The best fantasy book series of all time - and Game of Thrones isn't number one (2025)

Fantasy has seen a huge surge in popularity over recent years, with a number of hit TV shows, movies, and books all coming from it. But what are the best series?

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As a genre, fantasy has seen a significant surge in popularity recently, with a flood of new books, TV series, and films hitting the market.

However, there are those who have been long-time fans of the genre, such as the folks at Fantasy Book Reviews, who recently unveiled their top fantasy series of all time.

In their selection process, the readers decided to only rank series comprising more than three books.

This meant that the legendary fantasy epic Lord of the Rings didn't make the cut - although it did secure the third spot on their list of the 100 best fantasy books of all time.

Claiming the top spot was the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, with its first instalment, Gardens of the Moon, published in 1999. While it may not be the most recognised fantasy series globally, it's certainly won over the readers at Fantasy Book Review.

They penned: "A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb’s trilogy of trilogies (Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man) are quite able to put a very strong case forward for their favoured works but few can deny that the quality and ambition of the ten books that make up A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen are unmatched within the genre."

However, the Malazan world extends far beyond this core series, encompassing an additional 20 books, some of which are crafted by fellow fantasy author Ian C. Esslemont.

Securing the second spot is George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, famously adapted into the hit TV show Game of Thrones. Fans of this ongoing series have been waiting over a decade for the next instalment, The Winds of Winter.

Much like the Malazan series, A Song of Ice and Fire boasts an expanded universe with numerous companion books that enrich the world of ASOIAF without being integral to the main series.

Claiming the third position was Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, another fantasy epic that has recently been reimagined for television.

Recommending this series, the fantasy fans wrote: "A saga filled with unforgettable characters and a world steeped in rich history and legend. If you truly love the fantasy genre, passing up a chance to read The Wheel of Time would be an unbelievable mistake."

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling and the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin round out the top five, securing the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

The best fantasy book series of all time, according to Fantasy Book Review:

1. A Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
2. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
3. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
5. The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin
6. The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
7. The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood
8. The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman
9. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson
10. The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney
11. The Mythago Cycle by Robert Holdstock
12. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
13. Thursday Next by Jasper Forde
14. The Dark Tower by Stephen King
15. The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
16. Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook
17. Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
18. The Rigante Novels by David Gemmell
19. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
20. Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody
21. The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
22. A Tale of Einarinn by Juliet E McKenna
23. The Drenai Novels by David Gemmell