Summer Reading Ideas – Fantasy Series Edition

As many of you know, most of my writing is in the fantasy genre, in particular fantasy series. I have also read a number of fantasy series, and would like to share with you five series that I truly enjoyed as a reader. These aren’t necessarily my “top five” (I’m certain that I’ve missed or forgotten some), but they are definitely series that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. I hope you will, as well. (These are not listed in any particular order):

The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

I first read this series long before the popular 2000’s movies were released, and I love the imagination and stories that Tolkien crafted. The Lord of the Rings are not easy reads, and it does take some time for the story to get started, but once the main characters leave the Shire on their journey, the books really take off. The Hobbit is a sort of prequel to The Lord of the Rings, and while it is good to read ahead of time, it was written for a younger audience and does not have the same feel to it as his later books. I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings books far more than I did The Hobbit.

A Song of Ice and Fire (George R. R. Martin)

I am (still) eagerly awaiting the next book, as I am sure many of you are! I read the current books in succession during the span of about five months, and found them to be incredible. I am probably one of the few people who has never watched the HBO show, and I’m not sure that I will based on what I have heard about final season. I have also discovered through conversations with friends that some of the events that occurred in the books were never transferred into the show. I believe if you’ve never read the books, but have watched the show, you ought to take the time to read the books. They are well worth the time.

The Deverry Cycle (Katherine Kerr)

I was first introduced to this series in the mid-1990’s. What makes these books so unique is the reincarnation element that was introduced; the reader experiences the lives of the main characters in more than one era during the course of the books. The books have a very Celtic feel to them, and include Elves and Dragons, as many other fantasy series do.

I spent countless months reading these books, and while some of them can be a bit difficult to follow, they are well worth the read. Just be prepared to reference the genealogy charts at the back of the books from time to time.

The Rift War Saga (Raymond E. Feist)

There are actually several series by this author that could be included within the Rift War Saga, all of them imaginative and great reads. I especially liked Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master when I read them as a teenager. Those two books in particular have a “coming of age” story to them with the character of Pug, and they resonated with me pretty strongly during that time of my life.

The Word and the Void Series (Terry Brooks)

While Brooks is known for his Shannara novels, I haven’t actually read any of those. I have, however, read The Word and the Void, which is a trilogy that are set modern-day Illinois and features people who use magic in an attempt to protect themselves from the demons of the Void. I don’t typically read many modern-day, real world fantasy books, but I did enjoy these.