The 50 best fantasy books of all time
The best fantasy books ranked: epic fantasy, high fantasy, dark fantasy and cozy fantasy series. A top 50 with short reviews and where to read each one.
Fantasy gives you invented worlds, magic systems and long journeys. This list covers the standards of epic fantasy, such as The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire, along with newer series, cozy fantasy and fantasy for younger readers.
These are editorial picks, ranked for readability and lasting appeal, and nobody pays to be on the list. Not sure where to start? Try the book finder and get three picks for your mood.
Top 50 fantasy books, ranked
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The Hobbit
A hobbit joins a party of dwarves to reclaim a lost treasure.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Fellowship of the Ring
A small group sets out to destroy a ring of terrible power.
- Inspiring
- Gripping
Where to read
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
A boy learns he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
-
A Game of Thrones
Noble families fight for the Iron Throne while an older threat stirs in the north.
- Gripping
Where to read
-
The Name of the Wind
An innkeeper tells the story of how he became a legendary magician.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
-
The Way of Kings
An epic of war and honour on a storm-swept world, following a soldier, a scholar and a prince.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
-
Mistborn: The Final Empire
A street thief joins a crew plotting to overthrow an immortal ruler.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
-
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Four children find a magical world through a wardrobe.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
-
Good Omens
An angel and a demon team up to stop the apocalypse.
- Funny
Where to read
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The Princess Bride
A fairy tale of true love and high adventure.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
-
Legends & Lattes
A retired orc warrior opens the first coffee shop in a city that has never heard of coffee.
- Cozy
- Funny
Where to read
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Piranesi
A man lives in a house of endless halls and tides, and slowly starts to question how he got there.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Night Circus
Two young magicians are bound in a contest inside a mysterious travelling circus.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
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A Wizard of Earthsea
A young wizard's pride unleashes a shadow that he must face.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Howl's Moving Castle
A young woman cursed to look old takes shelter in a wizard's walking castle.
- Cozy
- Funny
Where to read
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Stardust
A young man crosses into a magical land to bring back a fallen star for the girl he loves.
- Cozy
- Funny
Where to read
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American Gods
An ex-convict becomes the bodyguard of a mysterious man caught in a war between old gods and new ones.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Lies of Locke Lamora
A charming thief and his gang of con artists take on the underworld of a canal city.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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Uprooted
A village girl is taken by a reclusive wizard to help stop a corrupted forest.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Circe
The witch of Greek myth tells her own story.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
A boy discovers he is the son of a Greek god.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
-
Six of Crows
A crew of outcasts plans an impossible heist.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Guards! Guards!
The Night Watch faces a dragon in Ankh-Morpork.
- Funny
Where to read
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The Song of Achilles
Patroclus tells the story of his love for Achilles and the Trojan War.
- Moving
Where to read
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Outlander
A World War II nurse is swept back to 18th-century Scotland and caught between two worlds.
- Gripping
Where to read
-
The Two Towers
The Fellowship is broken and the war for Middle-earth begins.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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The Return of the King
The final battle for Middle-earth and the end of the quest.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry's third year begins with a dangerous escapee from Azkaban.
- Cozy
- Gripping
Where to read
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A Clash of Kings
The war for the Iron Throne spreads across Westeros.
- Gripping
Where to read
-
The Eye of the World
Three young men leave their village to escape a dark power, in the first Wheel of Time book.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Assassin's Apprentice
A royal bastard is trained as a secret assassin.
- Moving
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Blade Itself
A torturer, a barbarian and a vain nobleman are drawn into a looming war.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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The Priory of the Orange Tree
Dragons, queens and secret orders in a world on the brink of war.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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A Court of Thorns and Roses
A huntress is taken to a faerie land and discovers a dangerous romance.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Fourth Wing
A young woman enters a brutal war college for dragon riders.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Poppy War
An orphan wins a place at an elite military school and discovers her powers.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Two magicians bring English magic back during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Thoughtful
- Funny
Where to read
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The Golden Compass
A girl travels north to rescue kidnapped children in a world with daemons.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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A Darker Shade of Magic
A traveller moves between four parallel versions of London.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
A woman makes a deal that means everyone forgets her, until a man remembers.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
A man returns to his childhood home and remembers something strange.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
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Neverwhere
A man discovers a hidden London beneath the streets.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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The Bear and the Nightingale
A girl in medieval Russia sees spirits others have forgotten.
- Gripping
- Cozy
Where to read
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Spinning Silver
A moneylender's daughter is drawn into a deal with a fairy king.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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His Majesty's Dragon
A naval captain bonds with a dragon during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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Eragon
A farm boy finds a dragon egg and joins a rebellion.
- Gripping
- Inspiring
Where to read
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The Last Unicorn
A unicorn sets out to find out what happened to the rest of her kind.
- Moving
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Gunslinger
Roland pursues the man in black across a desert.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
-
The Colour of Magic
A hapless wizard and a tourist begin a tour of the Discworld.
- Funny
Where to read
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Small Gods
A god finds himself with only one believer.
- Funny
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Types of fantasy books
Looking for something more specific? These are the main kinds of fantasy, with the sort of story or subject each one covers.
Epic fantasy
Huge worlds, large casts and wars that decide the fate of kingdoms.
Dark fantasy
Grim worlds and morally grey heroes.
Cozy fantasy
Low stakes, warm characters, gentle magic.
Urban fantasy
Magic hidden inside the modern city.
Romantasy
Fantasy plots with a central love story.
Mythic fantasy
Retellings of old myths and fairy tales.
Want to write and publish your own fantasy book?
Many readers of this page are also writers. The stores in the lists above are where readers find books, while Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital are the tools authors use to publish and distribute a book to those stores. You can also publish to Barnes & Noble Press and Google Play Books directly.
Our free KDP calculators help with print cost, royalties and cover size, and our publishing services can take care of setup for you.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start with fantasy books?
The Hobbit is a gentle first step. If you want a modern series, The Name of the Wind, Mistborn and Harry Potter are popular entry points.
What is the difference between high fantasy and low fantasy?
High fantasy is set in a completely invented world. Low fantasy brings magic into the real world or a world that resembles it.
Where can I read or buy the best fantasy books?
Each of the 50 books has links to Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Google Play Books. Authors who want to publish their own fantasy book can start with our free guides to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital.
Not sure what to read next?
Pick a genre and a mood and the book finder will suggest three books to try.