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Screen Rant ranks the 10 best medieval fantasy novels

The list spans 1954's Fellowship of the Ring to 2019's Between Two Fires, with heists, dragons and court intrigue in between.

Priya RamanPublished · 2 min read

Screen Rant has put together a ranking of the 10 best medieval fantasy novels, covering nearly three decades of modern fantasy. The list starts with J.R.R. Tolkien's foundational Middle-earth work and runs through newer titles that rework medieval Europe through horror, romance and morally gray adventure.

Among the entries: Michael J. Sullivan's The Crown Tower (2013), which opens the Riyria Chronicles but takes place before the six-book Riyria Revelations sequence, and pairs idealist Hadrian Blackwater with cynic Royce Melborn for a burglary job. Christopher Paolini's Eragon (2002), written when Paolini was 18, follows a farm boy bonded to the dragon Saphira. William Goldman's The Princess Bride (1973) mixes romance, comedy and swordplay with Inigo Montoya's revenge quest. And Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest (1999) draws on Irish mythology and the tale of the Six Swans.

Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice (1995) introduces FitzChivalry Farseer, trained in covert killing and the feared Wit. Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind (2007) centers on Kvothe, a legendary figure now living quietly as an innkeeper, and follows his time at the University. Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires (2019) drops a disgraced knight and an orphan into plague-ravaged 1348 France with supernatural horror.

Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself (2006), the first First Law novel, follows barbarian Logen Ninefingers, torturer Sand dan Glokta and nobleman Jezal dan Luthar through a world where survival and ambition overlap rather than a clean good-versus-evil war. George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (1996) tracks the Starks, Lannisters and Daenerys Targaryen across Westeros as succession and honor drive the plot. The oldest pick is The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), which follows Frodo Baggins after Bilbo leaves him the One Ring and sends him toward Rivendell and Mordor.

Screen Rant notes the strongest books share a love of dangerous journeys, complicated loyalties and ancient legends. It also argues several titles changed what readers expect from the genre, from Paolini proving a teenage author could build a large-scale world to Martin tying power to money, bloodlines and reputation.

  • book lists
  • George R.R. Martin
  • J.R.R. Tolkien
  • medieval fantasy
  • Patrick Rothfuss
  • Screen Rant

About Priya Raman

Priya Raman is a staff writer at TV & Movies, where she writes Three Episodes In, the site's verdict on new series after their first three episodes. She spent four years as a writers' assistant on two network dramas and later read scripts for production companies in Chicago and Los Angeles. She has a BA in English from the University of Michigan and an MFA in screenwriting from DePaul University. She covers prestige drama, limited series and workplace comedies. Favorites: The Wire, Halt and Catch Fire, Abbott Elementary. She has opinions about cold opens and will share them if asked.

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