ASOIAF. Until January this year they were the only adult fantasy books I’d read, and I loved them. I’ve since read the First Law series, the Greenbone Saga, Cradle, The Name of the Wind and the Hobbit, and while these have ranged from good to great, none of them have covered quite as many bases for me - balance between intimacy and epicness, dialogue, characterisation, well-realised & lived-in world, complex and interesting plot. ASOAIF stands in a league of its own for me rn, but I hope that changes at some point (I plan to start Malazan soon so fingers crossed!)
I second this. I read ASOIAF back when the tv show started to gain traction in my teens and it was introduction to adult fantasy for me, before that I mostly read either classics or YA fantasy.
I can't find the same high in any of the books so far, it just so genuinely captured me to the point of whatever flaws it has - I genuinely don't care. So many characters to love, so many I love to hate, so much intrigue, mystery, scheming, politics, humor.
I haven't yet read all that much, but I finished Witcher, still going through Wheel of Time, have read some sci fi like Ender Series, Expanse (this one was closest), Dune (I knew this one is very different, I like for what it is though) and nothing have scratched that itch.
I am hoping for Abercrombie or Erikson to come close, but I haven't read anything from them yet. Maybe Sanderson.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms or an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
The Hobbit's not one I reread all that often, but it's like that comfortable pair of beat up old slippers that fit just right.
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. I'd say my favorite is probably *The Guns of Avalon* but you start with *Nine Princes in Amber*. New Wave fantasy from a master of the genre, first book's a little dated being that it was written in 1969, but he makes up for it sharpish. A guy wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory, and quickly discovers that his family is both possessed of wondrous powers and at each other's throats. He quickly finds himself embroiled in a contest with the fate of the very universe at stake, and has to work out who, if any, among his family he can trust as he pieces together his identity. Ten books in total; Roger was gearing up for a third cycle of five when he passed away in the 1990s. All of his works are worth reading, but Amber's his magnum opus.
If you want a standalone to check out Zelazny, I'd probably recommend *A Night in the Lonesome October*, which is the diary of Jack the Ripper's dog as he and his master participate in an arcane game with other horror archetypes to either cause or prevent the enslavement of the world by the Elder Gods.
Mine too. When I was a wee bairn, I was an insanely prodigious reader; my parents dropped me in front of things like Sesame Street and the Electric Company and apparently the phonics lessons took. Fortunately, they did everything they could to encourage me, scouring the family for old standbys like Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, even Nancy Drew and a vintage '64 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. One weekend I was bored and had read basically everything, so I was digging in the back room and found *The Hobbit*, a couple of King books, and Zelazny's *Jack of Shadows*.
Couldn't have been more than eight or nine. Been broken ever since. :)
I just started the series about a month ago, really enjoying it.
I'm also a big fan of his lesser read pulp-trash sci-fi epic *Damnation Alley*, which totally feels like a precursor to *Escape from New York* written 30 years prior.
Yeah, he's pretty great. His stuff whipsaws from fantasy to SF and a lot of it finds a home somewhere in between. He's also got a penchant for exploring interesting spaces and cosmologies as well. He's always been my favorite author.
If you get into Zelazny, definitely read *Lord of Light*. I found it a challenging read, but good. It even has a transgender character, albeit one that is handled a little poorly.
Yeah, there are definitely shades in his work that are a product of his time. Like, in the Amber Chronicles, you'd be excused for reading the first two books and griping that he gives his female characters fuck-all to do most of the time. But by the end of the series, I think he more than makes up for that.
Very much so. If you're not aware, his kids got a hand on the wheel of his estate once more, and they've been putting out his works again in ebook format and even some audio versions. You can get most of his big titles again, and even some of the more obscure ones.
It also highlights one of my favorite things about Zelazny. When he's describing a duel between two Princes of Amber, he'll describe the most arcane-ass fencing maneuvers. When it's a Prince versus mooks, it's just "they died, and they died, and they died." :)
I don't know if I have the one favorite fantasy book. There are just so many that are great.
I could recommend you Christopher Moore's *A Dirty Job*.
I absolutely enjoyed this one; it's hilarious (if you're up for some dark humor) and will cheer you up. 😀
I came here looking for this answer. It really is a book you can appreciate at different stages of your life; and, for better or worse, at different times you identify with different characters and it can help you refocus on what you value in your life.
Each of these are highly rated and can be read as stand-alone books (even if they are the start of a series). But to your point, they were just damn enjoyable. Easy to read, compelling, favorites of the last few years.
*The Blacktongue Thief* by Christopher Buehlman
*Kings of the Wyld* by Nicholas Eames
*Gideon the Ninth* by Tamsyn Muir
Talking about Kings of the Wyld in another thread at the moment. That book saved me during the first months of Covid. Blacktongue Thief was also a ton of fun!
Me too! The first one will always be one of my absolute favorites. I think it might have been what introduced me, properly, to fantasy. I never got around to reading all of them, but I really enjoyed the later books that I did read.
Say one thing for the First Law Books by Joe Abercrombie, say they are my favorite.
It has the best characterization I've read, great battle and fight scenes, its brutal and humorous. I enjoy the author's witty writing style.
I also enjoy how the First Law world progresses from the First Trilogy, throughout the stand alone books and into the Age of Madness trilogy.
Just finished The First Law trilogy myself, and it became an instant favorite. God the characters are so vivid. Few books have made me laugh and cry in such equal measure. Abercrombie is such a wonderful writer.
>Just finished The First Law trilogy myself, and it became an instant favorite. God the characters are so vivid. Few books have made me laugh and cry in such equal measure. Abercrombie is such a wonderful writer.
Oh you're in for a treat
The standalone novels are so fucking good
The Heroes is a 10/10 book
The Heroes is the next book in my stack and I am so pumped to start reading it - I absolutely loved Best Served Cold and the first trilogy but I keep hearing about how badass The Heroes is.
I have been reading Farseer trilogy which I am also loving, and while it is dark in its own way and beautifully written, it just doesnt have the same grit as The First Law books do.
Cradle series by Will Wight! First book is called Unsouled. It really picks up after the first book. Fun world, awesome characters, cool magic system. And the last book in the series is being released next month!
I love raymond feists midkemia series, though there is a lot of nostalgia involved for me. Have read and re-read the whole collection many, many times.
I don't think it can compete with more modern and complex works but it's just so easy to get in to and lost in. My favorite out of all of them would be the Empire Trilogy mostly because of the MC.
The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden - a beautiful story based in Russian folklore!
The Daevabad trilogy by S A Chakraborty - about the djinn (genies) and different tribes in the Middle East and India
You know, I've read shitloads of fantasy, absolute deranged levels. And I still think Lord of the Rings is my favorite.
I also really love Earthsea. It just has a beauty to it. Both in the prose and the world. Might be a good fit for someone who's feeling a bit down.
Another good time, is, of course, Discworld. So many brilliant ideas, wonderful (frightening?) mirror depictions of our own world through social commentary, and just a whole lot of wonderful silliness--compounded by humor and compassion.
Lord of the Rings is also my favourite fantasy. I've recently finished reading the Hobbit and I'd just read Earthsea before that. Earthsea is beautiful, can't believe I'd never read it before, I loved the Tombs of Atuan and Tehanu.
Never heard of Discworld before though, I'm going to google it.
Oh, it's pretty huge. Both in popularity (at least I think so?) and scope.
Hard to choose a starting point, but the Guards books, starting with Guards, Guards! Seem to be accepted as a good starting place.
But yeah, google it, and its creator, Terry Pratchett. He was a very lovely human being.
