Top 100 Fantasy Books

You may want to check out Abraham's newest fantasy series, The Dagger and the Coin. Quite a few people are saying it's nearly as good as his The Long Price Quartet series and it's a more "standard epic fantasy" which many of you are used to by now (dragons, elder gods, trolls, magic).

If you like the whole economic aspect of The Long Price Quartet, you should take a hard look at KJ Parker's works. Start with his Colors in the Steel. Both JK Parker and Daniel Abraham both write what's called economic fantasies -- fantasy that deals with economics in some major way.

For another writer who writes beautiful, character driven prose where the heroes are not always warriors but poets and scholars, is Guy Gaverial Kay. Try his Under Heaven, Tigana, or Lions of Al Rassan though all his works are good. Not the same style as Abraham, but he does focus a lot of characters, slow complex plots that build up, and masterful prose where the writing itself is just as important as the story.

China Mieville. One of the founders of the New Weird movement. This guy can write beautiful and unique stuff; the questions is then if you can understand what he's writing about. His world and characters are absolutely bizarre and often grotesque. But, like Abraham's The Long Price Quartet, his stories are very much different than the run-of-the-mill fantasy. You may enjoy him. I do and I feel he's a bit underrated. If you need a point to start, you can start with Perdido Street Station.

Another series that evocative in prose and character is Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast series. You might just love it if you are the type of person who falls head over heels with The Long Price Quartet.

Neil Gaimen. OH yes. Everything by him. Wonderful writing, thematic, and all round compelling tales. Start with American Gods, the book he's most famous for or Neverwhere. Note that ALL of his books are good though.

Gene Wolf. You can check out his Book of the New Sun series. Beautiful writing, beautiful descriptions, deep thoughts, deep writing, unique scenarios.

For a modern version of fantasy weird, give China Mieville a try. It's not in the same vein as Gormenghast, but Mieville is the head of one of the "new" schools of fantasy that aims for the weird and the bizarre. Oh, and he's a superbly talented author too. You might start with his Perdido Street Station. In fact, Mieville has publicly stated that his Perdido Street Station novel was influenced by Gormenghast.

Another author who's been heavily influenced by Peake is Jeff Vandermeer (read his book Ambergris). You might as well read The Etched City by K.J. Bishop, another book that shares some of the Gothic weirdness of the Gormenghast series.

For another series that's baroque in description, alien in setting and just about as beautiful a series as Gormenghast is Gene Wolf's The Book of the New Sun series. It's a visual feast of the imagination. It's not strictly fantasy, but more of a "science fantasy."

And if you want another literary fantasy series with a rich narrative, dry humor, and a compelling story, all written in flowery language, read Jack Vance's Lyonesse trilogy. For many older fantasy readers, this series is often compared with The Lord of the Rings and Dune in literary scope. Those weaned on filler fantasy of the likes of Brook, Eddings, and Salvatore, may not appreciate the scope and beauty of this work, but for those who love literary fantasy in the epic fantasy tradition, read it.

If you want more suggestions for a similar style of fantasy, take a good look at the Best Literary Fantasy Books list.

The vast scope of The Darkness That Comes Before is very redolent of Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen saga, though the characters are less gray, and the story more focused.

Also try George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, which is very epic and very gritty but way less philosophical. I'd also say it's more "character driven" as a whole than is The Darkness that comes before.

Another series that does that is Abercrombie's First Law series (starts with The Blade Itself) and Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains. 

I'd say you'll also probably find Acacia by David Anthony Durnham a good read too -- there are gray characters, an exotic landscape, and world-ending powers at play in the background.

For another fantasy about war, look at John Marco's Tyrants and Kings trilogy. It's a great read with a cast of grey characters.

Another gritty military fantasy you'll probably like (though it's less cerebral than The Prince of Nothing) is The Black Company by Cook.

The Godless World series by Brian Ruckley is dark, atmospheric and very gritty, though it lacks some of the polish of the other series. The series never full lives up to it's potential, however.

For a deep character-driven fantasy you might try Daniel Abraham's The Long Price Quartet.

