Books allow you to leave this world and escape into another. On a certain fundamental level, that is the purpose of all works of fiction. Even if the world they depict resembles our own, whatever draws you to the book is usually something you either can’t have or wouldn’t want in your real life, but which you’d like to experience from an artistic work.
In this list, we’re going to go over some of the greatest fantasy novels ever written. Some of them take place in fantastic new worlds. Others simply add a fantasy element to our own world. Regardless, each of them will bring you the magic and wonder only a fantasy can truly deliver.
Updated August 12, 2024 by Davis Collins: There are more excellent fantasy books than can ever be gathered on a list like this. A website the size of TheGamer could write about nothing but fantasy literature for a thousand years and never run out of good books to recommend. Though that fact means it's impossible for us to ever truly do this list justice, it was the least we could do to come back and add a few more excellent ones that we'd missed before.
The Witcher Boxed Set
Best Moral Ambiguity See at AmazonFourth Wing (2023)
Most Dragons See at AmazonA Christmas Carol
Most Thoughtful See at AmazonA Song of Ice and Fire
Best Dark Fantasy See at AmazonThe Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
Best Classic Series See at Amazon- See More
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Most Delightful See at AmazonThe Song of Achilles
Best Romance See at AmazonHis Dark Materials
Best Adventure See at AmazonAll the Birds in the Sky
Most Thoughtful See at AmazonInterview with the Vampire
Best Vampire Novel See at AmazonAmong Others: A Novel
Best Character Arc See at Amazon
The Witcher Boxed Set
Some of the best Dark Fantasy ever written
The foundation for what is now a large multi-media franchise, including a TV show and several video games, these books tell the story of the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, and his monster-hunting adventures.
Pros & Cons- A ton of amazing stories
- Incredibly three-dimensional characters
Possibly the most egregious omission from the previous version of this list, the Witcher novels are some of the best works of Dark Fantasy ever written. Full of both episodic and serialized narratives of varying lengths, this excellent series is the basis for what has become a major franchise, including several video games and a Netflix adaptation.
The Netflix adaptation is itself one of the best fantasy shows ever made, and the fact that fans of the books nevertheless generally find it disappointing offers a glimpse into how next-level-good these books are. These stories span an epic continent, and deal masterfully with moral dilemmas surpassing those found in almost anything else.
Most DragonsFourth Wing (2023)
There's a ton of 'em
This book, which is about a school for aspiring dragon riders, is already elevated to glorious heights just by its premise, and it's an incredibly well-told story on top of that.
Pros & Cons- It's about a war academy for dragon riders
- Seriously, what more do you want?
- Like, it's also really well-written, but the premise alone is too awesome to ignore
In case we have not stressed this enough, this book is about a school for dragon riders. That premise, on its own, is likely to make the hearts of fantasy fans melt with glee. However, this book is not just a flashy premise. It's also an incredibly fun fantasy adventure. It has a great protagonist, a great setting, and is nearly unmatched in how freaking hard it is to put it down.
Most ThoughtfulA Christmas Carol
Casually solves age-old existential questions about life itself
An iconic classic, and a serious candidate for the best novel ever written, A Christmas Carol is a thoughtful character study that more than deserves its ubiquity and success, as it contains not just an interesting redemption story, but also a compelling vision of the meaning of life itself.
Pros & Cons- Incredibly thoughtful
- An engaging character study
There's something almost silly about introducing a novel as well-known as A Christmas Carol. It's one of the most popular novels ever written, and has been retold and adapted so many hundreds of times that it is virtually guaranteed that you've seen or read some version of it at some point.
What you might not have done is gone back and read the original novel. If this is the case, we implore you to fix that right now. A Christmas Carol is not just a good formula for a story, or good fodder for adaptation. It is ubiquitous precisely because it is one of the best stories ever told, and, while many of its adaptations and parodies are excellent, none quite measure up to the original novel.
Best Dark FantasyA Song of Ice and Fire
Life is not a song
The basis for the smash hit HBO television series Game of Thrones, the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin consists of, what some consider, the greatest works of dark fantasy ever created.
