Readers ask: What Are Some Good Modern Fantasy Books?

25 Of The Top Fantasy Books On Goodreads

Some bestselling books may not be that good, and Goodreads user-generated rankings and lists can lead to other issues: a book with more ratings may receive more lower ratings simply because of the larger reader pool, or the actual number of ratings may be too low.

How I Put Together a List of Top Fantasy Books

I used Goodreads to compile this list and looked at a variety of metrics. Older books have a distinct advantage over newer books. Did I miss some novels? That’s fine; this is just a starting point, not a scientific list.

The Top Epic Fantasy Books

We usually think of epic fantasy when we think of fantasy. Important quests to save the world. Spectacular magic battles. Let’s just say it’s the aesthetic established by J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

This book launched the Song of Ice and Fire series, upending established tropes of epic fantasy in the 1990s. And that shocking death at the end? That was a fantasy no-no back then.

2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind by Philip Rothfuss is part epic fantasy, part science fiction, and while good writing isn’t required for a good story, the mystery of how Kvothe arrived at that conclusion adds to the series’ allure.

3. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is arguably one of the most prolific fantasy authors working today, known for his clearly defined, almost scientifically laid out magic systems, and readers have grown accustomed to waiting years between series installments, which is one of the reasons he has such a large fanbase.

4. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin

Ursula LeGuin was a master of world-building and depicting culture, which is a true tragedy because, as anyone who has read her books knows, she was an excellent storyteller. The Earthsea series is probably better known for the whitewashed adaptation that aired on the SyFy channel.

5. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

The protagonist of Hobb’s first trilogy, on the other hand, is both at the same time.

6. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Who’s surprised that the characters are royal scumbags and assassins? There are numerous important mystical artifacts to be stolen, and let’s face it, a fantasy setting is the ideal backdrop for a heist caper.

7. Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Phedre, a courtesan marked by a god to feel pleasure and pain as one, is also a spy, which explains why it’s one of Goodreads’ most popular fantasy books.

8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I can see why this is one of Gaiman’s most famous works; he reimagines myths and gods in the modern age, mixing them with Americana; I can see why this is one of his most famous works; while I prefer Gaiman’s short stories, most fiction readers are introduced to him through his novels.

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The author didn’t publish her follow-up, The Starless Sea, until eight years later, despite the fact that it has over half a million ratings on Goodreads. Find more contemporary (or low-low) fantasy novels here.

Urban Fantasy Books

Urban fantasy enjoyed a renaissance in the 2000s and early 2010s, and while it has since stabilized, we’re seeing a resurgence with more diverse casts and authors.

What are examples of modern fantasy?

Toys and objects with life, tiny humans, strange characters and situations, imaginary worlds, magical powers, supernatural tales, time-warp fantasy, and high fantasy are all examples of modern fantasy.u201d

What are the top 5 fantasy books?

[Updated] The Best Fantasy Novels of All Time

• J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings.
• Scott Lynch’s The Lies Of Lock Lamora.
• Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn.
• Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn.
• Guy Gavriel Kay’s Tigana.
• Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name Of The Wind.
• George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire.

What fantasy 2021 should I read?

2021’s best new fantasy books

• The Empire’s Ruin. by Brian Staveley.
• The House of Always. by Jenn Lyons.
• Witchshadow. by Susan Dennard.
• Black Water Sister. by Zen Cho.
• The Library of the Dead. by T. L.
• The Ever After. by Amanda Hocking.
• We Free the Stars. by Hafsah Faizal.
• We Free the Stars. by Hafsah Faizal.

What are some fun fantasy books?

15 of the Best Laugh-Out-Loud Fantasy Books

• TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth. Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns. Gail Carriger’s Soulless. Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows’ My Lady Jane. Jillian Tamaki’s SuperMutant Magic Academy.
• Senlin Ascends.

Why is modern fantasy important?

One of the most obvious advantages of fantasy is that it allows readers to try out different perspectives on the world; it takes a hypothetical situation and invites readers to draw parallels between it and their own social reality.

What is the most popular fantasy?

Our Picks for the Top 25 Fantasy Novels

• George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones
• J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring
• C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic
• Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice
• Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora

What is the best fantasy?

Epic Fantasy’s Best Books

• George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind. Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings. Ursula LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice. Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora. Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart.

What is the best fantasy of all time?

The 100 Greatest Fantasy Books Ever Written

• The Arabian Nights.
• Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
• Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll.
• Five Children and It by E. Nesbit.
• Ozma of Oz by L.
• Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.

What is the biggest fantasy book series?

The following are the most extensive fantasy series:

• C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia
• J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
• Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle.
• J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter.
• Glen Cook’s The Black Company.
• Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.

What is the best book to read?

The Best Books of All Time

1. 1. Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. 2. James Joyce’s Ulysses. 3. Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote.
2. 4. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.
3. 5. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
4. 6. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
5. 7. Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

Who is the best fantasy author?

16 of the Greatest Fantasy Authors of All Time

• Seanan McGuire.
• Brandon Sanderson.
• Patrick Rothfuss.
• J.R.R. Tolkien.
• Nnedi Okorafor.
• Andrzej Sapkowski.
• Robin Hobb.
• George R. R. Martin.
• J.R.R. Tolkien

What’s the difference between fantasy and high fantasy?

Low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements, as opposed to high fantasy, which is set in an alternative, fictional (“secondary”) world rather than the “real” or “primary” world.

What is a low fantasy book?

Low fantasy, also known as intrusion fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy fiction in which magical events occur in a seemingly normal world, as opposed to high fantasy stories, which are set in fictional worlds with their own set of rules and physical laws.

What are the best fantasy light novels?

All-Time Top 25 Light Novels

• That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime.
• Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody.
• Spice and Wolf.
• Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest.
• The Rising of the Shield Hero.
• Katanagatari (Sword Tale)
• Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average In The Next Life?!