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1. Bartemaus
by Stroud, Jonathan
- On the same lists
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...
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2. The Lightbringer Trilogy
by Weeks, Brent
- On the same lists
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...
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3. World Without End
by Russell, Sean
- On the same lists
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...
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4. Forgotten Beasts Of Eld
by Mckillip, Patricia A.
- On the same lists
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...
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5. A Song For Arbonne
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
An Historical Fantasy that focuses on the clash between two cultures and features intrigue, romance, mystery, revenge and redemption.
A book that's powerful in the beauty of its lyrical prose, the powerful descriptions, and the deep characters. This is a book that has more in common with pure historical...
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6. Talion: Revenant
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
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...
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7. Elantris
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
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!...
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8. The Broken Sword
by Anderson, Poul
- On the same lists
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...
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9. The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz
by Baum, L. Frank
- On the same lists
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...
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10. The Etched City
by Bishop, K.j.
- On the same lists
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,...
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11. Devices And Desires
by Parker, K. J.
- On the same lists
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...
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The Monarchies Of God book 1 Start here
12. Hawkwood's Voyage
by Kearney, Paul
- On the same lists
One of the best undiscovered epic fantasy series out there a sort of A Song of Ice and Fire lite if you will. Yes, if you want to look at...
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13. Neverwhere
by Gaiman, Neil
- On the same lists
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...
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14. King Sorrow
by Hill, Joe
- Same author
Joe Hill's dark-academia horror: a group of Oxford students makes a terrible bargain and pays for it.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill, a chilling tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge as six friends dabble in the occult...
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15. Among Others (2012)
by Walton, Jo
- On the same lists
An award-winning and break-out novel, that is about good versus evil magic, about books, about self-discovery, about imagination. It is an example of an unfolding and nonlinear plot.
Morwenna Phelps grew up in the Welsh valleys talking to fairies among the ruins of old factories. After a disaster involving her mother, a witch, she is left with a...
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16. Nos4a2
by Hill, Joe
- Same author
A child's imagination becomes a weapon in Joe Hill's chilling tale of a car that carries children away to Christmasland.
In the tradition of Steven King, the spiritual father to Joe Hill's style of horror, NOS4A2 is a novel about the tricky space of growing up and the uncanny shit...
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17. Tigana
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
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...
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18. The Worm Ouroboros
by Eddision, E. R.
- On the same lists
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...
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19. The Golem And The Jinni
by Wecker, Helene
- On the same lists
In Wecker's debut novel, two very unusual immigrants arrive, separately, in 19th century immigrant New York. These two characters are (unsurprisingly) a golem named Chava, created by a Jewish rabbi...
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20. The Curse Of Chalion
by Bujold, Lois Mcmaster
- On the same lists
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...
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21. Good Omens
by Gaiman, Neil
- On the same lists
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...
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22. The Princess Bride
by Goldman, William
- On the same lists
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...
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23. The King Of Elfland's Daughter
by Dunsany, Lord
- On the same lists
The King of Elfland's daughter tells the tale of a human prince who is dispatched by his father to woo and wed the elf princess of a mystical land.Why it's...
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24. The Anubis Gates
by Powers, Tim
- On the same lists
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...
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25. The Neverending Story
by Ende, Michael
- On the same lists
The protagonist is a shy and awkward boy with a grand imagination. He becomes a character in a book where he takes on a mission of heroic significance.
The Neverending Story is a perfect example of how badly a film version of a beloved book can go. For people who hadn't read the book, the film was probably...
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The Witcher book 3
26. Blood Of Elves
by Sapkowski, Andrzej
- On the same lists
The Witcher series isn’t the first that comes to mind in this genre, especially if your knowledge is limited to the games. However, this particular title features far more training...
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27. The God Stalker Chronicles
by Hodgell, P.c.
- On the same lists
Virtually unknown by most and recently reprinted, The God Stalker Chronicles are very underrated. For those in the know, this is one of the better unknown series out there. The...
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28. The Chronicles Of Amber
by Zelazny, Roger
- On the same lists
Not strictly unknown, yet still ignored by the average fantasy reader. The world of Amber is one of the most original and most interesting fantasy worlds out there - something...
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29. Winds Of The Forelands
by Coe, David B.
- On the same lists
A character-driven fantasy with plenty of magic to boot. It’s fallen by the wayside with all the recent fantasy that’s come out, but it’s a sharp tale with great characterization,...
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30. The Dark Is Rising
by Cooper, Susan
- On the same lists
A higher-level, more advanced reading than Harry Potter. There was a movie made from the book, but the books are so much better you can just forget the movie ever...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Nos4r2.
The shortlist
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