The Tower of Bones: The Three Powers Book 2 (The Three Powers Quartet)

Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times. Clockwork fantasy adventure is delightful but a bit dark. Family, friendship at heart of exciting game-world fantasy. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Magical start of the fantastic boy-wizard series. How to Be a Supervillain: How to Be a Supervillain, Book 1. Silly, sweet, but slight send-up of heroes and villains. Quirky adventure about the power of friendship and fantasy. Isle of the Lost: Disney villain-kids tale gets fast-paced graphic revamp.

By Melissa de la Cruz, Robert Venditti. Quirky fable promotes family, community, teamwork. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1. Classic Narnia tale has exciting battles, Christian themes. The Lost Property Office: Section 13, Book 1. Action, suspense fuel steampunk fantasy set in London. The Map to Everywhere. Thrilling fantasy series opener makes a great read-aloud.

Mark of the Thief, Book 1. Exciting kickoff to fantasy series in ancient Rome. My Diary from the Edge of the World. Magical, heartbreaking story about family and friendship. By Jodi Lynn Anderson. Survivors, The Gathering Darkness, Book 1. Exciting post-disaster dog fantasy best for fans of series. This classic works best as a read-aloud. Ronia, the Robber's Daughter. Enchanting fantasy boasts spirited heroine, loving family.

Boy and girl team up to find new fates in magical adventure. The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. Haunting tale of friendship and magic in Victorian times. When the Sea Turned to Silver. Rich folklore-fantasy blend makes a great read-aloud. Sensitive fantasy graphic novel explores gender roles. The Wizards of Once. Winning combination of action and humor in fun fantasy. Artemis Fowl Book 1. Witty and exciting series start with irresistible antihero.

Aru Shah and the End of Time: A Pandava Novel, Book 1. Flawed but fascinating modern spin on Indian mythology. Gripping historical adventure aboard a gigantic train. The Box and the Dragonfly: The Keepers, Book 1. Twisty brainteaser of a fantasy is a keeper. Brilliant tale of girl's enchanted-woods search for friend. The Dark Is Rising.

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Classic fantasy is a bit slow, but enthralling. Reluctant monster hunter steps up in clever, funny fantasy. The Unwanteds Quests, Book 1. Slow start, solid characters in Unwanteds spin-off series. Going Wild, Book 1. Superpowered series start has thrills, appealing characters. Underland Chronicles, Book 1. One of the best of the post-Potter fantasies. The House in Poplar Wood. Teens bond, match wits with Death in riveting tale. The Language of Spells. Viennese girl meets dragon in sweet, poignant fantasy. Sweetness, monsters, gore in darkly appealing fantasy.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1. Greek myths meet fast-paced adventure in boy-demigod tale. Strong heroine faces monsters and mayhem in fun fantasy. The Trials of Morrigan Crow. First-rate, spellbinding story of misfit girl who's magic. Witch holds kids captive in creepy but sweet fantasy tale.

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods. Huge gift book of Percy-narrated Greek myths is tons of fun. Brave rabbits meet scary monsters in exciting series start. Rebel Geniuses, Book 1. Creative fantasy blends art, mysticism, math, and magic. By Michael Dante DiMartino. Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond, Book 1. Rushed, fun adventure with Indian princess in combat boots. Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic. Fab art and cool new world as time periods collide.

The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 1. Exciting enchanted forest adventure to save baby brother. Willa of the Wood. Action-packed, violent, absorbing, heartfelt fantasy. Young Pratchett fans will enjoy early lighthearted tales. Peril, appealing characters fill rich, imaginative fantasy. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge.

Funny, creepy tale of elf and goblin's uneasy friendship. The Book of Boy. Boy seeks relics in fun, mystical Middle Ages fantasy. By Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The Cabinet of Earths. American kids find magical, creepy adventure in Paris. A Crack in the Sea. Unusual mix of history and fantasy makes an engrossing read.

Wings of Fire, Book 1. Buddy dragon story surprisingly dark and bloody. Bold princess gets a silly nickname in fun questing tale. The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Entrancing fantasy spun with magic stresses power of love. The Glass Town Game. His Dark Materials, Book 1. Nail-biting, violent fantasy has elements of mystery.

100 Must-Read YA Book Series

Beautifully illustrated dragon fantasy is short but intense. Poignant, funny medieval tale skewers ignorance, bigotry. Fun, thoughtful mystery deals with superpowers, bullying. The Sword of Summer: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1. Exciting Norse mythology adventure with Percy-like hero. The Tournament at Gorlan: The Early Years, Book 1. Slow start to prequel series with stalwart characters. Lush, dark fantasy has magical teens, ghosts, the undead. Exciting, moving magical adventure explores love and greed. A Wizard of Earthsea: The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1.

