The Ultimate Top 20 Fantasy Series of All-Time

🢚 Please check out today's sponsor Common Place!

The Ultimate Top 20 Fantasy Series of All-Time according to various websites and blogs!

Join the Viking Clan and access the FULL LIST⚔️
🢚Get 5% off at The Broken Binding using the code LIBRARYOFAVIKING7

Other links!

Please let me know if I forgot to mention your name regarding the art. I am currently studying my Masters and forgot to add some of the illustrator by accident. I will happily add the names to my description - just send me a message!

0:00 - Intro
00:57 - Surprises
1:22 - 20
1:52 - 19
4:21 - 18
5:31 - 17
6:19 - 16
7:20 - 15
7:48 - 14
8:38 - 13
9:08 - 12
9:47 - 11
10:18 - 10
10:56 - 9
11:43 - 8
12:25 - 7
13:13 - 6
13:52 - 5
14:26 - 4
15:05 - 3
15:47 - 2
16:17 - 1

Lists analysed!

Contact me?

[Kirok]

I'm 57 years old and Name of the Wind is still one of the most mesmerizing, captivating books I have ever read in my life. I stumbled across it in an airport bookstore, was not (and am not) an active fantasy reader, yet for some reason I was compelled to pick it up. (I have read a few of books or series from the list, as well as more of the books mentioned below.)

When I read Name of the Wind, the first two books were already published, so I quickly picked up the second book. I had to know what happens to Kvothe! Alas, upon completing the second book, I then discovered the third book wasn't (and still isn't) available.

I'm still heartbroken after the gradual realization that Rothfuss will never finish the series, and I will never know what happens to Kvothe.

[thebookpotato]

So glad Wheel of time made it to spot 3. I just finished it and as soon as I was done, despite it's many issues, I found myself wanting to immediately reread it. I've waited a few months and I'm back doing a reread. Lovely series

[ignacioniveiro]

I remember the Dragonlance saga fondly... But it seems forgotten by everyone else.

[ecthelionofthefountain]

So glad to see Tolkien at number one. Thank you for compiling this list.

[johns]

The Hyperion series by Dan Simmons is the greatest Sci-Fantasy series I have ever read. By a lot too. After I was finished with book four, I was heartbroken it was done, and I remember actually feeling like I wished I could forget about it so I could read it again all the sooner lmao.

It might not qualify as Fantasy alone, but if you're a person who also has interest in future technology, AI, human nature, unlikely heroes and the most horrific creature of ANY written universe you would LOVE these books!

[framar]

Malazan book of the fallen is my favorites series of books ever, its amazing.

[ws]

Just finished all 36 of The Legend of Drizzt series. I absolutely loved it, especially the lady few. I enjoyed the friendship, fighting, and character arcs. Any suggestion on where to go next? Sanderson is s cool guy, but I am missing Salvatore, Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and even Kimmuriel. I find them more enjoyable than Mistborn.

[ASilverSkyline]

I have never been an avid reader and have only read required reading and a little over half of the harry potter series in my adult life. I started reading the mistborn trilogy this year because of the book-tube fantasy series video you made. I'm about 200 pages from the end of Well of Ascension and Hero of Ages came in the mail today lol I would love suggestions from anyone.

[eriolduterion]

I found the list interesting, in that Tolkein, LeGuin, and Cook were the oldest of the series - which doesn't list many I consider essential classics. I also noticed that these are all series, with no stand alone or duo books. Also note, the Pern series is NOT fantasy, but actually HARD Science Fiction -as the Dragons are bioengineered by the colonist specifically to deal with the problem they encountered. May I suggest you check out: The Eternal Champion series by Michael Moorcock, The Amber-Chaos Series, Dilvish duo, and Madwand duo by Roger Zelazny, Duel of Sorcery by Jo Clayton, Dragaeran series by Steven Brust, Riftkind series by Lynn Abbey, Lord Darcy by Randall Garett, Initiate Brother duo by Sean Russell, the Merlin/Arthur tetralogy by Mary Stewart, Mabinogeon tetralogy by Evangeline Walton, The Lost Swords series by Fred Saberhagen, Incarnations of series & the Xanth series by Piers Anthony, Arafel duo by CJ Cherryh, Tros of Samothrace by Talbot Mundy and probably one of the greatest of all, The Witch World series by Andre Norton. Another SF-F cross is the Morgaine series by CJ Cherryh. Some solo novels: Darker Than You Think -Jack Williamson, Dwellers in the Mirage -A.Merrit, Jack of Shadows - Roger Zelazny, Glory Road-Robert A. Heinlein, Jirel of Joiry-CL Moore, Sacred Ground - Mercedes Lackey, Moonheart-Charles deLint. Whatever happened to Conan, Kull, Grey Mouser, Saint-Germain, Maelin the Moonsinger, (and Rod Galloglass although that could be considered SF) in your list?

