My 5 Best Fantasy Books (As of Now…)

What makes a good fantasy story? Scratch that. What makes a great fantasy story—one that burrows its way into your very being and stays with you forever?

There are some easy answers to that question: strong, relatable characters, inspired worldbuilding and lore, propulsive plot, a great antagonist... The list goes on.

Simple to say, but if you’ve done much writing in your life, you know it’s hard to pull off. The ones that do become classics that endure for many, many years. Especially with fantasy, great books take on a timeless feel and can be enjoyed through generations of readers. With that in mind, here is my personal, completely subjective list of the Best Five Fantasy Books of All Time (as of now).

The Lord of the Rings

Is it cheating to classify J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic trilogy as one book? Probably. But I don’t care. The Lord of the Rings is an incredible high fantasy story and I find it impossible to delineate between the books—in part because, if I’m not mistaken, Tolkien originally intended the books to be one complete volume to be paired with The Silmarillion.

If you’re unfamiliar, the story surrounds the quest of Frodo and the Fellowship (an elite group of humans, elves, and dwarves) to destroy the evil “One Ring,” a powerful magical item created by the dark lord Sauron. It’s a “inverted quest,” where our heroes must journey to destroy the magical item rather than reclaim it. The Lord of the Rings had a major impact on the fantasy stories that succeeded it, and it still carries a weighty influence today. It’s a classic tale of good versus evil, but Tolkien adds to its depth and complexity with brilliant worldbuilding and great characters.

Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, and others all live comfortably within our collective cultural consciousness—and with good reason. They’re strong and fully realized, heroic, or tragic, and sometimes both. They make the journey worth taking. The Lord of the Rings is an unassailable triumph of a story and easily one of the best fantasy books in my estimation.

The Goblin Emperor

A few years ago, I was looking for a “court intrigue” fantasy book and came across a recommendation for Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor. I gave it a try and I was totally blown away. It’s easily become one of my favorite fantasy books.

The Goblin Emperor is about a young man, Maia, ascends to the royal throne after an airship accident kills his estranged father (the emperor) and his half-brothers. Maia’s rise is sudden and unexpected, most of all to him, and he is thrust into life as the emperor of a massive kingdom. Most of the book deals with Maia figuring out his place in court, navigating rivalries and usurpers, and trying to figure out the cause of his father’s death.

The book is not what you might call “action heavy,” in fact, the vast majority of the conflict comes from personal interactions and Maia’s unfamiliarity and dissatisfaction with his position (it’s hard to be emperor). But there is such a warmth in Addison’s writing and Maia is so relatable that you can’t help but be taken along for the ride, rooting for the young man to figure things out. It’s a beautiful, hopeful story that everyone should read.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Is this the George R. R. Martin book you expected to see on this list? Don’t get me wrong, Martin has crafted an incredible story in his Game of Thrones series, but for my money, the collected tales of Dunk and Egg are the best.

Set in Westeros, before the events of Game of Thrones, the story follows the exploits of a young knight, Duncan or “Dunk,” and his squire, Egg—who has a secret identity that I won’t spoil here. The pair are extremely likeable, especially Duncan, and you quickly find yourself rooting for them. Their adventures take them all over the land, giving Martin the chance to explore intriguing corners of Westeros that we may not have gotten otherwise.

As of now, there are only three stories in the Dunk and Egg series (they make up the book), but even if it remained that way, I’d still consider A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms one of the best fantasy books you can read.

A Wizard of Earthsea

This addition may not surprise you, as I just did a character study on A Wizard of Earthsea’s main character, Ged. Still, Ursula Le Guin’s 1968 fantasy novel is a timeless tale of heroism and selflessness.

Ged is a promising young wizard’s apprentice in the world of Earthsea, but because of this he often lets his pride get the best of him. That flaw rears its ugly head when he accidentally unleashes a malevolent shadow when trying to show off his magical abilities. From that point on, Ged changes completely, becoming a humble and selfless wizard who puts others ahead of himself even as he must flee from the shadow that never ceases to pursue him.

The book is short but sweet, and to dismiss it as nothing more than children’s literature would be robbing yourself of an incredible story that all ages can understand and enjoy. Featuring delightful characters, magic, adventure, and moving themes, A Wizard of Earthsea is easily one of my favorite fantasy books.

The Buried Giant

This one is all about the vibes, let me tell you. I stumbled upon Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2015 novel The Buried Giant and, while it wasn’t what I expected at the time, I’ve come to appreciate its place in the upper echelon of fantasy books.

The Buried Giant is about an elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, living in Briton during the Dark Ages. The people there live under a mysterious mist that makes them forget many things about their lives, but Axl and Beatrice have fleeting memories of a son and decide to seek him out. On their journey, they cross paths with all sorts of eerie and interesting characters as they try to find their son and discover revelations about their world.

If I could compare the tone of The Buried Giant to anything, it would be the Dark Souls video game series. Both deliver a mysterious and often despondent tone while existing in worlds that feel lonely and empty. A little like you showed up a few hours late for a party—you can see that people were there before you, but now the lights are out and only a few (strange) people are home. It all adds to the book’s spectral, otherworldly feeling. But! The heart of the story is the main couple’s love for one another and their determination to find their son.

All in all, The Buried Giant is a departure from traditional fantasy, but Ishiguro excels in what he’s trying to accomplish—it’s a read that’s well worth your time.

Conclusion: Those are My Best Fantasy Books—What are Yours?

So those are my five best fantasy books (at least, as of right now). I’m sure this list will change over time, but for now, I’m happy with the ones I’ve chosen. What do you think? What do you consider to be the best fantasy books of all time? Sound off in the comments below!