15 Lengthy Fantasy Book Series & Sagas That Are Totally Worth Committing To

Summary

  • The best long fantasy book series may have planned or open-ended narratives.
  • The Shadowhunters Chronicles
    and
    A Song of Ice and Fire
    are equally thrilling but distinguish how different stories evolve.
  • Some fantasy series are not yet complete, like
    From Blood and Ash
    and
    The Bone Season
    , making now the perfect time to start reading.

Most lengthy fantasy book series are a significant commitment if one plans to read it all the way through, but many are completely worth the investment. Several highly anticipated fantasy book series coming out in 2024 demonstrate that the taste for epic sci-fi and fantasy sagas has endured. Very few series will reach the level of success of the biggest fantasy franchises that defined the genre. However, the slim odds of massive success have not stopped talented writers from creating riveting new worlds in which to tell extensive stories.

The best long-running fantasy novel series convey a sense that the author had a plan for the full story from the beginning. This results in a satisfying and organic narrative that never feels like it is being drawn out past its expiration date. However, some other book series, such as the Riordanverse and the Shadowhunters universe, are well set up to produce endless new tales that will doubtlessly draw in fans committed to reading them all.

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15 The Chronicles Of The Unhewn Throne

By Brian Stavely

An image of author Brian Savely alongside his book The Empire's Ruin

The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne is the first trilogy in the wider fantasy novel series by author Brian Stavely, and will be sure to especially satisfy any fans of the A Song of Fire and Ice novels. Filled with intrigue, betrayal, and danger, The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne focuses on three characters who are all the children of the assassinated emperor. The fantasy novel series is, predominantly, a war story, with plenty of political intrigue and epic battle sequences, which means it has a lot in common with the likes of Game of Thrones.

Stavely has continued to expand on the world of the initial trilogy with a standalone novel and sequel trilogy, with both projects still ongoing. The first standalone novel in the Chronicles universe, Skullsworn, arrived in 2017 and functions as a prequel to The Emperor’s Blades. The second trilogy began with 2021’s The Empire’s Ruin, and is the first novel in what will be referred to as the Ashes of the Unhewn Throne series.

Book

Release Year

The Emperor’s Blades

2014

The Providence of Fire

2015

The Last Mortal Bond

2016

The Empire’s Ruin

2021

Skullsworn

2017

14 The Kingkiller Chronicle

By Patrick Rothfuss

The Kingkiller Chronicle Books on Fantasy Landscape Background. Custom Image by Sam MacLennan

Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy is still ongoing, with the third novel, The Doors of Stone, still in the progress of being written. However, the author has already released several tie-in novellas and stories that make the world of the trilogy’s main character, Kvothe, feel much more fleshed out. What makes the central novels of the Kingkiller trilogy so intriguing is the format, as they’re written as a transcription of Kvothe’s oral autobigraphy.

The passages about the character’s mysterious past are peppered with interludes concerning his present, wherein he’s working as an innkeeper, and this storytelling style has been the source of much praise for Rothfuss as a writer. The tie-in books like, novella The Slow Regard of Silent Things, focus on secondary characters within the world of Temerant. Fans of fantasy novels that have a specific focus on magic will find Rothfuss’s novels especially pleasing, since a great deal of worldbuilding has gone into its many unique styles of sorcery.

Book

Release Year

The Name of the Wind

2007

The Wise Man’s Fear

2011

The Doors of Stone

TBA

The Lightning Tree

2014

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

2014

The Narrow Road Between Desires

2023

13 The Dark Tower

By Stephen King

Close

Stephen King may be regarded as a master of horror, but he’s also behind one of the best modern fantasy book series — The Dark Tower. While King’s proficiency as an author of course means that the quality of prose is consitently excellent through The Dark Tower books, that’s not the chief reason they’re so beloved and more than worth reading. Stephen King’s fantasy series is truly unique, mixing many common tropes of the genre with that of Western and cowboy stories.

The novels focus on Roland of Deschain, a gunslinger. In Roland’s world, Gunslingers are an almost-Arthurian order of cowboy-like warriors, living by a code and wielding their pistols with the reverence and skills usually seen in the swordsmen of high-fantasy settings (for example, Roland is able to hypnotize the weak-willed by twirling bullets between his fingers). What’s more, the Dark Tower series also links into many of King’s other books, fleshing out the author’s extensive bibliography into a fully-fledged multiverse.