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Classic, magical fantasy novel for tweens up. Cold War kids use magic to save world in brilliant novel. Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book. Belle gets lured into book in dark but enchanting spin-off. A Greenglass House Story. Engaging fantasy adventure trades ghosts for magic. Hunger Games, Potter fans will enjoy exciting fantasy.

Bandits and faeries mix in rollicking fantasy series debut. Beasts Made of Night. Riveting, intricately detailed, Africa-influenced fantasy. Down the Mysterly River. Clever fantasy adventure a great choice for middle graders. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. Gripping fantasy with strong characters, humor, adventure. Steampunk version of Peter Pan takes a dark turn. The Mapmakers Trilogy, Book 1. This is an epic fantasy series that plays by its own rules. The series incorporates some standard epic fantasy conventions only to turn them completely on their head.

You might call this series a complete subversion of the genre. But you can forget about all that stuff. Just looking at the series on its own without comparing it to the greater genre as a whole, it's a wildly entertaining fantasy series with some vicious action, completely grey characters who are somewhat of a paradox a barbarian killer who hates killing, a torturer who's actually a kind man, etc.

The writing is sharp as a knife, packed full of wit. His best so far was The Heroes, set in the same world as First Law, is probably his best written. Red Country which stars The Bloody Nine was good but not as good. His newest series The Shattered Sea, which is for Young Adults, is good reading but lacks the full bite that his 'adult' grimdark books had. So if you are looking for an epic fantasy that does something different and breaks the standard conventions to pieces and with some of the sharpest prose around, one that's pretty damn funny to boot, First Law should be read.

No epic fantasy series evokes as much passion as does The Wheel of Time. It's got a legion of fanatical fans as well as a legion of critics. Well for one, when you mention epic fantasy, it's simply impossible NOT to mention Robert Jordan in the same breath -- either as a template for what not to do or as an example of classic fantasy that does many things right and some things wrong. Jordan is the guy who helped to pioneer the concept of the big fat fantasy series. With a story that spans over 13 books and even the death of the author it's still being finished with the last book to come out this year by Brandon Sanderson , the Wheel of Time is truly an epic.

Another fantasy series that crops up near the top of many best fantasy lists. Earthsea Cycle is a classic fantasy tale well done. While it doesn't rack up a sizable page count like some of the newer fantasy series cough, Wheel of.

Time, cough Stormlight Archive , what it lacks in size it makes up with quality. Good doesn't always mean big, folks. So for a very well written classic fantasy tale about a boy's journey to become the greatest wizard alive, Earthsea is one of the best. And the writing is just so damn beautiful to read. The Dagger and the Coin. This one is epic fantasy for the thinking man. Its tightly plotted and superbly written, something we expect from the author of The Long Price Quartet, a fantasy series that tops many a persons top ten fantasy list.

Each character is deftly drawn and complex with real motivations and flaws that they must struggle to overcome as the story progresses; I would argue that each character is a broken human looking for a way to survive in an uncaring and brutal world. And in the background, there is an ancient threat that is again rising in the shadows, threatening the status quo of a now-free humanity, a humanity once enslaved to the Dragons who ruled the world in a previous age.

Particularly entertaining among the characters is the young rising star of a noble house, Geder, the real-world equivalent of an artistic introverted high schooler whos picked on by the entire class, suddenly finding himself a hero when given unexpected command of a military company, and makes the ruthlessly logical decision to murder an entire city. This fantasy is some compelling stuff and looks to be some of the best epic fantasy released in the past few years. Fans of Abercrombie, Martin, and Erikson will probably enjoy this one though it's more character driven and slower paced at least until book three.

But slow does not equal boring! It's slow in the way that meat is slow-roasted over a fire so you can enjoy the delicious, tender flavor all the more longer. Yet another book that seems to be near the top of many a best fantasy list. The Kingkiller Chronicles is not yet complete, but the first two books deliver a great story. The Name of the Wind first in the series is not epic in the way that The Wheel of Time is -- there are only a handful of characters.

But rather, it's an epic-ly personal tale about a single hero, Kvothe. Is the large than life story truth or is it fiction given to us by an unreliable narrator? Ah, to be seen in Book 3 if it every comes out. Quite simply, this one of the best tales I've yet read. The strength of this book is not so much the actual settings and plot, but in the telling of the story itself.

