10 Perfectly Written High Fantasy Books for Fans of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones

Enjoy tales of wizards, assassins, and magical beasts in these imaginative stories J.R.R. Tolkien effectively established the genre of high fantasy when he came up with the world of Middle-earth and populated it with fantastical creatures facing an apocalyptic threat in The Lord of the Rings. While numerous stories introduce talking animals, fairies, or demons to a version of the real world — or even see regular people stepping into a magical realm they previously didn’t know existed — high fantasy takes place in a fully imaginary reality with its own rules, history, and factions. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire proved that high fantasy doesn’t have to be synonymous with high magic. Most people in the Seven Kingdoms don’t expect to meet a dragon or giant, making it all the more terrifying when those mythical creatures appear. The setup required to introduce a high fantasy world encourages sprawling series, but there are also brilliant standalone novels that ground their imagined worlds in real history. Whether you’re looking for an epic tale about knights and wizards, or a dangerous setting where heroes have to live by their wits, you should check out these 10 perfect h