This list I got from Fantasy Book Review. Since lists are not copyrightable, I’m duplicating it here.
Same as in the Science Fiction post, green and bold means I’ve read it and green with no bold means I’ve only watched the movie…
- The Lord of the Rings – J R R Tolkien
- Assassins Quest – Robin Hobb
- The Earthsea Quartet – Ursula Le Guin
- Ship of Destiny – Robin Hobb
- The Hobbit – J R R Tolkien
- Magician – Raymond E Feist
- Gardens of the Moon – Steven Erikson
- The Mad Ship – Robin Hobb
- Wolf Brother – Michelle Paver
- House of Chains – Steven Erikson
- Duncton Quest – William Horwood
- Memories of Ice – Steven Erikson
- The Other Wind – Ursula Le Guin
- Duncton Wood – William Horwood
- Before They Are Hanged – Joe Abercrombie
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J K Rowling
- The Black Company – Glen Cook
- Tales From Earthsea – Ursula Le Guin
- Mort – Terry Pratchett
- Last Argument of Kings – Joe Abercrombie
- Deadhouse Gates – Steven Erikson
- The Forgotten Beasts of Eld – Patricia McKillip
- Tigana – Guy Gavriel Kay
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J K Rowling
- Waylander II – David Gemmell
- Lord of the Silver Bow – David Gemmell
- Soul Eater – Michelle Paver
- A Game of Thrones – George R R Martin
- Waylander – David Gemmell
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J K Rowling
- The Wounded Land – Stephen Donaldson
- Spirit Walker – Michelle Paver
- The Ladies of Grace Adieu – Susanna Clarke
- Ship of Magic – Robin Hobb
- Legend – David Gemmell
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J K Rowling
- The Subtle Knife – Philip Pullman
- The Light Fantastic – Terry Pratchett
- The Silmarillion – J R R Tolkien
- Royal Assassin – Robin Hobb
- The Blade Itself – Joe Abercrombie
- The Illearth War – Stephen Donaldson
- The Sum of All Men – David Farland
- Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone – J K Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J K Rowling
- The Amber Spyglass – Philip Pullman
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J K Rowling
- The Last Guardian – David Gemmell
- Lirael – Garth Nix
- The Lions of Al-Rassan – Guy Gavriel Kay
- Fools Errand – Robin Hobb
- The Colour of Magic – Terry Pratchett
- The Power That Preserves – Stephen Donaldson
- Wolf In Shadow – David Gemmell
- Lord Fouls Bane – Stephen Donaldson
- The Dragonbone Chair – Tad Williams
- Assassins Apprentice – Robin Hobb
- Wizards First Rule – Terry Goodkind
- Abhorsen – Garth Nix
- The Diamond Throne – David Eddings
- The Legend of Deathwalker – David Gemmell
- Knights Dark Renown – David Gemmell
- Northern Lights – Philip Pullman
- Sabriel – Garth Nix
- A Clash of Kings – George R R Martin
- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe – C S Lewis
- The Gunslinger – Stephen King
- The Magicians Guild – Trudi Canavan
- Brotherhood of the Wolf – David Farland
- The Darkest Road – Guy Gavriel Kay
- Prince Caspian – C S Lewis
- Dragonlance Chronicles – Margaret Weis
- Silverthorn – Raymond E Feist
- Wizardborn – David Farland
- The Wandering Fire – Guy Gavriel Kay
- The Last Battle – C S Lewis
- The Crystal Shard – R A Salvatore
- The Silver Chair – C S Lewis
- Magicians Gambit – David Eddings
- Into the Wild – Erin Hunter
- Gifts – Ursula Le Guin
- Queen of Sorcery – David Eddings
- The Lair of Bones – David Farland
- The Summer Tree – Guy Gavriel Kay
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – C S Lewis
- Enchanters End Game – David Eddings
- The Magicians Nephew – C S Lewis
- The Children of Hurin – J R R Tolkien
- Guardians of the West – David Eddings
- The Horse and His Boy – C S Lewis
- Pawn of Prophecy – David Eddings
- Eldest – Christopher Paolini
- Eragon – Christopher Paolini
- Castle of Wizardry – David Eddings
- Nine Princes in Amber – Roger Zelazny
Seriously, their top 100 list ends at 96. How does that happen?
The other thing is that this list could be more properly definited as “Top 100 Most Popular Modern Fantasy Novels”. I would not, in my wildest dreams, classify Eragon by Christopher Paolini as a “must read” unless you’re talking about how not to publish a novel riddled with so many errors and logic holes and cliches. Plus this list is mostly of novels published more recently, certainly not going back as far in time as the science fiction list does with as many classics in fantasy.
Nevertheless, I’ve read 39. If I can count. And one more in a movie only. Whew!
Yeah, that list seems a little bit haphazard. The Earthsea Quartet is one book, but the Narnia Chronicles is seven books (each of which gets a mention, but only the first book of the Amber series is listed)? Paolini and Goodkind are on the list? And what’s with the disproportionate number of works by certain authors?
Also I can’t help but feel like they forgot a few like, oh say, THE ODDYSSEY and A CHRISTMAS CAROL, just off the top of my head. It looks more like somebody just rambled off the first 96 (subjectively) good fantasy novels they could think of.
p.s. I’ve read 28
I wouldn’t consider Eragon a must read, either, although I did enjoy parts of it.
I thought Eragon was an excellent novel.
Wizards First Rule is the only book of Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series on here and yet all the Harry Potter ones make it? Was this list written by an 11 year old? Granted I thought Rowlings works weren’t bad by any means but compared to Goodkind they come up a little short.
No raymond e. feist?
no Robert Jordan??? duh
I’m glad to see Feist’s work in there, the Magician (not the mention the many, many books about Midkemia) are often omitted.
I don’t love how some authors and series are overrepresented.
There’s no Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, Raymond Feist, etc. While some YA authors and books are included, there’s a ton of oversight there, as well–Tamora Pierce is the biggest glaring omission there.
Paolini? Really? If anything, I found Eragon unreadable and I kept reaching for my red pen–it read exactly as if a 15/16 year old had written it–which wasn’t a selling point. There’s plenty of great YA fantasy out there–Eragon just isn’t one of those books imo, and it certainly isn’t in a top 100 combined list.
Why *does* it end at 96? I’m going with consensus that it was a rambly list as opposed to one with actual values being places (LOTR is the best fantasy book ever—um, not in my opinion, even though my elder daughter is named Elanor).