Fantasy Book Club discussion

I'm not sure why I'm just seeing this thread, but I like the idea, so I'm adding my list here and updating as I go along.


Currently Reading

Wars of Light and Shadow - Janny Wurts - 1/11
The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells - 4/7
The Black Company - Glen Cook - 4/10
Gunmetal Gods - Zamil Akhtar - 3/4
Shadows of the Apt - Adrian Tchaikovsky - 4/10
Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman - 2/?
Skyward - Brandon Sanderson - 1/4


Awaiting the Next to be Published

Lawful Times - Daniel B. Greene - 2/3
Dresden Files - Jim Butcher - 17/23
Vlad Taltos - Steven Brust - 17/19
Gentleman Bastard - Scott Lynch - 3/7
Glass Immortals - Brian McClellan - 1/3
Nightfall - Peter V. Brett - 2/3
Ashes of the Unhewn Throne - Brian Staveley - 1/3
The Bound and the Broken - Ryan Cahill - 3/5
Hierarchy - James Islington - 1/3
Mistland - Kian N. Ardalan - 1/4
The Kylar Chronicles - Brent Weeks - 1/3
Age of the God Eater - Rob J. Hayes - 1/3
Archive of the God Eater - Rob J. Hayes - 1/3
Astral Kingdoms - David Dalglish - 1/3
Sun Eater - Christopher Ruocchio - 6/7
Annals of the God Eater - Rob J. Hayes - 1/3
Rift-Walker by Clay Harmon - 2/3


Complete Series To Be Read

Twenty Palaces - Harry Connolly - 0/3
The Magister Trilogy - C.S. Friedman - 0/3
Legends of the Red Sun - Mark Charan Newton - 0/4
Monarchies of God - Paul Kearney - 0/5
Instrumentalities of the Night - Glen Cook - 0/4
Psalms of Isaak - Ken Scholes - 0/5
The Death Gate Cycle - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - 0/7
Tales of the Ketty Jay - Chris Wooding - 0/4
Chronicles of the Necromancer - Gail Z. Martin - 0/4
The Belgariad - David Eddings - 0/5
Age of Fire - E.E. Knight - 0/6
The Dagger and the Coin - Daniel Abraham - 0/5
Adversary Cycle - F. Paul Wilson - 0/6
Repairman Jack - F. Paul Wilson - 0/15
Riyria Revelations - Michael J. Sullivan - 0/6
Tide Lords - Jennifer Fallon - 0/4
The Chathrand Voyage - Robert V.S. Redick - 0/4
The Drenai Saga - David Gemmell - 0/11
The Memory of Flames - Stephen Deas - 0/4
The Macht - Paul Kearney - 0/3
The Original Shannara Trilogy - Terry Brooks - 0/3
Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan - 0/3
A Land Fit for Heroes - Richard K. Morgan - 0/3
Aspect-Emperor - R. Scott Bakker - 0/4
Tower and Knife Trilogy - Mazarkis Williams - 0/3
Shades of Magic - V.E. Schwab - 0/3
Books of the Cataclysm - Sean Williams - 0/4
Alex Verus - Benedict Jacka - 0/10
Edan - Phillip Chase - 0/3
Riftwar Cycle - Raymond E. Feist - 0/31


Incomplete Series To Be Read

Books of Abarat - Clive Barker - 0/5
Peter Grant - Ben Aaronovitch - 0/7
Cinder Spires - Jim Butcher - 0/3
The Rithmatist - Brandon Sanderson - 0/2
Jane Yellowrock - Faith Hunter - 0/13
Band - Nicholas Eames - 0/3
The Burning - Evan Winter - 0/3