For a gray fantasy with lots of politics, different kingdoms going to war, a cast of ambiguous characters, adventure and magic, check out Paul Kearney's Monarchies of God.

Like pointed philosophical bits about the state of mankind thrown out by the hero? Try Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire trilogy. It has a gritty and dark world it's probably the closest in theme and style you'll find to Bakker's works.
 

If you like his Donaldson's first trilogy, then you should read his Covenant trilogies listed above. His new trilogy (Last Chronicles ) is a riveting read that will please both old and new fans. Thomas' old lover, Linden, returns to The Land, only to find it changed beyond recognition... And Thomas the Unbeliever? Read the books to find out! 

Donaldson also has a very interesting (and dark dark) Science Fiction saga (Gap) that you will like if you liked the anti-hero aspect of Covenant.

If you like the characterization of Thomas Covenant, you may like Tad William's epic fantasy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn saga which really follows the transformation of the protagonist over the course of the series. 

Read Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy for another story with magnificent characterization set in a fantasy landscape (though Farseer is not exactly epic fantasy). Donaldson is unique in fantasy because his character is whole an whole an anti-hero instead of a hero. You may like 

George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga; there are some detestable main characters (anti-hero types) that become more agreeable as the series progresses; You see a slow evolution of these characters. 

If You Like the Anti-Hero Aspect of this book, check out our Best Anti-Hero Fantasy Books list.

I'm going to give my recommendations on works of similar "style" to Williams. Williams writes with an almost pedantic eye -- every little detail is lovely detailed -- to practically everything. This includes characters, settings, and even pots. Everything down to the minutest detail is lovingly rendered into prose. It can take a long while before things happen in a Tad Williams book, which may turn off those who love instant action with no patience for slow pacing.

 

For a series (and author) who's often a bit slower paced with an attention to beautiful, sometimes lyrical prose, give works by Sean Russell a read. I would start with his Moontide Magic Rise duology. 

 If you like his work, give his The Initiate Brother (an Asian fantasy) a go. 

For a high fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien with gorgeous and lyrical prose, read Swans' War.
 

You should read Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, if you have yet not. Tolkien is a writer who loves to write. The pacing is quicker than Memory, Sorrow, Thorn, but the language is gorgeous as is the setting portrayed by Tolkien

Another book that shares some similarities with Memory, Sorrow, Thorn is Michael A Stackpole's The DragonCrown War Cycle , which features an epic, black & white struggle, struggle between good and evil. Also, read William's new fantasy saga Shadowmarch. Wonderful prose and a strong plot.

I also recommend reading Tad William's other works. His Shadowmarch series is really good (and completed). His other series, Otherland is a stellar read too. It's science fiction, but there are quite a few fantasy elements too; it's kind of like the Matrix. Otherland is of the best Science Fiction books, IMHO.

Read Guy Gaverial Kay's own conversation with Tolkien's Rings with his Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. Another take on the Lord of the Rings concept and like Williams, wonderfully written though less pedantically paced.

There is no author that writes anything like this series. It's an original.

Read "Paladin of Souls" which is a follow up book set in the same world as The Curse of Chalion. 

You might also want to check out her Miles Vorkosigan Science Fiction series. 

Starts with Daughter of the Forest. Julian Marillier writes a very good romantic fantasy set in Celtic times. Read if you like the romance and character-driven narrative of The Curse of Chalion.

Kushiel's Dart is another romantic fantasy -- one of the more unique ones in the genre. You might like the books if you like Lois's handling of romantic relationships.

The following are some of the best YA (Young Adult) novels written.Don't let the YA tag sway you from reading them however. They are every bit as enjoyable to adults as they are for kids, and each series is actually rather dark!

His Dark Materials. A subversion of the religious themes present in The Chronicles of Narnia. Absolutely read if you want a deep and dark YA fantasy that gives a stinging rebuke to religion in general. 

The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. One of the best YA fantasy trilogies out there. Dark, scary, with awesome worldbuilding and great characters. Do read this.

My favorite YA books with one of the best characters in fantasy. This series is exceedingly well written -- funny, dark, disturbing, and horrific all at the same time. But mostly, just a fantastically spectacularly awesome read. There, with all those adjectives, you better read it.

