One of the most popular media genres of all time is, without a doubt, fantasy. What makes it so special is the fact that it can bring audiences to worlds completely unlike the one they live in, while still having stories that are abundantly resonant, relevant, and relatable. That of the Harry Potter franchise, written by she who shall not be named, is consistently known as one of the largest fantasy series of all time.
The novels, which began being published in 1997, quickly grew to be one of the most popular franchises among young audiences all across the world. However, this isn’t to say that it’s the only good fantasy series — far from it, actually. There are plenty of iconic and popular fantasy book franchises that are adored by people all over the planet, and that objectively are better than Harry Potter (no shade, though).
1
The Witcher
While the video games are easily the most loved medium of this series, The Witcher franchise actually began in literature all the way back in 1990 when it was published in Polish (later to be translated in 2007). The reason the games and television show are so abundantly popular right now is because of how much readers adored these books.
Author Andrzej Sapkowski began this long-running fictional universe when he entered a short story competition and published 1990’s The Witcher (which is the only product of the series that has never been translated into English). The worldbuilding that’s present here is so well-done, and the characterization within said world is excellent. Thankfully for fans, Sapkowski plans to continue the series after finishing the prequel novel he’s currently working on.
2
The Chronicles of Narnia
When it comes to series for young audiences, another of the most popular comes in the form of The Chronicles of Narnia. With some movies that began releasing in 2005, and a new one by Greta Gerwig — titled Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew — coming soon, there’s no question that this series is beloved, and for good reason.
Author C.S. Lewis was once a scholar of medieval and ancient literature, so when it came to bringing The Chronicles of Narnia novels to life, the writer took that experience with themes and archetypes from classic mythologies. There are deep theological messages within it, and that truly sets it apart from the other fantasy reads for young audiences. Such deep themes and messages make for a truly thought-provoking read. Not to mention, it goes far beyond the reaches of a traditional school and is rather tied to stakes of cosmic proportions.
3
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The franchise that is often considered the most genuine competition to Harry Potter is none other than Rick Riordan‘s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Now with a Disney+ series of their own, and old movies (that were less beloved, but with huge nostalgia), there’s no denying that this series is wildly popular among the same demographic that reads Harry Potter.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is phenomenally well-written, with some vastly beloved characters — the main trio having a phenomenal dynamic and great character arcs — that are super entertaining to read. Not to forget, the use of Greek mythology as the world surrounding these ever-lovable demigods makes this worth getting invested in.
4
The Dark Tower
Pretty much everyone knows who Stephen King is. Known for seemingly countless hit novels, King has a plethora of projects worth getting into, with one of the most being his entire The Dark Tower franchise. Comprising eight books spanning from 1982 to 2004, this series is well worth getting into for anyone who loves fantasy.
The Dark Tower franchise — starting with The Gunslinger — is what some would consider King’s “magnum opus” of sorts. The way he balances genres from book to book is excellent. The Dark Tower is a whole mythology in and of itself, which makes it such an engaging read from book one to book eight.
5
The Poppy War
R. F. Kuang‘s The Poppy War novel series is celebrated for reasons that Harry Potter is, and also for reasons that aren’t present in the Harry Potter series whatsoever. While there is an academy present, featuring a classic underdog, The Poppy War series depicts war in an abundantly raw and brutal manner. It’s honest about how horrific it can get.
Being inspired by 20th-century Chinese history, the setting of The Poppy War is unique in comparison to other books like it. The political themes and conflicts at play are not just deep and thought-provoking — they are also interesting. Often, books like this can struggle to implement said ideas without feeling boring to the reader, who typically wants to see action and external conflict, but The Poppy War does not struggle with this.
6
Game of Thrones
Most of the world knows Game of Thrones because of the hit television universe consisting of the likes of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, the franchise was only popular enough to get a television adaptation because author George R. R. Martin wrote such a phenomenally executed series of books — that he is still working on — starting in 1996. With the last book released in 2011, and more planned, fans have been patiently waiting for the next entry, The Winds of Winter.
Until it finally releases, now is the perfect time to get caught up on this great series. What makes the Game of Thrones series so enjoyable is that it is hugely unpredictable. Just when readers think they know what’s going to happen, R. R. Martin tells them to screw off and changes the entire status quo. Not to mention, unlike Harry Potter, this series is profoundly grey in its morality, keeping the characters more complex and layered.
7
Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson is one of the most prolific modern authors, especially in the fantasy genre. One of the major reasons for this is his work in the Mistborn franchise. It has one of the most unique and special magic systems out there, called Allomancy, utilizing different types of metals to bring out different kinds of powers in characters.
Aside from its excellent magic system, the characters featured in the Mistborn series are phenomenally well-written. The protagonist of the first era of the series, Vin, is an excellently executed female protagonist written by a male writer. She is iconic in almost every way, and Sanderson does a great job giving each character — no matter how small — a strong identity and arc. Lastly, the action, thanks to the magic system, is fun and inventive.
8
The Stormlight Archive
Another massive success from Brandon Sanderson is none other than his series, The Stormlight Archive. Beginning with The Way of Kings, this franchise is widely beloved as Sanderson’s best work, and for very good reason. Following many different characters, Sanderson manages to juggle multiple plot lines at once, eventually bringing them all into one, much like a movie like Avengers: Infinity War did.
The Stormlight Archive is a journey unlike any other. While the worldbuilding is incredible — borderline comparable to that of The Lord of the Rings — it’s the characters and their excellent arcs that make this such an incredible read. Every single character is compelling in some way or another and is a fan favorite to someone.
9
Lord of the Rings
Across all media — books, movies, television, games — The Lord of the Rings universe is one of the most, if not the most, popular fantasy franchises of all time. The worldbuilding done by J.R.R. Tolkien in these novels is genuinely unmatched. Many consider The Lord of the Rings series to have the best worldbuilding out there. The way Tolkien creates entire languages, civilizations, cultures, and more is unbelievable.
This isn’t the only reason that The Lord of the Rings outweighs the rest, though. The thematic messages of hope and undying friendship are beyond heartwarming and give this series a feeling for readers that is iconic. Truly, The Lord of the Rings is a story that thrives on “the power of friendship” but actually makes it work in almost every way.
