What are the best fantasy books?

Question

I'm an avid reader of fantasy, but unfortunately my school library has a definite lack of books that fall into that category. I've read the best known ones (Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter) and I'm just looking for some recommendation of other good, but probably lesser known works.

PS -- Any science fiction or supernatual recommendation would be welcome as well.

Answer 1

The bible................( am not kidding).............

Answer 2

Guy Gavriel Kay, The Fionavar Tapestry, 3 volumes - The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire,
The Darkest Road. David Eddings, The Belgariad,
five volumes; The Mallorean, 5 Volumes, The
Elenium, 3 volumes; The Tamuli, 3 volumes; The
Redemption of Althalus; Belgarath the Sorceror,
Polgara the Sorceress. I would advise against
Robert Jordan and Stephen Donaldson.

Answer 3

Here are some of my own favorites:
Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain are considered classics, as well. They are inspired by Welsh myth and include, "The Book of Three", 'The Black Cauldron', 'The Castle of Llyr,' 'Taran Wanderer', and 'The High King'.
Ursula K. Le Guin's 'Earthsea' books are also very good. They are 'A Wizard of Earthsea', 'The Tombs of Atuan', 'The Farthest Shore', 'Tehanu', 'Tales from Earthsea', and 'The Other Wind'. She also wrote a very good sci-fi novel, 'The Left Hand of Darkness'.
Diana Wynne Jones is another favorite. For more standard fantasy fare, try her 'Dalemark Quartet' and 'Fire and Hemlock', which is a re-telling of the Tamlin myth. For lighter, satirical fantasy, try 'Dark Lord of Derkholm' and its sequel, 'The Year of the Griffin'. 'The Merlin Conspiracy' is also very good, and 'Howl's Moving Castle' is a personal favorite. The 'Chrestomanci' books are also good recomendations. Jones is very good at portraying her fantasy worlds.
If you like books with animal main characters, then the 'Redwall' series by Brian Jacques is a must.
T.A. Barron's 'Lost Years of Merlin' are a wonderful take on Merlin's younger years.
'Dragonriders of Pern' and other 'Pern' novels by Anne McCaffrey are a must.
Piers Anthony's pun-filled Xanth novels are also a fun read.
"The Last Unicorn' by Peter. S. Beagle is a classic.
If you need more, there are plenty of recommendation lists if you go to amazon.com and type in 'fantasy'. I hope you enjoy these books.

Answer 4

Try reading anything by Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere is a particular favorite of mine.
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik is the Napoleonic wars, only with dragons as the air force.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is really hard to describe. It's about magic in an alternate version of England, and is unlike anything I've ever read before.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is pretty good. It has a wicked sense of humor.
If you like humor, read anything by Terry Pratchett.
Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series may be too young for you, but it's still a good read.
Piers Anthony's Xanth series is fun fantasy.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is must-read SF.
Ditto for Frank Herbert's Dune.
If you've never read any of HP Lovecraft's work, check him out.

Answer 5

Mary Stewart - The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment (This is about Merlin)

The Once and Future King by TH White

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

-these are all very good books!

Answer 6

Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck - YA. A great book set about a decade after the sinking Titanic. Blossom Culp discovers her psychic powers while waging a battle of wits against schoolyard foes.

House of Stairs by William Sleator
A handful of teenagers wake up to find themselves lost in a seemingly endless structure of stairs and platforms. Psychological scifi thriller.

Starrider by Doris Piserchia
Star-jumping Lone and, her mount, Hinx, search for the legendary planet of Doubleluck.

Godstalk by P.C. Hodgell
Her memory of the past years lost, a strange book in her possession, Jame flees haunts, seeking refuge in the labryrinthian city of Tai-Tastigon on a night when dead gods walk the streets.

Silver Wolf by Alice Borchardt
Set in 8-century Rome, Regeane is a young woman who becomes a wolf by night.


Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) by Robin Hobb. The first book of a saga that later includes the Liveship Traders series. Excellent fantasy series.


The Dark Glory War by Michael A. Stackpole
The book preceding Fortress Draconis the DragonCrown War Cycle

The Free Lunch by Spider Robinson
Scifi. Twelve-year-old Mike decides to leave the real world behind and live in the amusement park, Dreamworld, but it's already Annie's world.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (if you like puns)

The Crystal Mask by Katherine Roberts
Has a girl raised by centaurs

Shatterglass by Tamora Pierce

Locked In Time by Lois Duncan

Blue Song by Sydney J. Van Scyoc

Answer 7

Try Wen Spencer, Jane Lindskold, Dennis McKiernan, Raymond Feist, Frederick Pohl, Robert Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, David Weber, John Ringo, Eric Flint, etc. Go to Baen's Books on the web. Sign in and go to the chat room, the bar, new books forthcoming, authors, etc. The sky is the limit on this site. And you can read and download free e-books. Happy reading!

Answer 8

I love fantasy books too. So, if you already read LotR, I'd suggest some of the other works of Tolkien ("Silmarillion", "Unfinished tales of Numenor and Middle Earth", "The Hobbit", "Roverandom").
And if you're over 14, you should read Peter Beagle's "The last Unicorn" and "A Fine and Private place" (you have to be a little bit older to understand them, but they're really great).

Answer 9

If you liked Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia, you'll love King Fortis the Brave. With just the right amount of action and humor it's one of my favorites of all time!

Answer 10

The Earthsea Chronicles
Dragonlance Series
Belgariad & Malorean Series
Wheel of Time

Answer 11

The Redwall novels by Brian Jacques are good and Tailchaiser's Song by Tad Williams both are animal novels like Watership Down but the Redwall novels give the animals more human-like traits.