The 10 Greatest Epic Fantasy Books of All Time, Ranked
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Epic fantasy is a subgenre with a few distinct characteristics about it. The main characteristic is scale: epic fantasy often features extremely complex plotlines, hundreds of characters, politics, wars, large-scale battle scenes, and multiple viewpoints. They also focus on the hero's journey, which is where the "epic" part comes from. It is not an easy genre to pull off or to read, as epic fantasy books tend to be long, multi-volume affairs.
Over the years, epic fantasy has been very popular in the literary world, and it's currently more popular than ever. It was previously deemed to be "for nerds," but since it has started migrating its way to TV and movies, the genre has become a common choice for anyone in need of escapism. Since the genre is hard to pull off correctly, only a few books will shine above the others and cement their legacies of being the greatest in their field.
10 'Dragons of Autumn Twilight' (1984)
Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the first book in the Dragonlance universe, which was spawned from a custom campaign in the popular tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. There's quite a substantial number of volumes to this saga, but this first book exists as a smaller part of it, beginning the first of many trilogies. As a result, this book is widely regarded by fans as the core pillar of the franchise, as well as one of the greatest.
The story opens up in a dying and broken world, which has given up all hope due to the belief that the gods have abandoned the people of Ansalon. Rising to the occasion, a party of wizards and warriors bands together and intends to ascend, replacing the gods and restoring order. They do not go unimpeded, however. This book isn't just great for tabletop RPG fans; it's a great epic fantasy story and one of the textbook examples of the genre. It's also a revolutionary book, inspiring other epic fantasy sagas and completely changing the genre.
9 'Assassin's Fate' (2017)
Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings universe is pretty huge, comprised of four trilogies and one quadrilogy, all following different characters, who are just moving pieces in one large machine. The universe starts on a much smaller scale, but eventually develops into something truly immense. One of these trilogies is The Fitz and the Fool, which also serves as the definitive conclusion to the entire saga.
The Fitz and the Fool begins with a wealthy nobleman living in peace, hiding the fact that he was formerly an assassin from his family. His two friends, who were also assassins, have either died or gone missing, and he has not heard from them in ages. One evening, a messenger arrives seeking out the nobleman, before the messenger, too, disappears, leaving nothing but a trail of blood behind. Thrown headlong into a conspiracy, the former assassin must call upon his past to seek out his old friend. Assassin's Fate is the final book in the trilogy, and was nominated for the Readers' Favourite Fantasy Award in 2017. Robin Hobb has always been seen as an excellent author, but she really outdid herself with this one.
8 'The Blade Itself' (2006)
The Blade Itself is the first book in Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy, which in itself is part of a larger literary universe comprised of two trilogies, a few stand-alone novels, and some short story collections. As the introductory novel to the universe, it's not quite as large-scale as the others, but it's still one of the best.
The book introduces the three main characters of the trilogy — a barbarian, a nobleman, and a torturer — who come from completely different walks of life. Yet, due to conspiracies and a brewing conflict, their fates are intertwined. The book is considered a grimdark fantasy, meaning it's pretty heavy on the violence and features a lot of brutal realism. Still, The Blade Itself remains a phenomenal book and a must-read.
7 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (1950)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first book published in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, though it is chronologically the second. The story is primarily a portal fantasy, opening up with a family of British children who are whisked away to a countryside estate to escape the Blitz during World War II. There, they find a magic wardrobe that transports them to the fantastical land of Narnia. Unfortunately, Narnia is in turmoil due to the spreading influence of an authoritarian witch.
Now, it falls to the four children to team up with the free peoples of Narnia and liberate the land from the witch's icy clutches, aided by the king of Narnia, a talking lion named Aslan. Lewis is one of the most influential fantasy authors of all time, with this book in particular establishing many of the tropes of epic fantasy. Better yet, it's relatively kid-friendly, meaning it's a great entry point for young readers who are into the genre.
6 'The Crippled God' (2011)
Malazan: Book of the Fallen is a ten-volume saga created by Canadian author Steven Erikson. The main sequence might be only ten (very long) novels, but the overall series is still ongoing, with other authors collaborating to produce a massive literary universe. Book of the Fallen is primarily about the Malazan Empire, an oppressive regime that has risen to conquer an entire continent. At the beginning of the saga, the empire has set its sights on another continent, one of the last bastions of liberty to stand against Malazan.
The Crippled God is the final book in the series, a pulse-pounding finale where all the major plot points come together in an explosive way. There are huge battles, character deaths, and plenty of emotional moments. It's not super easy to describe what goes on in the book without spoiling the entire series, but rest assured the payoff is well worth the journey. It's easily one of the greatest epic fantasy novels in recent years, if not of all time.
