My Top 10 Fantasy Book Series (as of 2024)
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- Here are my top 10 fantasy book series as of the beginning of 2024. Spoiler - there's a lot of 80's stuff!
00:00 Intro
00:24 Honourable mention 1
00:43 Honourable mention 2
01:09 Honourable mention 3
01:33 10
02:08 9
03:38 8
04:05 7
04:32 6
05:42 5
06:55 4
08:17 3
09:12 2
10:01 1
Goodreads - / neville-ridley-smith
Series mentioned:
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Drenai Saga - David Gemmell
Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb
Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson
Fighting Fantasy - Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone
Harry Potter - J K Rowling
Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis
Shannara - Terry Brooks
Dragonlance Chronicles - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Drizzt - R A Salvatore
Belgariad - David Eddings
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Riftwar Cycle - Raymond E Feist
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Edding's serie is right up there with Tolkein and Lewis for me. I re-read them every few years and it's like going to visit old, very dear friends.
Totally agree! That’s a great way of putting it Deborah!
You should definitely read Stormlight Archive!! It's one of my favorite series ever and Kaladin is one of my favorite characters ever in fiction. This was a nice video. :)
Oh yeah, I’m so definitely going to read it. Just not sure when. It’s Emperor’s Soul and Warbreaker next for me. Thanks for watching!
Stormlight is amazing but First Law World and Banished Land's Saga is even better 😁
My adult children love anything by Sanderson and he did well finishing off the Wheel of Time. It might not have been what Jordan would have done but it's a shame Jordan didn't get to finish it before he died.
@@NevsBookChannelIf bad prose and awkward dialogue bothers you I'd avoid it.
Rothfuss is sooo much better than Sanderson. Sandersons characters feel like they are written by someone who doesn’t know very many human emotions.
I’m so excited to see someone talk about d&d setting books like dragonlance and forgotten realms! Your collection is incredible! You got a new subscriber here!
Thanks so much! Your enthusiasm inspires me! Welcome aboard.
Oh man… your list took me back to my childhood. I read quite a few of the books you listed, and it made me want to dive back in to a lot of the older fantasy.
It’s great stuff!
So much love for Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms.
You betcha!
Great list! I was looking for some older fantasy recommendations this is perfect. I loved the fighting fantasy series as a youngster, I need to see if I can find any again.
Glad you enjoyed it. Happy hunting!
One cannot mention dragonlance without dragging Forgotten Realms in to the mix!
You’ve got that right!
Otherland is one of the most bizarre and best things I've read. One of the best prologues is in the first book. I still haven't read Dragonbone chair but the final book was split into two books, Siege and then Storm.
I can go for bizarre. Thanks for commenting!
Those are some spectacular maps! I agree with Ed, in that I aspire to read as much classic fantasy as you have. Great video, as always!
Thanks Amanda!
Quick shout-out to the Elenium series by David Eddings. One of my all time favorites
Oh yeah, the Elenium is great!
Any list with LoTR AND Narnia is legit!
You speak the truth my dear sir!
About time, DragonLance and Drizzt made a top 10. DragonLance Chronicles, DragonLance Legends, and Drizzt Dark Elf trilogy are my personal top 3.
I know, right? Thanks for adding your support!
in my list i would definitely have malazan and dark tower in there.
They’re on my TBR!
David Eddings's "Belgariad" series was my introduction to fantasy in the '80's - definitely high up there in my top 10. I've recently completed my collection of all of his work - books that I want to read again and again. Another favourite is Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.
How many of Eddings do you have left to read? I only have Regina’s Song and the Dreamers series (which a lot of people say is not great)
@@NevsBookChannel The Tamuli and the The Dreamers series - it was this last that I needed to complete the collection.
It's been years since I last really delved into Eddings's books. I've decided a re-read is long overdue. So I'm currently reading "Pawn of Prophecy". 😁
@@andrewhelm2813 excellent! I’d like to re-read it at some point but I’d like to read everything else of his before that
cool video! I like the older recommendations. You don't see much like that on youtube
Thanks! That’s what I’m here for.
