10 High Fantasy Books to Explore Epic Worlds and Quests

Imagine yourself traveling to a kingdom where there are dragons guarding secrets from the past, normal people have extraordinary abilities, and one trip could be enough to change the destiny of the entire world.

These are the features of high fantasy literature. High fantasy books invite the reader to escape the mundane realities and dive into vividly imagined worlds with amazing kingdoms, mythical creatures, challenging quests, and unforgettable heroes.

But choosing your fantasy book may be a challenge since some books provide adventures involving wizards and magic forests, whereas others feature political competition, complicated systems of magic, forbidden love, and the eternal fight between good and evil.

Below you will find a list of ten wonderful books in the genre of high fantasy, which unites classic works with contemporary literature.

Whether you are a novice fantasy reader who seeks an easy adventure to start with, an experienced reader in need of a vast fantasy universe, or a romance reader attracted to magical kingdoms, there is something for you to explore.

Every book description provides you with the main attraction of the novel, its reading level, and the target audience of the book.

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What Are High Fantasy Books?

High Fantasy is a literary genre of fantasy where the story unfolds in a completely new universe with its own geography, culture, history, politics, and laws of magic. In contrast to stories where the supernatural takes place in the real world, high fantasy establishes an entirely new universe where the reader can discover more through the story.

Some characteristics of high fantasy include quests, prophesies, magic powers, mythical creatures, and situations threatening entire kingdoms or civilizations. But not all high fantasy tales need to have an epic battle sequence in their storyline. Other aspects such as personal, cultural, and moral dilemmas are also very important.

High fantasy is not limited to medieval castles, swords, and dragons. Contemporary writers frequently experiment with environmental themes, diverse cultural influences, unconventional magic, and complex social structures.

The following recommendations demonstrate just how varied the genre can be.

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10 High Fantasy Books to Explore Epic Worlds and Quests

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Not many books have had such an impact on the high fantasy genre as The Lord of the Rings. The famous tale by J.R.R. Tolkien takes place in the land of Middle-earth, where people can encounter hobbits, elves, dwarves, humans, wizards, and all sorts of monsters.

The quest starts for Frodo Baggins after he obtains a ring that turns out to hold a terrible secret. In order to save Middle-earth from the domination of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must travel to destroy the ring. There will be tests for friendships, destruction of kingdoms, and discovery of strength of character by ordinary people in the process.

The uniqueness of the novel lies in the depth of the world that Tolkien created. He even constructed languages, history, cultures, songs, and legends of the land that lived for a long time before the story happened. The landscape is unforgettable, but the emotional journey is just as impressive.

There is the burden of Frodo, the loyalty of Samwise Gamgee, the problem with responsibility of Aragorn, and many other aspects of the Fellowship of the Ring.

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2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 

Every epic journey does not necessarily require large number of characters and a lengthy book. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is an example of how a small-sized book can develop a magical world rich in its philosophies.

It is about Ged, a talented boy who finds out that he has magical powers. With the help of these powers he enters a wizard school and starts to learn the duties and responsibilities associated with his powers. However, due to his pride and impatient nature he releases a shadow, which he must face afterwards.

Earthsea is a set of islands with their unique population and peculiarities. In Earthsea magic is based on knowing the true names of things, which means that language plays a vital part in this story.

Instead of portraying heroism as an ability to defeat every foe Le Guin portrays importance of self-awareness, humbleness and balance as well as the importance of knowing one’s inner darkness.

3. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Those who appreciate fantasy that requires patience and concentration would benefit from reading The Way of Kings. This book starts the epic The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson and depicts a world called Roshar where powerful storms and strange ecosystems prevail.

The plot features several characters whose paths eventually cross. One of them is a talented soldier Kaladin who is unable to protect his soldiers. Another character is Dalinar Kholin who is questioning the foundations of the world he inhabits and having weird visions. Shallan Davar is seeking for knowledge but she has hidden motives.

All these storylines provide information about the society which traditions, history and religion are strongly connected with wars, hierarchy, religion and the remnants of magical knights’ orders.

Undoubtedly, one of the best aspects of the novel is the worldbuilding because even the environment seems to be strange since there are plants responding to the storms, animals living in terrible weather and magic which influences the wars and politics.

Moreover, Sanderson associates magical skills with personal development. Bravery, maturity and readiness to change play the same role as spectacular fight scenes.

4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

One example of an author whose writing combines the elements of the epic fantasy genre and those of a personal story is Patrick Rothfuss in his book The Name of the Wind. This novel features a talented musician and magician, Kvothe, who tells about the events that turned him into such a legendary character.

As a boy, Kvothe is raised amongst traveling artists until the misfortune leads him to becoming an orphan. His thirst for knowledge then brings him to the University, where he studies magic, deals with enemies, makes friends, and tries to learn more about supernatural powers that are linked to his past somehow.

One more thing that makes the book attractive is the way it is written. Kvothe is a smart, ambitious, talented, yet flawed person. The accomplishments he achieves are amazing, but his ego and rashness often lead to troubles.

Music, folklore, language, and a thirst for knowledge are the themes of the story. Magic is not an easy solution of everything and more of a science one should practice and study.

People who love beautiful language will enjoy the reading very much because of its slow parts.

5. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World kicks off The Wheel of Time, a grandiose fantasy cycle based on the concepts of prophecy, cyclic history, politics, and the clash of two opposing forces.

