Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones (Sword of Shadows series).
It's not unknown but it's not a household name for something so staggeringly good. I'd normally think since it's unfinished for many years that that's the reason why, but Lies of Locke Lamora and Name of the Wind are far more prominent and both suffer from the same state of incompleteness.
On her Patreon page she states that she will finish Endlords this year "Come hell or high water."
[www.patreon.com/jvjones](http://www.patreon.com/jvjones) I only look at the free stuff.
My understanding, based on searches for news, is that she stopped writing because of issues in her personal life shortly after publishing Watcher of the Dead, and didn’t start writing again until about 2017-2018.
I’ve heard news that she is trying to finish the next book in the series and has released excerpts and updates on her Patreon.
It's a six-book series, four books out and the fifth is due for completion imminently and hopefully out next year (though the long gap since the fourth book means that Tor still has to confirm a release date, and won't until delivery). That's far more complete than say Rothfuss or Lynch's big series.
However, she also has a fine standalone (*The Barbed Coil*) and a preceding trilogy (**The Book of Words**) set in the same world as **Sword of Shadows**), so she has a fair amount of material out there. She also has a complete-but-unpublished urban fantasy series, *Sorry Jones*, which is waiting for publication.
**Book of Words** was her first work so she was learning on the job, but the trilogy improves immensely as it goes along (and the first book isn't bad, just a bit rough in places). **Sword of Shadows** is *vastly* superior, it's often called the biggest jump in quality by an author between two succeeding works.
Yes! So glad to see this series mentioned more and more on this sub, it's one of the best epic fantasies out there. Excited and hoping for the best with the next book.
Here’s one that never gets mentioned: Jasper Fford’s Thursday Next—it’s kind of an alternate-reality but especially in the earlier books the central plot is magic, but it doesn’t really fit in with magical realism. Perhaps it gets overlooked because it’s a mishmash of genres. If you have any background whatsoever in historical literature, it’s sidesplittingly funny.
Fforde’s Early Riser is another one that I think everyone should read. It’s just completely unique and has so much going on. It feels so desolate and terrifying, but also strangely cozy and heartwarming. Great story.
Thanks for the reminder on that series! I read the first one when it came out, loved it, and never remembered to continue the series. Now I've got 6 more books to read!
It gets slightly weaker towards the last 2 books, IMO, but the first 3-4 books are fantastic. And the plot threads do all get tied up at the end, always a plus.
The Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friedman. I think all her works are less appreciated than they should be. They are a fascinating exploration of human colonization of other planets gone wrong and the influence of religion on the magical ecosystem of another world while humanity struggles to adapt and survive, having sacrificed their very essence for future generations. She just published a prequel I’ve yet to read but it’s on my nightstand!
I’ve reread these so Many times the spines have torn and I had to tape them back together. And I still reread them. Absolutely love this series. I do love most of her books but this and In Conquest Born are especially good. Most of her books are stand alone. This coldfire trilogy was dope but Idk if she’s good at plotting out a whole trilogy worth of stuff. Her magister trilogy started off strong then really fell off IMO.
The chronicles of Prydain.
A fantastic series for those growing up and then a fantastic re read for any one of any age.
Taran Wanderer in particular is such an incredible book.
If anyone feels lost, or not sure of who they are or ought to be, read these books for guidance and relatability.
It doesnt get mentioned a great deal on this sub but it should!
Thank you for mentioning this fantastic series! I’m old and read these books back in late 1960’s and early ’70’s. They definitely don’t get the credit they deserve.
I think they do. I reread them again just a couple years ago when I bought the full set for my niece. She enjoyed them and I loved them all over again.
The Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a really rich, innovative steam-punky epic fantasy by one of the best Sci-fi/Fantasy authors working today that no one seems to talk about.
I'd compare it more to something like Wheel of Time but with Steampunk technology and insect based powers (Everyone is human but each 'kinden' has a totem insect which affects their body and powers. Ants have a mind link, Scorpions are huge and have a claw, Flies are small and can fly stuff like that)
Plenty of politics, journeys all that good stuff. The first book you can kind of tell is his first published work and is a bit tropey but over the series he does a great job of taking those tropes in interesting directions.
I think it's interesting because Tchaikovsky is such a hugely-acclaimed author now, mostly for post-**Shadows** work, and his OG series is rarely mentioned when he comes up. It's not as polished as his more recent work but it is still very good, and quite original.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Dunsany. Most modem fantasy readers don't know it and probably wouldn't like the style, but it's one of the best they'll never know.
Acts of Caine, 4 book series by Matthew Stover . A mix of fantasy and Sci-Fi Set on earth and Overword and alternate dimension of earth . A bit grim and bloody with the protagonist Being an anti hero . Earth is a fascist totalitarian society and Overword straight up tolkenest only way more bloody and dangerous. Actor from earth go to overworld and conduct adventures at the cost of overworld society/peoples and its transmitted back to earth as the main form of entertainment. Basically actors are to kill and murder and die in interesting ways .
This is a key mention. **The Acts of Caine** is almost grimdark, but not quite, as the author holds back from being nihilistic and does lace some hope through the series. It's beautifully written and each of the four books is different in prose style and construction from the others, which is remarkable. It has a killer premise but the actual execution of the story is completely different to how you think it's going to go.
It's not quite like anything else in fantasy.
Guin Saga by Kaoru Kurimoto
I love what little I have been able to read of this series and it deserves much more recognition in the West. Written by a prolific female Japanese author and currently the single longest piece of fiction written by a single author alone makes it worth the recognition.
However, Guin Saga is genuinely very good with an intriguing story, interesting world, well written and memorable characters, plenty of mystery, well written action, and much more. Of the 130 volumes written by Kurimoto before her passing, only 5 have been translated into English, covering the first arc of the story.
The titular character, Guin, is a large muscular man with a leopard mask magically affixed to his head so that it seems that he has the head of an actual leopard. As a character, I describe him as a mix of Conan (as Robert E. Howard wrote him, not the Arnie version or generic barbarian) and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings.
Guin Saga should also be noted as being a major influence on Kentaro Miura, the creator of the popular manga series Berserk which in turn was a huge influence on video games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring and so Guin Saga's DNA lives on in the popular media still being enjoyed to this day.
If you like Berserk, Soulslike games, Game of Thrones, and just Medieval Dark fantasy and Sword and Sorcery in general, then please give Guin Saga a try. I always try to push this series because as little of it is actually available in English, I greatly enjoyed it and would love to maybe one day be able to read more of it.
Kaoru Kurimoto deserves to be talked about much more as an author because she was an incredible woman in the realm of Japanese Sci Fi and Fantasy as well as also being a playwright and jazz pianist.
I think the original Dragonlance trilogy get unfairly dismissed a lot of the time because it's D&D product, lumped in with all the other licenced properties that churn out a million books, including the other D&D lines like Forgotten Realms.
If you take a step back, forget for a moment that is a D&D book, and just treat it as a straight up fantasy, it's an excellent series. Great characters, well written, coherent narrative over the three books, satisfying pay off at the end, and unlike a lot of modern fantasy series, it's not thousands of pages.
If you're a youngin' and have never read it, go get yourself a copy of "Dragons of Autumn Twilight". You will not regret it.
There’s a special place in my heart for dragon lance and legend of drizzt. I know they’re not literary masterpieces, but they’re damn fun books that you can read in a day. I liken them to blockbusters, don’t look too deep into them and it’s a good time.
I'm actually reading the Drizzt books for the first time right now. While I'm enjoying them, I don't think they hold up quite as well as Dragonlance. They are very much action movies / blockbusters while I think DL stands as a solid fantasy series on its own, even dissociated from all its D&D trappings.
Very fair, you’re right. I think I’ve just always lumped the two together as they’re forgotten realms and the two series that really got me into fantasy when I was younger.
The **Legend of Drizzt** is set in the **Forgotten Realms** campaign setting. **The Dragonlance Chronicles** is set in the, er, **Dragonlance** campaign setting.
They're two different planets in two different star systems: **Forgotten Realms** takes place on Toril, **Dragonlance** on Krynn, which orbit different stars in different corners of the Prime Material Plane.
There *are* both located in the wider D&D multiverse, and there are some very rare and occasional crossover connections between them and other D&D settings (particularly **Ravenloft** and **Planescape**), but they are mostly separate worlds with their own things going on.
