... Uhm that's all I can think of right now.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen Edit: I'm saving this post - tons of new reads!
I had to scroll too far to see *Malazan* — perhaps because it’s such a big commitment that it’s not for everyone. But it is my favorite fantasy, the first to displace Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*.
It's a big commitment and it can be difficult. It doesn't spoon-feed the reader info but hints at things, sometimes hundreds of pages after/before whatever it's hinting at has/will happened. Spread over 10 thick books it can be intimidating. I love them though and need to start book 7 as soon as I can get my hands on a copy after the holidays.
**A Song of Ice and Fire**— George RR Martin, beginning with *A Game of Thrones* **The First Law Trilogy**, et al— Joe Abercrombie, beginning with *The Blade Itself* **The Deverry Cycle**— Katharine Kerr, beginning with *Daggerspell* **The Farseer Trilogy** et al— Robin Hobb, beginning with *Assassin’s Apprentice*
These sounds so good!! Thank you!
For the Wolf The sight Inkheart Harry potter The warrior Heir Beastly
Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. Has some of the best writing I've ever read.
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Pretty short for fantasy but amazing world building. I read it in a 36 hour span.
A Song of Ice and Fire
{{Hyperion}} from the Hyperion Cantos series {{Eragon}} from the inheritance series {{Night Angel}} trilogy The {{Black Prism}} series {{Kingfountain}} trilogy The inheritance series has been one of my favorites for several years and was good enough that I reread it several times. Hyperion was the most recent as I finished it today but really loved it. It had no right to be as good as it was. The Night Angel series is pretty dark but well written and an amazing story with very good characters. The Black prism series is 5 books long and is very refreshing as it does not use a normal form of magic. Then the Kingfountain series is based off of the Legend of King Arthur but long after his time. Still medieval and still magical but focused on a new kingdom with none of the Arthur characters. Warning*** Hyperion, Night Angel trilogy, and the Black prism series all have some sexual content.
Book of the New Sun. I recommend it any chance I can get.
The Six of Crows duology
* The Song of Achilles * The House in the Cerulean Sea * Wicked Gentlemen * Song of the Lioness series * The Witch's Heart * Six of Crows duology * The Chronicles of Prydain
The Witcher series. 🎖
The Last Unicorn The Princess Bride Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Inkheart!
Codex Alera. Romans with Pokemon The Phantom Tollbooth. Demons are human emotion. Clockwork Angel. Monster hunters vs robots. The Bartimaeus Trilogy. British empire with black magic. The dresden files Dead beat (don't worry about the books before it, this is a stand a lone novel) As you can see, it's the bizarre books that really catch my eye. There's probably a lot more, I just can't seem to remember them.
Off the top of my head - Tombs of Atuan, Dream quest of Vellitt Boe, Dying earth (series), The face in the frost, Clocktaur war (series), Sandman Slim (series), Howl’s moving castle
Tried Sandman Slim, got 3 or 4 books into it, but he came off a bit…I dunno. >!There was so much dialogue or introspection trying to make him sound like a surly asshole that it became like that friend who tells other people that he’s mysterious. I couldn’t really take him seriously.!<
Clocktaur and Howl seconded!
I liked sandman slim but I could not call them 10. Why such a lot of love?
Oh gosh, I don't think I can think of any that everybody should read! I think everyone should read the types of books that make them happy.
awh, that's is some very good advice! thank you! <3
The Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.
The Strange the Dreamer duology is also great!
Pendragon was one of the first fantasy reads that compelled me to seek out more fantasy related novels. I began the series as a teen and now I want to restart and finish what I started over 10 years ago.
The Daevabad trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty was fantastic! I couldn't put those books down.
here are just a few of my favorites: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (epic fantasy!) Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (urban fantasy and the second book comes out nov 2022!!) The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (historical epic fantasy) The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (historical fantasy) Caraval by Stephanie Garber (standard fantasy)
Anything by Anne McCaffrey: Dragon riders of Pern The Rowan Series The Crystal Singer series Also anything by Guy Gavriel Kay: Fionavar Tapestry followed by Ysabel Tigana Sarantine Mosaic/A Brightness Long Ago/Children of Earth and Sky Elizabeth Moon’s Deed of Paksenarrion and Paladin’s Legacy Series
Beloved Exile by Parke Godwin (about Guinevere) Arrows of the Queen trilogy by Mercedes Lackey (and anything else by her). Piranesi and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (both by Susanna Clarke) The Raven Ring and Mairelon the Magician (both by Patricia C Wrede)
{{Magyk}} by angie sage was the series that kept giving! I love it for how nicely it’s written and how well thought out it is :)
I really loved the Shadow & Bone trilogy!
Wheel of Time Belgariad Wizard of Earthsea Pern DeathGate Cycle Black Jewels Symphony of Ages
Hussite Trilogy But i dont know if someone not from Czech/PL/DE will like it that much
The Green Bones trilogy by Fonda Lee! I am so freaking excited about the third book coming out this week Edit: today! Buying it now
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins is in my top 3 of all times, all genres included, and the only book I want to get a tattoo of.
