If you are looking for fantasy novels with relatable thieves and rogues then the Gentlemen Bastards are perfect for you. It is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, often shocking but ultimately – and frequently - heart-warming. Scott Lynch’s trilogy features wonderful characters, plot and camaraderie, all set within a setting beautifully inspired by ancient Venice. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence) To quote Ursula Le Guin: “It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing. It’s comparable to sitting across from someone, in a comfy chair, before a log fire, listening to them recount one of the most intricate and fascinating stories you’ve ever heard. The Name of the Wind and Wise Man’s Fear are the very finest examples of first-person storytelling. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle)ĭavid Gemmell Award for Fantasy Winner: 2012 (The Wise Man’s Fear) Published: 2004 | World Fantasy Award Winner: 2005 | British Fantasy Award Nominee: 2005ĥ. It is unquestionably one of the finest historical fantasy books ever written. The Telegraph succinctly says it all with 'an elegant and witty historical fantasy which deserves to be judged on its own (considerable) merit'. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a genuinely original story, beautifully told. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Steeped in magic and otherworldliness, this sweeping fantasy is beautiful, perfect and also timeless. Tolkien’s epic, written using a beautifully descriptive narrative, tells an enchanting tale of friendship, love and heroism.

The Lord of the Rings is unquestionably one of the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century.

Satirical, clever and hilarious the forty-one books that make up the series are a pure and fantastic joy. In his Discworld Series, Terry Pratchett, one of Britain’s best and funniest authors created a true delight of modern fiction. The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett (The Discworld Series)Ĭarnegie Medal Winner: 2002 (The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents) Published: 1996 | World Fantasy Award Nominee: 2012 (A Dance With Dragons), 1997 (A Game of Thrones) | British Fantasy Award Nominee: 2012 (A Dance With Dragons), 2006 (A Feast for Crows)Ģ. An immense, incredible work of epic fantasy written by a hugely talented author who has created an effortless, enchanting read that is rich, rewarding and completely enthralling. A Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)Ī Song of Ice and Fire is the history lesson you wish you’d had in school. Click on a book title to read the full review. The 100 fantasy books that we - and other readers - simply cannot recommend highly enough books that we've all loved reading.

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