Best fantasy novels by year

Here’s an update to this list. I haven’t yet read any fantasy novels published in 2024.

  Winner   Runner Ups  
Year Author Title Author Title
2023 Travis Baldree Bookshops & Bonedust James Morrow Behold the Ape
2022 Naomi Novik The Golden Enclaves Travis Baldree Legends & Lattes
      Robert Jackson Bennett Lockland
      Melissa Caruso The Ivory Tomb
      Margarita Montimore Acts of Violet
2021 Claire North Notes from the Burning Age Melissa Caruso The Quicksilver Court
      Naomi Novik The Last Graduate
2020 Alix E. Harrow The Once and Future Witches Robert Jackson Bennett Shorefall
  Margarita Montimore Oona Out of Order Melissa Caruso The Obsidian Tower
      Matt Haig The Midnight Library
      Naomi Novik A Deadly Education
      V. E. Schwab The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
      Jo Walton Or What You Will
2019 Alix E. Harrow The Ten Thousand Doors of January Melissa Caruso The Unbound Empire
  Jo Walton Lent Ann Leckie The Raven Tower
      Erin Morgenstern The Starless Sea
      Claire North The Pursuit of William Abbey
2018 Jasper Fforde Early Riser Robert Jackson Bennett Foundryside
      Melissa Caruso The Defiant Heir
      Matt Haig How to Stop Time
      Kate Morton The Clockmaker’s Daughter
2017 Neal Stephenson & Nicole Galland The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. James Alan Gardner All Those Explosions Were Someone Else’s Fault
      Melissa Caruso The Tethered Mage
      Barbara Gowdy Little Sister
      Fonda Lee Jade City
      Claire North The End of the Day
2016 Guy Gavriel Kay Children of Earth and Sky Will McIntosh Faller
  Matt Ruff Lovecraft Country Claire North The Sudden Appearance of Hope
      Jo Walton Necessity
2015 Claire North The Gameshouse Silvia Moreno-Garcia Signal to Noise
      Claire North Touch
      Karina Sumner-Smith Defiant
      Karina Sumner-Smith Towers Fall
      Jo Walton The Philosopher Kings
2014 Claire North The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August Julie E. Czerneda A Play of Shadow
      Gregory Maguire Egg & Spoon
      Karina Sumner-Smith Radiant
      Jo Walton The Just City
      Jo Walton My Real Children
2013 Guy Gavriel Kay River of Stars Julie E. Czerneda A Turn of Light
2012 Will McIntosh Hitchers Joanne Bertin Bard’s Oath
2011 Erin Morgenstern The Night Circus Carrie Vaughn After the Golden Age
      Jo Walton Among Others
2010 Guy Gavriel Kay Under Heaven Matt Haig The Radleys
      Karin Lowachee The Gaslight Dogs
      Nnedi Okorafor Who Fears Death
2009 Brandon Sanderson Warbreaker    
2008 Ursula K. Le Guin Lavinia    
2007 Guy Gavriel Kay Ysabel Nalo Hopkinson The New Moon’s Arms
      Sarah Zettel Sword of the Deceiver
2006 Daniel Quinn After Dachau    
2005 Brandon Sanderson Elantris Orson Scott Card Magic Street
      Elizabeth Kostova The Historian
      Michelle Sagara Cast in Shadow
2004 Guy Gavriel Kay The Last Light of the Sun Sarah Zettel The Firebird’s Vengeance
      Kelley Armstrong Industrial Magic
2003 Audrey Niffenegger The Time Traveler’s Wife Orson Scott Card The Crystal City
  Jo Walton Tooth and Claw Gregory Maguire Mirror Mirror
      Sarah Zettel The Usurper’s Crown
2002 Sarah Zettel A Sorcerer’s Treason Christopher Moore Lamb
2001 Ursula K. Le Guin The Other Wind Eoin Colfer Artemis Fowl
      Jasper Fforde The Eyre Affair
      Tanya Huff The Second Summoning
2000 Guy Gavriel Kay Lord of Emperors Nalo Hopkinson Midnight Robber
      Mercedes Lackey Brightly Burning
1999 Joanne Bertin Dragon and Phoenix Orson Scott Card Enchantment
      Gregory Maguire Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
1998 Yves Meynard The Book of Knights Joanne Bertin The Last Dragonlord
  Charles de Lint Someplace to Be Flying Orson Scott Card Heartfire
      Barbara Gowdy The White Bone
      Tanya Huff Summon the Keeper
      Guy Gavriel Kay Sailing to Sarantium
      Jim Munroe Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask
      Sean Russell The Compass of the Soul
1997 Neil Gaiman Neverwhere Charles de Lint Trader
      Candas Jane Dorsey Black Wine
      Sean Russell Beneath the Vaulted Hills
1996 George R. R. Martin A Game of Thrones Terence M. Green Shadow of Ashland
      Sean Russell Sea Without a Shore
      Megan Whalen Turner The Thief
1995 Robin Hobb Assassin’s Apprentice Robert T. Bakker Raptor Red
      Orson Scott Card Alvin Journeyman
      Dave Duncan Past Imperative
      Guy Gavriel Kay The Lions of Al-Rassan
      Gregory Maguire Wicked
      Garth Nix Sabriel
      Philip Pullman The Golden Compass
      Sean Russell World Without End
1994 Sean Stewart Nobody’s Son Charles de Lint Memory and Dream
      James Morrow Towing Jehovah
      Anne Rice Taltos
1993 Anne Rice Lasher Peter S. Beagle The Innkeeper’s Song
      Barbara Hambly Dog Wizard
      Laurell K. Hamilton Guilty Pleasures
1992 Guy Gavriel Kay A Song For Arbonne Sean Russell Gatherer of Clouds
1991 Sean Russell The Initiate Brother Piers Anthony Tatham Mound
      Angela Carter Wise Children
1990 Guy Gavriel Kay Tigana Barbara Hambly The Dark Hand of Magic
  Pratchett & Gaiman Good Omens Robert Jordan The Eye of the World
      Ursula K. Le Guin Tehanu
      James Morrow Only Begotten Daughter
      Anne Rice The Witching Hour
      R.A. Salvatore Homeland
1989 Orson Scott Card Prentice Alvin Peter David Howling Mad
      Robert Charles Wilson Gypsies
1988 Orson Scott Card Red Prophet Terry Brooks Wizard at Large
      Barbara Hambly The Silicon Mage
      Anne Rice The Queen of the Damned
      Fred Saberhagen Stonecutter’s Story
      Tad Williams The Dragonbone Chair
1987 Orson Scott Card Seventh Son Terry Brooks The Black Unicorn
  Ken Grimwood Replay Peter David Knight Life
      Stephen R. Donaldson A Man Rides Through
      Barbara Hambly The Witches of Wenshar
      Moore & Gibbons Watchmen
      Terry Pratchett Mort
      Fred Saberhagen Sightblinder’s Story
1986 Frank Miller Batman – The Dark Knight Returns Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom For Sale – Sold!
      Stephen R. Donaldson The Mirror of Her Dreams
      Barbara Hambly The Silent Tower
      Guy Gavriel Kay The Darkest Road
      Guy Gavriel Kay The Wandering Fire
      Fred Saberhagen Woundhealer’s Story
      Robert Charles Wilson A Hidden Place
1985 Barbara Hambly Dragonsbane Terry Brooks The Wishsong of Shannara
      Anne Rice The Vampire Lestat
1984 Barbara Hambly The Ladies of Mandrigyn Guy Gavriel Kay The Summer Tree
      Fred Saberhagen The Third Book of Swords
1983 Tim Powers The Anubis Gates Piers Anthony On a Pale Horse
  Fred Saberhagen The First Book of Swords Marion Zimmer Bradley The Mists of Avalon
      Stephen R. Donaldson White Gold Wielder
      Barbara Hambly The Armies of Daylight
      Barbara Hambly The Walls of Air
      Fred Saberhagen The Second Book of Swords
1982 Barbara Hambly The Time of the Dark Terry Brooks The Elfstones of Shannara
      Stephen R. Donaldson The One Tree
      David Eddings Pawn of Prophecy
      Raymond E. Feist Magician: Apprentice
1980 Stephen R. Donaldson The Wounded Land    
1979 Stephen R. Donaldson The Power That Preserves Michael Ende The Neverending Story
1978 Stephen R. Donaldson The Illearth War    
1977 Terry Brooks The Sword of Shannara    
  Stephen R. Donaldson Lord Foul’s Bane    
1976 Anne Rice Interview with the Vampire Patricia A. McKillip The Riddle-Master of Hed
1975        
1974        
1973 William Goldman The Princess Bride Ursula K. Le Guin The Farthest Shore
1972 Richard Adams Watership Down    
1971 Ursula K. Le Guin The Tombs of Atuan John Gardner Grendel
1970        
1969        
1968 Peter S. Beagle The Last Unicorn Ursula K. Le Guin A Wizard of Earthsea
1967        
1966 Jack Vance The Eyes of the Overworld    

This entry was posted on Monday, December 30th, 2024 at 9:22 am and is filed under My thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply