Best Standalone Fantasy Books

Tigana

by Kay, Guy Gavriel

Tigana is based on Renaissance Italy. Kay uses Italian politics to make the story seem plausible.

Tigana is both a sweeping epic and a look into human nature – flaws and all. The characters and plot exist in an area of grey where good and evil aren't absolutes. The plot follows a culture that – after an intense war –...

The Worm Ouroboros

by Eddision, E. R.

If there was an award given out for the Most Influential Fantasy Novel Ever Written That No One Ever Reads, this book would get it. The book tells a stylized story of the epic battle between the Lords of Demonland and t...

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

by Jemisin, N. K.

First book in The Inheritance Trilogy, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms centers on the novel's narrator, Yeine, granddaughter of the ruler of the world. Yeine suddenly is named heir to this throne, despite the fact that she...

The Curse Of Chalion

by Bujold, Lois Mcmaster

Lois McMaster Bujold is famous for her very atypical characters. She demonstrated this with her Miles Vorkosigan character, and she does the same thing with the Curse of Chalion. The main character, Cazaril, is an comple...

Good Omens

by Gaiman, Neil

A sushi-loving angel, a gearhead demon and Death as a gamer nerd. Do we even need to be a plot?Why it's on this listSometimes fantasy (and its audience) takes itself too seriously. After you've been bogged down in yet an...

Neverwhere

by Gaiman, Neil

An example of the crossover between Urban Fantasy and Crossworlds. An ordinary man is transported to a world of shadows and darkness and must make his way home.

Most (all?) of Gaiman’s works are urban fantasy. The crowd favorite is Neverwhere, which is an interesting take on the whole multiverse conceit found in science fiction. The premise is that people can fall through the cr...

The Broken Sword

by Anderson, Poul

Dark gritty fantasy the way it's meant to be: violent, brutal, mythical, and supremely well written. Much has been made about the recent grimdark movement, with much credit being given to authors like Martin and Cook...

The Princess Bride

by Goldman, William

A cult classic both on the page and in film, this story is full of romance, sword fights, comedy, true love, miracles, pirates, princesses, wild beasts, and a good dash of wit. An entertaining read worth every moment.

If you've never said, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”, you're about as rare as a swear word at Hogwarts. Part of the reason the movie is so quotable is because the author of the book – Wi...

The Anubis Gates

by Powers, Tim

An award winning novel that has time travel, historical figures, Egyptian mythology, and 19th century England.

In creating this world, Powers borrowed ideas from all over the place. Mythology, Ancient Egyptian theology, quantum theory, and classical literature“ they're all used in The Anubis Gates. It's a ridiculous combination o...

Bartemaus

by Stroud, Jonathan

This series follows a magician in training and Bartimaeus, a 5,000 year old djinni (who has quite the wit).

In a genre that's collapsing under the weight of cloned Tolkien worlds, hackneyed plots, and stick-thin characters, it's hard to find something new and interesting. That is until you read Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus,...

Talion: Revenant

by Stackpole, Michael A.

List more than a few entries on this Top 100 list, Talion is a completely underrated fantasy book. Stackapole is a prolific author, writing everything from Star Wars novels, video game stories (he was part of the writing...

War For The Oaks

by Bull, Emma

What happens when a rock star is pulled into a supernatural conflict between good and evil? Well, let's head on over to Minneapolis of all places and find out

It was in the 80s that the subgenres of fantasy we know today started. One of these – urban fantasy – owes much of its development from War for the Oaks, which was one of the titles that pioneered it. If this is the only...

Nos4r2

by Hill, Joe

One of those weird trips into a nightmare land that you want to wake up from but can't. NOS4R2 reads with the same style and power of Stephen King horror novel. And in fact, Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King both th...

The Lightbringer Trilogy

by Weeks, Brent

A recent epic fantasy trilogy, but one of the most exciting epic fantasy series the past decade. The Lightbringer has probably the most unique magic system I've seen yet in fantasy, right up there with Brandon Sanders...

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz

by Baum, L. Frank

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Another classic quest story about a young girl who just wants to go home.

A true classic and not at all like the movie. Because of the popularity of the movie, many assume the book and the movie are the same; but this is not so. The book is far superior to the movie and is a thoroughly enterta...

The Etched City

by Bishop, K.j.

The Etched city was formed from the love union between Stephen King and China Mieville. If you want a more complex fantasy novel with a good dose of the bizarre, a sprinkle of noir, and a dash of pathos, The Etched City...

Harry Potter

by Rowling, J. K.

This incredibly popular series is a story of an alternate world, a secret world of wizardy that exists within our own, but seems ever so vast.

Yes, everyone has probably read this. In fact, these these may have been the books that got you started reading fantasy in the first place. These books do make for a good read and as the series progresses, the plot...

Elantris

by Sanderson, Brandon

This fantasy fiction novel will suck you in. Elantris is one of the best standalone fantasy books in the genre. It's about addictive as chocolate and a whole lot healthier! .Normally, I prefer to avoid novelizations of m...

World Without End

by Russell, Sean

Sean Russell writes books for people who like to read. Ponderous, slow, and often steeped in mystery, his worlds are rich with characterization and plot. His "Moontide and Magic" is set in a world not unlike the Victo...

Forgotten Beasts Of Eld

by Mckillip, Patricia A.

An endearing modern classic that won the World Fantasy Award, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a powerful tale about a good young sorceress who is wronged because of man's greed and fear, embarks upon on righteous quest...

Devices And Desires

by Parker, K. J.

KJ Parker is a highly underrated author. His (or her...the author writes under a pseudonym) books are not the normal fantasy fare. Expect complicated characters, moral ambiguity, deep themes, and sharp dialogue. This is...