Ranking Jim's Fantasy's Greatest Reads | Part 5: THE FINALE #20–1

This is it — the grand finale of my Top 100 Fantasy Reads of All Time (2025 Edition)! Today we count down my Top 20 fantasy books ever — the stories that shaped me, broke me, inspired me, and permanently rewired my love for the genre.From sweeping epics to brutal grimdark, from dragon-soaring sci-fantasy to universe-shaking finales, this top section features some of the greatest storytelling I’ve ever encountered. Many of these books define entire eras of my reading life… and yes, the top spot might be predictable, but it’s absolutely earned.If you’ve enjoyed this entire journey, please Like, Subscribe, and ring that Notification Bell so you don’t miss what’s coming next on Fantasy for the Ages!✨ In this episode:– Ranks 20–1: the absolute best of the best– Some reshuffling compared to last year– Emotional reactions, personal reflections, and celebration of genre giants– The final reveal of your host’s all-time favorite fantasy novelLet me know in the comments: What are YOUR Top 10 fantasy reads? And how does your list compare to mine?💕 Love goes out to all those supporting the channel on Patreon! Want to know about who you also can join that community, and earn some bonus perks?: patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges#Top100Fantasy #BookTube #FantasyRanking #EpicFantasy #Grimdark #Pern #StormlightArchive #MalazanWant to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?All the Weyrs of Pern: https://t.ly/N53p9Battle Ground: https://t.ly/e_gvhThe Bonehunters: https://t.ly/kX-q2Caine’s Law: https://t.ly/XCCY5The Crippled God: https://t.ly/TghpcDragonflight: https://t.ly/D7R4QDragonquest: https://t.ly/gjuzEThe End of the World as We Know It: https://t.ly/JSIlRFall of Light: https://t.ly/-5QCqForge of Darkness: https://t.ly/YPl_MKnife of Dreams: https://t.ly/cLSQzMagician: Master: https://t.ly/X4s7NA Memory of Light: https://t.ly/HvE8CMidnight Tides: https://t.ly/zGjjfOathbringer: https://t.ly/7bhmmPeace Talks: https://t.ly/ObDsbReaper’s Gale: https://t.ly/7JrTbThe Return of the King: https://t.ly/JWFUqRhythm of War: https://t.ly/v0HfsThe Shadow Rising: https://t.ly/5mp4-The Stand: https://t.ly/UG_4mToll the Hounds: https://t.ly/035SPThe Wisdom of Crowds: https://t.ly/6zmvmWays to connect with us:Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected] Email us: [email protected] Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheagesJim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n 0:00 - Opening 1:27 - List Explanation2:30 - Books 20 - 117:12 - Conclusion & Wrap-up————————————————————————————Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:https://elements.envato.com/