The Fantasy Review’s list of 11 Slow-Paced Epic Fantasy Book Series with Endings Worth the Wait.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
From the blurb of book 1:
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit….
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
Check out our review of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. We also have a guide on How to Read Gardens of the Moon for readers nervous about this complex novel!
From the blurb of book 1:
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.…
The Five Warrior Angels by Brian Lee Durfee
Check out our review of The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee.
From the blurb of book 1:
A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it.
Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph.…
The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
Check out our review of Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.
From the blurb of book 1:
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.…
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
Check out our reviews of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
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.
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.
Torn by internal strife, Wendar also faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long-vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight.
And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the middle of the conflict….
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
From the blurb of book 1:
Orphaned boy Pug is apprenticed to a powerful court magician named Kulgan in the world of Midkemia. Though ill at ease with the normal ways of wizardry, Pug soon earns his place as a squire after saving the life of one of the royals at court. But his courage will be tested still further when dark beings from another world open a rift in the fabric of spacetime to rekindle the age-old battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.…
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
From the blurb of book 1:
Paksenarrion defies her father’s orders to marry the pig farmer down the road, instead, she’s off to join the army. So her adventure begins – the adventure that transforms her into a hero chosen by the gods to restore a lost ruler to his throne.
The Drenai Saga by David Gemmell
From the blurb of book 1:
Druss, Captain of the Axe, was the stuff of legends. But even as the stories grew in the telling, Druss himself grew older. He turned his back on his own legend and retreated to a mountain lair to await his old enemy, death. Meanwhile, barbarian hordes were on the march. Nothing could stand in their way. Druss reluctantly agreed to come out of retirement. But could even Druss live up to his own legends?
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams
From the blurb of book 1:
A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.…
Deverry by Katharine Kerr
From the blurb of book 1:
A broken promise, a curse and a magic beyond imagining
The powerful sorcerer Nevyn broke a promise long ago and a curse has trapped him ever since. He waits for the one who might break him free of his prison. A wait that may soon finally come to an end.
Jill is the daughter of a Silver Dagger, a band of wandering swordsmen who fight for money, not honour. After her mother died when she was young, father and girl took to the road, living from town to town, never settling.…
