The Greatest Fantasy Books Since 1980

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
236 Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling 1997 British English
399 His Dark Materials Philip Pullman 1995 British English
842 Outlander Diana Gabaldon 1991 American English
1017 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban J. K. Rowling 1999 British English
1079 The Book of the New Sun Gene Wolfe 1980 American English
1117 The Fifth Season N. K. Jemisin 2015 American English
1289 A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin 1996 American English
1348 Sandman Neil Gaiman 1989 British English
1373 Winter's Tale Mark Helprin 1983 American English
1395 The Mists of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley 1983 American English
1397 The BFG Roald Dahl 1982 British English
1585 Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Susanna Clarke 2004 British English
1598 Ronia, The Robber's Daughter Astrid Lindgren 1981 Swedish Swedish
1626 The Colour of Magic Terry Pratchett 1983 British English
1744 Haroun and the Sea of Stories Salman Rushdie 1990 British English
1755 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K. Rowling 2005 British English
1813 Swan Song Robert R. McCammon 1987 American English
1842 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling 2000 British English
1910 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K. Rowling 2003 British English
1931 The Witches Roald Dahl 1983 British English
2086 Howl's Moving Castle Diana Wynne Jones 1986 British English
2141 Mythago Wood Robert Holdstock 1984 British English
2144 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets J. K. Rowling 1998 British English
2192 American Gods Neil Gaiman 2001 British English
2211 Swordspoint Ellen Kushner 1987 American English
2223 Good Omens Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman 1990 British English
2228 The Anubis Gates Tim Powers 1983 American English
2232 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J. K. Rowling 2007 British English
2389 The Wheel of Time Series Robert Jordan 1990 American English
2486 The Golden Compass Philip Pullman 1995 British English
2651 Circe Madeline Miller 2018 American English
2682 Twilight Stephenie Meyer 2005 American English
2881 Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One Rick Riordan 2005 American English
2889 Olvidado Rey Gudú Ana María Matute 1996 Spanish Spanish
2917 Legend David Gemmell 1984 British English
2949 Redwall Brian Jacques 1986 British English
2969 The Amber Spyglass Philip Pullman 2000 British English
2984 The Vampire Lestat Anne Rice 1985 American English
2988 Eragon Christopher Paolini 2002 American English
3190 The Night Circus Erin Morgenstern 2011 American English
3213 Neverwhere Neil Gaiman 1996 British English
3398 The Name Of The Wind Patrick Rothfuss 2007 American English
3436 The Broken Earth Trilogy N. K. Jemisin 2015 American English
3442 The Summer Tree Guy Gavriel Kay 1984 Canadian English
3450 Mistborn Brandon Sanderson 2006 American English
3488 Akata Witch Nnedi Okorafor 2011 American English
3491 The Claw Of The Conciliator Gene Wolfe 1981 American English
3557 Magician Raymond E. Feist 1982 American English
3592 The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson 1999 British English
3814 Dark Lover J. R. Ward 2005 American English
3819 Weaveworld Clive Barker 1987 British English
3825 The Subtle Knife Philip Pullman 1997 British English
3891 Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine 1997 American English
3903 The Blue Sword Robin McKinley 1982 American English
3927 The Poppy War R. F. Kuang 2018 Chinese English
4077 Children Of Blood And Bone Tomi Adeyemi 2018 Nigerian English
4188 An Ember In The Ashes Sabaa Tahir 2015 American English
4220 The Shadow of the Torturer Gene Wolfe 1980 American English
4304 A Court Of Thorns And Roses Sarah J. Maas 2015 American English
4449 The Eye Of The World Robert Jordan 1990 American English
4458 The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman 2008 British English
4471 Nifft The Lean Michael Shea 1982 American English
4575 Alanna Tamora Pierce 1983 American English
4638 The Vintner's Luck Elizabeth Knox 1998 New Zealand English
4654 Coraline Neil Gaiman 2002 British English
4707 Six Of Crows Leigh Bardugo 2015 American English
4719 The Sword of the Lictor Gene Wolfe 1982 American English
4933 Who Fears Death Nnedi Okorafor 2010 Nigerian English
4942 The Buried Giant Kazuo Ishiguro 2015 British English
4994 Tigana Guy Gavriel Kay 1990 Canadian English
5013 Slave To Sensation Nalini Singh 2006 New Zealand English
5038 Storm Front Jim Butcher 2000 American English
5097 A Hunger Like No Other Kresley Cole 2006 American English
5251 The War Hound And The World's Pain Michael Moorcock 1981 British English
5263 The Golden Key George MacDonald 1980 British English
5275 The Stone Sky N. K. Jemisin 2017 American English
5326 A Storm Of Wings M. John Harrison 1980 British English
5377 Bridge of Birds Barry Hughart 1984 American English
5425 Glorious Exploits Ferdia Lennon 2024 Irish English
5446 The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson 2010 American English
5581 This Is How You Lose The Time War Amal El Mohtar, Max Gladstone 2019 Multiple English
5656 Tea With The Black Dragon R. A. MacAvoy 1983 American English
5687 The Saint Of Bright Doors Vajra Chandrasekera 2023 Unknown English
5701 Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie 2013 American English
5761 The Scar China Miéville 2002 British English
5934 A Promise Of Fire Amanda Bouchet 2016 American English
5948 The Wandering Fire Guy Gavriel Kay 1986 Canadian English
6077 The Darkest Road Guy Gavriel Kay 1986 Canadian English
6076 A Knight In Shining Armor Jude Deveraux 1989 American English
6090 All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders 2016 American English
6104 A Storm Of Swords George R. R. Martin 2000 American English
6122 The Lives Of Christopher Chant Diana Wynne Jones 1988 British English
6196 One Piece Eiichiro Oda 1997 Japanese Japanese
6244 A Discovery Of Witches Deborah Harkness 2011 American English
6296 Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs 2011 American English
6375 The Priory Of The Orange Tree Samantha Shannon 2019 British English
6404 Dark Prince Christine Feehan 1999 American English
6413 All Systems Red Martha Wells 2017 American English
6515 The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror Ellen Datlow 1988 American English
6533 A Stranger In Olondria Sofia Samatar 2013 American English
6584 Mrs. Caliban Rachel Ingalls 1982 American English
6703 Seventh Son Orson Scott Card, Patrick Couton 1987 American English
6760 Bold As Love Gwyneth Jones 2001 British English
6759 The Light Fantastic Terry Pratchett 1986 British English
6808 The Queen Of The Damned Anne Rice 1988 American English
6868 The Cruel Prince Holly Black 2018 American English
6890 Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer 2001 Irish English
6907 The Years of Rice and Salt Kim Stanley Robinson 2002 American English
6910 The Wounded Land Stephen R. Donaldson 1980 American English
6917 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin, Janet Song 2009 Chinese English
6954 We All Love Glenda So Much And Other Tales Julio Cortazar 1980 Argentinian Spanish
6962 The Stress of Her Regard Tim Powers 1989 American English
7042 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Simon Armitage 2007 British Middle english
7079 A Court Of Mist And Fury Sarah J. Maas 2016 American English
7093 Small Gods Terry Pratchett 1992 British English
7141 Jade City Fonda Lee 2017 Chinese English
7149 Magic In The Wind Christine Feehan 2003 American English
7156 The One Tree Stephen R. Donaldson 1982 American English
7157 La Horde Du Contrevent Alain Damasio 2004 French French
7204 Hounded Kevin Hearne 2011 American English