The fantasy genre encompasses many titles from all generations of literature, making it easy for certain books to be forgotten, even though they make incredible reads. The early 2000s saw the publication of some of the most iconic works of speculative fiction in recent memory, like several installments of the Harry Potter series and The Name of The Wind, a recent fantasy book that will be a classic someday. However, since there were so many groundbreaking works being released, some equally engaging and high-quality works didn't get the notoriety they deserved and are due for a resurgence in popularity.
Some of the best fantasy books of the 2000s became so famous that they were adapted for the screen, cultivating an even larger audience thanks to their movies. Even though film iterations of these stories help to preserve their relevance, it's not always a guarantee that readers will continue to discuss these books for many years to come. However, these fantasy books deserve more time in the spotlight regardless of whether they ever get a screen adaptation, as they're a credit to the genre and transport the audience to thrilling new worlds.
10
The Way Of Shadows (2008)
Written by Brent Weeks
Brent Weeks' debut, The Way of Shadows, unfolds similarly to many fantasy tales about young heroes and their rise to power. However, just because The Way of Shadows is part of a long tradition of fantasy doesn't mean that it isn't original or that it's not fun to join the characters on their journeys. The first in the Night Angel series, The Way of Shadows, follows the protagonist, Azoth, as he sheds his original name and becomes a new, more dangerous version of himself under the tutelage of his assassin mentor.
For readers who enjoy action, political conspiracies, and moral ambiguity, The Way of Shadows is the perfect escape from the real world.
All three of the first Night Angel books were released at the same time in 2008, allowing readers to devour the story and immerse themselves in its supernatural world of deadly assassins. For readers who enjoy action, political conspiracies, and moral ambiguity, The Way of Shadows is the perfect escape from the real world. With epic battles and choices that force Azoth to question who he's really working for and what he's willing to leave behind, The Way of Shadows is on par with many of the most famous works of fantasy today.
Book
Year of Release
The Way of Shadows
2008
Shadow's Edge
2008
Beyond the Shadows
2008
Night Angel Nemesis
2023
9
Inkheart (2003)
Written by Cornelia Funke
Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series had the potential to be one of the biggest fantasy franchises of the 2000s, but the failed movie adaptation in 2008 put an end to this possibility. However, had the other two books in the series been brought to life for the screen, audiences everywhere would've fallen in love with the magical and literary world of Inkheart. Based on the idea that there are certain people who can bring the words and characters of a book to life by reading aloud, Inkheart takes the reader on a dangerous and emotionally fraught quest.
Brendan Fraser's career includes hits and misses but also underrated films that, for a variety of reasons, don’t get as much love as they deserve.
On its own, this is a great premise, especially for book lovers, but Funke doesn't let the concept carry the story. The heart and soul of Inkheart is the relationship between young Meggie and her father, Mortimer, who has been on the run from the villains that Mortimer accidentally brought to life from a book. The pair have a deep bond, and their love for each other is a key part of what makes Inkheart so memorable. As the books continue, Meggie has even more adventures and learns she can count on herself as much as her father.
As much a romantasy book as it is a story of independence and adventure, Graceling is a story about defying expectations and refusing to capitulate to other people's expectations. Katsa, the main character of Graceling, is one of the Graced, but her special power is not one of beauty but violence. Kristin Cashore draws the reader into Katsa's world as she grapples with the opposing sides of herself and wonders why she was given such a gift and what her responsibility is to the people around her.
The way Graces work in Graceling makes for an interesting magic system.
Katsa's journey is elevated by her romance with Po, a prince who seems like the opposite of everything she's been told she is. The way Graces work in Graceling makes for an interesting magic system. Graces can take on both physical and mental forms, and Katsa quickly discovers that her gifts aren't what she's always believed. Though romance plays a significant role in Katsa's development, it's clear that Cashore is working hard to weave a narrative of female empowerment through the chapters while catering to a YA audience.
Book
Year of Release
Graceling
2008
Fire
2009
Bitterblue
2012
Winterkeep
2021
Seasparrow
2022
7
Who Fears Death (2010)
Written by Nnedi Okorafor
Nnedi Okorafor takes on racism, colorism, and oppressive histories of violence in her post-apocalyptic novel, Who Fears Death. Okorafor describes her work as part of the Africanfuturism movement, as she sets her work in Africa and differentiates it from the Afrofuturism genre (via Nnedi Blogspot). In Who Fears Death, Onyesonwu is raised in a dystopian world of magic and conflicting identities, but she comes to recognize her power and position in ending the genocide of her people.
Okorafor isn't afraid to touch upon the violence and terror of the world in Who Fears Death and draws clear and direct comparisons between her fictional universe and the real world. However, this doesn't mean there isn't light, love, and the preservation of tradition and family in Who Fears Death, even in the face of the intensity of the forces Onyesonwu comes up against. Who Fears Death distinguishes itself with a protagonist as complex and enthralling as Onyesonwu and Okorafor's writing.
Book
Year of Release
Who Fears Death
2010
The Book of the Phoenix
2015
She Who Knows
2024
One Way Witch
Expected 2025
6
Fablehaven (2006)
Written by Brandon Mull
The Fablehaven series might be for kids, but its memorable storytelling and unique conceit make it worth reading for any generation. However, for those who did pick up Fablehaven in their youth, there's no question that Brandon Mull's series is especially nostalgic because there are so many magical creatures that haunt the pages of the story. In Fablehaven, the siblings Kendra and Seth are exposed to the fantastical world of Fablehaven when they go to visit their grandparents and discover a hidden world of monsters and magic.
Unfortunately, many amazing books fulfilled the niche of fantasy for younger audiences during the 2000s, so the Fablehaven series hasn't been as widely discussed.
