My favorite fantasy books

I’ve been sharing lists of my favorite books ever these past few weeks. If you missed it, here’s the list of my favorite Horror books and Science Fiction books.

I tried to get this list down to just ten or eleven, but that didn’t really happen. There are just a lot of really fantastic fantasy books out there. So, I did finally settle on fourteen. In the event that there’s just a whole series that tells a whole story, I’ve included just the whole thing.

My usual disclaimer applies here. I don’t claim that these are the best fantasy books of all time. I just say that they are my personal favorite. So, if your favorite isn’t on my list, don’t take it as a slight. Just tell us about it in the comments below.

Thief’s Magic, by Trudi Canavan

This was a new find this year, and I can’t for the life of me remember how I found it. I think it was an Amazon suggestion one day on sale for a dollar.

It’s magic structure and world building is unique, the characters are admirable. The villain is hateful, and the ending makes me look forward to reading book two.

Protector of the Small series, by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce is my favorite fantasy author. The Protector of the Small series is about a young woman named Kel who wants to be a knight. She’s not the first Lady Knight, following in the footsteps of Alanna the Lioness. More on that series to come. The four books take Kel from proving herself as a young Paige, all the way to her first task as a lady knight.

Rhenwars Saga, Darklands by ML Spencer

I’m pretty sure I reviewed one of these books back when I read it. I still need to go back and read the other books in the series. This is a true classic fantasy, about a war between light and darkness. At least, that’s what it appears. With betrayal, finding common ground, and some awesome characters, this is a great series.

Strange the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor

I literally just finished reading this book, and it was so good that it made the list already. I’m waiting until the new year to get the sequel, Muse of Nightmares because I’m halfway through like three books right now and I need to get a handle on that. But this book is so good!

While I felt like the ending was a little bit telegraphed, it’s fun to get to it. The story is full of mystery aside from that, and relatable characters. The magic is wonderful, the world is fantastic. I started reading this on vacation, and it was just a perfect story to sink into.

Harry Potter, by JK Rowling

Do I need to say anything about this series? I’m just assuming if you’re here, you’ve read everything from Sorcerer’s Stone to Cursed Child. It’s a great series, and I keep going back to it over and over.

Alanna the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce

The first of Pierce’s series, this trilogy inspired little girls like me and Jenny Breedon (comic author of Devil’s Panties) to be knights.

This is the story of Alanna, who dresses like a boy to become a knight. She’s a mage and a hot-tempered warrior. Along the way, she makes friends with the prince who will someday be king and the thief lord of the city. If you haven’t read it, get on it in 2019.

Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson

I can’t believe it took me so long to read Mistborn. It’s a heist story disguised as a fantasy novel. The political upheaval is awesome, the magic structure is realistic and instantly understandable. The story is rich, and the main characters are just so instantly endearing.

Bloodhound, by Tamora Pierce

The Bloodhound trilogy is different from anything else Pierce has written. The main character, Becca, isn’t a noble or a mage. She’s a rough girl from the streets who becomes a city guard (read police officer) who just happens to be able to talk to ghosts who attach themselves to pigeons. As I’m writing this I want to go back and re-read the whole trilogy. People who loved Alanna’s cat in the Lioness trilogy will find a familiar voice with a different name in this series.

This book ties into Alanna, as it’s set in the same city. It’s also about the ancestor of Alanna’s husband. Fun fact, half of her books are set in one fantasy universe, half in another. I’ll be talking about the other one soon.

Anansi Boys and American Gods

These two books are set in the same universe, so I’ll talk about them together. American Gods is a fantastic, massive, awe-inspiring story that I have a hard time really explaining.

The premise is that gods only exist if we believe in them. And, they exist right on Earth along with us. If you haven’t read these books yet, read Anansi Boys first, then American Gods. I did a full review on both before if you’re interested.

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

Yeah, I have a thing for Neil Gaiman, and no I’m not going to apologize for that. Again, I did a full review of Coraline, which you can read here if you like. The movie is awesome, and the book is better. Don’t let the fact that it’s marketed for kids scare you away. I never saw this until I was an adult and I love it just the same.

Trickster’s Choice, by Tamora Pierce

This two book series is about Alanna the Lioness’s daughter, Aly. She’s kidnapped from the sea and sent to slavery. Her parent’s daughter, Aly is perfectly ready to escape and head home. But a trickster god makes a bet with her to stay and keep a group of noble children alive through the summer.

Circle of Magic and Circle Opens by Tamora Pierce

Okay, just one more Tamora Pierce series then I’m done.

All of the other books I’ve talked about so far have been from what’s called the Tortall universe. The other universe, the Circle universe, was my introduction to her writing. Specifically, the first four. The stories center around four children mages who accidentally spin their elemental magic together, making them much stronger than any other mages their age. Chaos ensues.

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

You know what I want more of? Fairy tales for grownups. That’s exactly what Neverwhere is. Imagine there’s a world built under ours, or into ours. Imagine that there are people living in that world that are all around us, in the corners and pockets that most people don’t pay attention to. And imagine that a grown man was tossed into that world, that resembles a mix between Wonderland and Sweeny Todd’s London. That’s Neverwhere.

Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis

Finally, my favorite series of all time. I love the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s a spiritual story that’s never preachy. I could read these books over and over. And, if you’re wondering, I read them in their original sequence with The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe first. My husband, the heathen, reads them in the new sequence with The Magician’s Nephew first.

So what do you think? What’s your favorite fantasy books? Let us know in the comments below.

In Devon’s world, magical work is as common as turning a pot or fletching an arrow. What isn’t common is a man with thread magic. When Devon finds that he is a seer, weaving prophetic tapestries, his family tries to keep it a secret.
But the family can’t hide Devon’s visions after he predicts a devastating plague in the dragon lands of Coveline.

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