10 Fantasy Books Better Than Most Movies You’ve Seen

Books and cinema are two vastly different art forms and media, allowing for entirely different kinds of fantasy storytelling. It’s perfectly valid, however, to compare the excitement, creative inspiration, and profound emotions that both fantasy films and fantasy books elicit. Though there are many fantasy blockbusters that have charmed fans of the genre throughout history, some fantasy books are simply unbeatable.

Grand, epic, and absolutely sprawling works of magic, mythology, and the wildest streaks of imagination, these are novels that can not only be counted among the best in the history of fantasy, but also as superior to even the greatest of fantasy blockbuster films. Of course, movies and books’ goals for entertainment are always different and achieved in diverse ways, but there’s no denying the excellence of these works of literature.

‘The Barbed Coil’ (1997)

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The ’90s were an exceptionally transformative time for fantasy literature, taking the genre away from the traditional J. R. R. Tolkien-inspired epic and into a new era of darker, more mature, and more complex fantasy novels. Case in point: J. V. Jones‘ The Barbed Coil, an awfully underrated standalone portal fantasy novel often overshadowed by Jones’ own Sword of Shadows series.

But as great as the Sword of Shadows series is, it’s always refreshing to enjoy a standalone fantasy epic that doesn’t come with strings (which is to say, many sequels to commit to) attached, and The Barbed Coil is right up there. It’s the sort of fantasy book that keeps you hooked from start to finish, a suspenseful and deeply immersive work of fantasy and romance that’s unlike anything else the ’90s ever produced.

‘The Fifth Season’ (2015)

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The winner of the hugely prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016, N. K. Jemisin‘s The Fifth Season is the first chapter in the Broken Earth series, one of the greatest science fantasy book trilogies in history. This first volume is the best of the three, a seminal work of modern climate fiction that proves fantasy literature is still thriving in modern times.

The book’s magic system is one of its most fascinating aspects, employing actual scientific elements as its basis—but it’s by no means the only thing that Jemisin’s book has going for it. With its genre-defying worldbuilding, profoundly resonant anti-oppression themes, and even some chapters written in mind-blowing second-person, it’s a must-read for fans of modern fantasy.

‘The Blade Itself’ (2006)

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Not to be confused with Markus Sakey‘s 2007 crime thriller novel, Joe Abercrombie‘s The Blade Itself is one of the best dark fantasy books of all time. It’s the first chapter of the First Law trilogy, itself also the first part of a full series of the same title. It’s a seminal work of grimdark fantasy, a genre characterized by morally grey characters, bleak dystopian settings, and cynical depictions of violence.

The novel is also wickedly humorous, refreshingly character-driven, and delightfully subversive. Abercrombie’s decision to follow deeply damaged and not particularly lovable people allows for a level of character depth and complexity that you don’t often see in this genre, and gives the author plenty of chances to twist several fantasy tropes on their head in all manner of exquisitely fun ways. You don’t find many fantasy blockbusters this clever in movie theaters.

‘The Lions of Al-Rassan’ (1995)

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It’s fair to not be a huge fan of reading only fantasy epics that are chapters in a big series, which often requires a big time commitment. Those looking for an author who writes many exceptional standalone fantasy novels ought to look to Canadian historical fantasy master Guy Gavriel Kay, whose The Lions of Al-Rassan is one of the best pieces of historical fantasy of the ’90s.

Though it’s set in the same world as a couple of Kay’s other books, inspired heavily by Moorish Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is very much one of the best standalone epic fantasy novels in history. The way the book builds historical realism without clunky exposition dumps and constructs a deeply moving self-contained sense of tragedy is nothing short of admirable.

‘The Golden Compass’ (1995)

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If the 2007 feature film of the same name is one of the most disappointing book-to-movie adaptations in history, it’s because Philip Pullman‘s The Golden Compass is such a masterful book in the first place. Originally published as Northern Lights (known as The Golden Compass primarily in North America), it’s the first chapter in the incredible His Dark Materials trilogy.

