Apparently, Rothfuss didn’t think the series was worth continuing either.

Diana Wynne Jones is a highly under-rated fantasy writer in my opinion. Everyone talks about Howl's Moving Castle but the Crestomanci novels are phenomenal.

I loved this so much. It wasn’t just a regurgitation of the booktube favorites. The once and future king is also one of my favorite fantasy books.

I'm glad you're reading Malazan. Personally I've read up to book 4 and it's already one of my favorite series. It can be a bit overwhelming but that's part of the charm!! Loved this video :D

Jared, I’ve been in such a reading slump and your book selections have really put me back on reading. I look forward to your videos!!

Great video! I agree that sharing Earthsea with a child would be a wonderful experience. I'm up to book 8 in the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and one of the things that astounds me about the series is how well-realized the cultures and history are. I find it comparable to wheel of time in this aspect, although structurally they go about achieving the effect in very different ways. Also, good to see another nod to Piranesi. That book stayed in my thoughts for a long time after reading.

Agree with everything on your list, especially Piranesi, which in my opinion is one of the best books I've ever read. I was excited that you mentioned Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell too! Terry Pratchett's Discworld blew me away because despite the fantasy setting and the humour, there were a lot of deep topics covered. Every time I reread one of the books, I discover something new. Those books are just precious!

Great selection. I think fantasy can do a better job capturing humanity than realism does at times

Looking forward to reading some of these I haven’t touched, thanks for the unique recs

What a joy again to listen to you talking about my fav books or books that I want to read at some point ❤️❤️

I appreciate the editing, really nice.

So I was actually gifted the His Dark Materials series as a young preteen, but for some reason never got around to reading them until this past year. I’m 25 now. The books were beautiful. I did not expect to be impacted by them the way I was. Admittedly, I didn’t really “get” the series or start to really enjoy it until the 2nd book, but it’s now one of my favorite fantasy series of all-time, as well.

Very well put on all books. I agree with you on WoT. It's a fantastic, immersive series. I've read it many times and it never disappoints.

I agree with you on Name of the Wine. I couldn’t even finish the first book.

I loved LOTR when I was a teenager sometime in my 20's it became a book I kept because of how much I loved it. Sometime in my forties I picked it up again and rediscovered how much I loved it but I appreciated it levels I couldn't when I was younger. In my mind that is one of the things that make it such a great book.

For me the best thing about this video is that you are looking forward to reading to your son. A friend of mine had to go and put his children to bed one time when I was visiting. When he came back we had a game of bridge (four of us of course). It was quite a wait for him to come back. Why? because he was reading a chapter (one per night) of The Hobbit to his son and daughter before turning out the light. What a great Dad.

Piranesi I think has become my favourite book

I'm delighted to see Beowulf on your list, Jared! It's my favorite thing to teach, and I view it as more of a lament than an epic. Assuming the poet was a Christian looking back at his pagan ancestors, it is a poignant examination of the fleetingness of life and the ultimate futility of the pagan heroic code, as admirable as it was. Earthsea and Lord of the Rings are two of my favorites as well. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Malazan so far!

I am absolutely in love with Wheel of Time. I need to get back to reading the first one again!

Great to see The Once and Future King in your list. It's oone of my top ten books in all genres. I have read it so many times and it still brings me to tears.

Thank you for the shout-out for Equal Rites. My favourite book. Doesn't always get the attention it deserves in Discworld just for having come early in Pratchett's oeuvre.

If you haven't read the Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, highly recommend it! Hobb has a way of making you fall in love with her characters and feel so strongly for them in a way that I haven't experienced with any other writer

Ive picked up the gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany and am really impressed by his style and proto Lovecraftian sensibility

Thanks for such a kind journey through your list! Just finished rereading WoT and i dont think anyone will make an artwork of any sort that tops it for mine. Of course it's riddled with flaws but it has to be to be such a bold and generous masterpiece.