Book

Release Year

The Gunslinger

1982

The Drawing of the Three

1987

The Waste Lands

1991

Wizard and Glass

1997

The Wind Through the Keyhole

2012

Wolves of the Calla

2003

Song of Susannah

2004

The Dark Tower

2004

12 His Dark Materials

By Philip Pullman

A composition of Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon in His Dark Materials

The His Dark Materials trilogy has been adapted to screens twice, in the celebrated TV series of the same name, and the maligned 2007 movie The Golden Compass. There’s a reason studios have always been keen to turn the novels into a successful franchise too, as they’re both unique and incredibly engaging. The core trilogy focuses on Lyra Silvertongue, a young girl who exists in a world where every human being is linked to a spirit-animal known as a Daemon.

As the books progress, Lyra travels to many other worlds (including the version of Earth inhabited by readers). She finds herself unraveling a conspiracy that leads to her taking on God himself. While this plot thread created a lot of controversy, it also served to make His Dark Materials incredibly engaging, as the scope of the novels expands to a story that’s truly epic in scale. What’s more, Pullman then expanded on many of the most popular story elements and characters in novellas like Once Upon a Time in the North, meaning there’s no shortage of material for readers to sink their teeth into.

Book

Release Year

The Golden Compass

1995

The Subtle Knife

1997

The Amber Spyglass

2000

Lyra’s Oxford

2003

Once Upon a Time in the North

2008

The Collectors

2014

La Belle Sauvage

2017

The Secret Commonwealth

2019

Serpentine

2020

The Imagination Chamber

2022

11 The Horus Heresy

By Various

The Imperium of Man wages war in Warhammer.

Few fantasy series can claim to be set tens of thousands of years into the future while still feeling more like fantasy than science-fiction, but the Horus Heresy novels pull off this blending of genres perfectly. While there are plenty of examples of advanced technology, these always take a back-seat to the sorcercy, demons, and sword-wielding warriors that each of the books focus on.

Based on the popular tabletop game Warhammer 40,000, the Horus Heresy books are set 10,000 years before the “present day” of the setting. With 64 books in the series by a variety of authors, reading the story in its entirety is no small task, but it is incredibly rewarding. The fantasy aspects are so entrenched in the setting that, for example, science has become a religion, with starships maintained by an order of Tech Priests who know how to appease the “Machine Spirits” that keep the (by the 31st millennium) ancient machines running.

The story itself is an epic tale of betrayal and a galaxy-wide civil war thousands of years in the making. Those loyal to the God-Emperor of Mankind must protect Holy Terra (formerly known as Earth) from the superhuman warlord Horus. To make matters even more dire, Horus himself has fallen sway to the malevolent Chaos Gods. All in all, there are few series that will appeal quite as well for readers wanting a truly epic story to dig into.

Book

Author

Release Year

Horus Rising

Dan Abnett

2006

False Gods

Graham McNeil

2006

Galaxy In Flames

Ben Counter

2006

The Flight of the Eisenstein

James Swallow

2007

Fulgrim

Graham McNeil

2007

Descent of Angels

Mitchel Scanlon

2007

Legion

Dan Abnett

2008

Battle for the Abyss

Ben Counter

2008

Mechanicum

Graham McNeill

2008

Tales of Heresy

Various (Short Story Collection)

2009

Fallen Angels

Mike Lee

2009

A Thousand Sons

Graham McNeill

2010

Nemesis

James Swallow

2010

The First Heretic

Aaron Dembski-Bowden

2010

Prospero Burns

Dan Abnett

2010

Age Of Darkness

Various (Short Story Collection)

2011

The Outcast Dead

Graham McNeill

2011

Deliverance Lost

Gav Thorpe

2012

Know No Fear

Dan Abnett

2012

The Primarchs

Various (Short Story Collection)

2012

Fear To Tread

James Swallow

2012

Shadows Of Treachery

Various (Short Story Collection)

2012

Angel Exterminatus

Graham McNeill

2012

Betrayer

Aaron Dembski-Bowden

2012

Mark Of Calth

Various (Short Story Collection)

2013

Vulkan Lives

Nick Kyme

2013

The Unremembered Empire

Dan Abnett

2013

Scars

Chris Wraight

2014

Vengeful Spirit

Graham McNeill

2014

The Damnation Of Pythos

David Annandale

2014

Legacies Of Betrayal

Various (Short Story Collection)

2014

Deathfire

Nick Kyme

2015

War Without End

Various (Short Story Collection)

2016

Pharos

Guy Haley

2016

Eye of Terra

Various (Short Story Collection)

2016

The Path of Heaven

Chris Wraight

2016

The Silent War

Various (Short Story Collection)

2016

Angels of Caliban

Gav Thorpe

2016

Praetorian of Dorn

John French

2016

Corax

Gav Thorpe

2016

The Master Of Mankind

Aaron Dembski-Bowden

2016

Garro

James Swallow

2017

Shattered Legions

Various (Short Story Collection)

