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Top 10 Must-Read Fantasy Series

Epic worlds, unforgettable heroes, and magical writing — these fantasy series are essential reading for every fan.

By Henry Beaumont

“Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” — Lloyd Alexander

Introduction: Why Fantasy Still Rules

Whether it’s dragons, dark lords, or chosen ones with identity crises, fantasy offers something no other genre can: the power to reshape reality through imagination. But with thousands of series across generations, where do you begin?

This list gives you the ultimate reading guide — the 10 fantasy series every fan should read, revisit, or at least pretend they’ve read convincingly at parties.

We’ve included:

  • Timeless classics
  • Modern masterpieces
  • Genre-defining sagas
  • Under-the-radar gems

Let the quest begin.

1. The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

  • Why It’s Essential: The source code of modern fantasy. Elves, dwarves, maps, invented languages — Tolkien gave it everything.
  • Start With: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • Fun Fact: Tolkien wrote the entire trilogy by hand. That’s over 400,000 words… with a fountain pen.
  • Explore Tolkien’s works

2. A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin)

  • Why It’s Essential: Intrigue, betrayal, and morally grey characters — this is fantasy with knives out.
  • Start With: A Game of Thrones
  • Fun Fact: Martin was once a TV writer and used the books to “go big” with his imagination — including dragons and exploding septs.
  • Read Martin’s saga

3. The Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan / Brandon Sanderson)

  • Why It’s Essential: Sprawling world. Dozens of cultures. More prophecies than you can shake a staff at.
  • Start With: The Eye of the World
  • Fun Fact: After Jordan’s passing, Brandon Sanderson finished the series based on detailed notes — and crushed it.
  • Follow the Wheel

4. The Stormlight Archive (Brandon Sanderson)

  • Why It’s Essential: Giant swords, sentient sprens, and a world that reinvents gravity itself.
  • Start With: The Way of Kings
  • Fun Fact: Sanderson has a 30+ book master plan. And you thought your TBR pile was big.
  • Read the Stormlight Archive

5. Earthsea Cycle (Ursula K. Le Guin)

  • Why It’s Essential: Lyrical, wise, and quietly revolutionary. Le Guin flipped fantasy’s script.
  • Start With: A Wizard of Earthsea
  • Fun Fact: Le Guin’s archipelago world challenges the “white knight” fantasy mold.
  • Sail through Earthsea

6. The Broken Earth Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin)

  • Why It’s Essential: A seismic blend of sci-fi and fantasy with jaw-dropping worldbuilding.
  • Start With: The Fifth Season
  • Fun Fact: Jemisin became the first author to win the Hugo Award three years in a row — for all three books.
  • Explore Jemisin’s work

7. The First Law Trilogy (Joe Abercrombie)

  • Why It’s Essential: Brutal, funny, and full of antiheroes who feel a little too real.
  • Start With: The Blade Itself
  • Fun Fact: Abercrombie’s nickname is “Lord Grimdark” — with good reason.
  • Get into First Law

8. Discworld (Terry Pratchett)

  • Why It’s Essential: Satirical, silly, and sneakily profound. There’s nothing else like it.
  • Start With: Guards! Guards! or Mort depending on your flavor.
  • Fun Fact: Pratchett’s turtle-powered world contains over 40 books and a million jokes.
  • Visit Discworld

9. The Inheritance Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin)

  • Why It’s Essential: Mythology, god politics, and relationships with actual gods. No big deal.
  • Start With: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
  • Fun Fact: Jemisin makes this list twice. Excellence tends to do that.
  • Read the Inheritance Trilogy

10. His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman)

  • Why It’s Essential: Talking animals, parallel worlds, and a girl with a golden compass.
  • Start With: The Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights)
  • Fun Fact: The series is a theological mic drop disguised as a kids’ adventure.
  • Discover Pullman’s universe

Honorable Mentions

  • The Realm of the Elderlings (Robin Hobb)
  • The Green Bone Saga (Fonda Lee)
  • The Poppy War Trilogy (R.F. Kuang)
  • The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
  • The Malazan Book of the Fallen (Steven Erikson)

Conclusion: The Magic Lives On

These series don’t just offer escapism — they offer meaning, myth, and wonder. They challenge our notions of good and evil, fate and freedom, power and sacrifice.

Fantasy doesn’t just imagine other worlds. It helps us understand our own.

So whether you’re re-reading Tolkien or discovering Jemisin for the first time, these ten sagas are must-reads in 2025 — and far beyond.

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