Completed Series

Mistborn Era 1 - Brandon Sanderson - 3/3
The Coldfire Trilogy - C.S. Friedman - 3/3
The Dark Tower - Stephen King - 7/7
Felix Castor - Mike Carey - 5/5
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling - 7/7
Codex Alera - Jim Butcher - 6/6
Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb - 3/3
Tawny Man - Robin Hobb - 3/3
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien - 3/3
Dark Brothers of the Light - Janrae Frank - 9/9
Night Angel - Brent Weeks - 3/3
The Prince of Nothing - R. Scott Bakker - 3/3
The First Law - Joe Abercrombie - 3/3
Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone - Greg Keyes - 4/4
Acacia - David Anthony Durham - 3/3
Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz - 7/7
Nightside - Simon R. Green - 12/12
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn - Tad Williams - 3/3
The Broken Empire - Mark Lawrence - 3/3
Deepgate Codex - Alan Campbell - 3/3
Liveship Traders - Robin Hobb - 3/3
Shadowdance - David Dalglish - 6/6
The Fionavar Tapestry - Guy Gavriel Kay - 3/3
The Demonata - Darren Shan - 10/10
The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan - 14/14
Powder Mage - Brian McClellan - 3/3
The Lotus War - Jay Kristoff - 3/3
Inheritance Trilogy - N.K. Jemisin - 3/3
Shadow Saga - Jon Sprunk - 3/3
Shattered Sea - Joe Abercrombie - 3/3
Magic Ex Libris - Jim C. Hines - 4/4
Demon Cycle - Peter V. Brett - 5/5
The Vagrant - Peter Newman - 3/3
Iron Druid Chronicles - Kevin Hearne - 9/9
The Red Queen's War - Mark Lawrence - 3/3
Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne - Brian Staveley - 3/3
Book of the Order - Philippa Ballantine - 4/4
The Great Way - Harry Connolly - 3/3
Long Price Quartet - Daniel Abraham - 4/4
Corvis Rebaine - Ari Marmell - 2/2
Lightbringer - Brent Weeks - 5/5
Book of the Ancestor - Mark Lawrence - 3/3
Of Blood and Bone - John Gwynne - 3/3
John Cleaver - Dan Wells - 6/6
Rain Wilds Chronicles - Robin Hobb - 4/4
Hellequin Chronicles - Steve McHugh - 7/7
Acts of Caine - Matthew Stover - 4/4
Malazan Book of the Fallen - Steven Erikson - 10/10
Gods of Blood and Powder - Brian McClellan - 3/3
Spellwright - Blake Charlton - 3/3
Green Bone Saga - Fonda Lee - 3/3
The Magicians - Lev Grossman - 3/3
The Faithful and the Fallen - John Gwynne - 4/4
Age of Madness - Joe Abercrombie - 3/3
Craft Sequence - Max Gladstone - 5/5
Book of the Ice - Mark Lawrence - 3/3
Ash and Sand - Richard Nell - 3/3
Broken Earth - N.K. Jemisin - 3/3
Poppy War - R.F. Kuang - 3/3
Mistborn Era 2 - Brandon Sanderson - 4/4
Witcher - Andrzej Sapkowski - 5/5
Raven's Shadow - Anthony Ryan - 3/3
The Fitz and the Fool - Robin Hobb - 3/3
Impossible Times - Mark Lawrence - 3/3
The Last War - Mike Shackle - 3/3
The Dandelion Dynasty - Ken Liu - 4/4
The Winnowing Flame - Jen Williams - 3/3
The War Eternal - Rob J. Hayes - 5/5
The Five Warrior Angels - Brian Lee Durfee - 3/3
Empire of the Wolf - Richard Swan - 3/3
The Vagrant Gods - David Dalglish - 3/3
Bloodsworn Saga - John Gwynne - 3/3
Stormlight Archive Arc 1- Brandon Sanderson - 5/5
Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey - 12/12
Hyperion Cantos - Dan Simmons - 4/4
The Shadow Campaigns - Django Wexler - 5/5
Godblind - Anna Stephens - 3/3
The Library - Mark Lawrence - 3/3


Will Never Finish

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin - 5/7
Sword of Shadows - J.V. Jones - 4/5
Kingkiller Chronicle - Patrick Rothfuss - 2/3

Great list James. I see several of my favorites on it. Good luck with it. It looks pretty massive.

Thanks. Yes, it's massive, and it seems like I'm adding to it faster than I'm completing it.

I know what you mean, my friend. That's why I call mine "never ending series challenge".

I only managed to get down to zero open series (from around 15) by ruthlessly abandoning some I only had a medium interest in, and not starting any for 6 months!

So many excellent books on the list.

Thank you. I'm sure I'll be reading these until I'm old and gray...er.

I am old and gray but I'm still reading that great fantasy and will keep on. I really love fantasy, all kinds.

Lol gray-er! Made me chuckle.

In the two years since I posted this, I've made some decent progress, but I think I've added more series to the list than I've completed. Oh well, such is life.

Gonna start commenting whenever I finish a series.

Green Bone Saga done.

Magicians finally done!

Great Job. Tell me, what did you think the Magicians?

I wanted to like it a lot more than I did, but I just couldn't bring myself to. The story itself was interesting enough, but I just didn't care about any of the characters in it. Not only that, but I absolutely hated Quentin. He did have some character growth by the end of the last novel, but by then, I just didn't care.

The Faithful and the Fallen done.

I agree, I didn't care too much for the Magicians. However, I really liked The Faithful and the Fallen.

