Oh man, it's awesome to find another huge Runelords fan! That series is one of the main reasons I started my own podcast, back in 2019. Just a fascinating view into human nature, with a real epic feel to things and amazing characters.
I was lucky enought to read The Lord of the Rings before the Peter Jackson films came out. I read them in the late '90s, when I was in college, and had absolutely no clue what the story was about. Because of this, I was mind-blown by it. Never in my life have I been sucked into a story as much as I was with TLotR. The closest, as far as sheer immersion goes, would probably be Realm of the Elderlings. As it stands, I've read somewhere around 650 fantasy books. If I include all genres of fiction, I've probably read over 1,000 books over the last 30 years. Being as objective as possible, TLotR would still sit at my #1 spot for fantasy and would probably be in my top 10 (or maybe top 15) of all fiction I've ever read. Right up there with masterpieces like East of Eden, The Brothers Karamazov and Lonesome Dove. I really think the Peter Jackson films ruined the reading experience for most modern readers as there's a night and day difference between reading a book blind and reading a book while already knowing the story.
The challenge with the Jackson films is that he took this well read, mythically amazing book (series of books) and shuttered them into three films. In fairness even the extended editions still dont fully do the book justice. I look at them as being the best of a bad deal, before that no one could find a way to do it, and Jackson had a commercially successful go. I am with you though, I was introduced to the Hobbit at 8, enjoyed it, and then read TLotR at 10 - and got lost in its amazingly well constructed world, and the epic scale of the journey.
The Brothers Karamazov is my #1 but LotR is right there. Need to finally read "East of Eden" and "Lonesome Dove" because it sounds like we have pretty similar taste.
I just began Stormlight Archive the other day after my brother, a massive Sanderson fan, insisted me for a while to leave my Tolkien & Martin comfort zone (btw, I have the same edition of LOTR, it's beautiful). I'm only a few chapters in, but so far I'm quite amazed at the creativity at display. The otherworldly fauna and flora, and elements like the shardblades and shard armor, remind me more of Star Wars than the traditional fantasy I was used to in literature. So, to me, it's definitely a refreshing take on the genre. Wheel of Time is a series that has been on my radar for some time now. I want to check it out eventually, but 14 books is such a massive undertaking, makes me want to finish most of the backlog first before jumping in.
Great video, Jonathan ❤ I'm a voracious reader and don't spend enough time on my fantasy series. Read a couple from your list, but definitely wrote down the other to check out. Thanks for the list, and keep up the amazing videos.
David Farland is such an underrated writer. He taught the current generation of fantasy writers, if you like Brandon Sanderson...you have David Farland to thank. I'm currently reading Brotherhood of the Wolf. You actually inspired me to start reading the series! My current favorite fantasy series is the Wheel of Time, but what got me into fantasy was the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Not alot of booktubers like Goodkind but I loved his series.
Great list Jonathan! Loved the Faithful and Fallen along with the Cosmere. I will absolutely be checking out the Hanuvar series. (I've never heard of it and it sounds amazing!) And I've seen Rhapsody and Runelords so often at local used bookstores. I will definitely pick them up.
Going from your list, I bet you'd love Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. The way he weaves story threads throughout the 6 books really impressed me. He wrote rough drafts of all 6 before publishing the 1st, which allowed him to go back to the earlier books and make changes while making the overall package extremely coherent. Also has some of the most loveable characters I've ever read. Like if Joe Abercrombie wrote wholesome characters instead of despicable ones. That series came out of nowhere for me and once finished jumped into my top 5 instantly. I will definitely read his other books set in that world going in chronological order.
Thank you for not doing the utterly predictable move of putting LOTR as first. Tolkien's worldbuilding was amazing but let's be honest, LOTR are really not the best books of all time. Flat characters, plot holes, occasionally very boring writing and meandering narratives. And the guy had no idea how to write a battle. I remember when I first read the Conan stories by REH and just thought "wow, this is how the action SHOULD have felt in LOTR"
I am a newbie to the fantasy genre (starting last summer) . I wrote down your favorite series. I love Stormlight Archive. Now starting Mistborn (i am so late for the party) Have read a few others in between. The Fantasy genre is really fun!
Very cool video, I knew I could expect more than the usual suspects when I saw this crop up. Might be the first video of it's kind I opened on Booktube and I actually haven't read more than half of what's on it!
Lord of the Rings will always be my touchstone for Fantasy series. One series that I have read over and over again is the Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.(a husband and wife team) I have read the first 24 books 3 times, and I am doing a reread right now, because Steve Miller died in February, and I want to catch up with the series. I don't have 10 favorite finished series, mainly because I haven't finished that many. I do have 6: 1. Lord of the Rings. 2. The Liaden Universe 3. Cosmere. 4. Earthsea Cycle, by Ursula K. LeGuin. 5. Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and 6. The Chronicles of Narnia. These I have reread more than once. Bottom line, if I don't know what to read, I read one of these.
I would like to read song of ice and fire series but since it's not finished I personally don't want to put time and money into a series that at this point is likely never gonna be finished
I'd recommend reading them regardless. Each book is a masterpiece in its own right, imo. The first three form an arc that's already completed. As to not wanting to support George for his seemingly lack of interest in finishing his own work, I get it. But, If you don't want to pirate them, I suggest purchasing them with the mindset of looking at them as what they are; individual books, you are not paying in advance for the ones that remain to be published.
