I read 200+ fantasy books and these are the best series
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มิ.ย. 2024
- It's finally time to discuss my what my favourite fantasy series of all-time are!
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0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Honourable mentions
4:44 - Top 11
5:54 - Top 10
6:47 - Top 9
8:08 - Top 8
9:17 - Top 7
10:59 - Top 6
12:15 - Top 5
12:45 - Top 4
13:21 - Top 3
14:48 - Top 2
15:52 - Top 1
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Tolkien’s LOTR is to fantasy as Beethoven’s 9th is to symphonies.
For all that's out there, I think it's safe to say that because of TLOTR, we may already have the best fantasy epic that will ever exist.
Yes, its the origin of modern fantasy but its by no means the best. Its very slow and very descriptive and i actually call it boring from time to time. And some parts are even not neccessary, thats why i love the movies so much because thats the real story laid out and in perfect pacing.
@@kemsari9969
LOTR was voted #1 by Amazon customers as the greatest book of the 20th century. I think the movies, though visually striking, are too slow in pace and don’t capture the “feel” of Tolkien. I’ve read many fantasy authors and still love the elevated language of Tolkien. He is the best. @@kemsari9969
@@kemsari9969 No, I think Tolkien’s writing is just lovely. LOTR is still the best fantasy ever written. Now the Jackson movies are a real bear to get through. The pacing is way too slow and changes to the storyline are deeply flawed. I’d give his production team credit for some of the visuals though.
David Eddings- The Belgariad series, The Mallorean series, Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the sorceress
Yep. Very good.
EXACTLY!
I’ve been rereading it every three years for three decades now. No intention of stopping. A visit with old friends well worth it every time.
I love that series. So did my mum we would discuss the stories.
Agreed!!! Sparhawk is quite good as well
Great list! Just what I was looking for, thanks!
Love this!!! The Dark Tower is what I read when I got back into reading fantasy again! It holds a special place in my heart
Fantastic video, Johan. Thanks for including The Illborn Saga within such a fantastic selection of fantasy series.
It definitely deserves it!
finished green bone saga cause you mentioned it several times and absolutely love it - that was exactly what I've been looking for considering so much cliché and repetitiveness in literature or TV these days. definitely a breath of fresh air! Thank you for introducing me to this masterpiece!
Steven Erikson: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Eddings: Belgariad, Mallorean, Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the Sorceress
Terry Pratchet: Discworld Series
Seriously....how tf do you mention best fantasy series ever and not even mention MBOTF?! It's the best.
@@SomeJustice19kcause maybe he hasnt read them? And its his personal favorites
@@noodlah_ thanks, Captain Obvious! '200+' and not one Malazan Book is a crime.
Some great stuff to add to the TBR along with a few of my favs as well, so well done!
Thank you for watching!
honestly thank you for leaving lotr as an honorable mention. We all love it. we all get it. I am looking for new stuff.
The Redwall Series has been my favorite fantasy series for over 20 years. Simple to read, but full of great world building and characters
Thank you. It's nice to see that series get some love in the comments. I own all of the books. While the formula is a little bit repetitive towards the later books, the wordplay and characters are really good. Taggerung and Salamandastron are probably my favorites of the series with Lord Brocktree as an honorable mention.
I find myself wanting to read Redwall again - loved them as a kid, but it has been forever since I’ve gone through them…
@@Sk1nn3r32 I was just thinking of reading redwall and I haven't since middle school. Now teach middle school.
I love Redwall on audiobooks. There also is a cookbook.
Awesome video! I will try some of the series you mention that I never heard about!
It was really nice to see you include some self-published series! Thank you.
What a great list!! I knew you loved Dark Tower, but I didn't know it was your number 1!! I definitely need to continue that series, Wizard and Glass is up for me next.
Also, I am kicking myself for still not having prioritised Aiduel's Sin, because I loved book 1. Loved this video, thanks for sharing!!
Thank you Esmay! I hope you will enjoy Wizard and Glass and Aiduels Sin!
Wizard and Glass is my (and a lot of fans) favorite of the series. Enjoy!
@@eugenemurphy6037 I've heard that a lot, so exciting! Thanks :)
The last 100 or so pages of Words of Radiance still hit me even after reading it four or five times. SO GOOD
It's truly incredible, no book have ever given me chills as the stormlight archive books.
sanderlanche
So happy to see your #1 choice! I would give anything to reread that series for the first time! It has every genre woven masterfully together in a way no one has come even close to replicating since.
I've always wanted to start reading more fantasy series however I didn't really know where to start. I look forward going through your list and picking 1 to start. Thanks
Mistborn is what made me start reading again after an almost 7 year break
The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams (starts with The Dragonbone Chair) is consistently underrated. It's one of my favs but I never hear anyone talking about it.