Great list! Love finding new booktubers to get ideas from; I've read several from your list already and 2 of them are on my own top 10 list. Here is my list: 10. Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon (this is one of my top 4 or 5 most often reread series; I've never put it into my top 10 until recently but I decided to bump out a few that I haven't read in a long while) 9. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (I don't combine the Cosmere books yet like you do; I may later but not as of now) 8. The Banished Lands by John Gwynne (this is one I do combine a couple series; Faithful & the Fallen and Of Blood & Bone; this is a new read for me, not finished with it actually, so this placement may change after I've had more time to think on it) 7. The Belgariad/Malloreon by David Eddings (this is a nostalgia pick; was my favorite series back in the early 90's until I discovered my real #1) 6. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (this did work for me, lol. This is one of 2 series that MIGHT have a shot of taking the #1 spot from the current holder; but only if he finishes and it is as good as NotW) 5. First Law by Joe Abercrombie (only read the first trilogy so far; this may change when I read the rest; most likely I will group them all into the same spot) 4. Malazan by Steven Erikson (only read the main 10 so far; I don't think I will combine the different sub series into one as there are 2 authors; but we will see) 3. Drenai Saga by David Gemmell (this was my #2 for about 2 decades; got knocked down a spot a couple years ago but will always be one of my top series) 2. Stormlight Archive by Sanderson (this is the other series that has a shot at #1; Sanderson is probably my favorite living author) 1. Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan/Sanderson (this has been my favorite series since 1997 and honestly I doubt anyone will ever top it; as I said maybe KC or SA but I wouldn't bet any money on it, lol) Love finding other people who share a love of WoT. I love that series so much; and yeah I don't want to talk about the show either, lol. The characters and the world of WoT far far surpasses ever other series I've ever read in my opinion. As you may have noticed I don't have LotR on my list; it would be in the top 15 most likely and as you said I have to acknowledge the effect it has had on modern fantasy. But for me it has been passed by many many works. Still amazing after all these years though; just not top 10 amazing. Others that are hovering around my top 10 are: ASOIAF, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Shannara, Rigante, Memory Sorrow & Thorn. It's been decades since I read any of these and my memory of them is faded. I want to reread them all and at the very least Thomas Covenant may very well go back onto my top 10 when I do. I just recently bumped Paks up ahead of it because I realized how much I've forgotten about it. Anyway, great list. I subscribed and will be checking out more of your videos.

I didn't make time to read fantasy during my working years. Finally starting to read new fantasy and started with the WOT. It wasn't for me. It felt like epic-ish okay YA fantasy but I was expecting something as good as LOTR but bigger. I'm looking forward to reading some of the other modern fantasy writers that might be more to my taste. Dark Tower next and then maybe Hobb, Erikson, and Abercrombie. Great video! Thanks!

I don't know if counts as Fantasy 🤷‍♂ but since I see Beowulf and Tolkien on the list I am going to recommend "Kalevala" a compilation of a finnish creation myth by Elias Lonnröt, another of the biggest Tolkien's incluences. Top tier 🙌

I feel validated seeing Equal Rites get a shout out as a Discworld favorite. I have read 9 so far and it is for sure my favorite as well. Granny Weatherwax is absolutely hilarious throughout this book.

I read Piranesi because of your recommendation, and I absolutely loved it!

Fantastic thoughts and insights to great novels!!

It's SO nice to hear someone talking about Guy Gavriel Kay!! He is the one author I will read anything from. Also, I think that was a great list... Please tell us your opinion about the Malazan. I read the first book many years ago but not the rest of them and I'm willing to give it another try

I am currently obsessively re-reading Piranesi. I put it back on the shelf, and then two days later I'm reading it again. What a journey it is! I don't know if it qualifies as fantasy, but one of my favorites is The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. The series weakens near the end, but the first two books are enchanting.

I enjoyed watching the video, thanks. 🙂 I have never been a prolific book reader but I am now trying my best to catch up on lost time. One series I did read when it was first published and one of my favourites, is the initial double-trilogy ‘The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant’ by Stephen Donaldson. I found it interesting and intriguing but also frustrating and annoying to have a central character that was so easy to dislike and yet so hard to ignore and walk away from, much like Hugh Laurie’s depiction of Dr House in the tv series of the same name! Despite my annoyance with the main character’s seeming lack of backbone and fortitude, I was drawn in and eager to see where the story would take him? Your description of WOT is also intriguing, and I think I will dip my toe into Book 1 and see how far I get? Thanks.