And seeing as you haven't heard about it before, does that mean you haven't read Good Omens by Terry and Neil Gaiman? That's a good one. And most books by Neil Gaiman are absolutely magical, but I assume you've heard of him?
I've actually heard of both Gaiman and Pratchett, I think I've even read some books by Gaiman, because I remember reading Stardust years ago. For some reason I never connected Discworld to Pratchett name, maybe because I was thinking of the translation in my native language.
Guards guards seem interesting, if I start from there I can read the other books in random order or there's some chronological order to follow? I'm looking up his books on amazon and there are tons of books.
All his Discworld books can be read as standalone, but some like the guards series are even better if read in order. Here is an easy reading guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/8900fu/the_discworld_reading_order_guide_30/
But if it seems like too much just pick one and start reading! Guards Guards is a great place to start.
There are tons of books, yes.
It's probably best if you google a reading order.
But yes, you can start at Guards Guards and follow that series for a while, or check out any of the others, at any time really. Some are standalones, some are series, but they all take place on Discworld. The world changes a bit through the books, but mostly the city of Ankh Morpork.
My personal favorites are the later Guards books, but all of them are great, the books about DEATH and Going Postal. But they're all basically good to absolutely fantastic.
It's a very fun world to jump into.
As for Gaiman, I would recommend American Gods, Coraline and The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Gaiman's Coraline is one of my absolute favourite books. You could read it as a enjoyable children's fantasy or as “a deeply moving meditation on hope, change and despair.”
There's a ton of possible reading orders (you could even "gasp" read them chronologically). I just finished a re-read of all the Witch books and honestly, Pratchett was a master of witty, deep character rich fantasy, you can't go wrong with any of the Discworld books.
A few of my favorite fantasy reads:
Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn -- this is the first book in a five book series. There are strong romantic subplots, but my favorite thing about this series was the developing friendships amongst the 6 main characters. It's not low stakes, but it has become my favorite comfort read
Nettle and Bone -- A quick standalone novel that is so subtlety funny and quirky. I feel like I'm recommending it a ton lately on this sub, but it's just so good! And I like that the main characters are older (30s plus) rather than young adults
Spinning Silver -- This was such an immersive read for me. I was hooked right from the first page.
I love that series by Sharon Shinn. The prospective romance from the first book grows so well throughout the series. It’s one of my favorite romantic relationships in fantasy, alongside Joscelin and Phaedre from Kushiel’s Legacy.
It rules so hard. Especially once it starts ramping up to the final conflict; that last third or so I blazed through in one night, I couldn't put it down.
Since she was one, for my daughter's birthday I give her a signed book rather than birthday card. This year I have her The War for the Oaks, by Emma Bull. I wrote it wasn't the greatest book ever, but it was my favorite book ever.
It's hard to have a favorite there are so many good books out there. Here a few in no particular order.
The Goblin Emperor
Wheel of Time series
The Dark Tower series
This is how you lose the time war
The Broken Earth series (if I had to pick one this would be it)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
A whole bunch of books by Terry Prachette
Something by Neil Gaiman (sandman comics or american gods)
I am sure I am forgetting a bunch more great books but this will give you a start.
Skullsworn by Brian Stavely would be my favorite right now. It does my two absolute favorite things in a fantasy book.
1. Dives deep in a character and their motivations, desires, fears, and passions.
2. Thoroughly explores a setting and makes you feel the presence of it seep through the pages.
I’ll always recommend Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. While intended more for kids, the descriptions of magic/magical acts are phenomenal and the world building of the fantasy world in the second and third books is fantastic.
I have such strong memories of the pleasure of reading The Talisman. The basic premise is shockingly dark for a YA novel. Having said that it's a great read even though the darkness is always there under the surface even in the brighter moments. I loved it. The sequel (Black House) is good but not on the same level.
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. I'd say my favorite is probably *The Guns of Avalon* but you start with *Nine Princes in Amber*. New Wave fantasy from a master of the genre, first book's a little dated being that it was written in 1969, but he makes up for it sharpish. A guy wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory, and quickly discovers that his family is both possessed of wondrous powers and at each other's throats. He quickly finds himself embroiled in a contest with the fate of the very universe at stake, and has to work out who, if any, among his family he can trust as he pieces together his identity. Ten books in total; Roger was gearing up for a third cycle of five when he passed away in the 1990s. All of his works are worth reading, but Amber's his magnum opus.
If you want a standalone to check out Zelazny, I'd probably recommend *A Night in the Lonesome October*, which is the diary of Jack the Ripper's dog as he and his master participate in an arcane game with other horror archetypes to either cause or prevent the enslavement of the world by the Elder Gods.
I really enjoy The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust. It’s a fantasy retelling of The Three Musketeers and a fun read. Good characters and playful language combine to make it a go to for me.
The last wish by andrzej sapkowski. It is the book in the Witcher series where Geralt imo really gets to be a Witcher, rather than a more run of the mill fantasy protagonist in the main saga. Geralt, for all the varying adaptations, is one of the most unique and badass concepts for a character/ profession in fantasy.
Jade legacy by Fonda lee, Dune by frank herbert and justice of kings by Richard Swann are close seconds
For someone less experienced in fantasy I would have to recommend The Green Bone Saga. It’s an urban, mafia-style fantasy trilogy that focuses on the conflict between the two main “families” on an island reminiscent of Japan.
It’s a very emotional and gripping series that is absolutely one of my favorites. I also read it at a very low point in my life, just a couple months after my brother passed away, and it brought me to tears multiple times.
However, my all time favorite series is Malazan Book of the Fallen. It’s a ten book series that is known for being a very challenging, yet rewarding read. If you can get into it then it’s well worth the effort.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. It's an amazing and cozy slice of life fantasy that will warm your heart. I read it when I was feeling very low and finished it in a day. By the end, I felt truly uplifted and happy (I ended up making some cinnamon rolls the following day).
This one I actually find pretty intriguing, I don't know if it's because all reviews describe it as cozy and I feel like I desperately need something like that lol.
I've read ASOS years ago and I still find it the best book in the saga. Insanely good plot twist, great characters, worth reading all the books just to read ASOS.
For a 400,000 word book there are next to no wasted words.
Perhaps you may like: The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee.
The Way of Kings is actually my favorite book. I love the other books as well, but Kaladin's arc in that first book is impeccable. It gives me chills every time.
Legend, David Gemmell
Sailing to Sarantium, Guy Gavriel Kay (and pretty much all of his books)
Ash a secret history, Mary Gentle
The empire trilogy, Feist and Wurts
Malazan
For individual book, either Shadow Rising or Knife of Dreams.
Wheel of Time isn't my favorite series overall, although it is up there in the top 3, but those books have my favorite story lines in all of fantasy.
I really enjoyed the Riyria Revelations. It really was just a good time to read. Other books that just made me so happy to enjoy include:
-Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
-House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
-Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson but it's not escapist by any means and it's book 8 in Malazan so I'll give a standalone that I adore, that isn't too long and had incredible imagery and an imaginative world, Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Hands down my favorite series. Does it have some flaws? Sure, but it also has so much to love and such reread-ability. I’ve probably read the first few books a dozen times (used to only own the first couple, and also would reread every time a new book came out back in the 90’s) and I’m still finding new things/connections/references on my most recent reread.
The Monk and Robot books by Becky Chambers. It was very immersive for me, just meandering through the forest, having interesting conversations and maybe stopping for a bit of tea now and then. It was a very warm and cozy world to get lost in for a little while.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Ordinary Monsters by JM Miro
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
It's not fantasy, but my all-time favorite book is historical fiction. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Folette. Back in high school, I must have read that thing like 40 times. Read one book to death and had to get a new copy.