I agree! Never hear these mentioned,
Just finished dragonbone. Incredibly written!
Really enjoyed the whole series as well. The sequels have also been fantastic so far. (The Last King of Osten Ard)
@@lorenzbuss783 I'm looking forward to reading the sequel series when it's finished!
@@lorenzbuss783 Squel? Never knew there was a sequel. Noice.
The Lord of the Rings is still as good, if you loved it a 14 then you'll still love it today, and maybe even more so as an adult. Yes it's not fast paced, but it's so beautifully written and it feels so real, and it's far better than many of the stuff writers put out nowadays.
I really need to reread it!
Yes! This. And it comes alive even more when you take the time to invest in the lore of the Silmarillion--which, even if you don't want to read it, you can watch so many excellent TH-cam channels that bring the lore to life brilliantly. Tolkien is to fantasy what Socrates is to Western philosophy--lots of us build cool things with our Legos, but these guys created the Legos we use.
I read it every spring to remind me of the change of seasons. Started it at 13-14 now I'm 56.
Lotr is among the worst books ever written.
Who wants to read 6 pages describing a field of grass....
@@ryandarey216 Yeah, I don't think we arrive at the definition, or lack thereof, of good literature by saying it is too descriptive. Rather, good literature is determined by the cohesion of themes, depth of world-building and character building, and ultimately its ability to connect to the real-life experiences of readers. In these ways, LoTR consistently proves to every new generation an ability to deliver.
Thank you soo much been looking for a good fantasy read for a while will give number 11 a read
The Dark Tower started my passion for fantasy as well! Now I’m checking out all these other writers and series. Thank you for the detailed recommendations.
Good list, I liked the video. Dark Tower is an absolutely fantastic series, it was an interesting surprise to find it at #1. All the work by Erikson and Esslemont (Malazan Book of the Fallen + Malazan Empire + others still coming) should at least be considered, but I understand it's a somehow difficult reading for most people (I personally love it). Also, Rothfuss' Kvothe saga may deserve a little praise, though missing the damn third book!!
There is nothing else like Malazan. Period. Once people have read enough standard fantasy, like Cosmere, Wheel of Time, and Lord of the Rings everyone should at least give Malazan a shot. It's well worth the effort and once you 'get' it you will be in awe of the entire project.
@@clgarret73 Agreed, Erikson is king! Hard to read, very complex, but the scope, the characters, the races, the world! Best of the best!
All time favorite!
First in, first out! ❤❤❤
The Belgariad (Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, and Enchanter's Endgame) and The Malloreon (Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, and Seeress of Kell), along with Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress. By David and Leigh Eddings. Fantasy grounded in gritty reality. Highly recommended.
Was hoping someone would mention Eddings!!
Also the 2 Sparhawk trilogies by David and Leigh as well
yep 100% couldn't believe Eddings or Terry Brooks not getting a mention
also just realized no Anne McCaffrey/dragon riders of pern!
I’ve noticed Eddings is underrated in the fantasy TH-cam commentary I’ve seen
glad I found your channel. very helpful reviews, thanks.
Ahh what a fantastic list man, we share so many fav series haha I really need to continue with the Dark Tower, book 1 I found meh but Book 2 was amazing (apart from a few issues) but I really need to prioritise book 3. Glad to see Greenbone so high, its honestly one of the best things I've ever read. Really excited to get to Cahills series, I have the Broken Binding Hardback edition for Book 1 ordered so gonna read it whenever that arrives.
Has anyone read Daughter, servant and mistress of the empire by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts, its a spin of from the Magician series. If not give it a try i found it fascinating.
His best series. More political fiction than anything. Amazing
Best of his work.
Fantastic series. Good suggestion.
That series was way beyond my expectations, so glad I ended up reading it.
Absolutly one of my top 10. My collection of fantasy books is getting a bit old, I can’t keep up any more. But this is something good with fantasy books, they never get old. I have about 1000 fantasy books and many great series. Raymond Feist and Jenny Wurts have written some great series.
I can’t wait for you to continue storm light. Oathbringer is my favorite Sanderson book! Also my favorite series is the gentlemen bastards
Words of Radiance was amazing, and probably one of my favorite fantasy books, but I've really bogged down in Oathbringer. I think the problem is Shallan, I don't like her or her story so whenever I get to her I want to stop.
So so many good recommendations here!! I am so happy to see that Green Bone saga made the cut! I 100% need to get into Malice soon! Great video!
Thank you Isa! I would love to hear your thoughts on The Faithful and the Fallen!