LotR is the only one of these I’ve read, but I plan to start George RR Martin’s series after I’m done with my current TBR. The politics of it seem utterly fascinating, though I can’t say I appreciate certain passages* in my books either lol *Well, I suppose such scenes are fine if they have a thematic justification. I always give Crime and Punishment as an example: it seems to me that explicit violence is used at exactly the right moments, like the murder scene, the point at which Raskolnikov’s world falls apart- the gory details serve the moment. I would apply the same logic to sex scenes (like if a King and Queen have been trying to produce an heir for 15 years and that’s a big plot point in the book, it would be acceptable to describe the scene in full when they finally succeed because it’s a momentous occasion for the characters). But otherwise it’s just unnecessary. Goodness I’ve been ranting, sorry about that
I don't think keeping the Cosmere together as one huge single thing is wrong, personally....I know a lot of people tend to do it, but they are all completely separate things...you don't have to read any of the other stuff to read other things in the "Cosmere"...there is no real reading order needed, etc, etc, etc... Same with Realm of the Elderlings....you can say the Fitz and Fool stuff is all the same thing and can be lumped together, but the Mad Ship stuff is completely separate to me and also the RainWild Chronicles is a different and separate thing. To me, if the characters are the same, or at least related to the original characters and the story is the same or similar and in the same world, it can be considered all together....but if you have completely different storylines and characters then they don't belong together as a big series. So, I think you can include all First Law books as a big series or connecting series, both series and all the standalones, because they are all similar stories/themes and all include mostly the same characters or relation to the original characters, etc. Same with Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone can be considered as the same "series" you can lump together as one large series....same world, same themes, same characters or relation to characters, etc
IF* you are looking for an amazing series I strongly recommend: Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, By Larry Correia. Book 1- Son of the Black Sword. Book 2 - House of Assassins. Book 3 - Destroyer of Worlds. Book 4 - Tower of Silence. Ashok Vadal needs to be on the big screen. Such a well-written series.
1. Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien 2. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin 3. Conan The Barbarian series by Robert E. Howard 4. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Lieber 5. The Earthsea series by Ursula LeGuin 6. One and Future King tetralogy by T. H. White 7. Chronicles of the Deryni by Katherine Kurtz 8. The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton 9. Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander 10. Riddle-Master Trilogy by Patricia McKillip Honorable Mention. John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Great video Jonathan! I have the Runelord books on my shelf I need to read and a couple others from your list are on my tbr. My current top ten is something like this 1. Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb 2. Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien 3. Dresden by Jim Butcher 4. Memory Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams 5. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin 6. Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham 7. Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft 8. Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu 9. First Law original trilogy by Joe Abercrombie 10. Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne Hope you enjoy the rest of your day!
Always cool to hear other people's likes and dislikes. Quick question, have you ever read David eddings. More specifically the belgariad and malloreon series. Really easy read and fun too.
I've heard good things about David Farland twice this week, first Steve Donoghue in his library tour and now you. I will have to search for him. I have always believed that Brandon Sanderson was not for me, just a gut feeling never having read him. The Way of Kings pops up frequently with strong praise so I will have to give it a try and adjust my feeling after that. Thanks for the list. It has given me some great suggestions.
The elven by bernhard hennen is realy good. The dwarves by markus heitz is good Nomadgod by gerd scherm is realy funny Dark is raising was good Demonkeeper is fun and barry trotter Temeraire by Naomi novik is great
The Circle series you mentioned sounds super interesting! Think i'm gonna have to check that out, the fact that it has a kinda christian factor to it too sounds kinda cool also (even though I'm an atheist, ha!). Btw, have you ever read the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy by Philip Pullman?
Great video. For me, I have a love/hate relationship with The Wheel of Time. Overall I loved it. The story and characters being absolutely incredible. The execution, on the other hand, got really bad for a good chunk of the series. There were several books, literally like 4 or 5 of them, that I found to be seriously difficult to get through. I think it started around book 6 or 7 and lasted until Knife of Dreams, when things started to pick up again. Books 7, 8, 9 and 10, specifically, were just poorly executed (imo). They still had their high points, which were always great, but the rest of the time they were just repetitious stagnation where there was literally zero story progression. I really feel like books 7, 8, 9 and 10 could've been greatly condensed into two strong books as opposed to four really weak ones.
Nice list. Great seeing some love for Kevin J Anderson. I haven't read that series yet but I am a big fan of his Star Wars novels. Tor used to be the best publisher in my opinion though I have read a lot from Del Rey as well. But in the last few years Orbit has caught up with them; I've been reading a lot of books lately published through them. Here is my current top 10 fantasy series (with a few honorable mentions): Honorable mentions: The Belgariad/Malloreon by David Eddings, The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon, The Faithful & the Fallen, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson, ASOIAF. All of these have been in my top 10 over the years but have been pushed down the list until they fell out. Still love all of them though. 10. The Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan (just added to the list; it may or may not move up or down once I think on it more; but for now it's here) 9. Broken Empire/Red Queen's War by Mark Lawrence (morbidly dark at times and probably one of the most vile main characters I've ever read in BE; but so so so compelling; this one was added this year and will probably move up once I do a reread) 8. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (will drop out like ASOIAF most likely because I don't expect it to be finished; it's a shame because this is one of 2 series I think that could challenge for the #1 spot) 7. The Band by Nicolaus Eames (another one that isn't finished but I think this one will be and probably soon) 6. Mistborn Era 2 (I most certainly split the separate Cosmere series; even the Mistborn Era's; yeah there are some things that connect them but not enough to group them all together; I'm one of the few that likes Era 2 more than Era 1; for me Era 1 doesn't even rate an honorable mention; though I did like it) 5. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (the best world building in fantasy. PERIOD. But the character work could have been a bit better; so many amazing but underdeveloped characters) 4. Drenai Saga by David Gemmell (has been a top 10 mainstay since the mid 1990's; best heroic fantasy writer. PERIOD.) 3. First Law by Joe Abercrombie (best character work in fantasy. PERIOD. Lol. It's very grim but not excitedly dark like the Lawrence books. But the characters feel so real and at times it feels like Abercrombie is writing for me personally. It's really a toss up between this one and the one I have listed at #2; they are basically tied) 2. Stormlight Archive (this is really the only series that has a shot at taking over the top spot; unless Abercrombie writes more FL books anyway; but I certainly don't expect Rothfuss to write more KC) 1. The Wheel of Time (has been my #1 favorite since 1997 and I don't really expect it to change; SA has a shot but Wind & Truth will probably have to be my favorite book ever for it to happen, lol. As I said Abercrombie is my favorite for character work and Erikson my favorite for world building; but Jordan & WoT is #2 in both categories; it just checks all the boxes for me)
I’ve never heard of the Brooks Landover series before, and it sounds awesome!!! Awesome picks so far by the way, I looooove Faithful and the Fallen too!
