5 best fantasy books for adults -- according to readers
What is it that makes proper good fantasy books? Actually, what is it that makes the best fantasy books? Ask any two readers and you’ll get two wildly different answers. Critics can (and do) build lists of the top fantasy books of all time. But nothing beats the collective taste of readers who live these worlds night after night.
So today’s list comes straight from the community at r/Fantasy, one of the world’s largest discussion forums for speculative fiction. Their r/Fantasy Top Novels 2025 poll is enormous: nearly 1,074 individual voters, 10,000+ total votes, and ballots spread across 1,348 different series and novels. In other words: this isn’t one person’s “favourites.” It’s a guide for what adult fantasy readers are recommending to each other right now.
Please note: I’m working out some affiliate links so please bear with any temporary formatting issues while I get these sorted.
1: Middle-Earth Universe by J.R.R. Tolkien
Anyone surprised? J.R.R. Tolkien is the OG. Middle-Earth is the genre’s bedrock. A couple other authors on this list have battled for the top spot in recent years, but Middle-Earth reclaims the crown this year with 404 votes; a result you could call the return of the king … no more LoTR puns, we swears.
Read if you’re looking for: A deep-dive into the roots of the fantasy genre. It can be challenging for readers used to more modern prose. But it is absolutely foundational. The gold standard of epic fantasy.
Where to start reading Middle-Earth: The Hobbit is the natural starting point, but given this is a list of fantasy books for adults, let’s say The Fellowship of the Ring.
Photo by Mr Smith Photography on Unsplash
2: First Law World by Joe Abercrombie
Abercrombie’s grim, sharp-edged world hit #2 with 353 votes, making it the only podium finish without a screen adaptation. That’s a testament to the love fans have for the books; no Hollywood windfalls here! The First Law Trilogy is the entry-point for many readers into grimdark fantasy, and Joe Abercrombie has since cemented himself as a chieftain of the genre.
Read if you’re looking for: Grimdark fantasy. Character-first brutality, pitch-black humour, and moral certainties framed as liabilities.
Where to start reading the First Law World: The Blade Itself. Nice timing given this is the novel’s ten year anniversary – since publication, that is.
If anyone’s as interested in book-to-screen adaptations as me, development on the Best Served Cold movie from the First Law world has sadly stalled. However! James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) is co-writing and producing an adaptation of Abercrombie’s The Devils.
3: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
There’s a fascinating and long-running debate about the legacy of Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Firstly, the saga’s undeniably seismic impact on the genre helped pave the road for other writers of dark fantasy (Abercrombie included). Secondly, it hauled fantasy back into the mainstream. Not only the grimdark stuff, either. The rising tide lifts all boats, and all that. Meaning A Game of Thrones was a huge enabler for writers across the fantasy spectrum.
And yet, discourse around A Song of Ice and Fire is so often dominated by the repeated publication delays for the agonisingly awaited sequel The Winds of Winter. There’s a wry kind of stoicism from fans about the waiting game. Dread, too. A persistent, nagging anxiety that we may never get to read the climax of the war for the iron throne. But, in a way, isn’t that fitting? Martin’s undeniable skill in navigating knife-edge political tension, desperate military gambits, and heinous betrayals keeps readers forever guessing who, if anyone, will make it out alive. Fretting endlessly over the mortality of the author himself … well, if that’s not life imitating art I don’t know what is.
Read if you’re looking for: Multi-layered political intrigue, truly brutal twists, multiple viewpoints, slow burn plots, and absolute savagery.
Where to start reading the First Law World: A Game of Thrones.
Photo by mauRÍCIO SANTOS on Unsplash
4: The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
I’ll say it again … anyone surprised? The most ambitious saga from the genre’s most prolific writer was nailed on for a top spot in the list of best fantasy books for adults. Sanderson is an absolute titan of the industry, churning out books too quick for many fans to keep up. But Stormlight is his seminal work.
The Stormlight Archive was the series Brandon Sanderson wanted to write before he had the street cred to get away with it. It took Mistborn, Elantris, and more before he could finally start to deliver his magnum opus — and boy, has he delivered. Epic, inventive, audacious. Few series can touch Stormlight for scale, intricate magic systems, sheer worldbuilding ambition. Although there was a polarising response to Wind and Truth, the final novel of the saga’s first arc, Stormlight remains a staple at the top.
Read if you’re looking for: Epic high fantasy, deep worldbuilding, complex characters, and extensive long-term storytelling.
Where to start reading the First Law World: The Way of Kings. Given the recent news that Apple TV+ is working on a live-action adaptation of Stormlight, it feels fitting it gets a top-five finish.
5: Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
Deep breaths. I’ll try to get through this section without gushing … but no promises. Realm of the Elderlings is a uniquely beloved fantasy saga. Praise in the community centres on the saga’s emotional depth, character intimacy, and the kind of slow-burn heartbreak that makes victories feel earned (and losses feel crushingly real). But what makes the saga so special is hard to put into words. Fans tend to have an intensely personal connection with these novels.
I’ve read fantasy my entire life, but - somehow - didn’t discover The Farseer Trilogy until my 20s, when I’d already pinned my heart to the mast of the good-ship Becoming-an-Author. It was an utterly transformational, aspirational read. I talked a bit about this in my comp books blog … and I’ve just realised how quickly I failed at the whole “no gushing” thing.
Read if you’re looking for: Deep emotional investment, intimate storytelling, found family dynamics, and a long-term generational narrative.
Where to start reading the First Law World: Assassin’s Apprentice. You won’t be disappointed.
Genre trends and reader insights
The top five is … sedentary. Readers explicitly note the “top novel” poll tends to be dominated by old favourites and seminal works; giant series that persist in the culture over decades, not just seasons. However, once you dig further down the list, you get to see the utterly booming popularity of more fringe subgenres like LitRPG (I’m talking about you, Carl). There’s also huge popularity growth for literary crossovers, showing that distinctive prose and quieter strangeness can compete with doorstop epics.
Final thoughts (and a small invitation)
Whether you’re craving Tolkien’s lyrical myth, Abercrombie’s grit, Hobb’s emotional depth, or Sanderson’s worldbuilding, these must-read fantasy series represent what adult readers are rallying around right now; according to a chunky community dataset.
And if you’re drawn to high-stakes intrigue, looming prophecy, and the kind of power that reshapes destinies, you may also find something to love in my work. I’m Ben S. Eaton a fantasy fiction writer. My debut novel The Fortune-Teller’s Sonis a fast-paced introduction to the wider All-Song Saga. It’s prophetic, twisty, gritty, and heartfelt.
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Want the original community results? Check out the r/Fantasy Top Novels 2025 results thread.