The book opens in Emond’s Field, a tranquil village, whose inhabitants include Rand al’Thor and his friends, living peaceful lives until the appearance of some deadly monsters and a strange woman called Moiraine, who explains that something bigger than anyone could ever imagine happens out there.

After leaving their homeland, the friends travel across new lands and meet different peoples, rulers, legends, and dangers associated with a greater conflict.

However, the best thing about Robert Jordan is the size of his books. The world slowly unfolds in front of us with its own set of religions, beliefs, magic, and politics. The villagers, at the beginning of the story, will soon find themselves facing a responsibility that was inconceivable for them before.

In addition, the story talks about how prophecy affects individual decisions of people. Do the characters live according to the prophecy or can they change their fate?

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6. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

For those seeking a fantasy novel that isn’t the typical castles and dragons genre, one should look no further than The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.

The novel takes place on the Stillness, a continent often plagued with geological disasters. Those able to use seismic energy have special talents, though they are feared and persecuted by society due to these powerful skills.

Essun is a character trying to find her kidnapped daughter in the midst of personal tragedy. Meanwhile, another geological disaster looms over entire communities, threatening their very existence.

Jemisin paints a picture of a world in which environmental instability dictates political, architectural, survival-related, and interpersonal issues. While the setting is not simply a background element, the environment influences how the characters survive and whom they fear.

The novel explores themes such as discrimination, intergenerational trauma, power, and institutional justification of cruelty. Structurally, the book requires the reader to piece together information from separate events.

Despite containing supernatural powers and an imaginary world, there is something very human about the novel.

7. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

One of the notable modern books with elements of high fantasy includes Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree. The author combines various factors including dragons, political conflicts and diverse points of view.

The book depicts a world torn apart by religious disagreements and fears due to the presence of dangerous dragons. In the meanwhile, Queen Sabran tries to save her country from destruction and preserve the political order while Ead Duryan acts as the secret guardian with magical powers.

Tané, on the other hand, prepares to become a dragon rider in pursuit of her goals in accordance with a rigid tradition. These diverse experiences slowly unfold in order to show connections between the world’s history, religion and political conflicts.

The book describes the events that can take place if societies base their identity on different historical truths. Moreover, it raises questions about the beliefs that people are taught and the cost of protecting their institutions.

Despite this, romantic relationships play a significant role in the plot of the book. They coexist with ideas of responsibility, power, faith and survival.

8. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

High fantasy is not about the chosen heroes who save the world. In The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, a gang of extremely talented thieves is acting in Camorr – a rich city.

Locke Lamora is a talented con artist who wears different costumes, uses tricks, and manipulates people in order to get money from the rich citizens. With Gentleman Bastards, he takes part in organized scams which are based not on strength but on intelligence.

However, there is a very dangerous person called Grey King who may disturb the criminal community. Locke and his fellows realize that no matter how perfect their plans might be, sometimes they fall apart because of the opponents who know all the rules of the game.

Camorr is one of the key elements of the book. The architecture of the city, the criminal groups, hierarchy of the society, and its districts give readers the unique feeling of fantasy and urban environment at once.

Violence, humor, and suspense are interwoven in the plot. Flashbacks tell about the past and training of the characters.

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9. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire, also known as Mistborn: The Final Empire, is the first book in the Mistborn trilogy written by Brandon Sanderson. In this novel, there is ash falling from the sky, mist is covering the night, and an immortal king has ruled for a thousand years.

Vin is the main character of The Final Empire. She is a young street thief, who finds out that she has some extraordinary abilities. The girl is pulled into a revolt organized by Kelsier, a criminal with ambitions to overthrow the Lord Ruler.

The plan of the revolutionaries is not based solely on an army of their own. Instead, they have invented a complicated strategy of lies, diplomacy, and a robbery. Allomancy is a magic system, which allows some people to possess different skills by burning metals.

The magic is what gives this book its greatest advantage because each ability is governed by certain laws, which one needs to understand in order to use his skills successfully. At the same time, the plot discusses such topics as oppression, trust, hope, and the inability to imagine a better world.

10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

For those who are scared by the thought of delving into an epic series of fantasy books, The Hobbit makes for an excellent place to start.

In this book written by J.R.R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins, a rather timid hobbit who loves his comfortable life, gets involved in adventures after being approached by Gandalf the wizard, who wants Bilbo to be a part of a team of dwarves trying to get their precious treasure from the dragon Smaug.

The path that Bilbo and his companions travel leads them across mountains, mysterious forests, caves, trolls, goblins, elves and other mystical creatures. While initially feeling uncomfortable, Bilbo evolves into a more resourceful and brave character.

Unlike many epic high fantasy books, which tend to be very serious in terms of their narration, The Hobbit keeps a rather lighthearted, fun tone, full of humor, songs and riddles.

It is interesting to observe how the main hero changes throughout the story because he is not a legendary fighter at all.

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Conclusion

But the best books of high fantasy create otherworldly settings while dealing with emotions and issues which sound extremely relatable to us. It can be a familiar story of The Lord of the Rings, some innovative magic in The Final Empire, and even social criticism in The Fifth Season. Each of the recommendations above gives another reason to get hooked on fantasy.

Those who are new to the genre may start with The Hobbit, and those who like fully developed universes will enjoy The Way of Kings. For all fans of dragons, politics, and love, The Priory of the Orange Tree should be the choice.

It is not necessary to read every masterpiece or begin with the biggest series. Choose the world that inspires your imagination and the characters that attract you.