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OK, so you’ve read The Lord of the Rings, the most famous fantasy trilogy (not really a trilogy, it is six separate books) of all time and some of the finest books you will ever come across. What next? Can any other series reach the same high standards? Luckily, the answer is yes, though all are different from JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece. From the Toaist beliefs of Le Guin to the complexity of Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen; there are at at least nine more fantasy series that you simply must read. We have listed our current favourites here, they may not necessarily be the best, but they are an absolute joy to read. Enjoy!

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The grandpa of them all – a fantastic tale of heroism featuring hobbits, dwarves, elves, orcs and much much more. The word-building of JRR Tolkien set a new standard that fantasy authors have since emulated but never surpassed. If you have never read the trilogy then you are indeed lucky as you have something in life still to look forward to.

• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Two Towers
• The Return of the King

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin

Earthsea is a magical world, full of enchantment. The Wizard of Earthsea must fight off the forces of evil and darkness in their various shapes before, ‘done with doing’, he flies off on his dragon to ‘the farthest shore’. These prize-winning stories are brilliantly crafted, richly imagined and engaging. A superb four-part fantasy, comparable with the work of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the Earthsea books follow the fortunes of the wizard Ged from his childhood to an age where magic is giving way to evil. As a young dragonlord, Ged, whose use-name is Sparrowhawk, is sent to the island of Roke to learn the true way of magic. A natural magician, Ged becomes an Archmage and helps the High Priestess Tenar escape from the labyrinth of darkness. But as the years pass, true magic and ancient ways are forced to submit to the powers of evil and death…

• The Wizard of Earthsea
• The Tombs of Atuan
• The Farthest Shore
• Tehanu
• Tales from Earthsea
• The Other Wind

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Robin could easily have had three trilogies included in the top 10 but we have just listed the first, The Farseer Trilogy. The Liveship Traders and The Tawny Man are every bit as good. Robin Hobb is an author of rare skill and imagination.

• Assassin’s Apprentice
• Royal Assassin
• Assassin’s Quest

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

Initially confusing, ultimately compelling. Steven Erikson throws the reader straight in at the deep end in the fantasy series that charts the fall of the great Malazan Empire. Wonderful characters, wonderful plots, wonderful books. FantasyBookReview.co.uk advice – swim, don’t sink.

• Gardens of the Moon
• Deadhouse Gates
• Memories of Ice
• House of Chains
• Midnight Tides
• The Bonehunters
• Reaper’s Gale
• Toll of the Hounds
• Dust of Dreams
• The Crippled God

The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood

A trilogy of books about moles, twice the size of The Lord of the Rings? Doesn’t sound like your cup of tea? Don’t miss this enchanting and elegant series by William Horwood. Full of faith, courage and love and set in the savage world of the moles.

• Duncton Wood
• Duncton Quest
• Duncton Found

The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson

There are few books with a more intricate narrative than Stephen R Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series. Epic fantasy with a twist, the hero is a leper and believes that nothing that happens to him is real. Found tough going by some, hugely rewarding by most.

• Lord Foul’s Bane
• The Illearth War
• The Power That Preserves

A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin

A Song of Ice and Fire is considered one of the best fantasy series of all time, not just by readers but also by fellow authors such as Robin Hobb. Based on The War of the Roses, Martin’s list of characters is immense, the scope of this epic is mind-boggling.

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Storm of Swords
• A Feast for Crows
• A Dance with Dragons
• The Winds of Winter
• A Dream of Spring

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman very cleverly, like JK Rowling, managed to write books that appealed to children and adults.

• Northern Lights
• The Subtle Knife
• The Amber Spyglass

The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

The Harry Potter series has so far sold a staggering 380,000,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into over sixty different languages. Enough said!

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Spook’s Series by Joseph Delaney

Although written for young-adults, this series, like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials is just so good that adults fell under its spell as well. Spooky, spine-tingling; superb.

• The Spook’s Apprentice
• The Spook’s Curse
• The Spook’s Secret
• The Spook’s Battle
• The Spook’s Mistake

Posted: October 25th, 2008
Author: Lee