7 Best Epic Fantasy Books to Read in 2025
Epic fantasy books take us on wild rides with magic, battles, and dragons. These picks are perfect for both new and old fans.
If you love dragons, magic, and pretending your kitchen broom is a sword, you’re in good company. We’re big fans of epic fantasy books, and we take book picking very serious—well, as serious as you can while wearing a wizard hat. For our list of the 7 best epic fantasy books, we looked for wild adventures, strong world-building, memorable heroes (and sneaky villains), and stories that left us wanting to read just one more chapter—every single night. Whether you’re new to epic fantasy books or just searching for your next favorite, we’ve got a tale or seven that will sweep you off your slippers.
On this list:
7 Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
We picked Mistborn because it’s like fantasy meets a heist movie, but with more metal ingesting. It’s got a magic system simple enough that even our Uncle Bob could follow, but deep enough to keep us up at night debating which metal we’d eat if we could. This epic fantasy book serves up twists, plot turns, and a world so miserable, we felt better about our own messy kitchens.
6 The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
This one is like storytime if your storyteller was a magical rockstar bartender with lots of childhood trauma. We got lost in Kvothe’s journey—he fights, sings, and sometimes whines, but we love him anyway. The prose is great but not so fancy we need a dictionary. If you want depth in your epic fantasy books, this one’s for you.
5 A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Dragons, betrayal, actual thrones—this book checks all the epic fantasy boxes. We read it while trying not to get too attached to characters (spoiler: it didn’t work). The only downside is that remembering who’s who can be as hard as assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. But who cares when the story is this good?
4 The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
This one’s bigger than our cousin’s holiday shopping list. The worldbuilding in this epic fantasy book is massive—you’ll need a map, a snack, and maybe a support group. Sanderson delivers battles, magic, plus characters who feel real (we argue about who’s best). Fair warning: it’s a chunky book, but worth every page.
3 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Think Ocean’s Eleven in a fantasy Venice, but with more swearing and fewer happy endings. We rooted for Locke, even when he makes very dumb decisions. If your epic fantasy books need humor, clever thieves, and unlikely friendships, don’t skip this one. Keep your snacks close—twists come fast.
2 The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Dragons, queens, and a plot so big we almost lost our place a few times. This standalone epic fantasy book packs lots of action, love, and political intrigue into one thick volume. We loved how many strong women lead the charge here. Plus, the dragons—did we mention the dragons?
1 The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Okay, time for the king of epic fantasy books. We chose this as the top pick because, let’s face it, without The Lord of the Rings, half the books on this list wouldn’t even exist. Tolkien’s writing is a bit old-school, but the adventure is unmatched. Our group still argues about who’s the real hero—Frodo, Sam, or the snacks we ate during our marathon read. Yes, the walking goes on forever, but you get friendship, courage, and a world that feels real enough for us to lose a few weekends in it. Even after all these years, picking up this classic feels like starting an adventure with friends, both in the story and on our sofa.
