49 Best Fantasy Books
We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 49 best fantasy books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Fantasy books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best fantasy books" and study the top 5+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
49 Best Fantasy Books
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A Wizard of Earthsea
The Earthsea Cycle Series, Book 1
American Gods
A Novel
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Also recommended by:
A Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones, Book 1
His Dark Materials Trilogy
The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass
The Lord of the Rings
One Volume
The Name of the Wind
The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland, Book 2
Also recommended by:
Naval Ravikant, Richa Chadha, Russell Brand, Sahil Lavingia, Salman Rushdie
Watership Down
A Novel
Also recommended by:
Good Omens
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Also recommended by:
Perdido Street Station
Bas-Lag, Book 1
Also recommended by:
The Fifth Season
Broken Earth, Book 1
Also recommended by:
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Gentleman Bastard, Book 1
Also recommended by:
The Night Circus
Also recommended by:
Assassin's Apprentice
The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter, Book 1
Storm Front
The Dresden Files, Book 1
The Dark Tower I
The Gunslinger
The Last Unicorn
The Magicians
A Novel
The Princess Bride
Who Fears Death
The Master and Margarita
Also recommended by:
Peter Thiel, Jordan Peterson, Jack Dorsey, Max Levchin, PewDiePie, Jack Edwards
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1
Also recommended by:
Circe
Also recommended by:
A Wrinkle in Time
Also recommended by:
Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Castle, Book 1
Also recommended by:
The Buried Giant
A Novel
Also recommended by:
The Dark is Rising
The Dark Is Rising, Book 2
Also recommended by:
The Gormenghast Trilogy
Also recommended by:
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
The Inheritance Trilogy, Book 1
Also recommended by:
The Once and Future King
Also recommended by:
The Way of Kings
The Stormlight Archive, Book 1
Also recommended by:
Tigana
Also recommended by:
A Stranger in Olondria
A Novel
All the Birds in the Sky
Black Leopard, Red Wolf
The Dark Star Trilogy, Book 1
Gardens of the Moon
Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
Jade City
The Green Bone Saga, Book 1
Kindred
Legend
Drenai Saga, Book 1
The Bone Clocks
The Color of Magic
Discworld, Book 1
The Dragonbone Chair
Memory Sorrow and Thorn, Book 1
The Final Empire
Mistborn, Book 1
The Golem and the Jinni
A Novel
The Grace of Kings
The Dandelion Dynasty, Book 1
Under Heaven
Under Heaven, Book 1
Wheel of Time
Premium Boxed: Books 1-3
Sources
- 1
50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time: The Ultimate List (2023)
nerdmuch.com
- 2
The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time | Reedsy Discovery
reedsy.com
- 3
The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time | TIME
time.com
- 4
36 of the best fantasy books everyone should read | WIRED UK
wired.co.uk
- 5
Top25 Fantasy Books.Php
bestfantasybooks.com
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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