Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Fantasy Reads
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of X Genre. I had a hard time with this topic because I have an impossible time trying to narrow down to my all-time favorites when it comes to books. I decided to go with Fantasy mainly because that’s the genre I’m just really getting into which meant fewer titles for me to waffle back and forth between, haha! I’ve not tried to divide this out into subgenres or anything fancy like that. Maybe I’ll do that some day when I have more titles under my belt to choose from.
As of this moment, this is my Top 10 All Time Favorite Fantasy Reads. Quite a few of these are favorites from when I was a kid that have really stuck with me over the years, but there are also several newer favorites though as I’ve been delving more and more into Fantasy lately. If you have some MUST READ fantasy titles you think I might like, post them in the comments below because I’m always looking for new fantasy novels to read and you guys always give me the BEST recs. 🙂
Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Fantasy Reads
1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Goodreads Synopsis: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who are mean to him and make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. (Dudley, however, has two bedrooms, one to sleep in and one for all his toys and games.) Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed forever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard! (Read more…)
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2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Goodreads Synopsis: ‘They say Aslan is on the move. Perhaps he has already landed,’ whispered the Beaver. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delightful strain of music had just floated by. And Lucy got that feeling when you realize it’s the beginning of summer. So, deep in the bewitched land of Narnia, the adventure begins.
They opened a door and entered a world–Narnia–the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Lucy is the first to stumble through the back of the enormous wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old country house, discovering the magic world beyond. At first, no one believes her. But soon Edmund, Peter and Susan, too, discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. And in the blink of an eye, they are changed forever. (Read more…)
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3. The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Goodreads Synopsis: Once upon a time, a young boy called “Wart” was tutored by a magician named Merlyn in preparation for a future he couldn’t possibly imagine. A future in which he would ally himself with the greatest knights, love a legendary queen and unite a country dedicated to chivalrous values. A future that would see him crowned and known for all time as Arthur, King of the Britons.
During Arthur’s reign, the kingdom of Camelot was founded to cast enlightenment on the Dark Ages, while the knights of the Round Table embarked on many a noble quest. But Merlyn foresaw the treachery that awaited his liege: the forbidden love between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot, the wicked plots of Arthur’s half-sister Morgause, and the hatred she fostered in Mordred that would bring an end to the king’s dreams for Britain–and to the king himself. (Read more…)
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4. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R. Tolkien
Goodreads Synopsis: Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him—and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be destroyed—in the very center of Sauron’s dark kingdom. (Read more…)
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5. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Goodreads Synopsis: Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.
The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne. (Read more…)
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6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Goodsreads Synopsis: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way–a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a “game” to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved–the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them–are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.
But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.
Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern’s spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages. (Read more…)
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7. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Goodreads Synopsis: Kell is one of the last Antari, a rare magician who can travel between parallel worlds: hopping from Grey London — dirty, boring, lacking magic, and ruled by mad King George — to Red London — where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire — to White London — ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne, where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back — and back, but never Black London, because traveling to Black London is forbidden and no one speaks of it now.
Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped. (Read more…)
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8. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Goodreads Synopsis: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. (Read more…)
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9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Goodreads Synopsis: The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.
When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature. (Read more…)
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10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Goodreads Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. (Read more…)
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So many good books! I LOVED Harry Potter, LotR, A Darker Shade of Magic, The Hunger Games and ACOTAR. I haven’t read the rest (yet) though 🙂 I have the Game of Thrones books on my shelf but I keep procrastinating because I’m watching the show and for some reason I don’t want to start the books before the show is finished (or all books are out). The Night Circus is also on my TBR, I’ve heard so many good things about it already!
Hope you enjoy The Night Circus when you get to it. It’s definitely one of the more unique books I’ve read.
Great list!! Harry Potter, Narnia, Game of Thrones – all amazing! And The Night Circus is one of my all-time favorites!
The Night Circus is brilliant. I’m actually working on a Waiting on Wednesday post right not for an upcoming release I’m excited about primarily because the book blurb says it’s for fans of The Night Circus 🙂
Great list! LOTR hands down is my favourite fantasy and favourite book of all time (well, with the latter Jane Austen’s Persuasion comes in very close second), the richness and story is just mind-blowing to this day. You mentioned some other books I also enjoyed though: the Night Circus, Game of Thrones…I have A Darker Shade of Magic sitting on my TBR pile waiting to be read. Maybe sometime this autumn?
