Summary
The Chronicles of Prydain is an overlooked children’s fantasy series with critical acclaim worth exploring for both children and adults.
Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb promotes realism in exploring themes of gender equality, political turmoil, and slavery.
The Riddle-Master Trilogy offers an underrated saga focused on riddles and shapeshifting with the final novel winning major awards.
There are a lot of great fantasy book series in the world, including 10 underrated sagas that should be on every fantasy fan’s radar. Not every saga can become one of the best-selling fantasy book series of all time, but there is plenty of great fantasy literature that flies under the radar. People often look for names like Martin, Tolkien, Le Guin, or Sanderson when seeking out their next fantasy series, but there is an entire world of underappreciated fantasy out there.
The best fantasy book series have to immerse the reader in a new world, but still make connections to the world readers live in. Readers often prepare themselves to be swept away when reading a famous name like J.R.R. Tolkien, but with an open mind, any fantasy book can take the reader on an adventure. With that in mind, there are 10 great fantasy book series that don’t get enough love and should be on every fantasy fan’s to-be-read list.
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10 The Chronicles Of Prydain — By Lloyd Alexander
A Children’s Epic Fantasy Saga Fit For All Ages
Number Of Novels
5
First Novel Published In
1964
Film/TV Adaptations
1
Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain pentalogy is one of the most overlooked children’s fantasy series ever. This Welsh-inspired fantasy world is rich and expansive, with plenty to offer to both children and adults. Notably, The Black Cauldron, book two in the series, won a Newberry Honor, while book five, The High King, won the Newberry Medal in 1969, adding critical acclaim to a series that fully deserves it.
Walt Disney Productions released an animated film adaptation of the first two
Prydain
novels in 1985.
The Chronicles of Prydain focuses on the protagonist, Taran, who grows up on a farm but dreams of becoming a hero one day. Over the course of the series, Taran confronts all sorts of evils as he goes on numerous adventures to protect the people of Prydain. This fantasy book series makes the essential connections between the real world and its own fictional world that make it a satisfying read for children and adults alike, and the expansive lore makes it thoroughly engrossing.
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9 Liveship Traders — By Robin Hobb
A Richly Detailed Nautical Fantasy Trilogy
Number of Books
3
First Novel Published In
1998
Film/TV Adaptations
None
While Robin Hobb is likely better known for her iconic Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy is just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. Liveship Traders is the second trilogy set in Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings, which allows it to draw on the previous trilogy to expand and enrich the world. As one of the seminal authors of modern fantasy, Hobb’s books are must-reads for any die-hard fans of the genre, and Liveship Traders might just be her best work.
Although the
Farseer
trilogy was written before
Liveship Traders
and takes place in the same world, the trilogies can be enjoyed in either order.
The trilogy begins by following Althea Vestrit, who sets out to reclaim her family’s Liveship after it’s given to her sister instead of her. Hobb’s impressive realism has often been compared to that of George R.R. Martin, the author of the iconic Song of Ice and Fire series, which is the inspiration for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Liveship Traders uses that realism to explore themes of gender equality, gender fluidity, political turmoil, and slavery, making it a deeply profound entry in the fantasy genre.
8 The Riddle-Master Trilogy — By Patricia A. McKillip
A Hidden Gem From The 1970s Fantasy Scene
Number of Books
3
First Novel Published In
1976
Film/TV Adaptations
None
The Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip is another underrated fantasy book series that deserves to be on fantasy fans’ radars. Set in a world ruled by people with a mystical awareness of everything in their lands, this series heavily features riddles and various shapeshifting magics. The trilogy focuses on the titular Riddle-Master, Morgon, who is the prince of a small island known as Hed, hence the title of the first book in the series: The Riddle-Master of Hed.
Harpist in the Wind, the final novel in The Riddle-Master trilogy, was nominated for a Hugo award in 1980, while it won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel that same year. The previous two books in the series might not have any major awards or nominations like that to laud, but the brilliance of the final novel could not exist without the first two. This is a trilogy that’s well worth a read for any fantasy fans intrigued by worldplay and riddles.
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7 The Divine Cities — By Robert Jackson Bennett
A Mystical Fantasy World Grounded By Layered Characters
Number of Books
3
First Novel Published In
2014
Film/TV Adaptations
None
Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Divine Cities trilogy is a fascinating series set in a land that was once ruled by a group of divinities, until the enslaved people of Saypur rose up and overthrew the divinities. The fall of the divinities that once ruled the continent causes their magic to stop working, which sends the continent spiraling into chaos. City of Stairs, the first novel in the trilogy, follows a young Saypuri spy named Shara Komayd.
City of Stairs
was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy Award.
The Divine Cities made the 2018 shortlist for the Best Series Hugo Award, and the individual novels have been subject to numerous awards and nominations. The series is celebrated for the richness of its world and the meaningful characters that inhabit it, and although it hasn’t been popularized by a film or television adaptation, this is a terrific series for any fantasy fans who haven’t stumbled upon it yet.
6 The First Law — By Joe Abercrombie
A Gritty Character-Driven Noir Fantasy
Number of Books
9
First Novel Published In
2006
Film/TV Adaptations
1 in pre-production
Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series is an expansive noir-style fantasy series with a good mix of mysticism and structure. Abercrombie’s gritty style brings to life a cast of fascinating characters who fall firmly into the gray area between good and evil. The series is split into two trilogies and three standalone novels, complemented by several short stories. The first book in the series, The Blade Itself, follows Logen Ninefingers and several other characters as they navigate the various conflicts between the Union, the North, and the Gurkish Empire.