If you have not read it yet, stop here and make this your next read. THIS is the book you are looking. There is nothing derivative about this series, being one of the founding fantasy series in the genre, right up there with Lord of the Rings. The highly imaginative world of the Elder Isles is brought to indelible life through the superbly talented pen of Jack Vance, one of the grandmasters of the modern fantasy and science fiction genre. If you are tired with the various dry, plodding and wordy epic fantasy dreck where hack authors surely seem like they are paid by the word, this highly original, atmospheric, and evocative series will be a huge breath of fresh air.

Beautiful prose that's efficient. Highly recommended for ANYONE who loves a good classic high fantasy tale and some of the most beautiful prose in the genre. The Chronicle of The Black Company. This epic fantasy series is quite a bit different from your standard fantasy fare. If you want an epic military fantasy series where good and bad are not so clearly delineated, The Black Company delivers this.

There are some of the classic epic fantasy conventions, such as a band-of-heroes against a world-ending-evil, except things are twisted around a bit.

"Best of" lists

Instead of good against evil, the struggle is more or less evil versus more evil, with the heroes themselves of questionable morality. The Chronicles of Prydain. A timeless classic that's been around for a while and will stay around. It's an epic fanasy that many have never read, which is a shame because it delivers a wonderful tale that mixes heroic fantasy and Welsh folklore.

While it's not on the same level as, say, Lord of the Rings, it's still a worthy epic to read. Yes, it doesn't do some of the new and fancy existentialist things that modern fantasy in the vein of Martin, Erikson, Bakker, Lawrence, and Abercrombie have been doing, but that's ok -- sometimes you want to read about a good hero who does good things simply because they are the right thing to do.

What makes Alexander's series stand out above many of his newer, more modern epic fantasy contemporaries is that his prose is absolutely sublime; each word belongs and sentences as a whole are works of beauty. Alexander is perfectly able to combine the right element of sorrow and humor at exactly the right times. This may be categorized as a children's classic, but it can be and should be read by every adult too. Tears of a Heart marks the tale of a young man, Aeden, who unwittingly shapes the world.

The writing is beautiful, layered, and timely. Chase Blackwood weaves an intricate tale that hints at so much more. And that may be its greatest challenge. Tears of a Heart, the first book in the series, was beautifully written, and interesting. It shows us an amazing world filled with detail and depth, but for a portion of it, just a touch slow. The writing, such beautiful writing, overshadows this, as does the ending.

Tower of the Arkein , the next book in the series, is where the story truly begins to unfold, and where Chase Blackwood shines as an author. It is fast paced, full of action, adventure, and love. A very strong entry in the fantasy genre, and if the next book is equally as good, expect it to make quite a splash. You can buy on Amazon now. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. There are writers who like to write pulp and there are some writers who like to write fiction.

Williams is the latter.

Fantasy Books for Kids

This series has made pretty much all the other fantasy lists. It's a good series that many people don't have the patience to read. And that's a right shame. If you stick with the story, a rich fantastical tale will unfold. Tad Williams has recently completed another epic fantasy, Shadowmarch. My feeling is that while Shadowmarch has a lot more action and fantastical elements fairies, gods, half gods, strange magic , Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is a deeper fantasy tale with a lot more under the hood than Shadowmarch.

That's not to say that Shadowmarch is not a great epic fantasy series -- it is -- but I like Memory Sorrow, Thorn better. Still, if you find Memory, Sorrow, Thorn too slow, look then to Shadowmarch -- you'll like it better. Another epic fantasy series that should be read. However, while the scope is epic in the sense that bad shit is affecting the Six Duchies and world-changing events are at large, it's very much the personal story of the young man caught up in the events of the world.

There's magic, adventure, romance, and some of the best characterization in the fantasy genre. This IS epic fantasy done right and you're missing out big if you've never read the series. The Prince of Nothing. Epic fantasy for the thinking man, that's what R Scott Bakker's fantasy series is. Full of characters who are not what they seem and featuring some wicked action and a grim story, The Prince of Nothing is a different type of fantasy series. It's not a series that everyone is comfortable with, but it's a series that doesn't follow the standard fantasy mold.

I find the Prince of nothing series a refreshing breeze in an otherwise stagnant fantasy genre. A Land Fit for Heroes. Epic fantasy with a different face. All the standard conventions are there, but they are reshaped, twisted and painted with shadows. This is dark fantasy folks, strong on sex, violence, and gritty atmosphere. If you are expecting hero soldier finds magic sword and kills all the bad guys, you are NOT going to get that sort of book here. Morgan has a knack for taking something that's been done already many times, and spray painting a fresh coat on it -- you can see the shape but the color's different.