Thanks for dropping by my TTT earlier! 🙂
Oh yes, A Darker Shade of Magic is definitely worth checking out. I need to get my hands on the next book in that series soon. I’m a big Austen fan too and have always loved Persuasion. It sometimes seems to get lost in the shuffle because her other works are so popular, but it’s a beautiful read.
Yes to Narnia and Harry Potter. Today I picked up the illustrated version of HP and guess what? I could not remember anything abot Mr Dursley working with drillls or the tabby cat sitting whole day on the Dursley’s wall. Yikes! Either my memory evaporates or the movies have spoiled me really bad. :D.
I loved Schwab too
Haha, those movies will certainly make the memory foggy as to what was in the books versus what was in the movies.
Great list!
I’ll just recommend The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta, and Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima.
Thanks so much for the recs. Adding them to my list right now 🙂
What a lovely selection! I have to give a extra special huzzah for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. #Childhoodfav \o/ (I was prohibited from HP on silly religious grounds, lol.)
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was one of my childhood faves too 🙂 I’m actually trying to hurry up and finish HP with my son now so that I can start him on the Chronicles of Narnia.
Brilliant list! I loved Harry Potter and still do. It’s an amazing read!
It really is. I especially love that it has such great appeal across a wide range of age groups.
So, the only book I haven’t read on this list is A Court of Thorns and Roses – I think we might have a pretty similar taste in reading materials! 🙂
Cool, it definitely sounds that way! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Well, between Narnia, LotR and Game of Thrones you seem to have it all covered! Ha ha those are favorites of mine as well. I’ve heard good tings about The Once and Future King too but have never read it.
Right? Those are such amazing series! I had to read The Once and Future King as assigned reading in high school and just really ended up loving it.
Oh this is an epic lineup! I LOVE IT. ADSOM is one of my all time favourite books of ever *shrieks and hugs it* And of course Narnia, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games are absolute classic goodness. <3 And I got obsessed with Game of Thrones last year AND I JUST NEED MORE BOOKS.😂
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
ADSOM is brilliant and I need to hurry up and read the second book in that series because I hear there’s even more Lila in it and I just LOVE her.
There are so many good books on here. I don’t read a lot of fantasy, but Harry Potter is my all-time-favorite fantasy series.
Harry Potter is amazing and I especially love how it appeals to readers of all ages. My 8 year old son loves it just as much as I do. Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Harry Potter and Narnia were two of my favorite series as a child, so it makes me so happy to see them on here. 🙂 And, of course, The Hunger Games is absolutely amazing as well. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous choices! <3
I have so much love for Harry Potter and Narnia. I’m actually re-reading HP aloud with my son right now and then am hoping that I can convince him to try the Chronicles of Narnia next 🙂
I’ve read 7/10. That’s pretty good!
Nice! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
I cannot express how much I love A Darker Shade of Magic. I’ve tried to read The Once and Future King multiple times, but can never get past the beginning. I’ll keep trying though!
A Darker Shade of Magic is amazing! I really need to hurry up and read the second book too. I got distracted by other books and haven’t made my way back to that series yet.
Hurray! We have a few in common! Interestingly enough, I am OBSESSED with the LotR movies and have been since 2001 but didn’t really enjoy the books. I also love GoT on TV but I’ve never read the books… Whoops! Great list 😀
Here are my Top Ten!
I’ve had a few people say that about LOTR. I think it’s a series that people either LOVE or completely dislike – there don’t seem to be too many in-betweeners. Totally agree with you on the movies though – they are brilliant!
Ooo, I definitely want to get to the Night Circus sometime this year! I haven’t read any of the novels you listed (yes, HP, too) but I’ll take your word that these are some of the best fantasy novels 🙂 Great post, Suzanne!
-Jess @jbelkbooks
The Night Circus is so wonderful. I really hope that we’ll get another book from Erin Morgenstern soon. Thanks so much for visiting my blog 🙂
I haven’t read the GoT books but I LOVE the tv show so freaking much! I’ve been wanting so badly to read The Night Circus! I’ve only seen awesome praises for it.
Genesis @ Latte Nights Reviews
I love the GoT TV show too. I just got all caught up on Season 6 tonight actually and I need Season 7 like NOW, haha! Yes, The Night Circus is such a great book, truly magical! Thanks so much for visiting my blog 🙂