[jeremygunkel]

Absolutely loved the Black Company series. Just finished up the three Gentleman Bastard books and they were fantastic. The conclusion of The Hero of Ages was everything I ever wanted in a story.

[satricv]

Surprised to see Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion Series not mentioned. Its so iconic, Chaosium did a roleplaying game based on it, and even Rock bands of the 70's based songs on his works, from such bands as Blue Oyster Cult, and Hawkwind.

[OverlyAverageBen]

These lists are always so fantastic! Great job Daniel!

[plsfckoff]

Just finished Dance of Dragons of A Song Of Ice And Fire today. I think all in all, the whole series is about 5500 pages, but it's definitely worth it!
I used to be a lazy reader (and it took me 6 months to read the whole series), but it was such a phenomenal read. Would recommend to anyone who is maybe a bit hesitant on fantasy. The political plotting, the character development and the female representation(!) is impeccable. It combines so many good plot lines and the world building is incredible.
And the new book may be coming out this decade already!

[ShacharGivon]

Every time I see one of your videos I find myself adding another series to my TBR :)
And yes, Harry Potter definitely passes the test of time.

[EmpressNoriko]

I am so excited to see Dragonriders of Pern make the list! While it is not the first fantasy I read, it is the series that made me a lifelong fantasy and sci-fi reader. You find out later in the series it qualifies as sci-fi too. When I was 12 my Mom let me join the Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Club, a type of mail service that used to be popular. You’d choose 4 or 5 books for a dollar then had to buy a certain amount in a year. I made sure to choose 3-in-1’s or more to make my dollar go as far as possible. One was the first 3 books of Pern, Dragonflight, Dragonquest & The White Dragon. I was enchanted. I daydreamed about being a dragonrider. I even met Anne McCaffrey many years later. I’ve seen a few BookTubers review it and there are a few issues that bother modern/younger readers though honestly it went over my naive 12 year old head. And if you know Anne’s life story you can see where her real life was creeping in. I feel that later in the series she moves past and makes up for these areas. One note about Shannara. Much like The Eye of the World the first book is pretty much a Lord of the Rings clone. While I haven’t read all of them, I did read the first 3-4 a long time ago and Brooks does move on to make it his own.

[RamblinPhoenix]

I am a bit sad David Eddings' Belgariad seems to have fallen off people's radar. When I think of 100% vanilla fantasy that fully and joyously embraces all the conventional, it's the Belgariad: Orphan boy on a farm- check. Mysterious grandfather figure- check. Stuck up, plucky princess- check. Evil god bent on taking over and bending the world to his whims- check.

I recently reread the seris (and the follow up seris The Malorian) and they were still very fun adventures.

[andrewbleiler]

To be clear, I don't think this series deserves top 20 realistically, but it always will be in my heart. The inheritance cycle is what got me into reading fantasy and was one of the first books that kept me up late reading, one of my favorites and I highly reccomend.

[thatguy]

I never see the Belgariad and/or Malorean by David Eddings included in these lists. It's one of the few fantasy series that I re-read every five years or so. The Cold Fire trilogy by C. S. Friedman is another that's on my list.

[Death_Metal_Head]

1:10 That's truly absolutely wild, as The Riftwar Saga is an outstanding series.

[technoblade]

Finally, bro got the wits to include A Song of Ice and Fire