What other fantasy do you consider to be masterpieces. Whether it be a sprawling epic series like Lord of the Rings or more contained stand alones like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

 

Wheel of Time, if only for the magic system and the intent behind the settings.

Could have used a solid editor to trim down a lot of filler, and the sheer amount of countless characters with every book bogged it all down. Some plots just dragged.

But when it was good, it was good.

 

The Discworld.

 

If re-readability counts towards something being a masterpiece then I'd have to list Carol Berg's Rai-Kirah trilogy, Holly Lisle's The Secret Texts trilogy, and everything by Trudi Canavan. Its all easy reading, simple fantasy but I've re-read them all multiple times because I always enjoy them.

 

The Malazan Book of the Fallen, at least the (10 book long, all doorstoppers) main series; there's a series of parallel stories and two prequel trilogies, one set about 10,000 years prior to the main events, which I haven't read yet, but the main story blew me away.

It's not without its flaws - no series spanning 10 books, at least three continents, a cast of hundreds and events spanning a several hundred thousand year timeframe is going to stick every landing - but it's well worth a read.

 

My sig might have tipped you off, but this is my favorite series ever.

 

Kushiel's Dart and the rest of Phèdre's Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey. It is not for everybody, especially the sexual content, but I love it and Phedre is one of my favourite characters ever written and her relationships, especially with a certain antagonist, are simply a pleasure to read and sink into. The second cycle is also worthwhile though not fully the match of the first one in my opinion and some of the scenes get truly dark and depressing.

The Red Knight (Traitor Son Cycle) by Miles Cameron. Nobody does medieval combat like Cameron and the first book of the Traitor Son Cycle is perhaps one of the best sieges ever written in fantasy. Add to that some great worldbuiling, an amazing ability to bring the little details of (fantasy) medieval to life and a complex cast of characters and you get a one of the best fantasy books of this millennia. Sadly the series (5 books in total) can't really keep to the quality of the first book, especially books 4 and 5 are in my opinion average works that suffer from a to big focus on magic/deus ex-machina solutions and a terrible romantic subplot. Another advantage/draw of the series was it fast publishing rate though of course since its complete that is irrelevant nowadays. Side node, if you are interested in historic fiction set in ancient greece or medieval Europe check out his other works, you won't find better (under the name Christian Cameron this time though - I especially recommend the Long War and Chivalry series )

And no list of masterpieces of fantasy is complete without mentioning a work of Guy Gavriel Kay, at least in my opinion few match his way with words. My favourite is probably Under Heaventhough I am unsure if it does actually classify as true fantasy considering it is a historical AU relative low on fantastical elements. Also do yourself a favour and don't read the second book in the series, it is in my opinion an abysmal failure of a sequel.

Lastly there is Among Thieves which gritty, dark and at times brutal but features another of my favourite characters, Drothe, and excellent world-building, especially in regards of the use of a special dialect utilised by its criminal class (the author had the idea for the book while writing a scientific paper about historical criminal jargon). The second book in the series is a bit hit and miss but would have in my eyes really set up book three and beyond. Sadly the author burned out on the series and it is unlikely that it will ever be continued so I think you are best off just reading the first book.

I lied, there is one more that I want to mention, the Terrach Chronicles by William King. Unlike most others on this list Kings writing is more workmanlike and lacks some of flourish and style of the previously mentioned authors but when it comes to solid sword and sorcery fantasy I have yet to find somebody to really beat King's work. His Gotrek and Felix made me a fan of Warhammer (though be warned that later in the series other authors take over and they are sadly no match for King, especially the last few instalments are a mess and to be avoided) and his other works like the Kormak series have brought me much enjoyment many a pleasant summer or winter evening.


I tried to keep it limited to the more modern stuff though classics like the Black Company are more than equal to anything here and it is by no means a complete list either. Joe Abecrombie certainly deserves a place here as do many others (though unlike many others Sanderson would not make my list)

 

Kushiel's Dart and the whole trilogy is truly one of my most favorite series of books. I would also second Wheel of Time. I have reread it at least 4 times, and it is probably my favorite fantasy work. Malazan is another favorite.

Magician: Apprentice and Master by Feist are great. The start of Pug's journey into wizardry is a joy.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Lynch (especially the first) is definitely a masterpiece.

Something a little more niche is Inda by Sherwood Smith. This book is truly a fun read as a child grows into a teenager in a warrior culture. I definitely recommend the series. Another not as well known series is the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. Great works. It is fun to see an assassin character from his perspective in the way Brust writes it. Similar-ish to this series is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. They might start out a little slow, but once you hit Dead Beats, you are reading a masterpiece of urban fantasy/epic fantasy.

 

This might offend you a little if you're religious.

Some of the best world-building in fantasy I've encountered is in the Mahabharata, an epic centering around the lives of five princes.

The world is so vivid that at the end of it you could easily come away saying that it's just historical, with a tiny bit of religious fantasy dancing around in there.

 

Definitely for young audiences, but everything by Lloyd Alexander and Diana Wynne Jones are straight up masterworks. Alexander's Prydain/Westmark series and Jones' Dalemark/Derkholm/Chrestomanci series are some of the most imaginative stories out there.

I never understood why their following didn't grow during the HP inspired fantasy craze. I'd say they are the best Children's/YA Fantasy authors out there, and I will never forgive Disney for murdering The Black Cauldron.

 

Don't have to much of a memory of Inda and I never could get into the Vlad Taltos series, I have it lying around at home and my sister liked it well enough but I stopped after the first or second book. It has been years since I read it though that so I am unsure why I dropped it. I want to say it was a bit to YA and that I expected a more adult, grimmer tone but I am not sure. Maybe I will give it another chance when I have some free time.

