The 10 Greatest Fantasy Books Released Since ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ Ranked

The article ranks ten fantasy books published after J. R. R. Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*, arguing that later writers have built on Tolkien’s influence with distinctive worlds and stories. It presents the books as notable successors to a series widely regarded as foundational to modern high fantasy.

The supplied text describes *The Name of the Wind*, about Kvothe recounting his life over three days, and notes that its trilogy remains unfinished. It also highlights *Dungeon Crawler Carl*, an eight-book science-fantasy series about an alien-run dungeon crawl, and Robin Hobb’s *Assassin’s Apprentice*, which follows a royal bastard trained as an assassin. The excerpt begins discussing Mark Lawrence’s *Prince of Thorns*, set in a post-nuclear-war Europe, but ends before completing the ranking.