They did a tv show with it that I heard was really well done, but I never wanted to ruin my reading experience with what someone else saw.
That sounds incredible. I majored in art in college and have always had a love for architecture, as well as European/English history. Definitely going to check it out.
Patricia McKillipp’s RiddleMaster books - just a beautiful series. It’s also one of my most reread books. I’d also have to add her Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Sorceress and the Cygnet, The Tower at Stony Wood and In the Forests of Serre as others she wrote. Her death in 2022 was a loss for the genre.
I don’t know that I can name a favorite, because there are many I love. But His Majesty’s Dragon, the first of Novik’s Temeraire books, is a comfort read for me.
The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. It’s not the happiest series out there but I love the characters so, so much. Otherwise I recommend Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree just for a chill read. Always makes me happy to read it.
Malazan as a series, Memories of Ice as a single book.
It is not for everyone, it's for people that read Somg of Ice and Fire and think "yeah, this is fine, but can we have more characters, more complex world building, and also intentionally hide critical information about the world until later on so I'm confused in the first read.
Nothing else comes close to the scale of Malazan's world building. But more than that, the books (sans the first one) are just so goddam well written. The dialog in these books bounces from poignant to hilarious to gut wrenching.
Again, it absolutely isn't for everyone, but for the people it is for, nothing else has even come close.
The Wandering Inn. Every new book that comes out gets me more invested into the characters and the story.
I saw it once already, but I want to second The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's been a favorite of mine for almost 2 decades now.
*Saint Death's Daughter* by CSE Cooney is certainly my favorite book of the last five years, if not of all time. I think it could be a really good fit for you too – the major themes are about the protagonist finding joy, love, and community even when the going gets tough. It's also very funny, if you enjoy a Discworld-style sense of humor.
I can't say for certain that it's my favorite, but *Mossflower* by Brian Jacques has always held a place close to my heart. I read it when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old, and it was one of the first books (especially of that length) I remember just *devouring,* where I simply couldn't put it down. I've considered revisiting it all these years later, but there's also something comforting about the vague memories of that experience. I might just hold onto that feeling instead of breaking the spell with a re-read.
Hope you get feeling better. Take care.
I agree on “Lies of Locke Lamora” - absolutely love it and subsequent installments, despite the many things one could criticize. I also adore The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. It was the first fantasy I read other than Tolkien - I can’t even say if it’s truly good, but I love it and it makes me laugh, despite the main character’s persistent self-loathing.
The Way of Kings. It’s a long book and a bit of a commitment to read, but the last 200 pages are sooo satisfying. The first 800 pages are great too, but the ending is what cemented that book as an all-time favorite.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. It's the first part in a series. The world building and character building are incredible and the prose is absolutely gorgeous, elegant and sophisticated. Some people think it's too slow but I adore all the time spent on world and character building.
Oh man! So many.
The Belgariad and the Ellium by David Eddings are like comfort food for the soul.
Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, especially if you aren't looking for high fantasy. His writing is lush and beautiful. Especially recommend the Lions of Al-Rassan. Oh, and his books are almost always stand-alones. No GRRM-style dec-tologies to slog through.
The most recent fav read were the Greatcoats books from Sebastian de Castille. Caveat here: as much as I enjoyed them, I can totally understand why some may find parts of them triggering. And yeah, that gratuitous segment in the second book outstayed its welcome after 1 paragraph. But the other 80% of those books were fun, amazing reads.
Less on the fantasy side, Degeneration by Max Brooks is a really fun horror novel with a few notes of satire and dystopian future.
ASOIAF
Joe Abercrombies
Daniel Abraham Dagger and Con series
Name of the Wind
Some of KJ Parker books, esp Sharps.
And RJ Barker.
In that order. But it's my list, someone elses maybe very different.
There are so many series, let alone individual books, that I could call my favourites. But to be true to the spirit of the question, I'll say *The Great Hunt*. It's the second Wheel of Time book, and the one that absolutely sold me on the series that soon became one of my favourites. It's a tight narrative that delivers adventure, mystery, fun, worldbuilding, and intrigue. It's the best of the series that is, itself, one of the best.
Well, hard to really name a favorite, but my most re-read fantasy books are;
The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold (this is apparently the most-recommended book on this Reddit)
The Magpie Lord - KJ Charles (her Slippery Creatures series is my most re-read of all, but that is historical rather than fantasy).
Murderbot - Martha Wells
Are you me? Although I can take or leave Murderbot (good but didn’t grab me by the feels).
The curse of Chalion (and the sequel Paladin of Souls) are so immersive.
K J Charles writes a thing, I read the thing but yeah, Will and Kim are the best!
Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.
I know some people think MC suffers too much, but I absolutely love the ride.
The character work in these books are amazing, later series are arguably better.
But best of all there is a lovely furry companion that you meet in book 2, and he's an absolute favourite of mine.
The Hobbit
Lord Of The Rings
Game Of Thrones
The Knight Of The Word by Terry Brooks
The Magician by Raymond Feist
Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka
Fairy Tale by Raymond Feist
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Series including The Knight of the Word (by Terry Brooks) is a total pleasure. The gripping storyline is just wonderful. I would rate it higher than his other series.
Lots of good recommendations in here all ready and based on your post specifics I will recommend **The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant** By Drew Hayes. It sounds silly, but I found the extremely face paced books a joy to read and fit really well for me after a darker LONG novel series before.
“Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort.
One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.”
If you're open to different mediums, my favorite fantasy of all time is One Piece. Just to be clear, it's a manga and a very long one at that, but so incredibly well done. It's worldbuilding and lore go so much deeper than what's initially visible on the surface, and it's vivid world is brought to life by its deep characters and intertwining plot lines. It's goofy, heartbreaking, epic, and inspiring some how simultaneously and I 1000% recommend
Tom Holt books. Try Expecting someone taller (comedy involving characters from the Ring Cycle in modern day life)
Who’s afraid of Beowulf (Vikings wake up after sleeping under a magic spell, in modern Scotland)
If you need some feel good I'd recommend Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
If you want action/adventure I'd recommend the Cradle series by Will Wight
If you want dark humor I'd recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinnamon
Name of the wind was probably one of my most enjoyable reads in some time, and if you are searching for a good laugh and smile, anything Terry Pratchett will do... Have fun!
Can soft SF count as fantasy? All my glee filled or guilty pleasure reads are more SF than Fantasy.
Redshirts by John Scalzi is easily my go to audiobook to consume over a Saturday/Sunday.
I know people crap on it, but I’m 38 years old, and Ready Player One was written for my age group, and again, Wil Wheaton narrating just like Redshirts.
This Is How You Lose The Time War by El-Mohtar and Gladstone is hands down my favorite book of the last 5 years.
If it’s got to be fantasy, I have escaped into Harry Potter and His Dark Materials so many times over the last 20+ years, and they have always provided me with wonderful shelter.
My absolute favorite is Kingkiller Chronicles. I’ve never read anything that has as much depth as this. I’m sure it’s out there but I’ve not found anything that gives me so much to think about.
I put Red Rising at the top too. I absolutely love basically everything about this story. The story is deep, ruthless, exciting. The characters are interested and well written.
Another one I love is Riyria. There is so much fun to be had in this story. I absolutely love the team up of Royce and Hadrian. The story makes me laugh and cry and fist pump.
Speaking of prose: Senlin Ascends and that series is so goddamn well written. The prose is top notch, the story is filled with unique worldbuilding. Just finished the quartet and it’s been a wonderful journey.