Not to much to say here. Read it if you want a grand adventure for kids and adults alike.

The Magicians is a complete subversion of Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. Which is why you should absolutely read it. It's not a book for kids though, but an adult take on childhood fantasy, showing the friendly animals to be monsters and the perfect magical land not as perfect as you might think.

If you like scary, then read Jonathan Stroud's newest series. Scary, scary, and awesome for kids and adults alike.

The Skinjacker. A tale about an afterlife gone wrong, where kids who die sometimes don't make it into the life and end up trapped in pseudo afterlife. Awesomeness.

If you've never said, â??My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to dieâ??, 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 â?? William Goldman â?? is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.

Why it made the list

What you don't get a sense of in the movie is the genius of the structure of The Princess Bride. There's a deceit involved in how it's told: It's supposedly an abridged version of a (longer, more boring) book by S. Morgenstern. This book doesn't exist. Why is this genius? Because it allows Goldman the opportunity to comment on his own work â?? as if he's Goldman commenting on Morgenstern, when it's actually Goldman commenting on Goldman pretending to be Morgenstern.

This isn't only an excellent way to overcome any inconsistencies in his own narrative; it's also how we get into the heads of the characters and learn about their histories â?? without sacrificing any of the pace of an action driven plot.

There's something for everyone here: Swordplay and romance, action and banter. And, while it's always snappy, there's still depth to it. The theme that's interwoven with the witticisms and quick dialogue is how the journey from youthful naiveté to loss of innocence changes a person. The book also warns of something even more intrinsic: Sometimes (and often) life does not play fairly.

the rip-roaring adventure of The Anubis Gate, another tale that comes to mind is On Stranger Tides which is another awesome standalone novel by Time Powers (and the source material for the new-upcoming 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie). You can also give Powers' other novels(all standalone) a shot too. They're always a mix of the fantastic and the tangible with a good dose of (sometimes weird) adventure thrown in. And if you like the whole "mythical elements coming to life" aspect of The Anubis Gate,then read Mythago Wood which is a novel about ancient myths coming to life. Neil Gaiman's American Gods and his excellent Anansi Boys are two other books in which anthropomorphized ancient myths struggle to coexist with modernity.

the fantasy books out there feature some sort of "Hero" of the story. But there are a few books that really do the hero conceit some real justice, either looking at the price of heroism or just telling an outright killer story. I've recommended a few books here that will suit your taste if you like the flavor of Talion.

Once a Hero is another book that focuses on the cost of being a so called "Hero." It's a great read and while not as good as Talion: Revenant, should certainly be read if you enjoy Stackpole's book. 

If you like vicious fantasy with a lot of focus on a bad-ass main character, Heroes Die fits that particular bill. The protagonist is about as deadly as they come and, like Talion: Revenant, combines vicious action with an addicting plot. Another heroic fantasy tale worth reading is David Gemmell's Legend. Legend really sets you in a brutal world where only one man can make it right -- Druss the aging and retired hero. Quite a few of Gemmell's other books explore the idea of heroism quite extensively as well, so if you want more of the same, look at his other work.

For a fantasy that centers around the exploits of a hero (a trilogy though and not a standalone) , check out The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This book has been lauded by critics and readers alike for years as one of the best heroic fantasy tales in the genre.

A classic series kids around the world have grown up reading is The Chronicles of Narnia. While Narnia is very clearly a Christian allegory, it can be enjoyed without reading too deep into the Christian subtext. The writing is decent and it's a great magical adventure for both kids and adults.

You should also read Garth Nix's newest series, Keys to the Kingdom, is also a great read, both for the kiddies and adults, one of the better series for kids.
 

Don't forget to read Jonathan Stroud's very impressive The Bartimaeus Trilogy. It's an action-packed thrill ride about a magician's apprentice who manages to summon a powerful genie (Bartimaeus). Bartimaeus is less than pleased with this turn of events and tries to sabotage his young master at every opportunity. Hilariously funny, at times very dark, with great writing, a great cast of well-developed characters, and an interesting world, Bartimaeus is a must-read series (for both kids and adults).
 

You might want to take a gander at Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. It's uber famous and with good reason.
 

For a great steampunk fantasy for young adults/kids, read Scott Westerfield's Leviathan. I'm not usually into YA fantasy, but some of the concepts and the action present in the book had me hooked.

You must read Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. It's a fantasy tale set in a Japanese milieu. It's got all you want in an epic fantasy WITH the addition of samurai's, ninja's, and magic!

And finally, Harry Potter. I won't bother explaining why. 

Let's base this strictly on other good Arthurian works of fantasy. You should read The Mists of Avalon if you are even remotely interested in Arthurian fiction. Even if you aren't, read it. Stephen Lawhead's excellent The Pendragon Cycle will fill your Arthur craving with a solid number of compelling books in the saga.

You'll probably like The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart as well, which is another retelling of the Arthur myth but this one is about Merlin. If you want to read the Arthur myth in a different light (some might even argue "a whole new light" even) from a historical fiction light rather than a fantasy one, give Jack Whyte's The Camulod Chronicles a read.

possibly recommend for faerie-related novels. Quite frankly,there's a zillion fantasy books about fairies, from romantic ones to dark horror ones, to sappy Twilight teeny-bopper series. I'll recommend the best I've stumbled across.

I've read that's similar to War for the Oaks, give Holly Black's Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale a good read. It's an edgy, intensely gritty modern faerie tale that should satisfy Emma Bull fans who those who want a darker sort of story. Ostensibly, it's a YA book (the protagonist is 16), but it's so dark and jaded, I don't see how that's the case.

girl-versus-urban-faeries-and-finds-self-empowerment tale, you can give the Wicked Lovely series a read. This one is less dark than Holly Black's Tithe and it's several books long. Women who love romance will especially like the series.

that deal with individuals getting caught up in Faery court wars, Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files feature a wizard who keeps getting mixed up with Faerie politics (especially the fourth book in the series, Summer Knight, which is only about Faerie politics and intrigue).

take on the whole Faerie mythos (about a boy who is stolen away from his parents and forced to live with Faeries) read Keith Donohue's The Stolen Child.

Books set in an Asian fantasy landscape are pretty rare. If you liked the sort of mystical Asian landscape portrayed in this series, you might Find Sean Russell's Brother Initiate and Gather of Clouds a good read as well. Guy Gavriel Kay also has a new book, Under Heaven, that's sort of an alternative version of China (with elements of magic to it).

You should read works by China Mieville. Mieville writes in what's called the fantasy "New Weird" subgenre. The Etched city is influenced by Mieville's works. I would recommend starting with Perdido Street Station. This author writes strange, twisted, genre-blending fantasy. 

And for yet another writer who writes in this New Weird style, give M. John Harrison's Viriconium a go.

It's weird but reminiscent The Dark Tower by Stephen King. Some elements are similar -- horror and darkness, though King's work is a more traditional heroic tale while Parker's work is...not.

Ghormenghast. Not exactly fantasy, but with rich, evocative language, atmospheric settings, and indelicate characters, and a strange almost dreamlike landscape and world, you can't but help feel some similarities, though Parker's world is darker and more undefined.

You'll also probably like Jeff Vandermeer, also another "New Weird" writer. Start with his City of Saints and Madmen.
 

Steph Swainston's The Year of Our War might fit your taste too.

For an atmospheric mishmash of steampunk, fantasy, and fairies, give Michael Swanwick's Iron Dragon's Daughter a read -- I've got a feeling you'll love it if you like KJ Bishop.

And for more books with atmospheric and dreamlike settings that make for intelligent reads: 

• Michael Moorcock's Gloriana
•  Jack Vance's Dying Earth
• Writings by Edgar Allen Poe
•  Works by Lord Dunsany
•  Vermillion Sands by J.G. Ballard 
   

If you want more suggestions for New Weird/Literary fantasy, take a good look at the new Best Literary Fantasy Books list.

J.R.R.Tolkien's A Lord of the Rings. I also recommend Ursula le Guin's classic The Earthsea trilogy (starts with A Wizard of Earthsea), which features the same lyrical writing style as McKillip, and the hauntingly beautiful tale of a young boy's journey from boy to wizard. 

You might also try Sean Russell's Swan's War trilogy which features lyrical prose, a pervading sense of pathos and a world full of opportunity, were magic is as mysterious as it is dangerous.

Beautifully written, lyrical, and poignant, A Wizard of Earthsea is a classic coming of age story that evokes that same sort of feelings when you read The Riddle Master books. 

A modern take on the classic High fantasy hero tale, but sharply written, lyrical, and exciting to read. Chances are if you like the Riddle Master books, you are going to love The Name of the Wind. I feel both books evoke the same sort of feelings when you read them, both are coming of age, both are lyrical, and both sometimes have a dreamlike quality (at times).

Jack Vance's brilliant High Fantasy trilogy. Some of the best written, best sounding stuff in the genre. Vance, like Patricia A. McKillip, has a mastery with words.

if you like the "style" of writing in Elantris is to read Sanderson's other books (which sadly are NOT standalones, but series). He's got quite a few now. You could give his Mistborn series a go which features a very strong heroine like the one found in Elantris. For a more "end of the world" mega fantasy series in the vein of Robert Jordan, his new Stormlight Archive series (starts with The Way of Kings) looks like one of the most promising fantasy tales I've read to date.

similar feel to Elantris (though a much more intricate and complicated tale than Elantris) in setting, you might look at Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer (part of the Long Quartet series). There are some rich characterization, intelligent plotting, and some really ambitious ideas (literally and pun totally intended -- read the book to see what I mean).

Carey's other Kushiel books are must reads 

If you like the whole strong female protagonist of Carey's world, then you should read The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb which features a very richly drawn world (same world as Hobb's 

Read the Farseer which is a strong character-driven fantasy. The protagonist is male though.

You might also Like Laura Resnick's In Legend Born, which is high fantasy with some compelling females characters with realistic motivations.
 

If you like Carey's work, I suggest you look at the Top 25 Fantasy Books for Women list which will have quite a few books that you may enjoy.

If you really like Magician, try Feist's other novels of Midkemia. All of them are set in the same world, though most of them fail to match Magician. The one exception is his The Empire Trilogy, coauthored with Janny Wurts. The Empire Trilogy is a fantastic read, and I whole heartedly recommend it; the quality of the prose (perhaps due to Wurt's influence) is far superior to Magician.

If you are really desperate to read more about Feist's characters and world, then you can read his 20+ other books set in Midkemia of which many of the main characters from the original Riftwar Saga pop up again and again, sometimes as main characters, sometimes as side characters, and sometimes as cameos. 

However, the only books really worth your time are Feist's original Riftwar Saga books (and of those, the first two, Magican: Apprentice and Magician: Master are the best) and The Empire Trilogy written with Wurst. The rest of the other 20-30 books are meh (some better than others, some horrid, some approach decent, but mostly mediocre)

Feist's books always emphasize the heavy use of magic (some might say over the top use of magic) and loads of political tensions. If you like Feist's style of storytelling and his use of heavy magic, read Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Jordan's books are rampant with magic use.

Also give Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's The Death Gate Cycle a whirl. it's a good story (better than anything else they've written) with lot's of tension, lots of mystery, and lot's of powerful magic in the vein of Jordan and Feist. Hickman and Weis are responsible for populating the fantasy genre with the worst sort of fantasy tripe (Dragonlance), but surprisingly, their Death Gate Cycle is a much much better effort -- the best of their work and likely will stay that way.

Also read the The Runelords series by David Farland. Same style of writing as Feist (lots of magic, lots of powerful characters, lots of action, not that much characterization), but with a more interesting magic system. The problem with Feist is that he tends to make his character's too powerful and Feist is forced to find ridiculous ways of handicapping them.

And for another epic fantasy series with some sweet magic, an awesome hero, huge world building, and some kick ass action scenes, read Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings.