Pros & Cons- Amazing characters
- Anyone can die, heroes can lose
- Full of profound, if upsetting, truths
- Unfinished, and likely to remain that way forever
Given the ignoble end of its television adaptation, and the probability that it will never be completed, it’s easy to forget both what a phenomenon A Song of Ice and Fire was throughout the 2010s, and how thoroughly it deserved its success. It’d be a terrible mistake to hold the mistakes of this series’ adaptation, or its author, against it. The five existing books of A Song of Ice and Fire are still among the best fantasy novels ever written.
Few works manage to be so dark and gritty while still being enchanting and beautiful. These are profoundly meaningful books, with many unpleasant truths to communicate to the reader. All men must die. Life is not a song. It’s tempting to say that the brutality of these books makes them less escapist than happier fantasy titles, but that’s not really the case. There are loads of enchantment and wonder in these books. The setting is low-magic, but the magic that occurs here is all the more spectacular for its rarity. This is a place where miracles are real, but these books, unlike so many others, have the wisdom to question whether that’s a good thing.
Best Classic SeriesThe Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
The inventor of the fantasy genre as we know it
Essentially the founder of fantasy as we know it, The Lord of the Rings is a masterclass work of fantasy literature whose immense influence is felt throughout the rest of the genre. Though its successors arguably improve upon some aspects of it, they can do so only because they stand on the shoulders of this literary giant.
Pros & Cons- Tolkien?s worldbuilding
- Tolkien?s prose
- Tolkien?s themes
- Tolkien?s characterization
The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire represent an interesting pair. It’s tempting to view The Lord of the Rings as the unironic manifestation of everything the latter sought to subvert. This is a story of good versus evil, where brave heroes, true kings, and other noble folk collaborate to destroy a dark lord bent on taking over the world.
However, the idea that the primary characteristic of this text is moral simplicity sells Lord of the Rings far short. These books are much smarter than that, and there’s plenty of moral ambiguity to be found within. Many of the villains in these books are more or less pure evil, but others are not, and even when their actions are indefensible, we are led to sympathize with characters like Gollum, and, at times, even the rank and file members of Sauron’s armies. Combine all of that with Tolkien’s excellent worldbuilding and prose, and we have books that, while not for everyone, are liable to enchant the minds of children and adults alike.
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Posts Most DelightfulPercy Jackson and the Olympians
A wonderful world
This wonderful fantasy saga leads readers through five amazing and interconnected adventures in a fantasy world where the gods and monsters of Greek myth persist into the modern day. Full of both wit and profound emotion, these books are extremely entertaining.
Pros & Cons- Amazing sense of humor
- Great worldbuilding
- Rich characters
Escapism is often targeted at children. Perhaps their relative lack of freedom and autonomy gives them a special need for it, or perhaps they have superior imaginations and are better able to appreciate it. Either way, many of the greatest works of fantasy literature were written with children in mind.
One such work is the saga of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a tale that brings numerous aspects of classical mythology into the modern day, telling an epic story which effortlessly combines rich characters and delightful humor. If you or your child are looking to go on an adventure in a delightful world, these books have you covered.
Best RomanceThe Song of Achilles
Ancient Greece’s greatest couple
This explicitly romantic retelling of The Iliad, one of the oldest and most classic works of literature, makes a modern novel out of one of western culture’s most foundational works, and does an excellent job translating it into this new medium.
Pros & Cons- Good romantic storytelling
- Extremely emotional
The Song of Achilles gives us another opportunity to escape into the world of Greek mythology. This retelling of the Trojan War, one of the oldest fantastical stories ever told, places emphasis on the relationship between the heroic Achilles and his lover Patroclus.
The result is an extremely affecting and compelling retelling of an ancient story, which uses the medium of the modern novel to accomplish most of what the original does, and plenty more that an ancient epic poem could never have managed.
Best AdventureHis Dark Materials
Wonderful characters on wonderful journeys
These complex, surprisingly somber books still manage to work as the children’s adventures they set out to be. Their commentary is at once bold and nuanced, as is their bittersweet ending.
Pros & Cons- Amazing characterization
- Strong themes
- Bold commentary
Our second young adult fantasy story for today, His Dark Materials is a fascinating and, for a children’s book, impressively transgressive work of fantasy literature. It is often regarded as the ideological counterpoint to the Chronicles of Narnia, and this is quite true, both in the sense that they are ideologically opposed and that His Dark Materials is of equal or greater quality to Narnia.