I'm currently working on Wheel of Time book 10. A big fan so far. I've read the cosmere minus the secret books and recommend them left and right. I have the first 3 Rhapsody and first 4 runelord books on the TBR. I had given up on fantasy after LOTR . I was so confused. A coworker recommended the Thomas Covenant series shortly afterwards. Wow! I finished the first 6 and need to finish off the story some day.
Im trying to get into reading as a hobby. I love fantasy so Ive been watching videos about top ten favorite series. A lot of ppl’s favorites are the same. Im glad I found someone with books Ive haven’t heard before.
I don't understand why wheel of time is so highly rated, by the 6-7th book I was bored shitless seemed like a 4-5 book series stretched out into 14 books.
For me, I was so hooked into the characters that even when the plot slowed down, I still wanted to continue reading about them and having a good time. I get that the middle books aren’t as good as the beginning or the end, but it’s still enjoyable to me.
Have you ever read Oath of Empire by Thomas Harlan? Given your tastes, I think you'd like that one very much. You might also like Chronicles of Sirkara by Laura Resnick.
Interesting. Makes me feel like a bit of a heel for spending the last two decades telling people that The Runelords was one of the best series concepts of all time, but that Farland simply wasn’t a good enough writer for them to live up to their promise.
Yeah, there were a lot of complications? Both personal and business why he couldn’t finish it, most of it I don’t blame him for. But, the first 4 are an excellent series with a good conclusion.
Hey Jonathan, awesome video. I haven’t even heard of a few of these series, which is rare for booktube top 10s. Very refreshing. You’ve really piqued my interest! Especially with the Runelords. Added to my TBR immediately. Keep it up!
I might need to check out the Ruin Lords. Love Dave Wolvertons world building. Was surprised about the LOTR honorable mention. Just finished the Silmarillion and had so much fun with that makes me want to re read the Hobbit and LOTR. Interesting top 10 though gives me some ideas about where I might go next.
Thanks, great list. The one series I was surprised not to see was Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. It's in my top 3 with Wheel Of Time and the Cosmere books.
Great surprise to see the Magic Kingdom of Landover series on your list. What great comfort reads! I remember when the first book was released way back in the '80s. (I was around 12 years old....) I checked it out from the local library and subsequently read the later installments upon their release. Your reference to them inspires me to revisit the books!🙂
Nice list of favorites, I added four of these to my wishlist for future reading. Thanks! Only real fantasy that I have read is Lord of the Rings. I am also interested in Arthurian series books and am starting to read The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell.
Tbh that's why I enjoy your channel, because your taste and opinions are truly yours. They don't follow trends or aim for likes, and so they end up being truly interesting to me. I end up discovering new stuff by watching your videos, as well. Most channels focused on nerd content are so cookie cutter and homogeneous. Yours actually offers something different.
Such a young guy with a bunch of older series...interesting. How much newer stuff have you read? I'm curious if it's because most everything you've read is those older series or because you just don't like the newer stuff as much?
@@Progger11to be fair, more often than not, the newer stuff is better. I was surprised to go searching Goodreads for some of these on his list and they didn’t have great reviews. I mean, if this is the stuff he likes over newer stuff, great, but that’s why I asked, to see if he just hasn’t read most of the more popular stuff or actually prefers these over them. I would be more happy if it was because he prefers these over them to be honest, Because if it’s just that he hasn’t read much of all the newer stuff coming out and that has been out the last 25 years then it’s likely this list would change fairly drastically.
@@PreppinShootinLivin I'm not really sure if that's necessarily always true, either. In my experience, art and entertainment across generations is always a mixed bag. But some generations, the better stuff is easier to find. I get just as annoyed by people my age saying "all old stuff sucks" as I do by older folks saying the same about newer content. It's always been a 70/30 split between garbage and gold.
Tolkien's worldbuilding was amazing but his characters, if you can even call them that half the time, leave a lot to be desired. He also couldn't write an action scene to save his life. People give Tolkien a pass, i think, because they assume that he was one of the first to do this type of fantasy, but he wasn't. Read some of the sword and sorcery stuff from the 30s and a lot of that does characters and drama/action far better than Tolkien did.
Great list and I love that you included both Shannara and Landover. Brooks is one of the best fantasy authors, who has sadly basically become forgotten. Both of those series are in my top 10 as well. The Sword of Shannara is also the book that introduced me to and hooked me on the fantasy genre.
I think part of why Brooks has been left behind is because he essentially wrote the first book as a pure cash grab, and then has written the other to promote his specific social-political views. I don’t think he has a great drive and passion for crafting beautiful fantasy narratives/worlds. Nothing wrong with that at all. I just think people gravitate more to authors who are a bit more organic.
Thank you, Jonathan. This was my first time watching one of your videos, but it won't be the last. I really like that you have series in you rankings that are not in other book tubers lists. I am a long time fan of Terry Brooks and have always been disturbed by the snobbish treatment that Mr. Brooks gets from most book tubers. If it was not for Terry Brooks fantasy might have died long ago. I'm 74 years old and, after reading Lord of the Rings back in the 70s, I wanted more fantasy. There was almost nothing else to be found at the time. When The Sword of Shannara came out in around 1977 I grabbed it and loved every page. I agree with your comments on the book and the series. I could go on talking about some of the other books on your list, but I've said enough for now. Thanks again.
Interesting. I thought book 5 was the really bad one and that book 6 picked up a lot. Books 7 and 8 are entertaining, but unless the estate finishes the 9th book it probably will feel unsatisfying, so I’d move on to other series at the moment.
@@TinieMassive thank you. So many people did not like that it didn’t make the list. I still like the series, and I respect the series, it just didn’t make my personal top 10, which is the series I found the most enjoyable.
