To be perfectly honest, this list was much harder to compile than I had anticipated. I love, love, love fantasy, but in this, I’m excluding worlds that are built within our current world or worlds that are post apocalyptic. Those will be separate genre focuses within my Worldbuilding Blog Series. One of my goals here was to pull from books that I’ve read and/or am very familiar with. I had to dig deep and a couple are still on my TBR list. Here they are, not in order of preference.
20. Cassandra Morgan – Chartile
I’m currently reading this little gem and will be publishing a book review next week. Independently published author, Cassandra Morgan has also been gracious enough to do an interview specifically about worldbuilding. Her interview will be published on Monday, January 21, 2019, and the review will come on January 23.
19. Patrick Rothfuss – The Four Corners of Civilization
This is one of my go-to’s when I think about worldbuilding. I’m dying for #3 to come out…or the real story if, in fact, the first few are the longest prologue in history. Yes, I stalk this author waiting for the return to The Four Corners of Civilization.
18. Maria V. Schneider – Ixia & Sitia
I’ve read everything Maria V. Snyder has written in this world. The stories started with Poison Study and continued through eight books and several short stories.
17. Ann Bishop – Terreille
It has been a while since I read The Black Jewels Trilogy, but when I did, I found it to be a guilty pleasure. It is dark fantasy with some seriously damaged male leads as indicated by their very names.
16. J.R.R. Tolkien – Middle-earth
Really, there’s not a fantasy world list in existence that could exclude Middle-earth. And truly, I think that’s enough said. Again, these are not in any specified order.
15. Neil Gaiman – Faerie
The imagination of Neil Gaiman is like none other. I really wanted to use Neverwhere on this list, but since it’s rooted in London, I went with the classic Stardust. Who can argue with the pure intentional cheesiness embedded within this world and story and the fairy tale he built?
14. Guy Gavriel Kay – Arbonne
The troubadours… A fantasy focused around music, but lavishly developed. I’ve read several works by Guy Gavriel Kay, and rarely have I been disappointed. In fact, for this one, you can read my review: A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay.
13. Terry Goodkind – Westland/The Midlands
I fell in love with Richard and Kahlan, and this series pulled me through four books and went on for a full dozen or so. If you have the highest payout for a first time author, why wouldn’t you?
12. Christopher Paolini – Alagaesia
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In Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, I had a love-hate relationship with the story. Alagaesia was wonderfully imagined, but I was expecting a trilogy. As I reached the end of Brissngr, I was quite angry and held that against him for a long time before I read Inheritance. When I did, I was purely delighted with how well he wove the dragons through his narrative and centered his world around them. This is one that my son (the dragon fanatic) and I definitely bonded over.
11. Jacqueline Carey – Terre D’Ange
Does this surprise anyone who knows me? Yes, it’s based on the map of Europe, but it is purely imagined. If you’d like to see me brag a little more about Jacqueline Carey’s worldbuilding talent, check out my review of Starless. That doesn’t compare (in my eyes) to Terre d’Ange, but it was a great single-volume fantasy in its own right.
10. Kristin Cashore – the Dells
This was the second book in Kristin Cashore’s series, though it is not dependent on having read Graceling. If you’re going to pick up her work, I recommend you start here. I think the second book has better developed characters and plot and builds a world that’s a bit more complex. On Goodreads, I’d rated Graceling with 3 stars, but I gave Fire a full 5–not a common rating in my book. I have to be wowed to give out that fifth star.
9. Joe Abercrombie – The Valley of Osrung / World of the First Law
I have to admit…I have not read this or anything by Joe Abercrombie outside of an essay. This book, though, takes place entirely in a single valley over the course of a single battle. This is something that I find highly intriguing. Sure, Homer did it in The Iliad and I’m certain Tolkien could have done it and kept me interested. So, if he does this well, he must be a wonder at worldbuilding. I told you above that I had to dig deep. At least it’s on one of my lists: my TBR.
8. Catherynne M. Valente – Palimpsest
I have book club tomorrow night, and I’m truly considering selecting this. I wonder how my group of midwestern hockey mothers will take to the premise of visiting a world through sex? It’d make for some interesting conversation at the least.
7. George R.R. Martin – Westeros
This is another one where I can simply say… ‘Nuff Said. And yes, I’ve read them all and I’m itching for the arrival of the next and final season.
6. Suzanne Collins – Panem
I originally avoided adding this one to the list as I thought it a post-apocalyptic fantasy. It may be, but the world was named Panem, and I don’t believe Ms. Collins specifically stated that it was Earth. It’s easy to assume it’s Earth, because the characters are all people and it seems that the fantastical animals are genetically engineered. However, I’m going to bury my head here and call it fantasy.
She needs little introduction for the world she built–one decimated and controlled by the oppressive Capitol.
5. Stephen King – Delain
One could argue that Stephen King comes up on every list, but he doesn’t frequent mine. This little gem–his pure fantasy–is the one exception. While I generally struggled with his more well-known books, I adored this story, the pure fantasy setting, and the characters. It’s been a while…maybe I should shift it back to my TBR list.
4. Robert Jordan – Unnamed World
Loved by so many, I just haven’t gotten into it yet. Everyone tells me to continue, and I’ve tried. I’m not fully giving up just yet, but we are on a break. So, while I know that many love this world, I don’t have much to add about the story. I will give the author due respect for the following he has garnered.
3. Brandon Sanderson – Scadrial
This was one of the most unique magic systems I’ve ever encountered combined with a heist story. That alone kept me enthralled. The characters were good and the story well developed, but the magic is what saved me. I have a lean toward more social science fantasy.
2. Sarah Monette РM̩lusine
I wish I wrote a review of this book at the time I read it. Her world is derived from French history, but Sarah Monette puts a spin on it that was colorful and engrossing. What I find amazing about this book–much like the Kushiel Series by Jacqueline Carey–is that the writing and language used within the prose is almost lyrical. I relish sinking into a new and unique voice.
1. Anne McCaffrey – Pern
Finally, you might say. However, this is also one that is on my TBR list. I need to take a vacation on a beach and plow through this trilogy.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed the list and maybe added to your own TBR list.
If you’ve enjoyed some of these worlds or have worlds to add, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re looking to discover another new world, check out The Caeteran Tales.
Happy reading and discovering new worlds!