Greatest Fantasy Books of All Time

So the other day, I was at a family event. Being a voracious reader in a family of them, the topic turned to what I was reading at the time. I mentioned the name of a book, and then proceeded to drop a bombshell. I am known, in the family, as the expert in science fiction and fantasy type books. I have probably read over 300 books in the genre over the past 20 years. Although I read all different types of books, typically at a pace of about one every three or four days, I really do focus on fantasy and science fiction. The rest of the family rarely ventures into the realm of the future and the fantastical and so I am known as the expert. I let them know I had just read a book that was better than any of the Lord of the Rings books. Conversation stopped. A few people looked askance at me. One or two snickers were heard. And then conversation started again, but the topic abruptly veered into a completely different realm. Apparently, I had slaughtered a sacred cow--and had ceased to be welcome in that particular conversation because of it.

Before I tell you the name of the all time best fantasy book ever, I will list for you my top 10. In reverse order. Here are the best 10 fantasy books of all time--according to me. If you don't agree, that's okay--but I want you to tell me your favorites and why.

Like any best of list in the realm of books, there is quite a bit of subjectivity. I know that. These are my favorites and why.

Ten: The Black Cauldron (Book 2 of The Chronicles of Pyrdain) by Lloyd Alexander. Like any great book that is part of a series, it really helps if you read the whole series in order. But, if you are only going to read one of the books, I would pick The Black Cauldron. Set in the world of Prydain, the series teaches so many lessons about good versus evil--but does it without preaching. In this book, Taran (the hero of the books) is confronted with a budding rivalry. He must examine his own desires and learn to live his life because it is what he wants, not to impress or to compete. This book is great for any age.

Nine: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader (Book 3 of the The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S.Lewis.  My favorite of the series because of the variety of places and situations visited by the four siblings.  It also felt the most joyous to me.  An upbeat tale of adventure--and for some, the greatest adventure of all--that which comes after this life.  Great book for any age. 

Eight: The Magic of Recluce (Book 1 of the Recluce series) by L.E.Modesitt Jr.  This book is the first of one of the best series I have ever enjoyed.  The book took me a few pages to discover what was happening in the world, but that is part of the allure.  Modesitt always does such a great job in giving the reader enough to be curious but not so much as to make the read too easy.  This book is great for teens and beyond.   Watch out, you may get hooked on L.E.Modesitt and he has a whole lot of books to read.  As an aside, I had the chance to meet him a couple of years ago and he was extremely gracious and patient. 

Seven: American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Probably the best fantasy set in the modern world I have read. Brings to the table all of the major "gods" that have existed here in the US. Great book. Not for children.

Six: Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) by Lian Hearn.  A bit of a different flavor with this book.  Truly remarkable scenery, fantastic characters, and a healthy dose of action combine to make this book, and the entire series, a breath of fresh air.  A fantastic book.  Not for children.

Five:  Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.  Truly a remarkable book.  Sanderson has a couple of series going right now, Elantris stands on its own.  A great read about dealing with being dealt a bad hand in life.  The prince of the land contracts a disease that gets him sent to Elantris from where there is no escape.  Teens and up.

Four: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin. This is an incredibly compelling book that draws you in and keeps you there. A terribly realistic view of a fantasy world with all of it's violence, pain, and intrigue that brings you to the front of your seat and makes you wish you could read just a little faster. The next books in this series are almost as good but towards the end of the series it gets a little too dark for this to be my absolute favorite ever. Definitely for adults only.

Three: The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust. Brust is one of my favorite authors ever. His writing is unique as is his viewpoint. If you like him, you will love him but I can see that some people may not like his toungue in cheek style adventure of four friends. Sort of a Three Musketeers quality to this book. There are several other books by Brust that take advantage of this same world that are all very enjoyable to read but I liked The Phoenix Guards the best. Teens and up.

Two: Folks, we have a tie. I have two titles in spot number two. Completely different and yet very similar in some ways. The first is the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. The book that started it all. This is truly a classic and cannot be left out of any list of great fantasy books. The next three books that follow the Hobbit are equally good, I just picked this because it is the first. My other number two book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter Series, Book 3) by JK Rowling.  I loved these books.  This was my favorite.  I felt it was the high point of the series--not that the series ended bad, it just felt like the "Golden Age" of the series, if that makes any sense.  Thanks to Rowling, a whole new generation of readers has been introduced to fantasy books and I look forward to those who try and share their vision of the genre as they enter the world of reading and writing. 

This is the book that started the conversation with my family. Yes, I think In the Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles, Book 1)  by Patrick Rothfuss is the best fantasy book to come around in a long time.  This book casts a spell and pulls you in tight.  The story is well paced, the language is perfect and the action, suspense and drama all combine to make this a delight to read.  Yes, I really do think it is the best fantasy book ever. Let me know what you think.