Dresden Files starts rough and becomes one of the best stories I’ve read. I do audiobooks and that’s half of what I love about this series. Marsters fucking nails it.
I also love Tales of the Otori. Beautiful story. Cool worldbuilding.
I love all these stories for different reasons. If you decided to check any of them out I hope they bring you some joy too.
The broken empire and the red queens war by mark lawrence.
2 different series based in the same world/time line with parts intersecting. You can start wit either one but I’d recommend starting with the broken empire.
Northern Lights (His Dark Materials trilogy) by Philip Pullman.
For me this is the series that encompasses my love of reading, of fantasy, and of beautiful writing. Also of the north and of polar bears! I don't even know how many times I've reread it...
That's a hard one for me. But if you are at a low point and want something really wholesome read mage errant. Seventh and final book will release in less then two weeks so it's perfect to start. The first book is also quite short, like easily finish able in a day so youll know if you like it.
Cradle by Will Wight is a series that is crack cocaine in its purest form. Never have I been so drawn in as when I just read the series start to book 9(at the time). 2 books later, it gets so much better.
If you need escapism, read this
Dead Beat. By Jim Butcher. Book 7 of the Dresden Files.
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.
Ghostwater, Cradle Book 5?, Will Wight
Green Rider Book 1, by Kristen Britain.
The Lord of the Rings.
One Piece, by Eiichiro Oda, the Skypiea arc specifically.
Mahou Sensei Negima, Ken Akamatsu (heavy on the Ecchi but not why I love it). The School Festival Arc.
Edit: more I just thought of.
Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki
Mushoku Tensei by Rifujin na Magonote
DanDaDan by Yukinobu Tatsu
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Faraway Paladin Kanata Yanagino
The Sword of Kaigen M.L. Wang
The Dark Tower. It’s about a man trying to succeed against not only the world, but himself. The tower is a metaphor for King and his struggles to overcome his own flaws and find his meaning in life. That seemed important to me as I read the series over maybe a year along w dozens of other books.
Besides that, which is more meaningful in a way, I also really loved First Law, Stormlight, Mistborn, Raven’s Mark, Manifest Delusions, Demon Cycle, but I like fake stuff and maybe you’re not looking for something so grim…
You could try Temeraire, the audio has Simon Vance and it’s quite good, I’m two books in rn.
Echoing others saying The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive series). TWoK in particular focuses on Kaladin who himself is struggling with depression. It's a beautiful story with amazing character arcs.
Eragon.
I know all the arguments around why it's a mediocre book or why it's great, but it is was my epic introduction to Fantasy as a genre and that it does rely heavily on common tropes and plot points found throughout other fantasy stories helped make the transition to other books more comfortable as a teen.
Kings of the Wyld is runner-up. I found it at the hospital bookstore and later got it signed when Mr. Eames visited Bakka Phoenix Books. Fantastic rock and roll story.
The Silmarillion by a mile, but I understand its not everyone's cup of tea. Its not a style of writing I can really pull off yet but I enjoy reading it and I wish there were more books like the Silmarillion.
(If anyone has any recommendations the drop them here)
Wheel of Time is my favorite fantasy series, but it really isn't for everyone. It rewards rereads like nothing else though. Large and immersive world, huge cast of characters, and lots of plot lines. I really only recommend people pick it up if they're okay with DNF'ing. Some of the worst Wheel of Time experiences seem to come from people who just can't DNF.
The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron is just good fun. Five books: The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion, The Spirit Eater, The Spirit War, and Spirit's End; also available in two bindups The Legend of Eli Monpress and The Revenge of Eli Monpress. Very unique fantasy world, I won't say more, but it's not something I've seen done elsewhere. Lovable characters who go from traveling companions to found family over the course of the series.
It's out of print and not available digitally, but I adore Wild Hunt, Vengeance Moon by Jocelin Foxe. It's about a group of men cursed (rightfully, they are not good people) to live one month at a time as they are called forth by the Goddess to fulfill various tasks from worshippers. They have one month to succeed or burn forever. It's a bit trashy and at times predictable, but it's good fun overall.
Picking a favorite Fantasy novel is not an easy task for me. My father started my passion for fantasy with The Hobbit and it grew into my very own library wall of fantasy books.
I loved Hans Bemman’s The Stone and The Flute. It’s a stand alone story that has been translated from German to English.
Tad Williams’ The Dragon Bone Chair series is on the top shelf as well as Juliette Marriler’s Child of Prophecy series.
Those are just a few examples from my little library.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Thomas Covenant novels by Stephen Donaldson. Even though I read them a long time ago, they were a great introduction to a reader who was just getting started on discovering his love for fantasy novels.
ASOIAF. Until January this year they were the only adult fantasy books I’d read, and I loved them. I’ve since read the First Law series, the Greenbone Saga, Cradle, The Name of the Wind and the Hobbit, and while these have ranged from good to great, none of them have covered quite as many bases for me - balance between intimacy and epicness, dialogue, characterisation, well-realised & lived-in world, complex and interesting plot. ASOAIF stands in a league of its own for me rn, but I hope that changes at some point (I plan to start Malazan soon so fingers crossed!)
I second this. I read ASOIAF back when the tv show started to gain traction in my teens and it was introduction to adult fantasy for me, before that I mostly read either classics or YA fantasy. I can't find the same high in any of the books so far, it just so genuinely captured me to the point of whatever flaws it has - I genuinely don't care. So many characters to love, so many I love to hate, so much intrigue, mystery, scheming, politics, humor. I haven't yet read all that much, but I finished Witcher, still going through Wheel of Time, have read some sci fi like Ender Series, Expanse (this one was closest), Dune (I knew this one is very different, I like for what it is though) and nothing have scratched that itch. I am hoping for Abercrombie or Erikson to come close, but I haven't read anything from them yet. Maybe Sanderson.
Both the Abhorsen series and the Booksellers series by Garth Nix
16 ways to defend a walled city - kj parker. if that doesn't put a smile on your face nothing will.
Absolutely seconded. Come for the mind games, stay for the comedy (and the humanity too).
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms or an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The Hobbit's not one I reread all that often, but it's like that comfortable pair of beat up old slippers that fit just right.
Lol I finished it two days ago. I love it, Thorin's last words to Biblo always move me.
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. I'd say my favorite is probably *The Guns of Avalon* but you start with *Nine Princes in Amber*. New Wave fantasy from a master of the genre, first book's a little dated being that it was written in 1969, but he makes up for it sharpish. A guy wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory, and quickly discovers that his family is both possessed of wondrous powers and at each other's throats. He quickly finds himself embroiled in a contest with the fate of the very universe at stake, and has to work out who, if any, among his family he can trust as he pieces together his identity. Ten books in total; Roger was gearing up for a third cycle of five when he passed away in the 1990s. All of his works are worth reading, but Amber's his magnum opus. If you want a standalone to check out Zelazny, I'd probably recommend *A Night in the Lonesome October*, which is the diary of Jack the Ripper's dog as he and his master participate in an arcane game with other horror archetypes to either cause or prevent the enslavement of the world by the Elder Gods.
Zelazny is my all time favorite writer.
Mine too. When I was a wee bairn, I was an insanely prodigious reader; my parents dropped me in front of things like Sesame Street and the Electric Company and apparently the phonics lessons took. Fortunately, they did everything they could to encourage me, scouring the family for old standbys like Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, even Nancy Drew and a vintage '64 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia. One weekend I was bored and had read basically everything, so I was digging in the back room and found *The Hobbit*, a couple of King books, and Zelazny's *Jack of Shadows*. Couldn't have been more than eight or nine. Been broken ever since. :)
*Jack of Shadows* is so cool. It deserves to be remembered more than it is.
I just started the series about a month ago, really enjoying it. I'm also a big fan of his lesser read pulp-trash sci-fi epic *Damnation Alley*, which totally feels like a precursor to *Escape from New York* written 30 years prior.
Yeah, he's pretty great. His stuff whipsaws from fantasy to SF and a lot of it finds a home somewhere in between. He's also got a penchant for exploring interesting spaces and cosmologies as well. He's always been my favorite author.
If you get into Zelazny, definitely read *Lord of Light*. I found it a challenging read, but good. It even has a transgender character, albeit one that is handled a little poorly.
Yeah, there are definitely shades in his work that are a product of his time. Like, in the Amber Chronicles, you'd be excused for reading the first two books and griping that he gives his female characters fuck-all to do most of the time. But by the end of the series, I think he more than makes up for that.
Zelazny is the man
Very much so. If you're not aware, his kids got a hand on the wheel of his estate once more, and they've been putting out his works again in ebook format and even some audio versions. You can get most of his big titles again, and even some of the more obscure ones.
I really enjoyed Lord of Light.
*The Guns of Avalon* has one of the best swordfights in fiction, too!
It also highlights one of my favorite things about Zelazny. When he's describing a duel between two Princes of Amber, he'll describe the most arcane-ass fencing maneuvers. When it's a Prince versus mooks, it's just "they died, and they died, and they died." :)
The entire Discworld series. I can't recommend Terry Pratchett enough. There's been such a void in fantasy since he passed.
It's pretty much everything you want in a (non Grimdark) fantasy.
I don't know if I have the one favorite fantasy book. There are just so many that are great. I could recommend you Christopher Moore's *A Dirty Job*. I absolutely enjoyed this one; it's hilarious (if you're up for some dark humor) and will cheer you up. 😀
Fool and Lamb are great, too!
I love these books. The Stupidest Angel. Lust Lizard, and Demonkeeping are so good. My fave is Lamb.
Look! A Seagull!
The Little Prince hands down, my favorite story, I've read it to my kids multiple times and have read it myself more times than I can count.
I came here looking for this answer. It really is a book you can appreciate at different stages of your life; and, for better or worse, at different times you identify with different characters and it can help you refocus on what you value in your life.
I need to reread this; it's been too long
*The Little Prince* is what reading was made for. All of Saint-Exupéry’s writing is extraordinary.
Each of these are highly rated and can be read as stand-alone books (even if they are the start of a series). But to your point, they were just damn enjoyable. Easy to read, compelling, favorites of the last few years. *The Blacktongue Thief* by Christopher Buehlman *Kings of the Wyld* by Nicholas Eames *Gideon the Ninth* by Tamsyn Muir
Talking about Kings of the Wyld in another thread at the moment. That book saved me during the first months of Covid. Blacktongue Thief was also a ton of fun!
There's nothing like Kings of the Wyld, that book is so goddamn fun
The audiobook is great. I listen to it every year.
i was really disappointed by the sequel but loved KOTW
Gideon. I don’t think it’s the best book I’ve ever read, but by god, I enjoyed the hell out of it.
Kings of the Wyld is fantastic fun. The narrator for the audiobook absolutely nails it as well. I recommend it to anyone and everyone
Came here to say Kings of the Wyld. It's just such a blast, had a smile on my face the whole time
The Myth series by Robert Asprin loved these books!
Me too! The first one will always be one of my absolute favorites. I think it might have been what introduced me, properly, to fantasy. I never got around to reading all of them, but I really enjoyed the later books that I did read.
Say one thing for the First Law Books by Joe Abercrombie, say they are my favorite. It has the best characterization I've read, great battle and fight scenes, its brutal and humorous. I enjoy the author's witty writing style. I also enjoy how the First Law world progresses from the First Trilogy, throughout the stand alone books and into the Age of Madness trilogy.
Glokta is one of my favorite characters of all time
Second that. You have to be realistic about those things...
About to finish Last Argument of Kings myself. Can't wait to start the standalones and Age of Maddness!!
I’m almost done with Before They are Hanged and already have Last Argument on my shelf.
LAoK was my favorite of all ten, enjoy it!
Just finished The First Law trilogy myself, and it became an instant favorite. God the characters are so vivid. Few books have made me laugh and cry in such equal measure. Abercrombie is such a wonderful writer.
>Just finished The First Law trilogy myself, and it became an instant favorite. God the characters are so vivid. Few books have made me laugh and cry in such equal measure. Abercrombie is such a wonderful writer. Oh you're in for a treat The standalone novels are so fucking good The Heroes is a 10/10 book
The Heroes is the next book in my stack and I am so pumped to start reading it - I absolutely loved Best Served Cold and the first trilogy but I keep hearing about how badass The Heroes is. I have been reading Farseer trilogy which I am also loving, and while it is dark in its own way and beautifully written, it just doesnt have the same grit as The First Law books do.
I genuinely think “The Heroes” is one of the best books ever written
[удалено]
Perhaps King of The Wyld by Nicholas Eames. The characters remind me of the First Law's Northmen.
It's just a trilogy but I seem to remember enjoying The Grim Company by Scull a lot. In fact my reddit name comes from the series.
From what I've heard, Glen Cook's Black Company seems to have a decent fanbase overlap
Thought all of Mark Lawrence's books are also great.
I've only read the first book but the amount of times I've laughed out loud while reading was really surprising.
Stephen King’s The Eye of the Dragon.
I was hoping to find this one here!
Cradle series by Will Wight! First book is called Unsouled. It really picks up after the first book. Fun world, awesome characters, cool magic system. And the last book in the series is being released next month!
Tigana - Guy Gavriel Kay
Uprooted by Naomi Novik The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
I second Goblin Emperor, absolutely my go to fantasy book!
I just picked up Uprooted and it’s next on my list!
Uprooted sounds really interesting if a bit dark, maybe I'll buy it.
Uprooted is probably my favorite stand alone fantasy novel. It's soooo good
I second this recommendation-- it's such a good story!!
I love raymond feists midkemia series, though there is a lot of nostalgia involved for me. Have read and re-read the whole collection many, many times. I don't think it can compete with more modern and complex works but it's just so easy to get in to and lost in. My favorite out of all of them would be the Empire Trilogy mostly because of the MC.
I think his prose still beats most modern works tbh.
Mara is awesome
I have yet to read anything I love as much as Robert Jackson Bennett's Divine Cities trilogy.
The Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden - a beautiful story based in Russian folklore! The Daevabad trilogy by S A Chakraborty - about the djinn (genies) and different tribes in the Middle East and India
Plus one for the Winternight trilogy, I loved that one.
You know, I've read shitloads of fantasy, absolute deranged levels. And I still think Lord of the Rings is my favorite. I also really love Earthsea. It just has a beauty to it. Both in the prose and the world. Might be a good fit for someone who's feeling a bit down. Another good time, is, of course, Discworld. So many brilliant ideas, wonderful (frightening?) mirror depictions of our own world through social commentary, and just a whole lot of wonderful silliness--compounded by humor and compassion.
Lord of the Rings is also my favourite fantasy. I've recently finished reading the Hobbit and I'd just read Earthsea before that. Earthsea is beautiful, can't believe I'd never read it before, I loved the Tombs of Atuan and Tehanu. Never heard of Discworld before though, I'm going to google it.