I like you, you seem to be cut from a different cloth than the rest of the herd. You like what you like and are not afraid to advocate it. Putting Lord of the Rings well out of the outer circle of greats is quite a statement, and I totally agree; many books have since surpassed it on entertainment value. I'm reading The Great Hunt and its good so far, also you've sold me on trying The Rune Lords and Rhapsody.
Don't know how I haven't come across your channel before! We have the same intro line, and then this was a wild ride because we have either extremely similar thoughts or polar opposite thoughts depending on the series 😂
Awesome list. I'm going through the Timothy Zahn Icarus books right now and loving them. But you just gave more books on my want to read list. Thanks. I love hearing your personal thoughts on each series. I look forward to reading them down the line.
Many of these were on my radar but definitely adding some new ones to the TBR. Great video! For me, WoT is reigning champion, but I haven’t read Runelords yet, so maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Man you really need to get back on to Dresden if it’s just in the Honorable Mentions sections lol. It’s been nearly a year since you read Blood Rites and you need to read Dead Beat to really understand why I personally (and a lot of the fandom I’d wager) separate between books 1-6 (Storm Front to Blood Rites) and book 7 onwards in our heads and it’s not for a bad reason lol. It is without question my favorite Urban Fantasy Series and my 2nd Favorite overall behind only The Cosmere and I have a feeling that if you get caught up on Dresden before your next Update to this video that you will feel the same way
Mine changes often, and I’m not very well read in fantasy yet, but it’s probably: 1. Harry Potter 2. The Faithful and the Fallen 3. The Wheel of Time 4. The Lord of the Rings 5. The Chronicles of Conan 6. The Dresden Files 7. The Riyria Revelations 8. The Chronicles of Narnia 9. The Legends of Drizzt 10. Mistborn Era 1
I’m reading Wheel of Time for the first time and it’s truly one of my favorite series. Right now I’m beginning the “slog”. Finished book 7 and it’s probably one of my favorites in the series so far.
Cool list... like that it's unique. Almost turned it off when LOTR was honorable mention, but LOVE the Faithful and Fallen series... especially the middle 2 books. R Hobb might be in my list... though still have 1 book left. Not an Abercrombie fan. WOT is great.
As someone who has only read Stormlight Archive and Mistborn era 1, which Cosmere books do you feel are most worthwhile? My TBR list is getting too big 😅
@jonathankoan I loved how sprawling and deep the narrative is, especially it how he explains where magic is drawn from. It's the kind of series I wish I could see on screen...doubt they would want to recreate the volume of characters though!
I stopped listening when LOTR only got honorable mention. There wouldn’t be a Fantasy genre without Tolkien. This auto disqualifies him as a reviewer IMO
I mean, I didn’t say I hated the books, just that they aren’t as enjoyable as my top 10, but I do appreciate the books for the placement they have. And they’re still way higher than about 17 other Fantasy series I’ve read.
thanks for the list, i just bought Runelord Book 1 now and will arrive in two days. Cant wait to read it
I hope you enjoy it!
@@jonathankoan Yeah ever since I got it ive been really enjoying the story, so so so good
Oh man, it's awesome to find another huge Runelords fan! That series is one of the main reasons I started my own podcast, back in 2019. Just a fascinating view into human nature, with a real epic feel to things and amazing characters.
I was lucky enought to read The Lord of the Rings before the Peter Jackson films came out. I read them in the late '90s, when I was in college, and had absolutely no clue what the story was about. Because of this, I was mind-blown by it. Never in my life have I been sucked into a story as much as I was with TLotR. The closest, as far as sheer immersion goes, would probably be Realm of the Elderlings.
As it stands, I've read somewhere around 650 fantasy books. If I include all genres of fiction, I've probably read over 1,000 books over the last 30 years.
Being as objective as possible, TLotR would still sit at my #1 spot for fantasy and would probably be in my top 10 (or maybe top 15) of all fiction I've ever read. Right up there with masterpieces like East of Eden, The Brothers Karamazov and Lonesome Dove.
I really think the Peter Jackson films ruined the reading experience for most modern readers as there's a night and day difference between reading a book blind and reading a book while already knowing the story.
The challenge with the Jackson films is that he took this well read, mythically amazing book (series of books) and shuttered them into three films. In fairness even the extended editions still dont fully do the book justice. I look at them as being the best of a bad deal, before that no one could find a way to do it, and Jackson had a commercially successful go.
I am with you though, I was introduced to the Hobbit at 8, enjoyed it, and then read TLotR at 10 - and got lost in its amazingly well constructed world, and the epic scale of the journey.
The Brothers Karamazov is my #1 but LotR is right there. Need to finally read "East of Eden" and "Lonesome Dove" because it sounds like we have pretty similar taste.
I just began Stormlight Archive the other day after my brother, a massive Sanderson fan, insisted me for a while to leave my Tolkien & Martin comfort zone (btw, I have the same edition of LOTR, it's beautiful).
I'm only a few chapters in, but so far I'm quite amazed at the creativity at display. The otherworldly fauna and flora, and elements like the shardblades and shard armor, remind me more of Star Wars than the traditional fantasy I was used to in literature. So, to me, it's definitely a refreshing take on the genre.
Wheel of Time is a series that has been on my radar for some time now. I want to check it out eventually, but 14 books is such a massive undertaking, makes me want to finish most of the backlog first before jumping in.
Awesome video! Thanks so much for expanding my goodreads fantasy list!
Great video, Jonathan ❤ I'm a voracious reader and don't spend enough time on my fantasy series. Read a couple from your list, but definitely wrote down the other to check out. Thanks for the list, and keep up the amazing videos.
Hope you enjoy them!
David Farland is such an underrated writer. He taught the current generation of fantasy writers, if you like Brandon Sanderson...you have David Farland to thank. I'm currently reading Brotherhood of the Wolf. You actually inspired me to start reading the series! My current favorite fantasy series is the Wheel of Time, but what got me into fantasy was the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Not alot of booktubers like Goodkind but I loved his series.
