Genre

Epic Fantasy Books

Epic (or high) fantasy is fantasy at its largest scale: invented worlds, long series, wars of succession and quests that decide the fate of kingdoms. Tolkien set the template; today the genre is broader and more diverse than ever.

This list collects 873 books tagged Epic Fantasy by 333 authors, published between 1851 and 2026. 6 are free to read and 7 have a free audiobook. Books are ranked by how many readers have shelved, rated or downloaded them.

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Common tropes in Epic Fantasy

From Wikipedia

High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, and often quite developed, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the rational primary or "real world", upon which the non-rational supernatural or fantasy elements intrude.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

873 Epic Fantasy books · page 1 of 19

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Epic Fantasy books?

By reader shelving on Open Library and downloads, the most popular include A Game of Thrones (1996), The Hobbit (1937), Moby Dick (1851), The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) and The Eye of the World (1990).

Are there free Epic Fantasy books?

Yes — 6 epic fantasy titles are in the public domain and free to read, including Moby Dick (1851), Les Misérables (1862) and She (1886).