The 30 best fantasy book series for escaping to another realm

A collage of the best fantasy series, including Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Dark Tower.
Some of the best fantasy book series include "The Lord of the Rings," "A Game of Thrones," and "The Dark Tower."
Amazon; Rachel Mendelson/Insider

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Fantasy novels transport readers across magical lands, introduce them to mystical creatures, and take them on mythical adventures. It can be hard to contain a great fantasy story in one novel, so book series let readers revisit their favorite characters and worlds as they take on new enemies, discover new powers, and even fall in love. 

The recommendations on this list aren't just amazing novels — they also make great gifts for the fantasy reader in your life. Many of them come in stunning box sets and gifting the whole series means they can pick up the next book as soon as they close the last. 

Whether the reader in your life loves classic fantasy tales or gripping new fantasy adventures, here are the best fantasy series to gift in 2022.

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An enthralling dystopian fantasy series

“The Legend” book trilogy by Marie Lu shown from the book spines.
Amazon

"The Legend" trilogy by Marie Lu, available on Amazon and Target.

"Legend," the first book in the series, available at Amazon.

In this dystopian fantasy series set in a future Los Angeles now known as the Republic, 15-year-olds June and Day may never have crossed paths, as she is a prodigy groomed for success and he is the country's most wanted criminal. But when June's brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect, the two are set on a collision path toward each other until the truth of what really brought them together is revealed.

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A dark academia fantasy trilogy

Covers of “The Scholomance” three book series by Naomi Novik.
Amazon

"The Scholomance" series by Naomi Novik, available on Amazon.

"A Deadly Education," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

This series kicks off with "A Deadly Education" where readers are introduced to Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted that students can't leave unless they graduate or die. Full of monsters, magic, and creepy dangers, this trilogy follows El as she navigates her dark powers, finds allies, and tries to survive.

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A fantasy series well-known for its TV adaptation

"Game of Thrones" series by George R.R. Martin.
Amazon

"Game of Thrones" series by George R.R. Martin, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"A Song of Ice and Fire," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

Now wildly famous after the hit HBO series of the same name, George R.R. Martin's high fantasy series of dragons, seven kingdoms, and deadly winters began with the first novel — "A Song of Ice and Fire" — published in 1996. In this series, families are in a centuries-long power struggle for control of the Iron Throne while protecting the kingdoms from the supernatural creatures that lay beyond the Wall.

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A delightfully witchy YA trilogy

"Serpent & Dove" book trilogy by Shelby Mahurin box set.
Amazon

"Serpent & Dove" trilogy by Shelby Mahurin, available on Amazon.

"Serpent & Dove," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

"Serpent & Dove" is a young adult fantasy trilogy about Louise le Blanc, a witch that fled her coven, abandoned her magic, and settled in Cesarine, a town where witches are feared and burned if discovered. But when Louise is forced into a marriage with a witch hunter from the Church, she must choose to face her enemies, her true feelings, and her magic if she hopes to live.

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This fantasy series that ties in epic science fiction elements

"The Broken Earth" series by N.K. Jemisin.
Amazon

"The Broken Earth" series by N.K. Jemisin, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Fifth Season," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Broken Earth" series debuted with the Hugo Award-winning novel "The Fifth Season," titled after the apocalyptic-level climate change endured every few centuries. In the first novel — known for its intense plot twists — Essun is on a mission to track down her husband who killed her son and kidnapped her daughter as the world deteriorates into devastation.

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A fantasy series of magical parallel Londons

"Shades of Magic" series by V.E. Schwab.
Amazon

"Shades of Magic" series by V.E. Schwab, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"A Darker Shade of Magic," the first book in the series, available on Amazon.

V.E. Schwab is a renowned fantasy writer, most well-known for her "Shades of Magic" series, where readers cross parallel universes with varying degrees of magic alongside a talented smuggler and a cunning thief. The series begins with "A Darker Shade of Magic," where readers inevitably fall in love with the story of Kell and Lila, two brilliant heroes who must save the worlds from a dangerous rise of magical power.

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A seven-book childrens' fantasy series

The box set of "The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis.
Amazon

"The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Chronicles of Narnia" is a seven-book fantasy series first published in 1956 that begins with a young girl named Lucy discovering a magical, wintry world in the back of a wardrobe in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Trapped under a spell from the evil White Witch, Lucy and her siblings team up with a magical lion to free Narnia from the curse in this series that's been loved by children and adults for nearly 70 years. 

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A historical, military fantasy series

Book cover for "The Poppy War" by R.F. Kuang.
Amazon

"The Poppy War" series by R.F. Kuang, available on Amazon.

"The Poppy War," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Poppy War" is the first novel in this historical military fantasy series inspired by the second Sino-Japanese War in 20th-century China. When Rin aces the test to attend the Empire's prestigious military school, she thinks defying everyone's expectations is the last of her problems. While trying to survive at the academy, Rin finds she holds the magical and spiritual gift of shamanism — the ability to interact with spirits — and discovers a Third Poppy War may be closer than they imagined.

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An adrenaline-inducing fantasy series

Three book covers of the "Blood and Ash" series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Amazon

"Blood and Ash" series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, available on Kindle.

"From Blood and Ash," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

The "Blood and Ash" series has captured readers' hearts since the first book, which has over 150,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads. In "From Blood and Ash," readers meet Poppy whose upcoming Ascension means the future of her kingdom rests on her shoulders — until a stunning guard named Hawke makes her question what she thought was her destiny. Readers love this series for its action-packed plot, strong heroine, and cliffhanger endings that force them to immediately grab the next book.  

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An engrossing fantasy series from Stephen King

"The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King.
Amazon

"The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

"The Gunslinger," the first book in the series, available on Amazon and Bookshop.

In this primarily dark fantasy series, Stephen King blends magical storytelling with elements of westerns, science fiction, and horror in this eight-book story which follows Roland of Gilead, the final gunslinger, on his mission to reach the Dark Tower and save the universe. Though King is mostly known for suspenseful horror, this fantasy series has proven a gripping must-read from "The Gunslinger" through the final installment, "The Dark Tower."

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