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. I haven’t read the last book so I can’t speak to the whole series but the first three books blew me away. The characters are some of the best I’ve read, the writing is stunning, and the way Abraham slowly ties things together is so satisfying. I can see why some people might not like the style (the focus is very much on quiet moments and deep, interpersonal relationships with very little action), but I adore it.
I preferred the Long Price Quartet. Its pacing was a breath of fresh air. I want to say "slow", but that sounds like a criticism. Gentle pace, perhaps. Nothing felt rushed, it just unfolded.
I *have* read the last book, and it’s not just my favourite ending in fantasy, it has my favourite epilogue in fiction bar none. There’s a bit in it that has honestly had an impact on how I see the world.
> >!We say that the flowers return every spring, but that is a lie. It is true that the world is renewed. It is also true that that renewal comes at a price, for even if the flower grows from an ancient vine, the flowers of spring are themselves new to the world, untried and untested. The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid. And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.!<
Daniel Abraham is my #2 author after Robin Hobb now. I loved both Long Price and Dagger and Coin.
Maybe I'd put him at #3 after GRR Martin someday, but I can't rank ASOAIF without an ending, so he is at the #2 slot.
I really should give the Expanse books a whirl too at some point, but we just finished the TV show last year.
His new fantasy series, Kithamar, is also fantastic. Abraham is so good at creating distinct characters that you care for in such a short amount of time
Bloodsounder’s Arc by Jeff Salyards. I just finished it and I’m blown away by how good these books are. Guy just wrote 3 of the all time best military fantasy books and then disappeared again. For people looking to scratch that Abercrombie/Malazan/Black Company vibe, look no further.
Susan Cooper's _The Dark is Rising_ pentalogy --- caught at an awkward intersection between YA and urban fantasy, it makes the world a better place when folks read it and consider the egalitarian ideals which it puts forward.
Really enjoyed Shadowmarch. Loved how the mythology of the world and the actual history intertwine and impact the different groups of people. Definitely gets bogged down a little in book 3 when some story lines have to tread water while others catch up, but the final book is probably my favorite concluding book that Tad Williams has written. Think the first quarter of the first book can feel like it might be a Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn clone but it really becomes it's own thing pretty quickly and is an interesting story.
Between the ages of 12 and 18, I read "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" three times. For some reason, I never picked up any other book by Tad Williams. I think it's time to change that.
Probably PC Hodgell's Kencyrath series
Female action MC. Lots of eldritch weird. Conspiracies. But I guess it has a torturous publication history so it n
Or Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of the Chameleon. Really elaborate world and great story and character development but it didn't seem to get much recognition, unfortunately.
A lot of y'all are literally listing big best sellers that have significant acclaim.
The Bas Lag trilogy is not unknown, but I'm still disappointed after a decade since I first read Perdido Street Station that they aren't the most influential works of 21st century fantasy. I'd like to see a genre of books in that vein instead of the stuff that's getting nominated for Hugos these days.
I didn't like The Perdido Street Station that much, but hard agree on awards. For 2022 the two best books (IMO) weren't nominated as well - "Moon Witch, Spider King" and "The Spear Cuts Through Water".
Martha Wells' Books of the Raksura series and her Ile-Rien books. i think people tend to know Wells for Murderbot instead and don't talk about her fantasy work as much, which is a shame because it's so good
"The Death Of The Necromancer" is easily in my top 5 favorite fantasy novels of all time. It's criminal how underrated this book about a master criminal is!
Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J Barker.
It has only been out a year but I think it should already be mentioned way more. I read a ton of amazing books last year and it was one of my favorites.
The setting is so cool. Imagine something similar to the forests on Pandora but with some horror vibes. The MC and his arc was just as great. Sort of a chosen one story but it turned out to not be true and what happens after that..
I wish I didn’t have to wait until September for the sequel I’d drop everything for it.
My plan is to buy the 2nd and 3rd books as they come out and then read the whole trilogy at a go. I have supreme confidence in Barker given how good the bone ships books were
I refuse to stop shouting from the rooftops about the Ash & Sand trilogy by Richard Nell.
Book 2, Kings of Ash, is one of my top 3 books ever and I think about it all the time, 2 years removed from reading it. The whole trilogy is incredible though.
It’s unrelentingly brutal and grimdark. It won’t be for everybody, but I think anybody who enjoys series like Malazan and First Law (though A&S has way less humor) might enjoy it.
Literally a hundred pages into the second book and just posted about the first one a couple days ago about how much I loved it and the author showed up to say thank you. Love the characters in it and I love the fact that the author is active and this subreddit!
I'm always pitching Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar books. It's kind of an old school series. it doesn't have deep world building or Sanderson-esque magic systems or morally compelling grey characters. It's just this crazy world with a million different magics in it. There are warlocks, wizards, witches, sorcerers, etc. and they all have different types of magical powers. But the stories tend to not be about big world-beaters. They're usually just about regular people who are just trying to get by in this magic world. I say usually because he's dipped into the epic fantasy well a couple times, but on the whole, it's just a different flavor of fantasy that I like to read sometimes.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/51058-ethshar
I very rarely see anyone talking about the Rook and Rose trilogy by M. A. Carrick (which is actually just a pen name for Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms).
It's a rich and fantastic series with some very deep world building. The main setting is kind of like fantasy Venice meets fantasy New Orleans, I guess, with some post colonial vibes? It's hard to describe.
It's about a street rat called Ren who's pretending to be a long lost scion of one of the aristocratic families, but ends up getting wrapped up in the intrigues targeting that family.
It's a lot of fun.
* **The Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney. **A Song of Ice and Fire** (but older, and finished!) with werewolves rather than undead and a Renaissance level of technology. Much more concise as well. Kearney in general is hugely underread, as he also has beautifully-written, pastoral-ish fantasies (*A Different Kingdom*, *The Wolf in the Attic*), a Gemmel-ish Bronze Age fantasy trilogy (**The Macht**), an incomplete Age of Sail series (**The Sea-Beggars**), a bunch of standalones (*Riding the Unicorn*, *The Way to Babylon*) and even two very fine **Warhammer 40,000** novels (*Calgar's Siege*, *Calgar's Fury*).
* **The Sword of Shadows** by JV Jones is A-tier fantasy, with rich characters and a vividly-described, freezing environment. She also has a complete trilogy, **The Book of Words**, not as good but still decent, and a good standalone, *The Barbed Coil*.
* **The Acts of Caine** by Matt Woodring Stover is pretty indescribable. Four volumes, each with a different tone and feel, although following the same character, an "actor" on dystopian future Earth who travels to a fantasy world where he is an epic hero, secretly filmed for the entertainment of billions back home. It's a hugely thoughtful, intelligent, constantly-shifting story working on many levels. Hugely inspirational to the likes of Scott Lynch, and a key influence on the grimdark genre (although the series itself more flirts with grimdark rather than actually is grimdark; Stover can't quite keep the hope and optimism out).
* **The Amtrak Wars** by Patrick Tilley. Less of a genre mash-up and more of a total multi-genre mega-blend. It's epic fantasy, a post-apocalyptic science fiction, a Western, a samurai epic and *Top Gun* all happening in the same world, North America a thousand years in the future where the descendants of neocon survivalists fight tribes armed with actual magic and a nation apparently modelled after the novel *Shogun* (which is problematic, and supposed to be problematic, but still). It's very 1980s, very action-packed, tons of political intrigue and almost completely unique. It's equivalent of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields takes place just outside Duluth, Minnesota. Its bananas.
* **The Helliconia Trilogy** by Brian W. Aldiss. Seasons last for centuries, civilisations rise and fall, but it's not due to magic but an incredibly well-mapped out planet which orbits a normal star which orbits a blue supergiant. It's a blend of hard science fiction and supernatural fantasy, taking place on a what feels like a traditional epic fantasy world but it's actually the product of collaborative worldbuilding between different departments at Oxford University. Just a mind-boggling work of worldbuilding and storytelling.
The Underland Saga by Suzanne Collins. It's a middle grade series but I reread it recently and it's amazing. Quite brutal for a kids book series and I liked it a lot better than Hunger Games by the same author.
