There is something rather wonderful, you know, about a quest. Not the sort of quest one undertakes to find matching socks—though that has its own particular heroism—but the grand sort, where maps lead to mysterious places and ordinary folk discover they are not so ordinary after all.
We have here assembled a collection of such journeys, both those awaiting discovery in 2026 and those which have already proven themselves treasures beyond measure. Come along then, hop to it—but best not to skip second breakfast if you want to keep up.
The Most Anticipated Epic Quest Fantasy Books of 2026
Before we explore the classics that have earned their place upon the shelf, let us peek at what wonderful adventures await just around the corner.
The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman
Our old friend Kinch Na Shannack returns—that incorrigible thief whose tongue is nearly as sharp as his predicaments are dire. This time the rogue must decipher a rather disagreeable book, one that attempts to murder him each time he opens its pages. Accompanying him is the stalwart knight Galva, and together they flee into lands unknown whilst the sinister Taker’s Guild nips at their heels. One suspects Kinch shall talk himself into approximately seventeen calamities before breakfast.
Steel Gods by Richard Swan
In this dark flintlock fantasy arriving March 2026, Ambassador Renata Rainer faces a simple task: save the world. As a mind-plague sweeps across nations and reality grows thin at the Eye of the Sea, our heroes must confront ancient horrors whilst navigating political intrigue of the most treacherous sort. Swan writes the kind of meticulous, slow-burning epic that rewards those who pay attention.
The Greatest Epic Quest Fantasy Novels of All Time
Now we turn to those quests that have become legend—stories so beloved they have shaped the very landscape of fantasy itself.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
If there exists a reader who has not heard of young Frodo Baggins and his tremendous burden, I should very much like to meet them—and then immediately send them to Middle-earth. Tolkien crafted a quest so defining that all who followed have walked in its shadow. A small hobbit carrying a ring of terrible power to the Cracks of Doom, accompanied by the most wonderfully mismatched fellowship imaginable. It rather sets the standard, you see.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Here is a saga vast enough to lose oneself in for quite some time—fourteen volumes of prophecy, magic, and a struggle between Light and Shadow. Young Rand al’Thor discovers he may be the Dragon Reborn, destined either to save the world or break it. Jordan understood that the best quests are those which change not only the world but the very souls of those who undertake them.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Young Ged, proud and reckless, unleashes a shadow upon the world and must journey across the scattered islands of Earthsea to confront what he has wrought. Le Guin understood something essential: that the greatest quest is often the one that leads inward. Her prose moves like poetry, and Ged’s journey toward self-knowledge remains one of fantasy’s most profound tales.
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
This is the trilogy that inspired George R.R. Martin to write his own epic, and Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson besides. Young Simon, a humble kitchen boy, finds himself caught in a war fueled by ancient hatreds and undead kings. A quest for three legendary swords becomes a journey that bridges classical fantasy and the modern epics we cherish today. Locus called it “the fantasy equivalent of War and Peace,” and they were not exaggerating much.
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
On Roshar, storms of tremendous power have shaped both ecology and civilization. Here we find Kaladin Stormblessed, a surgeon’s apprentice turned soldier turned slave, discovering abilities linked to an honorable little spirit called Syl. Sanderson constructs worlds of staggering complexity, yet never loses sight of the human hearts beating within them. The magic system alone is worth the journey.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
What if the prophesied hero failed, and the dark lord won? Sanderson answers this delightfully grim question with a heist story set in an ash-covered world. Kelsier, a criminal mastermind, and Vin, a street urchin who discovers she can burn metals for magical power, plot to overthrow an immortal tyrant. It is Ocean’s Eleven if Ocean faced a god, and it is magnificent.
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
FitzChivalry Farseer—Fitz to his few friends—is a royal bastard trained as an assassin, gifted with telepathy he dare not reveal. Hobb’s trilogy is a masterwork of character study, following Fitz through suffering and small joys alike. One does not merely read about Fitz; one lives alongside him, feeling every betrayal and rare kindness. The Los Angeles Review of Books called it “complete immersion,” and they understood exactly.
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
If you prefer your quests with rather more cynicism and considerably less shining armor, Abercrombie is your man. Logen Ninefingers, the Bloody-Nine, strives to leave violence behind—with limited success. Sand dan Glokta, once a dashing swordsman, now employs different blades as the Union’s most feared torturer. This is grimdark fantasy at its finest, where heroes are merely villains who happened to survive, and wit cuts deeper than swords.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Kvothe tells his own legend—a dangerous thing, as any storyteller knows. From orphan to university student to infamous wizard, his tale unfolds like music, for Rothfuss writes prose that borders on poetry. Ursula K. Le Guin herself praised his words, noting “real music in the words.” One only hopes the final volume of this trilogy arrives before we are all quite elderly.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Through a wardrobe and into a land where animals speak, winters last a hundred years, and a great Lion waits for those brave enough to seek him. Lewis crafted seven tales that have enchanted readers for generations, proving that the doorway to adventure might be closer than one imagines—perhaps in the spare room, behind the fur coats.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Zélie Adebola embarks upon a quest to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, inspired by Yoruba mythology and West African heritage. Adeyemi brings fresh magic to the fantasy landscape—literally, as her maji wield powers the king’s genocide could not quite extinguish. With over two million copies sold and a film adaptation in development, this is modern epic fantasy at its most vital.
The Journey Awaits
What makes a quest truly epic? Perhaps it is not the destination but the transformation—ordinary souls discovering extraordinary courage, unlikely companions becoming family, and readers finding worlds that feel more real than the one outside their window.
Each of these books offers such metamorphosis. Whether you seek the familiar comfort of Tolkien’s prose or the sharp wit of Abercrombie’s antiheroes, there exists a journey here for you.
The only question remaining is: which shall you undertake first?
