9 Fantasy Trilogies Full of Magic and Adventure

	Series	Author		Books
1.	The Society of the Sword	Duncan M. Hamilton	The Tattered Banner	The Huntsman's Amulet	The Telastrian Song
2.	World of Solace	Jaleigh Johnson	The Mark of the Dragonfly	The Secrets of Solace	The Quest to the Uncharted Lands
3.	The Arcadia Project	Mishell Baker	Borderline	Phantom Pains	Impostor Syndrome
4.	Olympus Bound	Jordanna Max Brodsky	The Immortals	Winter of the Gods	Olympus Bound
5.	Swords and Fire	Melissa Caruso	The Tethered Mage	The Defiant Heir	The Unbound Empire
6.	The Ties that Bind	Rob J. Hayes	The Heresy Within	The Colour of Vengeance	The Price of Faith
7.	Dark Gifts	Vic James	Gilded Cage	Tarnished City	Bright Ruin
8.	The Baskerville Affair	Emma Jane Holloway	A Study in Silks	A Study in Darkness	A Study in Ashes
9.	The Darkwater Saga	Patrick W. Carr	The Shock of Night	The Shattered Vigil	The Wounded Shadow

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.

Common Fantasy Tropes

The possibilities in this genre are endless, and no two authors create exactly the same world. Still, there are several common tropes that writers love to come back to again and again, sometimes adding their own unique twists. Here are a few beloved fantasy staples:

Classic Works of Fantasy

The authors on this list stand on the shoulders of many famous writers who came before them and influenced the genre. Here are a few works that made fantasy what it is today:

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Classic Fantasy vs Modern Fantasy

In Depth

Stand-alone fantasy novels can be great, but the genre really shines in a series, where authors can play with long-term character arcs and build rich and complex worlds. If you're a fantasy fanatic, check out these nine trilogies full of magic and adventure, listed here in no particular order.

Starting off at #1 is "The Society of the Sword" by Duncan M. Hamilton, which chronicles the rise of Soren. This young lad is a homeless orphan, but he is given a rare chance to go to the Academy of Swordsmanship. Despite his lack of experience, the boy shows promising talent when it comes to sword fighting. His ability is so remarkable that he soon realizes it is actually a kind of magic. After his training at the academy, Soren sets off to find his love, Alessandra. He also needs to determine how he can defeat his nemesis, Amero.

At #2 is the "World of Solace" by Jaleigh Johnson, a steampunk series set during the industrial revolution. Its first installment, "The Mark of the Dragonfly," focuses on a scrap collector named Piper, who is trying to bring a lost girl back to a wealthy land, intending to gain a monetary reward in exchange. In the second book, "The Secrets of Solace," apprentice Lina Winterbock spends most of her time exploring the underground and working on a mysterious ship.

The concluding novel, "The Quest to the Uncharted Lands," recounts how the brave Stella Glass sneaks aboard an airship to follow her parents, and takes the opportunity to travel beyond the unpassable regions of her homeland.

Next, at #3 is "The Arcadia Project" by Mishell Baker. Millicent Roper is in her mid-twenties and has borderline personality disorder. While she is recovering from the loss of her legs due to a failed suicide attempt, she is recruited into a secret organization which enables people with mental illness to find a career in a parallel world of mythical creatures.

Several months afterwards, Millie leaves the group to start a new life. However, her friend Caryl gets involved in a gruesome murder case. The protagonist helps in proving Caryl's innocence, as she unravels a terrorist plot that will endanger both realms.

However, her friend Caryl gets involved in a gruesome murder case.

At #4 is "Olympus Bound" by Jordanna Max Brodsky. This trilogy revolves around the Greek goddess Artemis, who is living on modern-day earth as a part-human named Selene DiSilva. One day, she encounters a dead body. When she recognizes that the corpse was killed during a ritual, Selene swears to avenge the poor woman's death. She collaborates with Theodore Schultz, a professor who teaches ancient Greek and Roman mythology.

Following at #5 is "Swords and Fire" by Melissa Caruso. Lady Amalia Cornaro is a wealthy heiress and scholar who bumps into Zaira, a fire mage. In this encounter, she puts a bracelet on the magician to restrain her power. The heiress becomes a Falconer, enslaving the young street girl and ensuing political intrigue. Later on, several Falconers are murdered and their Falcons have gone missing. Zaira and Amalia must team up once more to bring peace to their land.

At #6 is "The Ties That Bind" by Rob Hayes, which narrates the tale of three people. Arbiter Thanquil Darkheart is a witch hunter of the Inquisition who is tasked with killing a fallen Arbiter who has been seen lurking in the Wilds. Jezzet Vel'urn is a blademaster who runs into the free city of Chade after being chased by a warlord. The Black Thorn is a thief and a murderer. As the characters' lives intertwine, they must form an unlikely alliance to confront a common enemy threatening to obliterate all of them.

The Black Thorn is a thief and a murderer.

Next, at #7 is "Dark Gifts" by Vic James, which takes place in an alternative Great Britain. The people ruling over the country are the aristocratic "Equals," who possess magical abilities known as "Skills." On the other hand, the ones without magic are the "commoners" and are considered slaves because they are bound to serve the elites for ten years. Because of this, the servants wear collars around their necks as a symbol of their bondage. A teenage boy sees how unfair this system is and plans to lead a rebellion against the tyrants.

At #8 is "The Baskerville Affair" series by Emma Jane Holloway. This fantasy trilogy centers on a world where capitalists called Steam Barons take control of the nation. Enter Evelina Cooper, niece of the famous Sherlock Holmes, who is gifted in both science and wizardry. Since her abilities are deemed illegal by the government, she must team up with two improbable heroes. Their mission is to solve mysteries, restore Queen Victoria's power, and survive.

Finally at #9 is "The Darkwater Saga" by Patrick Carr. This series narrates the tale of Willet Dura, an investigating officer in the kingdom of Bunard. He is endowed with the power to know everything about a person once he touches them. Willet is assigned to examine the mysterious events that are happening in the Darkwater Forest. But his struggle does not end there, for Dura must also train several apprentices and win the approval of the secret religious group called the Vigil.