2017

The Crimson King

Graham McNeill

2017

Tallarn

John French

2017

Ruinstorm

David Annandale

2017

Old Earth

Nick Kyme

2017

The Burden of Loyalty

Various (Short Story Collection)

2018

Wolfsbane

Guy Haley

2018

Born of Flame

Various (Short Story Collection)

2018

Slaves to Darkness

John French

2018

Heralds of the Siege

Various (Short Story Collection)

2018

Titandeath

Guy Haley

2018

The Buried Dagger

James Swallow

2019

The Solar War

John French

2019

The Lost and the Damned

Guy Haley

2019

The First Wall

Gav Thorpe

2019

Saturnine

Dan Abnett

2020

Mortis

John French

2021

Warhawk

Chris Wraight

2021

Echoes of Eternity

Aaron Dembski-Bowden

2022

The End and the Death Vol. I

Dan Abnett

2023

The End and the Death Vol. 2

Dan Abnett

2023

The End and the Death Vol. 3

Dan Abnett

2024

10 The Wheel Of Time

By Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

Moiraine over the Wheel of Time book covers

Before it was adapted into a hit Amazon Prime TV show, The Wheel of Time was (and still is) regarded as a classic series, falling between the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter eras in the evolution of fantasy literature. Originally planned to be a series of six novels, The Wheel of Time eventually expanded to include 15 novels. While original author Robert Jordan passed away while working on the 12th book, he left his notes for the rest of the series to Brandon Sanderson, who completed the subsequent three novels.

The Wheel of Time’s extensive world-building rivals Tolkien’s creation — Jordan’s dedication to detail is a burden at times. There are many, many characters whose different perspectives eventually branch out to cover several storylines in one ongoing saga. The Wheel of Time show makes some good and bad changes from the books regarding how developed the characters are, but it is up to readers to decide which one they personally prefer.

Book

Release date

The Eye of the World

1990

The Great Hunt

1990

The Dragon Reborn

1991

The Shadow Rising

1992

The Fires of Heaven

1993

Lord of Chaos

1994

A Crown of Swords

1996

The Path of Daggers

1998

Winter’s Heart

2000

Crossroads of Twilight

2003

New Spring (prequel)

2004

Knife of Dreams

2005

The Gathering Storm

2009

Towers of Midnight

2010

A Memory of Light

2013

9 The Shadowhunters Chronicles

By Cassandra Clare

Collage of Mortal Instruments books

Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters Chronicles started with a single series, then expanded to include a prequel trilogy, then a sequel, a spinoff, and so on. Every story focusing on a new generation of Shadowhunters is equally enthralling. Such a long-running franchise of interconnected series gives readers the chance to see the characters grow over many years, exploring different times and scenarios within this hidden magical world. Readers can pick out which historical aesthetic they prefer, with the Victorian, Edwardian, and modern eras all featured.

Almost every individual series — The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, The Dark Artifices, The Last Hours, etc. — can be read on its own. However, missing out on any of them is risking learning something new about the world. Each series introduces more instantly likable characters, but few are as iconic as the warlock Magnus Bane. Clare must know that Magnus is her best character, as he makes an appearance in most of the books in the series due to his immortality.

Series

Books included

Release dates

The Mortal Instruments

City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Heavenly Fire, City of Lost Souls

2007-2014

The Infernal Devices

Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess

2010-2013

The Bane Chronicles

One book of 11 short stories

2014

The Dark Artifices

Lady Midnight, Lord of Shadows, Queen of Air and Darkness

2016-2018

The Eldest Curses

The Red Scrolls of Magic, The Lost Book of the White, The Black Volume of the Dead

2019-TBC

The Last Hours

Chain of Gold, Chain of Iron, Chain of Thorns

2020-2023

The Wicked Powers

The Last King of Faerie, The Last Prince of Hell, The Last Shadowhunter

2026-TBC

8 From Blood And Ash

By Jennifer L. Armentrout

The book covers from the Blood and Ash series.

The Blood and Ash series will comprise seven books in the main narrative — six of which will be released as of 2024 — as well as a prequel/spinoff series of four additional books. Beginning with From Blood and Ash, seasoned fantasy writer Jennifer L. Armentrout won over the fanbases of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass and Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. It is unsurprising that From Blood and Ash would be liked by fans of these previous series when it also focuses on a strong female lead, a sexy forbidden romance, and a revolution against a corrupted government.

As the series continues, the lore only gets deeper while Poppy and Hawke’s romance gets more complicated. The only caveat is that readers will be forced to wait for the seventh book once they have finished the currently published ones. However, that is still 10 books, which will keep even the most dedicated readers busy for a while.