Great list Jonathan! Loved the Faithful and Fallen along with the Cosmere. I will absolutely be checking out the Hanuvar series. (I've never heard of it and it sounds amazing!) And I've seen Rhapsody and Runelords so often at local used bookstores. I will definitely pick them up.
Going from your list, I bet you'd love Michael J. Sullivan's Legends of the First Empire series. The way he weaves story threads throughout the 6 books really impressed me. He wrote rough drafts of all 6 before publishing the 1st, which allowed him to go back to the earlier books and make changes while making the overall package extremely coherent. Also has some of the most loveable characters I've ever read. Like if Joe Abercrombie wrote wholesome characters instead of despicable ones. That series came out of nowhere for me and once finished jumped into my top 5 instantly. I will definitely read his other books set in that world going in chronological order.
Thank you for not doing the utterly predictable move of putting LOTR as first. Tolkien's worldbuilding was amazing but let's be honest, LOTR are really not the best books of all time.
Flat characters, plot holes, occasionally very boring writing and meandering narratives. And the guy had no idea how to write a battle. I remember when I first read the Conan stories by REH and just thought "wow, this is how the action SHOULD have felt in LOTR"
I am a newbie to the fantasy genre (starting last summer) . I wrote down your favorite series. I love Stormlight Archive. Now starting Mistborn (i am so late for the party) Have read a few others in between. The Fantasy genre is really fun!
Very cool video, I knew I could expect more than the usual suspects when I saw this crop up. Might be the first video of it's kind I opened on Booktube and I actually haven't read more than half of what's on it!
Lord of the Rings will always be my touchstone for Fantasy series. One series that I have read over and over again is the Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.(a husband and wife team) I have read the first 24 books 3 times, and I am doing a reread right now, because Steve Miller died in February, and I want to catch up with the series. I don't have 10 favorite finished series, mainly because I haven't finished that many. I do have 6:
1. Lord of the Rings. 2. The Liaden Universe 3. Cosmere. 4. Earthsea Cycle, by Ursula K. LeGuin. 5. Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and 6. The Chronicles of Narnia. These I have reread more than once. Bottom line, if I don't know what to read, I read one of these.
I would like to read song of ice and fire series but since it's not finished I personally don't want to put time and money into a series that at this point is likely never gonna be finished
I'd recommend reading them regardless. Each book is a masterpiece in its own right, imo. The first three form an arc that's already completed.
As to not wanting to support George for his seemingly lack of interest in finishing his own work, I get it. But, If you don't want to pirate them, I suggest purchasing them with the mindset of looking at them as what they are; individual books, you are not paying in advance for the ones that remain to be published.
Great list! Nice to see Brooks twice
LotR is the only one of these I’ve read, but I plan to start George RR Martin’s series after I’m done with my current TBR. The politics of it seem utterly fascinating, though I can’t say I appreciate certain passages* in my books either lol
*Well, I suppose such scenes are fine if they have a thematic justification. I always give Crime and Punishment as an example: it seems to me that explicit violence is used at exactly the right moments, like the murder scene, the point at which Raskolnikov’s world falls apart- the gory details serve the moment. I would apply the same logic to sex scenes (like if a King and Queen have been trying to produce an heir for 15 years and that’s a big plot point in the book, it would be acceptable to describe the scene in full when they finally succeed because it’s a momentous occasion for the characters). But otherwise it’s just unnecessary. Goodness I’ve been ranting, sorry about that
Have you read Robin Hobb? The Realm of the Elderlings?
I’ve read the first book Assassin’s Apprentice. I have books 2 and 3 and intend to read them eventually.
I don't think keeping the Cosmere together as one huge single thing is wrong, personally....I know a lot of people tend to do it, but they are all completely separate things...you don't have to read any of the other stuff to read other things in the "Cosmere"...there is no real reading order needed, etc, etc, etc... Same with Realm of the Elderlings....you can say the Fitz and Fool stuff is all the same thing and can be lumped together, but the Mad Ship stuff is completely separate to me and also the RainWild Chronicles is a different and separate thing. To me, if the characters are the same, or at least related to the original characters and the story is the same or similar and in the same world, it can be considered all together....but if you have completely different storylines and characters then they don't belong together as a big series. So, I think you can include all First Law books as a big series or connecting series, both series and all the standalones, because they are all similar stories/themes and all include mostly the same characters or relation to the original characters, etc. Same with Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone can be considered as the same "series" you can lump together as one large series....same world, same themes, same characters or relation to characters, etc
I’ve read 7 of these!
I’m really shocked that the Cosmere wasn’t number 1
I love the Cosmere…but I love the other two more.
IF* you are looking for an amazing series I strongly recommend:
Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, By Larry Correia.
Book 1- Son of the Black Sword.
Book 2 - House of Assassins.
Book 3 - Destroyer of Worlds.
Book 4 - Tower of Silence.
Ashok Vadal needs to be on the big screen. Such a well-written series.
I do intend to get to that series once I finish Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter series.
1. Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
3. Conan The Barbarian series by Robert E. Howard
4. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series by Fritz Lieber
5. The Earthsea series by Ursula LeGuin
6. One and Future King tetralogy by T. H. White
7. Chronicles of the Deryni by Katherine Kurtz
8. The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton
9. Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
10. Riddle-Master Trilogy by Patricia McKillip
Honorable Mention. John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I figured Runelords, Cosmere, and WOT would be at the top! Lots of stuff here that I’ve either read or intend to read someday
Great video Jonathan! I have the Runelord books on my shelf I need to read and a couple others from your list are on my tbr. My current top ten is something like this
1. Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
2. Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
3. Dresden by Jim Butcher
4. Memory Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams
5. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
6. Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
7. Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft
8. Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu
9. First Law original trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
10. Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne
Hope you enjoy the rest of your day!
Always cool to hear other people's likes and dislikes. Quick question, have you ever read David eddings. More specifically the belgariad and malloreon series. Really easy read and fun too.
I have the first 5 books of the Belgariad as 2 Omnibus Editions on my shelves and intend to read them eventually.
