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8 Completed Series for Fantasy Fans to Devour
Fantasy fans are patient—not by nature, but by necessity. Coming of age in libraries full of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis' books left them hungry for more, greedy for magical adventure and emotionally satisfying conclusions. Many of them have been learning to live without the latter for a very long time.
Take George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996. Over two decades and one HBO show later, the final two books in the series are severely overdue with no confirmed release date in sight. Meanwhile, fans of Patrick Rothfuss' 2007 fantasy bestseller, The Name of the Wind, waited four years for the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, and have now been waiting seven years for the conclusion to the trilogy.
It's rough. For those of you who want your epics without accompanying "sequel angst," check out our roundup of highly rated, completed fantasy series. (It's by no means an exhaustive list, so please recommend your favorites in the comments!)
Take George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996. Over two decades and one HBO show later, the final two books in the series are severely overdue with no confirmed release date in sight. Meanwhile, fans of Patrick Rothfuss' 2007 fantasy bestseller, The Name of the Wind, waited four years for the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, and have now been waiting seven years for the conclusion to the trilogy.
It's rough. For those of you who want your epics without accompanying "sequel angst," check out our roundup of highly rated, completed fantasy series. (It's by no means an exhaustive list, so please recommend your favorites in the comments!)
Start the series with Assassin's Apprentice
Total books: 3 (plus additional series set in the same world)
Total books: 3 (plus additional series set in the same world)
We just scratched the surface of all the amazing fantasy series out there. Jump into the comments and share your own recommendations!
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Check out more recent blogs:
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Comments Showing 51-100 of 127 (127 new)
message 51:
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Xanat
(new)
Jan 29, 2018 02:34PM
I LOVE how the vast majority of these authors are white men. love it so much. please make more lists like these. I never see or hear white men anywhere. Are they even still out there? Sometimes I worry about them.
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Xanat wrote: "I LOVE how the vast majority of these authors are white men. love it so much. please make more lists like these. I never see or hear white men anywhere. Are they even still out there? Sometimes I w..."N. K. Jemisin is a black woman. Also my recommendation above is written by a (South American) woman. Very few recommendations on GR feature writers that are not male or English speakers.
People seem to be forgetting the headline of this blog, "8 COMPLETE Series for Fantasy Fans to Devour"; so here are some completed series:David Eddings - The Belgariad
David Eddings - The Mallorean
David Eddings - The Elenium
David Eddings - The Tamuli
David Gemmell - Denai series
David Gemmell - Rigante series
David Gemmell - Stones of Power series
David Gemmell - Troy trilogy
Alan Cole and Chris Bunch - Anteros Chronicles
Chris Bunch - Seer King trilogy
Fred Saberhagen - Bokks of Swords trilogy
Fred Saberhagen - Books of Lost Swords series
Fred Saberhagen - Ardneh's World Trilogy (plus one stand alone novel)
Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman - Dragonlamce Chronicles
Just off the top of my head if you're looking for great, complete series you don't have to wait for.
Xanat wrote: "I LOVE how the vast majority of these authors are white men. love it so much. please make more lists like these. I never see or hear white men anywhere. Are they even still out there? Sometimes I w..."Do you have other recommendations? (Asking honestly)
Celise wrote: "Saul wrote: "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is missing! And it deserved the popularity that Game of Thrones holds. And it's a finished series!As for the Witcher series, I didn't know if it was finished..."
So lady of the Lake is the last book in the series? Does that mean Season of Storms is a short story collection then?
Saul wrote: "Celise wrote: "Saul wrote: "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is missing! And it deserved the popularity that Game of Thrones holds. And it's a finished series!As for the Witcher series, I didn't know if ..."
Yes, that is correct.
Thought I'd add a few more since women were under represented in my first list:Jaqueline Carey - Phedre' trilogy
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders series
Anne McCaffrey - Harper Hall series
Mercedes Lackey - Bardic Voices series
Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar series
Elizabeth Moon - Deeds of Paksenarion
Karen Miller - Kingmaker duology
Sarah Douglass - Wayfarer Redemption series
Katherine Kerr - Deverry series
Katherine Kurtz - Chronicles of the Deryni
The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen. 5stars
I am an obsessive Tolkien fan, but just recently discovered Sarah Maas and her books are so well written, love them!