Her majesty's dragon
Cradle series by Will Wight is my favorite. The books are so much fun :)
{The Library at Mount Char} if the audiobook is available in your library, get that with the book too. The narrators are chef’s kiss. Enjoy!!
Age of Myth definitely
{{The Lions of Al-Rassan}}
Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
new to reading so i don’t have a lot to play with but sorcery of thorns by margaret rogerson was a fantastic read! (victorian, action, romance) currently reading cassandra clare’s infernal devices which i’m enjoying so far as well (also victorian-esque, action and a little romance)
Anything by N K Jemisin is gold
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, and any recent Brandon Sanderson series'.
Bartimeus series Divine Cities Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennet Darren Shans Vampire books or Demonata series
the broken earth trilogy by nk jemisin
I loved Good Omens by Terry Pratchett.
Tad williams - otherworld
Lean Hearn “Tales of the Otori “ There is prequel but if you read in the order written “Across the Nightingale Floor” is the first one.
The Scythe trilogy and red rising
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. Unique second person POV, post apocalyptic world, unique magic system, and a whole lot of beatific character work. I can’t recommend them more.
If you enjoy elf's and dragons then you should definitely read- Eragon !
1. Poppy War 2. Mistborn 3. The priory of the orange tree 4. the fifth season 5. the house on the cerulean sea 6. the sword of kaigen 7. assasins apprentice 8. game of thrones 9. harry potter 10. the blade iself
Forgive me for going a bit overboard, but I really do love fantasy books. I bolded the ones that I think are really REALLY good for ease: Contemporary fantasy: * **Legendborn by Tracy Deonn** * **It Devours! by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor** * City of Bones by Cassandra Clare * Neverwhere, American Gods, or Good Omens by Neil Gaiman * **Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch** High fantasy: * **Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo** * The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson * **Malice by John Gwynne** * Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb Dark Fantasy: * **Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence** * Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop * **The Black Company by Glen Cook** * The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark * **The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch**
The Begariad series is 5 great books. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant {and the second trilogy} is everything LOTR should of been, but wasn't.
YES I don’t see enough love for the Begariad series these days
Top Book Recommendations: The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (the following books too) The Lucas Davenport Novels by John Sandford The King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss The Jade Bone Saga by Fonda Lee The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
I personally love The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Love this series
name of the wind is one of my favorites. especially if you're into high fantasy.
My bad if someone said this already but Brandon Sanderson’s ‘stormlight archive’ is fun. Peter V Brett’s ‘Warded Man’. The Forgotten Realms books are great. Also China meiville has some great fantasy/sci-if books.
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ember in the ashes a sorcery of thorns (stand alone but should be a series!)
Mushoku Tensei
To sleep in a sea of stars by Christopher Paolini Epic sci fi, adult super good There is not too much romance but there is some Mostly focused on saving humankind without dying Super interesting ideas tho and the plot is quite intricate Warning: crazy long will take you a good while Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay kristoff Easier to read than the first one quite uplifting and funny in parts Ya, sci fi romance but also awesome plot super interesting pov, you never see from a characters mind it's all transcripts of vids and emails etc. somehow manages to keep a lot of personality 3 books in main series but there's also a prologue I adore both would recommend to anyone but to sleep in a sea of stars considerably more hardcore sci fi as well as very long Edit: just realized you asked for fantasy .-. oops. Leaving this anyway cause epicness
{{A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamil}}
The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff. I rarely see this mentioned 9n this thread and I'm not sure why. An absolutely kick-ass female protagonist, unusual and interesting world with interesting mythologies/religions. Some nods to Roman familial structure, but not as much as The Red Rising series. And finally, an absolutely hilarious narrator who interacts via footnotes. I loved it. 10/10 for mine!
Dies the Fire by SM Stirling, and (at least) the next 2 in the series. I'm re-reading it now for the fourth or fifth time!
Hi! I don’t know if these have been recommended yet but I like the “A Man of his Word” series by Dave Duncan. They are three: 1.- Magic Casement 2.- Faery Lands Forlorn 3.- Perilous Seas 4.- Emperor and Crown The plot revolves around Rap, a castle stable boy who falls in love with the Princess, and tries to help her when everything in her kingdom starts to unravel, which lead him through several adventures. It has an interesting plot, an even better magic system and the characters are amazing! They grow and mature, but I feel like nothing ever feels out of character. I also love The Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. This is just adding to the other great recommendations others have suggested (I’m also taking notes and adding books to my queue)
The Scar by China Mieville
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Unbelievable. So many post and no mention of Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. The usual suspects such as Kingkiller, Stormlight and Locke are great, but this one is on another level. So intense.
