Awesome Fantasy Series —
Know that awful feeling when you reach the end of a great series? Well, don’t panic, here’s a whole heap of old-but-awesome fantasy series to discover!
What Should I Read Next?
Because I’ve been reading fantasy for, oh, well, way too long to count, I thought it would be fun to set out some options based on some old and new series.
Warning:
This is a long blog post! Here you can download to read as a pdf
PS: You’re welcome to copy and share this pdf.
1. Epic Adventure
If you like:
The Shattered Sea Series by Joe Abercrombie
Try:
The Belgariad by David Eddings
What’s it About?
The Belgariad is a five-volume fantasy series, featuring good versus evil, wicked gods and powerful magicians. The series follows Garion, a scullery-lad from the country and his mysterious Aunt Polgara in their search for the missing Orb of Aldur.
At the beginning of the stories Garion is a young unknown, but as the reader continues through the books his exciting backstory is gradually revealed. When The Belgariad first came out, I haunted the library for weeks, just desperate for the next in the series, and had my name on all the pre-order lists.
The Belgariad feels like real seat of the pants adventure – Garion didn’t really understand what was happening to him, so neither did I, as the reader. I still remember the amazement, the OMG moment when finally I realised what was actually happening. (I don’t want to give too much away here, so apologies if this sounds ambiguous)!
Why Is it So Amazing?
The action in The Belgariad is great – it’s a fantasy, so there are heroes and battles and sword fighting and all that good stuff – but really it’s the characters that set The Belgariad apart. Eddings developed an enormous cast of characters, and each person is so believable that you really feel you know them; they each have their own foibles and way of speaking. I still think, even now, that The Belgariad has one of the best cast of characters in any series. Sorry, JRR, I think Eddings out-did you there.
Any Other Info?
David Eddings and his wife, Leigh Eddings, went on to write a number of other series, including The Mallorean, the sequel to The Belgariad, so if you do get hooked on this series there are plenty of other books to go on to.
Interested? Want to find out more?
Check out this review from Will Read for Feels.
2. Magic and Legends
Enjoy
The Raven Cycle By Maggie Stiefvater?
Try:
The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper.
When I read that Maggie Stiefvater listed Cooper as among her favourite authors, I wasn’t surprised; if you’ve read The Dark is Rising you can certainly see the similarities. Although The Dark is Rising is slower-paced than Stiefvater’s work and doesn’t have any cars (plus its first book, Over Sea and Under Stone, is written for a younger audience), the settings feel way more evocative.
What’s it About?
The Dark is Rising is a good versus evil story, set in Cornwall and Wales, and tells the story of Will, the last of the Old Ones, born into a mysterious order. On his eleventh birthday, Midwinter Day, Will learns why a strange man is following him, and why he has to keep his family safe. Throughout the sequence Will is aided by Merlion (Merlin) and three children: Barney, Simon and Jane. The stories are all set in Britain, moving from Cornwall to Buckinghamshire to Wales.
Why Is It So Great?
The whole sequence is creepy and exciting and full of references to King Arthur and the Grail. It has a strong emphasis on music. It’s rare to find books that celebrate musicality in children – I still remember the excitement when I realised I wasn’t the only musical weirdo in the world!
The Grey King, the third of the Rising sequence, is set in Wales. This book has always been my favourite of the series, so much so that I worked in Wales primarily so I could see the area she describes in her books! I ended up setting my first book, A Necklace of Souls, in Angelsea partly because of Cooper’s The Grey King.
If you’re into Celtic mythology and adventure, The Dark is Rising is an absolute must-read. It’s really aimed at children around ten to say fourteen, but older kids will still enjoy it.
3. World-Building
If you enjoy Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Series, try:
The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin.
What’s it About?
First written as a trilogy, The Earthsea Cycle is a classic fantasy series. Set in Earthsea, a world made of sea and archipelagos, the stories follow the adventures of Ged, a wizard of Earthsea, and Tenar, a priestess. In 1990 Le Guin released Tehanu, the fourth in the cycle, and more recently, a number of short stories.
Why Is It So Great?
The Earthsea Cycle is world-building at its best; the detailed world of Ged and Tenar is immersive and exciting. Just a short warning: The Earthsea novels are slower than Sanderson’s Mistborn series – the action takes time to build – but what makes Le Guin’s novels amazing is the sheer believability of the world. When reading Earthsea, you really feel as though you’re walking through a market or sailing across the sea. If you enjoy travelling but haven’t the budget, The Earthsea Cycle is a must-read!