Also give Brent Weeks new series The Lightbringer a read. It's action packed, has lots of magic, lots of mayhem, and is essentially a coming of age story -- all the elements that make Feist's Magician books fun reads.

And of course, how can you go wrong with some traditional sword & sorcery from Robert E. Howard's Conan The Barbarian. These are the tales that started the entire Sword & Sorcery genre and influenced writers like Robert Jordan AND Raymond E. Feist. 

See our Best Sword and Sorcery list for more recommendations.

These recommendations are taking up the 'Roman themes' in fantasy. That is, fantasy set in a Roman-esque setting or fantasy about roman legions or influenced by Roman history/culture. 

Oath of Empires. Fantasy set in an alternative Roman Empire with the whole East vs West mentality. Lots of magic, lots of powerful heroes, lots of action, lots of sword and sorcery battles, and quite dark overall. I'd say the closest thing to Codex Alera you'll find.

You might also want to check out The Videssos cycle by Harry Turtledove which is about a Roman legion who find themselves magically transported into another world in the middle of a pitched Roman battle. While this is not really about magic, there's lots of politics and battle strategy involved with a few vs. overwhelming odds theme -- so it shares that similarity with the battle tactics Butcher details in his Codex Books. 

Ghost King by David Gemmell. Features a whole barbarian invading a roman-like empire theme here.

The Gates of Rome. Conn Iggulden's alternative historical fiction featuring some of the famous roman characters we've all studied in history class. You might like it if you are hungering for some Roman historical fiction.

Latro in the Mist by Gene Wolfe. Expect something remarkably well written, excellent plotting, but not as much action. For those who enjoy a well written tale set in a roman-like landscape.

Saling to Sarantium (and the sequel Lord of Emperors) written by Guy Gaverial Kay. Expect awesome plots, detailed world building, complex characters, but less so on action. The action often takes place on the political stage and between characters, but not via battles. No magic. Still, read it.

Without a doubt, The Blood Song, a recent remarkable debut by Anthony Ryan. This is about as close in style and form to The Name of the Wind. Instead of Kvothe apprentice wizard in training, we have Vaelin, a warrior monk in training. The format of both stories is very similar recounted in an after-the-fact manner by the protagonist. Both are coming of age stories about young men in a school setting. And both books had a (somewhat) disappointing sequel. If you like The Name of the Wind, then read The Blood Song.

a fan of The Neverending Story (you know, those sort of magical books you loved as a "kid" that were full of adventures where heroes always win and the boy always saves the girl and the unfairness of life is eventually balanced out by the end of the novel; that is,until you grew up and got a job and realized that never really happens), The Princess Bride would appeal to you. The Chronicles of Narnia, though not a standalone, are another set of books that delight the inner child. Shall I also mention the obvious Harry Potter series? And let's throw out The Hobbit while we're at it.

Since His Dark Materials is the anti-Chronicles of Narnia, it makes sense that you should read The Chronicles of Narnia . C.S. Lewis' masterpiece Narnia is a classic of the genre. While it's very clearly a Christian allegory, it can be enjoyed without reading too deep into the Christian subtext. The writing is great and it's a great magical adventure for both kids and adults. 

I also suggest reading Garth Nix's The Abhorsen Trilogy . Garth Nix is a fabulous writer and Abhorson is a chilling horror fantasy that really sucks you in. It's YA (young adult) but don't let that stop you! Garth Nix's newest series,Keys to the Kingdom , is also a great read, both for the kiddies and adults, one of the better series for kids. 

Don't forget to read Jonathan Stroud's very impressive The Bartimaeus Trilogy It's an action packed thrill ride about a magician's apprentice who manages to summon a powerful genie (Bartimaeus). Bartimaeus is less then pleased with this turn of events and tries to sabotage his young master at every opportunity. Hilariously funny, at times very dark, with great writing, a great cast of well-developed characters, and an interesting world, Bartimaeus is a must read series (for both kids and adults). 