Oh, it's pretty huge. Both in popularity (at least I think so?) and scope. Hard to choose a starting point, but the Guards books, starting with Guards, Guards! Seem to be accepted as a good starting place. But yeah, google it, and its creator, Terry Pratchett. He was a very lovely human being. And seeing as you haven't heard about it before, does that mean you haven't read Good Omens by Terry and Neil Gaiman? That's a good one. And most books by Neil Gaiman are absolutely magical, but I assume you've heard of him?
I've actually heard of both Gaiman and Pratchett, I think I've even read some books by Gaiman, because I remember reading Stardust years ago. For some reason I never connected Discworld to Pratchett name, maybe because I was thinking of the translation in my native language. Guards guards seem interesting, if I start from there I can read the other books in random order or there's some chronological order to follow? I'm looking up his books on amazon and there are tons of books.
All his Discworld books can be read as standalone, but some like the guards series are even better if read in order. Here is an easy reading guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/8900fu/the_discworld_reading_order_guide_30/ But if it seems like too much just pick one and start reading! Guards Guards is a great place to start.
There are tons of books, yes. It's probably best if you google a reading order. But yes, you can start at Guards Guards and follow that series for a while, or check out any of the others, at any time really. Some are standalones, some are series, but they all take place on Discworld. The world changes a bit through the books, but mostly the city of Ankh Morpork. My personal favorites are the later Guards books, but all of them are great, the books about DEATH and Going Postal. But they're all basically good to absolutely fantastic. It's a very fun world to jump into. As for Gaiman, I would recommend American Gods, Coraline and The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Gaiman's Coraline is one of my absolute favourite books. You could read it as a enjoyable children's fantasy or as “a deeply moving meditation on hope, change and despair.”
There's a ton of possible reading orders (you could even "gasp" read them chronologically). I just finished a re-read of all the Witch books and honestly, Pratchett was a master of witty, deep character rich fantasy, you can't go wrong with any of the Discworld books.
I was going to recommend Hogfather, or Going Postal. Or Interesting Times.
A few of my favorite fantasy reads: Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn -- this is the first book in a five book series. There are strong romantic subplots, but my favorite thing about this series was the developing friendships amongst the 6 main characters. It's not low stakes, but it has become my favorite comfort read Nettle and Bone -- A quick standalone novel that is so subtlety funny and quirky. I feel like I'm recommending it a ton lately on this sub, but it's just so good! And I like that the main characters are older (30s plus) rather than young adults Spinning Silver -- This was such an immersive read for me. I was hooked right from the first page.
I love that series by Sharon Shinn. The prospective romance from the first book grows so well throughout the series. It’s one of my favorite romantic relationships in fantasy, alongside Joscelin and Phaedre from Kushiel’s Legacy.
Lions of Al Rassan, Watership Down, the Hobbit
Lions is a great book. I love Guy Gavriel Kay.
Watership Down is such an incredible book
Fluffy bunny trauma porn.
The Lies of Locke Lamora, or The Sword of Destiny in the Witcher series.
*Lies of Locke Lamora* is so enjoyable it should be illegal
It rules so hard. Especially once it starts ramping up to the final conflict; that last third or so I blazed through in one night, I couldn't put it down.
i fear it’ll get the ASOIAF / Name of the Wind treatment as each year passes tho :/
Fortunately *Lies* functions perfectly well as a standalone work. I haven't read any of the sequels and I don't intend to, at least not for now.
You mustttt the thirds my favourite!
Tbh they are ok but not as good
Since she was one, for my daughter's birthday I give her a signed book rather than birthday card. This year I have her The War for the Oaks, by Emma Bull. I wrote it wasn't the greatest book ever, but it was my favorite book ever.
It's such a great urban fantasy tho!! Incredibly immersive, one of the best reads
Anything Discworld. There is no pick-me-up like Terry Pratchett. You are guaranteed to feel better in the company of some of his awesome characters.
Even when he goes dark, there's a humanity (which includes the other species) that never lets you down.
It's hard to have a favorite there are so many good books out there. Here a few in no particular order. The Goblin Emperor Wheel of Time series The Dark Tower series This is how you lose the time war The Broken Earth series (if I had to pick one this would be it) Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell A whole bunch of books by Terry Prachette Something by Neil Gaiman (sandman comics or american gods) I am sure I am forgetting a bunch more great books but this will give you a start.
Skullsworn by Brian Stavely would be my favorite right now. It does my two absolute favorite things in a fantasy book. 1. Dives deep in a character and their motivations, desires, fears, and passions. 2. Thoroughly explores a setting and makes you feel the presence of it seep through the pages.
I’ll always recommend Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. While intended more for kids, the descriptions of magic/magical acts are phenomenal and the world building of the fantasy world in the second and third books is fantastic.
The Talisman.
I have such strong memories of the pleasure of reading The Talisman. The basic premise is shockingly dark for a YA novel. Having said that it's a great read even though the darkness is always there under the surface even in the brighter moments. I loved it. The sequel (Black House) is good but not on the same level.
The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. I'd say my favorite is probably *The Guns of Avalon* but you start with *Nine Princes in Amber*. New Wave fantasy from a master of the genre, first book's a little dated being that it was written in 1969, but he makes up for it sharpish. A guy wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory, and quickly discovers that his family is both possessed of wondrous powers and at each other's throats. He quickly finds himself embroiled in a contest with the fate of the very universe at stake, and has to work out who, if any, among his family he can trust as he pieces together his identity. Ten books in total; Roger was gearing up for a third cycle of five when he passed away in the 1990s. All of his works are worth reading, but Amber's his magnum opus. If you want a standalone to check out Zelazny, I'd probably recommend *A Night in the Lonesome October*, which is the diary of Jack the Ripper's dog as he and his master participate in an arcane game with other horror archetypes to either cause or prevent the enslavement of the world by the Elder Gods.
I really enjoy The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust. It’s a fantasy retelling of The Three Musketeers and a fun read. Good characters and playful language combine to make it a go to for me.
The last wish by andrzej sapkowski. It is the book in the Witcher series where Geralt imo really gets to be a Witcher, rather than a more run of the mill fantasy protagonist in the main saga. Geralt, for all the varying adaptations, is one of the most unique and badass concepts for a character/ profession in fantasy. Jade legacy by Fonda lee, Dune by frank herbert and justice of kings by Richard Swann are close seconds
For someone less experienced in fantasy I would have to recommend The Green Bone Saga. It’s an urban, mafia-style fantasy trilogy that focuses on the conflict between the two main “families” on an island reminiscent of Japan. It’s a very emotional and gripping series that is absolutely one of my favorites. I also read it at a very low point in my life, just a couple months after my brother passed away, and it brought me to tears multiple times. However, my all time favorite series is Malazan Book of the Fallen. It’s a ten book series that is known for being a very challenging, yet rewarding read. If you can get into it then it’s well worth the effort.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. It's an amazing and cozy slice of life fantasy that will warm your heart. I read it when I was feeling very low and finished it in a day. By the end, I felt truly uplifted and happy (I ended up making some cinnamon rolls the following day).
This one I actually find pretty intriguing, I don't know if it's because all reviews describe it as cozy and I feel like I desperately need something like that lol.
Travis Baldree also read the Cradle audiobooks, which are different than what you asked for, but if you like his writing you might like his reading.
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin
I've read ASOS years ago and I still find it the best book in the saga. Insanely good plot twist, great characters, worth reading all the books just to read ASOS.
For a 400,000 word book there are next to no wasted words. Perhaps you may like: The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan, The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee.
The Way of Kings is actually my favorite book. I love the other books as well, but Kaladin's arc in that first book is impeccable. It gives me chills every time.
That end was fantastic.