5 'A Memory of Light' (2014)
A Memory of Light is the 14th and final book in the sprawling The Wheel of Time saga, which came out almost 25 years after the first one was released. Author Robert Jordan unfortunately passed away from a heart condition around the time Book 11 came out, causing his notes and drafts to be transferred to fellow author Brandon Sanderson. While there is a definitive shift in writing style, the quality remains just as good.
The overarching story is about a chosen one known as the Dragon Reborn, who is destined to either destroy or save the world. The intricate narrative and web of characters and plotlines culminate in this thrilling conclusion, which is mostly about the apocalyptic event known as the Last Battle. The main chapter about the battle is literally over 200 pages long, so it's definitely a lot to power through. In the end, though, it's so rewarding, with the series coming to a satisfying and action-packed conclusion.
Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You?
One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed
The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.
💍Frodo
🌿Samwise
👑Aragorn
🔥Gandalf
🏹Legolas
⚒️Gimli
👁️Sauron
🪨Gollum
01
You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.
02
Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.
03
Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.
04
What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.
05
When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.
06
Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask.
07
How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.
08
Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.
09
You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.
10
When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories.
The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earth
The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.
💍 Frodo
🌿 Samwise
👑 Aragorn
🔥 Gandalf
🏹 Legolas
⚒️ Gimli
👁️ Sauron
🪨 Gollum
You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.
You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.
You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.
You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.
Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.
You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.
You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.
4 'Oathbringer' (2017)
Oathbringer is the third novel in Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive series, which is part of his shared literary universe known as the Cosmere. The story is set on the planet of Roshar, which is plagued by hurricane-like events known as highstorms, which sweep across the land from East to West. As a result, there is very little plant life, and all animal life has evolved to be crustaceous, so they can shelter from the storms in their shells.
After a king is assassinated, the human kingdom of Alethkar begins a retaliatory war with the race of crustacean humanoids known as the Parshendi. Eventually, the war escalates to the point that each species is fighting for their survival, with each side resurrecting ancient forms of magic to give them an edge. This third book is super action-oriented, with multiple large-scale battle sequences and an inspiring climax. It's a real monster of a book at well over 1,200 pages long, but it's by far Sanderson's finest work.
3 'A Storm of Swords' (2000)
A Storm of Swords is the third book in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, an unfinished saga that became the cultural phenomenon that was HBO's Game of Thrones. The overarching narrative is very complex, but in simple terms, it's about nine royal families feuding over the throne of the land of Westeros, completely unaware that a thousand-year-old threat is slowly gathering strength in the wintry lands to the North. This threat is no minor issue, either, as it has the potential to completely destroy the realm if left unchecked.
The books became famous for their gruesome realism, despite taking place in a fictional world. A Storm of Swords is one of the longest books in the saga, although it's also arguably the best. There are so many monumental events that take place during this story, including the infamous Red Wedding and the Battle of Castle Black. More viewpoints are added, thickening the narrative and establishing more plot threads that enrich the story. It's a genuine masterpiece that has captivated fans for over 25 years.
2 'Odyssey' (c. 8th Century BCE)
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which eventually became part of the Greek literary canon. It's a super famous title that has received countless adaptations; most recently in the form of a 2026 Christopher Nolan blockbuster. Even though it's in the form of poetry rather than prose, it still established many of the classic tropes that epic fantasy contains.
At the time, the fantasy genre wasn't really a thing. However, in retrospect, it definitely fits the bill. The story is about a warrior named Odysseus, who is on a multi-year journey home following the end of the Trojan War. In his quest across the Greek isles, he encounters numerous beasts and beings from Greek mythology. The Odyssey is a legendary piece of literature that has stood the test of time, remaining entertaining almost 3,000 years later.
1 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (1955)
The Return of the King is the final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which became a massive hit and is, to this day, seen as the greatest work of fantasy ever written. The trilogy's story involves a magic ring created by the Dark Lord Sauron, and a quest to destroy it by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom. At the same time, the last of an ancient bloodline arrives to reclaim his throne whilst waging a war to distract Sauron from the mission to destroy the ring.
The books became popular for their sweeping scale, with multiple thrilling battle sequences. The battles aren't the only thing that makes it great, though. J. R. R. Tolkien was big on finding hope in the darkest situations, so there are numerous moments where, though hope seems distant, characters desperately cling to it. Tolkien believed that any amount of good in the world was worth fighting for, which was inspired by his time serving in World War I. This book is a tear-jerker, both an inspirational piece of fiction and a legendary bit of fantasy that's impossible to top.
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