My Current Favourite Fantasy Series

Fantasy is one of my favourite and most-read genres. There’s nothing quite like being transported to an entirely new world with its own unique socities, cultures, beliefs and magic. I love how much fantasy can teach us about our own world by exploring themes that we experience in our daily lives and incoporating fun, fantastical elements. Some of the characters and worlds I’ve found in fantasy are the ones I remember most vividly and think about everyday. I’m constantly debating which new fantasy novel or series to pick up and it’s an ongoing struggle because there are SO MANY great fantasy books out there. In this post, I’ll be sharing my five favourite fantasy series that I’m currently in the process of reading.

Nevermoor (Jessica Townsend)

This middle-grade series is absolutely brilliant. If you love Harry Potter, it’s almost a guarantee that you will love Nevermoor. It’s whimsical, fun and quirky with a wonderful world, charming characters, heartwarming friendships and an interesting plot. It’s light-hearted, but also has darker themes around bullying, prejudice, discrimination, power and corruption. Despite being targeted at a younger audience, Jessica Townsend’s writing style and storytelling is so beautiful that it has the potential to appeal to audiences of all ages. This is going to be a nine book series, and I’ve read two out of three books that have currently been released. I cannot wait to read Hollowpox (Book 3) and to see where the rest of this series goes.

The First Law (Joe Abercrombie)

The First Law series drew me in from the very first chapter of the first book. This world is gritty, gruesome and dark with a cast of characters that are so well-written and complex that I feel like I know them. Joe Abercrombie’s character work and world building is top-knotch. I feel myself being pulled back to the world time and time again, and craving to read a book from this series if I’ve gone a few months without picking one up. I’m deeply attached to the characters and they are some of the few characters that I regularly think about. Their characterisation and development is some of the best I’ve read in any fiction full stop. So far I’ve read five out of the nine books in the series (excluding short stories). This universe continues to be built upon in each book and I cannot wait for the next book I plan to read, Red Country.

The Poppy War (R. F. Kuang)

The Poppy War is a series that I was reluctant about when I first started, but the first book blew me away and was a five star read. R. F. Kuang’s ability to weave Chinese history into a fantastical setting and plot is incredible. The action and stakes in this series have me on the edge of my seat. Despite being her debut series, Kuang demonstrates her flair for fantasy and talent in writing. The political intruige, military focus and exploration of complex dark human emotions such as grief, anger and depression all make this a great series. I’m currently reading the third and final book in this series, The Burning God, and will be posting a full review for the series when I’ve finished so keep your eyes peeled if you’d like to know my thoughts.

The Farseer Trilogy (Robin)

This series is a new discovery for me. Assassin’s Apprentice was the February pick for the monthly book club I have with my friends and I throughly enjoyed it. Robin Hobb’s prose and writing style was a joy to read. Although I found the pacing to be slow, the magic, characters and plot kept me engaged. The main character Fitz is so complex and well-written, and every single character was interesting. I’ve only read the first book in this trilogy, but there’s a lot of promise. I’m already invested in the characters and the world. I want to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the magic system and to see more of some of the minor characters that intruiged me in the first book.

Discworld (Terry Pratchett)

What can I say about this series? It’s the most recent series I’ve discovered on this list but I’m already captured by it. Terry Pratchett’s wit, creativity and humour make for such a fun read. Although I’ve only read one novel in full – Mort – I’m currently reading my second novel from the series (Reaper Man) and loving it. This 41 book series is expansive and I can’t wait to work my way through it. There’s so much detail and the variety in the types of books that are in this series is exciting.

There are a few other fantasy series that almost made the cut and lots more I’m planning on reading this year that I predict could become new favourites, but these 5 series stand out in my mind for their world-building and character work. What are your favourite fantasy series? I’m always on the look out for recommendations, so share in the comments.

Stay safe, my lovelies and keep reading.

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