2011 was a great year for fantasy literature. A lot of awaited books arrived and we had our fair share of surprises. Making lists of the best books are a difficult thing since reading and judging are two very subjective things. That’s why this list of fantasy books 2011 is not my personal one but one that is based on gathered opinions and actual sales figures. Even if you don’t agree with me or the rest of the world hopefully you’ll find it interesting and it’ll maybe give you a tip or two. These are some of the fantasy books 2011:

A dance with dragons by George R.R. Martin

At the top of the fantasy books 2011 was A dance with dragons is Martin’s fifth book in the not yet finished series “A song of ice and fire”. The epic fantasy novels have sold more than 15 million copies all over the world and are now turned into the appraised tv-series “Game of thrones”.

In “a dance with dragons” the future of the Seven Kingdoms are threatened by reignited conflicts from all sides. The Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch who’s guarding the wall of ice and stone in the north are troubled by enemies from both within and beyond the wall. In the east Daenerys dragons have grown to terrifying maturity and many are seeking them. The enemies are everywhere. Some will fail, others will grow in strength of darkness. And the time of restlessness will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all.

If you have missed the first four books you’re in for a treat.

1. A game of thrones

2. A clash of kings

3. A storm of swords

4. A feast for crows

The night circus by Erin Morgenstern

In a book for both mind and heart Celia and Marco, two young magicians, compete in a game where only one can win. Their world is a circus that only opens at night and appears from what seems nowhere. They’ve been trained since childhood for the stage and battle of imagination and will but something interfere. Love, deep and magical. But no matter what – the game must go on.

The wise man’s fear by Patrick Ruthfuss

As the third book in my list of fantasy books 2011 I chose the first book in the trilogy the Name of the wind, and it was good. It has even been voted the third-best SFF novel of the decade. Many fans have been waiting eagerly for the second volume and in 2011 it finally hit the market. In the wise man’s fear Kvothe leaves the University to search for answers about the Chandrian abroad. But his way towards the truth leads to unexpected mysteries and obstacles to overcome. He’s not just put on trial by legendary mercenaries but forced to face the faerie woman no man can resist.

The kingdom of gods by N.K. Jemisin

This is the third book in Jemisin’s trilogy The Inheritance. In this fantasy book series the gods that created humans share their lives under the ruling of one corrupt and powerful family. The long enslaved gods are now loose and chaos threatens everyone. It’s up to three to save the rest in struggle between power, love, death and revenge.

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Not totally surprising Pratchetts Discworld series made my list of great fantasy books 2011. Pratchett has come to the 39th novel and it sold over 55 000 copies the first three days. In Snuff commander Vimes is on a well-deserved vacation with his wife. But the fun is cut short when he discovers that the son of Lord Rust is forcing goblins, humanoid life forms, to work on his tobacco plantations. Together with a local constable Upshot he must stop Lord Rust’s son from enslaving the goblins.

The crippled god by Steven Erikson

In the last book of the fantasy series the Malazan Book of the Fallen Erikson goes all out and manages to bring us deeper into the world he’s created. He finishes the story in the best possible fantasy style with magic, heartbreak, fire, blood, iron and triumph. A series coming to an end is a complicated thing and after ten books there are a lot of loose ends to be tied. Erikson does a great job to see the mountain of plots answered and resolved. The book is better read than summarized.

As you may have noticed I ended up with novels from fantasy book series and not any debuts in my list of good fantasy books 2011. I guess both my preferences and the market had a hand in the making. Like many others I love reading series as we fall in love with characters and their worlds and want to follow them for a little longer. If there’s a fantasy book in the list that you haven’t read, or if there’s a whole fantasy book series that you haven’t gotten to yet, you're in for a treat. If not, hope you enjoyed to hear about my favorite fantasy books 2011 anyway.