I’m a fantasy girlie. I love big, expansive worlds to get lost in; worlds where things aren’t quite the same as ours. Maybe there’s magic, maybe there’s dragons, maybe our main character is a 500 year old fae warrior with bat wings. All this to say, fantasy is one of my favourite genres. If you, like me, want to get engrossed in an epic story, here are 5 of my faves.

I’ve purposely chosen 5 loooong series. One’s where there are multiple series taking place in the same world, or following different generations in one place. I love these expansive universes, and I hope that you will enjoy these too!

The Realm of the Elderlings, by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is probably the Queen of Fantasy. Her Realm of the Elderlings world is made up of 5 series (4 trilogies and a quartet). This makes the 16 book undertaking seem a little less daunting. It’s an easy reading order with no alternative versions (that I’m aware of), you just start with Assassins Apprentice and read the books in publication order! The first trilogy follows Fitz, a bastard son of the prince, who is brought to the castle and raised by the stable-master. He is then trained to be the royal assassin due to his unique standing of being part of the lower classes, yet also royalty. The series continue to follow Fitz across his life, alternating with trilogies set in a different part of the world where there are conscious ships and dragons!

If you love a slow paced plot with loveable characters and an incredible world- give this world a go.

The Cosmere, by Brandon Sanderson

If Robin Hobb is the Queen of Fantasy, then Brandon Sanderson must be the King. His Cosmere is an expansive universe with seemingly unconnected series and standalones- except we know they all take place in the same universe and will eventually cross over. There is so much discussion online as to the best reading order of the Cosmere. Even Brandon Sanderson has multiple options on his own website! I’m currently diving into the Cosmere for the first time, so it’s tough to give a description of the universe as a whole. However the books are all full of magic, loveable characters and the knowledge that you never know how it’s going to end.

The First Law, by Joe Abercrombie

This one is a slightly different style of fantasy, due to it having very little magic happening. The First Law is a 10 book series, encompassing 2 trilogies, 3 standalones and a short story collection. I’d suggest starting with The Blade Itself and then continuing in publication order. The premise of The First Law is that nothing ever really ends; when we finish a story, it will continue without us. We see this throughout the books. The first trilogy follows a quest plot to find an artifact that will restore the world (according to the magician leading the quest). However, the brilliance of The First Law is that while this main plot is happening, there are also multiple other things happening elsewhere in the world that have nothing to do with this main plot. It’s a difficult series to explain, but a series that I really enjoyed reading.

The Faithfull and the Fallen, by John Gwynne

This is a 7 book world encompassing a quartet and a trilogy. We follow a host of characters who may (or may not) be the saviour or the dark one. There are similarities to classics such as Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones. However, this series is much more accessible and easier to read (and finished….) than those two. What I love about The Faithfull and the Fallen is the host of characters, including giants, and the way classic storytelling tropes are subverted.

The Dragons of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey

This epic series is currently 24 books long, with Anne’s son Todd continuing the series after his mother passed away. The Pern books are all nice and short- most are around the 300 page mark so much more accessible! If you read the Dragons of Pern, you’ll see the inspiration that Rebecca Yarros took for Fourth Wing, as well as how this series has influenced countless other dragon/dragon rider stories.

So there you go. 5 epic fantasy series for you to get fully immersed in. Let me know if you have read any of these!