Some good choices on this list. I'll have to look up Piranesi, but I'm glad that they're not all modern books which most lists like this so often are, because so many great books are lost that way.

I really love Tad Williams fantasy stories, especially Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and would love to hear / read your opinion about those

I love all the books on your list with Piranesi being the exception. I read it, thought I missed something, so I read it again and still feel pretty meh about it. Thankfully it's incredibly short so I only gave up a few days.

GGK 🎉 I haven’t read Tigana yet but a few of his other works have really impacted me! He should be praised far more often imo

Great list. I read a lot of Fantasy in High School and College. The pace of my world is much faster now but you have made me think of picking up a book again. Regarding Beowulf: Like many, I read when I was in High School and along side that, our teacher had us read Grendel by John Gardner who tells the story from the "monster's" viewpoint.

Great list! I love Ian Irvine’s series too (especially the Well of Echoes), and Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea (I’ll have to give Piranesi a go, they’re often compared)…

all your picks that ive read i cant disagree at all so excited to check out your recommendations that im unfamiliar with!

Piranesi's ending captured such a beautiful bittersweet mixture: there's palpable loss, but also his endearing will to see beauty. It is not among my favourites, but I am glad for the journey. The last truly great fantasy books I've read include The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham, and a number from my Malazan reread this year. Abraham achieved something incredible, and I can't wait until he is recognized. Bakker's work also comes up in this comment section often: it is grim, but it is of incredible depth. I look forward to your thoughts.

This is a very awesome and unique list, especially when you included Beowulf and The Once and Future King. I've really wanted to read both of those works for so long it's not even funny lol. And I definitely think you've motivated me to finally get back to reading The Wheel of Time as well. Even though The Eye of the World can indeed feel a little bit like a homage to Fellowship, it has intrigued me enough to want to keep seeing what wonders that world has! :)

Great selection! I'd be quite interested in hearing your take on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire"-series; that series would definitely be in my list somewhere.

Jared, I heard your chat with Steve, and I think it's so funny that you mention that discussion about leaving LotR off the list. Nice choices here--I'm particularly pleased to see Piranesi on your list. Instant classic.

Wonderful list! I'm excited you're reading Malazan Book of the Fallen and am curious if it will earn a place on your list further down the road. Seeing Tigana on your list makes me excited to get into Guy Gavriel Kay's books!

That craze of reading a book and finding out what happens before anyone else spoils it (which is now replaced by TV series ) is something which I and everyone of my age around me has only experienced during the Harry Potter books. Its the only time I have seen a waiting queue of people in front of a bookstore . Sadly I don’t think we will see that kind of phenomenon again.

I agree about The Wheel of Time. Although, I'm only 4 books in. I haven't read a lot on the list. One series I do love is The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. I have read and listened to those books many times. Currently, in the middle of one now. I have read Mistborn and Elantris. I have a lot of reading to continue to do. Thanks for sharing!

i'm so glad earthsea was mentioned ❤

I've read Lord of the Rings, of course, and it is kind of in the nostalgia category since I read it so long ago, but I have actually not read any of the other books on your list, with the exception of Beowulf, which I read quite recently and wholeheartedly endorse. I read the Seamus Heaney translation. I would be interested in further exploration of classics that might be better characterized as "mythology" or as precursors to the modern fantasy genre, such as Beowulf and The Once and Future King, and (included from my own reading) such great works as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and even some of Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and Homer (The Odyssey). Possibly some of the fairy tales, like the Grimm Brothers (I'm currently reading the Pullman selections), or Tales of Hoffmann. Big topic!

Please do a solo review of wheel of time series, showing why one should read it etc. But regardless I really enjoy your videos to the fullest content. Very insightful

Have you read the Warlord Chronicles? I’d love to see a video ranking Arthurian books.

Yes to LOTR!! Surprised that it was number 2, but you have always been thoughtful so I was intrigued to hear your reasoning. I am going to suggest your number 1 pick to my son...! Thank you, brother!

Thanks for giving me some new books to read.

Great to see Beowulf get a mention. Happy to have found your channel!

Really enjoying your reviews of these. I'd also be interested to hear your opinion on "The Last Unicorn" and pretty much anything by Lord Dunsany.

