Nothing is as grand scale as reading epic fantasy. The ultimate clash between good and evil with high stakes and grand battles. Here’s a list of 10 of our favorite ones.
(1) The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time Book 2) by Robert Jordan in 1991
The story features young heroes Rand al’Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara, who join Shienaren soldiers in a quest to retrieve the Horn of Valere. At the same time, Egwene al’Vere, Nynaeve al’Meara, and Elayne Trakand go to the White Tower in Tar Valon to learn Aes Sedai ways. Finally, an exotic army invades the western coast.
(2) A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1) by George R.R. Martin in 1996
A Game of Thrones follows Ned Stark who becomes Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon, Ned’s bastard son Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch, an ancient order sworn to defend Westeros by maintaining the Wall, and the exiled Viserys Targaryen marries his sister, Daenerys, off to Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in exchange for an army to take back Westeros.
(3) A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 3) by George R.R. Martin in 2000
A Storm of Swords picks up with The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, a large host of wildlings, the tribes from beyond the Seven Kingdoms’ northern border, approach the Wall that marks the border, and Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of a deposed former king of Westeros and “mother” of the world’s only living dragons, sails west, planning to retake her late father’s throne.
(4) The Infernal City (The Elder Scrolls Book 1) by Greg Keyes in 2009
Four decades after the Oblivion Crisis, Tamriel is threatened anew by an ancient and all-consuming evil. It is Umbriel, a floating city that casts a terrifying shadow–for wherever it falls, people die and rise again. And it is in Umbriel’s shadow that a great adventure begins, and a group of unlikely heroes meet. A legendary prince with a secret. A spy on the trail of a vast conspiracy. A mage obsessed with his desire for revenge. And Annaig, a young girl in whose hands the fate of Tamriel may rest…
(5) Faerie Wars (The Faerie War Chronicles Book 1) by Herbie Brennan in 2003
Enlisting the help of his sister, Holly Blue, and his new friend, Henry, Pinrce Pyrgus Malvae must get back to the Faerie world while dealing with the threat of an egomaniacal demon prince, greedy glue factory owners, and the leader of the Faeries of the Night.
(6) The Wayfarer Redemption (The Wayfarer Redemption Book 1) by Sara Douglass in 1995
Achar is under attack by an evil lord from the North, Gorgreal-his ice demons strike from the sky and kill hundreds of brave warriors in the blink of an eye. One young woman, Faraday, betrothed of Duke Borneheld, learns that all she has been told about her people’s history is untrue. While fleeing to safety from the dangerous land, Faraday, embarks on a journey, which will change her life forever, in search of the true nature of her people.
(7) The Path of Daggers (The Wheel of Time Book 8) by Robert Jordan in 1998
Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne’s rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan, signs of madness are appearing among the Asha’man, the rebel Aes Sedai under their Egwene al’Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower, and in Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself.
(8) Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles Book 3) by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman in 1985
Finally armed with dragonlances, a group of heroes, composed of a knight, barbarian, dwarf, and half-elf, faces a deadly showdown with the evil dragons and Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness.
(9) Blood of Elves (The Witcher Book 3) by Andrzej Sapkowski in 1994
When the Empire of Nilfgaard attacks the Kingdom of Cintra, Ciri, granddaughter of Queen Calanthe, manages to flee the capital city. The Emperor of Nilfgaard sends his spies to find her, hoping to harness her magical potential and the elven blood in her veins. Enter Geralt of Rivia. A monster hunter for hire, he’s keeping Ciri safe at the Witchers’ keep, Kaer Morhen. But with the Emperor’s spies closing in, how long can Geralt keep Ciri hidden away?
(10) Vector Prime (The New Jedi Order Book 1) by R.A. Salvatore in 1999
As the Jedi and the Republic focus on internal struggles after the downfall of the Empire, a new threat surfaces from beyond the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim–an enemy bearing weapons and technology unlike anything New Republic scientists have ever seen.
Thanks for checking out the post and in the comments let us know what your favorite epic fantasies are.
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