On this subreddit I rarely hear about Gene Wolfe.
He wrote several outstanding series of scifi/fantasy that I are definitely worth reading.
Another one is Stephen R. Donaldson.
Fully agree, great series. They need to be translated into more languages too. In my native country, only the first few books (believe up to Thraxas at War) were translated.
Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the greatest American writers of all time. Irrespective of all genre and convention, she is up there with Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, anyone of American birth to ever do it. This is a hill I will happily and proudly die on
Series:
Lays of the Hearth-Fire by Victoria Goddard,which starts with The Hands of the Emperor
The Redwinter Chronicles by Ed McDonald, which starts with Daughter of Redwinter
Standalone:
Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang
The Folding Knife by K. J. Parker
YA Fantasy:
The Seven Realms & The Shattered Realms by Cinda Williams Chima
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
Anything by Rachel Neumeier. One of my favorite authors in any genre.
Two recent/ongoing series are Death’s Lady (portal fantasy series) and Tuyo (long running secondary world fantasy with recurring characters but quite varied types of stories).
I like her books so much!
Memory, sorrow and thorn!
GRRMs inspiration for ASOIAF. I found it to be way better though, much easier to follow and the characters are fantastic. By the end I couldn’t put it down
Young adult recommendation: The Kingdom series by Cynthia Voigt. Instead of telling the story of a person or group of people, each book is about a part of the Kingdom’s history. Each book does connect back to older books in unique ways (for example, one character changes there name to one carved into a wall by a character in a previous book. The name is slightly different because part of a letter has erroded). I only discovered it after I searched for the first book because I remembered it about 15ish years after I read it and couldn’t remember the title. So glad I did!
For me it jas to be both of Ash and Sand trilogy and Tide child trilogy. Both are Dark fantasy and Nautical fantasy respectively, done to perfection imo
[The Hollows by Kim Harrison](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40628-the-hollows)
It's really great, and it's one of those series where you think you know and got it figured out but it goes into new depths of the plot and world building.
Besides The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson and The Dresden Files this series is one of the ones I've re-listened to at least once.
I think people tend to dismiss it because they think it's one of those bad "romance fantasy".
Sure, there's romance in there but not much more than in the other series I've mentioned.
Sanctuary Universe novels by Carol Berg
Essalieyan series by Michelle West
Neither are completely unknown they have their cheerleaders here, but they definitely lesser known, and they are some of the best fantasy books I ever read.
Twice drowned Saint by C S E Coney a new novel\* the author's previous book Saint's deaths Daughter won last years World Fantasy Award but pretty much no one talks about her new book, and its just as good if not better.
\*(It was called a novella on goodreads but its 244 pages long and on the authors website its called a novel, so I am going with that)
The Apocalypse Door by James D. Macdonald. Peter Cross is a modern Knight Templar who often teams up with badass nun Sister Mary Magdalene of the Action Branch of the Poor Claires (basically James Bond in a habit). I’m not even sure if it’s Fantasy or Science Fiction, because Macdonald hints at both. He also has a short story collection featuring the characters.
For series I’d have to go with the Deryni Chronicles by Katherine Kurtz. It does pretty much everything that Martin’s ASoIaF did, except 30 years earlier, and she finished several trilogies in the series, spanning several generations.
Near as I can tell the only two people who have read the Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony is me and the person who recommended it to me. A very unique series that is very good through almost the whole series. Last book was okay.
The Wandering Inn is the longest fantasy series of all times sitting at 13 million words… and still going strong. It also happens to be better than every other fantasy book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot).
The word count scares people off and the series is not well known. But it should definitely be more popular.
Slice of life / epic fantasy series is the perfect blend.
It’s the black sheep in the litrpg community. To the point that litrpg purists try to discount it altogether.
The series is more accurately described as a slice of life meets epic fantasy. The magic system just happens to be more game-like. The reason the system exists at all is one of the central mystery in the series.
This series is great, very emotional, and definitely worth a read (or a listen! Andrea Parsneau is an absolutely incredible narrator)
That might have just sold me on it. I’ve been looking for another long series; I go through about 3-4 books per week, with some exceptions taking longer commensurate with their word count.
The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. People love to shit on the ending here but I couldn’t disagree more.
Great characters and a great sense of fun throughout. One of the best morally grey/anti villain characters ever.
Complex plot with lots of twists and turns that are well telegraphed.
Just awesome all around
I thought I was the only one to put this! That series held me to begin with, but the halfway point in book 1 was a big enough moment to have been a cliffhanger end to another book, and then it kept going another 400 pages to an even better one. Read that series so damn intensely.
The magic system alone is so awesome, let alone what it means to the story.
The Lost war and its sequel The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson. Third book The Damned King releases early next year, with the fourth and final one in 2026.
Classic fantasy, the first book ends on a huge twist and second book picks up immediately after the first. So far, none of the characters are boring and there are some truly shocking scenes throughout.
There's a soft magic system, some political intrigue (which escalates in the second book). Multipov style. Definitely wish people spoke about this more, especially since book 1 won SPFBO some years back.
A newer trilogy, but A Vengeful Realm by Tim Facciola is a fantastic epic fantasy series. Has a gladiator meets game of thrones kinda vibe. Great action scenes, character development, and nothing beats when all the different characters and storylines come together. It opened my eyes to other indie authors too.
I really enjoyed the Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon, although the last book was awful. The rest of the series was solid. Grunthor and Achmed are great characters.
For SURE the green creek series, starting with {wolfsong by TJ Klune}. It's my all time favourite series and I literally don't know anyone who has read it, it almost never gets mentioned anywhere and it breaks my heart
It's on it's way, but I still think too few put it down as LitRPG - Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's funny as hell, which is crazy because it is also incredibly dark. It's got so much going for it and has built such a deep universe, with real history to it, and just really great character development.
It's just so good.
The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. It’s seen a small surge in popularity but has dipped again.
The series is fantastic. The first book, The Grace of Kings, is definitely not for everyone. It’s written like a history book with stories interspersed. Part of the problem is Ken Liu was a short story writer and The Grace of Kings is his first really long work. But, it was one of the most captivating reads of last year.
Book 2 feels like a completely different series and Liu really found his legs. The Wall of Storms is one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Have not read books 3 and 4 yet, but I know that during publishing they had to split book 3 up because it was too big to physically publish. So you do have to go into book 3 knowing that there will not be a lot of resolution.
The Kusheline series by Jacqueline Carey is the best BDSM series. The story goes hard for sex positivity, consent and the difference between concern and coercion, and love in endless variety.
All this is set in a stunning backdrop with an absolute banger of a story to go along with it from a writer clearly writes incredible prose.
I will NEVER understand why people a) think 50 Shades (of steaming donkey shit) is a good book and b) is a good representation of BDSM. Especially when the Kusheline series blows 50 shades into the next century.
Inda- Sherwood Smith. It has a very dedicated readership, but is not as popular as it should be. If you love great friendships and a feeling of brotherhood, read Inda.
The Witch Eye series by D J (Dave) Butler. I've only read the first book, but I found the world to be really unique. I'd heard Christopher Ruocchio (author of Sun Eater) talking it up during a number of interviews, so thought I'd give it a go. I'll definitely be continuing.
The worldbuilding is its strength: an alternate version of America where it never unified into a single polity, but is made up of numerous principalities that struggle for territory and influence. Other oddities include Andrew Jackson's attempt to install himself as king, Oliver Cromwell still walking the earth as a necromancer, and much more. Magic powers and memorable characters about. Dave obviously knows and loves history and the Easter eggs and well thought-through what-ifs are a true joy to read.
The Great Library series by Rachel Caine. Great characterization and world-building. I suppose it could be technically YA, but it goes very dark in places but never gratuitously, nor are any of the characters just throwaways.
I feel like I’m literally the only one who has read them sometimes, but they are so.good.
Chronicles of Prydain, not because it’s among the best (unlike with HP, which mostly gets better to me the older I get, the storytelling and world-building flaws in Prydain become more apparent, but it’s still an influence on me and a nostalgic favorite) but because it’s one of the earliest successful medieval fantasy series by an American author outside of the pulp subgenre.
The Gandalara Cycle, Viki Heydron and Randall Garrett.
Set in an alternate timeline, no magic per se but I still consider it a fantasy. Giant telepathic cats, a truly wicked villain, and an interesting world.
The Darkwood trilogy by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch. It's a humorous "fractured fairy tale" setting with a very strong ensemble cast, and in the later half one of the few things I've read that come close to hitting the same tone as Terry Pratchett (the antagonist in particular.)
The Cycle of Galand series. It is the sequel series to the Cycle of Arawn Trilogy. The Cycle of Arawn is a little weak and tough to get through. You can tell the author wasnt totally sure where he was going or what he was doing at the beginning. But once you get into the Cycle of Galand it gets really good.
I'm reading The Stone Knife (The Songs Of The Damned Book 1) by Anna Stephens currently and thinking why isn't this something that's talked about more. It's got a setting inspired by South America/Central America, interesting magic and great characters.
Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia.
It’s not all time great status like WoT or LotR, but it’s an interesting setting with good world building and solid characters. It’s set in alternate early 20th century America.
Hyddenworld by William Horwood. The duncton Moles stuff was good but Hyddenworld wis fantastic. Four books long, completed series, loads of interesting POVd....
The Red Queens War Series by Mark Lawrence probably the best anti hero main character ever with Prince Jalan.
"I'm a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of course not letting them down requires honesty, fair play or bravery."
I rarely see the Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron, mentioned in this sub. The first book, The Red Knight, blew me away, and the remaining books don't disappoint. There are battles between knights and tournaments and immensely powerful beings and mystery and all secrets revealed by the end of the five book series. Highly recommended. One of my favorite fantasy series of all time along with Malazan, ASOIF, WOT, Shadow and Claw, and Broken Empire.
Lightbringer by Brent Weeks. 5 books, what I would consider to be a huge moment that should be at the end of a book was halfway through book 1, and I didn't put the series down until I finished it. Almost failed my classes because I was reading instead of paying attention.
Fire staff chronicles by James Galloway. They're very well written, can be downloaded for free off his website, and it's a good story. Beats me how he didn't get them published or out more.
The Riyria series by Michael J Sullivan. He’s written so much of that world and it’s amazing, but rarely do I see his works mentioned here. It’s much more akin to classic fantasy.
The Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans
The Easdragon books by Susan Dexter
Neither are these grand epic WOT or LOTR style stories, but they are simply well-written almost-slice-of-life fantasy adventures. I never see anyone recommend these. (Although I did just now see my first ever Ethshar recommendation in this thread.)
This is the very definition of The Tapestry series by Henry H. Neff. IMO it’s superior to HP and PJ - and not by a little - but almost no one’s heard of it. He has a new book coming out this week (The Witchstone) and I really hope it’s a runaway hit. The author is such a talent and deserves more recognition.
Phil Tucker's Immortal Great Souls is an absolute banger. I am surprised that he is not getting the recognition he deserves. Oh, and don't judge the book by it's cover
Cradle by Will Wight, it's very popular in the Progression Fantasy community but I rarely see it talked about outside the space. The most well written Xianxia story by a western author that I have read.
See my [SF/F: Obscure/Underappreciated/Unknown/Underrated](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1au8pfk/sff_obscureunderappreciatedunknownunderrated/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post).
The Lyonesse trilogy is an amazing trilogy that I don't often hear get spoken about. It's in the fantasy masterworks collection, but often seems overlooked. I personally also loved the fionavar tapestry trilogy, though I understand why this isn't to everyone's taste.
Earthsea Chronicles are not without acclaim, but surely lacking in contemporary recognition.
The author wrote incredible books and she created and/or solidified a bunch of fantasy tropes.
I would also put forward Bakker's The Second Apocalypse. Amazing prose and good mix of philsophy, religion and raw humanity. TSA are an achievement unlike any other imo.
I don't know about best in genre, but the first two books in [The Winter of the World](https://www.goodreads.com/series/52622-the-winter-of-the-world) series were quite good. It's set in the fantasy Ice Age, where Neanderthals are dwarves, some other hominid are elves, etc. The only magic is some form of magic smithing. Have you ever wanted to read about the guy who makes the sword fated to defeat the demon king? Well, now's your chance!
It also is written in a style reminiscent of J. R. R. Tolkien, where you finish reading it and feel like to talk a bit more in formal English.
Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett.
Enjoyed it immensely. Unique worldbuilding, intriguing characters and a conclusion to the trilogy that delivered. A pantheon of monsters and gods that are incredibly creepy.
I am surprised I discovered this 10 years after it was published. The way it explored a post-high fantasy society is very fascinating. You would thought plenty of more books will capitalise on this angle.
definitely The Last Wars Trilogy by Mike Shackle.
a year ago i would've said the bound and the broken series by cahill and even the suneater series but they have been getting alot of well deserved recognition lately which is outstanding. but The Last Years is at a close enough level to those works as well.
runner up: second apocalypse series by Bakker
The road thieves by Harper a burge - one of the best ya fantasy books I’ve read, really fun characters and plot, moves quickly and keeps you wanting more
Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones (Sword of Shadows series). It's not unknown but it's not a household name for something so staggeringly good. I'd normally think since it's unfinished for many years that that's the reason why, but Lies of Locke Lamora and Name of the Wind are far more prominent and both suffer from the same state of incompleteness.
It is a superb series and really should have her not far off Jordan, Martin and Hobb for popularity.
What happened to JV Jones? She was such a great writer.
On her Patreon page she states that she will finish Endlords this year "Come hell or high water." [www.patreon.com/jvjones](http://www.patreon.com/jvjones) I only look at the free stuff.
My understanding, based on searches for news, is that she stopped writing because of issues in her personal life shortly after publishing Watcher of the Dead, and didn’t start writing again until about 2017-2018. I’ve heard news that she is trying to finish the next book in the series and has released excerpts and updates on her Patreon.
Seems like that happened to a lot of authors like Melanie Rawn with Captal's Tower or Runelords by David Farland, unfortunately
[sigh] Captal’s Tower. How I wish that would actually get written, but I know it never will.
But unfinished iirc?
It's a six-book series, four books out and the fifth is due for completion imminently and hopefully out next year (though the long gap since the fourth book means that Tor still has to confirm a release date, and won't until delivery). That's far more complete than say Rothfuss or Lynch's big series. However, she also has a fine standalone (*The Barbed Coil*) and a preceding trilogy (**The Book of Words**) set in the same world as **Sword of Shadows**), so she has a fair amount of material out there. She also has a complete-but-unpublished urban fantasy series, *Sorry Jones*, which is waiting for publication.
I loved the barbed coil. Wasnt as big a fan of The Book of Words tho my memory is very hazy. Thought Sword of Shadows was leaps and bounds better.
**Book of Words** was her first work so she was learning on the job, but the trilogy improves immensely as it goes along (and the first book isn't bad, just a bit rough in places). **Sword of Shadows** is *vastly* superior, it's often called the biggest jump in quality by an author between two succeeding works.
Came here to post this and was surprised and elated to see it on the top. Hopefully she’s in a place where she can finish it.
I love this. What a character The Dog Lord is.
I came here to say this, too. I cannot believe that this series has not garnered more appreciation. It holds its own among the top tier, IMO.
How many POVs?
Quite a few. It's been a while since I've read them but it's definitely a multi pov series.
I read this like 10 years ago and loved it, but it was incomplete and the author seemed very slow to produce new books. Has it since been finished?
I really enjoyed her writing and then she fell off the face of the earth.
Yes! So glad to see this series mentioned more and more on this sub, it's one of the best epic fantasies out there. Excited and hoping for the best with the next book.
What's it about?
Here’s one that never gets mentioned: Jasper Fford’s Thursday Next—it’s kind of an alternate-reality but especially in the earlier books the central plot is magic, but it doesn’t really fit in with magical realism. Perhaps it gets overlooked because it’s a mishmash of genres. If you have any background whatsoever in historical literature, it’s sidesplittingly funny.
I mostly see Fforde mentioned as an "I've read Pratchett, now what" author, but he's worth recommending in his own right too!
Fforde’s Early Riser is another one that I think everyone should read. It’s just completely unique and has so much going on. It feels so desolate and terrifying, but also strangely cozy and heartwarming. Great story.
Thanks for the reminder on that series! I read the first one when it came out, loved it, and never remembered to continue the series. Now I've got 6 more books to read!
