So today on Mastodon I bemoaned the fact that on Booktube people always have the same books on their best fantasy lists.
During the discussion on the topic, my friend Alex Wolfe and I challenged each other to make a list of ten fantasy books that we think are great and therefore everyone should read.
Then I added the suggestion that I could add a series and she added that her first list would be all women, which I'm happy with because I was running out of space so fast with men and women.
So here's my list, and even though I loved SJM’s a court of thorns and roses, it isn’t on this list because everyone and their neighbour talks about these books online.
So here’s my first list, in no particular order:
- Fitz and the Fool trilogy - Robin Hobb (start with the Farseer trilogy if you haven’t read the Fitz books yet)
- The blue sword - Robin Mc Kinley
- Black Magician trilogy - Trudy Canavan
- Kingmaker Kingbreaker - Karen Miller
- Chrestomanci series - Diana Wynne Jones
- Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher
- Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling
- War for the Oaks - Emma Bull
- Lud in the mist - Hope Mirrlees
- The Last Herald-Mage - Mercedes Lackey
That’s my list and I’m very happy with it. Like I said, it’s by no means complete, I can easily add ten more and I will probably do so in the future.
These books have all in big or small ways influenced me as a writer too. Any book does.
That’s one of the reasons why writers should read.
And if you’re curious about Alex’s list, here you go! It’s so wonderful!
