The Fantasy Review‘s list of 10 Massive, Completed Fantasy Book Series for Your TBR!
Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky
From the blurb of book 1:
The days of peace are over . . .
The Lowlands’ city states have lived in peace for decades, hailed as bastions of civilization. Yet that peace is about to end. A distant empire has been conquering neighbours with highly trained soldiers and sophisticated combat techniques. And the city states are its desirable new prize.…
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
From the blurb of book 1:
The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
When a vicious band of half-men, half beasts invade the Two Rivers seeking their master’s enemy, Moiraine persuades Rand al’Thor and his friends to leave their home and enter a larger unimaginable world filled with dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light….
The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
This series is made up of several trilogies and one longer series, but the place to start is either with The Farseer Trilogy (Book 1: Assassin’s Apprentice), or The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Book 1: Ship of Magic).
From the blurb of Assassin’s Apprentice:
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.…
Shannara by Terry Brooks
There are many series set within this world, all of which are completed. We have several reading orders to try, including:
From the blurb of The Sword of Shannara:
Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a trueheir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline,rests the hope of all the races.
Thus begins the enthralling Shannara epic,a spellbinding tale of adventure, magic, and myth . .
The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind
From the blurb of book 1:
In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher’s forest sanctuary seeking help . . . and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.
In a dark age it takes courage to live, and more than mere courage to challenge those who hold dominion, Richard and Kahlan must take up that challenge or become the next victims. Beyond awaits a bewitching land where even the best of their hearts could betray them….
Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts
The final book is due to be released in 2024, so not technically complete, you can be sure the 11th book will be released by the time you get that far in the series!
From the blurb of book 1:
Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself
Athera is besieged by the Mistwraith, which blights the land and dims the mysteries guarded by the last fugitives of the old bloodlines.
But from a prophecy springs hope: the gifts of two brothers – one dark, one fair, raised on opposite sides of a relentless war – when paired may challenge the Mistwraith’s invasion, though at brutal cost…
The Malazan World by Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont
There are several completed series within this world. We would recommend reading the completed Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, then reading Novels of the Malazan Empire by Ian C. Esslemont. After that, there are several other series, some not finished yet, but you can trust that these writers will complete their series (and it won’t take twenty years between books!).
From the blurb of Gardens of the Moon:
The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen’s rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.…
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot
From the blurb of book 1:
It begins with civil war….
For though King Henry still holds the crown of Wendar, his reign has long been contested by his sister Sabella. There are many eager to flock to her banner, and there are ways to make even the most unwilling lord into a weapon pointed at the heart of Henry’s realm….
The Black Company by Glen Cook
From the blurb of book 1:
Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead.
Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her…
So begins one of the greatest fantasy epics of our age―Glen Cook’s Chronicles of the Black Company.
The Monarchies of God by Paul Kearney
From the blurb of book 1:
THE WESTERN WORLD IS BURNING…
Even as cities and cathedrals are tumbling, their defenders crucified by the invading Merduks, the Faithful war among themselves, purging heretics and magical folk and adding to the flames.
For Richard Hawkwood and his crew, a desperate venture to carry refugees to the uncharted land across the Great Western Ocean offers the only chance of escape from the Inceptines’ pyres. The King’s cousin, Lord Murad, has an ancient log book telling of a free, unspoiled land…
Sad and surprised to not see the Riftwar Saga on this list. A worthy addition would also be The Belgariad and Malloreon. But the absence of the Riftwar series is a crime.