The Lord Of The Rings

Before J.R.R. Tolkein, there really was no "fantasy" genre of literature at all. All dragons, dwarves, and wizards belonged to folklore and fairy tales of former centuries. We can't really have a top 25 "of all time" without giving him a nod. Beyond that, Tolkein creates a world with thousands of years of history to it, making it easy to lose yourself in it. While many fantasy stories tend to hang their hopes on one who is the incredibly skilled and powerful, the real heart of the story and hope of the world rests on the simplest of the most humble race. The evil is palpable as every volume dives deeper into the land of the enemy while our heroes fight against impossible odds to overcome the darkness of Sauron and free Middle Earth by destroying the One Ring. Epic battles, political maneuvering, it's all in there. The Lord of the Rings really set the pattern for the genre, and once you've read it, you see how all heroic fantasy seems to carry on certain characteristics invented here: the hero is a nobody plucked out of nowhere and placed on a journey where the world will end if they don't figure out this hero bit and do their part; it's set in the Middle Ages with limited technology, meaning swordplay on every battle front; there is a guidance counselor (thank you Gandalf) who disappears periodically; and incredible evil to vanquish. There is no list without this trilogy.

Booklists having this book

Top 25 Best Heroic Fantasy Books

Heroic Fantasy is perhaps the most iconic of its class. It carries the flagship heavyweights like The Lord of the Rings; hefty not only in size but in imagination. We... Read more

Other books by Tolkien, J.r.r.

The Hobbit

An unforgettable story and a tale that never gets old. It's not as broad in scope as Lord of the Rings which is not really a standalone, nor does it... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Possibly the most, well-recognized world of fiction in history. The Lord of the Rings is the third best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. This high fantasy... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

Yep, had to include it. Most people have probably read this series and even more authors have written hackneyed copies of it, but this series is the original father epic... Read more

Lord Of The Rings

I read this when I was 9 – four times that is. Maybe I was just a kid, but I had never seen or imagined anything like this series. You... Read more

The Two Towers

The King Returns

Lord Of The Rings

Do I even need to discuss it? The father of modern fantasy, the recreation of the English myth, an apex of English literature; Lord of the Rings is more than... Read more

The Hobbit

The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,... Read more

Children Of Hurin

The Samarillion

The Silmarillion

The author J.R.R. Tolkien is certainly not underrated but his majestic work, The Silmarillion gets very little attention compared to his other great works, The Hobbit and The Lord of... Read more

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings as the Old Testament is to Westboro Baptist Church. Minus the offensive stupidity. If you're a fervent Tolkien fan, you'll love... Read more

Smith Of Wootton Major

In the little town of Wootton Major, they have a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty-four years, and eaten by twenty-four good children. But, when a... Read more

The Return Of The King

The Lord Of The Rings

The Fall of Gondolin

"The Fall of Gondolin" is a posthumously published work by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and released in August 2018. The book tells the story of the... Read more