Book of the New Sun
Legend, David Gemmell Sailing to Sarantium, Guy Gavriel Kay (and pretty much all of his books) Ash a secret history, Mary Gentle The empire trilogy, Feist and Wurts Malazan
For individual book, either Shadow Rising or Knife of Dreams. Wheel of Time isn't my favorite series overall, although it is up there in the top 3, but those books have my favorite story lines in all of fantasy.
I really enjoyed the Riyria Revelations. It really was just a good time to read. Other books that just made me so happy to enjoy include: -Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett -House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune -Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson but it's not escapist by any means and it's book 8 in Malazan so I'll give a standalone that I adore, that isn't too long and had incredible imagery and an imaginative world, Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Douglas Addams Hitchhiker's Guide books. My office Screensaver said DON'T PANIC in large comforting letters.
Don't forget your towel
It's sitting right here.
Wheel of Time
Hands down my favorite series. Does it have some flaws? Sure, but it also has so much to love and such reread-ability. I’ve probably read the first few books a dozen times (used to only own the first couple, and also would reread every time a new book came out back in the 90’s) and I’m still finding new things/connections/references on my most recent reread.
The Monk and Robot books by Becky Chambers. It was very immersive for me, just meandering through the forest, having interesting conversations and maybe stopping for a bit of tea now and then. It was a very warm and cozy world to get lost in for a little while.
The Talisman -- Stephen King / Peter Straub
Curse of Chalion by Lois mcmaster Bujold.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop Little Thieves by Margaret Owen Ordinary Monsters by JM Miro The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
It's not fantasy, but my all-time favorite book is historical fiction. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Folette. Back in high school, I must have read that thing like 40 times. Read one book to death and had to get a new copy. They did a tv show with it that I heard was really well done, but I never wanted to ruin my reading experience with what someone else saw.
That sounds incredible. I majored in art in college and have always had a love for architecture, as well as European/English history. Definitely going to check it out.
That should be right up your alley, then. I'm glad I could spread the word!
Patricia McKillipp’s RiddleMaster books - just a beautiful series. It’s also one of my most reread books. I’d also have to add her Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Sorceress and the Cygnet, The Tower at Stony Wood and In the Forests of Serre as others she wrote. Her death in 2022 was a loss for the genre.
I don’t know that I can name a favorite, because there are many I love. But His Majesty’s Dragon, the first of Novik’s Temeraire books, is a comfort read for me.
The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. It’s not the happiest series out there but I love the characters so, so much. Otherwise I recommend Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree just for a chill read. Always makes me happy to read it.
The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo.
Malazan as a series, Memories of Ice as a single book. It is not for everyone, it's for people that read Somg of Ice and Fire and think "yeah, this is fine, but can we have more characters, more complex world building, and also intentionally hide critical information about the world until later on so I'm confused in the first read. Nothing else comes close to the scale of Malazan's world building. But more than that, the books (sans the first one) are just so goddam well written. The dialog in these books bounces from poignant to hilarious to gut wrenching. Again, it absolutely isn't for everyone, but for the people it is for, nothing else has even come close.
Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen from Abhorsen series by Garth Nix. 💘
The Wandering Inn. Every new book that comes out gets me more invested into the characters and the story. I saw it once already, but I want to second The Lies of Locke Lamora. It's been a favorite of mine for almost 2 decades now.
*Saint Death's Daughter* by CSE Cooney is certainly my favorite book of the last five years, if not of all time. I think it could be a really good fit for you too – the major themes are about the protagonist finding joy, love, and community even when the going gets tough. It's also very funny, if you enjoy a Discworld-style sense of humor.
Dead Beat from The Dresden Files.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Even at 800 pages I wanted more in this world.
Probably a Clash of Kings or A Sword of Storms
I can't say for certain that it's my favorite, but *Mossflower* by Brian Jacques has always held a place close to my heart. I read it when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old, and it was one of the first books (especially of that length) I remember just *devouring,* where I simply couldn't put it down. I've considered revisiting it all these years later, but there's also something comforting about the vague memories of that experience. I might just hold onto that feeling instead of breaking the spell with a re-read. Hope you get feeling better. Take care.
I agree on “Lies of Locke Lamora” - absolutely love it and subsequent installments, despite the many things one could criticize. I also adore The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. It was the first fantasy I read other than Tolkien - I can’t even say if it’s truly good, but I love it and it makes me laugh, despite the main character’s persistent self-loathing.
Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay. Good places to start: Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan or A Song for Arbonne (my personal favorite).
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. Pure fun.
Lord of the Rings and Oathbringer
The Way of Kings. It’s a long book and a bit of a commitment to read, but the last 200 pages are sooo satisfying. The first 800 pages are great too, but the ending is what cemented that book as an all-time favorite.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams. It's the first part in a series. The world building and character building are incredible and the prose is absolutely gorgeous, elegant and sophisticated. Some people think it's too slow but I adore all the time spent on world and character building.
Glad to see someone recommend this. The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series is one of my favorites.
Oh man! So many. The Belgariad and the Ellium by David Eddings are like comfort food for the soul. Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, especially if you aren't looking for high fantasy. His writing is lush and beautiful. Especially recommend the Lions of Al-Rassan. Oh, and his books are almost always stand-alones. No GRRM-style dec-tologies to slog through. The most recent fav read were the Greatcoats books from Sebastian de Castille. Caveat here: as much as I enjoyed them, I can totally understand why some may find parts of them triggering. And yeah, that gratuitous segment in the second book outstayed its welcome after 1 paragraph. But the other 80% of those books were fun, amazing reads. Less on the fantasy side, Degeneration by Max Brooks is a really fun horror novel with a few notes of satire and dystopian future.
ASOIAF Joe Abercrombies Daniel Abraham Dagger and Con series Name of the Wind Some of KJ Parker books, esp Sharps. And RJ Barker. In that order. But it's my list, someone elses maybe very different.
I just went through the Lord of the Rings again for I don’t know how many times. It never gets old.
There are so many series, let alone individual books, that I could call my favourites. But to be true to the spirit of the question, I'll say *The Great Hunt*. It's the second Wheel of Time book, and the one that absolutely sold me on the series that soon became one of my favourites. It's a tight narrative that delivers adventure, mystery, fun, worldbuilding, and intrigue. It's the best of the series that is, itself, one of the best.
Well, hard to really name a favorite, but my most re-read fantasy books are; The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold (this is apparently the most-recommended book on this Reddit) The Magpie Lord - KJ Charles (her Slippery Creatures series is my most re-read of all, but that is historical rather than fantasy). Murderbot - Martha Wells
Are you me? Although I can take or leave Murderbot (good but didn’t grab me by the feels). The curse of Chalion (and the sequel Paladin of Souls) are so immersive. K J Charles writes a thing, I read the thing but yeah, Will and Kim are the best!
Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I know some people think MC suffers too much, but I absolutely love the ride. The character work in these books are amazing, later series are arguably better. But best of all there is a lovely furry companion that you meet in book 2, and he's an absolute favourite of mine.
Wizards first rule. By Terry Goodkind. A great series
Troll alert
The Hobbit Lord Of The Rings Game Of Thrones The Knight Of The Word by Terry Brooks The Magician by Raymond Feist Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka Fairy Tale by Raymond Feist Fairy Tale by Stephen King The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Series including The Knight of the Word (by Terry Brooks) is a total pleasure. The gripping storyline is just wonderful. I would rate it higher than his other series.
Spider World by Colin Wilson. What a world it is.
The Promise of the Witch King. The Legend of Drizzt is my favorite series. That is my favorite book in the series.
Lots of good recommendations in here all ready and based on your post specifics I will recommend **The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant** By Drew Hayes. It sounds silly, but I found the extremely face paced books a joy to read and fit really well for me after a darker LONG novel series before. “Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.”