Malazan is my favorite. I'll be curious to hear what you think of it as you go along. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it all that much the first time through, but the second and third reads really made me appreciate how truly great it is. Although on that note, I do respect those who opine that a series shouldn't have to be read multiple times to be appreciated/understood.

Have you read the Prince of Nothing trilogy? “The Darkness that Comes Before” is the first book and it’s excellent. The series is by R Scott Bakker, a Canadian philosopher, and seems like it would be right up your alley. I’d highly recommend it.

So glad to see Wot at the top. I’m with you on that! Love it soo much

If you like Arthurian tales, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley comes highly recommended. I loved Lord Valentine’s Castle (and it’s sequels) by Robert Silverberg back in the day.

Glad to see Guy Gabriel Kay on the list. He is overlooked, I feel, but I've read and enjoyed many of his books.

I loved the wheel of time, but I hadn’t read it for a very long time. After seeing so many people online bash the, I decided to go through it again. I’m actually enjoying more the second time around. Completely agree with the placement, it’s right up there with malazan for me.

Name of the wind of my favorite book of all time lol. I also just started wheel of time!! Loving it so far

This is a really solid list. My list would include more of the gritty fantasy. A Song of Ice and Fire, The First Law Trilogy, and Malazan.

I like how Brandon bookends your list, I really love the Cosmere, and I’m trying to read the Wheel of Time, but man is it tough. If the ones I’ve read on your list, I generally agree with you (other then the Cosmere is amazing imo)

have you read the riftwar saga by raymond feist? I was hoping it would be on the list since I wanted to see what was your take on it I’m not that big of a reader, or fantasy reader for that matter, but I loved it. I have LOTR and WOT on my list though. Really glad to have stumbled upon your channel. Its something about the music, how you explain and both the visual and content quality. greetings from argentina 🇦🇷✨💞

One of my nostalgia reads is the Dune series. In particular loved Dune Messiah, which is not everyone's favorite, but it illustrates the limits of power. Also liked the Robin Hobbs series with the Farseer multi=book series. The strongest were the first 3 books.

Just found your channel, love the list. I don’t entirely agree with your comments on Tolkien, and wonder who has surpassed him or his work but respect your perspective.

I was a bit surprised that The Shadow of the Torturer wasn't on your list since I know you've talked about it in the past. I just finished the first book and while I'm not totally sure how I feel about it yet, I found it incredibly literary and subtle with it's themes. Oh, and I just started Malazan 4: House of Chains last week and I've been loving every second of it. I'm looking forward to any Malazan videos you might release.

Very good choices. My list includes Patricia McKillip's Riddle of Stars. Her prose is beautiful and the ending is gut-wrenching.

Great video !

The first couple of Steven Donaldson 's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series and the superb character development and language in the works of Tad Williams , esp. Green Angel Tower.

Try Berserk, it’s good to know a new medium!

Spanish reader here: i knew you had good taste when you said that Sanderson's book weren't that good, and then you mentioned my favourite fantasy books of all times, all the Discworld. They're the books i go back to everytime i need to cheer up, they're funny, cozy, and amazing. In my opinion any good reader of fantasy that creates a ranking of fantasy books, lord of the rings should be at least in the top 3.

First Law series by Joe Abercrombie is a great grim-dark low fantasy series. I've read the first trilogy and it's one of my top reads. I'd suggest if you can pick it up after Malazan!

I am so glad for the Wolfe shoutout and your recommendation of his opus in the scifi video. I have never read someone this beautiful and compelling and I've been looking for something that matches him and I haven't found it yet. Have you read his fantasy? Wizard Knight is fantastic. Also, what exactly annoyed you about Kingkiller? I liked it when I first read it but I did not know Wolfe then and I think going back to it now would be a very different experience.

I haven't read WOT but the culture and world building work in The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu is truly incredible. It's a top ten series for me.

Talking about having to stop watching His Dark Materials (one of my favorite series) is how I felt watching Bridge to Terabithia- I started crying when Jesse left to go to the museum with the teacher b/c I knew what was coming.

Have you tried any NK Jemisin? I really loved The City We Became in a lot of ways, and should give The Broken Earth trilogy a try.