And finally, Harry Potter. I won't bother explaining why. You might note that each of these YA books can be read by children, but at the same time they are equally entertaining for adults. And every one of the books mentioned starts of pretty lighthearted but becomes quite dark in tone and content. While this may not be great for 6 year old Johnny who is wondering why his hero dies a horrible death, it makes for a more sophisticated plot. The sweet is not as sweet without having the bitter.

 If you are specifically looking for books your kid might like, i suggest you visit The Top 10 Fantasy Books for Kids list.

You can literally recommend the entire epic fantasy genre if you like The Wheel of Time. Here's my guide to some of the most similar books to The Wheel of Time, or at least books I feel you will probably like if you enjoyed Jordan's work.

Classic Epic Fantasy with Magic, Swords, and Action Galore

If you loved The Wheel of Time, you absolutely must read Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, first book in his Stormlight Archive saga (a 10-book epic fantasy saga). Way of Kings is Sanderson at his best. This is HIS version of The Wheel of Time (and the man's certainly got the resume to write it, having directly penned the last 3 Wheel of Time books). This is the closest you'll find to Jordan's series, hands down, but updated for the 21st century. For another epic fantasy with a very interesting magic system, where a company of heroes fight against an evil god kin, read Mist Born by the same author (Brandon Sanderson).

You might also try Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis's The Death Gate Cycle, a monolithic seven book saga that's reminiscent of Jordan's style: heavy on the magic, tension and action, but unique enough not to be a banal hack. By far it's the best stuff both authors have done up to this day (they usually write the sort of hack fantasy that I rail against on this site).

You might also try Raymond E. Feist's Magician (and the direct sequels), as he writes in a style and flavor similar to Jordan (heavy on politics, action, and magic). It has a callow youth vs end of the world plot (eventually).

For a high-fantasy series that's criminally under-appreciated, read Dave Duncan's classic A Man of His Word (starts with Magic Casement). The basic premise sounds pretty hackneyed, but it's far from that. Duncan takes many of the classic fantasy conventions and puts a unique twist on everything. Some of the best classic epic fantasy in the genre.

Jim Butcher's Codex Alera is also another magic-packed, plot-driven, epic fantasy feast of a series you might like. It's got a really unique magic system and it's fantasy set in an alternate Roman Empire where magic actually works.

You can read The Briar King series by Greg Keyes for an epic "save the world" fantasy that starts with a big big bang but ends in a bit of a whimper. Despite the somewhat disappointing ending, it's a very well written series that's better than your average epic fantasy.

If you are hunting around for more action- and magic-heavy series, you might give The Rune Lords series. It probably has one of the more unique magic system I've seen; the story itself is pretty standard fare though, as are the characters and writing.

For an interesting epic fantasy that's big on adventure and exotic characters and landscapes and one that takes place on the sea aboard a giant ship, give the Chathrand Voyage series by Robert VS Redick a read. I was not a fan of the very last book, which I felt was a letdown, but the first few books are great reads. Wheel of Time on a boat of sorts.

Also read Amber (the first half) by Roger Zelazny. Not the same plot, but there are some similar things I feel. Better written, however. Its epic overall and combines modern elements with the fantastic. Really, this is a classic you should read.

If you like classic village boy vs dark lord fantasy of the 80's and 90's, then read David Eddings The Belgaraid.

You might try Dragonlance if you like action and magic and plenty of shallow characters. I'm not a fan, but there are quite a few. You might just like Dragonlance if you love The Wheel of Time.

Slow-Paced, Character Driven Epic Fantasy

If you are looking for epic fantasy that's not necessarily driven by pure action and magic and battles, these are some recommendations to look at

Try Michelle West's The Sun Sword, another large epic fantasy saga (six books) that shares some similarities with Jordan's Wheel of Time. West's writing style is drastically different that Jordan's, however -- far more subtle, and often ponderous. If you are an action freak, The Sun Sword pacing will probably be a bit too slow for you. Good for lovers of fine writing where every plot is meticulously woven together over a long period of time and characters are slowly built up. NOT for the action freaks.

For a slower-paced, character-driven epic fantasy, give Janny Wurts "The Wars of Light and Shadow" a read. It's a huge epic fantasy that concerns itself with the actions of two opposing "heroes", one that's on the light side and one that's on the dark side. Much slower paced and more character driven and better plotted than the Wheel of Time -- which some will love and some will hate. But hands down, the prose is much superior.