Best Served Cold
, the first standalone novel after the original
First Law
trilogy, is currently undergoing pre-production for a film adaptation at Skydance Media.
The series has garnered praise from literary greats like George R.R. Martin and Jeff VanderMeer, emphasizing the contribution it represents to the fantasy genre. The First Law is not a series for the faint of heart — blood and sorrow are plentiful in these novels — but for fans who enjoy medieval realism and characters as flawed as they are intriguing, it’s a home run.
5 The Book Of The New Sun — By Gene Wolfe
An Apocalyptic Science Fantasy Series
Number of Books
5
First Novel Published In
1980
Film/TV Adaptations
None
The Book of the New Sun, by Gene Wolfe, is a four-part science fantasy series that kicks off the author’s larger “Solar Cycle” fantasy world. It is set on Earth in the distant future when the sun is dimming, causing the Earth to cool. The story follows a torturer named Severian, who was trained by the Order of the Seekers for Truth and Penitence. The first-person narrative begins in the nation known as the Commonwealth, which is warring with the neighboring kingdom of Ascia.
The Book of the New Sun is followed by two more series in the world it begins: The Book of the Long Sun and The Book of the Short Sun. The fact that there was enough of an appetite from fans for two more series after The Book of the New Sun speaks to the quality of the original saga. With that in mind, Wolfe’s tetralogy is worth a read for all hard-core fans of fantasy literature.
4 Elric Of Melniboné — By Michael Moorcock
A Series Of Influential Stories About The Titular Antihero
Number of Books
6
First Novel Published In
1972
Film/TV Adaptations
1 planned TV adaptation
Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné series is one of the most influential fantasy sagas of the 20th century, often credited with inspiring the fantasy movement of the 1960s. The series is set on an alternative Earth full of dragons and magic of all kinds, and it focuses on the titular antihero, an Emperor of incredible strength. While attempts to adapt the series for film and video games have largely fallen flat, New Republic Pictures announced development of a TV series based on Elric of Melniboné in 2019.
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Unfortunately, nothing has materialized by way of an Elric TV show, but these novels are still hugely important to the fantasy world and are essential reading for fans of the genre. Further, the fact that there have been so many attempts to adapt the series speaks to its understated popularity, and with epic fantasy TV series trending up in recent years, there may well be a successful Elric of Melniboné adaptation in the near future.
3 The Death Gate Cycle — By Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
An Imaginative Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Series In A Massive World
Number of Books
7
First Novel Published In
1990
Film/TV Adaptations
None
The Death Gate Cycle is an engrossing post-apocalyptic fantasy series that follows the conflict between two powerful races known as the Sartan and the Patryns. The intricate world exists in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust hundreds of years prior to the main story, which resulted in the split between Sartan and Patryns. The Sartan trapped the Patryns in a realm known as the Labyrinth, and the series follows their quest to escape the Labyrinth and conquer the four elemental realms created by the Sartan.
This immersive series also includes the classic fantasy races of elves and dwarves, providing a level of familiarity in a largely original world.
The Death Gate Cycle follows a Patryn spy named Haplo who ventures into the elemental realms on a scouting mission. This series is incredibly detailed, as the authors actually created five unique fantasy worlds — one each for the elemental realms and the Labyrinth. This immersive series also includes the classic fantasy races of elves and dwarves, providing a level of familiarity in a largely original world. Ultimately, fantasy fans can’t go wrong with The Death Gate Cycle.
2 The Sun Sword Series — By Michelle West
A Modern Fantasy Tale With The Trappings Of A Classic
Number of Books
6
First Novel Published In
1997
Film/TV Adaptations
None
The Sun Sword series is the second set of novels published by Michelle West in the Essalieyan universe, which has expanded to include 20 novels and counting. This immersive world is expertly crafted with clear inspiration from Tolkien, but a strong dose of modern fantasy themes to freshen the narrative. The Sun Sword follows a war between the Empire of Essalieyan and the Dominion of Annagar, facilitated by the scheming Kialli.
Further,
The Sun Sword
is a great point to jump into the world of Essalieyan, which can provide years worth of entertainment over the 20+ books now set in this expansive fantasy universe.
The Sacred Hunt, a fantasy duology set sixteen years before The Sun Sword, provides extra background and worldbuilding for the series, but it’s not necessary to read the duology before diving into The Sun Sword. Further, The Sun Sword is a great point to jump into the world of Essalieyan, which can provide years worth of entertainment over the 20+ books now set in this expansive fantasy universe.
1 The Coldfire Trilogy — By Celia S. Friedman
A Seismic Fantasy Series Set On The Planet Of Erna
Number of Books
3
First Novel Published In
1991
Film/TV Adaptations
None
The Coldfire Trilogy is an incredibly imaginative fantasy series by Celia S. Friedman, set on a planet called Erna, which was populated by humans fleeing Earth more than a thousand years before the events depicted in the trilogy. Erna, which is roughly as hospitable to human life as Earth, is bothered by constant earthquakes and surrounded by a magical field of energy known as the Fae.
For fans of structured magic systems, like in
The Wheel of Time
or
Mistborn
series,
The Coldfire Trilogy
is the perfect choice.
Inspired by the Earth’s magnetic field, the Fae is the source of magic in this epic world, but it is governed by strict rules of nature. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy is a fantastic example of how to make a naturalistic magic system with strict boundaries, rather than the mystical, undefined systems found in many series. For fans of structured magic systems, like in The Wheel of Time or Mistborn series, The Coldfire Trilogy is the perfect choice.
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