With the rise of Game of Thrones, the interest in the fantasy fiction genre has been reinvigorated, the sales of the books have gained a major boost, and with the community thriving, it’s the best time to get into fantasy. Here are a few fantasy book series suggestions for both beginners and intermediate readers to experience the best that fantasy has to offer.
1. Six of Crows
“If you can’t beat the odds, change the game.”
The shortest series on this list with only two parts is The Six of Crows Duology. The series is written by Leigh Bardugo and is set in Shadow and Bone Trilogy universe (Grishaverse), more commonly known as the Grisha trilogy. The series has no prior connection to the previous books except for a few minor characters and one small incident. You need not have read the other books to enjoy this duology but if you like six of crows, you can then move on to the Grisha trilogy. Another thing to note is that Leigh Bardugo is one of the few female fantasy writers and is putting out great work consistently.
The series is set in the Amsterdam-inspired city of Kitterdam and follows six characters as they are hired to pull off a heist/ rescue mission. This kind of story has not been explored that often, especially in fantasy, and certainly not with this much charm. We get the chapters from the viewpoint of almost all the main characters and a few minor ones too. The cast is some of the most likable and varied in all of the fantasy and their banter never leaves a dull moment.
1 Six of Crows
2 Crooked Kingdom
Reddit Community – https://www.reddit.com/r/Grishaverse/
2. Mistborn Trilogy
“The life of a person is more than the chaos of its passing.”
Brandon Sanderson is the only author with two entries on this list, and for good reason, he’s one of the best and most hardworking authors right now, which is to be expected as he was the one to finish the wheel of time series after the passing of Robert Jordan.
Mistborn is set in a region called the final empire in a world known as Scadrial. A thousand years before the start of the series, the hero of ages was set to destroy the Deepness. Although the Deepness was successfully repelled, its true nature has been lost to time. The Hero after his victory, changed the world to likeness and dupped himself the Lord Ruler and has been ruling over the world as the god and tyrant.
We follow Vin, a street urchin, as she is recruited by a rebellion to overthrow the lord ruler. She was selected because of her being a Mistborn.
The series has one of the best magic systems around; the main part of the magic system is Allomancy. The power to Metoblise (burn) metals to gain temporary powers or boost one’s abilities. Mistborns are those rare people who can metabolize all the metals (16 in Total), whereas the rest can burn only one.
Also, if you like the series, then you are in luck as there’s a sequel tetralogy set 300 years after the last book and focus on the world that goes through its industrialization phase. Another trilogy is only planned to be released in the same universe.
Books
1 Mistborn: The Final Empire
2 Mistborn: The Well of Ascension
3 Mistborn: The Hero of Ages
Reddit Community – https://www.reddit.com/r/Mistborn/
3. Stormlight Archive
“We follow the codes not because they bring gain, but because we loathe the people we would otherwise become.”
This is the next series on this list by Brandon Sanderson and is without a doubt his magnum opus. If he keeps up the quality which there is a high chance he will, it will be remembered as the Lord Of The Rings of this century. The series is planned to have ten books, with the first part of the story consisting of the first five books and the second part of the later five books. The first 3 books have already been released, and the 4th book is set to release in 2020. He is one of the few authors pushing out the content of this scale and quality consistently.
So, the series takes place in a world called Roshar, where frequent storms exist, so the people and environment have evolved to survive these storms. The prologue introduces us to the concept of the wars that take place every few centuries between the humans and the void bringer. Ten heralds fight by the humanities side in these wars, but after the last war, nine of the ten heralds decide to break their oath and leave. After some 4500 years, humanity believes that the void bringers have been defeated once and for all, but our three lead characters sense that something is wrong.
Storm light has one of the best magic systems with things like Shardblades and Shardplate. The books are written in such a way that a single novel gives the feel of a complete trilogy with short stories sprinkled in between to build a complex and amazing world.
Books
1 The Way of Kings
2 Words of Radiance
3 Oathbringer
4 The Rhythm of War (tentative title)
Reddit Community – https://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Archive/
4. A Song Of Ice And Fire
“When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die. There is no middle ground.”
The most famous series on this list is A Song Of Ice And Fire. The show is undeniably one of the best shows of all time with one of the worst ends. The books are the good parts you remember from the show, all the witty dialogue, all the backstabbing, and politics. The popularity of game of thrones has started a trend of realistic grimdark fantasy and is going to be remembered as one of the most influential books in the fantasy genre.
For those still unaware of the story, Game of Thrones takes place on the fictional continent of Westeros, where two rival families ( Starks and Lannisters) fight for power while a world-ending threat makes its way to them. What’s special about this series is the number of characters and their complex relations with each other, the scope of which not everyone can pull off. The writing style is also amazing if you like to soak up as much detail as possible about the world. The dialogue is simply amazing to read, especially anything that includes Tyrion Lannister.
The only small issue is that the last two books of the series have been on hold for a long time. And the fifth book in the series was released in 2011, and it’s been nine years without an official announcement of the release of the next books. All things point to a possible 2020 release, but even if that does happen, the last part is even further. All things considered, it still is one of the best stories being told in all of the fiction and is worth the commitment.
Books
1 A Game of Thrones
2 A Clash of Kings
3 A Storm of Swords
4 A Feast for Crows
5 A Dance with Dragons
6 The Winds of Winter (Forthcoming)
7 A Dream of Spring (Forthcoming)
Reddit Community – https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/
5. The Witcher
“Evil is Evil. Lesser, greater, middling… makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred. If I’m to choose between one evil and another… I’d rather not choose at all.”
Another series that is on the rise because of its adaptations is The Witcher. First adapted into a game series by polish developers CD Project Red, which garnered overwhelming critical acclaim, especially the 3rd part in the series widely considered the best game of this decade and recently the Netflix series which became the most in-demand show of 2019.
The novels are written by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski who started by writing short stories in the witcher universe. The main story is known as the Witcher saga. The world of the witcher has been inspired by Gaelic/Celtic mythology which is a welcome break from all the western-inspired novels. There is a feeling that you are reading about something new and interesting.
The series follows the titular witcher Geralt of Rivia. Witchers are monster hunters who are created through mutations and very harsh training. The witchers were once respected, but now they are despised and treated as outcasts. The main saga follows Geralt as he tries to save and raise the child of destiny, princess Ciri.
The series has garnered a cult following and is currently blowing up in the mainstream. Geralt is easily one of the best-written characters, and his relationship with everyone is the star of the series.
Short story collection
1 The Last Wish
2 Sword of Destiny
The Witcher Saga
3 Blood of Elves
4 Time of Contempt
5 Baptism of Fire
6 The Tower of the Swallow
7 The Lady of the Lake
Standalone novel
8 Season of Storms
Reddit Community – https://www.reddit.com/r/witcher/
Those were some of our suggestions for the fantasy book series. If you liked the article, share the same with your avid reader friends and on your social media.
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ExoRank says
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Harshvardhan singh says
Great article
Also inspired a lazy fellow like me to read mistborn trilogy
Hope you guys come with these kind of article in future also
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