It should be stressed that, though these books have ideas to present, they are not as preachy or heavy-handed as their reputation may lead some to believe. Perhaps it’s because the author was trying to keep them approachable, or perhaps he’s simply skilled enough to convey his message deftly, but either way, these books are thoughtful and nuanced, full of wonderful characters and adventures.
Most ThoughtfulAll the Birds in the Sky
A meditation on union with the other
This wonderful novel tells the story of Patricia, a witch, and Laurance, a master inventor and technological prodigy. Through their opposing interests in magic and technology, All the Birds in the Sky weaves a wonderful tale about opposites learning to reconcile and save the world together.
Pros & Cons- Wonderful characterization
- Wonderful themes
- Rich world of both magic and technology
One of the lesser-known titles on this list, All the Birds in the Sky is a wonderful treat. The first portion of this book follows the burgeoning friendship of two child heroes, a young witch and an engineering prodigy, as they use their contrasting talents to earn the right to be educated in their respective fields. After showing us the potential of their friendship, the novel then explores how their respective educational institutions pull them apart, and how they overcome that to unite their talents and save the world in a way they can only accomplish together.
The best thing about this novel is how well it integrates its themes. Where the misguided authority figures in this novel wish to solve its main problem by driving humanity apart, the protagonists succeed by bringing disparate elements together, creating the novel’s wonderful meaning.
Best Vampire NovelInterview with the Vampire
A mesmerizing tale of undead horror
This excellent book, which played a major role in redefining the concept of the vampire for the modern day, tells an enchanting yet utterly bleak tale about humanity and monsterhood.
Pros & Cons- Utterly enchanting
- Incredibly thoughtful
- One of the best endings in the history of fiction
Probably the greatest vampire novel ever written, certainly the greatest of the 20th century, Interview With the Vampire is the enchanting story of a blood-drinking monster, and his failed quest to find humanity and meaning in a life full of murder and monsterhood. The characters in this story are incredibly compelling. The degree of affection and sympathy these objectively evil murderers manage to evoke from us is incredibly impressive.
Of course, that’s the whole point of the book. These are horrible people. Their quest to find meaning in their undead existence is doomed to failure. And yet, we can’t help but find them alluring. That is the ultimate message of this novel, and, especially, its ending, where yet another character finds themselves too caught up in the mesmerizing tale to understand the message. We should not be drawn to monsters like these, but, for some reason, we just can’t help ourselves.
Best Character ArcAmong Others: A Novel
Feel free to call it a fairy story
This fantastic love letter to the world of science fiction and fantasy literature pays homage to many of the above books and so many others. Coming from a place of immense passion and respect, this coming of age story shows how a girl builds a life for herself as she emerges from a toxic childhood defined by her relationships with witches and fairies.
Pros & Cons- The protagonist has an amazing character arc
- The minimalist magic system is very cool
- Less eventful and exciting than many adventure-based fantasy novels
Though it is a love letter to the genre as a whole, the actual fantasy element of Among Others is light. The story is mostly about a late-twentieth-century girl coming of age and enjoying the works of speculative fiction that were available in her era. Books from both this list and our list of the best sci-fi novels are mentioned in this work.
The actual magic element is minor. Only a few spells are cast throughout the entire book. The fairies don’t show up that much, and the evil witch who is technically the novel’s main antagonist appears only a single time, at the very end.
This novel isn’t about those things, though. It’s about a girl whose life was once defined by magic and her relationship with her sister and how she builds new meaning for herself. A superficial analysis of this novel might lead a reader to the erroneous conclusion that “nothing happens,” but something does happen: Morgana builds a life for herself. That is the plot of this book, and it is a wonderful story to behold.
FAQ
What is the best fantasy book of all time?
It depends on what you want. A Song of Ice and Fire has the most epic scope of the books on this list. Interview With the Vampire, All the Birds in the Sky and Among Others are the most interesting and contemplative. Percy Jackson and His Dark Materials will take you on the best fantastical adventures.
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