I’ll be the first to admit that there’s no better feeling than driving to the bookstore on release day to get your hands on a brand-new book in a series you’re part-way through. I get SO excited to pick up a new installment, but then simultaneously dread coming to the end of the book, knowing I’ll have to go back to waiting for the next release.
Sometimes, I just want to be able to get lost in a series from start to finish. I want to be wholly dedicated to the world the author is building and I don’t want to come up for air until I’ve reached the end.
Since jumping back into reading in 2021, I’ve made my way through some exceptional fantasy series. I’ve compiled a list here of my current top 6 completed fantasy series that you can binge right now.
Without further ado:
- The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty
The Daevabad trilogy is, without question, my favourite fantasy series. Shannon Chakraborty is a gifted writer who weaves such an incredible universe and builds such compelling characters that you can’t help but get lost in the narrative.
The trilogy follows protagonist Nahri in 18th-century Cairo and through a mythical Middle East. A profoundly talented thief, Nahri accidentally summons a Djinn during a fake exorcism, only to find that the Djinn, Dara, recognizes her as a member of a long-lost family of sacred healers from a magical world steeped in a bloody and political history. He sweeps her off to Daevabad, the city of her ancestors. From there, she will learn how to harness her healing abilities and navigate complicated political schemes in a city bursting with resentment, oppression, and dangerous plots.
Throughout the series, the story is told from three perspectives: Nahri, Dara, and Ali, one of the princes of the reigning king and the historical enemy of Nahri’s people. Set against a gorgeous backdrop of a well-constructed and sacred magical society, these characters bring life to the various tribes and their motivations while being wholly unique and desperately loveable in their own right. They’re all deeply flawed in many ways, but seeing the world that Chakraborty creates through their eyes gives so much meaning and depth to the intricate narrative.
If I could, I would make everyone I know read this series just so I had more people to talk to about it. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for a great fantasy series, particularly those who want to binge one from start to finish.
If you’d like to learn more about each of the books in the series, check out my reviews for:
2. The Shades of Magic Trilogy by V.E. Schwab
Shades of Magic was one of the first fantasy series that I read when I got back into reading in 2021, and it remains one of my favourites. V.E. Schwab has a style of writing that feels like prose, and it brings both the world she’s created and the characters within it to life.
The Shades of Magic series is set in 1819-1820, in a universe where three simultaneous Londons, each with varying degrees of magic, exist simultaneously. Protagonist Kell is one of the last Antari (a magician capable of traveling between the parallel Londons) and quickly finds himself in a position where his home in Red London becomes threatened by dark and dangerous magic. He, alongside a cast of truly memorable characters that include Lila the thief, Rhy the prince, Holland the Antari, and Alucard the pirate, will need to risk everything to save their respective worlds. In turn, they’ll also have to save each other.
In addition to an extremely inventive premise (I loved the three Londons, traversing between them was one of my favourite aspects of the books), Schwab weaved a ton of action through a host of absolutely delicious characters. Most sit directly in the morally grey category and the dynamics between them, particularly as the books progress, are wildly entertaining and deeply endearing. The books focus on the relationships between the characters, focusing on a few core events throughout the three books and using rotating perspectives to help flush out the significance of each individual. Also of note, the storytelling itself was gorgeous. I’ll read anything V.E. Schwab writes because her writing is always so lovely.
I haven’t written a review for every book in this series, but you can read my full review for A Conjuring of Light here.
3. The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik
Schools are one of my favourite settings in a book, particularly a good magic school, and Novik’s Scholomance was incredibly unique in its conception and delivery.
Based on the premise that a world of magic is inherently deadly, and that magical creatures are, at all times, desperate to consume children of magic, the Scholomance was originally founded with the intent of being a safe haven for kids to be able to study magic without fear for their lives. Over time though, the school has devolved to such a state that even it can’t keep out the deadly creatures coming for magic wielders. Even kids who succeed and graduate will be lucky to get out with their lives.
The trilogy is told from the perspective of El, a young magician with more dark magic than anyone has the right to wield. At the Scholomance, there are no friends, only allies and enemies. The dark aura that follows her and her ability to wield such dangerous magic doesn’t initially make her an appealing companion. However, over time as El’s abilities begin to grow, so too does her scope of influence. Soon enough, El becomes a pivotal force in helping her class, and the school as a whole, learn how to navigate the dangers of the Scholomance. In time, they’ll have to determine not just how to survive their years at the school, but how they’ll continue to survive if they make it past graduation.
