9 Amazing Fantasy Series You Won't Be Able to Put Down

Fantasy is a wonderful genre that allows authors to create entire worlds, full of magic and mystery. Why visit these immersive places just once, when you can return again and again by reading a fantasy series? The works listed here will get you hooked with their compelling characters and intriguing plots, and keep you coming back for book after book. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

9 Amazing Fantasy Series You Won't Be Able to Put Down

Series Author(s) First Books in the Series
1. Tarnished Crown Karen Miller The Falcon Throne The Prince of Glass
2. Dragon Corsairs Margaret Weis & Robert Krammes Spymaster Privateer Kingmaker
3. Abby Sinclair Allison Pang A Brush of Darkness A Sliver of Shadow A Trace of Moonlight
4. Grim Company Luke Scull The Grim Company Sword of the North Dead Man's Steel
5. Ishmael Jones Simon R. Green Dark Side of the Road Dead Man Walking Very Important Corpses
6. Kronicles of Korthlundia Jamie Marchant The Goddess's Choice The Soul Stone The Ghost in Exile
7. Dark Arts David Mack The Midnight Front The Iron Codex
8. Tufa Alex Bledsoe The Hum and the Shiver Wisp of a Thing Long Black Curl
9. Liminality M.R. Graham The Medium The Mora The Mage

Fun Activities For Fantasy Fans

8 Great Fantasy Films

  1. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
  2. The Lord of the Rings (2001)
  3. Practical Magic (1998)
  4. The Last Unicorn (1982)
  5. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
  6. Blood and Chocolate (2007)
  7. Labyrinth (1986)
  8. Dragonslayer (1981)

What is Fantasy?

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that often involves supernatural elements like magic and usually takes place in a fictional universe that is significantly different from reality. Many people group fantasy and science fiction together, but while both are forms of speculative fiction, they are distinct from one another. While sci-fi often attempts to stay grounded in scientific truths, fantasy relies more on imagination and suspension of disbelief. Fantasy's origins are rooted in oral traditions which were eventually written down into books. In modern times, fantasy has expanded into several media, including television, film, and video & tabletop games.

Why Fantasy Matters

In Depth

Tales that go beyond our reality ignite imagination, creativity, and wonder. In no particular order, we've compiled nine fantasy series, all equally gripping, that you won't be able to put down. Let's take a look at each of them.

First on the list, at #1, is "The Tarnished Crown" by Karen Miller. This series takes readers to the Kingdom of Harcia, where a tyrant king's rule is doomed to crumble. The story revolves around the fight over the throne among royal family members, and how the thirst for power breeds contempt, betrayal, and deceit.

Up next at #2, is "The Dragon Corsairs" by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes, which follows the journey of privateer and smuggler, Kate Fitzmaurice. Her adventure begins when she gets hired by Queen Freya's spymaster, to search for a boy claiming to be the true Freyan heir. Kate must use her wits and rely on luck, to avoid her past catching up to her.

Kate must use her wits and rely on luck, to avoid her past catching up to her.

At #3, is "Abby Sinclair" by Allison Pang. Abby, a former dancer who survived a car accident that killed her mother, must rebuild her life after the tragedy. She ends up becoming a "TouchStone," a human who allows faeries to traverse between the mortal and enchanted realms. Her adventure begins when she encounters an attractive and mysterious incubus, Brystion, who is searching for his succubus sister. Although reluctant to help him, when her boss and other faeries suddenly disappear, she is forced to form an alliance, face the dangers of the "OtherWorld," and risk falling in love with the incubus.

Coming in at #4, is "The Grim Company" by Luke Scull. In a bleak world where the corpses of the dead gods fuel the power of semi-omnipotent wizards called "Magelords," a vicious game brews among the lords of the subjugated city-states. As they fight over their remaining superhuman abilities, rebels are out to destroy the system entirely.

In at #5, is "Ishmael Jones" by Simon R. Green. Ishmael lives a very secretive life, investigating mysteries, and occasionally killing people. In the first book, "The Dark Side of the Road," he gets invited to a Christmas gathering by his employer, the Colonel. Ishmael smells trouble when the Colonel suddenly vanishes. He knows that amidst the festivity, there lies a ruthless murderer, and he is determined to solve the mystery and unmask the culprit.

Ishmael smells trouble when the Colonel suddenly vanishes.

Up next at #6, is "Kronicles of Korthlundia" by Jamie Merchant. This series takes place in a kingdom where evil forces lurk within the corrupt church, and the truth about magic is hidden. The story begins with "The Goddess's Choice," which follows Princess Samantha, who has the ability to see auras, and farm boy Robrek, the strongest healer in the kingdom. They must join forces to stop the mad Duke Argblutal, from usurping the throne and waging civil war.

At #7, is "Dark Arts" by David Mack. Set in World War II, it follows Cade Martin, who is determined to seek vengeance after his family gets killed by Nazi sorcerers. He joins a top-secret warfare program to become a wizard himself. Wading through enemy lines, Cade is faced with the conflict of fighting to do good while discovering his innate power to do evil. The story continues in the sequel, as he escapes his past and chases ghosts.

At #8, is "Tufa" by Alex Bledsoe. Black-haired mountain natives called Tufa live quiet lives in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, and have a rich culture rooted deeply in their love of music. Private Bronwyn Hyatt is a member of the tribe who has come home from the army. Back from the war, Bronwyn now faces an even greater battle, with a warning of an impending tragedy and her dark past haunting her. She must regain her lost connection to music in order to free herself from this ordeal.

She must regain her lost connection to music in order to free herself from this ordeal.

And last but not least at #9, is "Liminality" by M.R. Graham. Lenny, a seemingly ordinary man, is good at teaching physics and not attracting too much attention. But he is also a medium, one who helps spirits pass through to the other side, as well as a vampire, though he is ironically non-violent. He gets in trouble when he runs into the manipulative Duran. Controlled and mentally assaulted, Lenny seeks out a wizard to help him take down his assailant.