Tigana by Guy Gaverial Kay. One of the best writers in the genre. This was his first series and it's a flawed one. But there's a lot to love. Some similar elements to Wheel of Time (dark lord, group of heroes fighting) but plenty of non-similar elements too (heroes are from our world transported to a magical world and it's actually WELL WRITTEN). Not as much action and magic as Wheel of Time though.

Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Another classic fantasy that's character driven. Not as epic in scope (it's the tale of a bastard boy who becomes entwined in politics and eventually has to save the kingdom).

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. High fantasy, not epic fantasy. But man, an astounding read. One of my favorite books of all time. Not the same as The Wheel of Time, but in regards to the magic system, a very systematic breakdown of magic (like Wheel of Time) usage and a wizard school setting (WOT features this in quite a few of the later books).

Modern Dark and Gritty Epic Fantasy

Fantasy has evolved the past 10 years. Now dark, gritty and sarcastic is in vogue. If you want a more complex fantasy where characters are often shades of gray and heroes are more anti-hero than hero, where heroes sometimes die and no good deed goes unpunished, these series are the best.

Give George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire a try. It's a massive epic like Jordan's The Wheel of Time (but not as long), and it's universally held in the highest esteem, a sort of paragon of what all Fantasy books should strive to be. You thought those "Dragonlance" books were good? Feast on Martin for a taste of what Fantasy books should be like.

For a different style of epic fantasy, you may want to give Malazan Book of the Fallen a read. It's also a massive series like WOT, spanning 10 books and it's completed as well, so no waiting around for the sequel books. The series has a huuuuge cast of characters, magic galore, and features large-scale battles that are as vicious as they are exciting to read. But don't expect the WOT; Malazan is a different sort of fantasy that provokes strong feelings -- you will love it or you will hate it.

Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series. It's an epic series with different races, peoples, magic, and a dark lord. But for all the elements that are the same as Wheel of Time, there are as many differences. This series is arguably a subversion of the fantasy genre.

A new fantasy series that's been making some pretty big waves in the fantasy world is The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham. It's sharply written with a cast of complex, grey characters. In the background, it has many of those epic fantasy conventions (world ending darkness coming into the world, many different races and creatures, mysterious magic, etc). It's not your typical epic fantasy though -- think of it as epic fantasy 2.0.

For a darker less "epic" fantasy where all the characters are completely grey (and evil is not necessary evil), give The Black Company by Glen Cook a read. There are a number of books in the series, but I recommend reading the (best) first series (called "The Books of the North") of the Black Company followed by the next best series (The Books of the South).

For a different take on the whole epic fantasy movement, one that's darker and more gritty where heroes are not always heroes or good guys, you might look at Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing series. Epic fantasy, wars, brutality, heroes and philosophy? If you love epic fantasy that does something different, read this one.

In the same vein, check out Joe Abercrombie's The First Law series. And for a real subversion on the whole epic fantasy genre, give Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains a read. These recommendations are a more modern, "adult" take on the classic epic fantasy that Jordan wrote

And for my final "epic fantasy recommendation," read Steven King's The Dark Tower. It's a 7-book monstrosity that's taken King several decades to finally finish. In fact, many of King's books indirectly tie into the The Dark Tower in some way or the other. It's sort of like a cross between the western genre, the post-apocalyptic genre, and the fantasy genre. Well worth reading for a different take on the whole epic fantasy thing.

You may find you like The Red Knight (Traitor's Son Cycle). Lots of action, lots of magic, a large cast of heroes, monsters to kill, lots of war, castles, knights, and ladies. This was one of my favorite reads of 2013. Book 2 came out this year.

Sword of Shadows series. Classic Jordan style fantasy with a darker and grittier edge. Only, it's not finished and I can't remember when J.V. Jones wrote the last book. There are 4 of 5 books out.

For more epic fat fantasy recommendations in the vein of The Wheel of Time, check out the Best Epic Fantasy Recommendation list.