The 8 greatest fantasy book trilogies of all time, ranked

If there's one genre that lends itself perfectly to powerful, hugely imaginative, and absolutely unforgettable book trilogies, it's fantasy. After all, it's a genre all about expansive stories set in intricately complex worlds where nuanced magic systems, various mythological creatures, and decades-spanning events are the order of the day. That's why, throughout history, several of the greatest and most memorable book trilogies in history have belonged to fantasy.

It can be a YA trilogy, like His Dark Materials, or a dark, mature grimdark for adults, like the Broken Empire. There is a myriad of subcategories contained within the fantasy genre, and it's delightful to explore that wide variety while reading some of the most widely celebrated fantasy trilogies ever written. Creative, groundbreaking, and told through some of the most wonderful prose that the genre has ever seen, these are all must-read trilogies for virtually anyone who loves fantasy books. In order to qualify for this list, we need to be talking about true trilogies, not a single multi-volume epic book like The Lord of the Rings or The Once and Future King.

'The Broken Empire' Trilogy

Written by American-British author Mark Lawrence, the Broken Empiretrilogy consists of three of the best dark fantasy books of all time. It's the tale of the ruthless teenage prince Jorg Ancrath, who has forsaken his royal heritage to lead a bloodthirsty band of outlaws, and his quest to claim the throne as Emperor. Set in an engrossing post-apocalyptic Europe, the trilogy offers a masterful blend of medieval fantasy elements and remnants of forgotten technology. But a gripping setting is by no means the only strength that this trilogy has going for it.

The series consists of Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns, three of the most groundbreaking grimdark fantasy novels of the 2010s. It's impossible not to be deeply compelled by the tragic backstory of the anti-heroic lead, just as it is impossible to not find all of the post-apocalyptic lore irresistibly fascinating. Brilliantly weaving a non-linear story into a narrative tapestry that refuses to be a traditional Good vs. Evil tale, instead forcing the reader to sit with the narrative's moral ambiguity, the Broken Empire trilogy is essential for all those who love dark fantasy.

'Phèdre's Trilogy'

Historically, the fantasy landscape has been overwhelmingly male-dominated. In modern times, however, those demographics have shifted, with women now representing a significant portion of both readership and authorship of fantasy literature. One such boundary-pushing author is Jacqueline Carey, whose Kushiel's Legacy series is a landmark in the history of adult, sex-positive fantasy literature. The series is composed of two trilogies, the Phèdre trilogy and the Imriel trilogy, the former of which is one of the best ever written.

Far from being a traditional example of what is now commonly understood as romantasy, the Phèdre trilogy is a politically nuanced, powerfully mature, and thematically complex blend of fantasy, Medieval fantasy, and alternate-historical fiction. It proved absolutely revolutionary in its queer representation and depiction of BDSM, with moments of thrilling espionage and high-stakes battles that should prove immensely appealing for fans of the likes of George R. R. Martin. The only difference is that this series, composed of Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar, is actually complete already, so there's no need to wait 15 years for it to end.

'The Warlord Chronicles'

Arthurian legend is a cornerstone of speculative fiction as a whole, but of fantasy most of all. It introduced Western fantasy to tropes that have proven essential throughout its entire history, from the Chosen One to the Wizard Mentor to the Sacred Quest. It's essential Hero's Journey stuff, and as such, many authors throughout modern history have taken all sorts of fascinating liberties with the material to deliver groundbreaking tales about King Arthur and his Round Table. Case in point: Bernard Cornwell's The Warlord Chronicles, a mixture of historical fiction and Arthurian legend that all fans of chivalric romances should check out at least once.

Composed of The Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur, this amazing trilogy is perfect for all those who love intricate worldbuilding on the foundation of nearly-faultless historically-plausible details. Magic is treated with fascinating ambiguity here, Cornwell grounding it in the natural world to allow the reader to either take it at face value or as a result of illusion and coincidences. Gritty, smart, and with an exquisitely intelligent and unique understanding of events and characters from Arthurian legend, this trilogy is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of fantasy.

'The First Law' Trilogy

Written by British author of epic fantasy books Joe Abercrombie, the First Law series contains several standalone novels and two trilogies. The first one, which shares the series' name, is among the best book trilogies of all time. Blending razor-sharp dark humor with a gritty sense of realism and some of the strongest character work that 2000s fantasy ever saw, it's a tale following deeply flawed yet enthralling moral misfits through a story all about the cyclical nature of violence.