@@libraryofaviking ahhh I will let you know as soon as I pick it up 👀
great content, so easy to watch you. Glad to see dark tower getting the love it deserves
You must read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson. The protagonist starts in our world and when he is taken to The Land he refuses to believe in it. He is the ultimate anti-hero, a jagged presence in a beautiful world full of honour and sacrifice. Because of the starting conceit I've never felt such connection with a main character. The dialogue is poetic and uplifting, the writing has a tremendous sweep, and the inner and external tribulations on our hero's journey are wonderfully crafted. The first book was written in 1977 and the 10th and final book in 2013, making R.R Martin's hiatus look a like a blink of an eye. It's truly worth a visit.
I agree. Wonderful series
absolutely.fantastic work. I bought his books so many years ago.still have them. I only read up to the second chronicles, you're right that was some hiatus, will probably check out the final chronicles
@@jknightwolf4574 You may like to read the first 6 again. before you do. I think the 1st trilogy is probably the best, but finishing the saga was very satisfying
Totally agree. I discovered the first book in 1977 and read everything Donaldson wrote. Mirror of her dreams is a great anthology of short stories.
It took the attempts to get into his first book of Thomas Covenant series but when it finally took, I was enthralled. It's not easy reading and Thomas Covenant is one of the most difficult main characters one will ever encounter in a series. One despises him and loves him...
One of my top fantasy series is the Rift War Saga by Raymond Fiest
Magician! YES
I read the 3 rift war books then I read the empire trilogy when I was a kid, must have been 15 years ago. There were so many books by Raymond that I didn’t read though
@@MrJWrizzle I'm a truck driver. And listen to them through Audible now. But I read most of the series as a kid
Great shout ,i'm on to the last 3 books of his Midkemia series
Hell yea, and I hear he's letting it be adapted to the screen with him having creative control.
Thank you, always making my TBR list longer and longer. I truly appreciate it though, I'll always have something to read thanks to people like you :)
Thank you for the nice comment :)
The entire Drizzt Do'Urden series by R.A. Salvatore. The Dragonrealm series by Richard A. Knaak. The Thomas Covenant Chronicles by Stephen R. Donaldson.
Love Drizzt! Definitely on my top 5!
Salvatore's Icewind Dale series and Cleric Quintet are great too
hi i think such series are a little too ´old´ for him to consider, also it seems he is more focussed on the main USA market
I found the Covenant Chronicles to be wayyy too wordy for me.
Covenant books were awesome!
I was soo pleasantly surprised for The Dark Tower at number one. It’s one of my favorites as well. 😃
🙌
The Death Gate Cycle is my all-time favourite!
Just made them audio books on audible as well.
Love that duo of Weis and Hickman.. plus their other series the Dragonlance chronicles...
Used the handle Haplo the Hand for years
I'm so happy to see The Dark Tower at number 1!!!! Its my all time favourite series and blew my mind as well and I wish more people would give it a chance 😊
If The Dark Tower had a well made movie, it would have been higher up.
I’m sorry, the ending was weak for me.
@@gordonschroeder1 "Should you go on, you will surely be disappointed, perhaps even heartbroken." and yet, you read on
Loved the dark tower series. Also waiting eagerly for the next stormlight book. Mistborn series is now up next for me.
Currently reading The Wastelands and I’m hooked! The Dark Tower is maybe my all time favorite fantasy series and Kings writing style (even if it get a little weird) is addictive! Never forget the face of your father gunslinger.
Some of you might shake your heads at this, but to me the Discworld series was a gamechanger. Suddenly almost every otther fantasy series seemed boring and predictable. The crazy comedy, the weird world building, the personalities of the characters, the way Pratchett plays with the language, and not least the way he mirrors the oddities of our own society... marvellous.
I also want to mention Ben Aaronovich's series Rivers of London. Why shouldn't you build your story in modern day London, and create plots around the mythology and traditions that so many og us are familiar with?
Discworld is in a class of it's own.
Magician by Feist had to be there
No Obernewtyn by Carmody?
Two of the top fantasy series ever written.
Agreed regarding Magician with potential for adaption to a TV series which is far more epic than recent tv fantasy series we’ve seen.
I really liked Obernewtyn too!! I have read through book 3 in the series and need to finish it.
Over the years, I have tried to read it three times Magician by Feist and have never been able to finish it.
Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, A song of Ice and Fire, The First Law are my top choices. And if he EVER got around to finishing it, Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronice series could very well make the Top 5
I don't think kingkiller ever gets finished if hes even started it
Sadly I agree with KaiserofKush. Please prove us wrong Mr Rothfuss! I agree completely with this list, though I would need to include the first law series with the later pre industrial series. It is in my opinion stronger than the first law books. I also believe that Lord of the Rings is likely our version of the Library of the Vikings top three choices because he is younger than I am. We didn’t have Sanderson back in our formative years and wheel of time came out after I was already an established fantasy fan. Those authors did it for him. While LOTR, Zelazny’s Amber chronicles, and the sci-fi Herbert’s Dune books were my formative books that made me into a ravenous fantasy, sci-fi reader to this day.
Heard today that book 3 will come out this year. Book 2 fell off at the end. Book 1 was epic
@@davidpartridge3271 Actually, it isn't Book 3... he's releasing another stand-alone novella about Bast called "The Narrow Road Between Desires"... Door of Stone is still unannounced....
@@DaveTheTurd oh. I'm not surprised. I think it was obvious he was running out of jdeas in book 2
Huge fan of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Also love the Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker. That last one is definitely adults only, and might be too dark for the readers in this comments section, but that one ends in perhaps the most perfect and unexpected way.
Oh thank god, I was scared I was gonna be the only malazan fan in the comments 😅
@@feixue1005 First in, last out!
Prince of Nothing was very surprising, good if you like philosophy and complicated characters. It's an odd one, and difficult to follow at times, but I enjoyed it a lot
@@Barlyn66 Always an even trade!
I'm thousands of fantasy books in and Malazan still can't be topped, Sanderson is getting there maybe with Stormlight but he needs to finish it before it becomes a contest.
Found some new books, thanks!
King Killer chronicles missing seems illegal though 🤔
This is amazing! thanks so much! I'm getting into fantasy.
You're welcome! Happy reading!
Thanks very much, I've only read 2 I 3 of the books, I'll have a lot of fun to come 😊
You need to read some older stuff like David Gemmell , David Eddings , Terry Brooke’s & Raymond E.Feist . Some fantastic reads in there .
I’m loving all the love for Eddings in this comment section, I felt like I was one of the only people who loved his series
Gemmell is criminally underrated. Not seen many fantasy tubers share praise for the Gemm
Well said!
David Gemmell was one of my favorites. everything he wrote was amazing. One of my personal favorites was Morningstar.
Against the Hoard (later renamed Legend) put his name on the map.
@@mightyactraiser5045 must have read Legend more than ten times . Along with all the other Drenai novels. Really enjoyed the Jon Shannow books as well 👍🏻
It seems like Elizabeths Moons "Deed of Paksenarrion" is criminally underrated. One of the few fantasy series where I have thought "This seems realistic". Way to many are unrealistic in some ways, the logic falls short, everything happens too fast or the people act wrong. Most are "neutral" in that they work fine, but you don't really have a sense of that this is how it should be. The deeds of Paksenarrion stands out in the positive way.
And also. I'm happy everytime I run across a series that is not about saving the world from an evil god or saving humanity from a mad sorcerer/demon/whatever that wants to conquer the world. :)
Love Deed of Paksenarrion
About to pick this up
Please let it be good ;)
@@nnanna0013 I have already said it is, you don't trust me? ;)
Let us know what you think of it. :)
I feel like #1 was a plot twist! Also, I completely understand where you put TLotR. I'll be really curious to see where you rank it on re-read (my prediction is it will stay right where it is). Also, I'm super curious to see what happens to your picks 4 & 5 after you read more of the series that you put at #5.
It was a bit of a plot twist 👀 I look forward to it!
Julian May: The Pliocene Exile series. I read them 30+ years ago, and it is still one of the best series ever written. Enjoy!
yeah, great series and I love the way he then wrapped he whole thing into a complete rotating saga with the 'modern' end of thins with Intervention and all the rest
Agreed its a very unique series.
It's also not a fantasy series. It's a scifi reimagining of Celtic myth.
Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series, however, is fantasy.
@@flatebo1 well, sort of, until you read the other part which is sort of the prequel to the Pliocene stuff.
@@neilfleming2787 It's still a scifi series, though, not a fantasy series. Which was my point. The original Pliocene books were based on Celtic myth, but that alone doesn't make them fantasy.
Authors often sub in mental powers (telepathy/telekinesis/etc) for magical powers in such cases. There have been many such over the years - scifi glosses on Beowulf, on Lord of the Rings, on Greek and Norse myth, etc. ERB often had heroes with minor mental powers (John Carter, for example) but never had magic in his books. He had some pretty ludicrous "science", but it was always presented as science.
