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Fantasy is a realm of unlimited possibilities, where the impossible becomes possible, and the imaginary comes to life. It’s a world where dragons soar through the skies, magic is real, and heroes rise to conquer evil. The best fantasy series novels have the ability to kidnap our imaginations and transport us to other worlds that only exist in the wildest of imaginations.
For generations, fantasy series novels have captured hearts and imaginations. They take us on thrilling adventures, introduce us to unforgettable characters, and inspire us to believe in the impossible.
But with so many fantastic series to choose from, where does one start? Fear not, for we have ventured into the fantastical lands and beyond to bring you the cream of the crop. We have selected 5 of the best fantasy series novels in history.
Our picks for 5 of the best fantasy series novels are JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence, Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Earthsea Cycle, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.
These epic tales have stood the test of time, captivating audiences with their imaginative worlds, complex characters, and heart-pounding adventures.
So, sit back, grab a mug of mead, and prepare to embark on a journey unlike any other.
Criteria for Selecting the Best Fantasy Series Novels
The criteria we used to select the best fantasy series novels, includes:
- Originality and uniqueness
- Plot and character development
- World-building and imaginative landscapes
- Legacy and impact on the genre
The Lord of the Rings
It would be practically impossible to list the best fantasy series novels without including The Lord of the Rings. While not 100% true, J. R. R. Tolkien’s seminal work has been credited with creating the genre. It isn’t the first fantasy series but it is accurate that all fantasy since then has been in its shadow. All others either try to replicate its success or are in deliberate conversation with it.
Plot
This complex saga is perhaps so well-loved because at its core is a very simple concept. Years ago, the Dark Lord Sauron was vanquished, freeing the world of Middle Earth from his reign of terror. But he wasn’t destroyed, because the man who struck him down failed to destroy his magical ring.
His remaining power lies within it.
Now, Sauron is beginning to regain his strength, and eager to find his ring in order to stay powerful forever. To keep this from happening, the wizard Gandalf entrusts it to Frodo, who is a small creature called a hobbit. Frodo and a small band, including other hobbits, men, a dwarf, and an elf set out to destroy it.
Themes
This trilogy explores many themes, including good vs evil, power as a seductive force, and war as Hell. Although it is set in a world with magic, it’s quite restrained in its use of magic. Besides the ring, the characters struggle with the real world to a surprising amount. Their journey is long and arduous, and the toll of war upon them is profound.
What may surprise readers most, is how sad the series is. While good triumphs, it pays a terrible price. None of the characters emerge unscathed from the ordeal.
Legacy
The Lord of the Rings set the tone for the modern fantasy genre, and is the first series that comes to mind when the genre is mentioned. It inspired a huge wave of similar fantasy epics—in the 1980s and 1990s in particular—as well as the popular roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.
It has been adapted for the screen, radio, and stage numerous times. The most notable is Peter Jackson’s epic film saga, which was nominated for 30 Oscars, winning 17 including Best Picture. It is still considered one of the best film series of all time.
A Song of Ice and Fire
In many ways, George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is a reaction to Lord of the Rings. It’s another of the best fantasy series novels in history. Rather than a tale of good vs evil, this complex saga has almost no distinct heroes or villains. Almost everyone is awash with moral ambiguity, and it is set in a grim and bleak world.
Set in the fantasy kingdom of Westeros, it centres on the Stark family of nobles brought low by politics. Their world is ripped apart due to a war of succession and various power struggles for control of the kingdom. Meanwhile, during all the petty human battles, the very world itself is in danger. This is due to a mix of magical climate crisis and impending zombie invasion.
Themes
A Song of Ice and Fire’s themes are about power—who wields it and how. This includes physical power, perceived power, political power, the power of words and propaganda, and patriarchal power over women. It’s also about the little people caught in the middle of the games the wealthy play with one another.
Legacy
Much like Lord of the Rings before it, A Song of Ice and Fire also made a huge impact on the genre. It’s often credited with inventing the grimdark genre. This is a sub-genre of fantasy in which all fairy tale assumptions are questioned. Good and evil don’t exist. Everyone is morally grey and/or outright awful to some extent. Countless cynical fantasy series sprang up in its wake.
A Song of Ice and Fire’s greatest cultural significance, however, is the HBO series, Game of Thrones, named after the first book. A genuine phenomenon, it was nominated for 164 Emmy Awards (the most in history for a show), winning 59. It also has the highest viewership of any HBO show ever, also inspiring a current spinoff, House of the Dragon.
The Dark Is Rising Sequence
Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence is a series about children who come together to save the world. Steeped in British pagan folklore and the Arthurian Legend, it is about a quest to bring together various magical items. Assembled, the forces of the Light have the chance to drive away the Darkness that threatens existence.
