While many literary works carry mythic fantasy themes, only a few approach the dense self. Mark lawrence s broken empire trilogy wraps a war epic around a family drama within a comingofage story, creating a multilayered fantasy series steeped in dark magic. Simon is a kitchen boy but when ancient evil stirs, he is pulled into a war as unlike any his world has seen, leaving the only home he has ever known to battle creatures once thought lost to the past. Even though the books are thick, you seriously wont be able to put it down. Amber just drops in, well, cant spoil it, but catches you right off the bat.
High fantasy strives for mythopoeia, the act of making creating mythologies. Esslemont have also written a number of additional stories set in the malazan empire. Best fantasy book series and sci fi book series of all. These books have some of the best worldbuilding ive ever seen. The magic system is utterly unique and deeply awesome, the world is fascinating, and the story is excellent.
I just finished the blade itself, the first book in abercrombies series of dark, deeply human fantasy novels. In terms of worldbuilding, steven eriksons 10 book series is by far the most sweeping, astounding endeavor undertaken in epic fantasy. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy as we know it, having invented many of the characteristics popularly associated with fictional races such as elves, dwarves, halflings, and orcs. The best epic fantasy fiction, best strong female fantasy novels, best fantasy books under the radar, best heroine in a fantasy book, f. In this video i give you my top 10 epic fantasy book series to date 2018. Jan 14, 2016 my top 10 list of epic fantasy series first off i am going to bring up a couple of series that i am intentionally leaving off the list. An epic fantasy of dragons the draykon series book. If you havent read the first book, i urge you to do so. Fly high with dragons, roam lands on epic quests, and learn the hearts of true heroes in the fantasy masterpieces. The 52,851 subscribers of the r fantasy subreddit were asked to list their top 5 favorite fantasy books series theyve ever read, and the users posted favorites were combined to make a top 105. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones. It was first planned to consist of 10 books in the whole series.
Oct 20, 2017 two men rebel together against tyrannyand then become rivalsin this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from ken liu, recipient of hugo, nebula, and world fantasy awards. Twenty mustread finished fantasy epics the ranting dragon. Seriously, there are so many amazing young adult fantasy books hitting shelves in the next year that we dont even know how were going to get through. It seems like we were just here, telling you about the best science fiction and fantasy books of 2018 but no, another six months have indeed passed, and all we have to show for it is a towering stack of fantastic, fantastical new reads it has been argued that were in the middle of a new golden age of sff, and this publishing year has done nothing to convince us otherwiseassembling. What are your favorite books set in an epic, fantasy world. Some of the best books ive ever read, and by far my favorite fantasy series. Darby stanchfield, connor jessup, emilia jones, jackson robert scott. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones reedsy. Best fantasy series of all time for audiobooks best. Wily, charming kuni garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless mata zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like. Please avoid adding up books that are not relative. The earthsea cycle by ursula le guin to start off with, the earthsea cycle is a must read for any fantasy fan. The malazan book of the fallen follows a large cast of grey characters, ranging from normal men to demigods.
The books are in descending order from 1 to 105, with the ones at the top of the list being voted on the most by the r fantasy community. Discover your next favorite fantasy sci fi series below. The 21 best science fiction and fantasy book series ever. But first, an overview of the poll methodology and results. Some typical characteristics of epic fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, invented languages, quests, comingofage themes, and multivolume narratives.
Fantasy fiction is set in an alternative, entirely fictional world, rather than our real world. Apr 11, 2018 in the 2000s, the harry potter novels became the rare series read by fantasy fans and non fantasy fans, book lovers and non book lovers, basically everyone on planet earth. The gardens of the moon is the start of a series that takes epic to another level. The 12 best epic fantasy books like game of thrones we get it. The perfect new fantasy book for our indulgent 21stcentury binge culture, a queen in hiding is the first in the nine realms quartet, which will be released backtoback from january to april 2020.
Even if this wasnt such a great story and it is it would still be near the top. Stephen king may be a master of horror, but he considers his opus this crossgenre epic. When you mention epic fantasy, its simply impossible not to mention robert jordan in the same breath either as a template for what not to do or as an example of classic fantasy that does many things. But, if you want a fantasy story that has welldeveloped themes, an engaging plot, and rounded characters, then look for a series that has at least four volumes. I couldnt get through the first book as i was groaning at the absurdities. How we set our criteria for the top 14 epic high fantasy series of all time. The ones that begin so grandly then morph into multivolume nightmares that never seem to end.
The nomination process character nominations were made by visitors to our site. Virtual reality existed long before ready player one and one of its best examples is otherland, a four book epic sf tale examining corporate control, greed, and an individuals wish to become someone else. It wasnt just one of the best selfpub books i read last year, it was one of my favourites of 2018. This recent, under theradar series is modern epic fantasy at its best. Even the authors know they are bloated beasts, for example take tad williams, writer of the memory, sorrow, and thorn series, who labeled that.
