Top 10 best fantasy book series of all time - and Game of Thrones isn't number one

As a genre, fantasy has seen a significant surge in popularity recently, with a flood of new books, TV series, and films hitting the market.

However, there are those who have been long-time fans of the genre, such as the folks at Fantasy Book Reviews, who recently unveiled their top fantasy series of all time.

In their selection process, the readers decided to only rank series comprising more than three books.

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This meant that the legendary fantasy epic Lord of the Rings didn't make the cut - although it did secure the third spot on their list of the 100 best fantasy books of all time.

Claiming the top spot was the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, with its first instalment, Gardens of the Moon, published in 1999. While it may not be the most recognised fantasy series globally, it's certainly won over the readers at Fantasy Book Review.

They penned: "A Song of Ice and Fire and Robin Hobb’s trilogy of trilogies (Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man) are quite able to put a very strong case forward for their favoured works but few can deny that the quality and ambition of the ten books that make up A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen are unmatched within the genre."

However, the Malazan extends far beyond this core series, encompassing an additional 20 books, some of which are crafted by fellow fantasy author Ian C. Esslemont.

Securing the second spot is George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, famously adapted into the hit TV show Game of Thrones. Fans of this ongoing series have been waiting over a decade for the next instalment, The Winds of Winter.

Much like the Malazan series, A Song of Ice and Fire boasts an expanded universe with numerous companion books that enrich the world of ASOIAF without being integral to the main series.

Claiming the third position was Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, another fantasy epic that has recently been reimagined for television.

Recommending this series, the fantasy fans wrote: "A saga filled with unforgettable characters and a world steeped in rich history and legend. If you truly love the fantasy genre, passing up a chance to read The Wheel of Time would be an unbelievable mistake."

The series by J. K. Rowling and the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin round out the top five, securing the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

The best fantasy book series of all time, according to Fantasy Book Review:

A Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The Harry Potter series by

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin

The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood

The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson

The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney

The Mythago Cycle by Robert Holdstock

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Thursday Next by Jasper Forde

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook

Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

The Rigante Novels by David Gemmell

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

A Tale of Einarinn by Juliet E McKenna

The Drenai Novels by David Gemmell