The novels have a timeless quality while also creating complex characters, with humanity and depth.
Characters
One of the things that makes this series interesting and significant is how it revolves around multiple sets of children.
- The first book, Over Sea, Under Stone is about the Drew family. They’re ordinary kids searching for the Holy Grail in a seaside town.
- The second, The Dark is Rising, is about Will Stanton, a 13-year-old who discovers he’s an ancient magical entity. It’s set at Christmas.
- In the third, Greenwitch, Will and the Drews meet each other.
- The fourth, The Grey King, is about Will recuperating after an illness in Wales and meeting another significant boy, Bran.
- And in the final, Silver on the Tree, they all come together.
Legacy
The Dark is Rising Sequence was highly acclaimed. The Dark is Rising won the Newbery Honour Award in 1974 from the American Library Association. Silver on the Tree won the Tir na n-Og Award and was nominated for the Ditmar and Locus Awards. The first two books were adapted for the radio numerous times, and Hollywood adapted it as film called The Seeker.
The Earthsea Cycle
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle is another of the best fantasy series novels in history. Set in the eponymous magical world of Earthsea, it follows the life of a man called Ged.
- In the first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, he’s a young boy in a simple village, revealed to have great magical power. The novel traces his growth and education into great wizard, through the achievement of various tasks.
- In an intriguing twist, the second book, The Tombs of Atuan focuses on a young girl, Tenar. Ged only shows up later, although he is pivotal to the story.
- In the third, The Farthest Shore, magic itself is under threat, thanks to an evil Ged himself had created by accident.
- The fourth, Tehanu, is again about Tenar, now a grown woman in her late 30s.
Themes
The Earthsea Cycle is made up of coming-of-age stories, for both Ged and Tehanu. They often have to face the choices they made as younger people. The books are also about the ethics of power. They’re about maintaining balance by honouring the universe as it is, rather than trying to shape it to your whims.
Language as power is also a key theme. In the Earthsea books, everyone has a true, secret name. Knowing what that name is allows you to wield power over that person. It speaks to the importance of how powerful words can be.
Legacy
The Earthsea Cycle is considered to be one of the greatest works of fantasy literature. Every single book in the series has won an award of some sort. This includes the Newbery Honour, the National Book Award, the Nebula, the Locus, and the World Fantasy Award.
They have been adapted to create numerous films and TV series.
Discworld
Sir Terry Pratchett’s massive Discworld series is the largest on our list of best fantasy series novels in history. It’s made up of 41 novels, all of which are set around the magical planet of Discworld. As can be gleaned from the name, it is a disc-shaped world. But unlike ours, it is flat, and rides on the back of a giant turtle.
Summing up the plot or themes of Discworld is near impossible. The series is made up of countless stories about a wide variety of characters. A comedic fantasy series, it satirises countless things from various aspects of the fantasy genre itself to our own world. And it weaves together references to everything from literature to drama to pop culture.
The books can be divided into several smaller series. They include stories which focus on three witches, Death himself, the Night Watch, a wizard called Rincewind, and others.
Legacy
The Discworld series is one of the most loved in the entire world. They are considered by many to be the greatest example of comic fantasy ever written. And they have been adapted numerous times for TV, film, animation, radio, the stage, comics, and more. They have also inspired numerous games, including board games, video games, and roleplaying games.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, 5 of the best fantasy series novels of all time. Reading any of these classics will send you on a fantastic journey full of breathtaking imagination and stellar characters. Over the years, the genre has gone from straightforward epic sagas to more emotionally and morally complex work. What constitutes good versus evil or a hero versus a villain is challenged.
Whether you feel like a classic fantasy or one that upends the tropes, there will be countless choices for you. And as the genre continues to develop, our list of some of the best fantasy series novels of all time, is a great place to start.
We hope that it will inspire you as you set off on the long road of fantasy novel exploration ahead. You have so many wonders to experience and dreams to embrace.
Happy reading.
Sources and Further Reading:
Why We Still Read The Lord of the Rings – Aidan Moher – July 6, 2017
Why You Should Read ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ – Tommye – April 2, 2020
Every Emmy Award Game of Thrones Has Ever Won – Chelsey Sanchez – Sept 23, 2019
“Tonight will be bad, and tomorrow will be beyond all imagining”: Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising – Jo Walton – December 28, 2009
An Education Through Earthsea – Ryu Spaeth – February 6, 2018
David Mitchell on Earthsea – a rival to Tolkien and George RR Martin – Oct 23, 2015
12 Reasons to Read and Love Terry Pratchett’s Discworld – Chris McCrudden – August 25, 2014