Here is how I'd rate the series' that Ive read currently. Something like the Mistborn trilogy, which I did love, is probably getting a slight boost as a total package, particularly over the three unfinished products below it, even if I might rate them generally lower one on one against particular volumes from those series.

Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Harry Potter - Rowling
Mistborn - Sanderson
Malazan Book of the Fallen - Erikson+
A Song of Ice and Fire - Martin*
Stormlight Archive - Sanderson*
Tawny Man - Hobb
Wheel of Time - Jordan/Sanderson
Liveship Traders - Hobb
Demon Cycle - Brett
Farseer - Hobb
Kingkiller Chronicle - Rothfuss*
Rain Wilds - Hobb
His Dark Materials - Pullman
Inheritance Cycle - Paolini

* Ongoing
+ Reading not complete

Adding in Sci-Fi stuff I've read would be a little harder to neatly do largely because I'm not sure Orson Scott Card and Connie Willis' stuff neatly fits into a Series way of looking at things. Sci-Fi tends to follow a more "adding sequels" model than a "complete the series" model. I think the Shadow Saga (Ender's Shadow through Shadow of the Giant) are really the only Enderverse books that truly qualify as a series and not as simply a set of sequels, for example.

I'm noting all the people that like the garbage that Rowling wrote. You opinions are now taken with a large grain of salt....

Garbage? That's pretty harsh. I usually reserve that type of criticism for like, Dan Brown.

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Garbage? That's pretty harsh. I usually reserve that type of criticism for like, Dan Brown.

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Him too.

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I'm noting all the people that like the garbage that Rowling wrote. You opinions are now taken with a large grain of salt....

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I think what she has going for her, is that she created a really amazing world. Whether her writing is great is up for debate, but if you didn't enjoy the books than that is due to preconceived notions on your part.

Rowling is the reason many of the people on this thread probably got into fantasy....

Just a side note Sanderson pumping em out with Bands of Mourning and Calamity in the past month.

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I'm noting all the people that like the garbage that Rowling wrote. You opinions are now taken with a large grain of salt....

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I think what she has going for her, is that she created a really amazing world. Whether her writing is great is up for debate, but if you didn't enjoy the books than that is due to preconceived notions on your part.

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I will admit that I'm not big on fantasy set in the real world so I didn't get an "amazing world" from her. Her writing is certainly sub par and the plots had huge holes and issues. I enjoyed them as I would any youth fiction novel that I'm reading for the first time as an adult who has read hundreds of fantasy novels. But they aren't great and certainly don't belong a top ten list IMHO.

Glad to see this thread get lively again. I'll throw my rankings into the mix as well:

1. Stormlight - I know it's only two books so far but they are my two favorite books ever
2. The Lord of the Rings - about to do a reread and see how it holds up but I'm sure it will
3. ASOIAF
4. Kingkiller - if book 2 had been better it would be higher. Book 1 is a masterpiece
5. Gentlemen's *******s
6. Wheel of Time - would be much higher if he'd eliminate half the books, or let Sanderson do more of them
7. Dresden Files
8. Mistborn
9. The First Law
10. Raven's Shadow - Only in my top 10 because of how good the 1st book was

Will be starting Lightbringer and The Malazan Book of the Fallen soon. One of those will probably enter the top 10 based on what I've heard.

Not enough acknowledgement on here of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series as some of the greatest fantasy and satire ever written.

Malazan is tough bro, I'm an epic fantasy veteran, and have started and failed book 1 three times already.

Just finished book 3 of Malazan. It's cool... and there are parts where I wanted to keep reading... but I really just don't get the hype.

The big gripe people have with the series when they fist start is that you have no idea WTF is going on. I got over that and am ok. My big complaint is that he doesn't do a good job of explaining characters motivations for doing something. Characters often do crazy, life altering things for reasons that don't make a whole hell of a lot of sense.

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Malazan is tough bro, I'm an epic fantasy veteran, and have started and failed book 1 three times already.

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I'm with you. I forced myself to finish book 1, and realized I had no idea who anyone was or what was happening. Quit after that.

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Malazan is tough bro, I'm an epic fantasy veteran, and have started and failed book 1 three times already.

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I'm with you. I forced myself to finish book 1, and realized I had no idea who anyone was or what was happening. Quit after that.

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Don't give up. I've read the whole series twice and still don't understand it all. But even if you miss half of what's going on there are still good parts you will get. But it does take dedicated reading time and you have to "get into it".

Read Malazan book one and liked it once I got 200 pages in. Started book two and saw different characters and haven't gotten the motivation to continue with the series yet.

Malazan bounces around. Your characters you've grown to love will skip a book. It tough at times because of that but I really liked the series

I loved the first like 4 or 5 books. Then I think I got to 7 after a hiatus and I was so hilariously lost I haven't started again.

I've re-read the first 3 a number of times but just need to get back to finishing.

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Not enough acknowledgement on here of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series as some of the greatest fantasy and satire ever written.

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I've never heard of it; can you give a brief synopsis; sounds interesting.