I'd have to say that the first 6 Thomas Covenant books by Steven R Donaldson, The Belgariad series by David Eddings, The Shannara Chronicles by Terry Brooks, and the Tales of Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card were some of my early favorites
Wow! The Thomas Covenant saga! What a bitter sweet series...excruciatingly different.
my abiding memory of TC is the ending to the One Tree. Only Donaldson could get away with such a devastatingly downbeat ending. Memorable.
I agree. Wonderful series
The Dark Tower is my absolute favorite series of all time. I'm surprised and happy to see it in your top 3!
Did You have a chance to read other S.Kings books? You can really get so much more from Dark Tower if You read "Salem" or "Insomnia. I higly reccomend it.:)
@@Furuss I’ve been reading King since I was about 10, and I’m 54 now. He is my favorite author.
Long days and pleasant nights, sai
@@dechain1927And may you have twice the number.
Catch up on the Stormlight Archive. Oathbringer had my legit sweating and I couldn’t tear my eyes away
Jim Butcher has 2 great series - The Dresden Files and The Codex Alera - and the start of a third. Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series is another great one.
Just stumbled across Light bringer myself. The guys is talented. Very unique magic system. Flawed characters etc. Really like it.
The story of how codex Alera came to be is just awesome. He was teaching a writing class, he told the class to write a paper and base it on two things/ideas that were random to each other. The class whines and says it’s too tough and can’t be done. So he says to the class ok I’ll show you, pick me two random ideas. Pokémon and the lost Roman army were the ideas thrown at him. I think he did pretty good
Dresden Files is legitimately my favorite series of all time it absolutely belongs on any top 10 list
@@mediumbob4735Amazing series, all of butcher is gratis.
@@kevinlee2738Brent Weeks shadiw whatwver series is far better, lot of Bad boys, asassins, crazy gids and stuff, i love them soo much
I like "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Phillip Pullman, "The Magic Kingdom of Landover" series by Terry Brooks, "The Dragonriders of Pern," and "The Harperhall Trilogy" by Anne McCaffrey, "The Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling, "The Heroes of Olympus" series by Rick Riordan...and I'm saluting your #1 pick, "The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King was phenomenal!
I strongly recommend the Winter of the World trilogy written by Michael Scott Rohan. It’s three books arem The Anvil of Ice (1986]; The Forge in the Forest (1987); and The Hammer of the Sun (1988). It’s a “tolkien style” fantasy with an excellent world building, very interesting characters and a unique magic mixing metalworking with songs and poetry. Worth a reading.
Ooh, tell me more!
L. E Modessitt, Jr. deserves a top spot on this list. Any of his series will comfortably rise to the top of any fantasy list.
Helpful you prefaced your video and qualified your opinion.
I have read hundreds of fantasy books and really love the genre.
Some of my favorits are ALL the Raymond E. Feist books, The Name of the Wind, Dark Tower series, all the Robin Hobb books, Abercrombie books, Sarah J. Mass books, Stephen King, and so many more... to many good books and to little time.
Great list!! I will check out some of the ones I've missed.
The Riftwar Cycle from Feist was outstanding!
The Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books of all time. Amazing book.
@@kyndread71 have an orange .)
I would love to know what you think of THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY by Canada's Guy Gavriel Kay. It starts on the campus of the University of Toronto but quickly takes readers on a journey through high fantasy, Celtic mythology & the Arthurian cycle. It has been my favourite fantasy series for decades!
Hi 👋 fantastic book list!! I can’t choose top ten books, too many books that I like lol 😊 happy reading to you!! 📖📚
Thank you! Happy reading!
I really enjoy David Hair's series, the moontide quartet, the sunsurge quartet and the tethered citidal trilogy. All good reads. Looking forward to trying some of your recommendations.
I’d add The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. Thanks for the recommendations. I haven’t read some of these. Excited to discover some new books.
Harry was the bomb.
Both of those are in my top 5
I see so many great series like Discworld, Shannara, Riftworld, etc..
But a series that I reread every year is the Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey..... The 5 books around F'lar, Lessa and Jaxom with their dragons are unforgettable for me.
I agree the Dragonriders series is stunning, but she has a bunch of other shorter series that re great as well...I have every single one of her books
I especially like the doona three books by Anne McCaffrey
@@mary-ellendowning8388 yeah, loved the Doona ones as well as the Catteni series, but then I love the ship who sang ones and the Tower and the Hive, can't find a single book of hers or I must admit her son's ones that I don't like
@@neilfleming2787 Not everything was translated here, been looking for her work in english at the summer book markets, adding things slowly but surely
@@bertjanveenstra92 I always wonder how well translated works come across with the nuances in some works. good luck with your hunting for more Anne McCaffrey books
I haven't read as much in last 30 years but a few from the past that I loved: Riddle Master of Hed, Dragons of Pern, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series, Alan Dean Foster Finx light weight fun, Magic of Xanth Piers Anthony and Apprentice Adept series. Basically anything my brother read and handed down to me. Thanks Bro!