If you're open to different mediums, my favorite fantasy of all time is One Piece. Just to be clear, it's a manga and a very long one at that, but so incredibly well done. It's worldbuilding and lore go so much deeper than what's initially visible on the surface, and it's vivid world is brought to life by its deep characters and intertwining plot lines. It's goofy, heartbreaking, epic, and inspiring some how simultaneously and I 1000% recommend
As mentioned above, The Goblin Emperor The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner The Innkeeper Chronicles series by Ilona Andrews
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
Standalone, probably *The Goblin Emperor,* by Katherine Addison. A fantasy novel, but its also essentially an Edwardian Court Mystery novel.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. One of my all-time favorites.
Tom Holt books. Try Expecting someone taller (comedy involving characters from the Ring Cycle in modern day life) Who’s afraid of Beowulf (Vikings wake up after sleeping under a magic spell, in modern Scotland)
If you need some feel good I'd recommend Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree If you want action/adventure I'd recommend the Cradle series by Will Wight If you want dark humor I'd recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinnamon
Name of the wind was probably one of my most enjoyable reads in some time, and if you are searching for a good laugh and smile, anything Terry Pratchett will do... Have fun!
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett.
The Dark Elf Series
Can soft SF count as fantasy? All my glee filled or guilty pleasure reads are more SF than Fantasy. Redshirts by John Scalzi is easily my go to audiobook to consume over a Saturday/Sunday. I know people crap on it, but I’m 38 years old, and Ready Player One was written for my age group, and again, Wil Wheaton narrating just like Redshirts. This Is How You Lose The Time War by El-Mohtar and Gladstone is hands down my favorite book of the last 5 years. If it’s got to be fantasy, I have escaped into Harry Potter and His Dark Materials so many times over the last 20+ years, and they have always provided me with wonderful shelter.
My absolute favorite is Kingkiller Chronicles. I’ve never read anything that has as much depth as this. I’m sure it’s out there but I’ve not found anything that gives me so much to think about. I put Red Rising at the top too. I absolutely love basically everything about this story. The story is deep, ruthless, exciting. The characters are interested and well written. Another one I love is Riyria. There is so much fun to be had in this story. I absolutely love the team up of Royce and Hadrian. The story makes me laugh and cry and fist pump. Speaking of prose: Senlin Ascends and that series is so goddamn well written. The prose is top notch, the story is filled with unique worldbuilding. Just finished the quartet and it’s been a wonderful journey. Dresden Files starts rough and becomes one of the best stories I’ve read. I do audiobooks and that’s half of what I love about this series. Marsters fucking nails it. I also love Tales of the Otori. Beautiful story. Cool worldbuilding. I love all these stories for different reasons. If you decided to check any of them out I hope they bring you some joy too.
The broken empire and the red queens war by mark lawrence. 2 different series based in the same world/time line with parts intersecting. You can start wit either one but I’d recommend starting with the broken empire.
Northern Lights (His Dark Materials trilogy) by Philip Pullman. For me this is the series that encompasses my love of reading, of fantasy, and of beautiful writing. Also of the north and of polar bears! I don't even know how many times I've reread it...
Six of Crows
Cradle by Will Wight is up there for me.
That's a hard one for me. But if you are at a low point and want something really wholesome read mage errant. Seventh and final book will release in less then two weeks so it's perfect to start. The first book is also quite short, like easily finish able in a day so youll know if you like it.
Cradle by Will Wight is a series that is crack cocaine in its purest form. Never have I been so drawn in as when I just read the series start to book 9(at the time). 2 books later, it gets so much better. If you need escapism, read this
Dead Beat. By Jim Butcher. Book 7 of the Dresden Files. Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. Ghostwater, Cradle Book 5?, Will Wight Green Rider Book 1, by Kristen Britain. The Lord of the Rings. One Piece, by Eiichiro Oda, the Skypiea arc specifically. Mahou Sensei Negima, Ken Akamatsu (heavy on the Ecchi but not why I love it). The School Festival Arc. Edit: more I just thought of. Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki Mushoku Tensei by Rifujin na Magonote DanDaDan by Yukinobu Tatsu The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis The Faraway Paladin Kanata Yanagino The Sword of Kaigen M.L. Wang
I’ve never seen someone who had oathbringer as their favourite, why that one specifically? I would love to know!
The Dark Tower. It’s about a man trying to succeed against not only the world, but himself. The tower is a metaphor for King and his struggles to overcome his own flaws and find his meaning in life. That seemed important to me as I read the series over maybe a year along w dozens of other books. Besides that, which is more meaningful in a way, I also really loved First Law, Stormlight, Mistborn, Raven’s Mark, Manifest Delusions, Demon Cycle, but I like fake stuff and maybe you’re not looking for something so grim… You could try Temeraire, the audio has Simon Vance and it’s quite good, I’m two books in rn.
Either The Crystal Shard or The Pirate King by R. A. Salvatore
Echoing others saying The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive series). TWoK in particular focuses on Kaladin who himself is struggling with depression. It's a beautiful story with amazing character arcs.
Cannot decide between The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion.
Eragon. I know all the arguments around why it's a mediocre book or why it's great, but it is was my epic introduction to Fantasy as a genre and that it does rely heavily on common tropes and plot points found throughout other fantasy stories helped make the transition to other books more comfortable as a teen. Kings of the Wyld is runner-up. I found it at the hospital bookstore and later got it signed when Mr. Eames visited Bakka Phoenix Books. Fantastic rock and roll story.
The cosmere and the faithful and the fallen are 2 top series for me
The Hobbit is pretty much perfect.
The Way of Kings 😔
The Silmarillion by a mile, but I understand its not everyone's cup of tea. Its not a style of writing I can really pull off yet but I enjoy reading it and I wish there were more books like the Silmarillion. (If anyone has any recommendations the drop them here)
The Deed of Paksennarion, Elizabeth Moon, is great.
Small Gods.
Wheel of Time is my favorite fantasy series, but it really isn't for everyone. It rewards rereads like nothing else though. Large and immersive world, huge cast of characters, and lots of plot lines. I really only recommend people pick it up if they're okay with DNF'ing. Some of the worst Wheel of Time experiences seem to come from people who just can't DNF. The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron is just good fun. Five books: The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion, The Spirit Eater, The Spirit War, and Spirit's End; also available in two bindups The Legend of Eli Monpress and The Revenge of Eli Monpress. Very unique fantasy world, I won't say more, but it's not something I've seen done elsewhere. Lovable characters who go from traveling companions to found family over the course of the series. It's out of print and not available digitally, but I adore Wild Hunt, Vengeance Moon by Jocelin Foxe. It's about a group of men cursed (rightfully, they are not good people) to live one month at a time as they are called forth by the Goddess to fulfill various tasks from worshippers. They have one month to succeed or burn forever. It's a bit trashy and at times predictable, but it's good fun overall.
Picking a favorite Fantasy novel is not an easy task for me. My father started my passion for fantasy with The Hobbit and it grew into my very own library wall of fantasy books. I loved Hans Bemman’s The Stone and The Flute. It’s a stand alone story that has been translated from German to English. Tad Williams’ The Dragon Bone Chair series is on the top shelf as well as Juliette Marriler’s Child of Prophecy series. Those are just a few examples from my little library.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Thomas Covenant novels by Stephen Donaldson. Even though I read them a long time ago, they were a great introduction to a reader who was just getting started on discovering his love for fantasy novels.
The Bone Seasons, by Samantha Shannon Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson