Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time
The 100 fantasy books that we love most of all
Welcome to Fantasy Book Review, your ultimate companion for navigating the intricate, sprawling, and utterly magical worlds of speculative fiction.
The 100 fantasy books that we love most of all
From the Taoist beliefs of Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea books to the complexity of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen
The fantasy books we've loved, ordered by their publication year
High fantasy, sword and sorcery, urban fantasy, historical fantasy and many more...
Including Mark Lawrence, Steven Erikson, Jen Williams, John Gwynne, Ian C. Esslemont, N. K. Jemisin and many more...
We understand that the fantasy genre is vast, stretching from epic high fantasy and intense grimdark battles to charming cozy adventures, urban magic, and haunting fairy tale retellings. Finding that next perfect read can often feel like a quest in itself - and that is precisely where we come in.
Our mission is simple: to provide you with honest, knowledgeable, and in-depth reviews across all fantasy subgenres. Our team of passionate readers and seasoned critics cuts through the noise, delivering clear assessments on the biggest new releases, essential classics, and those hidden gems you simply must add to your to-read pile. We don't just summarize a plot; we analyze the world-building, dissect the character arcs, and evaluate the magic systems to help you decide if a book deserves a spot on your shelf.
Forget aimless scrolling! Use our structured reviews, ratings, and intuitive genre tags to zero in on the exact escape you're craving. Whether you're a lifelong fantasy veteran or just picking up your first tome, you'll find your people and your next grand adventure right here.
Explore our archives, join the discussion in the comments, and share the journey. Happy reading!
Epic fantasy features sprawling worlds, high stakes, intricate magic, and noble quests to defeat ancient evils.
Heroic fantasy features a lone protagonist performing extraordinary deeds of valor against immense, supernatural evil.
Urban fantasy blends supernatural elements and magical beings into a recognizable, contemporary, grit-filled city setting.
Historical fantasy integrates supernatural elements into authentic historical settings, reimagining the past with magical realism.
Portal fantasy features protagonists from our mundane world transported through magical thresholds into extraordinary realms.
Crime fantasy blends traditional detective noir tropes with magical elements to solve supernatural or impossible mysteries.
A humorous subversion of traditional tropes, blending magical stakes with wit, satire, and everyday absurdity.
A creative fusion where advanced technology, space travel, and supernatural magic coexist in one universe.
Dystopian fiction explores oppressive societal control, while post-apocalyptic stories focus on survival after civilization collapses.
Grimdark is a bleak speculative genre featuring morally gray characters, graphic violence, and nihilistic themes.
Gothic fiction explores dark themes through eerie settings, ancestral curses, and intense psychological or supernatural dread.
Horror fiction uses suspense, the supernatural, and psychological dread to provoke feelings of fear and alarm.
Modern narratives rooted in ancient legends, gods, and folk traditions to explore timeless human truths.
Children's fantasy features young protagonists navigating magical worlds, mythical creatures, and extraordinary powers through imaginative adventures.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang