Only 4 Fantasy Epic Books Are Better Than The Lord of the Rings

The article argues that, despite *The Lord of the Rings* being widely regarded as the 20th century’s most influential fantasy work, four other fantasy novels could be considered better. It frames that judgement as subjective and says later writers either built on Tolkien’s approach or challenged its conventions.

The excerpt focuses on *A Storm of Swords*, George R. R. Martin’s third *A Song of Ice and Fire* novel. It praises the book’s fast-moving plot, political intrigue and morally complex characters, contrasting them with simpler good-versus-evil divisions often found in Tolkien-inspired fantasy. The article says the nearly 1,000-page novel includes a major plot twist and became part of a wider cultural phenomenon, helped by the television adaptation.