The 25 best fantasy book series of all time you must read
Fantasy is a literary genre that includes magical and mystical aspects that do not exist in the actual world. The fantasy genre is ideal for escaping life's burdens and immersing oneself in the words of a richly depicted imaginary universe. Explore a selection of top fantasy book series worth adding to your personal library.
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Fantasy books whisk readers away to exotic locations, expose them to wondrous creatures, and transport them on fantastic adventures. Because it is difficult to include an excellent fantasy narrative in a single volume, book series allow readers to return to their favourite characters and settings as they face new adversaries.
25 best fantasy book series of all time
Fantasy is the oldest literary genre, reaching back to ancient literature such as the Illiad and Beowulf. The most affecting novels utilise magical technologies as a counterpoint for the actual world, theorising how society might act and respond if reality's laws were different. Others create intricate realms and characters that extend over numerous generations.
Opinions and rankings in this article about the best fantasy book series represent subjective evaluations based on critical acclaim, popularity, reader recommendations, widespread cultural impact, and historical significance.
1. The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a historical high fantasy novel by English novelist and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. The book, set in Middle-earth, commenced as a follow-up to Tolkien's 1937 children's book The Hobbit but grew into a much more extensive work. It was published in phases between 1937 and 1949 and is one of the most popular books of all time, with over 150 million units sold.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the most famous fantasy books. It is set in Narnia, a magical land of magic, mythological monsters, and talking animals. The series tells the stories of several youngsters who play pivotal parts in the Narnian world's developing history.
3. The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a collection of high fantasy books. The series incorporates themes from European and Asian mythology, particularly the cyclical nature of existence found in Buddhism and Hinduism, the philosophical ideals of balance, dualism, and reverence for nature in Taoism, and the dualistic conceptions of God and Satan found in Christianity.
4. Discworld
Terry Pratchett's Discworld is a comedy fantasy novel series set on Discworld, a flat planet stabilised on the backs of four elephants, who subsequently stand on the back of an enormous turtle. The series commenced in 1983 with The Colour of Magic and lasted until Pratchett died in 2015, when the final volume, The Shepherd's Crown, was published.
5. Mistborn
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Mistborn is a top fantasy series. It is a collection of epic fantasy novels by American novelist Brandon Sanderson. The first Mistborn trilogy follows a hidden organisation of Allomancers as they strive to destroy a dystopian kingdom and establish themselves on an ash-covered planet.
6. The Earthsea Cycle
The Earthsea Cycle is an assortment of high fantasy novels authored by American novelist Ursula K. Le Guin. Earthsea is a sea and island world, with a large archipelago of hundreds of islands ringed by mostly unexplored seas. One of the best fantasy novels, Earthsea, lacks massive continents but has an archipelago similar to Indonesia or the Philippines.
7. His Dark Materials
Philip Pullman is the author of the fantasy fiction series His Dark Materials. It chronicles the maturation of Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, two kids who travel across several parallel universes as they grow up.
8. The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower series consists of eight books: one novella and a book for kids. It portrays a "gunslinger" and his mission towards a tower, the concept of which is both physical and symbolic. One of the best fantasy book series, it incorporates elements from genres like horror, dark fantasy, scientific fantasy, and Western.
9. A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the best epic fantasy series. It portrays a brutal society ruled by political realism. Whatever magical power survives is restricted to the edges of the known universe. The works are filled with moral complexity, and their storylines constantly raise concerns about pride, loyalty, piety, human sexuality, and the morality of violence.
10. The Inheritance Cycle
The Inheritance Cycle is a young adult high fantasy fiction tetralogy. The novels are set in the imaginary continent of Alagasia and follow the exploits of a young boy called Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, as they attempt to topple the tyrannical ruler Galbatorix.
11. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a fantasy fiction series with six books. The novels are set on a planet populated by Greek gods in the twenty-first century. The story follows Percy Jackson, a youthful demigod who must stop the Titans, commanded by Kronos, from ruining the earth.