Solid list. I am SURE you don’t need any reading recommendations, but I’m going to give one anyway: the Thieves’ World series edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey. They are a collection of short stories written in the 80s using a shared world, each told by a different author. The first three titles in the series are the best. It’s the only body of fantasy work that is well-written that I could recommend. You’ve already read many of the other “classics.” Glad to see George R. R. Martin missed the cut.

Piranesi is definitely on my list of favorite books in general. It's actually the book that helped me to love reading again

Just discovered your channel. Will you make more fantasy book-centric content in the future? I really enjoyed this vid

Nice list

While i was reading wheel of time i found Ian Irvine and Robin Hobb and i have yet to find anyone who can come close to these three. There have been several very close but these three are my absolute top. I have added your list of books here to my reading list for this year and look forward to seeing their worlds.

Great List.

Have always thought of fantasy as a genre all about quantity over quality and although I have long since advanced onto the classics I did start with this genre and have a soft spot for wheel of time.

Roger Zelazny,s Nine Prince,s in Amber is one of my favorites

I enjoyed the Witcher series, but more as a simple fun read. I think its at its best in the volumes that are collections of short stories featuring Geralt like a western or samurai travelling from town to town to deal with the "monster of the week." I haven't read everything in Jared's list, but I'd agree with leaving the Witcher off the list. It isn't something you'll be thinking about for week or months after. But fine light reading next time you need to kill a few hours.

Love Wheel of Time, but I’d put the Malazan main books up against them for World and history building. Once you get through the difficult to understand first novel in the series, it’s amazing. After reading a couple of the next ones, I went back to the first one and it all fell into place.

The Wheel of Time is the best reading experience I have had so far. Despite that I have not read some classics such as Malazan, Realm of the Elderlings, Dark Tower and Discworld.

Terry Pratchett once said this about Tolkien, and it seems directly relevant: "J.R.R. Tolkien has become a sort of mountain, appearing in all subsequent fantasy in the way that Mt. Fuji appears so often in Japanese prints. Sometimes it’s big and up close. Sometimes it’s a shape on the horizon. Sometimes it’s not there at all, which means that the artist either has made a deliberate decision against the mountain, which is interesting in itself, or is in fact standing on Mt. Fuji."

If you love the Arthurian legend, can I suggest you make sure you read Jack Whyte's Skystone series of 9 books. It is a spin on the classic tale based from a historical fiction perspective. Set over 3 or 4 generations in Britannia beginning at the time the Roman's leave and the dark ages begin. My favourite series of books along with Malazan.

Malazan Book of the Fallen replaced The Wheel of Time as my favorite fantasy series. Malazan gets even better on re-reads. Beowulf is a nice surprise. Reminds me I haven't read that in years and it is due for a re-read. I haven't read Tigana or Piranesi yet, but I agree with the rest of your list. I didn't realize Susanna Clarke had released a new book, so I have that to look forward to. I really enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

It’s unfortunate you were not a fan of Kingkiller, it’s the first book since LotR/WoT that really sucked me in, and I re-read it every year! :). Oh well, more copy’s for me! As for LotR and WoT, they flip-flop between one and two depending on my mood. It’s hard to not feel inspired by LotR, but it’s hard to not feel envious at the world building Jordon accomplished. I hear everyone talk about the slog, but I never experienced it. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I was doing twelve hour shifts in a secure building and couldn’t have electronics. But I was engaged from start to finish. I’m working through The Stormlight Archive right now, and have been enjoying that immensely! I keep seeing Ursula K Le Guin from you and others so maybe that’ll be my next fantasy series

I totally agree with the you in Sanderson needing to slowing down. For me First three books of Stormlight Archive, mistborn era 1 is the best of sanderson till now.

Robin Hobb, Farseer books all the way! Check them out if you haven’t.

“I don’t want to be so original I say false things.” Struck me profoundly honest and self-aware.

The books that got me into fantasy again and literally devastated reading for me is the Assassin's apprentice farseer books. . The characters are like no one else i have read. Had me crying

Agree re warbreaker. One of my favourite books in the cosmere. Edit: really really tried to get into earthsea. Had to give up after the third book. Just couldn't finish it.

What's the edition of the Dark Tower were these? The covers look so beautiful!

Have you read “the goblin emperor” by Katherine Addison? I loved it as it totally undermined my expectations in a very positive way.