I've heard good things about David Farland twice this week, first Steve Donoghue in his library tour and now you. I will have to search for him. I have always believed that Brandon Sanderson was not for me, just a gut feeling never having read him. The Way of Kings pops up frequently with strong praise so I will have to give it a try and adjust my feeling after that. Thanks for the list. It has given me some great suggestions.
The elven by bernhard hennen is realy good.
The dwarves by markus heitz is good
Nomadgod by gerd scherm is realy funny
Dark is raising was good
Demonkeeper is fun and barry trotter
Temeraire by Naomi novik is great
The Circle series you mentioned sounds super interesting! Think i'm gonna have to check that out, the fact that it has a kinda christian factor to it too sounds kinda cool also (even though I'm an atheist, ha!). Btw, have you ever read the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy by Philip Pullman?
I read the first book in the trilogy, but haven’t read the others.
Wow, thanks for mentioning the Ukrainian edition of the Spine of the Dragon. I actually have this book.
Great video.
For me, I have a love/hate relationship with The Wheel of Time. Overall I loved it. The story and characters being absolutely incredible. The execution, on the other hand, got really bad for a good chunk of the series. There were several books, literally like 4 or 5 of them, that I found to be seriously difficult to get through. I think it started around book 6 or 7 and lasted until Knife of Dreams, when things started to pick up again.
Books 7, 8, 9 and 10, specifically, were just poorly executed (imo). They still had their high points, which were always great, but the rest of the time they were just repetitious stagnation where there was literally zero story progression. I really feel like books 7, 8, 9 and 10 could've been greatly condensed into two strong books as opposed to four really weak ones.
Consider me horrified! 😃
Same. After reading over 600 fantasy books, TLotR still sits in my top spot.
I subscribed as soon as you said Terry Brooks. That is all. Have a good one. 🍻
He does not get talked about that much on Booktube. I’m glad to find more Brooks fans!
Heck yes 🙌🏻
If ASOIF were to be removed I'd agree with you.
Nice list. Great seeing some love for Kevin J Anderson. I haven't read that series yet but I am a big fan of his Star Wars novels.
Tor used to be the best publisher in my opinion though I have read a lot from Del Rey as well. But in the last few years Orbit has caught up with them; I've been reading a lot of books lately published through them.
Here is my current top 10 fantasy series (with a few honorable mentions):
Honorable mentions: The Belgariad/Malloreon by David Eddings, The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon, The Faithful & the Fallen, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson, ASOIAF. All of these have been in my top 10 over the years but have been pushed down the list until they fell out. Still love all of them though.
10. The Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan (just added to the list; it may or may not move up or down once I think on it more; but for now it's here)
9. Broken Empire/Red Queen's War by Mark Lawrence (morbidly dark at times and probably one of the most vile main characters I've ever read in BE; but so so so compelling; this one was added this year and will probably move up once I do a reread)
8. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (will drop out like ASOIAF most likely because I don't expect it to be finished; it's a shame because this is one of 2 series I think that could challenge for the #1 spot)
7. The Band by Nicolaus Eames (another one that isn't finished but I think this one will be and probably soon)
6. Mistborn Era 2 (I most certainly split the separate Cosmere series; even the Mistborn Era's; yeah there are some things that connect them but not enough to group them all together; I'm one of the few that likes Era 2 more than Era 1; for me Era 1 doesn't even rate an honorable mention; though I did like it)
5. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson (the best world building in fantasy. PERIOD. But the character work could have been a bit better; so many amazing but underdeveloped characters)
4. Drenai Saga by David Gemmell (has been a top 10 mainstay since the mid 1990's; best heroic fantasy writer. PERIOD.)
3. First Law by Joe Abercrombie (best character work in fantasy. PERIOD. Lol. It's very grim but not excitedly dark like the Lawrence books. But the characters feel so real and at times it feels like Abercrombie is writing for me personally. It's really a toss up between this one and the one I have listed at #2; they are basically tied)
2. Stormlight Archive (this is really the only series that has a shot at taking over the top spot; unless Abercrombie writes more FL books anyway; but I certainly don't expect Rothfuss to write more KC)
1. The Wheel of Time (has been my #1 favorite since 1997 and I don't really expect it to change; SA has a shot but Wind & Truth will probably have to be my favorite book ever for it to happen, lol. As I said Abercrombie is my favorite for character work and Erikson my favorite for world building; but Jordan & WoT is #2 in both categories; it just checks all the boxes for me)
I’ve never heard of the Brooks Landover series before, and it sounds awesome!!! Awesome picks so far by the way, I looooove Faithful and the Fallen too!
Right with you on Stormlight and Wheel of Time! I really need to try the Runelords and Elizabeth Hayden
I'm currently working on Wheel of Time book 10. A big fan so far. I've read the cosmere minus the secret books and recommend them left and right. I have the first 3 Rhapsody and first 4 runelord books on the TBR.
I had given up on fantasy after LOTR . I was so confused. A coworker recommended the Thomas Covenant series shortly afterwards. Wow! I finished the first 6 and need to finish off the story some day.
Im trying to get into reading as a hobby. I love fantasy so Ive been watching videos about top ten favorite series. A lot of ppl’s favorites are the same. Im glad I found someone with books Ive haven’t heard before.
I don't understand why wheel of time is so highly rated, by the 6-7th book I was bored shitless seemed like a 4-5 book series stretched out into 14 books.
For me, I was so hooked into the characters that even when the plot slowed down, I still wanted to continue reading about them and having a good time. I get that the middle books aren’t as good as the beginning or the end, but it’s still enjoyable to me.
Have you ever read Oath of Empire by Thomas Harlan? Given your tastes, I think you'd like that one very much.
You might also like Chronicles of Sirkara by Laura Resnick.
I have not read either, but will start looking for them at my local bookstores.
Interesting. Makes me feel like a bit of a heel for spending the last two decades telling people that The Runelords was one of the best series concepts of all time, but that Farland simply wasn’t a good enough writer for them to live up to their promise.
