What makes a fantasy novel truly great?
Is it sales? Awards? Goodreads ratings? Cultural impact? Influence on the genre? Today, Jim and Zach tackle one of the biggest — and most dangerous — topics in fantasy fandom as they each reveal their personal Top 10 Greatest Fantasy Novels of the Past 30 Years!
From epic fantasy giants from series like A Song of Ice and Fire, The First Law, and The Stormlight Archive, to genre-shifting modern classics like The Name of the Wind, Mistborn, and more, this episode dives into the books that didn’t just succeed — they changed fantasy forever.
Expect disagreements, hot takes, passionate defenses, and probably at least a little chaos.
What fantasy novels do you think belong on the list? Let us know in the comments!
Be sure to Like, Subscribe, and Ring the Notification Bell so you never miss future fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and other nerdy content from Fantasy for the Ages!
A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for helping make the channel possible. If you’d like to support the channel and get extra perks, consider joining us on Patreon!: patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges
#Fantasy #FantasyBooks #EpicFantasy #BrandonSanderson #GeorgeRRMartin #HarryPotter #TheNameOfTheWind #JoeAbercrombie #Malazan #BookTube #FantasyForTheAges
⸻
Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?
Assassin’s Fate: https://t.ly/x8x9j
Battle Ground: https://t.ly/e_gvh
The Blade Itself: https://t.ly/LSDn2
Blade of Tyshalle: https://t.ly/11Z1G
Blood Over Brighthaven: https://t.ly/oNJNq
The Burning White: https://t.ly/d4WGm
Conan the Barbarian: https://t.ly/cxzd5
The Devils: https://t.ly/USE7I
The Fifth Season: https://t.ly/FzjKp
A Game of Thrones: https://t.ly/oxs6I
Gardens of the Moon: https://t.ly/_OQsu
Harrow the Ninth: https://t.ly/3_w4S
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: https://t.ly/V4Nuv
Jade Legacy: https://t.ly/r3jl3
Last Argument of Kings: https://t.ly/jsLgz
A Memory of Light: https://t.ly/HvE8C
Mistborn, The Final Empire: https://t.ly/ErX1K
The Name of the Wind: https://t.ly/ndJbg
Peace Talks: https://t.ly/ObDsb
The Poppy War: https://t.ly/d6CIF
A Storm of Swords: https://t.ly/FEoNc
The Stormlight Archive: https://t.ly/x2NkJ
The Sword of Kaigen: https://t.ly/xn5mg
The Way of Kings: https://t.ly/WSI9C
Wind and Truth: https://t.ly/eB-MX
Words of Radiance: https://t.ly/PmZF4
Ways to connect with us:
Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven
Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk
Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges
Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.social
Follow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages
Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de
Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com
Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages
Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4
Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n
0:00 - Opening / Episode Explanation
2:58 - Defining “Greatness”
8:41 - How These Get Revealed
9:17 - Honorable Mentions
11:51 - The Top 10 Lists!
44:46 - Final Thoughts
46:30 - Wrap-up & Conclusion
————————————————————————————
Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:
https://elements.envato.com/
