Top Fantasy Series #1
My top fantasy series’ from my life as a reader, so far...
1. Tolkien’s Middle Earth
I first tried reading the Hobbit at six years old. I didn’t finish it. I am APPALLED at six year old me!! As a massive reader being able to pick one absolute favourite book is a big deal, and The Hobbit is that book for me. I’ve read it a million times and I still love it. I’ve read the Silmarillion about twice and the Lord of the Rings twice, right through. (I first read LOTR at twelve. I guess that redeems six year old me. *glares at her* ) As a reader and as a writer, Tolkien has had a massive impact on me, and I am positive it is his works that have made me a fantasy reader and a fantasy writer.
2. Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts
I am a fully-fledged member of Generation Potter. Growing up on these, the exciting releases, the hype, the pure magic... For a long time I was baffled as to why I never ranked this series as my Number One.
3. Discworld and everything else Terry Pratchett
My heart is in Discworld. And the fact that this is Number Three says nothing about how important Discworld is to me and everything about how big the first two entries in this list must be to push Discworld to third.
4. Septimus Heap and the Pathfinder trilogy by Angie Sage
I didn’t read these until my early twenties, but the magic still caught me. I love the old feel of the kingdom and the world. I ADORE Aunt Zelda and the Boggart, and I would do anything for a Dragon Boat! These are so worth reading and I cannot sing their praises highly enough.
5. The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix
This was recommended to me by a good friend and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t read it. The whole series is amazing and the world is fantastic. I love Lirael the most (the character and the book) and I have a soft spot for Moggett. Clariel is also superb.
6. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
I love anything Philip Pullman, if I’m honest, but the Lyra books are magical. I grew up on these, as well as the Sally Lockhart books.
7. Mortal Engines and Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
I would throw anything Philip Reeve in here actually, but I have yet to read a few of his series’, so we’ll stick with the two series’ about the cities. I guess most people wouldn’t call it fantasy, but I do.
8. The Shadowhunter books by Cassandra Clare
Again, a lot of people would call this paranormal romance or urban fantasy, but those weren’t a thing (or at least, not to my knowledge when I started devouring fantasy novels), so on my fantasy list it goes. I particularly adore The Infernal Devices trilogy. I’m not such a fan of the fourth, fifth and sixth books of The Mortal Instruments and kind of wish that had been a trilogy. I LOVE Shadowhunters Academy and The Magnus Bane Chronicles. I’ve even read the Codex. The Dark Artifices is amazing too, although I haven’t read the last one yet. I love the different feel of that series.
9. The Dwarves by Markus Heitz
I’ve only read the first one so far, and recently at that, but it was incredible. I was hooked and I’m desperate for the second one. For chunky books in an epic fantasy style, they are suspenseful, easy to read and hard to put down.
10. Trudi Canavan
Basically anything by her; her work is so easy to read and so immersive. Her Magicians books are fantastic. If you love fantasy and you haven’t read them yet, you definitely need to mend that!