Yeah, there were a lot of complications? Both personal and business why he couldn’t finish it, most of it I don’t blame him for.
But, the first 4 are an excellent series with a good conclusion.
Respect for stepping out of the norm with your ranking, great video!
Hey Jonathan, awesome video. I haven’t even heard of a few of these series, which is rare for booktube top 10s. Very refreshing. You’ve really piqued my interest! Especially with the Runelords. Added to my TBR immediately. Keep it up!
I might need to check out the Ruin Lords. Love Dave Wolvertons world building. Was surprised about the LOTR honorable mention. Just finished the Silmarillion and had so much fun with that makes me want to re read the Hobbit and LOTR. Interesting top 10 though gives me some ideas about where I might go next.
Thanks, great list. The one series I was surprised not to see was Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. It's in my top 3 with Wheel Of Time and the Cosmere books.
I’ve only read the first book, and I enjoyed it, so I need to read more before it makes it on the list.
Great surprise to see the Magic Kingdom of Landover series on your list. What great comfort reads! I remember when the first book was released way back in the '80s. (I was around 12 years old....) I checked it out from the local library and subsequently read the later installments upon their release. Your reference to them inspires me to revisit the books!🙂
Nice list of favorites, I added four of these to my wishlist for future reading. Thanks! Only real fantasy that I have read is Lord of the Rings. I am also interested in Arthurian series books and am starting to read The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell.
Tbh that's why I enjoy your channel, because your taste and opinions are truly yours. They don't follow trends or aim for likes, and so they end up being truly interesting to me. I end up discovering new stuff by watching your videos, as well. Most channels focused on nerd content are so cookie cutter and homogeneous. Yours actually offers something different.
Thank you!
Such a young guy with a bunch of older series...interesting. How much newer stuff have you read? I'm curious if it's because most everything you've read is those older series or because you just don't like the newer stuff as much?
I’ve read some newer series and enjoyed them, some of them just haven’t been favorites.
Young person: *acknowledges older art*
Boomer: "Wait-- you mean, kids these days aren't actually stupid like Bill Maher tells me?!"
@@Progger11to be fair, more often than not, the newer stuff is better. I was surprised to go searching Goodreads for some of these on his list and they didn’t have great reviews. I mean, if this is the stuff he likes over newer stuff, great, but that’s why I asked, to see if he just hasn’t read most of the more popular stuff or actually prefers these over them. I would be more happy if it was because he prefers these over them to be honest, Because if it’s just that he hasn’t read much of all the newer stuff coming out and that has been out the last 25 years then it’s likely this list would change fairly drastically.
@@PreppinShootinLivin I'm not really sure if that's necessarily always true, either. In my experience, art and entertainment across generations is always a mixed bag. But some generations, the better stuff is easier to find. I get just as annoyed by people my age saying "all old stuff sucks" as I do by older folks saying the same about newer content. It's always been a 70/30 split between garbage and gold.
No Drizzt, but that's okay. My badass drow boi don't need no validation...
....
😭😭😭 😝
I read 6 of the Drizzt books and enjoyed most of them, particularly Homeland and The Crystal Shards. I have 4 more on my shelves to be read.
Lord of The Rings, an honorable mention? Yikes! You took the word out of my mouth… horrified. 😮
Ha! I know it would be controversial. Still above a lot of fantasy series I’ve read.
Tolkien's worldbuilding was amazing but his characters, if you can even call them that half the time, leave a lot to be desired. He also couldn't write an action scene to save his life. People give Tolkien a pass, i think, because they assume that he was one of the first to do this type of fantasy, but he wasn't. Read some of the sword and sorcery stuff from the 30s and a lot of that does characters and drama/action far better than Tolkien did.
@@JohnM-cd4ou yeah, hard disagree!
Great list and I love that you included both Shannara and Landover. Brooks is one of the best fantasy authors, who has sadly basically become forgotten. Both of those series are in my top 10 as well. The Sword of Shannara is also the book that introduced me to and hooked me on the fantasy genre.
I think part of why Brooks has been left behind is because he essentially wrote the first book as a pure cash grab, and then has written the other to promote his specific social-political views. I don’t think he has a great drive and passion for crafting beautiful fantasy narratives/worlds.
Nothing wrong with that at all. I just think people gravitate more to authors who are a bit more organic.
Thank you, Jonathan. This was my first time watching one of your videos, but it won't be the last. I really like that you have series in you rankings that are not in other book tubers lists. I am a long time fan of Terry Brooks and have always been disturbed by the snobbish treatment that Mr. Brooks gets from most book tubers. If it was not for Terry Brooks fantasy might have died long ago. I'm 74 years old and, after reading Lord of the Rings back in the 70s, I wanted more fantasy. There was almost nothing else to be found at the time. When The Sword of Shannara came out in around 1977 I grabbed it and loved every page. I agree with your comments on the book and the series. I could go on talking about some of the other books on your list, but I've said enough for now. Thanks again.
Finally someone mentioned Landover and Shannara and Terry Brooks in general 👏❤
Have you read Dave Wolverton's (David Farland) On my Way to Paradise? I really enjoyed it. Your channel has a very good feel about it.
I bought it last month and intend to read it eventually!
@@jonathankoan It's my favorite stand alone sci fi story.
*The Merchant Princes* series by Charles Stross
Is that a fantasy series that turns into a science fiction series?
I have not heard of that series so I don’t know if it turns into a Sci-Fi series.
so it won't be released?
Are you referring to the final Runelords novel or the final Game of Thrones books? Either way it’s possible but unlikely.
@@jonathankoan GOT.
David Farland was amazing!!!! Get the books everyone it’s a great series! He taught Brandon Sanderson. Brandon should finish it.
They have someone else to potentially finish it, there’s just some obstacles in the way I believe.
The wheel of time appears to be awesome, but it scares me away because it's so long.
At least it's finished.
Love, love, LOVE Stormlight!