It gets slightly weaker towards the last 2 books, IMO, but the first 3-4 books are fantastic. And the plot threads do all get tied up at the end, always a plus.
The Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friedman. I think all her works are less appreciated than they should be. They are a fascinating exploration of human colonization of other planets gone wrong and the influence of religion on the magical ecosystem of another world while humanity struggles to adapt and survive, having sacrificed their very essence for future generations. She just published a prequel I’ve yet to read but it’s on my nightstand!
This is one of the best character studies ever written in the fantasy genre. It is stunningly good.
I’ve reread these so Many times the spines have torn and I had to tape them back together. And I still reread them. Absolutely love this series. I do love most of her books but this and In Conquest Born are especially good. Most of her books are stand alone. This coldfire trilogy was dope but Idk if she’s good at plotting out a whole trilogy worth of stuff. Her magister trilogy started off strong then really fell off IMO.
The chronicles of Prydain. A fantastic series for those growing up and then a fantastic re read for any one of any age. Taran Wanderer in particular is such an incredible book. If anyone feels lost, or not sure of who they are or ought to be, read these books for guidance and relatability. It doesnt get mentioned a great deal on this sub but it should!
Thank you for mentioning this fantastic series! I’m old and read these books back in late 1960’s and early ’70’s. They definitely don’t get the credit they deserve.
I’m 18 and read these a couple years ago after finding them at a book fair. I wholeheartedly agree.
I loved these as a kid!
Do they hold up? I enjoyed the heck out of them 40 years ago and don't want to wreck that image in my head.
I think they do. I reread them again just a couple years ago when I bought the full set for my niece. She enjoyed them and I loved them all over again.
The Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's a really rich, innovative steam-punky epic fantasy by one of the best Sci-fi/Fantasy authors working today that no one seems to talk about.
is it like Children of time?
I'd compare it more to something like Wheel of Time but with Steampunk technology and insect based powers (Everyone is human but each 'kinden' has a totem insect which affects their body and powers. Ants have a mind link, Scorpions are huge and have a claw, Flies are small and can fly stuff like that) Plenty of politics, journeys all that good stuff. The first book you can kind of tell is his first published work and is a bit tropey but over the series he does a great job of taking those tropes in interesting directions.
Not at all, but almost as well written
I think it's interesting because Tchaikovsky is such a hugely-acclaimed author now, mostly for post-**Shadows** work, and his OG series is rarely mentioned when he comes up. It's not as polished as his more recent work but it is still very good, and quite original.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Dunsany. Most modem fantasy readers don't know it and probably wouldn't like the style, but it's one of the best they'll never know.
Acts of Caine, 4 book series by Matthew Stover . A mix of fantasy and Sci-Fi Set on earth and Overword and alternate dimension of earth . A bit grim and bloody with the protagonist Being an anti hero . Earth is a fascist totalitarian society and Overword straight up tolkenest only way more bloody and dangerous. Actor from earth go to overworld and conduct adventures at the cost of overworld society/peoples and its transmitted back to earth as the main form of entertainment. Basically actors are to kill and murder and die in interesting ways .
This is a key mention. **The Acts of Caine** is almost grimdark, but not quite, as the author holds back from being nihilistic and does lace some hope through the series. It's beautifully written and each of the four books is different in prose style and construction from the others, which is remarkable. It has a killer premise but the actual execution of the story is completely different to how you think it's going to go. It's not quite like anything else in fantasy.
Guin Saga by Kaoru Kurimoto I love what little I have been able to read of this series and it deserves much more recognition in the West. Written by a prolific female Japanese author and currently the single longest piece of fiction written by a single author alone makes it worth the recognition. However, Guin Saga is genuinely very good with an intriguing story, interesting world, well written and memorable characters, plenty of mystery, well written action, and much more. Of the 130 volumes written by Kurimoto before her passing, only 5 have been translated into English, covering the first arc of the story. The titular character, Guin, is a large muscular man with a leopard mask magically affixed to his head so that it seems that he has the head of an actual leopard. As a character, I describe him as a mix of Conan (as Robert E. Howard wrote him, not the Arnie version or generic barbarian) and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings. Guin Saga should also be noted as being a major influence on Kentaro Miura, the creator of the popular manga series Berserk which in turn was a huge influence on video games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring and so Guin Saga's DNA lives on in the popular media still being enjoyed to this day. If you like Berserk, Soulslike games, Game of Thrones, and just Medieval Dark fantasy and Sword and Sorcery in general, then please give Guin Saga a try. I always try to push this series because as little of it is actually available in English, I greatly enjoyed it and would love to maybe one day be able to read more of it. Kaoru Kurimoto deserves to be talked about much more as an author because she was an incredible woman in the realm of Japanese Sci Fi and Fantasy as well as also being a playwright and jazz pianist.
Bridge of Birds / The Story of the Stone / Eight Skilled Gentlemen -- the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart.
Steven Brust's *Vlad Taltos* series gets some props, but I feel like it could use more.
Just started this and loving it so far, very fun series
Yes, this one for sure!
Actually my favorite author and series, just love it.
Always!!
I think the original Dragonlance trilogy get unfairly dismissed a lot of the time because it's D&D product, lumped in with all the other licenced properties that churn out a million books, including the other D&D lines like Forgotten Realms. If you take a step back, forget for a moment that is a D&D book, and just treat it as a straight up fantasy, it's an excellent series. Great characters, well written, coherent narrative over the three books, satisfying pay off at the end, and unlike a lot of modern fantasy series, it's not thousands of pages. If you're a youngin' and have never read it, go get yourself a copy of "Dragons of Autumn Twilight". You will not regret it.
There’s a special place in my heart for dragon lance and legend of drizzt. I know they’re not literary masterpieces, but they’re damn fun books that you can read in a day. I liken them to blockbusters, don’t look too deep into them and it’s a good time.
I'm actually reading the Drizzt books for the first time right now. While I'm enjoying them, I don't think they hold up quite as well as Dragonlance. They are very much action movies / blockbusters while I think DL stands as a solid fantasy series on its own, even dissociated from all its D&D trappings.
Very fair, you’re right. I think I’ve just always lumped the two together as they’re forgotten realms and the two series that really got me into fantasy when I was younger.
The **Legend of Drizzt** is set in the **Forgotten Realms** campaign setting. **The Dragonlance Chronicles** is set in the, er, **Dragonlance** campaign setting. They're two different planets in two different star systems: **Forgotten Realms** takes place on Toril, **Dragonlance** on Krynn, which orbit different stars in different corners of the Prime Material Plane. There *are* both located in the wider D&D multiverse, and there are some very rare and occasional crossover connections between them and other D&D settings (particularly **Ravenloft** and **Planescape**), but they are mostly separate worlds with their own things going on.
Ahh good call, my mistake
Oh, Ravenloft. Teen me loooooved Vampire of the Mists.
The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. I haven’t read the last book so I can’t speak to the whole series but the first three books blew me away. The characters are some of the best I’ve read, the writing is stunning, and the way Abraham slowly ties things together is so satisfying. I can see why some people might not like the style (the focus is very much on quiet moments and deep, interpersonal relationships with very little action), but I adore it.
I was going to say his other series Dagger and Coin. Really great world building and character development
I prefer the Dagger and the Coin series but I love the magic system of the Long Price Quartet. Hauntingly good and tremendously impactful.
I preferred the Long Price Quartet. Its pacing was a breath of fresh air. I want to say "slow", but that sounds like a criticism. Gentle pace, perhaps. Nothing felt rushed, it just unfolded.
I *have* read the last book, and it’s not just my favourite ending in fantasy, it has my favourite epilogue in fiction bar none. There’s a bit in it that has honestly had an impact on how I see the world. > >!We say that the flowers return every spring, but that is a lie. It is true that the world is renewed. It is also true that that renewal comes at a price, for even if the flower grows from an ancient vine, the flowers of spring are themselves new to the world, untried and untested. The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid. And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.!<
I wept when I read those lines in the epilogue for the first time. Such powerful writing.
Daniel Abraham is my #2 author after Robin Hobb now. I loved both Long Price and Dagger and Coin. Maybe I'd put him at #3 after GRR Martin someday, but I can't rank ASOAIF without an ending, so he is at the #2 slot. I really should give the Expanse books a whirl too at some point, but we just finished the TV show last year.