The Dragon Prince and the Dragon Star trilogies by Melanie Rawn.
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
"
Except The Kingkiller Chronicles is not finished yet.
I love the Incarceron books (by Catherine Fisher) and also the Ascendance Trilogy (by Jennifer A. Nielsen). My favorite "story world," however, actually consists of three completed 4-book series: Dragons in our Midst, Oracles of Fire and Children of the Bard (by Bryan Davis). Also check out the Berinfell Prophecies (by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper).Also, the Michael Vey series (by Richard Paul Evans) just finished not long ago! I LOVED those books.
Patricia Briggs is best known for her ongoing "Mercy-verse" urban fantasy series (actually, two interconnected series' in the same world), but she also wrote some high fantasies. They are all either able to stand alone, even those set in different parts of the same world (Sianim), or completed duologies (Dragon __, Raven's __, and the Aralorn & Wolf Sianim subset). I know the focus here is on longer series', but sometimes it's nice to get "the whole story" in fewer pages than the dictionary!
I highly recommend Juliet Marillier's books. She has two major series, The Sevenwater series and The Bridei chronicles.
For younger readers, but good enough for anyone to enjoy, I second Discworld, The Dark Is Rising, Harper Hall (Pern), the Wizard of Earthsea, Prydain, and Valdemar/Rengarth (Mercedes Lackey's world, though that occasionally gets into some dark adult themes). I would add Diane Duane's Young Wizards (though that's UF), and Tamora Pierce's seven(?) completed [quartets], most set in and around Tortall.
The Witcher series should be on here. The main saga has been fully translated.
How about The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, by Greg Keyes? Amazing series that is sadly left out of virtually every fantasy list. Four-book series, completed, beginning with The Briar King.Carol Berg's Rai Kirah trilogy was also great. I've heard good things about her other series (all of which are currently complete, I believe), but haven't been able to get around to them yet.
Julia Knight's Duelist trilogy has been fun so far. Just finished the second book and looking forward to the conclusion. More of a sword & sorcery flavor to it, for those of you looking for something faster paced and less ponderous than the typical epic fantasy.
Dorothy wrote: "The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen. 5stars"Good one!
The several series set in Midkemia by Raymond E. Feist. starting with MagicianAlso, the King's Blades series by Dave Duncan. starting with The Gilded Chain or start with the King's Daggers - Sir Stalwart for younger readers.
"The Belgariad" by David EddingsThe original "Shannara" trilogy by Terry Brooks
"The Rise of Malekith" omnibus by Gav Thorpe
These are the best in my opinion.
Love how the photo is of Frodo, but no mention of Lord of the Rings on the list...
The Riftwar Cycle by Raymond Feist;The Belgariad & The Malloreon by David Eddings
How is it even possible that nobody mentioned The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett? Awesome Trilogy, brillant worldbuilding! Starts with City of Stairs.
Ugh, the agony of waiting for the sequels, GRRM and Rothfuss have burned me thus my procrastination with their next available novels. I've got Abercrombie's First Law and Sanderson's Mistborn on my TBR list, but if I'm gonna recommend a really good fantasy series, I have my money on The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence. A must-read!
Alondra wrote: "Every last one of these is on my TBR. LOL"Exactly the same here, aside from Mistborn, the Wheel of Time & Malazan series -already read those ones. Looks like I have a bit of a way to go!
Eragon by Christopher PaoliniHis Dark Materials by Philipp Pullman
Laura wrote: "N. K. Jemisin is a black woman. Also my recommendation above is written by a (South American) woman. Very few recommendations on GR feature writers that are not male or English speakers."I think that's wrong and it's especially tone deaf considering Ursula K. Le Guin just died and the Earthsea books are not on here. And yes...aware Jemisin is a black woman, hence the "vast majority." You can't put one person on there and act like you're inclusive. That's why I'm challenging myself to only read books by women this year.
Celise wrote: "Do you have other recommendations? (Asking honestly) "There are some great suggestions in this thread though I did not personally care for the last Tearling book. Naomi Novik, Octavia Butler, and of course Ursula K. Le Guin have masterful series. Also Tamora Pierce is such a classic!
