Welcome to Part Two of my Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction book series recommendations! I am only listing four series on here. I know there are so many more GREAT series out there, but I just have not read them yet! I think these are good starters for getting into long series.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
This one is a pretty obvious recommendation. This is a high fantasy series. High fantasy basically means that the setting takes place in a made up world and the characters are involved in an epic story line. This series has five books out right now, but there are to be seven (as of now) books in the complete series. Ice and Fire is basically about different people (who think they are entitled to it) wanting control of the Iron Throne and complete control of the Seven Kingdoms. These books have a lot of violence, sex, and vulgarity. If that is not your thing, do not read this series. there are fantastical elements to these books; there are dragons, witches, and magic. However, there are more war themes and action than magic that happens. As you read each book, there more magical elements introduced. The characters are FANTASTIC. There are ones you love and ones you hate. Don’t get too attached to a character, though, because George R. R. Martin is notorious for killing off characters. A downside is the books are VERY long. Many pages and many words. But if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with a fantastically epic story. Word of caution: if you get easily confused, this series may not be the best for you. There are TONS of characters and so many backstories. Each book does have an awesome appendix which is very helpful. If these books aren’t your thing, you can always watch the show on HBO!
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
If you’re a fan of magic and a school setting, then this will be a fun series for you to read, especially the first book. This series is about a boy named Kvothe who is very gifted in the arts. His family was part of a traveling troupe which is attacked and Kvothe is the only survivor. His main goal in life is to be accepted into the University, a prestigious magic school, to learn about the creatures that killed his family. Kvothe does many good and bad things in his life which cause him to have a reputation. When the book starts, you meet Kvothe as an adult who is in hiding, and became a barkeep. Kvothe saves the life of a patron of his bar, and come to find out, he’s a famous chronicler – a professional who transcribes the stories of people. The Chronicler figures out who he is and asks Kvothe to tell his story so he can write it down; Kvothe agrees to tell his story in 3 days. Name of the Wind (book 1) is also known as Day One, the next book is Day Two, and the finally book will be Day 3. There is also a novella. These are a good choice if you don’t want an overly difficult fantasy book to read. There is A LOT of magic, great world building, and great characters. Some people find Kvothe to be annoying, but in book one, you do meet him as a young boy to a teenager, and we all know teenagers can be annoying. These are long books, so beware of that, however you will get absorbed into this world and not notice how many pages there are.
The Gentleman Bastard Series by Scott Lynch
If you’re a fan of the Ocean’s 11 movies, you will love this series. The Gentleman Bastard series is about professional con artists. The story revolves around Locke Lamora and how he came into the thieving business and joined the Gentleman Bastards. The Gentleman Bastards like to steal from the rich and noble. They come up with a grand scheme to get back at the government of Camorr. This book has a great sense of humor, and you will find yourself actually chuckling or laughing out loud. As with Ocean’s 11, this series has a great cast, and you will wish you were part of the Gentleman Bastards. The book goes back and forth from present day to the past. With the past parts, you learn a lot about Locke’s childhood and history of the Gentleman’s Bastards. This goes on through the whole book, not just the beginning, which is nice. There is a little bit of love sprinkled into the story as well. Can’t have a story without love somewhere. This is highly recommended if you want a more light hearted fantasy read. It really is fun. As of right now, there will be seven books in this series.
The Saga Series by Brian K. Vaughan Fiona Staples
For those of you who don’t want to invest a lot of time into reading seven 800 page books, Saga may be the perfect option for you. This is a science fiction graphic novel/comic series! The story follows wife and husband, Alana and Marko, who are two different galactic species. There is a huge space war going on, and Alana and Marko’s species are not on the same side. The beginning of the story, the couple give birth to an interracial baby girl named Hazel. Hazel, as an adult, actually narrates the story at times. Marko and Alana are trying to keep their baby safe from each of their species since neither race agrees with their children’s choices. There is a lot of action in this series which helps the reading go by quicker. You could read this in an hour or quicker if you’re a fast reader. If may take you a little longer if you take time to appreciate the amazing art. That’s the great thing about graphic novels; the art puts all that descriptive writing into pictures. That cuts out most of your reading sometimes. If you’re in a reading slump, graphic novels are the way to go, especially this one. Warning: it is VERY graphic – especially sexually. If you do not like this type of imagery, then definitely do not pick this up.
If you enjoy these type of posts, please let us know what other genres should be on your future tbr!
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