Any Other Info?
The Earthsea works were adapted into an Anime movie by Disney and Studio Ghibli. The movie is interesting, although don’t expect it to resemble the book!
4. Schools of Wizardry
If you liked The Adventures of Harry Potter by JK Rowling try:
Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones
What’s It About?
Witch Week takes place over Halloween week at Larwood House, a horrible boarding school that’s home to many witch-orphans (children whose parents were burnt for witchcraft). Most of the class of 2Y are terrified that they will become witches – but some welcome the idea of magic. And others believe they are far too good to ever become a witch.
Witch Week is one of my favourite Wynne Jones novels, mostly because it’s just so funny.
“You girls,” said Simon, “all stink.”
The result was almost overpowering. So was the noise the girls made.
Why Is It So Great?
I first read Diana Wynne Jones’ Charmed Life when I was nine. I still have a copy, and it remains one of my favourite stories ever. Wynne Jones had the most amazing storytelling gift; she told stories of magic and multiple worlds and her extraordinary characters simply bounced from the pages.
I thought you were talking about a SERIES?
Yep. I am – Witch Week is one of the Chrestomanci novels. The Chrestomanci stories are all stand-alone novels. They’re set in many different worlds but they all feature Chrestomanci, a powerful enchanter with an allergy to silver and a highly developed dress sense. So if you enjoy Witch Week then good news! There’s heaps of other stories to try.
5. Adventure and Romance
If you like Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm, try:
The Riddle-Master Trilogy by Patricia McKillip
What’s it About?
The Riddle-Master stories tell the adventures of Morgon, the Prince of Hed. Born with three stars on his forehead and the ability to solve riddles, Morgon doesn’t care about destiny or matters of state; all he wants to do is study riddle-mastery. Unfortunately for Morgon, the biggest riddle he must solve is himself. The characters, Morgon and his fiancee, Raederle of An, develop in unexpected ways through the series. There’s action and backstory and plenty of magic. The story is never boring.
Why is it so great?
The Riddle-Master series is notable not only for its world-building and strong female protagonists but for the beauty of its writing. McKillip’s writing is always lyrical, more like poetry than prose. The Riddle-Master series has the best concluding paragraph ever:
‘Raederle, her voice tranquil, began telling him about pearls and luminous fish and the singing of water deep in the sea…Peace, tremulous, unexpected, sent a taproot out of nowhere into Morgan’s heart.’
6. History and Myth
Love Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Series? Try:
The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart
What’s it about?
The Merlin Trilogy follows Merlin, the bastard grandson of a minor Welsh King, who has a gift for seeing things that others cannot. Set in Britain of the fifth century, the story takes place against the ruins of the Roman empire, where the crumbling remains of towers battle with memories of the old gods and their druid priests. There’s an ever-present threat of danger running through the novels; the Norse invaders, the new Christian religion and the death of a once-great civilization. Merlin knows the darkness is coming.
‘What was there to see? A young man with an injured hand, a King with his lust satisfied, a woman with her penance beginning. And for all of us, time to remember the dead.’
Why is it so great?
Who doesn’t like the idea of King Arthur and the Grail? In The Merlin Trilogy, the settings interweave myth with magic, but they’re underpinned by historical fact. Stewart must have gone to great lengths to ensure the stories are accurate – even small details like the hypocaust systems of roman villas are so well described that the reader could almost be there. This trilogy was the other reason I lived in Wales!
I don’t get how it’s like The Grisha Series? Isn’t that based on Russian History?
Check out Leigh Bardugo’s amazing website. You can see here how she used historical reality to shape her Grisha world. Stewart did something similar in The Merlin Trilogy; a great deal of the work is based on the History of the Kings of Britain, a medieval work by Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Other info?
The Merlin Series was made into a TV series by the BBC (entitled Merlin of the Crystal Cave). Stewart was also a prolific writer of romantic suspense, so if you enjoy a range of genres, check out her other titles.
Conclusion
This is an epically long blog-post! Congratulations on reaching the end and thanks for your patience.
If you would like to print this out for reference, here’s the download link again.
And if you’re STILL short of reading material, here are four lists on Goodreads that might be of interest:
- Epic Fantasy
- Mythic Fiction
- Best Fantasy of the 70s
- Popular Fantasy on Goodreads (Books with at least 100,000 ratings)
(All the cover art here is from Amazon, and I’ve added links to all the Amazon entries for these books too, in case you’re wanting to read more.)
Happy Reading!
