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The 16 Best Fantasy Novels of the 2000s

by YPB Team

Grimdark antiheroes, sprawling magic systems, and beloved wizards-for-hire — the decade that reshaped modern fantasy is all here. Cast your vote!

  1. The Name of the Wind — ranked #11
    The Name of the Wind
    Patrick Rothfuss's 2007 debut following the legendary arcanist Kvothe recounting his own life.
    1000pts
  2. Anansi Boys — ranked #22
    Anansi Boys
    Neil Gaiman's 2005 comic fantasy following the sons of the trickster spider-god Anansi.
    551pts
  3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — ranked #33
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    J.K. Rowling's 2007 finale to the blockbuster wizarding saga of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
    551pts
  4. The Curse of Chalion — ranked #44
    The Curse of Chalion
    Lois McMaster Bujold's 2001 court fantasy of a broken soldier entangled in a divine curse.
    494pts
  5. Deadhouse Gates — ranked #55
    Deadhouse Gates
    Steven Erikson's 2000 Malazan epic chronicling a harrowing continent-spanning refugee march.
    428pts
  6. The Blade Itself — ranked #66
    The Blade Itself
    Joe Abercrombie's 2006 grimdark opener that subverts classic fantasy archetypes with brutal wit.
    428pts
  7. American Gods — ranked #77
    American Gods
    Neil Gaiman's 2001 modern myth in which old and new gods wage war across America.
    428pts
  8. A Storm of Swords — ranked #88
    A Storm of Swords
    George R.R. Martin's 2000 third Song of Ice and Fire volume, famed for its shocking twists.
    350pts
  9. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell — ranked #99
    Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
    Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel of rival magicians reviving English magic in the Napoleonic era.
    350pts
  10. The Amber Spyglass — ranked #1010
    The Amber Spyglass
    Philip Pullman's 2000 finale to His Dark Materials, spanning multiple worlds and warring angels.
    350pts
  11. The Lies of Locke Lamora — ranked #1111
    The Lies of Locke Lamora
    Scott Lynch's 2006 caper about a band of con-artist thieves in a Venice-like city.
    257pts
  12. Storm Front — ranked #1212
    Storm Front
    Jim Butcher's 2000 debut launching the Dresden Files, a wizard-detective noir set in Chicago.
    257pts
  13. Coraline — ranked #1313
    Coraline
    Neil Gaiman's 2002 dark children's fantasy about a girl who finds a sinister parallel home.
    257pts
  14. Going Postal — ranked #1414
    Going Postal
    Terry Pratchett's 2004 Discworld satire about a con man forced to revive a derelict post office.
    257pts
  15. Mistborn: The Final Empire — ranked #1515
    Mistborn: The Final Empire
    Brandon Sanderson's 2006 heist epic with a metal-based magic system under a dark lord's reign.
    0pts
  16. Elantris — ranked #1616
    Elantris
    Brandon Sanderson's 2005 standalone debut set in a once-magical city now fallen to ruin.
    0pts

#Fantasy77#2000s147#Books91

Comments

Deathly Hallows arrived in 2007 as a finale competing against openings, and every rival novel from that decade was written for adults: https://youpick.best/articles/harry-potter-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
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