Book

Release date

From Blood and Ash

2020

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

2020

The Crown of Gilded Bones

2021

A Shadow in the Ember (prequel book #1)

2021

The War of Two Queens

2022

A Light in the Flame (prequel book #2)

2022

A Soul of Ash and Blood

2023

A Fire in the Flesh (prequel book #3)

2023

The Primal of Blood and Bone

2024

Born of Blood and Ash (prequel book #4)

2024

Blood and Ash book #7

TBC

7 A Song Of Ice And Fire

By George R. R. Martin

A Song of Ice and Fire book spines

Game of Thrones
makes some of the characters more conventionally heroic, but those who are inclined to an even darker story can find it in the books.

For all of Game of Thrones’ compelling storylines and world-building, some things from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series didn’t make it into the show. These books are incredibly dense and take years to write, yielding stunning results in a rich medievalist world. Game of Thrones makes some of the characters more conventionally heroic, but those who are inclined to an even darker story can find it in the books.

Additionally, characters such as the Martell family are far more developed; only readers know them as they were intended to be. At the time of writing, Martin still faces pressure to complete the series, especially in the wake of Game of Thrones’ controversial finale. However, even if the final books are never published, the A Song of Ice and Fire books may offer fans some closure. Perhaps they can come to their own conclusion about how things would have ended with additional information about all the characters.

Book

Release date

A Game of Thrones

1996

A Clash of Kings

1998

A Storm of Swords

2000

A Feast for Crows

2005

A Dance with Dragons

2011

The Winds of Winter

TBC

A Dream of Spring

TBC

6 The Grishaverse

By Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows book covers

Those who are still upset about the Shadow and Bone storylines that will never be resolved due to the show’s cancellation can turn to the source material for answers. The original Shadow and Bone trilogy is a bestselling series that introduces the fantastical world of Ravka and the countries surrounding it, with fan-favorite characters including Alina, Nikolai, and Zoya. However, these first three books pale in comparison to Bardugo’s first spinoff in the Grishaverse.

Six of Crows is doubtlessly one of the best fantasy duologies to read, with a plot conceptualized as a fantasy Ocean’s Eleven and a crew of underdog criminals ready to make everyone who underestimated them dreadfully sorry. Kaz and his Crows are at the center of the story, with some appearances by characters from the Shadow and Bone books. Bardugo then leads into the King of Scars duology — the books that finally give Zoya’s character her due — with the possibility of more adventures to come.

Book

Release date

Shadow and Bone

2012

Siege and Storm

2013

Ruin and Rising

2014

Six of Crows

2015

Crooked Kingdom

2016

King of Scars

2019

Rule of Wolves

2021

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5 Discworld

By Terry Pratchett

Collage of Discworld book covers

Fantasy legend Terry Pratchett demonstrates his razor-sharp sense of humor and incomparable knowledge of his favored genre in the Discworld novels. The fact that the Discworld is a flat planet balanced on the backs of four giant elephants who stand on the back of a gargantuan turtle gives readers some indication of what they are in for. The Discworld series comprises 41 books published over more than 30 years; however, starting with the first book published is not necessary.

There are multiple starting points and several storylines focusing on specific characters to follow. The books focusing on Pratchett’s amicable personification of death and his family feature intriguing musings on humanity and mortality. Guards! Guards! and the other novels focusing on the City Watch’s reformation offer some fantastically parodical moments regarding the long-lost heir trope. Pratchett’s ability to take apart the tropes and rebuild them makes the Discworld novels a vital contribution to the fantasy genre.

Subseries

Books included

Release dates

Rincewind

The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Eric, Interesting Times, The Last Continent, The Last Hero

1983-2001

Witches

Equal Rites, Wyrd Systers, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum

1987-1998

Death

Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time

1987-2001

City Watch

Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!, Snuff

1989-2011

Industrial Revolution

Moving Pictures, The Truth, Monstrous Regiment, Unseen Academicals

1990-2009

Tiffany Aching

The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, The Shepherd’s Crown

2003-2015

Moist von Lipwig

Going Postal, Making Money, Raising Steam

2004-2013

Standalones

Pyramids, Small Gods, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

1989, 1992, 2010

4 The Earthsea Cycle

By Ursula K. Le Guin

Collage of Earthsea book covers

The genre-defining fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote several standalone sci-fi novels within her Hainish universe, while The Earthsea Cycle is her primary contribution to the fantasy genre and her only major novel series, in the traditional sense of the descriptor. Consisting of six books, The Earthsea Cycle does not follow the typical linear book-to-book narrative readers have come to expect with today’s many fantasy series that are heavily derivative of each other. Rather, the series jumps between characters’ perspectives at different times in their lives.

