The Best Fantasy Book Authors
List of top fantasy novels, books and series
Most of us fantasy literature fans have read Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but what happens when we are done with these? No need to panic, I have compiled a list of fantasy series, authors and writers that you will enjoy if you like Tolkien and Rowling.
The books listed here are by some of the best fantasy writers of all times, but the authors cover several subgenres within fantasy litterature, from traditional fantasy, over young adults to the dark fantasy genre.
I have sorted the article so every fantasy book writer is listed along with the recommended books by him/her and a list of writers you might enjoy reading the works of if you liked the fantasy author featured.
Not only will you find good fantasy books here, you will also get recommendations for other authors to dig into once you have finished one of the lists. I have included fantasy book recommendations for young adults, teenagers and grown ups alike and the books listed here are all on my top 100 over the very best fantasy books of all times.
I have very little critic on any of these authors, however I will note it if there was something that stuck out to me as not fantastic. That being said I highly recommend all of the books listed in this article as they are all worthy of your attention and they are all hard to put down once you get started.
(if you are looking for inspiration for your children, then check out my Fantasy Books for Children article )
J.R.R. Tolkien and authors like him
Tolkien is probably one of the best known fantasy novel writers. His trilogy Lord of the Rings has sold more than 100 million copies and the same goes for the Hobbit.
Tolkiens descriptive language and ability to create deep interesting characters have made him a fantasy author you absolutely must add to any list of important fantasy books.
If you have not already read the trilogy and the hobbit, then this is a good place to start. If you have, then you can have a look at the Silmarillion to expand on the universe Tolkien created. It can be a bit of a dry read though, so only go there if you are completely facinated by Middle-earth and its people and just need to know more.
Finally I recommend reading Christopher Tolkiens Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth it contains even more stories based on notes by J.R.R Tolkien and compiled by his son
If you have already read all the books below, then you might be interested in these authors like Tolkien:
David Eddings
Robin Hobb
Robert Jordan
Trudi Canavan
C.S. Lewis
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Christopher Paolini
If you like Tolkien then check out the books by the authors above by clicking on the link
Robert Jordan and Authors like him
Unfortunately Robert Jordan passed away before he could finish his epic tale about the village boy Rand and his fight against the Dark One.
Robert Jordan (Real Name James Oliver Rigney Jr.) started writing the first book in 1984. In 2007 he passed away leaving the series unfinished. Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Jordans wife to write the final books of Wheel of Time based on notes left behind by Robert Jordan. The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight are the first two books finished by Sanderson and released in 2009 and 2010. The last volume; A Memory of Light was released in 2013 and finally rounded off the series and letting the reader know what happened at the final battle.
If you like Robert Jordan, you might also enjoy reading:
J.R.R. Tolkien
David Eddings
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Christopher Paolini
Trudi Canavan
David Eddings and Authors like him
David Eddings is a generation younger than Tolkien and his writing style makes his books very easy to jump into.
The first fantasy books David Eddings had published were great stories about magic and the fight against evil. They are slightly linear, however it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the overall story.
The books written by Eddings in the first part of his author career are a great introduction to the fantasy genre.
While Eddings first novels may be an easy read his later books becomes a bit more drawn out and slow, almost boring as they start dwelling more on politics and interpersonal relationships.
I would recommend reading the books in the Belgariad series to get you started with Eddings.
If you like David Eddings you might also enjoy reading:
Robert Jordan
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Christopher Paolini
J.R.R. Tolkien
Trudi Canavan
Robin Hobb and Authors like her
Robin Hobb is the pen name of fantasy writer Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden. She also writes under the name Megan Lindholm. Hobb has a very unique writing style, it can be a bit hard to get into as you kind of have to get used to the way she build up her stories.
Stick to it though, as once you have allowed the universe of Robin Hobbs imagination absorb you, you will want to read every last bit of fiction she has ever produced.
The Soldier Son trilogy was the first novels of Hobbs I read, they are an interesting coming of age fantasy story, set in a universe that has parallels to the colonization of America. The White Man vs the Native Americans. Robin Hobbs style is slow paced, but very unique.
My main Hobb recommendation is however the Farseer trilogy, after forcing myself through the Soldiers Son trilogy I was surprised when I was unable to put down the books of the Farseer trilogy. I can't recommend it enough and the other books about Fitz are equally amazing. Read them!
If you like Robin Hobb you might also enjoy reading:
George R. R. Martin
Athony Ryan
J.R.R. Tolkien
Maria V. Snyder and authors like her
I picked up Poison study on a whim, I had just finished all my Trudi Canavan books and I was looking for another fantasy book with a female antagonist. I am so glad I did. Yelena is the main character of the Studies series and you immediately get a connection to her.
Snyder is one of those authors that can conjure intense action on every page, even when there is no actual action going on.
