Best Stand Alone Fantasy Books

Tigana

by Kay, Guy Gavriel

Tigana is based on Renaissance Italy. Kay uses Italian politics to make the story seem plausible.

Tigana is both a sweeping epic and a look into human nature – flaws and all. The characters and plot exist in an area of grey where good and evil aren't absolutes. The plot follows a culture that – after an intense war –...

Bridge Of Birds (The Chronicles Of Master Li And Number Ten Ox) Start here

by Hughart, Barry

Master Li and Ox â the main characters in this work â are easily some of the most loveable characters in fantasy. Aside from these charming protagonists, the book is a lot of fun to read.Why it made the listHughart's wri...

Watership Down: A Novel (Watership Down) Start here

by Adams, Richard

On one level a classic tale of adventure, with anthropomorphized rabbit characters. On another level, it is an epic struggle between tyranny and freedom.

Yes, we're talking about that book about bunnies. No, we haven't lost our minds. Take note: This isn't a children's book, despite it being about fluffy animals. If you've read Watership Down, you'll understand it's on th...

The Last Unicorn

by Beagle, Peter S.

A beautiful, beautiful tale that will haunt you for the rest of your life. It's a simple story with a hell of a lot of heart. There's a good reason why this novel is considered a classic and has captivated an entire gene...

American Gods

by Gaiman, Neil

Neil Gaiman is an ever-popular writer who's branched into cinema, comics, and books. Quite a few people will argue that Neverwhere or Stardust is better than American Gods, but I disagree. American Gods is arguably his b...

Fevre Dream

by Martin, George R. R.

A lesser known novel by the Game of Thrones creator that is a fine example of a more mythic take on vampirism. Fevre Dream is a steamboat sailing up the antebellum Mississippi River, which just so happens to be carrying the lord of the vampire race. It is a blend of history and myth.

He writes stories where castration, rape, skull-crushing, and child sacrifice are parred for the course. So it should come as no surprise that George R.R. Martin conquered the sub-genre of horror fantasy before he wrote...

Mythago Wood (Mythago Wood) Start here

by Holdstock, Robert

There are many novels and novellas in this cycle which take place in a forest that has been untouched since the last ice age. It is a labyrinth, a place of peril and living myths.

'Unique' is a vastly overused word. It has about as much meaning as Kim K's twitter feed. But in the case of Mythago Wood, it's warranted. Firstly, Holdstock tells the story from the protagonist's point of view – in firs...

Heroes Die (The Acts Of Caine) Start here

by Stover, Matthew Woodring

A novel about two worlds that blends Science Fiction and Fantasy. An action packed adventure filled with real danger, sorcery, and a complex social system.

The Acts of Caine series takes adventure fantasy and drags it sixteen miles through the mud, and then tortures what's left. In a dystopian future, humanity has discovered a way to travel to parallel dimensions. One of...

The Hobbit

by Tolkien, J.r.r.

An unforgettable story and a tale that never gets old. It's not as broad in scope as Lord of the Rings which is not really a standalone, nor does it have the depth that The Silmarillion has (which is really just a travel...

The Anubis Gates

by Powers, Tim

An award winning novel that has time travel, historical figures, Egyptian mythology, and 19th century England.

In creating this world, Powers borrowed ideas from all over the place. Mythology, Ancient Egyptian theology, quantum theory, and classical literature“ they're all used in The Anubis Gates. It's a ridiculous combination o...

Good Omens

by Gaiman, Neil

Fantasy has never been so clever or funny as it is in the brilliant Good Omens.Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen form a super team and pen one of the funniest and best comedic tales out there. The premise is simple: the wo...

11/22/63

by King, Stephen

The best Stephen King in a decade, and even a coin toss for his best work yet. King takes a well-known historical event, the Assassination of JFK, and does something wonderful with it. It's a time travel story about an E...

2005: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

by Clarke, Susanna

The revival of magic in an alternate Britain with two very different magicians and some fairies, too.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is an epic tale of the rebirth of magic in nineteenth-century England. Taking place among the regular historical occurrences of the time, the main difference between this world and ours is...

The Night Circus

by Morgenstern, Erin

There are two types of fantasy readers. Those who feast on action-packed epic struggles for kingdoms, glory, and maybe to save the world from certain destruction from inimical forces. And there are fantasy works that foc...

The Dark Is Rising (The Dark Is Rising)

by Cooper, Susan

Harry Potter did the English magician story very well, but it also overshadowed some incredible books with similar settings. Will is a chosen one of sorts, one of the few that can battle the powers. His mentor is an old,...

The Neverending Story

by Ende, Michael

The protagonist is a shy and awkward boy with a grand imagination. He becomes a character in a book where he takes on a mission of heroic significance.

The Neverending Story is a perfect example of how badly a film version of a beloved book can go. For people who hadn't read the book, the film was probably enchanting. For everyone else, it's confusing. (Can we please ta...

The Book Of Joby

by Ferrari, Mark J.

Oh this is a clever one. The premise is that God and Satan make a bet, a bet they have made countless times. But this time, the cards are stacked way in the devil's favor. The target of this cosmic bet is Joby, a young u...

Imajica

by Barker, Clive

Barker's vast, strange epic of rival worlds and a sorcerer's quest, horror on the scale of high fantasy.

You might also call this one The Lord of the Rings of horror books -- a somewhat apt description that describes what this is. It's not a book that will appeal to everyone (fans of easy-to-read epic fantasy where all the...

Talion: Revenant

by Stackpole, Michael A.

List more than a few entries on this Top 100 list, Talion is a completely underrated fantasy book. Stackapole is a prolific author, writing everything from Star Wars novels, video game stories (he was part of the writing...

Elantris

by Sanderson, Brandon

This fantasy fiction novel will suck you in. Elantris is one of the best standalone fantasy books in the genre. It's about addictive as chocolate and a whole lot healthier! .Normally, I prefer to avoid novelizations of m...

The Book Of Lost Things

by Connolly, John

This book makes the list for its unique focus on psychology inside of the sub-genre. Connolly tells the story of a child so lost in books and darkness that he can no longer tell the difference between the real world a...