My Favorite Fantasy Books

As a fan of fantasy novels, I have come across many interesting and engaging books. Here are some of my favorites:

“The Crystal Cave” and “The Hollow Hills,” by Mary Stewart: These Merlin novels are exceptional in the Arthurian-mythos genre. They are known for being historically grounded and for their excellent portrayal of mystical elements. The story of kingdom-building after Rome’s decay and Arthur’s ascent to the throne is also well executed. The subsequent novels do not live up to the same level, as they introduce too much of the mythos into a plausible Britain-in-late-antiquity timeline. However, the first two books are my favorites as a teenager and remained my favorites when I came back to them more recently.

“The Heroes,” by Joe Abercrombie: This novel is a fantasy-world Antietam told through shifting battlefield perspectives, and it is probably Abercrombie’s best work. It is part of a trio of books that mix genres, with each rendering a different style of storytelling. Abercrombie has written many novels that offer a world ruled almost entirely by cynicism and violence, deconstructing every romantic trope. Though his picaresque style carries this off more entertainingly than that description might suggest, it eventually results in diminishing returns.

“Spinning Silver” and “Uprooted,” by Naomi Novik: These stand-alone novels are spiritual siblings and are attempts to play with the mood and setting of a fairy tale in a Slavic setting. They both have their strong suits, with “Uprooted” featuring the more winning main character and romance, and “Spinning Silver” having the more successful plot and fuller dose of fairyland. It also includes a strong Jewish theme, which some have critiqued as anachronistically liberal against medieval characters. However, these weaknesses are balanced by other storytelling virtues, most notably a sense of Faerie’s mysteries.

“The Book of the New Sun,” by Gene Wolfe: This is a classic novel, which has stood the test of time. It is known for its unique style of storytelling that includes science fiction and fantasy elements. Brian Phillips’s essay on Wolfe’s work is an excellent introduction to this masterpiece.

“Memory, Sorrow and Thorn,” by Tad Williams: This trilogy is the modern fantasy saga that I recommend to would-be fantasy adapters at HBO or Amazon. It has all the classic genre elements, including court politics and a supernatural backdrop. The world as a whole hovers between modernity and magic, and there is even a commoner in love with a princess. The story is realistic and plays around with Tolkienian expectations without being grimdark or tediously deconstructionist. It is politically minded without being swallowed up by its intrigues. It’s derivative of the medieval world but self-aware of its sub-creation’s debt to our reality. Most importantly, it is well-written and carries off its ending without getting lost in world-building longueurs. Williams wrapped up the final novel when Robert Jordan was at his peak and Martin was getting started on his series, and you can feel in his last book the expansionist temptations that prevented those two authors from finishing their sagas but also a strong impulse reeling it in, leading to a successful ending.