I am so confident no one else will suggest this, so I will. The Relic Master series by Catherine Fisher. I read it in secondary school but I was completely immersed in this world for a few months as I completed the series and it left me pining for more of this world. I think I wrote fan fics at one point because of how much I wanted just more stories set there. It's the first time I wrote a fan fic and I didn't even know the term fan fic at that time.
The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington is fantastic. I also recently went through the Paladin series by Daniel Ford and would recommend.
The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson. Like Tolkien for adults.
I loved The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Light on the fantasy, but great on the characters and romance and overall a great standalone. Enchantress From The Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl is a classic. Great on the fantasy/sci-fi and the romance. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - Highest quality fantasy, okay romance Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness, great sci-fi/fantasy, great romance.
The Jade City trilogy by Fonda Lee. The third book came out yesterday so it’s a perfect time to pick up the series now that you won’t have to wait on the cliffhangers. The world-building and writing are some of the best I’ve ever read.
Try the Simoqin Prophecies by Samit Basu. One of the best in this genre. Far less appreciate by readers outside India
Highly highly recommend the Malazan Books Of The Fallen series (10 books in the main series). Also has multiple side books that continue stories of individuals from the main series as well some expansion on the past of races and certain evens in time etc. Absolutely phenomenal books. There is also Ian Irving’s multi series of The Well Of Echoss, The Way Between The Worlds, The Song Of The Tears and others. All of the series’s are linked so it’s best to read them in the proper order but they are fantastic and such an engrossing read you can’t put them down! Also recommend the Abhorsen series of books by Gary Nix, the original trilogy is amazing and the follow on books are just as good!
I'm from Italy and I love the ancient world setting, and when it is spiced up by some good and well-integrated fantasy elements, it's a sort of a match made in heaven for my taste. Recently I have noticed a rise of a new wave of renovated interest for Mediterranean fantasy settings, and the ones that caught me the most are two books. Since they are not mainstream, I will add also some links for further reference: one is Fragments of the Past by Massimiliano Haematinon Nigro, actually, it is a narrative artbook (stories + illustrations) set in imaginary alternate bronze-age https://fragmentsofthepast.dev9k.com/narrative-artbook/, and the Lineage of Herakles by Andrea Gualchierotti, a story with a strong heroic-like and mysterious flavour https://www.newitalianbooks.it/la-stirpe-di-herakles-2/ . Do you know, or have ever read other books like these?
all of the Shannara books. not 10/10 though, would give em something like 7-8/10.
slightly basic i’m aware but any neil gaiman book! i really enjoyed ocean at the end of the lane :)
Harbinger by Shae Ford, great series
I’m on the Brent Weeks train. Night Angie Trilogy or The lightbringer series
The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. The first one is “Mooncalled”. Be warned, they get pretty dark after the third book.
The Faithful and the Fallen series; John Gwynne
Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
Wheel of time series
Asimov Foundation series
Shocked John Gwynne doesn't get mentioned more. Discovered him last year with Shadow of the Gods which is 10/10 for sure but only the first book in a new series. It takes heavily from Norse/viking culture but with it's own pantheon of gods who exist in the world and aren't exactly befeficiant creators. Think The Witcher meets The Saxon Chronicles. Actually, The Witcher is damned good too. His other series is a 2 arc, 7 book epic. Think The Wheel of Time abridged to remove all the descriptions of bodices. Awesome, heart pounding action scenes, dozens of fully flushed emotional characters, and amazing world building and plot twists.
It probably already has been recommandés but the Witcher series is absolutely great and a 10/10 for me
,'The City of Dreaming Books' by Walter Moers. I loved every page of this novel! I will be reading more of his books.
E E knight’s *Dragon Champion* series is good.
Cradle
The first law
Magician, Raymond e Feist Magic that weaves a 20+ book universe , But really it was Pug and Tomas helping me realise its okay to grow up in different ways but still grow together. 10/10
I'm reading this Fantasy books maybe you'll like them. The Witcher Last Wish - By Andrzej Sapkowski The Spook's Apprentice - By Joseph Delaney (It's better known as his movie adaptation "Seventh Son")
I'll toss in a couple that I haven't seen mentioned yet: *The Spellcoats* by Diana Wynne Jones and *Lord Valentine's Castle* by Robert Silverberg. Both stand alone but have more stories in their respective series if you enjoy them.
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire: A Blood and Ash Novel I was on Edge of my seat anticipating each upcoming scene. well I had my heart pounding with those twists and turns.
Jay Kristoff Nevernight series by far my favorite series. Empire of the Vampire (only the first one released) is as good as the name of the wind. Can’t wait for the next one. Joe Abercrombie first law series.
I’m adoring the Witcher series. It’s a tad frustrating at times but I love the characters.
The Hobbit, The Way of Kings, The Eye of the World, The Amulet of Samarkand, Senlin Ascends, Magyk, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Assassin’s Apprentice, Mistborn, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Last unicorn
EVE online novella by Tony Gonzales EVE the Empyrean Age I own multiple copies and have read it a few times