Great Fantasy Books

Fantasy Books Well Worth Reading

See the ranking

This list is simply a list of great fantasy books. And by great, I mean books that nearly but didn't quite make the Top 100 Fantasy List. Likely, you'll some of these are your own favorite fantasy.Note, I am currently REBUILDING this list from scratch since I reorganized a number of the lists here, so bear with me while this list comes together over the next couple weeks. That means there won't be finished descriptions and the list is missing most of the entries.

The ranking

1

Master Of The Five Magics

Master Of The Five Magics

by Hardy, Lyndon

The story follows Alodar, an apprentice magician, as he discovers and masters the five paths of magic. It's an exciting adventure that's virtually unknown by the modern fantasy reader and it's probably out of print. Mast...

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2

The Hero And The Crown

The Hero And The Crown

by Mckinley, Robin

Aerin is shy, clumsy, ugly, and mistrusted by the people she is supposed to rule. She is ridiculed for being the daughter of a witch with none of her witchy powers, and even when she eventually becomes a Dragon-Killer...

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3

Stardust

Stardust

by Gaiman, Neil

E-book extra: Neil Gaiman's "Writing and the Imagination."In the tranquil fields and meadows of long-ago England, there is a small hamlet that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. Just to the east stands a high s...

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4

The Ruins Of Ambrai

The Ruins Of Ambrai

by Rawn, Melanie

Filled with the sort of political, magical, and romantic intrigue that is Melanie Rawn's trademark, this is the story of three Mageborn sisters torn apart in childhood by the maneuverings and ambitions of their elders. R...

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5

The Golden Key

The Golden Key

by Macdonald, George

The adventurous wanderings of a boy and girl to find the keyhole which fits the rainbow's golden key.

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6

Lord Of Light

Lord Of Light

by Zelazny, Roger

Zelazny may be famous in the fantasy world for his Amber series, but his best work may just be his stand alone novel, Lord of Light. It's a work that's complicated yet simple -- a story that blends the medieval fantasy w...

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7

Low Town

Low Town

by Polansky, Daniel

Warden was a decorated soldier and a spy for the empire. Now he deals drugs in Low Town, the filthy underbelly of the city of Rigus, and keeps a close eye on its gangs and informants.When a child's mutilated body turns u...

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8

Song For The Basilisk

Song For The Basilisk

by Mckillip, Patricia A.

As a boy, Caladrius hid in a fireplace and watched his family killed in a massacre carried out by the ruler of Berylon, the Basilisk. He grew up on a distant island among bards, and he has returned to the walled city as...

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9

The Sun Sword

The Sun Sword

by West, Michele

The Sun Sword is delivered to its rightful owner, and the armies of the Dominion and the Empire are about to rendezvous for their final battle. But no one knows how the daughter of the Lord of Night will change the cours...

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10

War Of Light And Shadow

War Of Light And Shadow

by Wurts, Janny

This series is epic in every sense of the word. It takes place over many generations, its world is complex and detailed and the quest at the heart of the plot is the kind that legends are made of.Why it made this listIn...

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11

Swan Song

Swan Song

by Mccammon, Robert

An ancient evil roams the desolate landscape of an America ravaged by nuclear war. He is the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a malevolent force that feeds on the dark desires of the countless followers he has gathered into his...

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12

Cirque Du Freak

Cirque Du Freak

by Shan, Darren

From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assist...

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13

Sailing To Sarantium

Sailing To Sarantium

by Kay, Guy Gavriel

Kay writes a lot of fantasy that appeals to those who enjoy a good, well thought out romance novel. While romance is not the only point of Kayâs stories (Kay is too intelligent of a writer for that sort of book), it alwa...

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14

The Macht

The Macht

by Kearney, Paul

The second book in an epic fantasy series by a critically acclaimed and highly praised author. It is twenty-three years since a Macht army fought its way home from the heart of the Asurian Empire. The man who came to lea...

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15

The Stress Of Her Regard

The Stress Of Her Regard

When Michael Crawford discovers his bride brutally murdered in their wedding bed, he is forced to flee not only to prove his innocence, but to avoid the deadly embrace of a vampire who has claimed him as her true bridegr...

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16

Shadow Ops Control Point

Shadow Ops Control Point

Lieutenant Oscar Britton of the Supernatural Operations Corps has been trained to hunt down and take out people possessing magical powers. But when he starts manifesting powers of his own, the SOC revokes Oscar's governm...

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17

The Picture Of Dorian Gray

The Picture Of Dorian Gray

by Wilde, Oscar

A handsome, dissolute man who sells his soul for eternal youth is horrified to see the reflection of his degeneration in the distorted features of his portrait.

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18

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

by Gaiman, Neil

Gaiman is one of the biggest names in modern fantasy, and for good reason. His ability to craft fairytale-like, lyrical stories is almost unparalleled. With The Graveyard Book, he goes a little outside of that norm, p...

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