I love the Shannara series! Especially the original trilogy and the follow-on Heritage Saga. I haven't read the entire universe of Shannara but I hope to someday. I'm glad to see it on someone's list because it is quite old at this point and doesn't get a lot of love from the Booktube community. But it is an anthology of generational storytelling and it's something I haven't seen in other fantasy a whole lot and I'm sure, after The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, it is one of the first to do it. It's also easy to read. I would classify it as middle fantasy. Not quite High Fantasy because it borrows a lot from Tolkien's works, especially the very first book but it's one of those series that is not afraid to beat up and kill off the good guys.
Great series!
You’re so right! It doesn’t get nearly enough love. My next read in the Shannaraverse will be the word and the void series. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Regarding Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, my favorites you haven't gotten to yet: Live Ship Traders and Fitz and the Fool.
Looking forward to them!
I'm 33 years old and my first big experience with Fantasy (besides the hobbit) was Magician when I was 12 years old. I loved it so much that Feist was all I read of fantasy for many years (Serpent war is indeed peak for Riftwar, though I also loved Conclave of Shadows after).
One of the series that I saw on shelves all the time, but was too busy with Feist to check out, was Shannara. Since December, I've been alternating between reading a Shannara Series and Realm of the Elderling series by Robin Hobb. I just finished reading the prequel (First king of Shannara) and will be moving on to Voyage of the Jerle Shannara once I'm finished Liveship traders (Hobb series).
I have to say that while I think Hobb's prose is far superior, there's something about the 4 lands that I really like too. None of the books have been top tier for me, but all of them have been entertaining. I'm really close to reading Word and Void and Genesis of Shannara so I'm really excited to learn more about the origins of the world. Glad I started it!
I really enjoyed First King of Shannara. My next Brooks books will be the Word and the Void series. And I’ll be starting the Serpentwar series in the next month!
Hi Nev, great video! Thanks! You've quite a lot of classic fantasy under your belt, something I strive after at this moment. I have read Riftwar (first 3), Belgariad, Narnia, LotR and Mistborn. And I really want to get to Drizt, Dragonlance and much more of Discworld. Dragonlance is so huge, I really don't know where to begin. Would greatly appreciate it if you did a video on this series, with reading order and such.
Good idea. It’s mostly pretty simple actually. Just start with the original Chronicles - Dragons of Autumn, Winter, Spring. Then the Legends trilogy. You can pretty much stop there - a lot of the other books are somewhat average. The Tales trilogies were next - they’re short stories and you can get a feeling for which authors are good and which are rubbish.
@@NevsBookChannel Great, thanks Nev! They're going on my wish list!
Malazan will always always be my favorite. I do love these series that I’ve read. But I have a lot left to read 😁❤ you have an awesome collection of books there!!
Thanks! I’ll start Malazan eventually…
My favorite used to be Wheel of Time. Now it is The Wandering Inn.
No physical books sadly, but the audiobooks are great, and all chapters are avaiable on the webpage.
@RobinFromAshes the size does scare me a bit!
@@NevsBookChannel the more the merrier.. ^_-
I would just say start with the first book and see if it is anything for you.
The author is writing around 40'000 words every week, so the size will only get larger.. ^^;
Great list! I loved seeing Shannara on there. It’s a fantastic series that has kind of become forgotten. It’s also unfairly maligned for the first book being a copy of LoTR. Almost every fantasy series written before the mid 90s did this in the first book, but Shannara is the only one that gets criticized for it. The rest of the series is completely original and great! Elfstones is my favorite.
So true. Yeah, the elfstones is great. The end is heart-breaking. Thanks Maximus!
Glad to see Magician! Love the series and want to reread it soon
Thanks Usman! How many have you read?
@@NevsBookChannel I’ve read the first 3 sub series and Talon of the Silver Hawk
You piqued my interest so I’ll check that out!
1) Riftwar Saga and connecting series ... Nothing compares
2) Phules Company
3) Time Scout
4) Myth Adventures .... Great for any younger person starting out making you wanting to read more and great read even as an adult as a light comedy
5) Lord of the Rings
6) Harry Potter
7) From here on down so many run together it is imposable to separate some are real good some you cant make it past chapter 3 without spending a week they are so bad
Gemmell and Hobbs also stand out however I find myself rereading Feist more than anything as I am drawn to the depth and quality of work Feist is able to accomplish
Feist number 1! Fair call. Wow, big Asprin fan. I have 3 of the Myth books but haven’t gotten round to reading any yet!
so nice to see some love for D Gemmell, just loved his stuff growing up, Belgariad was something I loved when I was younger and I treasure the memory but think that perhaps writing styles have changed and perhaps a re-read might be more harmful than enjoyable. The D&D books were great and I would match these in Sci-Fi with Battletech. I have never got the hang of flipping to maps other than rare occasions so they are less important to me
Yeah, I’m a little nervous about re-reading the Belgariad but I *think* I’ll still enjoy it. And I’m about to finish Legend tonight! Still a 5 star book!
Totally agree about LOTR.
A great list, my own top 10 would be very similar, I've not got around to Feist's books or the Dragonlance books yet - been meaning to get around to them for years. I'm glad your enjoying Wheel of Time, it's my number 2 (behind LOTR of course)
Drop everything and read Magician! :) Thanks for watching!
Lots of great picks there from my youth. Many of them foundational in developing my love of fantasy back in the 80’s. Belgariad when I was young, through to the Riftwar saga when I matured a a little more. David Gemmell though stands above them all for me (some nostalgia bias 😊) and remains my go to when I need to recharge my reading batteries. Give his Rigante series a go, you won’t regret it.
I plan to read ALL of Gemmell!
These are some unique picks.
All the other "Top 10" lists are the same 13 series remixed.
Glad you liked it!
Just finished reading legend again this morning. Gemmell is by far my favourite author.
I'm going to get through all his books then onto the rift war saga.
Nice! I just finished Legend again a couple of weeks ago. Still holds up
Some good books on your shelves. Best wishes with your reading choices.
Thanks Nigel!
Oh, man… you’re going to have such a great time with Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders Trilogy. I wish i could read them for the first time again. Perfect characters, great antagonists… i’m really happy for you.
I’m excited! Thanks for watching!
Completely agree with your top 4.. I love Raymond E Fiest, David Eddings and whilst I have grown out of Terry Pratchet's humour as I have gotten older, Good Omens is still one of my favourite books.
Yeah, I think his humour becomes more predictable and not as funny as the books go on. Nice match on the top 4. Thanks for watching!
You've outgrown Terry Pratchett but not David Eddings? That's a surprising hot take 🙂
@@Rhand007 Ha!
@@Rhand007 just my humour
Wasn't expecting discworld, loved it
Glad I could offer a surprise. Thanks for watching!
One of your top 10 is on my list and two of your honorable mentions is on there (and I think your correct in believing they will be in your top 10 eventually). Additional another series you mentioned that you haven't read yet is on my list.
My top 10:
1. Wheel of Time (It's been my No. 1 series since 1997)
2. Stormlight Archive (It has a chance of topping WoT if he finishes the series as good as he started it)
3. First Law by Joe Abercrombie (it actually depends on my mood which series is No. 2 & which is No. 3 with SA & FL; both are fantastic but SA is still ongoing so I think it will push into the No. 2 spot by itself eventually)
4. Drenai Saga (was my No. 2 for 2 decades)
5. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (best world building in fantasy. Period. Blows Tolkien and Jordan out of the water but I like Jordan's characters a whole lot better)
6. Mistborn Era 2 (I liked it a WHOLE LOT MORE than I did Era 1; not that I dislike Era 1 or anything but I liked the Era 2 characters loads more)
7. The Band by Nicolaus Eames (has a chance to go much higher when it's finished)
8. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (this has a chance of going much higher if he will ever finish the series; might have a shot at No. 1 if it's as good as the first 2 books)
9. Belgariad/Malloreon (this was my No. 3 series for about 2 decades)
10. Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence (new entire, just read this year; may move around a bit after I think on it some more)
Thanks for sharing your list! Interesting that you put Mistborn era 2 ahead of era 1 - a lot of people don’t like it so much - I wonder what I’ll think. My TBR is full of everything else on your list - so much good reading to look forward to!
I just created this list recently hope you see some new titles for your TBR:
Best series/ Book:
1. Lord of the Rings w/ the Hobbit
2. Warlord Chronicles
3. Bloodsworn Saga
4. First Law Universe
5. Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
6. Wheel of Time
7. Daughter of the Empire (Wurts)
8. Song of Ice & Fire
9. Deathstalker by Simon R Greene
10. Royal Assassin/ Liveship Traders
11. The Witcher Universe
12. The Gael Song
13. Outlaw by Angus Donald
14. Boudica Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott
15. The Magician ( Feist)
16. The Wizard of Earthsea ( narrated by Harlan Ellison)
17. Prydain/ Belgariad
Great list! For sure, I have a lot of those on my TBR but some are new to me. Thanks!
Wondering if you've read Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, Roger Zelazny - Chronicles of Amber, Michael Moorcock - Elric of Melnibone, David Farland - The Runelords? I haven't finished any of these series, but I've started them and am enjoying them so far. I agree that all the series on your list are great. Cheers
Those are all on my TBR list. I’ve only read the first Amber book and a Corum book many many many years ago. Thanks for watching!
The Fighting Fantasy books are awesome.
Absolutely! My collection still feels too small.
Love to see Terry P up at number 3! My man, have you tried Janny Wurts series The Wars of Light and Shadow?
Thanks Dylan! No, I haven’t but I’d like to. Really enjoyed the Empire colab trilogy with Feist. Have you read it?
@@NevsBookChannel I haven’t read the empire trilogy yet, but I just finished curse of the Mistwraith and based off your list, I think you’ll love it
@SpacedOutWizard I’m starting to collect the series. Once I have them all I’ll make a start
Five of your top ten are some of my favorites as well. Most of them are nostalgia based, just as they are for you. Enjoyed the video. The younger book tubers are somewhat snooty when it comes to the older series, which irritates me. I'm 74 years old and, like most fantasy fans, I started with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In the late 70's fantasy was almost non existent. Then I found Terry Brooks and the Sword of Shannara. I devoured the Shannara series like a hungry man eating a meal as soon as they came out. In my view, Terry Brooks saved fantasy almost single handedly, and paved the way for so many of the fantasy authors of today. I could go on about Eddings, Feist, Weis and Hickman, etc. but I've said more than enough.
Preach it brother!
I'm so excited to finally dive into Terry Brooks's books! I have been wanting to read his work for a while now, but I heard that the first book you mentioned, 'The Sword of Shannara', is a copy of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. I was a bit discouraged by this, but I'm still eager to give it a chance. Can you suggest where I should start in Terry Brooks's discography? I hope his writing is as good as I've heard, and I can't wait to discover a new favorite author
I still think it’s worth starting with the first one - it’s an enjoyable book! Another option is to start with the knight of the word series, which originally was unrelated but later he tied it in as a Shannara precursor. Or if you want something totally whimsical, you can go for the Magic Kingdom first book, which definitely is totally unrelated to Shannara. Anyway, I’d still recommend Sword first and then Elfstones - which is really good!
Great list! There are a few on there I haven’t read and now on my list.
Have you read any by Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne, Scott Lynch, or Pierce Brown, Daniel Abraham, Brent Weeks, or Michael J Sullivan? They all probably make my top 20 if not top 10 authors.
Patrick Rothfus and George Martin are great too but don’t appear to be finishing their books so I have a hard time recommending the uncompleted series.
I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read any of those yet! But they’re all on my TBR list. I so far have some Abercrombie, Brown and Weeks on my shelves
Oh, and I’ve read the first two Ice and Fire books ages ago but have a new rule that I won’t start a series that isn’t completed
Starting the Belgariad today!
Fascinated to hear what you think about it John!
Enjoy!
I’ve read 9 of these!
Nice! Which ones are you missing?
@@NevsBookChannel legend and number 9 and Terry Brooks!