And in this case, he starts with the hero. The hero, you see, is gay. The villains are good This is complex, epic fantasy from a master storyteller. If you can get over the author playing around with gender gay hero , this atmospheric fantasy series is a great read. An epic fantasy with one of the more interesting magic systems, a hell of a lot of action, dark gods and powerful baddies to defeat, and an good old fashioned coming-of-age tale.

If you want to be entertained by your fantasy, well, this series will certainly do that. Nor is it a vast gritty chess board of brutal politics, unchecked treachery, and morally ambiguous heroes that A. But what it is some non stop action, adventure, and plain old fun. If you like your epic fantasy with powerful heroes, powerful villains, and over-the-top heroic action, then The Lightbringer Series delivers a bus load of it. Book one was so so, but book two brought it big time improving on what was a mediocre start with the first book to something really special.

Book three carries the torch, though dropping it lower a bit. Overall though, the force is strong with this series. Book four is one of my most anticipated fantasy reads. Not exactly epic high fantasy in the traditional sense, but there's enough fantasy elements to land it on the list.

Amber is, for many new fantasy readers, almost an unknown series. But it's a fantasy series that should be read. There's complex political scheming, a cast of warring noble siblings, and parallel worlds. More than a few accolades name this as the greatest fantasy series ever written. And it's true that this is one of the most original and complex fantasy worlds you'll find outside of Tolkien.

The plot is pretty complex, but this is one series you should just pick it up and start reading without looking at the plot summary. One of the greatest joys I've ever had reading a book came from discovering how this book unfolds as I read it. The Long Price Quartet. Another epic fantasy that doesn't necessary fit the classical definition of an epic fantasy. Anyone who's tired of the generic Tolkien-derived fantasy and paper-thin characters won't have anything to complain about with this series.

This is a more "literary" fantasy series and the author is quite the wordsmith. Those of you who want a slower paced, more complexly plotted book with non-standard fantasy characters leading the story, The Long Price Quartet is a series you'll want to sink your teeth into. Feist, this series won't be for you. For the rest of you who want to read character driven epic fantasy that doesn't fit the USUAL mold of epic fantasy, then this is an awesome series.

An epic fantasy by a really talented writer. This is not your standard epic fantasy. Or rather, it's epic fantasy with a lot of emphasis on characterization. Yes, there is the good guys versus dark lord plot in the series, but the series is not so much about slaying bad guys as it is the story of how normal people react in bad situations -- both the good and the bad. Don't take this to mean this series is boring -- it's not. But rather, this series is a far more intelligent epic fantasy than many of you may be used to. If dark fantasy married epic fantasy and had a child, The Coldfire Trilogy would be that child.

This series is pretty damn dark with more than a few aspects from the horror genre tossed into the mix as well. Characters are well drawn and complex -- there are no paper deep characters here, no generic fantasy landscape borrowed from Tolkien. Cold Fire sets itself apart from any other fantasy series out there, both with the novel's unique setting and the cast of characters. The protagonist is also an anti-hero character, which makes the story and plot even more interesting. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.

A fantasy tale that people love to love or love to hate -- there is very rarely any middle ground when it comes to Thomas Covenant. My recommendation is that you should read the first series, if only to see what all the damn arguing going on in the comment section is. The series takes a unique view of the classic epic fantasy. Instead of a hero, there's an anti-hero -- one who's pretty damn selfish.

The series, if it was left to that, would be too depressing for most people to finish. But the series is also one about transformation and redemption. Through the Chronicles, you slowly start to see Thomas Covenant move from anti-hero to hero, from selfish bastard to altruistic hero. There are three trilogies about Thomas Covenant. The first is the best, the second nearly as good, and the last The series follows the story of Sabriel and her children as they venture from the New Kingdom the modern world into the mysterious Old Kingdom, a magical world behind a wall bordering the two realities where strange things happen -- the dead haunt that land, magic exists, and evil lurks around every corner.

The series is exciting and chilling at the same time. If you want to feel scared while reading epic fantasy, this series will do it! Especially good is the first book which will just blow your socks off. Read it with the lights turned down when you are by yourself and expect to be scared. Not so much your classic epic fantasy but more of an epic tale of revenge.

It's basically the story of a young boy who leads a brutal crusade to regain his throne -- a throne he abandoned when he fled from his home after watching his mother and brother being brutally murdered. This is one hot fantasy series, a dark, gripping fantasy that has some similarities to K. Parker's works, though set in a more typical fantasy landscape. The Demon War Cycle. This doesn't do anything smart, new, or fancy. But what it does, it does pretty damn well: This is a dark epic fantasy with a lot of zing to it.

