A List of Fantasy Series I Want to Finish

A friend of mine online recently took some polls on which fantasy series her followers have read. If you’re reading fantasy, you know there are way too many series to keep up with. There’s practically a series for every conceivable version of the fantasy genre which makes for a lot of reading.

While I was watching her rattle off the names of some of these series, I started to wonder which ones of these books have I actually read or started to read? 

Fantasy series are no joke. If you aren’t acquainted with the sheer size and storytelling these books hold, then think of stories like Game of Thrones where the books are just paper bricks with a detailed world built within the pages. These series go out six, seven, or ten books long.

On top of all that, there’s also the seismic length of the books. Some start off with the average 300 pages, but then jumps to thousands of pages. Thousands of words to convey a story that just won’t quit on you. Legit, fantasy is so worth reading if you love big worlds and a lot of action.

But if you read fantasy, you know that these are also some of the greatest worlds and stories you’ve ever read. Some people worship characters wanting to see relationships shipped and collecting ephemera that reminds them of those characters they just read.

I, like many, do the same.

However, my reading life always drags me this way and that way and I never get time to read entire series in one sitting. I mean, I could. I could abandon everything I’ve been working on just to read an entire series, but I just can’t.

So to make myself accountable, I’m making a list. I have no clue if I’ll finish this list, but I want to have the list to reference (and possibly grow in the future). Here’s all the fantasy series I’ve started and want to eventually finish:

A Court of Thorns and Roses & Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I put both of SJM’s series on this list because I’ve started both, but I just haven’t had time to finish them. I legit will read anything written by this woman. She’s able to create such amazing universes with her writing filled with magic, love, fighting, and girl power. I absolutely love the girl power in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. You think it’ll be just this girl who’s afraid to do anything, but Sarah J Maas writes a strong female lead who isn’t afraid to pick up a knife and do some damage. Both of these series are amazing and kind of a priority in my eyes.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I’m a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, which is exactly what this is. Each book in this series is dedicated to another fairy tale, but the plots are very loosely based. Very loosely. Don’t go into these books expecting to read Cinderella. What you’ll get is something similar to Cinderella, but completely in its own class. These are also all inter-related in some way so you may want to read your favorite classic first, I would suggest starting from the beginning. I’m only on book three or four of this series, but I do want to finish it. I hate having to hold on a series that’s compelled me to read the next one.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

I don’t technically have this series started, but I want to start it. It’s supposed to be one of the best series in the YA fantasy genre. You have your pretty boy main characters that’ll make you fall in love. The fandom for this series is pretty big, so I have to check this out and see what it’s all about. Plus, I like me a little fantasy romance every once in a while.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

I absolutely loved this series. I started reading this one a long time ago when Samantha Shannon signed to have like a 7-book deal. Sadly, this is taking much longer to finish the series (there are only three books). However, I do have the third book to read and I can’t wait to read it. Perhaps it will be the third and final book or it’ll leave me on such a crazy cliffhanger that I’ll be waiting patiently for the rest of the series to come out. I know she already has another brick of a novel releasing soon, so perhaps this is the end and I just need to complete it.

The Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

Ok, I know I’ve suggested this one in the past, but the truth is that I’ve never read it before.

I’ve just been a weird stalker-y fan of Sabaa Tahir for a really long time and I’ve been meaning to read her novels for a really long time. I’ve also weirdly collected all the books in this series, but yet to pick one up. I think I need to revisit my reading goals for 2019 and make some for these books.

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman

This is my “I really wish I knew about these books as a kid” series. This isn’t necessarily the most prolific writing of the world, but it’s one of the most famous. Phillip Pullman is supposed to be an amazing writer and again, beautiful world builder. Have I read any of his books when I was a kid? Nope. Which is why I think I want to read them more now. I want to get into this world and see what I missed out on while I was doing something else (like watching TV). Take me there, Phillip. Let’s see if this series has what it’s got.

One of Brandon Sanderson’s series

I’ve been basically amping myself up for Brandon Sanderson. Like many fantasy authors, he doesn’t skimp a word and he builds a world you can’t escape. I’m legit intimidated by his books. I want to read them, but I feel like I’ll get lost in all the magic and fantasy. What if I don’t like it? It’ll also be my first foray into reading fantasy written by a man. What is that going to be like? It’ll probably be the same as everything else, but I can’t help to think about the differences in the voice and writing. I’ll be dying to start a series here. It’ll probably be Mistborn over The Stormlight Archive, but I definitely want to read that as well.

The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

I started City of Bones over the summer and I think it’s finally time for me to finish this one as well. I think in my grand schedule of reading, this one will be read after I finish Throne of Glass.

Okay, I think this is a good list to start off with. I hope to revisit this list and check things off as I make some extra progress on all of them. Will I ever finish them in my life? I may just have made my retirement home list. What have you read? What would you recommend?