El is such a badass female main character. The universe has poised her to become the darkest sorceress of all time, completely against her will. Her battle to defy that destiny is a central theme in the books and one that’s satisfying to see unfold. I also loved that Novik wrapped such a dark and murdery premise around a setting that typically feels very young. It was a really, thoroughly enjoyable series and one that you can easily binge through quickly.
4. The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang
Full disclosure, I haven’t finished reading the last book in The Poppy War trilogy, but I’m so confident in the series just from the first two books that I couldn’t not have it on this list.
The Poppy War is a dark military fantasy that follows war orphan-turned-soldier Runin (Rin), a peasant from the poor Southern region of a fractured empire, as she discovers she possesses an unearthly power that connects her to one of the God’s of her people. While her shamanic abilities may aid her and the Nikara empire in their war against the Federation, it comes at a tremendous cost. Throughout the series, Rin must wrestle to maintain her sanity, her grip on humanity, and her life, as she wades through complex political agendas, imperialism, and a country steeped in a bloody history of war.
R.F. Kuang is a master of fantasy. The series weaves complex world-building in with an incredibly detailed society with echoes of events from twentieth-century China. The content is extremely dark, sometimes unrelentingly so, but the themes are so important. Rin as a character is also the ultimate antihero. You’re so invested in her, and simultaneously frustrated and, at times, repulsed by what she’s capable of.
This series is extremely heavy, but really, epically good. To learn more about the first book, read my review for The Poppy War.
5. The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
The Red Queen series is one that I don’t see talked about enough. With five juicy books in total, I thought it was a really enjoyable YA series with some truly memorable character arcs that stuck with me long after I’d finished.
Red Queen follows protagonist Mare Barrow, a Red, meaning someone with red blood and no magical abilities. Mare has spent her entire life living in destitute poverty with her large family, never able to raise herself beyond it due to the colour of her blood. She is always in fear of being sent off to the ominous and endless war that her country is engaged in and desperately wants a way to save herself and those she loves.
While Mare is serving at an event for Silvers, or those who have magical abilities, she accidentally falls into danger and realizes that she contains the ability to wield lightning. For a Red to have magical abilities is thought to be impossible and results in her being captured and enlisted into the oppressive regime that has always kept her people down. Throughout the series, Mare will learn more about her abilities and how to wield them, and will ultimately have to decide for whom she wishes to fight when tensions between her people overflow and a civil war begins.
Beyond having a beautifully constructed magical world steeped in unique history and politics, Red Queen has a fantastic cast. Mare is a great female lead character, but it’s her dynamic with Maven, the murderous and broken prince and his brother Cal that make her. It’s like a literal battle between good and evil, but with all the nuance that those terms actually hold and none of the sunshine-y, oversimplifications. It’s one of the most solid YA fantasy series I’ve read over the past year.
6. The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
I’m a huge Sarah J. Maas fan. I don’t think there’s anything she could release that I wouldn’t read. That said, it took me a minute to get into the Throne of Glass series. The first book in the series is actually Maas’ first book ever, and it has a different vibe and style to the rest of the series. With that in mind, the series starts to get good once you pass that first book. Then it gets REALLY good. Then it got to the point that I just could not put it down.
The story begins with protagonist Celaena Sardothien, the best assassin in all of Adarlan (a country on the continent of Erilea), being offered a chance at redemption. Even though she is only 18 years old, she is serving several life sentences in a labour camp for her crimes when the crown prince of Adarlan offers her the opportunity to compete against other assassins in a tournament to become the king’s personal champion assassin. She accepts this challenge and embarks on an epic journey that will impact the entire world.
I won’t go into much detail beyond this because this epic 9-book series covers an insane amount of ground. I will say, however, that if you like Maas’ other work, I can almost guarantee you’ll like this. It’s YA, but often doesn’t feel like it, with a lot of heavy themes and growing spice as the series progresses. There’s also some argument about whether or not any of Maas’ series are well and truly completed given that she’s known for establishing a multiverse, but at least for now, this series is wrapped up and you can binge from start to finish.
If you’d like to read more about each book in the series, check out my Throne of Glass series review.
That’s it for this edition of my favourite, bingeable completed fantasy series, but that’s only because these are the main ones I’ve completed 😊. Looking forward to being able to add some new series to this list in 2023!
forests and fiction 