Brimmed with magic and creativity that bring readers to a different realm, there’s no wonder why fantasy series are popular among adults and children. These books serve as a form of escapism and allow people to reimagine and wander on various literary universes, rife with wizards, fairies, warlocks, and other magical creatures. If you, too, are enticed with the world of fantasy, we’ve collated not only the best but the longest fantasy that will keep you flipping the pages.
Discworld
Written by Terry Pratchett, the Discworld series was first released in 1983 with its first book, “The Colour of Magic.” The books were parodies or inspired by famous authors’ works, fairy tales, legends, and myths, using a satirical approach and paralleling them to worldly issues. A prolific writer of his own, Pratchett wrote over 40 books over the Discworld series’s three-decade run.
The Riftwar Cycle
A tale of power, magic, and adventure in the worlds of Kelewan and Midkemia, The Riftwar Cycle is a fantasy book series written by Raymond E. Feist, who is regarded as one of the most successful fantasy fiction authors. That’s without question, as the series covers 30 books, with over 13,000 pages.
Malazan
Malazan is a high-fantasy series written by Steven Erikson. It features numerous characters from various continents tangled in an incredibly complex storyline that runs over thousands of years. From 1999 to 2017, more than 20 published works were released under the series, with over 15,000 pages for every fantasy-genre enthusiast to read.
Valdemar
Valdemar revolves around the universe of the same name, nestled in the Velgarth kingdom. Written by Mercedes Lackey, the series now has 38 primary novels, with different characters and a storyline spanning 3,000 years.
The Wheel of Time
Originally intended to be a six-book series, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time reached 14 volumes after its first publication in January 1990. Jordan (James Oliver Rigney Jr. in real life) died while working on supposed-to-be the 12th and final volume in 2007. Fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson finished the series, but the volume, deemed too long, was divided into three, published in 2009, 2010, and 2013 respectively. In addition to the 14 volumes, The Wheel of Time also has a prequel novel plus two companion books.
Xanth
Truth to be told, Xanth was only meant to be a trilogy by author Piers Anthony. But, the cheesy and fun fantasy series proved to be successful and earned a devoted fan base. Thus, pushing Anthony to continue the series, which now has over 40 books. Human characters here are blessed with a unique magical ability called “talents” and are joined by demons, centaurs, elves, golems, ogres, goblins, and other supernatural creatures. Xanth is now open-ended, so expect to see more novels from this series to delight readers.
The Sword of Truth
Penned by Terry Goodkind, The Sword of Truth began in 1994 via the book “Wizard’s First Rule” and has now reached a total of 22 books. The series follows the protagonists’ quest to uphold justice and their battle against people looking to oppress and spread evil into the world. With its success, it has been translated into over 20 languages and has also been adapted into a television series.
Shannara
Another worth-to-read long fantasy series is Terry Brooks’ Shannara, which was first released in 1977 in “The Sword of Shannara” and ended more than four decades after in 2020 with its last book, “The Last Druid.” The series is set in the post-apocalyptic and futuristic Four Lands, fusing science and magic for a hooking narrative.
The Saga of Recluce
After its initial novel “The Magic of Recluce” in 1991, the series already has a total of 21 books and still ongoing as of 2021. The storyline circles order and chaos within the same fantasy realm over a time period of nearly two thousand years, often tackling themes of politics, nature, ethics, economics, ageism, sexism behind its protagonists’ perspective.
The Legend of Drizzt
The Legend of Drizzt is genuinely a “legend,” with a total of 36 books published for the series as of November 2020. Set in the Forgotten Realms, spanning hundreds of years and encompassing love, loss, pain, and redemption, these novels penned by R.A. Salvatorred is far from oblivion, given the legacy it left in the world of fantasy readers.
That’s the list of the longest fantasy series that will bestow you freedom from reality, take you to places larger than life, and feed your imagination for a worthwhile and magical reading adventure!