Fantasy Series I’ve Added to My Never-ending TBR
I don’t think I’ve EVER finished a series. Wait. That’s not entirely true. I did finish Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series in record time.
There is something about the level of dedication required to finish a series. I’ve noticed that trilogies seem to be my comfort zone, and I am definitely challenging myself with some of these choices. I am determined to get through at least one of these series on my list this year.
* All photos of the books and the book descriptions all come from and are linked to the authors websites.
The Witcher Series
Geralt of Rivia. A Witcher. He’s an itinerant mercenary. He kills monsters for money. His strange physique, with white hair and cat-like eyes, distinguishes him from other people, who reject him because of it. He’s an exceptionally powerful mutant who occasionally resorts to magic. Both feared and scorned by the powerless as well as the powerful, who see him as someone dangerous and impossible to retain. His honor code forbids him from killing if he can avoid it, and not to attack monsters unless they pose a real threat. He’s got a strong character, but he still has a human side: he doesn't always emerge from battle unscathed. Set in an imaginary medieval world enhanced with magic and monsters, the Witcher saga will surprise you: the monster isn’t always who you think it is!
In the Witcher saga, Andrzej Sapkowski introduces his hero, Geralt of Rivia. Eight books completes this epic quest. If sword fights, medieval-like settings, dragons, ghastly creatures, sorceresses, elves, magic, and romance, The Witcher is for you.
Even though The Last Wish was published second, it’s been suggested across many bookish websites to be read first. I enjoyed this prequel immensely and wouldn’t mind finishing the series. I want to find out what happens with our central characters Geralt, Yennifer, and Ciri. Translated from Polish, the cadence of the narration took some getting used to, but it didn’t take away from the experience I had following Geralt through The Continent.
The Sword of Truth Series
In a time before legends had yet been born... Married to the powerful leader of her people, safe among those gifted with great ability, Magda Searus is protected from a distant world descending into war. But when her husband, a man who loved life and loved her, unexpectedly commits suicide, she suddenly finds herself alone. Because she is ungifted herself, without her husband she no longer has standing among her people, and she finds herself isolated in a society that seems to be crumbling around her. Despite her grief, she is driven to find the reasons behind why her husband would do such a thing--why he would abandon her and her people at such a profoundly dangerous time. Though she is not gifted, she begins to discover that there may be more to her husband's suicide than anyone knew. What she finds next, no one is willing to believe. Without anyone to help her, she knows that she must embark on a mission to find a mysterious spiritist, if she even exists, so that she may speak with the dead. This quest may also be her last chance to unravel what is really behind the mysterious events befalling her people. What she discovers along the way is that the war is going far worse than she had known, and that the consequences of defeat will be more terrifying for her and her people than she could have imagined. As mortal peril begin to close in around her, Magda learns that she is somehow the key to her people's salvation.
Journey with Magda Searus into her dark world and learn how true legends are born.
The Sword of Truth or The Legend of the Seeker series, written by the late Terry Goodkind has a total of 17 books. It is the very definition of Epic. The First Confessor wasn’t published first, but for the best reading experience, the books should be read in chronological order instead of publication order. All I’m going to say about this book right now is: The best sword fight scene EVER!
The Sookie Stackhouse Series
Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Bon Temps, Louisiana. She's quiet, doesn't get out much, and tends to mind her own business—except when it comes to her “disability.” Sookie can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. Then along comes Bill Compton. He’s tall, dark, handsome—and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life... But Bill has a disability of his own: he’s a vampire with a bad reputation. And when a string of murders hits Bon Temps—along with a gang of truly nasty bloodsuckers looking for Bill—Sookie starts to wonder if having a vampire for a boyfriend is such a bright idea.
What I found so interesting about this series, written by Charlaine Harris is that the vampires all came “out of the coffin” and told humanity that they are indeed real, and all the stories got it wrong. The Goal? To “live” among them peacefully. Even become productive members of society. There are about 13 books in the series known also as True Blood, The Sookie Stackhouse Series, or the Southern Vampire Mysteries.
Song of Ice and Fire Series
When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground. Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. From the fertile south, where heat breeds conspiracy, to the vast and savage eastern lands, all the way to the frozen north, kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men . . . all will play the Game of Thrones.
I have read A Game of Thrones, book 1 in the series and almost half of book 2, A Clash of Kings, and a standalone book Fire and Blood that revolves around the Targaryen Dynasty centuries before the events of Song of Ice and Fire. The series is right up my alley. Medieval-like setting, Kings, Queens, sword fights, DRAGONS!!!!! George R. R. Martin is a fantasy genre genius. Immersive world. Multiple POVs. Characters that I care about after I close the book.
ACOTAR Series
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed series is impossible to put down!
The ACOTAR series begins with A Court of Thornes and Roses. I honestly can’t remember why I even purchased this book…It could have been because of the hype I was seeing on my bookstagram feed, but I am glad I did! I DEVOURED book one. I had always thought that my reading preferences sat firmly in the fantasy genre. It wasn’t until ACOTAR that I realized I love Romantasy… and elves.
What are some of your favorite series that you have read? Or do you have a series hanging out on your TBR that you haven’t started yet?
