my top ten fantasy series of all time (2026 edition)

if I pull Deadhouse Gates out of the series and set it to the side, where does this series fall for me? And the reality is Deadhouse Gates is the reason why this was my f my favorite fantasy series of all time largely.

when I first read Guards! Guards! (book one) in January of 2024, I had no idea how much this series was going to mean to me, how much it was going to change my life as a fantasy reader.

After reading my first new Malazan book this year, Midnight Tides, which is book five, I was deeply disappointed by that book. And it's probably one of the most disappointing fantasy books I've read in a very long time.

I loved the series. I loved what Sanderson did with the hard magic system, which isn't isn't usually something that I like as much.

Never Die kind of sparked my love of this series, but it was truly Spirits of Vengeance (book three) that solidified it as one of my favorite series of all time.

When I first read Senlin Ascends, I was kind of 5050 on whether or not this was going to be a series for me. I wasn't really sure how I felt about where it was going.

I love the way that Rob Hayes incorporates that kind of nostalgic shonen anime - martial arts films vibe in the story while making it completely his own and the characters are amazing. Spirits of Vengeance is definitely due for a reread.

The Lies of Locke Lamora structurally is one of the most interesting and engaging stories I've ever read. Both as a reader and as an author and because I am approaching storytelling from both angles.