In an eight book series with piles of tiein material, king weaves a story that draws from fantasy, science. In the 2000s, the harry potter novels became the rare series read by fantasy fans and non fantasy fans, book lovers and non book lovers, basically everyone on. The final book of the series which was split into two when it. This is an epic fantasy adventure based on the journey of will, a 15yearold boy who discovers that he has been chosen as a rangers apprentice and must be trained to be a protector of the kingdom. Instead of waiting for my hogwarts letter as a preteen because hogwarts, alas, did.
Before the awardwinning hbo series game of thrones, there was a song of ice and fire. In the lord of the rings, set in middleearth we have frodos journey to mordor, in the farseer trilogy, set in the six duchies. No epic fantasy series evokes as much passion as does the wheel of time. Top 14 epic high fantasy series of all time lga mcintyre. Much like epic fantasy after the lord of the rings, its pretty much impossible to talk about any book involving a magic door to another world without. Tolkiens middleearth or homers ancient greece, the best fantasy books can take readers on journeys to faraway lands.
The best fantasy novels of all time penguin random house. Some typical characteristics of epic fantasy include fantastical elements such as elves, fairies, dwarves, magic or sorcery, wizards or magicians, invented languages, quests. Anne mccaffreys dragonflight is a wonderful, wonderful read, and is a scifi book disguised as a fantasy, not a fantasy book, harry potter and the sorcerers stone is placed too low on this list, the fellowship of the ring is placed too high, eragon and the golden compass deserve no mention on any list that calls itself best fantasy novels of. The stormlight archives is the epic fantasy book which was written by the author of american called brandon sanderson. Reddits top fantasy reads of all time list challenges. The 10 best completed sf and fantasy series according to me. Jan 20, 2020 this best fantasy book for 2020 combines classic comingofage narrative ideas with elements of magic, dark fantasy and epic worldbuilding. Having been voted the greatest book of the millennium chances are you are already familiar with this epic manuscript. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading draykon. Its magic system is make st up as the plot demands.
Top best fantasy books everyone should read 2020 list. The southern belle fights for the love of her life and for the preservation of her familys plantation in the midst of the civil war and the reconstruction era. Epic fantasy books offer an escape into a world completely unlike our own, worlds full of danger and intrigue, trolls and dragons, magic and often a heroic journey or battle for power. When a human prince is murdered and dragons are blamed, the relationship between the two species is stretched to its limits. Follow these tips if you want to find the best fantasy book series. An epic fantasy of dragons the draykon series book 1. To give this series a fair shake, you really need to invest time reading the first book and part of the. First lord of the rings, tolkiens epic while one of my favorites was never meant as a series and should be viewed as a single novel. I raced through every book to find out what happened next. So with out further ado, its time to talk about the best fantasy audiobooks series.
The 10 best completed sf and fantasy series according to me before diving into the list itself, id like to establish a few things. The 50 best fantasy books of the 21st century so far paste. These audiobooks have the best narrators, story lines, characters and have three or more books in the series. If you want length, development, and a maze of story arcs, then jordans fourteenbook epic fantasy. Martin update on january 2, 2020 rahab njoroge the present century sparked an amazing outrage for the fantasy book genre with the visual adaption of highlypopular book series such as harry potter and lord of the rings and recently an unbelievably popular hbo tv show game of. The fantasy genre is extremely rich and diverse, and it can be easy to get confused or overlook entire book series. Read on for our pick of the best new fantasy books coming in 2020, and a look back at the most exciting fantasy novels of 2019. Whether a single book or a series, what do you think is the best epic fantasy of all time. Especially notable one of the absolute best first few chapters of epic fantasy ever.
The best epic fantasy fiction epic fantasy is generally serious in tone and often epic in scope, dealing with themes of grand struggle against supernatural, evil forces. Here we take a look at some of the best epic fantasy book series through time, from the most famous, to exciting new debuts. Jan 02, 2020 top 20 epic fantasy books not written by j. If you desperately need more book like game of thrones, then this is right up your alley even if its not an epic fantasy. These characters go through sensational trials, often being changed forever, and the sheer scale of the conflicts that take place is mind bending. Its got a legion of fanatical fans as well as a legion of critics. Even the roots of epic fantasy range back thousands of years to the anglo saxon epic beowulf and homers the iliad and the odyssey. Browse these good sci fi fantasy book series and find your next epic, galactic empire, urban, space opera, sword and sorcery, dystopian, paranormal, or young adult read. Fantasy doesnt come much bigger or more epic than this tenvolume series, which starts with gardens of the moon and deadhouse gates. The 10 best completed sf and fantasy series according to. Martins epic fantasy series takes place on the fictional continents of westeros and essos, and revolves around three central plotlines. The gormenghast series, by mervyn peake 194656 the first instalment of mervyn peakes epic fantasy series, which features three books and. Williams weaves great sf and fantasy settings into his virtual world, making it a fun read for the wellread.
