What is high fantasy? It’s a literary genre term meaning fantasy stories that take place in a world different from our own—one where magic exists, of course. It’s distinct from “low fantasy” or magical realism, which are genres where magic elements seep into our well-known and somewhat mundane world. Now that that befuddling distinction is out of the way, here are the 10 best high-fantasy books, ranked.
10. The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
Obviously, the characters from The Last of Us haven’t read Anne McCaffrey’s The Dragonriders of Pern, else they’d know that there’s only one surefire way to beat mutant fungus: with dragons. Far in humanity’s spacefaring future, the distant planet of Pern has come under constant assault from an extraterrestrial fungus that has cut the world off from the rest of mankind. Reduced to a semi-feudal society, the inhabitants of Pern use what little advanced technology they have left and genetically engineer dragons to burn away the shroomy threat. Taking place over millennia, the series revolves around dragons and their telepathic connection to their riders. Part space opera, part fantasy epic, it’s a sciencey spin on a genre-favorite creature.
9. Angelfall by Susan Ee
If you thought angels were nothing but chubby little harp-playing babies that adorn Renaissance paintings, you thought wrong. Susan Ee’s post-apocalyptic fantasy series, Angelfall, shows the denizens of Heaven in their full and terrible glory. To immanentize the eschaton, angels have invaded planet earth, and a flock flew away with the sister of seventeen-year-old Penryn. To rescue her kidnapped kin, she forms a tenuous alliance with an angel named Raffe, who has (literally) fallen from Heaven’s good graces. The pair begin an arduous trek across the angel-ravaged world to mount a rescue, spitting in God’s eye in the process.
8. The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
In a world where gods are enslaved by humans, N.K. Jeminsin’s The Inheritance Trilogy begins with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I know what you’re thinking—that’s FAR too many kingdoms for anyone to rule. But that’s exactly what the young Yeine Darr is chosen to do. After her mother’s death, the young outcast is summoned to the floating city of Sky and named their heiress to the throne. Yeine is less than thrilled, considering that half the court would rather see her head mounted on a spike than laden with the crown. And so begins a desperate power struggle between Yeine and the kingdom’s would-be rulers, assisted and complicated by the powerful gods forced to serve the realm.
7. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams
Kitchen boy Simon thought he would live and die in obscurity, but Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series had a different plan for the young legend. After the High King of the realm shuffles off his mortal coil, the devious Storm King marshals the forces of undeath to take over the world. After Simon is apprenticed to the League of the Scroll—a covert fighting force dedicated to defeating the Storm King and the elf-adjacent Sithi—he is thrust into a search for some long lost swords whose magic holds the key to mankind’s salvation. Beginning with The Dragonbone Chair, the series chronicles Simon’s rise from feudal busboy to unlikely hero. Unlike most fantasy protagonists, Simon isn’t some chosen one; he’s a normal kid thrust into extraordinary circumstances and has to rise to the top without the help of some obscure prophecy. Rough.
6. Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart is set in a fantasy reimagination of Europe founded by angels long ago. Despite its divine origin, Terre d’Ange is a dark place, where young Phèdre nó Delaunay is forced to eke out a living as an indentured servant. She’s eventually purchased by a noblewoman who sees that Phèdre has been pricked by Kushiel’s Dart and is chosen by the divine to experience pain and pleasure as one and the same (how very Hellraiser). Trained as a courtesan and a spy, the god-marked Phèdre must rise above her humble beginnings and use her power to thwart a political plot that could unravel the tenuous political fabric that holds the realm together.
5. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
In the high fantasy realm, Brian Sanderson is a veteran writer, and the Mistborn Saga is a must-read. Set in a wasteland that has fallen to ruin under the thousand-year rule of an immortal tyrant, a street thief named Vin discovers that she is the bearer of an ancient and long-forgotten magic. As one of the Mistborn, Vin can swallow metals and gain supernatural powers through a magical art known as Allomancy. By chowing down on the periodic table of elements, Vin aids a secret sect of rebels in their fight to free the realm from the Lord Ruler’s, well, rule. Vin’s vulgar background is put to good use, as the teenager employs the good ol’ five finger discount to divorce the Lord Ruler from his treasures and artifacts. Who doesn’t love a good heist thriller?
4. Berserk by Kentaro Miura
Kentaro Miura’s magnum opus, Berserk, is arguably the greatest dark fantasy tale ever told. Set in a crapsack world run by dark gods, the action centers on a wandering warrior named Guts and his quest for ultimate revenge. Betrayed by a former comrade, Guts cuts his way through a grimdark world with a sword the size of a compact car. Berserk is unafraid to shy away from heavy themes, including the realities of war and its effects on children. The manga is infamous for its unflinchingly honest portrayal of sexual assault, a shared trauma from which its lead characters have all suffered. While Berserk is set in a brutal and bleak world, the narrative kindles a fire of hope in the heart of its linebacker-sized protagonist, who, despite the overwhelming odds that fate has stacked against him, refuses to give in.
3. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
After the release of A Song of Ice and Fire, author George R.R. Martin was hailed as the second coming of Tolkien. In fact, Tolkien served as one of the author’s greatest inspirations. Martin was fascinated by the effectiveness of noble ideals in a brutal and pragmatic world. Aragon may be a good man, but does that mean he’ll be an effective king? Martin’s answer: no. In A Song of Ice and Fire’s world, good men crumble under their unflinching devotion to justice, leaving politically savvy cutthroats to claim power for themselves. In a world where might alone makes right, a cast of characters from across the globe duke it out in the never-ending battle for power: the Game of Thrones.
2. Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea saga is a philosophical departure from the traditional fantasy story. Beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea, the story unfolds around a young boy named Ged who leaves his tiny island home to become the greatest wizard the world has ever known. Set in an archipelago of islands that spans the globe, Ged travels the world, learning the mysteries of magic. Ged’s quest is not a quest for power but one based around gaining understanding and insight into the world around him. A wizard’s job is to ensure that the world’s magic remains in balance, and the truly great mage eschews the pursuit of power to seek equilibrium and harmony with nature. After dabbling in the dark arts and reaping the consequences, young Ged learns that lesson the hard way.
1.The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
What did you expect? If it hadn’t been for the efforts of a nerdy linguist and his attempts to conjugate verbs for elves, we arguably wouldn’t have any of the other books on this list. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a modern myth on par with Beowulf, The Odyssey, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, and it all begins with a genealogy lesson about some short, hairy-footed folk that live in holes in the ground. Despite its humble beginnings, Lord of the Rings expands into the ultimate tale of good versus evil and how even the most unassuming people are capable of changing the world. Accompanied by a runaway king, a bickering elf/dwarf duo, a wizard who gets an incredible makeover, and a gardener content to see things through to the bitter end, the Hobbit Frodo Baggins makes his unforgettable trek across a continent to rid a world from the threat of ancient evil that has taken the form of jewelry.
Published: Mar 7, 2025 11:51 am