Tnkw01 wrote: "I agree, I didn't care too much for the Magicians. However, I really liked The Faithful and the Fallen."

Agreed. The series was fantastic. Both of Gwynne's series have been very good. I'm looking forward to reading the newest one soon.

Age of Madness trilogy is done. What a fantastic series! Abercrombie is definitely among my favorite authors ever!

Finally finished Craft Sequence (kinda). There is one more book, but the author said the first 5 are part of "season one", so I'm calling it good there since I won't go back.

Book of the Ice done. I wish I could say that I liked it more than I did, but I found it lacking compared to Lawrence's other trilogies.

Finished Ash and Sand. It's one of the most surprising series I've read in a long time, and it has what has become one of my favorite characters ever in it. Loved it.

Finished The Broken Earth trilogy. Such a fantastic series with incredible depth and world-building.

The Poppy War is done. I liked the trilogy for the most part, but the main character is very unlikeable, so it was a bit of a struggle to get through.

Mistborn Era 2 done. Great series, and I'm sad for it to be over.

Finally finished The Witcher series. I'm surprised I made it through, especially with the final book. It was a slog.

Raven's Shadow done. This has probably the most disappointing ending to a series that I've ever read, especially after the first book was so good.

Finished The Fitz and the Fool series, which is also my final Realm of the Elderlings. After completely missing in the Rain Wild Chronicles, Hobb finished strong with possibly my favorite trilogy of the group.

Also finished Impossible Times. I'm not a huge time travel fan, but this series was interesting and well done.

Finished The Last War by Mike Shackle. Such an incredibly underrated series and should be talked about along with the works of John Gwynne and Joe Abercrombie.

Finally made it through the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. This is an epic series that while it has its misses, it's still pretty incredible and worth a read if you're into Malazan/Game of Thrones style novels.

Impressive list - stuff to read for a life-time ;-)

Markus wrote: "Impressive list - stuff to read for a life-time ;-)"

Thanks! Hopefully it won't take that long, but it probably will!

Done with the Winnowing Flame trilogy. Such a great and underrated series. I enjoyed almost everything about it, but the ending was so good.

Oh Wow. I might have to reread The Shannara Trilogy. I read them way back when Borders books and hometown bookstores carried paperbacks. I think I remember getting one of those in the hardback right after it came out. It's definitely on my list to read immediately after I finish the two(completed) series I'm reading now!

Other than Shannara, which of the above would you suggest first? Though I prefer HEA and to stay away from books heavily steeped in politics. Case in point? Game of Thrones.

This is making me want to update my list!

Rebekah wrote: "Other than Shannara, which of the above would you suggest first? Though I prefer HEA and to stay away from books heavily steeped in politics. Case in point? Game of Thrones."

Sadly, I don't think any of the series I've read is a true HEA, and most of them are steeped in politics. Even the ones that end on a positive note still have some major tragedy happen. The closest one I can think of that had a HEA might be the Magic Ex Libris series.

Completed The War Eternal by Rob J. Hayes. Very unique and dark series with a great magic system.

Finished The Five Warrior Angels by Brian Lee Durfee. What an absolutely incredible trilogy! This needs to be read by more people.

Kudos for keeping this going :)

Thanks. Hard to believe it's already been 5 years since it started. Where does the time go...

Completed Empire of the Wolf by Richard Swan. Very good series that's pretty unique from anything else I've read. The beginning is better than the end, though.

Finished The Vagrant Gods by David Dalglish. Nothing too original, but still a fun series. It started off better than it ended, though.

I recently looked back at some of the series that I have unfinished and realised that I have no interest in finishing them.

Helen wrote: "I recently looked back at some of the series that I have unfinished and realised that I have no interest in finishing them."

I have a few like that. Three of them I have no desire to finish even if the newest books came out tomorrow.

It's a shame.

Feels like it's been awhile since I completed a series, but I finally did. The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne is done. The series started off strong, but unfortunately, the last book was the weakness. Totally understandable, though, considering his personal life while working on it.

Finished The Stormlight Archive on the last day of the year. This started off as probably one of my favorite series of all-time, if not my favorite. Unfortunately, while the last two books are still good, they definitely curve downwards when compared to the first three.

Still one of my favorite series, though.

Have you done a tiered ranking? I see these videos on YouTube, and the visual and subsequent explanations are enjoyable to watch.

I've never done one, but I've watched several. It might be fun to do.

I'm finally done with Sandman Slim. It took me about 2 and a half years to read the entire thing, but that's because I like to take breaks during a long series. Overall, it starts fun and has very interesting and memorable characters. However, by the end, it overstays its welcome by about 2 books.