Pawn of prophecy is the first book of the belgariad, a fivebook epic fantasy series that follows the adventures of garion as he seeks to fulfill the prophecy of the battle between the child of light and the child of dark and restore balance to the world. Three siblings who move into their ancestral estate after their fathers murder discover their new homes magical keys, which must be used in their stand against an evil creature who wants the keys and their powers. Oct 21, 2011 the malazan book of the fallen by steven erikson. Set on the archipelago of earthsea, the books follow the sorcerer ged and the other islanders as they contend with magic schools, seafaring, necromancy, and dragons. At least riordan has a better developed world and magic system, though it still isnt epic fantasy. Based on historical events, the poppy war, brilliantly written, shows you how this war orphan aced the keju, a test that finds the most talented youth, entered the most elite military school, and discovered her unknown power. Geralt of rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles. An epic fantasy of dragons the draykon series book 1 kindle edition by english, charlotte e download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Percy jackson and the olympians series rick riordan.
It seems like fantasy books are the ones which remain on the top of the best book series of all time. Ultimate list 2020 1 the lies of locke lamora by scott lynch. Kuang, you will find a military fantasy with an orphan girl at the center of it all. Best fantasy book series of all time list of top ten. From gripping debuts to adventures through epic worlds and muchanticipated series conclusions, theres a fantasy book on this list for every type of reader. Set on the archipelago of earthsea, the books follow the sorcerer ged and the other. These series in my opinion constitute the top epic fantasy series for audiobook listening.
The second epic fantasy book in this series sees protagonists riv, a young soldier, and drem,a trapper, battle alongside the bright star save their land, as demonic forces gather to destroy them and the rule of man. Tolkiens magnum opus spans three books, opening up a fantastically detailed and wholly invented universe in middle earth that was hinted at in the hobbit. This 1937 pulitzerwinning epic novelwhich goodreads calls one of the most popular books ever writtentells the story of headstrong leading lady scarlett ohara. Speaker for the dead remains the single best science fiction book ive ever read, and while xenocide and children of the mind do not maintain. To start off with, the earthsea cycle is a must read for any fantasy fan. Dec 22, 2017 so pick up one of these series, and head out on your next epic quest. The best scifi books of all time penguin random house. Top 10 epic fantasies throne of glass, shadow and bone. If there are any fantasy books you think should be on the list, share them in the. This top book series shows the adventure in which frodo baggins is on a journey to destroy a ring which can defeat the antagonist sauron. Apr 03, 2020 the first instalment of mervyn peakes epic fantasy series, which features three books and a novella, was published in 1946. The best epic fantasy fiction 3384 books goodreads.
Translated from french, there are seven books to this series and over sixty characters to follow with plenty of intrigue, drama, battles, deception, rivalry, lies, and lust. The lies of locke lamora gentleman bastards 2 the dresden files by jim butcher. But a song of ice and fire is not the only fantasy epic out there. To start off we have the malazan book of the fallen by steven erikson. My first taste came from mercedes lackeys valdemar series. Epic fantasy enthusiasts of reddit, what mustread series do. The mighty hunter lords of the abyss book 1 michelle m. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Best epicfantasy book series of all time thetoptens. Harry potter is the overall highest rated and most beloved fantasy book series by both children and adults. The 60 best scifi books all science fiction fans must read. But then only three parts of this series were made in the world which comes with the names of the way of kings, words of radiance and the wheel of time. Fantasy lovers everywhere are going crazy for this series in which dragons are brilliant, logical thinkers.
In terms of worldbuilding, steven eriksons 10book series is by far the most sweeping, astounding endeavor undertaken in epic fantasy. The best epic fantasy book series through the ages pan macmillan. Dive into the best sci fi fantasy book series without spending a dime. Its technically categorized as a young adult series, but it doesnt read like a typical ya, imo. The first book in an epic fantasy trilogy that both george r. The best fantasy book series of all time the daily dot. Esslemont have also written a number of additional stories set in the. Here are some of the most popular fantasy subgenres. Aug 27, 2018 hey dudes, welcome to my top 10 epic fantasy book series. Martin and patrick rothfuss have called quintessential to their own success. Well, high fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional, secondary world and the word epic is defined as an exceptionally long and arduous task or activity. It follows the residents of castle gormenghast a giant, gothic. In the lord of the rings, set in middleearth we have frodos journey to mordor, in the farseer trilogy, set in the six duchies, we have fitz and the fools destiny to bring.
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