Xanat wrote: "Laura wrote: "N. K. Jemisin is a black woman. Also my recommendation above is written by a (South American) woman. Very few recommendations on GR feature writers that are not male or English speake..."Can i recommend you a favorite of mine then? Angelica Gorodischer <3 Ursula Le Guin translated some of her work into English-
Anyone looking for recs for younger readers - Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series (starting with The Wee Free Men). It's a bit like Harry Potter in that the protagonist ages with the audience (starts off at 9 years old and is entering adulthood by the end) and revolves around her learning magic, but I'd say it goes deeper than HP ever did - there is so much about Tiffany's connection to her homeland and her past, and a heavy emphasis on "with great power comes great responsibility" and how being able to do magic does not make you any better than "regular" people, and believing that it does is the first step on a dangerous path.Also, there are tiny blue Scottish pixies.
Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series (starting with Sabriel) is a great YA fantasy. Currently at one complete trilogy, a prequel, and the first book in a sequel series.
Another great series (adult audience, but would be fine for older YA readers) is Katherine Arden's Winternight series, starting with The Bear and the Nightingale. It's not complete yet but the third and final book is due out around August.
Jonathan Biviano The final book in my trilogy, The Lerilon Trilogy is coming out in February, so no waiting angst. The first book is Fate Rides Wicked: Volume I of the Lerilon Trilogy. I will definitely be checking out some of the ones you list.
Jer wrote: "People seem to be forgetting the headline of this blog, "8 COMPLETE Series for Fantasy Fans to Devour"; so here are some completed series:David Eddings - The Belgariad
David Eddings - The Mallore..."
Glad to see that you listed David Eddings' works! :) They're amazing!!
C.S. Friedman's Magister series, in addition to her Coldfire series, is also complete and quite good.And already mentioned but also good and complete:
Fred Saberhagen's books of Swords, and books of Lost Swords.
Robert Jackson Bennett's series The Divine Cities
JD wrote: "Are any of the series mentioned above ok for younger readers? Comparable to LOTR, Narnia or Inheritance Cycle in terms of content?"Le Guin's Earthsea, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain, Brian Jacques' Redwall and Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising. Also Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series.
Andrew wrote: "C.S. Friedman's Magister series, in addition to her Coldfire series, is also complete and quite good.And already mentioned but also good and complete:
Fred Saberhagen's books of Swords, and books ..."
Right on! As a teen I devoured Saberhagen's Swords books! Still have my copies... maybe time to reread them!
thanks to everyone who has contributed to my addiction to fantasy books... much appreciated!
The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices!
Jeffrey Wheeler definitely needs to be on the list. The two Muirwood Trilogies are among the very best I've ever read: he has a gift for characterization, a firm grasp of history which meshes well with his fantasies, and they are full of romance without resorting to graphic details--very, very suitable for all ages. Also his Kingfountain Books have been very well received and he is about to release a new series first in June.
And Taylor Marshall's Sword and Serpent trilogy based on legends and historical background about St. George and the Dragon. Very clean, page-turning, and informative. You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy it, but it helps. I hope he writes more about the saints.
Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, starting with His Majesty's DragonLois McMaster Bujold's tetrology The Sharing Knife, starting with Beguilement
The Riftwar/Serpentwar sagas - Raymond E. Feist, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn/ Otherland - Tad Williams, The Belgariad/Mallorean- David Eddings, The Sword of Truth - Terry Goodkind, The Kingdoms - Angus Wells
Agreed anything by Guy Gavriel KayAlso Stephen Lawhead
Incomparable Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series; Brian Jacques' Redwall ....
The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavanand
The Cycle of Arawn Trilogy by Edward W. Robertson
Those are a must! :)
GypsyBookworm wrote: "And ditto about Tawny Man and The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy. You need to read all three trilogies to get the full story. They are worth the wait."These are my favourite fantasy books, fabulous series.
Brent Weeks has some trilogy's of which I have so far read only one, The Night Angel series. Loved them and plan to read more by this author, I know there is at least one other trilogy by him.
