Fantasy novels are amongst the best selling fiction books. Whatever their age or place, fantasy fans are unanimous in their novel choices and here are some best fantasy books of all time.
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – J.R.R Tolkien
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. The lord of all fantasy novels, LOTR is Tolkien’s magnum opus. Set in Middle Earth, rings of power were created to be given to all races, as a symbol of true leadership and power. But the dark Lord Sauron created a master ring, filled with his evil will and hate, to rule all the rings and take over Middle Earth. The trilogy starts with the hobbit Frodo, who is left the ring, his travels with friend Sam and wizard Gandalf to the city of Elves, and him becoming the ring keeper. The storyline then divides into 2 main plots. One is the story of Sam and Frodo, as they journey to Mordor to destroy the ring. The other looks at the kingdoms of the land, men, elves and dwarfs, uniting together to face Sauron’s march. - A Song of Ice and Fire – George R.R. Martin
An epic fantasy series, with human and mythological characters, set in 2 continents, Westeros and Essos. The storyline is based on three points of view, a civil war among the Westeros families, an external threat in the form of the Others and the will of one woman to command an empire. This series has been translated into 20 languages and a television series is currently being produced. - Assassin’s Quest – Robin Hobb
The third part in the Farseer Trilogy, this novel continues the story of FitzChivalry, a half wolf, half man, assassin for the Mountain kingdom. Assumed to be dead, Fitz must travel back to his lord, all the while battling a hidden nemesis, completing a dangerous quest and learning to live with the reawakened animal side of him. - The Amulet of Samarkand – Jonathan Stroud
A young boy is sold by his parents, to become a magician’s apprentice and reshape his destiny. He struggles under his master’s cruel will, but his fate takes a deadly turn, after a humiliating encounter with a powerful wizard. Vengeance becomes his aim, and the boy enhances his magical skills and knowledge and delves into deeper and darker magic. He learns how to summon a 5000 year old Djinn and in doing so, starts a magical, dangerous chain of events. - Redwall – Brian Jacques
An animal world, set in ancient Britain, this novel series describes the struggles of one species against their enemies. Each book in the Redwall series has a different timeline and animal class. For eg. Mattimeo is the adventure of young mouse, Mattimeo, as he seeks to defend his beloved Redwall Abbey, against the evil machinations of Slagar the Fox. All the Redwall novels are noted for their rich and detailed prose and characters, interesting and vivid background and events and the underlying inspiring messages. - The Last Unicorn – Peter S Beagle
A true fantasy novel, dealing with the most mysterious and beautiful of all mythical creatures, the unicorn. She’s the last of her kind, alone and forgotten in the deep forest, so she undertakes a long and arduous journey, across an unknown land. The unicorn meets different people, some who want to help her, some who wish to do her harm and she learns the real truth, behind her kin’s disappearance. - Dark Tower – Stephen King
Imagine the Old West, as a magical dessert, where the line between good and evil fades in the sand. The gunslinger, the last of his line of knights, travels across this desolate, war ravaged land, searching for the Dark Tower, all the while, fighting his enemies, old and new. - Mort – Terry Pratchett
The fourth novel in the Discworld series, the titular character Mort becomes an assistant to the most unlikely of all employers, Death. Now deciding who gets to die and who doesn’t, isn’t really Mort’s job. But when a princess is Death’s next target, chivalrous Mort comes to the rescue and so, causes unseen and interesting consequences, for everyone involved. - The Sword of Truth – Terry Goodkind
A man who fights for justice, searching for his heritage. A woman, sole survivor of a wiped out cult, who uses magic to search for truth. A wizard of a powerful class with a thirst for more magic. The three band together to start a quest, to defeat those who seek to oppress and destroy their world. On the way, each discovers secrets from the past, learn their true destinies and fight for a better future. - Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling
The best fantasy books of all time list would be incomplete without this title. It is a great example of fantasy and magic, set in our present timeline. Harry Potter showed us how the magical world exists, right beneath our noses! From his first day at Hogwarts, to his epic battle with Voldemort, it is a thrilling and knowledgeable ride of fun. The reader is taken deep into the heart of magic, from spells and potions, to beasts like hippogriffs and basilisks. And the central theme of friendship and love sets an important tone, for readers of all ages.