The Wheel of Time. Dear God I have a love hate relationship with the series like some many others. The first 3 books are epic. Jordan was labeled the next Tolkien. He bought into his own legend and spent the rest of his life writing novels that better served as paper weights and fire kindling only to have the nerve to die with the story long from complete. Enter Brandon Sanderson to save the day.....pfft. I love the first 3 books of Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. Truly epic in scope. But, I smell a rat. Sanderson drank the koolaid and I'll bet dollars to donuts he pulls a Robert Jordan on his fans. I doubt I'll ever live to see then end of the series. Same with George R. R. Martin. That dude need a visit from some hired goons to soften up his knee caps :p
Any comments to add about Patrick Rothfuss? 😃
@@NevsBookChannel My buddy is reading his stuff now. We have very similar tastes so I'm waiting to hear his review before reading Rothfuss. He's been on my list for some time.
hilarious - yet again a strong overlap of interests. I do like your picks - but you inspired me to make my own top 10 - very similar but with a few key differences - 5 is a bit of a cheat wrt to genre - but Peter F Hamilton is my favourite author at the moment. And like you mentioned - belgariad's just one of those ones I read ever few years. Actually - really the top 4 I keep reading Ove rand over again
10 dragonlance
9 Narnia
8 Lord of the rings
7 Wheel of Time
6 Otherland
5 Commonwealth Saga
4 Belgariad
3 Discworld
2 Dragonriders of Pern
1 Magician
Ha! Hey Darren, how did you find me? I definitely need to read more Pern. I only read the first book many years ago. I’ve got most of them on my shelves. I also need to read more Hamilton. I read the Reality Dysfunction years ago and never got back to it!
@@NevsBookChannel I joined some belgariad lovers channel on Facebook, and this was posted there
@@darrenoakey6098 ha, posted by me…
@@darrenoakey6098 and did you go, wait a second, I know that guy?
I just started The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, so I'm glad to see that one of his series is on your list. I know it's not a series, but have you ever read Watership Down, and what did you think?
Hey Jefferson! I have indeed read Watership Down, although I read it out loud to my son and it took us a long time so I kept forgetting bits. There were parts I really enjoyed but it also felt like a bit of a slog. I’m curious about whether I’d feel the same if I just read it myself. I gather you enjoyed it?
@@NevsBookChannel oh yes! For me, it's right up there with Lord of the Rings! I will admit that the beginning may be a little slow, but I was captivated after meeting cowlick. I love the videos you make. Real wholesome and informative, keep it up!
@@jeffersonfowler7134 Thanks!
As an American it is really interesting to see what people in other English speaking countries are reading and consider their top 10.
Thanks! Although my age is a big consideration, being a teenager in the 80’s when most of my top 10 were just being published
@@NevsBookChannel I understand completely, I am 57 and read in a similar fashion as you.
@@russelleads2145 are there any matches with this top 10 and yours?
@@NevsBookChannel yes, several actually, Sanderson, Jordan, Erickson, Brooks and of course Tolkien, although, I think mine would be in a different hierarchy. We all have different preferences. Might add a couple, like Donaldson and Melanie Rawn.
@@russelleads2145 ah yes, funnily enough I’ve never read Donaldson. I have the chronicles on my shelf and have started them twice but never got past 100 or so pages. Really need to give them another go. It’s been about 30 years since my last attempt!
Saw legend of drizzt and subscribed lol
Welcome brother!
Anything from Joe Abercrombie is great
He’s on my TBR!
He’s so good!