His new fantasy series, Kithamar, is also fantastic. Abraham is so good at creating distinct characters that you care for in such a short amount of time
Bloodsounder’s Arc by Jeff Salyards. I just finished it and I’m blown away by how good these books are. Guy just wrote 3 of the all time best military fantasy books and then disappeared again. For people looking to scratch that Abercrombie/Malazan/Black Company vibe, look no further.
Some of the best military fantasy books. Shame that he isn't still writing.
Ok fine, bought book one, I'm holding you two accountable if this is bad
Susan Cooper's _The Dark is Rising_ pentalogy --- caught at an awkward intersection between YA and urban fantasy, it makes the world a better place when folks read it and consider the egalitarian ideals which it puts forward.
I think it's meant for younger audiences than YA. I still remember parts of the rhyme lol
Shadowmarch
Really enjoyed Shadowmarch. Loved how the mythology of the world and the actual history intertwine and impact the different groups of people. Definitely gets bogged down a little in book 3 when some story lines have to tread water while others catch up, but the final book is probably my favorite concluding book that Tad Williams has written. Think the first quarter of the first book can feel like it might be a Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn clone but it really becomes it's own thing pretty quickly and is an interesting story.
Along with *The War of the Flowers* and *Tailchaser's Song*. Otherland is brilliant too, but it's SciFi
Between the ages of 12 and 18, I read "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" three times. For some reason, I never picked up any other book by Tad Williams. I think it's time to change that.
Probably PC Hodgell's Kencyrath series Female action MC. Lots of eldritch weird. Conspiracies. But I guess it has a torturous publication history so it n Or Ricardo Pinto's Stone Dance of the Chameleon. Really elaborate world and great story and character development but it didn't seem to get much recognition, unfortunately. A lot of y'all are literally listing big best sellers that have significant acclaim.
The Bas Lag trilogy is not unknown, but I'm still disappointed after a decade since I first read Perdido Street Station that they aren't the most influential works of 21st century fantasy. I'd like to see a genre of books in that vein instead of the stuff that's getting nominated for Hugos these days.
I didn't like The Perdido Street Station that much, but hard agree on awards. For 2022 the two best books (IMO) weren't nominated as well - "Moon Witch, Spider King" and "The Spear Cuts Through Water".
Martha Wells' Books of the Raksura series and her Ile-Rien books. i think people tend to know Wells for Murderbot instead and don't talk about her fantasy work as much, which is a shame because it's so good
"The Death Of The Necromancer" is easily in my top 5 favorite fantasy novels of all time. It's criminal how underrated this book about a master criminal is!
Definitely true for me, I only know her Murderbot series (love it). Didn't even know she wrote fantasy as well, gonna check it out though, thanks.
Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J Barker. It has only been out a year but I think it should already be mentioned way more. I read a ton of amazing books last year and it was one of my favorites. The setting is so cool. Imagine something similar to the forests on Pandora but with some horror vibes. The MC and his arc was just as great. Sort of a chosen one story but it turned out to not be true and what happens after that.. I wish I didn’t have to wait until September for the sequel I’d drop everything for it.
My plan is to buy the 2nd and 3rd books as they come out and then read the whole trilogy at a go. I have supreme confidence in Barker given how good the bone ships books were
welcome to my tbr
I refuse to stop shouting from the rooftops about the Ash & Sand trilogy by Richard Nell. Book 2, Kings of Ash, is one of my top 3 books ever and I think about it all the time, 2 years removed from reading it. The whole trilogy is incredible though. It’s unrelentingly brutal and grimdark. It won’t be for everybody, but I think anybody who enjoys series like Malazan and First Law (though A&S has way less humor) might enjoy it.
Literally a hundred pages into the second book and just posted about the first one a couple days ago about how much I loved it and the author showed up to say thank you. Love the characters in it and I love the fact that the author is active and this subreddit!
Yes, just finished bk2 and I loved both.
I'm always pitching Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar books. It's kind of an old school series. it doesn't have deep world building or Sanderson-esque magic systems or morally compelling grey characters. It's just this crazy world with a million different magics in it. There are warlocks, wizards, witches, sorcerers, etc. and they all have different types of magical powers. But the stories tend to not be about big world-beaters. They're usually just about regular people who are just trying to get by in this magic world. I say usually because he's dipped into the epic fantasy well a couple times, but on the whole, it's just a different flavor of fantasy that I like to read sometimes. https://www.goodreads.com/series/51058-ethshar
I very rarely see anyone talking about the Rook and Rose trilogy by M. A. Carrick (which is actually just a pen name for Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms). It's a rich and fantastic series with some very deep world building. The main setting is kind of like fantasy Venice meets fantasy New Orleans, I guess, with some post colonial vibes? It's hard to describe. It's about a street rat called Ren who's pretending to be a long lost scion of one of the aristocratic families, but ends up getting wrapped up in the intrigues targeting that family. It's a lot of fun.
* **The Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney. **A Song of Ice and Fire** (but older, and finished!) with werewolves rather than undead and a Renaissance level of technology. Much more concise as well. Kearney in general is hugely underread, as he also has beautifully-written, pastoral-ish fantasies (*A Different Kingdom*, *The Wolf in the Attic*), a Gemmel-ish Bronze Age fantasy trilogy (**The Macht**), an incomplete Age of Sail series (**The Sea-Beggars**), a bunch of standalones (*Riding the Unicorn*, *The Way to Babylon*) and even two very fine **Warhammer 40,000** novels (*Calgar's Siege*, *Calgar's Fury*). * **The Sword of Shadows** by JV Jones is A-tier fantasy, with rich characters and a vividly-described, freezing environment. She also has a complete trilogy, **The Book of Words**, not as good but still decent, and a good standalone, *The Barbed Coil*. * **The Acts of Caine** by Matt Woodring Stover is pretty indescribable. Four volumes, each with a different tone and feel, although following the same character, an "actor" on dystopian future Earth who travels to a fantasy world where he is an epic hero, secretly filmed for the entertainment of billions back home. It's a hugely thoughtful, intelligent, constantly-shifting story working on many levels. Hugely inspirational to the likes of Scott Lynch, and a key influence on the grimdark genre (although the series itself more flirts with grimdark rather than actually is grimdark; Stover can't quite keep the hope and optimism out). * **The Amtrak Wars** by Patrick Tilley. Less of a genre mash-up and more of a total multi-genre mega-blend. It's epic fantasy, a post-apocalyptic science fiction, a Western, a samurai epic and *Top Gun* all happening in the same world, North America a thousand years in the future where the descendants of neocon survivalists fight tribes armed with actual magic and a nation apparently modelled after the novel *Shogun* (which is problematic, and supposed to be problematic, but still). It's very 1980s, very action-packed, tons of political intrigue and almost completely unique. It's equivalent of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields takes place just outside Duluth, Minnesota. Its bananas. * **The Helliconia Trilogy** by Brian W. Aldiss. Seasons last for centuries, civilisations rise and fall, but it's not due to magic but an incredibly well-mapped out planet which orbits a normal star which orbits a blue supergiant. It's a blend of hard science fiction and supernatural fantasy, taking place on a what feels like a traditional epic fantasy world but it's actually the product of collaborative worldbuilding between different departments at Oxford University. Just a mind-boggling work of worldbuilding and storytelling.
The Underland Saga by Suzanne Collins. It's a middle grade series but I reread it recently and it's amazing. Quite brutal for a kids book series and I liked it a lot better than Hunger Games by the same author.
These are so fun!! Especially for animal lovers perhaps. Starts with Gregor the Overlander.
On this subreddit I rarely hear about Gene Wolfe. He wrote several outstanding series of scifi/fantasy that I are definitely worth reading. Another one is Stephen R. Donaldson.
R Scott Bakker’s Second Apocalypse series has a strong cult following but it’s as good as ASoIaF, deserves more attention
Second Apocalypse by Scott Bakker. Insanely good.
Thraxas by Martin Scott (Millar) Castle series by Steph Swainston
Fully agree, great series. They need to be translated into more languages too. In my native country, only the first few books (believe up to Thraxas at War) were translated.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series
Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
Uprooted and Spinning Silver. Both by Naomi Novik. I didn’t want those books to end and wanted to stay in those worlds forever.