Fablehaven is a children's fantasy book that still hits home as an adult since the references to classic legends and fairy tales are such a large part of fiction. Unfortunately, many amazing books fulfilled the niche of fantasy for younger audiences during the 2000s, so the Fablehaven series hasn't been as widely discussed. However, since Mull recently released the companion series Dragonwatch, beginning in 2017, there's plenty of great material that fleshes out the world and Fablehaven and gives the heroes plenty of adventures to bravely embark on.
Book
Year of Release
Fablehaven
2006
Rise of the Evening Star
2007
Grip of the Shadow Plague
2008
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
2009
Keys to the Demon Prison
2010
5
Powers (2007)
Written by Ursula K. Le Guin
Many of Ursula K. Le Guin's best books fall into the sci-fi category, but she wrote many fantasy novels that helped push the genre forward. Later in her career, Le Guin penned the series Annals of the Western Shore, which began in 2004 with Gifts. Though Powers is the third book in the trilogy, it's an unforgettable conclusion to the story, and Powers makes it well worth reading the first two installments. Like all of her work, the trilogy is deeply intertwined with the natural world and the structures of power.
Though Powers is a YA book, Le Guin loses none of her potency when she isn't writing for adults, as seen in the critically acclaimed Earthsea Cycle. Powers is an emotionally raw and arresting book, forcing readers to confront their fears and wishes alongside Gav, the main character. After slowly developing his gifts for sight and memory, Gav's thrown into a world he doesn't know and must assert himself and his desire for freedom. As always, Le Guin imparts critical cultural and social messages to the audience but does so in the form of a story worth getting lost in.
Book
Year of Release
Gifts
2004
Voices
2006
Powers
2007
4
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010)
Written by N. K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy was immediately hailed as essential reading within the fantasy genre, but before the author received record-breaking accolades for that series, she penned the Inheritance books. Published just as the 2000s became the 2010s,The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was Jemisin's debut and made its mark on the fantasy world, demonstrating that Jemisin was a voice to watch in the coming decade. Yeine Darr makes for a captivating protagonist as she's thrust from the safety of her world to a kingdom of gods and betrayal.
One of the most vivid parts of Jemisin's writing in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the immediacy of gods and magic in the story.
In the wake of her mother's sudden death, Yeine journeys to her mother's homeland, a city in the sky, to compete for the right to rule and uncover the secrets that have been kept for her. One of the most vivid parts of Jemisin's writing in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the immediacy of gods and magic in the story. Yeine is constantly speaking and making deals with the gods in the palace, and the existence of these higher powers is something the humans in the book use as tools to amass more power.
Book
Year of Release
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
2010
The Broken Kingdoms
2010
The Kingdom of Gods
2011
3
Best Served Cold (2009)
Written by Joe Abercrombie
Best Served Cold might take place in the same universe as the First Law series, but this addition to Joe Abercrombie's oeuvre is rarely mentioned when discussing the best parts of the series. While Abercrombie's many works all have their merits, Best Served Cold is a fun, swashbuckling novel that thrills readers until the final pages. Led by the female protagonist, Monza Murcatto, Best Served Cold assembles a motley crew of thieves and brigands who come together to help Murcatto take down the most powerful man in the land.
While fantasy stories are defined by their magic and mystical worlds, often they're rooted in thrilling tales of revenge, romance, and betrayal.
It might be an uphill battle, and Murcatto might have her work cut out for her getting her crew into fighting shape, but even during their worst moments, they're a team worth rooting for. Best Served Cold is concerned first and foremost with revenge, but it leads its characters down a path of adventure and growth even as they commit violent, bloodthirsty acts. Murcatto is a protagonist worth rooting for, and Abercrombie does an excellent job bringing an exciting new corner of the First Law universe to life.
2
Perdido Street Station (2000)
Written by China Miéville
China Miéville's Perdido Street Station cemented the author as one of the best minds in contemporary fantasy. Blending fantasy and sci-fi, Perdido Street Station whisks the reader away to a world where technology has gone further than the audience can imagine and human-animal hybrids are commonplace. The protagonist, Isaac, is one of the scientific minds who pushes boundaries in Perdido Street Station, but his curiosity and thirst for discovery come at a cost.
Isaac pays dearly for his experimentation by the end of the novel, and Miéville has no qualms about delving into the darkest corners of fantasy and the human experience.
Isaac pays dearly for his experimentation by the end of the novel, and Miéville has no qualms about delving into the darkest corners of fantasy and the human experience. Perdido Street Station was immediately hailed by fantasy critics and fans as a pivotal addition to the genre. However, it doesn't have the same far-reaching name recognition as similar novels. Fortunately, this didn't stop the author from adding to his vividly imagined universe. Miéville's other works, The Scar and Iron Council, are set in the same world as Perdido Street Station, but all three books can be read as standalone projects.
Book
Year of Release
Perdido Street Station
2000
The Scar
2002
Iron Council
2004
1
Leviathan (2009)
Written by Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld's steampunk fantasy series kicks off with Leviathan, a fantastical reimagining of the First World War. Though Westerfeld is better known for writing the YA dystopian sci-fi series Uglies, which came out a few years before Leviathan, his other work shouldn't be overlooked. Blending alternative history with fantasy can be tricky to pull off, but Leviathan easily engages the audience thanks to the central dynamic between Aleksander and Deryn, the stories' protagonists.
The magic and technological systems in Leviathan are what set the novel apart, as Westerfeld uses elements of advanced weaponized machinery as well as genetically engineered animals. Putting this otherworldly twist on an international conflict that most readers know well is an interesting way into this history and makes for an exciting backdrop to the characters' development. While the story is already immersive on its own, the Leviathan books are elevated by the gorgeous illustrations that accompany the text, giving the reader visual insights into the landscape of the world.
Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore
English (US) ·