Earthsea introduced a magic system focusing on a true language that was later adapted by Christopher Paolini in The Inheritance Cycle, with subplots exploring improper uses of magic. Earthsea also represents a major jump forward in the inclusion of people of color in fantasy literature, while later books also constitute impactful stories about gender power politics as they relate to gendered interpretations of magic in Le Guin’s world. Earthsea is one of the most complex fantasy series of the past century, with its publication stretching over 30 years.

Book

Release date

A Wizard of Earthsea

1968

The Tombs of Atuan

1971

The Farthest Shore

1972

Tehanu

1990

Tales from Earthsea

2001

The Other Wind

2001

3 The Riordanverse

By Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan smiling in front of his books.

Rick Riordan’s expansive literary universe is characterized by sarcastic humor and clever takes on mythological figures. The modernized versions of characters from various mythologies are hilarious, encompassing everything from the Sphinx hosting a game show to Hades complaining about paying his employees overtime. Over the years, Riordan gradually expanded the world from his initial premise of modern Greek gods to include their Roman iterations, as well as the Egyptian and Norse pantheons. It started with the smallest hints that they were all happening in the same setting, before showing direct interactions between the characters of different series.

The sheer number of books with different series of books focusing on different characters allows Riordan to fully develop everyone. At this point, Percy’s story is no more complete than Nico di Angelo’s or Magnus Chase’s (a character named after Cassandra Clare’s Magnus, as noted in Sword of Summer’s dedication). There is a myriad of individual storylines to get invested in, new facets of different mythologies to learn about, and endless hysterical jokes in the Riordanverse, for readers of all ages.

Series

Books included

Release dates

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian, The Chalice of the Gods, Wrath of the Triple Goddess

2005-2024

The Heroes of Olympus

The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, The Blood of Olympus

2010-2014

The Kane Chronicles

The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, The Serpent’s Shadow

2010-2012

Demigods and Magicians

Three short stories, published individually first

2013-2015

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, The Ship of the Dead

2015-2017

The Trials of Apollo

The Hidden Oracle, The Dark Prophecy, The Burning Maze, The Tyrant’s Tomb, The Tower of Nero

2016-2020

The Sun and the Star

Standalone novel

2023

2 Mistborn

By Brandon Sanderson

Kelsier and Mistborn book covers Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn movie has been stuck in development hell for years, to the endless frustration of readers who know it to be one of the best fantasy novel series out there. The first three books published form a trilogy while the latter four are another series set in the same world centuries later. The Wheel of Time co-writer kicked things off in The Final Empire with a fugitive protagonist planning to destroy his world’s corrupt empire, coming across another young criminal who has the same supernatural gifts as him.

The “Mistborn” have some supernatural powers, but the magic system expands in unexpected ways, especially in the later books. However, in general, people who love outlaw protagonists and fantasy revolutions will enjoy the Mistborn series. Readers will also experience two different aesthetics, with the first trilogy resembling a classic medievalist fantasy, while the latter four books take place in a setting closer to the 20th century, with magic mixed in.

Book

Release date

The Final Empire

2006

The Well of Ascension

2007

The Hero of Ages

2008

The Alloy of Law

2011

Shadows of Self

2015

The Bands of Mourning

2016

The Lost Metal

2022

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1 The Bone Season

By Samantha Shannon

Collage of Bone season book covers

With the recent release of revised editions, now is the perfect time to start
The Bone Season
before the next three books are released.

At the time of writing, Samantha Shannon’s The Bone Season series includes four books in the main timeline, an in-between novella, a prequel book, and a companion piece that is supposed to be a pamphlet that exists within the series’ setting. It has taken Shannon 10 years to write and publish these books, with three more planned installments in the series. With the recent release of revised editions, now is the perfect time to start The Bone Season before the next three books are released.

Another must-read for fans of criminal escapades, The Bone Season follows the life and times of Paige Mahoney, a fugitive dreamwalker and clairvoyant trying to survive in dystopian London. This is before she is kidnapped and brought to the enigmatic city of Oxford, where new dangers await. The amount of time it has taken to write this series is illustrative of how it is not just long but dense, making it an arduous read — yet like its contemporary series, it is undoubtedly worth readers’ time.

Book

Release date

The Bone Season

2013

The Mime Order

2015

The Pale Dreamer (prequel)

2016

The Song Rising

2017

The Dawn Chorus (novella)

2020

The Mask Falling

2021

The Dark Mirror

2025

The Bone Season book #6

TBC

The Bone Season book #7

TBC