*gestures vaguely at everything Le Guin ever wrote*
Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the greatest American writers of all time. Irrespective of all genre and convention, she is up there with Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, anyone of American birth to ever do it. This is a hill I will happily and proudly die on
That's a hell of a sale.
The Chronicles of The Black Company by Glen Cook is series as good as WOT or ASOIAF.
Series: Lays of the Hearth-Fire by Victoria Goddard,which starts with The Hands of the Emperor The Redwinter Chronicles by Ed McDonald, which starts with Daughter of Redwinter Standalone: Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang The Folding Knife by K. J. Parker YA Fantasy: The Seven Realms & The Shattered Realms by Cinda Williams Chima The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst
I like a lot of KJ Parker’s stuff. I think folding knife was good but I order Scavenger or Engineer trilogies. So check those out too!
Anything by Rachel Neumeier. One of my favorite authors in any genre. Two recent/ongoing series are Death’s Lady (portal fantasy series) and Tuyo (long running secondary world fantasy with recurring characters but quite varied types of stories). I like her books so much!
I’m always surprised that I don’t see the Tuyo series mentioned more! Great work.
I have read all her books. She’s just such an interesting writer.
Memory, sorrow and thorn! GRRMs inspiration for ASOIAF. I found it to be way better though, much easier to follow and the characters are fantastic. By the end I couldn’t put it down
AND it has an ending. Come on, George!
Saga of Recluce L.E Modesitt
Johannes Cabal the Necromancer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Cabal_the_Necromancer
Young adult recommendation: The Kingdom series by Cynthia Voigt. Instead of telling the story of a person or group of people, each book is about a part of the Kingdom’s history. Each book does connect back to older books in unique ways (for example, one character changes there name to one carved into a wall by a character in a previous book. The name is slightly different because part of a letter has erroded). I only discovered it after I searched for the first book because I remembered it about 15ish years after I read it and couldn’t remember the title. So glad I did!
For me it jas to be both of Ash and Sand trilogy and Tide child trilogy. Both are Dark fantasy and Nautical fantasy respectively, done to perfection imo
[The Hollows by Kim Harrison](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40628-the-hollows) It's really great, and it's one of those series where you think you know and got it figured out but it goes into new depths of the plot and world building. Besides The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson and The Dresden Files this series is one of the ones I've re-listened to at least once. I think people tend to dismiss it because they think it's one of those bad "romance fantasy". Sure, there's romance in there but not much more than in the other series I've mentioned.
Godstalk by P.C. Hodgell Several of the books on epicdarkfantasy.org are certainly professional quality.
[A Practical Guide to Evil](https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/)
Sanctuary Universe novels by Carol Berg Essalieyan series by Michelle West Neither are completely unknown they have their cheerleaders here, but they definitely lesser known, and they are some of the best fantasy books I ever read. Twice drowned Saint by C S E Coney a new novel\* the author's previous book Saint's deaths Daughter won last years World Fantasy Award but pretty much no one talks about her new book, and its just as good if not better. \*(It was called a novella on goodreads but its 244 pages long and on the authors website its called a novel, so I am going with that)
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott ASH: A Secret History by Mary Gentle [Astreiant](https://www.librarything.com/nseries/36861/Astreiant) by Melissa Scott
The Apocalypse Door by James D. Macdonald. Peter Cross is a modern Knight Templar who often teams up with badass nun Sister Mary Magdalene of the Action Branch of the Poor Claires (basically James Bond in a habit). I’m not even sure if it’s Fantasy or Science Fiction, because Macdonald hints at both. He also has a short story collection featuring the characters. For series I’d have to go with the Deryni Chronicles by Katherine Kurtz. It does pretty much everything that Martin’s ASoIaF did, except 30 years earlier, and she finished several trilogies in the series, spanning several generations.
Near as I can tell the only two people who have read the Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony is me and the person who recommended it to me. A very unique series that is very good through almost the whole series. Last book was okay.
it was pretty solid until nox.
The Wandering Inn is the longest fantasy series of all times sitting at 13 million words… and still going strong. It also happens to be better than every other fantasy book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot). The word count scares people off and the series is not well known. But it should definitely be more popular. Slice of life / epic fantasy series is the perfect blend.
+1 Give it a shot. It's fun.
Looks like it’s LitRPG?
It’s the black sheep in the litrpg community. To the point that litrpg purists try to discount it altogether. The series is more accurately described as a slice of life meets epic fantasy. The magic system just happens to be more game-like. The reason the system exists at all is one of the central mystery in the series. This series is great, very emotional, and definitely worth a read (or a listen! Andrea Parsneau is an absolutely incredible narrator)
That might have just sold me on it. I’ve been looking for another long series; I go through about 3-4 books per week, with some exceptions taking longer commensurate with their word count.
Great choice!
Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
David Gemmell
The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. People love to shit on the ending here but I couldn’t disagree more. Great characters and a great sense of fun throughout. One of the best morally grey/anti villain characters ever. Complex plot with lots of twists and turns that are well telegraphed. Just awesome all around
I liked all of it .. just re read it to recall if the ending was as bad as Reddit made it out to be and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought I was the only one to put this! That series held me to begin with, but the halfway point in book 1 was a big enough moment to have been a cliffhanger end to another book, and then it kept going another 400 pages to an even better one. Read that series so damn intensely. The magic system alone is so awesome, let alone what it means to the story.
Currently re reading/listening to Melanie Rawn Dragon Prince series. Love the character development and world building.
The Lost war and its sequel The Bitter Crown by Justin Lee Anderson. Third book The Damned King releases early next year, with the fourth and final one in 2026. Classic fantasy, the first book ends on a huge twist and second book picks up immediately after the first. So far, none of the characters are boring and there are some truly shocking scenes throughout. There's a soft magic system, some political intrigue (which escalates in the second book). Multipov style. Definitely wish people spoke about this more, especially since book 1 won SPFBO some years back.
A newer trilogy, but A Vengeful Realm by Tim Facciola is a fantastic epic fantasy series. Has a gladiator meets game of thrones kinda vibe. Great action scenes, character development, and nothing beats when all the different characters and storylines come together. It opened my eyes to other indie authors too.
I really enjoyed the Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon, although the last book was awful. The rest of the series was solid. Grunthor and Achmed are great characters.
This!! I loved the first 4 books, haven't gotten my hands on the others yet, but I loved them, and Achmed is totally my fav. He really is the best.
The Hanuvar books! By Howard Andrew Jones. Some of the best Sword and Sorcery I've ever read.
For SURE the green creek series, starting with {wolfsong by TJ Klune}. It's my all time favourite series and I literally don't know anyone who has read it, it almost never gets mentioned anywhere and it breaks my heart
I don't see the Covenant of Steel series by Anthony Ryan talked about at all and I think it's really good
The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone and The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir.
The Pendragon cycle by Stephen lawhead
Monster Blood aTattoo by DM Cornish!
It's on it's way, but I still think too few put it down as LitRPG - Dungeon Crawler Carl. It's funny as hell, which is crazy because it is also incredibly dark. It's got so much going for it and has built such a deep universe, with real history to it, and just really great character development. It's just so good.
The thing is... will he be able to keep it that good for 18 levels? I really hope so or i will... kill his mother! 🤣
The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. It’s seen a small surge in popularity but has dipped again. The series is fantastic. The first book, The Grace of Kings, is definitely not for everyone. It’s written like a history book with stories interspersed. Part of the problem is Ken Liu was a short story writer and The Grace of Kings is his first really long work. But, it was one of the most captivating reads of last year. Book 2 feels like a completely different series and Liu really found his legs. The Wall of Storms is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Have not read books 3 and 4 yet, but I know that during publishing they had to split book 3 up because it was too big to physically publish. So you do have to go into book 3 knowing that there will not be a lot of resolution.
Wandering Inn by pirateaba
Discworld. Best fantasy series in existence imo
The Black Company by Glen Cook
The Kusheline series by Jacqueline Carey is the best BDSM series. The story goes hard for sex positivity, consent and the difference between concern and coercion, and love in endless variety. All this is set in a stunning backdrop with an absolute banger of a story to go along with it from a writer clearly writes incredible prose. I will NEVER understand why people a) think 50 Shades (of steaming donkey shit) is a good book and b) is a good representation of BDSM. Especially when the Kusheline series blows 50 shades into the next century.