With prose that's dark yet irresistibly comical and hugely accessible, Abercrombie delivers three books that would be perfect as an introduction to modern grimdark fantasy for those interested. The complex character development is pretty much unparalleled, getting readers to question their values when they begin to sympathize with these incredibly complicated people that the story follows. Blend that with a borderline-genius subversion of typical fantasy tropes that elevates the books' deconstruction of power and morality, as well as some delectably visceral action scenes, and you get a modern classic trilogy unlike any other. The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings are all must-reads for fantasy lovers.

'The Broken Earth' Trilogy

Sometimes, science fiction and fantasy happen to coincide, and when that happens, it results in a genre known as science fantasy, which has produced some of the greatest fantasy books of all time throughout the years. The example par excellence is N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, a story spanning centuries set on a planet with a single supercontinent called the Stillness, whose inhabitants experience a catastrophic climate change event every few centuries. The Broken Earth series is climate fiction through and through—and one of the best trilogies ever written, at that.

The first installment in the series, The Fifth Season, is arguably one of those fantasy books that are better than most movies. As for its sequels, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky, they're equally exceptional literary explorations of systemic oppression, environmental trauma, and cycles of abuse. Jemisin crafts a masterclass in worldbuilding and character development by constantly offering all sorts of twists, surprises, and subversions, such as alternating between third-person perspective and groundbreaking chapters written in second person. The whole series feels grounded, thematically complex, and absolutely engrossing throughout.

'His Dark Materials'

Though it's often categorized as young adult fantasy, Philip Pullman actually wrotethe His Dark Materialstrilogy without any age demographic in mind, which is a big part of what makes this such a fascinating work of fantasy literature. Controversial for being unapologetically anti-religion and openly critiquing the Catholic Church, the trilogy is dark, philosophically complex, and brilliantly subversive, offering one of the most mature tales that a teenage fantasy reader could possibly encounter.

But His Dark Materials is a must-read for fantasy of any age, considering that what we're talking about is three of the best fantasy books of the last 50 years. Northern Lights (known as The Golden Compass in North America and other parts of the world) is easily the best of the bunch, but The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass are both nearly-perfect sequels. Full of ingenious worldbuilding and wonderfully nuanced themes, it's one of the most compelling fantasy book trilogies in history.

The 'Farseer' Trilogy

Written by Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden under the pen name of Robin Hobb, the Farseer trilogy is epic fantasy through and through, despite offering some of the most profoundly introspective prose that the genre has ever seen. It's one of those fantasy book series better than Harry Potter, an utter gem of a trilogy telling the tale of an illegitimate son of a prince who is trained as an assassin. Everything that ensues is an engrossing quest borrowing several tropes and creative elements from Arthurian legend.

Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin's Quest are all about as close to perfection as fantasy literature can possibly come. What makes the trilogy so special is that despite its vast scope, it also serves as an intimate character study narrated in first person by a protagonist grappling with severe trauma and identity crises. The emotional attachment built by that sense of intimacy makes the sharp political elements, high-stakes tension, and delectably unique magic system all the more gripping despite the lack of many traditional action scenes. People who love fantasy at its most character-driven are virtually guaranteed to add the Farseer trilogy to their list of favorite fantasy book series.

Era One of 'Mistborn'

Brandon Sanderson is not only one of the most productive speculative fiction authors working today, but also one of the greatest. For proof, one needn't look much further than his Mistbornseries, part of his interconnected Cosmere universe. The series is composed of two eras with a third one on the way, and it's Era One that may very well be the greatest fantasy book trilogy in history. It's certainly one of those book trilogies whose every novel is a masterpiece.

For one, it's a masterclass in structuring a trilogy, delivering a virtually faultless story arc where pretty much every single detail ends up paying off big-time, no matter how minor in appearance. The Final Empire is a riveting heist novel, The Well of Ascension is an absorbing political thriller, and The Hero of Ages delivers enough epic, high-stakes fantasy to satisfy even the most demanding fan of the genre. Diverse, perfectly paced, complete with a perfect magic system, and full of brilliant foreshadowing, it's one of the biggest trilogy masterpieces in history.