If you are looking for some GREAT heroic epic fantasy with a lot of action and character building with a pretty cool magic system , The Warded Man delivers this in full force. It's also one of the more exciting and memorizing fantasy reads to come out the past decade or two. The two sequels with the last book the worst failed completely, pretty much destroying what was once one of the most promising fantasy series to come around in a long while.

Apparently, Brett saw the thread and it gave him some depression. This is unfortunate, but I hope it spurs the author to fix what he's doing so very wrong. Should you read this series? On the strength of the first book, yes. But don't keep your hopes up for good reading after the first one -- it's all downhill from there.

The Dark is Rising. One of the best YA epic fantasy series. Well-developed characters that are stereotypical but still exhibit a surprising amount of depth. A standard save-the-world plot, but one that still evokes a good deal of pleasure as you watch the characters struggle to save the world. This one is a lot of fun; I'd even go as far as to say it's one of the most entertaining standard fantasy tales in the genre. Duncan takes the standard fantasy cliche's and makes them his own with some deft plotting, a cast of well-developed characters with complex relationships, one of the more interesting magic systems out there, and a lovable underdog hero you just love rooting for when the odds are stacked against him.

This series is written with such earnestness and passion that you can't help but love it. If you want some sort of existential tale that celebrates a good man's ability to do bad things rather than a feel good novel about heroes who actually make you feel good about yourself, than don'tread this. But if you want a standard fantasy tale where heroes are actually, well, good and one that rises far above the standard fantasy derivatives out there, read. A beautiful and deftly woven fantasy tale that rings strong with a lot of the elements that make Lord of the Rings so captivating.

Why might you want to read this? Let's look at a little checklist: A mysterious landscape that's almost poetic. A strong mythos of the world underlying the conversations, references, and history. Magic is mysterious and rare. The world is under threat by some unknown force. This three-book series proves you don't need to have ten-thousand page books to tell a proper high fantasy tale. If you love reading epic fantasy with rich history and myth built into the story, complemented by beautiful language, pick this series up.

You certainly won't go wrong reading it. Magic is very much a mystery in this series; part of the pleasure of reading this series is the sense of mystery and wonder. If you want to get lost in mysterious lands on a quest to save the land from an ancient evil, this should be your next series. It's epic fantasy that's got a lot of the familiar themes, but it's damn well written epic fantasy.

Another classic fantasy tale that's just pure joy to read. Follow along with Morgan as he seeks to solve the mystery of his birth. Maybe along the way he's save the world and find true love. Classic epic fantasy that's beautifully written. However, this massive epic fantasy saga is wholly original. It's massive, ambitious, and well worth the read. I gleefully lost myself for a few weeks in this very addicting saga.

If you like the hero-driven, magic-riddled worlds of Robert Jordan, and Raymond E. Feist, then you will probably love the Deathgate Cycle saga. Epic fantasy has become so cheap it's now at the dime-a-dozen price range. Every author and wannabe-author is trying to pour out epics faster than beer at a Irish pub on St. It makes for some seriously substandard, watered-down reading.

Tad Williams has his own style of epic fantasy; he doesn't copy Jordan, Martin, or even Tolkien. Some of the greater Tolkien elements are there, as are some of the fantasy archetypal characters. But Williams is best when he's writing an epic. Everything is so finely detailed that it can take a while to get the story rolling -- this is something that some love or hate about a Williams novel.

But if you give his works a fair shake and invest some time plowing through the slow pacing of the first few hundred pages, you're treated to something majestic. Shadow March combines some of the elements from A Game of Thrones with the mythos and world building of Tolkien. There's a vast wall of mist in the very northernmost part of the lands that separates a race of mysterious fairies from humans. There's an emperor in the southern desert lands dreaming of conquering the entire world and mortality itself. There's a kingship dispute, treachery, and invasion.

And there is a firm mythos woven into the story threads, giving insight into the world as it used to be eons ago, stories that do connect with the current plot. I really enjoyed how Williams incorporates faeries into the story. The series are full of ancient mythology, lost realms, strange magic, and just a whole lot of adventure.

And of course, as a Tad Williams novel, there's great characterization and beautiful writing present too. This is an epic fantasy for those who like to read good fantasy. Williams doesn't always give everything to you right away and you are required to dig into the books a bit before things get moving. Williams spends more time than you like detailing the daily routine of the settings around the characters, but on the whole, it's a great series and one that you should read.

You might also call this one The Lord of the Rings of horror books -- a somewhat apt description that describes what this is. It's not a book that will appeal to everyone fans of easy-to-read epic fantasy where all the cards are laid out on the table by page 10 probably won't , but what I will guarantee is that Imajiica is a feast of the senses and the imagination.