Would never begrudge someone their versions of a good read, however with that being said, it is a shame you may have missed several awesome series that perhaps you are unaware of. Topping the list would be Terry Goodkind Wizard's First Rule Series, followed by David Eddings Belgarion Series along with the 2nd part, and then followed by the Sparhawk series also by David Eddings. Next would be a foreign author named Torsten Weitze and his The 13th Paladin Series. After that is a breezier fun read by Pedro Urvi with his Path of the Ranger series. Also in this list should be Guy Antibes. Guy has several 5 to 8 book series available, and I really enjoy most of them but topping the list of his works are the Wizard's Helper Series, along with his Magic Missing series and Song of Sorcery series. We also cannot forget a few really awesome reads by Leeland Artra and his Golden Thread Trilogy, Sam Feuerbach and his 4-book series called The Gravedigger's Son and the Waif girl. Then we tack on John Flanagan and his Ranger's Apprentice series, Brian Kittrell trilogy called A Mages of Bloodmyr Novel. Joseph Lallo, Book of Deacon series, R.K. Lander The Sylvan book series, D.A. Mucci with his Ignatius Series, Michael Ploof and his Whill of Agora series, Jamie Sedgewick and The Tinkerer's Daughter series, Jeff Wheeler with Legends of Muirwood series, James Wisher and the Portal Wars Saga series, and least we forget, Robyn Wideman and his Darkthorn Acadamy series. All very excellent reads. I hope you have the opportunity to prevue these wonderfully written fantasy series and see what you think. Of course, some people prefer a different style of read, like many you selected, while all very popular, are not my personal choices of good reading for me and my tastes.
Hmmm the Belgariad was one of the series on the list…
Go back and reread the Belgariad! Also, reread the Mallorean! the repetitiveness is by design because they are stuck in a cycle until the last book. Of course, you should read the Elenium and the Tamuli. NOBODY touches Eddings.
I am sorely tempted! So many books to read tho!
You always take time to read Eddings.
You are a very convincing person 😄
@@NevsBookChannel I try.
Have you read The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind? The first book is Wizards first rule?
No, but I’d like to!
@@NevsBookChannel it’s a decently long series. 13 in the main series, so plenty to chew on. I wanna try the RPG style book you were talking about. Sounds very interesting
Was only gonna watch if WOT was mentioned
You’re in luck!
Have you read any of the A Song of Ice and Fire series?
I’ve read the first two. I liked the first one but had mixed feelings about the second. It had some great bits but a lot of it felt like a chore to read. I take it you like the series?
@@NevsBookChannel It is one of my favs but I do agree with you that it can feel like a chore to read. GRRM really loves to drone on at times. I do hope he finishes the series but I don't think he's going to honestly. He always has new projects he's working on instead. I want to know whether his ending is different from how the show ended. I'll keep my fingers crossed but won't hold my breath haha.
Everyone will be asking Brando Sando to finish it if Martin doesn’t! Here’s my goodreads review for book 2: www.goodreads.com/review/show/164533319
Eh they need a grimdark author to finish the books and Sanderson isn’t into that. Maybe Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne, Scott Lynch, or Pierce Brown? They’re all great authors but I don’t know if anyone would even want to try 😅
Heh, you're a map guy too
Welcome brother!
Your list would be very similar to mine. Personally I would add Dennis McKiernan, Katherine Kerr(same era) and the Malazan series
I soured on Eddings. His overt disdain for organized religion was too pronounced, lazy in its argument and clumsy.
I’ll get to Malazan eventually!
And yeah, you could say Eddings is lazy in quite a few ways.
What? No Anne McCaffrey or Mercedes Lacky? 😮
What really bugs me is I got rid of over 1000 books in my twenties. This includes some series which I can only vaguely recall but would love to read again. However there was a limit to the shelving I had.
One day I will remember those series and find them once again. In some shop somewhere.
Sorry, I can’t fit everything on the list!
The hunt is part of the fun!
Where's Orson Scott Card!!
This is only a fantasy list!
@@NevsBookChannel I thought enders game was classified as scifi fantasy
@@trinrs nah, just scifi
No Salvatore? Really? Wow. Belgariad I loved. Riftwar Saga I loved. Pratchett couldnt read and Misbore... ugh..
Watch the Dragonlance section again…
I hated The Wheel of Time. Read the first 3 books. But the characters are so annoying!
Omg right! My husband and I both hate hate the women characters. But it really is a good story.
Dog !! You need to pick up some books published in the last 30 years !! This list is so obtusely tailored to avoid new books it's silly !!
Ha! I do have some modern stuff on my TBR