I'm glad to see so many shouting out about David Eddings " Belgariad series", Raymond E Feist's," The Magician, Faerie Tale" , I'd like to mention Stephen P Donaldson's series too.
Gemmell, ,,,,, Druss, Waylander, Skiillgannon, all in the Drenai series.
The Rigante, the story of Troy, and the Jon Shannow series.
All of them, truly great books.
Wow! How could we forget Jon Shannow? The mention of that series just bought back so many happy memories!
@krg1605 for sure, Shannow was the first book I read of Gemmel, then Druss.
Hmmm, you need to delve into some Pulp. You’re missing a lot of good stuff from the 60s and 70s that paved the way for everything you mentioned. I’d say get to a used book store and start pulling anything and everything from the shelf thats within those decades. Maybe even the 50s.
Ursula K Le Guin (Earthsea Trilogy), Mervin Peake (Gormenghast), Michael Morcock (Elric Saga), Philip Jose Farmer.
Then there’s Raymond E. Feist, Simon R Green, Steven Erikson, Glen Cook, …
Very interesting, I'll check some of those out! I first got into fantasy as a teenager reading Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, but my favourite is Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series.
This is what I'm looking for you are so helpful
Brent weeks the night angel trilogy is a beautifully violent and gripping series. West of west trilogy by Angus Watson is absolutely hilarious and so well paced. Anthony Ryan the ravens shadow has my favourite protagonist in fantasy, Valen Al Sorna. The audio books narrated by Steven brand are captivating.
And when the third book of the bloodsworn saga comes out, it could possibly be the best series I’ve read. The first two are flawless. Special mention to the king killer chronicles. Unfortunately the series will never be finished, but the way Patrick Rothfuss writes…. It’s just beautiful the way he uses words.
Night angel trilogy is my all time favorite. I'm currently reading it again so I can start the new one
I finished the Age of Madness trilogy in August. Listened to 8h of Wisdom of Crowds audiobook in a row (not kidding). Still haven't got over how insanely amazing it is.
It is SOO good! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey man, am almost done with A Little Hatred, but don’t know if I should continue with the series as I feel like it’s slow paced and not that magic involved. What do you think?
@@Anwar-AT if you’re not viving with it and would like more high magic stuff, then this series might not be one for you!
@@Anwar-AT is it the first first law series you’re reading? Because the original trilogy has more magic, but even then it’s a very low magic setting
If you read Abercrombie, I strongly suggest you listen to an Audiobook. Not that I don’t love normal reading them, but Steve Pacy is soooooo good that even ones own imagination cant help but fall short. the series is soooo good i could go to sleep i was so excited for what happened next.
Rodger Zelazny's Amber series, both parts. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern and its supplemental books. The classic C. S. Lewis The Chronicals of Narnia and of course Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy and the stand alone book The Left Hand of Darkness.
I have read all of the Amber books 3 times (and I think I'm due for another reading). I also love the Pern books. Another great universe of stories is the Katherine Kurtz Deryni series. I love those books. Many years ago I was lucky enough to attend a reading/Q&A that she had at a local university. I still have a signed copy of the short story that she wrote for the event. It is one of my prize possessions.
Amazing video
Does anyone else read Tepper, Bujold, Czenerda, Cherryh, Briggs, Lackey, Kristen Smith? Of course the older authors Norton, Heinlein, Asimov. There are so many others none of which were on the list.
Bujold's current series (Pen & Des) is a joy!
The Dark Tower is one of my favourite series of all time and honestly I have been putting off finishing it because I don't want it to end😭
I can totally relate to that feeling!
.....finish them. Don't have to worry about that ending. Roland is cursed. Forever.
Perfect list, I couldn't have made a better one myself. I really need to get the Green Bone Saga next.
Thank you!
Can't express just how good The Spellmonger series is in my humble opinion. Currently planned for 30 main series books. Author currently has 15 main series books finished. 8 or so novellas and a spin off series sitting at 2 so far. Its one of those series that i pray i get to finish before i pass from this world.
I agree. Wonderful series
Been reading for a bit longer, over 1,000 read. Suggest Darkover series by M.Z. Bradley, Amber by Zelazny, Dark Company by Glen Cook, maybe Piers Anthony for Tarot and Tim Powers in The Scott Crane Saga. Read on and enjoy both recent and the classic older stuff.
Xanth series by Anthony was a lot of fun but gets repretitive after about book 4.