She makes you laugh, cry and dream with the good guys and really absolutely hate the villain.
The story is generally lighthearted, however there are some very dark undertones that grounds the story and makes its impact much greater on the reader.
Maria V. Snyder has written some of the best fantasy books for adults and both the Studies trilogy and the Glass series makes it into my top 100 fantasy book list.
If you like Maria V. Snyder you might also enjoy reading:
Trudi Canavan
Anne McCaffrey
Kristin Cashore
C.S. Lewis and Authors like him
C.S. Lewis is one of the really oldschool fantasy writers. Like Tolkien he has had a huge impact on the fantasy genre. The land of Narnia has become known to most children in english speaking countries.
His fantasy books are mainly for young adults and children, however adults can also get enjoyment out of reading the popular books. The story about the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe is a perfect choice to read aloud for your kids and I can only recommend it as an introduction into the magical world of fantasy novels.
If you like C.S. Lewis you might also enjoy reading:
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.K. Rowling
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and authors like them
The Dragonlance serie is an easy going and lighthearted collection of fantasy books. There are multiple different authors involved in the series and generally they all have a very high level of writings. However I will strongly recommend at least reading the books written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Their writing style is a breath of fresh air in a genre that can sometimes take itself a bit too serious. The Chronicles trilogy in particular had me in stiches several times as these fantasy books has some extremely funny episodes.
That being said the story is not always humorous and there are some very touching and emotional topics being presented to the reader.
A great fantasy read for young adults and teenagers and also very recommendable for grown ups that loves fantasy.
If you like Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman you might also enjoy reading:
David Eddings
Christopher Paolini
Terry Prachett
Christopher Paolini and Authors like him
Christopher Paolini was very young when he published his first book in the Inheritance Cycle. Just 18 years old was he when he released Eragon. In total he has released 4 books, all about the Dragon Rider Eragon. The final book was published in 2011.
Paolinis writing style seems very inspired by Tolkien and you see the same level of details when places, items and people are described.
I enjoyed the first 3 books a lot and devoured them in a short frame of time. The last book however was a bit of a disappointment. It felt a bit drawn out, not as magical as I would like from a fantasy novel and finally I really did not like the ending.
I still recommend reading the series though as it is a good story and well written for the most part.
If you like Christoper Paolini you might also enjoy reading:
Robert Jordan
David Eddings
Trudi Canavan
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.K. Rowling and Authors Like Her
J.K. Rowling is arguably the most popular fantasy author of newer time. Her coming of age fantasy stories about Harry Potter and his friends are highly popular amongst fantasy fans of all ages. We have a whole generation of fantasy lovers that grew up with the Harry Potter universe and who are die hard fantasy enthusiasts because of Rowling.
The mixture of real places and the made up universe of the wizards makes the books almost revolutionary. (before anyone yells as me, yes I know this has been done before, but not with the same success.)
No matter your age you should have a read through Harry Potter, because while it is a fantasy book mainly targetted at children, teenagers and young adults, it also is a good story for any grown up who remembers how it is to be a child.
If you like J.K. Rowling you might also enjoy reading:
J.R.R. Tolkien
Maria V. Snyder
David Eddings
Trudi Canavan
Kristin Cashore
Anne McCaffrey
Kristin Cashore and Authors Like Her
Graceling was the debut novel of Kristin Cashore and was very well received. It is the story of young Katsa and how she stands up to her evil uncle.
It is a pretty standard fantasy world with a slight twist. Magic exists in the form of "Graces" some people are born with different colored eyes and graced with special abilities. Katsa is one of those people.
While it is a story of adventure, magic, romance and evil kings Graceling is also a tale of learning to love yourself even though you are different and as such it makes for a splendid you adult fantasy story.
If you like Kristin Cashore you might also enjoy reading:
Trudi Canavan
Maria V. Snyder
Anne McCaffrey
J.K. Rowling
Anne McCaffrey and Authors Like Her
McCaffrey has stated in an interview that she is not a fantasy writer, but rather a science fiction author. For me though her stories of the Dragonriders of Pern will always fall into the fantasy genre.
The dragonrider books are full of adventure, danger and well dragons.
The Harper Trilogy is about a young girl named Menolly and her struggle against the rules of society that keeps her back from practicing her one big passion; music.
Pern is a male dominated society and it is not until Menolly runs away from home that her life starts taking off. While hiding from one of the many dangers of the inhospitable world of Pern Menolly comes across a nest of fire-lizards. She takes care of them and they become her friends and companions.
Anne McCaffrey is one of the most talented fantasy book authors out there and her novels are highly popular. I would place the series on the top 10 fantasy book list.
If you like Anne McCaffrey you might also enjoy reading:
Trudi Canavan
Kristin Cashore
Maria V. Snyder
J.K. Rowling
Christopher Paolini