Malazahn is so good. Just keep reading. And then when you finish, dead it again. The second read through is so rewarding because you know the characters' motivations and things finally male sense.

Probably the most epic of all the series discussed on this thread. Maybe my number one of all time, tbh.

But skip any of the spin-off crap by Erikson's buddy Esselmont. That guy can't write for ****.

I'll read a long series. But there ain't no way in hell I'm ever cracking open something that if I like the first one there is only 45 more to go.

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I'm noting all the people that like the garbage that Rowling wrote. You opinions are now taken with a large grain of salt....

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I think what she has going for her, is that she created a really amazing world. Whether her writing is great is up for debate, but if you didn't enjoy the books than that is due to preconceived notions on your part.

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I will admit that I'm not big on fantasy set in the real world so I didn't get an "amazing world" from her. Her writing is certainly sub par and the plots had huge holes and issues. I enjoyed them as I would any youth fiction novel that I'm reading for the first time as an adult who has read hundreds of fantasy novels. But they aren't great and certainly don't belong a top ten list IMHO.

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Ah, I see your comments were in regards to top 10. I agree with you there.

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Not enough acknowledgement on here of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series as some of the greatest fantasy and satire ever written.

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I've never heard of it; can you give a brief synopsis; sounds interesting.

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Discworld is a comic fantasy book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett (19482015), set on the fictional Discworld, a flat disc balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody or take inspiration from J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, Charles ****ens, and William Shakespeare, as well as mythology, folklore and fairy tales, often using them for satirical parallels with current cultural, political and scientific issues. The series is popular, with more than 80 million books sold in 37 languages.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld#cite_note-1][1][/url][url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld#cite_note-2][2].[/url]


The Discworld novels contain common themes and motifs that run through the series. Fantasy clichs are parodied in many of the novels, as are various subgenres of fantasy, such as fairy tales (notably Witches Abroad), witch and vampire stories (Carpe Jugulum) and so on. Analogies of real-world issues, such as religion (Small Gods), business and politics (Making Money), are recurring themes, as are music genres such as opera (Maskerade) or rock music (Soul Music). Parodies of non-Discworld fiction also occur frequently, including Shakespeare, Beatrix Potter, and several movies. Major historical events, especially battles, are sometimes used as the basis for both trivial and key events in Discworld stories (Jingo, Pyramids), as are trends in science, technology, and pop culture (Moving Pictures, Men at Arms). There are also humanist themes in many of the Discworld novels, and a focus on critical thinking skills in the Witches and Tiffany Aching series.



His satire is solid, and his books are frequently hilarious. Pratchett was a unique individual in his own right, and he created some very original and entertaining characters for the Discworld series. Give a couple a shot. They aren't long re3ads, and they are a lot of fun.

Bravo to the poster who recommended the Lightbringer books. I've read the first two in the last few days and they're terrific.

I am committing myself to slogging through the middle books of the WoT series again, maybe I'll make it to the Sanderson promised land.

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I am committing myself to slogging through the middle books of the WoT series again, maybe I'll make it to the Sanderson promised land.

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Just start skimming the pages. You really aren't missing anything.

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Bravo to the poster who recommended the Lightbringer books. I've read the first two in the last few days and they're terrific.

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Yep, just finished book two thirty minutes ago. Good stuff.

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I am committing myself to slogging through the middle books of the WoT series again, maybe I'll make it to the Sanderson promised land.

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Just go to Wikipedia, that's what I did for a refresh before reading the Sanderson books.

Finished all 3 of the currently released Lightbringer books. The next one comes out in November apparently. I'll add it to my ever growing list of fantasy series that I'm waiting on to finish.

Weeks is still writing the the last book, not sure how reliable that November date is.

Read the first 2 lightbringers and enjoyed them. Then I heard the 3rd one wasn't that great so i decided to wait until they were all out.

Just finished The Reckoners trilogy. Nice little series.

If you guys like the stories mentioned here check out Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Krenshaw. It is Book I of a series and his debut novel. It is seriously good and has a feel of The Way of Kings or The Name of the Wind (seriously I think it is as good as TNotW which I love). Just read about the author and it sounds like book two is set for late 2016 or 2017 so if you don't like getting into the series that are not finished it may not be your thing.

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If you guys like the stories mentioned here check out Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Krenshaw. It is Book I of a series and his debut novel. It is seriously good and has a feel of The Way of Kings or The Name of the Wind (seriously I think it is as good as TNotW which I love). Just read about the author and it sounds like book two is set for late 2016 or 2017 so if you don't like getting into the series that are not finished it may not be your thing.

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Looks interesting, I'll definitely check it out!


Also, thanks for getting my hopes up about a new Kingkiller announcement ;p

Also for those who listen the Audiobook is done by Tim Gerard Reynolds who is outstanding for this kind of book.

About 25% through Dawn of Wonder. I'm definitely hooked. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll post my complete thoughts when I finish. (Which shouldn't take too long at the current clip I'm going. Can't seem to put it down.)