Surprised no one has mentioned Fionavar Tapestry. Something I really enjoyed!
One of my favorites.
I was just gonna point out the conspicuous lack of Guy Gavriel Kay in this list. The Fionavar Tapestry wouldn't have been my pick from that author but they definitely deserve some mention.
Kay didn't make the cut? Opinion discarded immediately. Not finishing the video.
Ah, a reader after my own heart! I adore The Dark Tower, and started loving it even more after doing a continuous listen of the whole series as audiobooks. Blew my mind, seriously! And the comics are excellent too ❤
That was a very thoughtful, articulate description. I wondered whether you were reading from a script that you wrote in advance because you were speaking so fluently. Thank you for sharing all of this. Do you, or did you, read and remember fantasy books for readers who are in the YA category: teens, young adults and maybe mature older children?
If so, I'd be very interested in your recommendations!
Raymond E. Feist, start with Apprentice and then you have +10 more books to read in the same wonderful world. Heartbreaking at times as you follow a family through generations. My other favorite is David and Leigh Eddings and rounding up the top 3 - J.R.R Tolkien, not only LotR triology but all the middle earth stories. Honorable mentions - Margaret Weis och Tracy Hickman, Dragonlance saga, then we got all the authors and books from the Forgotten Realms.
I agree. Wonderful series
Didn't see mentioned in comments: Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. Guy Gavriel Kay's Finovar Tapestry series was pretty good too. I loved the Dragonlance books and some of the Forgotton Realms series from various author's were good too.
for me the first three Thomas Covenant books were the best, I'm not clear what Donaldson's idea was in revisiting it all...still waiting to read the last of the Last series
@@neilfleming2787 loved 1, 2 3, 4 and 6. 5 (One Tree) still gets bogged down in middle and I’ve read it multiple times since it was published
Don’t bother😀 read 7 abandoned 8 halfway through and 9 is still in the bookshop
@@VladimierHMAK yeah, it was starting to get a bit repetitive and easy solutions but my problem is I need to finish things so when I have the money I'll finish this off for good. I've read the 'Last Chronciles' pts 1 and 2, I thought I'd read the third, but dont have the last. I'm reading Foundation series at the moment and that's a struggle, but I'll get there
The Dark Tower is such a great series. I love the worldbuilding and universe he creates. Thank you for the list. I know have a ton of author names I need to check out. I'd be curious if you're familiar with the author Jonathan Maberry? He has a fantasy series that just came out called Kagen the Damned.
Lotr and the Shannara series are some of my favorites! I had a 5th grade teacher who unfortunately passed early and he got me started on the Shannara series. He recommended it 2 days after my dad did. And I love those books so much.
The Liveship Trilogy by Robin Hobb -- I thought this is one of the ost ridiculous premises for a story ever, but after reading it, it is one of the best i have ever read....Agree with placing it with your top five placement.
It's so well-introduced, and the cast of characters is quite gripping. Her worldbuilding really is something else
I was not expecting to see The Dark Tower at number one, I totally agree. So unique.
Next time put "spoiler alert" first. Someone like me get's excited with these lists.
Forget it everyone basically put the entire list 🥲
What a spoiler of a first comment 😂
@@holy_marijuana If you don't like spoiling the surprise of a top ten list, I suggest staying out of the comments until the video's over. 🙄
It’s not his fault his comment got a lot of up votes !
I like your list. Some good suggestions. I would like to know though, where do u fall of the sword of truth series. Maybe just books 1-10 it's hit or miss after that to me. Maybe the Andrew Rowe arcane ascension books. Just? I also appreciate kevin Hearne, the iron druid?
When you said Ruin was one of your favs, I subbed. Love that book. Probably would have subbed anyway, as I love fantasy book reviews, lol.
I love The Dark Tower. I don’t know if it would be at my #1 spot, but definitely top 5.
I absolutely love Lonesome Dove, I'm also a fan of Western Novels. That said, Zane Gray's Riders of the Purple Sage is an amazing read as well.
Seeing The Green Bone saga where it was warmed my heart. It’s my favourite and actually the first fantasy series I’ve ever completed. New reader and I guess I lucked out lol
I agree with you on wheel of time, and in my opinion, that imperfection only happened when Sanderson got his hands on it, specifically the last two books. Don’t get me wrong, I will always love Sanderson for finishing it for us, but some of the character motivations were skewed from Jordan’s first books. They were frustrating … specifically Matt’s, but others as well. My only other criticism, and this with Jordan himself, is with his mistimed description. The proverbial elephant walks into the room, and he begins to describe the room, the costumes, and sometimes historic motivations of characters, when … there’s that elephant! Some explosive scene happens, and we are stuck at a cliffhanger until he finishes his description. I recently did the audio version, and realized I just needed patience. And oh, that other thing readers complain about, in book 7 thru 9, that section of dullness, the slog? I didn’t see that in the audio version. I kept waiting for it, and then I found myself in book 11. Excellent read, and I will always be critical of Amazon in investing all that money in Rings of Power (a complete failure), and trashing Jordan’s work.