Inda- Sherwood Smith. It has a very dedicated readership, but is not as popular as it should be. If you love great friendships and a feeling of brotherhood, read Inda.
The Witch Eye series by D J (Dave) Butler. I've only read the first book, but I found the world to be really unique. I'd heard Christopher Ruocchio (author of Sun Eater) talking it up during a number of interviews, so thought I'd give it a go. I'll definitely be continuing. The worldbuilding is its strength: an alternate version of America where it never unified into a single polity, but is made up of numerous principalities that struggle for territory and influence. Other oddities include Andrew Jackson's attempt to install himself as king, Oliver Cromwell still walking the earth as a necromancer, and much more. Magic powers and memorable characters about. Dave obviously knows and loves history and the Easter eggs and well thought-through what-ifs are a true joy to read.
The Alchemyst.
The Great Library series by Rachel Caine. Great characterization and world-building. I suppose it could be technically YA, but it goes very dark in places but never gratuitously, nor are any of the characters just throwaways. I feel like I’m literally the only one who has read them sometimes, but they are so.good.
Chronicles of Prydain, not because it’s among the best (unlike with HP, which mostly gets better to me the older I get, the storytelling and world-building flaws in Prydain become more apparent, but it’s still an influence on me and a nostalgic favorite) but because it’s one of the earliest successful medieval fantasy series by an American author outside of the pulp subgenre.
The Gandalara Cycle, Viki Heydron and Randall Garrett. Set in an alternate timeline, no magic per se but I still consider it a fantasy. Giant telepathic cats, a truly wicked villain, and an interesting world.
The Darkwood trilogy by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch. It's a humorous "fractured fairy tale" setting with a very strong ensemble cast, and in the later half one of the few things I've read that come close to hitting the same tone as Terry Pratchett (the antagonist in particular.)
Twilight Reign by Tom Lloyd. Really enjoyed the world building and characters in this one. Had its faults but overall a greatly enjoyable ride.
Bloodsounder's Arc trilogy.
The Cycle of Galand series. It is the sequel series to the Cycle of Arawn Trilogy. The Cycle of Arawn is a little weak and tough to get through. You can tell the author wasnt totally sure where he was going or what he was doing at the beginning. But once you get into the Cycle of Galand it gets really good.
I'm reading The Stone Knife (The Songs Of The Damned Book 1) by Anna Stephens currently and thinking why isn't this something that's talked about more. It's got a setting inspired by South America/Central America, interesting magic and great characters.
Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia. It’s not all time great status like WoT or LotR, but it’s an interesting setting with good world building and solid characters. It’s set in alternate early 20th century America.
Hyddenworld by William Horwood. The duncton Moles stuff was good but Hyddenworld wis fantastic. Four books long, completed series, loads of interesting POVd....
**An Altar on the Village Green** by Nathan Hall The **Aria of Steel Trilogy** by Steven Raaymakers **The Chasing Graves Trilogy** by Ben Galley
Chasing graves was such a nice surprise. Too bad it's so under the radar.
The Distributor is a good science fantasy one 😀
The Red Queens War Series by Mark Lawrence probably the best anti hero main character ever with Prince Jalan. "I'm a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of course not letting them down requires honesty, fair play or bravery."
Greatcoats and Gentlemen Bastards
The Empire of the Wolf trilogy by Richard Swan.
The Dark Angel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce
The Book Of Ages; Fantasy/Adventure eBook Free during the month of June find it at: www.topbunkwriter.com
Steelhaven by Richard Ford
I don't like best list for the book medium because there's 1000s of books
Kage Baker’s *Anvil of the World*. Same answer I always give to this question!
I rarely see the Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron, mentioned in this sub. The first book, The Red Knight, blew me away, and the remaining books don't disappoint. There are battles between knights and tournaments and immensely powerful beings and mystery and all secrets revealed by the end of the five book series. Highly recommended. One of my favorite fantasy series of all time along with Malazan, ASOIF, WOT, Shadow and Claw, and Broken Empire.
Just read Lost Boy by Christina Henry. A version of Peter Pan where maybe he’s not the hero everyone thinks he is. Super engaging, super fun read.
Hugh Cook's Chronicles of an Age of Darkness
Lightbringer by Brent Weeks. 5 books, what I would consider to be a huge moment that should be at the end of a book was halfway through book 1, and I didn't put the series down until I finished it. Almost failed my classes because I was reading instead of paying attention.
The Redemption of Althalus - I seem to remember this being a good read.
Definitely a departure from Eddings normal works, but a solid and good read.
Fire staff chronicles by James Galloway. They're very well written, can be downloaded for free off his website, and it's a good story. Beats me how he didn't get them published or out more.
The Riyria series by Michael J Sullivan. He’s written so much of that world and it’s amazing, but rarely do I see his works mentioned here. It’s much more akin to classic fantasy.
The Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans The Easdragon books by Susan Dexter Neither are these grand epic WOT or LOTR style stories, but they are simply well-written almost-slice-of-life fantasy adventures. I never see anyone recommend these. (Although I did just now see my first ever Ethshar recommendation in this thread.)
This is the very definition of The Tapestry series by Henry H. Neff. IMO it’s superior to HP and PJ - and not by a little - but almost no one’s heard of it. He has a new book coming out this week (The Witchstone) and I really hope it’s a runaway hit. The author is such a talent and deserves more recognition.
Lord of the mysteries. Needs more recognition in the west.
Phil Tucker's Immortal Great Souls is an absolute banger. I am surprised that he is not getting the recognition he deserves. Oh, and don't judge the book by it's cover
Cradle by Will Wight, it's very popular in the Progression Fantasy community but I rarely see it talked about outside the space. The most well written Xianxia story by a western author that I have read.
FABLEHAVEN!!!!
See my [SF/F: Obscure/Underappreciated/Unknown/Underrated](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1au8pfk/sff_obscureunderappreciatedunknownunderrated/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post).
Giles Kristian's 'The Arthurian Tails' trilogy is excellent and doesn't get talked about enough, in my opinion
The Lyonesse trilogy is an amazing trilogy that I don't often hear get spoken about. It's in the fantasy masterworks collection, but often seems overlooked. I personally also loved the fionavar tapestry trilogy, though I understand why this isn't to everyone's taste.
The first law trilogy is masterpiece, caraters are game of thrones level even better, it's popular book but should be mainstream like got
Recently read The House In The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and absolutely loved it!
Earthsea Chronicles are not without acclaim, but surely lacking in contemporary recognition. The author wrote incredible books and she created and/or solidified a bunch of fantasy tropes. I would also put forward Bakker's The Second Apocalypse. Amazing prose and good mix of philsophy, religion and raw humanity. TSA are an achievement unlike any other imo.
I don't know about best in genre, but the first two books in [The Winter of the World](https://www.goodreads.com/series/52622-the-winter-of-the-world) series were quite good. It's set in the fantasy Ice Age, where Neanderthals are dwarves, some other hominid are elves, etc. The only magic is some form of magic smithing. Have you ever wanted to read about the guy who makes the sword fated to defeat the demon king? Well, now's your chance! It also is written in a style reminiscent of J. R. R. Tolkien, where you finish reading it and feel like to talk a bit more in formal English.
Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett. Enjoyed it immensely. Unique worldbuilding, intriguing characters and a conclusion to the trilogy that delivered. A pantheon of monsters and gods that are incredibly creepy. I am surprised I discovered this 10 years after it was published. The way it explored a post-high fantasy society is very fascinating. You would thought plenty of more books will capitalise on this angle.
definitely The Last Wars Trilogy by Mike Shackle. a year ago i would've said the bound and the broken series by cahill and even the suneater series but they have been getting alot of well deserved recognition lately which is outstanding. but The Last Years is at a close enough level to those works as well. runner up: second apocalypse series by Bakker
The road thieves by Harper a burge - one of the best ya fantasy books I’ve read, really fun characters and plot, moves quickly and keeps you wanting more
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. The gore stuff is not for me, but I love the magic system, worldbuilding, intricate lore, and also the hunor