This was originally going to be the “Advanced” guide to fantasy, but I feel like people wouldn’t necessarily agree with my choices. The great thing is that people all read at different levels. I read The Lord of the Rings when I was in junior high, but someone else could have read it earlier, or later. This list is for either books with more mature content or ones I have left out in my other lists (see here: Beginner’s Guide to Fantasy & Intermediate Guide to Fantasy). Note that I have not read all of the books on this list, nor necessarily enjoyed them myself (I hated Jonathan Strange), but they come highly recommended by lots of other people. I hope you enjoy these books if you ever get the opportunity to! These are in no particular order.
The Silmarillion- J.R.R. Tolkien
Wizard’s First Rule- Terry Goodkind
The Eye of the World- Robert Jordan
A Game of Thrones- George R.R. Martin
Tigana- Guy Gavriel Kay
Gardens of the Moon- Steven Erikson
Mistborn- Brandon Sanderson
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell- Susanna Clarke
The Name of the Wind- Patrick Rothfuss
Sabriel- Garth Nix