The first 5 runelords books are fantastic. But 6 killed it for me. I thought it was so horrible i dropped the series. Is 7 and 8 better?
Interesting. I thought book 5 was the really bad one and that book 6 picked up a lot. Books 7 and 8 are entertaining, but unless the estate finishes the 9th book it probably will feel unsatisfying, so I’d move on to other series at the moment.
Ave Hanuvar!
By the end, bet it goes why higher than 9!
To be fair the LoTR isn't really a series so I'll let you off!
@@TinieMassive thank you. So many people did not like that it didn’t make the list.
I still like the series, and I respect the series, it just didn’t make my personal top 10, which is the series I found the most enjoyable.
I like you, you seem to be cut from a different cloth than the rest of the herd. You like what you like and are not afraid to advocate it. Putting Lord of the Rings well out of the outer circle of greats is quite a statement, and I totally agree; many books have since surpassed it on entertainment value. I'm reading The Great Hunt and its good so far, also you've sold me on trying The Rune Lords and Rhapsody.
I hope you enjoy them!
I'm terrified by the thumbnail. Love it!
Don't know how I haven't come across your channel before! We have the same intro line, and then this was a wild ride because we have either extremely similar thoughts or polar opposite thoughts depending on the series 😂
Awesome list. I'm going through the Timothy Zahn Icarus books right now and loving them. But you just gave more books on my want to read list. Thanks. I love hearing your personal thoughts on each series. I look forward to reading them down the line.
I loved alex scarrow series teen novels,and james patterson maximum ride currently reading more to mention.
LOTR as an honorable mention! Yikes!
I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m saying it’s good enough to be mentioned, but as this list is about enjoyability for me, it missed out on the top 10.
You look like a young Bill Gates who eats burgers
I do wish I had Bill Gates’ money. 😂
Your thumbnails go hard asf
Thank you! Inspired by Brian Lee Durfee’s thumbnails.
Thanks for the list. You put a couple more on my TBR list.
Many of these were on my radar but definitely adding some new ones to the TBR. Great video! For me, WoT is reigning champion, but I haven’t read Runelords yet, so maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
I'm so happy to see the runelords at the top!it's the sirreas that got me so into fantasy.that and homeland by RA. Such a great list man! Thank you
Finally someone talks about Spine of the Dragon… great series!!!
Man you really need to get back on to Dresden if it’s just in the Honorable Mentions sections lol. It’s been nearly a year since you read Blood Rites and you need to read Dead Beat to really understand why I personally (and a lot of the fandom I’d wager) separate between books 1-6 (Storm Front to Blood Rites) and book 7 onwards in our heads and it’s not for a bad reason lol. It is without question my favorite Urban Fantasy Series and my 2nd Favorite overall behind only The Cosmere and I have a feeling that if you get caught up on Dresden before your next Update to this video that you will feel the same way
I do hope to read Dead Beat in the late summer/early fall.
Thank you
Looking up Anderson now!😊
Hi 👋
Mine changes often, and I’m not very well read in fantasy yet, but it’s probably:
1. Harry Potter
2. The Faithful and the Fallen
3. The Wheel of Time
4. The Lord of the Rings
5. The Chronicles of Conan
6. The Dresden Files
7. The Riyria Revelations
8. The Chronicles of Narnia
9. The Legends of Drizzt
10. Mistborn Era 1
Did you read The Silmarillion, thoughts?
I have not yet read that one.
@@jonathankoan I was not a big fan of Tolkien before reading it. For me LOTR was ok, after The Silmarillion I became obsessed.
I’m reading Wheel of Time for the first time and it’s truly one of my favorite series. Right now I’m beginning the “slog”. Finished book 7 and it’s probably one of my favorites in the series so far.
Is the Wake the dragon series not grim dark?
I mean, maybe? It didn’t really feel that way when I read it.
Cool list... like that it's unique. Almost turned it off when LOTR was honorable mention, but LOVE the Faithful and Fallen series... especially the middle 2 books. R Hobb might be in my list... though still have 1 book left. Not an Abercrombie fan. WOT is great.
Amazing video as always!
Keep it up! 👍🏻.
Love the Symphony of Ages series!
Yes, another Rhapsody fan. I haven’t found many others online.
As someone who has only read Stormlight Archive and Mistborn era 1, which Cosmere books do you feel are most worthwhile? My TBR list is getting too big 😅
Elantris and Warbreaker are my personal favorites, and they are both standalones.
It’s so refreshing to see a booktuber not just whack LOTR at number 1/2
love it
Im surprised Steven Eriksons Mazalan books are not here :)
I read the first book, haven’t read the others yet.
@jonathankoan I loved how sprawling and deep the narrative is, especially it how he explains where magic is drawn from. It's the kind of series I wish I could see on screen...doubt they would want to recreate the volume of characters though!
Great video and explanations for why you love these series. Apparently I need to pick up some Runelords!
I stopped listening when LOTR only got honorable mention. There wouldn’t be a Fantasy genre without Tolkien. This auto disqualifies him as a reviewer IMO
I mean, I didn’t say I hated the books, just that they aren’t as enjoyable as my top 10, but I do appreciate the books for the placement they have.
And they’re still way higher than about 17 other Fantasy series I’ve read.
He's allowed to have an opinion!
Ironically, Jonathan is one of the biggest LOTR fans I've ever met. At one point, he considered doing a LOTR podcast.
Nope...Hard fail..
What would be on your list? Which book should I have left off?
Can't believe you put Game of Thrones above Lord of the Rings.
From an enjoyability standpoint yes.
It’s better.
@@obvv7714 you are braindead
Lord of the rings is overrated
Atleast tolkein finished lord of the rings … dream of spring is just a dream
I have hate Lotr and the effects its had on fantasy for many years Lotr is the worst thing I've ever rrad my hatred has never ended for it
Are you serious? It’s the greatest trilogy ever written.
My goodness. I haven’t heard this opinion before.
Lotr is okay but hobbit made me fall asleep a lot, and I did skip those songs 😂
You need to find another genre.
thanks. great.