The fantasy genre has experienced a significant boost in popularity recently, with an influx of new books, TV shows, and films entering the market. However, some have been long-standing fans of the genre, including the team at Fantasy Book Reviews, who recently revealed their top fantasy series of all time.
In their selection process, they chose to only rank series that consist of more than three books. This meant that the iconic fantasy epic Lord of the Rings didn’t make the cut – although it did secure third place on their list of the 100 best fantasy books of all time. Taking the top spot was the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, with its first book, Gardens of the Moon, published in 1999.
While it may not be the most well-known fantasy series worldwide, it has certainly won over the readers of Fantasy Book Review.
They wrote: “A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb’s trilogy of trilogies (Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man) are quite able to put a very strong case forward for their favoured works but few can deny that the quality and ambition of the ten books that make up A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen are unmatched within the genre.”
However, the Malazan universe extends far beyond this main series, encompassing an additional 20 books, some of which are written by fellow fantasy author Ian C. Esslemont, reports The Mirror.
George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, which was transformed into the blockbuster TV sensation Game of Thrones, has captured the second spot on the list. The fervent fanbase has eagerly anticipated the latest book, The Winds of Winter, for over ten years.
Akin to the sprawling Malazan books, A Song of Ice and Fire features its own expanded universe, complete with several supplementary works that add depth to ASOIAF, yet aren’t essential to the main storyline.
Nabbing third place is Robert Jordan’s spellbinding The Wheel of Time, another gargantuan fantasy narrative that has found new life through a recent television adaptation.
Die-hard enthusiasts of the genre have heaped praise on this series, saying: “A saga filled with unforgettable characters and a world steeped in rich history and legend. If you truly love the fantasy genre, passing up a chance to read The Wheel of Time would be an unbelievable mistake.”
Rounding off the top five are J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin, claiming fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
The best fantasy book series of all time, according to Fantasy Book Review:
- A Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
- A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
- The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin
- The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
- The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood
- The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson
- The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney
- The Mythago Cycle by Robert Holdstock
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
- Thursday Next by Jasper Forde
- The Dark Tower by Stephen King
- The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook
- Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
- The Rigante Novels by David Gemmell
- Discworld by Terry Pratchett
- Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody
- The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
- A Tale of Einarinn by Juliet E McKenna
- The Drenai Novels by David Gemmell