Here's a rule with Wheel of Time to remember. Robert Jordan was given 5 years and he died 18 months later. So even knowing of his reduced life expectancy he couldn't account for that. It's a shame but what can ya do.
I will never forgive Amazon for the travesty that is The Wheel of Time TV series.
Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind is probably my current favorite in the fantasy genre; has both a strong male and female lead, Richard, the Seeker of Truth and Kahlan, the Mother Confessor
but Dragonlance is was what got me started
I've done the whole (currently) Sword of Truth series...not clear if there will be more and I know what you mean about Dragonlance stuff...the pure Wiess and Hickman were the best but so many others fill in that whole world...think I have over 20 from that genre on it's own.
My favorite too. Gone thru that whole series 5 times now. Never gets old.
The Goodkind books have a special place in my heart despite also loving the likes of Eddings, Feist, etc. These books are unique in that the writing is so (painfully at times!) descriptive, that it leaves almost a physical lasting impression. Unique and distinctly marvellous!
Both are at least in my Top 5 😃👍 Nr. 1 is still Belgariad/Mallorean from David Eddings.
@@beldin2987 agreed! Epic.
Totally agree about Robin Hobb, love all of her books. Mistborn was my favorite! That was one of the first fantasy series I read, and was hooked (agree on the magic system, amazing). I also love Marc Lawrence books (Prince of Thorns trilogy, Red Sister Trilogy). Great list!
Thx for tge video, it would be great if you would add series nanes in the video description
These 3 series were my first series I’ve ever read. Anyone else read these as a kid or recently?
Brian Jacques redwall series
R.A Salvatore legend of drizzt
Terry goodkind Sword of truth
I liked the first three books of The Sword of Truth series, and the Drizzt saga is an all-time favorite.
You missed some all time greats!
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
The Empire Trilogy (part of the Riftwar Cycle) - Ratmond E. Feist/Janny Wurts
The Midkemia series (27 books divided in sub-series and part of the Riftwar Cycle) - Raymond E. Feist
Deverry Cycle - Katharine Kerr
Absolutely, after reading many fantasy novels the rift war series are still the best in scope and content in my view. Especially the 3 empire novels, fantastic and I have all 3 signed by Mr Feist himself !
@@rac6046 Yes, High-End Fantasy doesn't get any better than the Rift War Cycle and the Empire trilogy is really masterful. I also love the fact that we get to experience the stadium event from two very different viewpoints....
I struggled with the First Book in the wheel of time so much. My friend said skip it and go on to the second. I did and now I love the series.
While I love 'The Eye of the World', the change between book one and two in the series is probably the biggest one I can remember from any series offhand. Jordan essentially completely overhauled the magic system, the way he described combat, portions of the lore... it was a very noticeable change between the two books.
Malazan book of the fallen for me has been the greatest fantasy work I've read, for an easier read pretty much any thing else.
it is masterpiece for me, it is the only one which made me cry, complex of the world, magic, ok i could go on and on, for me it is one of the best journeys in my life.
Made a list above, Erikson is by far the uncontested God of fantasy! I'm right now in my second time reading it (Reapers Gale)!
Oh boy the complexity, the intelligence!!! ❤❤❤
Just too much rape in that series for me. Most major female characters are victims of it, there's POV character that's a rapist and a whole fucking nation is based on the idea of cannibalism and getting impregnated by dead men?? Erikson is a psycho and I just can't
@@miraclemaker1418 Damn don't read R. Scott Bakker"s Prince of Nothing and The Aspect Emperor series or you might fall into deep depression.
I don't know if you have read the Michael J. Sullivan Universe but they def should be on your list. If you haven't, you are in for a treat. So good, I can't decide if I preferred the initial, the prequel, or the sequel, all self published, indie series.
Yes! So glad someone else here mentioned this series. Riyria Revelations is great fun. I just wish there were more! 6 books just was not enough for me.
There are over 20. Right now I'm starting Farlaign. The author said since he isn't young, he's breaking them into trilogies to make sure he doesn't leave stuff unfinished, but they are all connected. I thought, after Riyria as prequels they wouldn't be as good. They were phenomenal.@@RLKmedic0315