12. The Farseer trilogy
The Farseer trilogy is one of the best fantasy books. It chronicles the narrative of FitzChivalry Farseer, an unlawful son of a prince instructed as an assassin, set in and around the imaginary country of the Six Duchies.
13. The Dresden Files
The Dresden Files is a series of modern fantasy/mystery books. The volumes are narrated in the first person by private detective and wizard Harry Dresden as he narrates investigations into otherworldly phenomena in contemporary times in Chicago.
14. The Sword of Shannara Trilogy
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The Sword of Shannara Trilogy comprises the first three Shannara books. The first book in The Original Shannara Trilogy follows the adventures of Shea and Flick Ohmsford as they seek the Sword of Shannara to conquer the Warlock Lord who menaces the Four Lands.
15. Malazan Book of the Fallen
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is a sequence of epic fantasy novels authored by Canadian novelist Steven Erikson. His planning depicts a complex set of events in which the Malazan Empire exists. It is one of the best epic fantasy series.
16. The Patternist Series
The Patternist Series is a collection of science fiction books by Octavia E. Butler that details a secret history spanning from Ancient Egypt to the distant future and involving telepathic mind control and an alien invasion.
17. Outlander
Outlander is a historical fantasy fiction series. It centres on Claire Randall, a 20th-century British nurse who time traverses to 18th-century Scotland and discovers adventure and love with the handsome Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.
18. The Witcher
The Witcher is one of the best fantasy series, comprising six novels and fifteen short tales. Geralt of Rivia is the eponymous "witcher" in the series. Witchers are beast hunters who acquire supernatural talents at a young age to confront wild creatures and monsters.
19. Time Quintet
The Time Quintet is a five-novel fantasy/science fiction series for young adults. The story follows Meg Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace Murry, and their close companion Calvin O'Keefe as they attempt to save the world from evil powers.
20. Foundation series
The Foundation series is a good fantasy book. It is a collection of science fiction books. The tale's concept is that, in the last days of a future Galactic Empire, mathematician Hari Seldon devotes his life to establishing a theory of psychohistory, a fresh and compelling sociology of mathematics.
21. Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space
Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space is a ten-book series for young adults combining science fiction and fantasy. The story follows Bobby Pendragon, an American boy who realises he must travel through time and space to save the 10 "territories": critical periods and locations around the cosmos.
22. The Southern Vampire Mysteries
Harris creates a comprehensive mythology and alternate history for supernatural entities in The Southern Vampire Mysteries. Vampires' presence had only been publicly known for a few years at the start of the book, while other bizarre species, such as shapeshifters, werewolves, fairies, and so on, existed but were only commonly recognised later in the series.
23. The Song of the Lioness
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The Song of the Lioness is a good fantasy book series for young adults, released in the 1980s. Noblewoman Alanna of Trebond, dressed as the lad "Alan," swaps places with her twin brother Thom for a trip to the royal palace in Corus to prepare for knighthood while Thom learns magic. Throughout the four books, Alanna battles with her gender identification, puberty, and bullying.
24. The First Law
The First Law is a fantasy series authored by British novelist Joe Abercrombie. The original trilogy's storyline revolves around three central powers: The Gurkish Empire, the Union, and the North, which had just unified under King Bethod. It is one of the best fantasy series of all time.
25. Twilight
Twilight is a fantasy romance fiction series comprised of one novella, four novels, and two companion novels. The four novels, published yearly from 2005 to 2008, follow Bella Swan, a girl who travels to Forks, Washington, from Phoenix, Arizona, and develops affection with a 104-year-old vampire called Edward Cullen.
Above are some of the best fantasy book series of all time. Fantasy is a literary genre that includes magical and mystical aspects that do not exist in the actual world. Fantasy books are perfect for escaping the stresses of everyday life and immersing oneself in the words of a vividly imagined fictitious realm.
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