It’s a novel often categorized as Young Adult fantasy, but Pullman wrote it with no age demographic in mind—which is likely why its religious themes and heavy criticism of the Catholic Church have proven so controversial over the years. Even still, this masterclass in tone, thematic richness, and profound symbolism and psychological depth is one of the greatest fantasy books of all time.

‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ (1968)

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Ursula K. Le Guin is often regarded as one of the most groundbreaking and widely influential authors of speculative fiction in history, and her Earthsea Cycle series is her most widely celebrated and iconic work. It’s one of those few fantasy book series better than Harry Potter, and the first installment in the series, A Wizard of Earthsea, is arguably Le Guin’s best fantasy book ever.

Rather than having an external villain, Le Guin flips the usual tropes of the epic fantasy genre and makes the protagonist’s inner shadow the book’s antagonist. This bold choice results in a truly special book that’s elevated by Le Guin’s sparse yet gorgeously elegant prose, with some of the most engrossing worldbuilding that fantasy fans could possibly find outside of the big screen.

‘The Name of the Wind’ (2007)

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It has been a whopping 15 years since Patrick Rothfuss promised the long-awaited conclusion of his Kingkiller Chronicles series; but even if that conclusion never came, The Name of the Wind would still be able to stand the test of time as one of the best fantasy novels of the 21st century. It’s one of those fantasy books better than Harry Potter, a true masterpiece that should be able to turn any reader into a fan of adult fantasy.

The novel was praised by creatives of the stature of Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and all of that praise was well-deserved. With one of the most meticulously constructed magic systems in the history of fantasy, Rothfuss’ hypnotically lyrical prose, and an immensely effective slow-burning pace with a fascinating framing device, The Name of the Wind should charm even the most demanding of fantasy blockbuster movie fans.

‘A Storm of Swords’ (2000)

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At this point, both George R. R. Martin and the A Song of Ice and Fire series should need no introduction—in no small measure because Martin, too, has been promising the next chapter in his saga for 15 years. But even so, the mind behind Game of Thrones can still boast about having written five of the greatest fantasy novels in history, though fans often agree that the best of the bunch is the third installment, A Storm of Swords.

Published right at the end of the 20th century, A Storm of Swords is the explosive, pivotal turning point for the whole Song of Ice and Fire saga, with a mid-point that successfully shatters the status quo. Transforming the series from an intricate political drama into a desperate fantasy epic battle for survival (with plenty of cerebral political elements sprinkled in) works surprisingly well in A Storm of Swords, one of the most intense page-turners in the history of fantasy literature.

‘Words of Radiance’ (2014)

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All those who have grown tired of fantasy authors who take several years to deliver on their promises will surely find respite in Brandon Sanderson, one of the most prolific authors of speculative fiction working today. His Stormlight Archive series contains five of the best fantasy books of the last 25 years, but there’s simply no beating Words of Radiance.

The second installment of the Stormlight Archive saga is arguably the greatest fantasy epic of the 21st century thus far, and almost undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. With a sense of scale, scope, depth, setups, and payoffs that the cinematic medium simply can never possibly allow for, it’s perfect for those who prefer their fantasy as thick and dense as possible. But though it’s certainly loaded with material, Words of Radiance is also loaded with high-stakes spectacle, including an absolutely breathtaking third act.

‘The Lord of the Rings’ (1954–1955)

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J. R. R. Tolkien originally started writing The Lord of the Rings as a relatively simple sequel to The Hobbit, but that concept soon transformed into the gargantuan, seminal fantasy epic that readers know and love today. Though it was published in three volumes, Tolkien always intended this as a single book, and there’s virtually no space for argument that it’s the single most important and influential work of fantasy literature of the 20th century.

Though it was published between 1954 and 1955, The Lord of the Rings is still every bit as enthralling and irresistibly entertaining as any fantasy epic being published today. From the flawless set-up of The Fellowship of the Ring, to the revolutionary (and hugely engaging) split structure of The Two Towers, to the perfect conclusion that is The Return of the King, there’s no doubt that LotR is the best fantasy book of the last 100 years. Never have worldbuilding, character work, thematic depth, and sheer narrative beauty ever been better in not just fantasy literature, but fantasy cinema as well.