A List of Twelve Books that I consider Great Fantasy Novels.
I've seen the best of lists that you can find on the internet. When I look for best fantasy lists, I realize there are several top rated fantasy books that I've never read. So, as you peruse this list, realize that these are only the books that I've actually read and enjoyed. A couple of names that won't be on the list that you will be expecting are George RR Martin and Brandon Sanderson. I've never read Martin's books and even though I've read a couple of Sanderson's books, I've felt his greatest contribution to fantasy has been his finishing up the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan.
What do you look for in a fantasy novel? What are the tropes that tell you that this is the type of book you were looking to read when you first opened the cover?
- World Building
- Magic (The magic should be defined and there should be limitations to the magic.)
- Strange and Fantastical Creatures (Some fantasy creatures will possess the capability to communicate with the hero, whereas others present a threat and should be steered clear of.)
- A fellowship with other adventurers (Some helpful / some with deception)
- For Fantasy action adventure you will usually find a quest of some kind.
- Kings, queens, and swordplay likely define the setting of the scene, which is normally set in the fourteenth century.
- A Hero that might come of age as they learn the magic they didn't know they possessed
- An antagonist (bad guy) that is clearly out to kill or disrupt the hero's chances for success
- The antagonist is stronger in magic than the hero and has a better support group.
Here is my list of the top twelve fantasy action-adventure books.
The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1)
Robert Jordan
I read The Eye of the World in the late nineties based on the recommendation of a friend who was a high-school student. She was so excited about it that I had to read it. Her recommendation came from Robert Jordan's treatment of women. It was the first book she had read where the female characters had just as commanding a role as the male characters.
I loved the book and it quickly became my favorite fantasy novel of all time. It is the flagship action adventure fantasy book I compare all other fantasy stories to. The main characters don't realize they have the magic at the time they begin their adventure and the characters are all a little different with a different take on life.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1)
By JK Rowling
My brother-in-law turned me on to the Harry Potter's series. His girls were just moving to what they called chapter books. They found Harry Potter and loved it. I'm happy that I learned about the series before the movies came out. I always think the books are better than the movies anyway.
The Harry Potter series has been hugely successful, my goodness they have their own theme park. Plus, movies and even a theater production.
Harry comes of age as he learns of his parents and their murder by the powerful wizard Voldemort. When he finds out he has the ability for magic he is sent to Hogwarts, a school of magic. It is here Harry learns of a world of spells, broomsticks, quidditch, and the Weasley Family.
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1)
JRR Tolkien
I first learned of the Lord of the Rings series when I was in High School. I had a study hall each day in the library and I found the first book of the series, The Fellowship of the Ring. I consumed it and fell in love with the world building and the characters. But I ran into a problem. I finished the first two books, but the school library didn't have the third book. It was on order, but my high school math teacher had first dibs on the book and I had to wait endlessly for him to finish it before I could get my hands on it. He used the excuse that he had to grade math papers and do lesson plans. What kind of excuse is that? Right? LOL.
Some say that The Lord of the Rings series was the first fantasy action adventure story, but others say there are books that came before JRR Tolkien's tomes.
Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters #1)
Juliet Marillier
I read this book less than two years ago, and loved it. The story is a re-telling of the Six Swans fairy tale from the German culture. Juliet does an excellent job combining a rich storytelling of world building. It isn't long and you are immersed in the story and you don't want to come out. The story has excellent world-building, fantasy magic, unique and self-motivated characters. The only negative / warning is there is a rape scene in the book. So be aware of that as you read it.
But the story is so well told that you enter the protagonist's mind and live her life. I read the book every waking moment I could. It was so well crafted for a fantasy book.
The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time #2)
Robert JordanÂ
After reading the Eye of the World, I hurried to get my hands on Robert Jordan's second book, The Great Hunt. In moments, I was back in the head of each of the characters Jordan had created. The adventure continued as our hero Rand finds out that he's different from the others. Though he likes Egwene, a young girl from his village, he pushes her away for fear he's becoming a monster and will kill her and the others because of his special magic.
Jordan has done an excellent job creating bad guys, people we aren't sure are bad or good, and organizations and groups that each have their own reason for being and for wanting to get to Rand. This fantasy novel has a multi-dimensional twist and the action that comes from that twist keeps you on the edge of your seat as you can't wait to turn the page.
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings #2)
JRR Tolkien
The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2)
JRR Tolkien
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
JK Rowling
A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time #7)
Robert Jordan
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
JK Rowling
The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings)
JRR Tolkien
Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, I did add Brandon Sanderson to my list. As I thought about books by Sanderson, I realized that i did enjoy the Mistborn stories. My brother told me about these. The great things about this series is the fantastical magic system that Sanderson created for this series. Imagine a magic that required metals and a thief that ran the roofs at the darkest part of the night, to get what he wants.
This has everything that an epic fantasy adventure story would have. A powerful villain that is overturned by the little guys and a rich world and character building. There's a reason he's known as a master storyteller.
This is my short list. Don't hate me for not recommending your favorite fantasy story. It might be because I haven't read it yet or it doesn't reach me the same way it reaches you. If you haven't read these stories, now is a good time to get these from your local library, from the author's website, or from your favorite retailer.
What do you think? What books did I leave off that you think MUST be on the list of best Fantasy action adventure stories? I want to hear your opinion.
Check out the Fantasy Action Adventure Book Club.