I was a great fan of Dresden Files but I am one of the people who really didn't like the direction the series went after Changes and if it weren't for Todeswinds great fanfiction I would probably be done with the series as whole. Hell, at this point I am not even sure if I will pick up the new books when they come out this year because while some of my issues like the pop-culture stuff are fixable other elements like the whole mantle of the Winter Knight debacle or honestly a lot of the cast, I fucking hate the Jedi-mortician-holy knight guy and all he represents, don't really seem fixable to me without going against already established facts. Plus, I am really no fan of the whole sidestory/novella approach and how they interacted with the main story/books.

Well that was a lot more complaining than I intended so to end this one a more positive note I will mention one of my current favourite UF series, the Laundry Files, I just absolutely love the mix of your typical office drama, bureaucracy and grim setting. It is certainly not for everyone and I wouldn't exactly call it a masterpiece because it is so hit and miss but it was one of literary highlights last year. Though anything after book 4/5 is considerable less impressive and average at best.

 

Well, aside from a few that have already been mentioned here, I really enjoyed the grimdark cynicism and brutality of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series and world. It's not for the faint of heart though. I'm serious when I say "grimdark". While it may not quite rise to full Warhammer 40k levels of grimness (though it's honestly not far off at times), the end of the First Law trilogy was one of the most breathtakingly cynical things I've ever read.

Also, James Islington's Licanius Trilogy has rapidly become one of my favorites. I've only finished books one and two so far, but I can't recommend the series enough.

At first it feels like a fairly standard post-Tolkien High Fantasy yarn (with more than a hint of the classic, Star Wars-style Greek tragedy formula), complete with all the usual tropes and cliches, but the more I read, the more impressed I was. Every time you think you have a handle on what's going on, the plot takes a sharp left turn that left me gaping stupidly at the pages, wondering how I could've been so wrong about the story's direction. It's not that there aren't hints and foreshadowing of these twists, but they're so deftly weaved into the expected fantasy tropes and character archetypes that you just don't notice until well after the fact. Seriously, if you haven't already, give it a chance.

 

Never read it. Mind giving a short review?

 

I'm not sure I could. It spans 41 novels and plethora of side-stories and accompanying books. There are 8 "storylines" (set in the same universe at vaguely the same time but following entirely separate groups of characters).

Discworld is full of magic and fun. The tone is primarily humorous, but don't mistake it for some sort of parody of fantasy. It gets incredibly insightful at points, commenting on sociopolitical issues, while simultaneously weaving a tale of classic fantastical adventure. Discworld as a series is expansive, brilliant and hilarious.

If you want to dip your toes into it, I'd recommend starting with either, "The Colour of Magic" or, "Mort".
"The Colour of Magic" begins the journey of the wizard Rincewind, his friend Twoflower and a pseudo-sentient trunk. If I had to compare it to another work, I suppose it would be the Hobbit. But it's not the Hobbit, not even a little.

"Mort" initiates the story of Mortimer, a young farmboy who doesn't have a clue what he wants to do in life, but an earnest head on his shoulders, and the title character of the series, Death. Death is my favorite storyline, and the second book in the Death storyline is where my sig comes from.

It will take you many years to read all of Discworld.
You will enjoy every minute of it.

 

For me, Brandon Sanderson's Way of King's is a masterclass in how to structure and pace a story. It also works very well with Words of Radiance, the two of them basically forming a single, very well structured story. Things fell off a bit with Oathbringer but here's hoping Stormlight #4 is a return to form.

 

Definitely Gaiman's Sandman.

It's a masterpiece of storytelling on top of fantasy, and transcends genre, really. It elevated the medium of graphic novels to greater artistic heights. Also contains my favorite portrayal of the anthropomorphic personification of death.

 

Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (manga version). It's both human and sweeping, with some nuanced characters and a sense of both wonder and horror at the world as it evolved and then deteriorated.

 

I'm annoyed I forgot to mention the Laundry Files. As you say the first 5 books are absolutely amazing. The next 2 are solid but not much more than that. And then I'd just stop reading at book 8 and not bother with the rest. I've always described the setting as a mix of Lovecraftian horror, generic urban fantasy, James Bond, and Yes, Minister/Prime Minister, all blended up together.

For those that enjoy tabletop gaming, there's a very fun RPG system for the setting as well.

I have to disagree with you on this to be honest. Some of the Discworld books are some of the best books I've ever written. But some of them are exceptionally mediocre, and even verge into being downright dull, as well.

 

If you are looking for bribe, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of quotes, quotes I have acquired over a very long career, quotes that make me very tedious for people like you. If you repent now, that'll be the end of it.

No, I would suggest that his last .... four? books are probably not to be started with, the disease shows by the end. The colour of magic and the light fantastic are slightly different from what the series goes on to be. The first 10 books gradually give way to a discworld that's more polished and a little less archetypal fantasy. But I'll throw my weight behind Utsane. Certainly there's people who he may not fit but for me he is par excellence. After JK, he's Britain's most beloved author, or was, at least.

My personal favourites are 1) Small Gods, which is very religion concerned Arth, so it may interest but aggravate you - though it's about catholicism as an institution, particularly, so it might not. 2) Nights Watch which is near the end of a series of a collection of stories dealing with the main character (although almost all discworld books are stand alone plots). Joint 3) The Times/Going Postal. Both are stand alone, new characters. One deals with the invention of newspapers, and the other with stamps. They're very good.

 

I sort of want to just join in on bashing the increasingly intolerable Butters from the Dresden Files, but to go with the intent of the thread I’ll nominate Mother of Learning.

It’s web serial until it gets published, but I’ve rarely enjoyed a world or magic system as much, every part of the story just works.