Best High Fantasy Books Of The 2020s

Published Sep 20, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Once head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage and co-lead of Superheroes, Tom Bacon now works with the movies and books teams. He's a lifelong fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and loves franchises such as Doctor Who and Marvel. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon, on LinkedIn @tabacon, or on Muckrack under tombacon. Tom has a wide range of interests, and he continues to serve his university as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too. For most readers, The Lord of the Rings is the ultimate high fantasy. Personally, I always feel this is the most challenging fantasy genre of all, simply because it demands both tremendous character-work and skillful world-building. Portal fantasies like Harry Potter and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe can take their time, giving us audience-surrogate characters whose journey into magic mirrors our own; but high fantasy dives right in, and it's up to the author to figure out how to immerse us in a brand new world. The bar on high fantasy is a high one, but many modern authors have made quite the splash. Many have actually been impressive debut novels, and — unsurprisingly — quite a few have launched whole new series. That said, this light deliberately omits entries like Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives, where the series began well before 2020. We want to introduce you to the best new fantasy worlds, and to honor some of the fresh creators who have joined the genre Sanderson is most famous for. 6 The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart Let's start with Andrea Stewart's The Bone Shard Daughter, an impressive debut novel that kicks off her Drowning Empire trilogy. This long fantasy book transports readers to an Earthsea-like waterworld, where an empire demands a tithe in children's bones as fuel for the Emperor's magic. It's a lavish piece of escapism with wonderful themes of colonialism and control, as the Emperor seeks to control both the past and the future. The main point of view character is amnesiac, giving us a straightforward introduction into the world. It's impossible to give a proper sense of The Bone Shard Daughter without spoiling this story, which is full of twists and turns. Suffice to say there's a reason it was a finalist for multiple awards, and the series actually improves as it continues. The waterworld alone means there'll inevitably be comparisons to Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series, but the style is refreshingly different. This is a must-read for any lovers of high fantasy. The Bone Shard Daughter is available now from retailers like Amazon. 5 The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne British fantasy author John Gwynne is a well-established figure in fantasy circles, launching his career with The Faithful and the Fallen series from 2012. The Shadow of the Gods is the first book in his Bloodsworn Saga, which draws on Norse mythology, Beowulf, and Viking society. This is a world where the gods fought and died, and their passing has unleashed monsters on land, sea, and sky. It's kill or be killed; no hesitation, no second chances. The Shadow of the Gods opens by sending three protagonists on their own quests; but while readers will empathize with all of them, they won't feel any are truly heroes. This isn't a world for the pure of heart, and the main characters' flaws demonstrate the taint on the entire world Gwynne has created. But that's what makes the book so effective, and every one of the leads is wonderfully fleshed-out. The Shadow of the Gods is available now from retailers like Amazon. 4 The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman Custom Image by Hannah Diffey Now let's move to Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief, published in 2021. A smart but sometimes shockingly dark novel, this follows a skilled thief named Kinch Na Shannack who's been forced to indenture himself to the Taker’s Guild. Kinch's next target is a knight named Galva, and the two narratives intertwine in spectacular fashion. Told in first-person, The Blacktongue Thief works because of Kinch's unusual, distinctive voice, that immediately draws readers into the ongoing story. Expect adventure, mystery, and intrigue, but also a phenomenal cultural depth that makes The Blacktongue Thief stand out among recent high fantasy novels. Buehlman's story is basically a road trip, which means he gets to create one location after another, peeling away the layers of different civilizations until readers see what's hidden beneath the mask. The Blacktongue Thief is available now from retailers like Amazon. 3 The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri Published in 2021, The Jasmine Throne is the first in Tasha Suri's phenomenal Burning Kingdoms trilogy. The Parijatdvipan Empire rules over several vassal states, suppressing native language, religion, and culture; but, as a horrific disease called the rot begins to spread throughout the land of Ahiranya, the empire's control is finally challenged. Suri's novel is a deep exploration of the cost of power, and the character-work has led to BookTok dubbing this one of the "Sapphic Saffron Trifecta" alongside Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun and C.L. Clark's The Unbroken. The Jasmine Throne is universally praised for its complex, morally grey characters and the depth of relationship between the two main characters, Malini and Priya. As the blurb teases, "One is a vengeful priestess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire." The Jasmine Throne is available now from retailers like Amazon. 2 The Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker Published in 2023, The Gods of the Wyrdwood is the first book in R.J. Barker's epic Forsaken series. Barker is a major established figure in epic fantasy, but this was the first of his books to really feel like a true epic; it's a beautifully-written deep dive into the continent of Crua, a place locked in a pepetual winter that's a lot more grounded than Narnia. This is a story where the Chosen One prophecy has apparently failed, and it stars Cahan du Nahare, who's essentially the Anakin Skywalker of this story. Barker's story subverts a lot of common tropes; Cahan is the Chosen One who was sold a lie, and he's being drawn back into the doomed world he'd given up on. The titular Wyrdwood feels refreshingly complex, truly living up to its name, and it feels haunted right from the start. It's worth noting that Barker drops readers into the world with precious little explanation, but the payoff is definitely worth persevering. The Gods of the Wyrdwood is available now from retailers like Amazon. 1 The Will of the Many by James Islington The first book in James Islington's Hierarchy series, The Will of the Many is set in Caten, a fictional society loosely based on the Golden Age of the Roman Republic. In Caten, the lower classes must sacrifice a portion of their Will (their mental and physical energies) to the upper class. An orphan named Vis Telimus is tasked with uncovering the secret behind a mysterious accident, and his efforts gradually reveal a conspiracy running to the heart of Caten's civilization. The Will of the Many features stunning world-building. Like many high fantasy books, it starts slow, but the fairly traditional "uprising" plots become incredibly effective. Islington is particularly skilled at fleshing out the details of his world, meaning readers fully understand the stakes, the character motivations, and the impact of every decision his protagonists make. Vis is incredibly well-developed, there's an academy subplot that makes The Will of the Many feel so timely, and there's a strong sense of tension running through the entire plot. There's a reason this is often considered one of the modern high fantasy classics. The Will of the Many is available now from retailers like Amazon.