The best fantasy books to scratch that itchy and desperate need to escape

First things first, I could make this thing really easy for myself by simply selecting any five books from this masterful 10-book series and be done with it, but I won’t do that to you. Were I asked to name my top five favorite books of all time, however, ‘twouldn’t be a lie to do just that. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is, in my opinion, the single greatest example of Epic Fantasy in all of human history. As I said, it’s 10 books long, about 1,000 pages each. Erikson creates not merely a continent, but an entire world—worlds, in fact—populated by hundreds of fascinating characters. Perhaps the most beloved character in the series, Karsa Orlong is not even introduced until the beginning of book four (that’s ~3,000 pages into the tale, for those of you keeping track). 

When you reach this point in the series, you will likely go through the five stages of Erikson's manipulation: 1. Irate that you're stuck with this new guy when you just want to read about the characters you know and love. 2. More irate when you skip ahead to see that this new guy’s introduction takes up the first 265 pages of the book. 3. Grudging respect for Erikson when you find yourself completely enveloped in this new guy’s tale. 4. Dismayed that your time with your new favorite character is coming to a temporary close. 5. Irate again when you reach the end of this new guy’s section and discover you have hundreds of more pages to read before returning to his tale. This perfectly encapsulates and crystalizes the genius of Erikson. Every character he writes is deep and rich, and you’ll love them with all your heart, until you’re introduced to the next, even more engrossing being. 

Disclaimer: This series is very mature, definitely not the lighthearted Young Adult Fiction I wrote. Liking one is no guarantee you’ll appreciate the other, though they are both technically fantasy. Plus, he’s a much better writer than I.

Good Omens is laugh-out-loud funny from cover to cover. It is absurdist humor at its finest. It’s so endearing, in fact, that it completely changed my writing style, and hence my career. While I will continue my series, so deeply inspired and tickled was I by this apocalyptic comedy that I’ve gone a bit Patrick Rothfuss on you and have written two absurdist fantasy comedies of my own (publish very, very pending) in the interim. This tale of the war between heaven and hell will make you smile from the moment you open it until the moment you close it. 

I was going to choose book 3 of this series, The Doors of Stone, as I'm sure I will love that book when it comes out, but at the time you're reading this, it has almost certainly not been released, unless Hell hath indeed frozen over, in which case we've got bigger fish to fry... I kid, of course. This is my little tongue-in-cheek dig at an author whom I greatly respect. The Kingkiller Chronicles—the trilogy that The Doors of Stone will conclude, should it ever come out—is a phenomenal series by a gifted storyteller. At the very least, you can enjoy Rothfuss’s first two installments in the series that are essentially a grown-up Harry Potter, and I don’t mean in the same way that The Magicians is a grown-up Harry Potter—don’t even get me started on that piece of work. The Kingkiller Chronicles manages to balance the whimsy of Rowling’s greatest work with adult themes and tropes that will fulfill all your fantasy needs, from the innocent fancies of the child inside you to those of the more depraved adult you’ve inevitably become. And if you’re more forgiving than I am, you may even be able to read Rothfuss’s supplemental The Slow Regard of Silent Things without tossing it away in frustration for it not being a continuation of the series you love.

Disclaimer: I recognize the hypocrisy of me jibing Rothfuss for taking too long between series installments… but I stubbornly stand by my haranguing.

In the Lightbringer series, Weeks creates a very engrossing fantasy world, even if it’s a bit more compact than other epic fantasies. The system of magic is exceptionally clever, the seamless blending of humor into age-old fantasy tropes is a breath of fresh air, and the characters are extremely dynamic. You may find your least favorite character in literary history on these pages, and you might even find your favorite in that man’s son, grandson, or daughter-in-law. Of the many fantasy series I’ve read, I’d say Weeks most loosely matches the tone and tenor of my own. Narcissist that I am, it’s a wonder I didn’t put this at the top of the list then. Oh well. Perhaps I’m not as loathsome as I give myself credit for.

Disclaimer: If you’re upset at me for ending my last sentence with a preposition, buckle up. I’m one of the bad boys of literature—no grammatical prison can contain I. I mean ‘me’. Dammit!

I know, I know. In 2022, this is a very controversial opinion. Did I not just say I’m a bad boy?

All kidding aside, I feel compelled to say I do not see eye to eye with Rowling on certain issues that have come to light in recent years. Her fall from grace was one of the most disappointing things I’ve experienced, because in my youth she was my hero. She was the reason I became an author. It’s often difficult to divorce the creator from the work in our minds, and even more so in our hearts, but I hope you fantasy lovers out there can do just that. Harry Potter was not just a zeitgeistical phenomenon, it was responsible for the advent of that word. (Don’t look that up… and don’t look up ‘zeitgeistical’ while you’re at it, either.) 

Harry Potter gave us nerds a world to escape to, a world just beyond our own, so close we could almost touch it. We could damn sure feel it. I can say confidently the story got many, many people through difficult times. I know it did that for me. Struggling through depression for years from my teens late into my twenties, I read and reread the series countless times as a means of escape, and eventually, it became so ingrained in me that I had to start writing. Before I knew it I was an author. Creation is one of the best ways to cope with depression. We have all these feelings roiling inside us, and if we don’t find a means to express them—just get them the hell out—they are capable of consuming us. 

Regardless of who wrote it, Harry Potter will make your heart soar and your mind dream. Don’t you dare let one lady’s backwards views take that away from you. 

Disclaimer: If you are struggling with depression, please seek help. I’ve been medicated for more than five years now, and my life is infinitely better than it was in those dark days before. I am not a doctor, so I won’t tell you how to treat it, but please speak to your doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist if you’re having trouble. No one can help you until you admit to yourself that you need it, and take that first step. It may be terrifying, but I promise you it’s worth it. Stay strong.