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Best Hidden-Gem Fantasy Series

A hidden gem, on this site, is a mechanical fact about a universe's own numbers -- never a hand pick. It scores in the top quarter of the whole ranking (4.11 or higher on the site's weighted-average metric) but has been rated by fewer than 50,000 readers total, well under the ranked median of roughly 60,000. Every entry below re-qualifies on every rebuild: a universe drops off the moment its reader count crosses the line, no matter how it scored.

66 universes qualify at build time. Recomputed on every rebuild -- membership can change as ratings and data change.

• La Horde du Contrevent Alain Damasio #16 · 4.42 · 10k ratings
• Troy David Gemmell, Stella Gemmell #23 · 4.37 · 40k ratings
• Glass Immortals Brian McClellan #26 · 4.39 · 9k ratings
• The Rigante David Gemmell #43 · 4.31 · 38k ratings
• The Hands of the Emperor Victoria Goddard #47 · 4.37 · 4k ratings
• Gwendalavir Pierre Bottero #48 · 4.31 · 20k ratings
• Ash and Sand Richard Nell #58 · 4.30 · 9k ratings
• Raybearer Jordan Ifueko #60 · 4.28 · 46k ratings
• The Covenant of Steel Anthony Ryan #65 · 4.27 · 40k ratings
• Jim Button Michael Ende #68 · 4.28 · 14k ratings
• Kencyrath P.C. Hodgell #76 · 4.28 · 7k ratings
• A Song for Arbonne Guy Gavriel Kay #81 · 4.25 · 16k ratings
• The Twelve Kingdoms Fuyumi Ono #86 · 4.27 · 6k ratings
• The Traitor Son Cycle Miles Cameron #89 · 4.22 · 49k ratings
• Capitale du Sud Guillaume Chamanadjian #96 · 4.28 · 4k ratings
• Hamster Princess T. Kingfisher #100 · 4.23 · 9k ratings
• Little Thieves Margaret Owen #103 · 4.21 · 42k ratings
• The Little Witch Otfried Preussler #104 · 4.22 · 12k ratings
• The Steerswoman Rosemary Kirstein #111 · 4.22 · 10k ratings
• When the Angels Left the Old Country Sacha Lamb #113 · 4.25 · 4k ratings
• The Lord of the Ice Garden Jarosław Grzędowicz #116 · 4.20 · 32k ratings
• The Tide Child Trilogy RJ Barker #118 · 4.20 · 25k ratings
• Tristan Strong Kwame Mbalia #119 · 4.21 · 16k ratings
• The Tyrant Philosophers Adrian Tchaikovsky #121 · 4.20 · 21k ratings
• Snake-Eater T. Kingfisher #122 · 4.20 · 23k ratings
• The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox Barry Hughart #123 · 4.20 · 16k ratings
• Jon Shannow (Stones of Power) David Gemmell #126 · 4.20 · 14k ratings
• The Letter for the King Tonke Dragt #127 · 4.19 · 20k ratings
• The Seven Kennings Kevin Hearne #131 · 4.20 · 11k ratings
• Greenwild Pari Thomson #134 · 4.20 · 6k ratings
• Kaikeyi Vaishnavi Patel #140 · 4.17 · 39k ratings
• Under Heaven / River of Stars Guy Gavriel Kay #144 · 4.17 · 25k ratings
• The Condor Trilogy Jin Yong #145 · 4.18 · 12k ratings
• The Raven Rings Siri Pettersen #150 · 4.17 · 25k ratings
• Dragonbreath T. Kingfisher #152 · 4.17 · 18k ratings
• The Imager Portfolio L.E. Modesitt Jr. #153 · 4.16 · 40k ratings
• Rook & Rose Marie Brennan, Alyc Helms #154 · 4.16 · 28k ratings
• El Ciclo de la Luna Roja José Antonio Cotrina #159 · 4.19 · 4k ratings
• The Wood Wife Terri Windling #161 · 4.20 · 4k ratings
• The Raven's Mark Ed McDonald #163 · 4.16 · 18k ratings
• Song of Albion Stephen R. Lawhead #166 · 4.15 · 25k ratings
• The Witches of Eileanan Kate Forsyth #170 · 4.14 · 35k ratings
• Blackthorn & Grim Juliet Marillier #176 · 4.14 · 35k ratings
• Warrior Bards Juliet Marillier #178 · 4.15 · 12k ratings
• Brave Story Miyuki Miyabe #179 · 4.19 · 3k ratings
• Second Sons Trilogy Jennifer Fallon #181 · 4.15 · 9k ratings
• Newford Charles de Lint #184 · 4.14 · 13k ratings
• Saga of Pliocene Exile Julian May #189 · 4.13 · 31k ratings
• Impossible Creatures Katherine Rundell #190 · 4.13 · 41k ratings
• The Green Man Juliet E. McKenna #191 · 4.16 · 4k ratings
• The Icemark Chronicles Stuart Hill #192 · 4.13 · 20k ratings
• A Saga das Pedras Mágicas Sandra Carvalho #195 · 4.15 · 5k ratings
• Tales from the Flat Earth Tanith Lee #196 · 4.14 · 8k ratings
• Weaveworld Clive Barker #197 · 4.13 · 18k ratings
• A Night in the Lonesome October Roger Zelazny #198 · 4.13 · 17k ratings
• The Spear Cuts Through Water Simon Jimenez #202 · 4.12 · 30k ratings
• Zothique Clark Ashton Smith #203 · 4.22 · 1k ratings
• Bridei Chronicles Juliet Marillier #204 · 4.12 · 24k ratings
• Saga of the Borderlands Liliana Bodoc #206 · 4.12 · 8k ratings
• Exiles Melanie Rawn #207 · 4.11 · 16k ratings
• The Little Grey Men BB #227 · 4.15 · 2k ratings
• Moribito Nahoko Uehashi #236 · 4.11 · 4k ratings
• The Bird That Drinks Tears Lee Yeongdo #248 · 4.12 · 3k ratings
• Les Sentiers des Astres Stefan Platteau #263 · 4.20 · 794 ratings
• Ghost World Susan Price #394 · 4.14 · 292 ratings
• Os Dragões Originais Cristina Bomfim #436 · 4.44 · 36 ratings

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