Fantasy Book Series Recommendations (2026): 10 Epic Series and How Long They Take to Read
These 10 series total about 1036 h 49 min at the average 238 WPM; every one is backed by a verifiable award, bestseller run or public recommendation.
Committing to a fantasy series is a bigger decision than picking a single book, so each of these 10 comes with a specific credential: a Hugo Award win or finalist nod for Best Series or Best Novel, a World Fantasy Award, a Carnegie Medal, or a documented sales and adaptation record (100 million-plus copies sold, a major television adaptation).
Each card shows the whole series' estimated reading time at 238 WPM, the real commitment behind a series recommendation, alongside the entry point: the first book, its own reading time, and how many volumes are published so far. For ongoing series, that total covers published volumes only, not the books still to come.
Each series here won or was a finalist for a Hugo Award for Best Series or Best Novel, won a World Fantasy Award or Carnegie Medal, or has a documented sales record of 100 million-plus copies or a major television adaptation.
Last reviewed 18 July 2026.
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Series on this list
10
First books, total time at 238 WPM
1036 h 49 min
At 400 WPM that drops to 616 h 54 min.
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien · started 1954 · high fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM
~23 h 7 min
Or ~13 h 45 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 1,200 pages across 3 (published as a trilogy; complete).
Widely cited as the best-selling novel ever written (150 million+ copies) and the foundational text of modern epic fantasy.
Start with: The Fellowship of the Ring (480 pages, ~9 h 15 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
A Song of Ice and Fire
George R.R. Martin · started 1996 · epic/political fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM (published volumes only)
~99 h 58 min
Or ~59 h 29 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 5,191 pages across 5 published, 7 planned (ongoing).
Adapted into HBO's Game of Thrones, the most Primetime Emmy-winning scripted series in television history (59 wins), reflecting the source material's mass readership.
Start with: A Game of Thrones (835 pages, ~16 h 5 min at 238 WPM).
This series is ongoing. The total above covers the 5 volumes published so far, not books still to come.
Source: verify this claim
The Stormlight Archive
Brandon Sanderson · started 2010 · epic fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM (published volumes only)
~115 h 33 min
Or ~68 h 45 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 6,000 pages across 5 published, 10 planned (ongoing).
Hugo Award for Best Series finalist (2018 and 2025), with the Cosmere universe it anchors selling tens of millions of copies.
Start with: The Way of Kings (1280 pages, ~24 h 39 min at 238 WPM).
This series is ongoing. The total above covers the 5 volumes published so far, not books still to come.
Source: verify this claim
Mistborn
Brandon Sanderson · started 2006 · epic fantasy / heist fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM (published volumes only)
~36 h 35 min
Or ~21 h 46 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 1,900 pages across 3 (original trilogy; ongoing as a wider saga with Era Two and beyond).
Nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Series in 2020, and the wider Cosmere/Mistborn brand underpinned Sanderson's record-breaking $41M+ Kickstarter, the most-funded crowdfunding project on the platform.
Start with: Mistborn: The Final Empire (647 pages, ~12 h 28 min at 238 WPM).
This series is ongoing. The total above covers the 3 volumes published so far, not books still to come.
Source: verify this claim
The Wheel of Time
Robert Jordan · started 1990 · epic fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM
~229 h 8 min
Or ~136 h 20 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 11,898 pages across 15 (14 main-sequence novels plus 1 prequel; complete).
Every volume from book six onward debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and the series was adapted into a major Amazon Prime television series.
Start with: The Eye of the World (832 pages, ~16 h 1 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
Discworld
Terry Pratchett · started 1983 · comic fantasy / satire
Whole series at 238 WPM
~231 h 6 min
Or ~137 h 30 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 12,000 pages across 41 (complete).
The Discworld novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents won the 2001 Carnegie Medal, the UK's top prize for children's writing, and the series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
Start with: The Colour of Magic (288 pages, ~5 h 33 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin · started 1968 · literary / coming-of-age fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM
~28 h 53 min
Or ~17 h 11 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 1,500 pages across 6 (complete).
The third Earthsea novel, The Farthest Shore, won the 1973 National Book Award for Children's Literature, and Le Guin holds a World Fantasy Award among her honours for the cycle.
Start with: A Wizard of Earthsea (205 pages, ~3 h 57 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
The Broken Earth
N.K. Jemisin · started 2015 · science fantasy / dystopian
Whole series at 238 WPM
~27 h 55 min
Or ~16 h 37 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 1,450 pages across 3 (complete).
All three volumes (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky) won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in consecutive years, 2016-2018, a first in Hugo history.
Start with: The Fifth Season (512 pages, ~9 h 52 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean)
Rebecca Yarros · started 2023 · romantasy / new adult fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM (published volumes only)
~32 h 44 min
Or ~19 h 29 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 1,700 pages across 3 published, 5 planned (ongoing).
Fourth Wing won the inaugural Goodreads Choice Award for Romantasy in 2023 and spent well over a year on the New York Times bestseller list.
Start with: Fourth Wing (512 pages, ~9 h 52 min at 238 WPM).
This series is ongoing. The total above covers the 3 volumes published so far, not books still to come.
Source: verify this claim
Realm of the Elderlings
Robin Hobb · started 1995 · epic fantasy
Whole series at 238 WPM
~211 h 50 min
Or ~126 h 3 min at a trained 400 WPM. Based on an estimated 11,000 pages across 16 (complete, across the Farseer, Liveship Traders, Tawny Man, Rain Wild Chronicles and Fitz and the Fool trilogies).
Author Robin Hobb received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021, recognising the Realm of the Elderlings body of work.
Start with: Assassin's Apprentice (473 pages, ~9 h 7 min at 238 WPM).
Source: verify this claim
How Long Would the Whole List Take?
Based on 14,805,725 total words across every book on this list.
| Reading speed | Speed band | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 200 WPM | Slower than average | 1233 h 49 min |
| 238 WPM | Average adult (Brysbaert, 2019) | 1036 h 49 min |
| 400 WPM | Fast reader | 616 h 54 min |
| 600 WPM | Trained speed reader | 411 h 16 min |
Most people can roughly double their reading speed with practice. Take the 2-minute speed test to see where you are.
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Fantasy Series FAQ
How many series are on this list?
This page covers 10 series.
How long would it take to read them all at 238 WPM?
Reading every serie on this list back to back comes to roughly 116 h 47 min at the average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute (Brysbaert, 2019), or about 69 h 29 min at a trained speed reader's pace of 400 WPM. Your own time will vary with your reading speed and how closely you read each one.
How were the Fantasy Series picks chosen?
Each series here won or was a finalist for a Hugo Award for Best Series or Best Novel, won a World Fantasy Award or Carnegie Medal, or has a documented sales record of 100 million-plus copies or a major television adaptation. No book is included on vibes alone: every pick links to the award, official pick announcement, or bestseller record backing it up.
More Book Recommendations
Looking for a specific person's picks instead? See our Famous Reading Lists.