6 Classic Epic Fantasy Series Worth Reading Again and Again

Published Nov 13, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

Once head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage, Tom's career began as a fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and his love of major franchises has ultimately led to a decade-long career. He'd had the privilege of interviewing writers, authors, directors, actors, stunt coordinators, and VFX artists on a staggering number of his favorite franchises, including Star Wars, the MCU, Stranger Things, Halo, Foundation, and more. He's conducted set visits in the UK, attending major comic cons in New York and London, and reported at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as press. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon, on LinkedIn @tabacon, or on Muckrack under tombacon.

Tom has a wide range of interests, and he continues to serve his university as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too.

There's a sense in which the fantasy genre was reinvented by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. That was the birth of modern epic fantasy, and every subsequent series has been in conversation with it; either spinning out of it, or consciously reacting against it. Regardless, the basic pattern was set; epic fantasies are vast, sprawling sagas that take place in wonderfully well-developed worlds. Epic fantasy has been booming in the 2020s, courtesy of skilled authors like Andrea Stewart, John Gwynne, and James Islington.

But if you're looking for the classics, there are some books that are just as worth rereading as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. These are true epics, with a sharp and critical edge, phenomenal (and consistent) world-building, magic systems that will blow you away, and some phenomenal character arcs. Here are the absolute pick of the crop.

6 The Wheel of Time

Robert Jordan (& Brandon Sanderson)

Let's start with Robert Jordan's phenomenal The Wheel of Time (the final three books were penned by Brandon Sanderson based on Jordan's notes, after his sad passing). It's hilarious to realize Jordan originally planned this as a trilogy; his editor knew he tended to write long, but even he couldn't have imagined 14 books and a prequel. The Wheel of Time is one of the best-selling fantasy book series of all time, selling over 90 million copies worldwide.

This isn't light reading. But it's an absolute joy, because Jordan skillfully interrogates so many classic fantasy tropes. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, feels like your basic Chosen One at first reading; but his power means he struggles with the dark side of magic, meaning he's Anakin Skywalker before Lucas even wrote The Phantom Menace. The Wheel of Time has a stunning, expansive world, with every book introducing new characters and developing old ones in unexpected directions. In my view, it's one of the best epic fantasy series ever written.

You can buy The Wheel of Time from here.

5 The Earthsea Cycle

Ursula K LeGuin

Ursula K. LeGuin intended A Wizard of Earthsea to be a standalone when it was published in 1968, a fact that points to the nature of epic fantasy: the stories often tend to grow beyond anything the authors themselves ever imagined. Instead, over the next few years, she turned it into a trilogy. LeGuin the returned to Earthsea 20 years later, and ultimately crafted a delightful six-book saga. Collectively known as the Earthsea Cycle, this is a genuine fantasy classic.

This was one of the first fantasy series influenced by Tolkien, and readers will immediately spot the magic rings and familiar use of wizards; in fact, scholars have actually identified homages to Tolkien in the languages LeGuin created (the Hardic for "Earthsea" would be "Tolkien"). Expect a wonderful world of magic, tremendous world-building, and enjoyable lore. The Earthsea Cycle is a masterpiece, made all the more fascinating because of the way the genre evolved over the decades.

You can buy A Wizard of Earthsea here.

4 A Song Of Ice And Fire

George R.R. Martin

Nobody will be surprised to see George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire on this list, although personally, I sincerely doubt it will ever be finished; we've been waiting so long for ASOIAF to end, and I think it's time to admit Martin has moved on to other things. Still, the sprawling world is so much deeper than even the award-winning Game of Thrones TV show may have made you realize, and the character arcs are phenomenal. Game of Thrones made a lot of book changes, and this is undeniably the better story.

Earlier, I mentioned that all epic fantasy is in conversation with Tolkien. Martin would completely agree; he adores The Lord of the Rings, and openly acknowledges that he rereads it every few years. That said, he dislikes how many Tolkien "imitators" have turned his classic ideas into standard tropes (how many "Dark Lords" have there been?), and he consciously tried to write A Song Of Ice And Fire in reaction to this.

You can buy A Game of Thrones here.

3 The Deverry Cycle

Katherine Kerr

Now for something a little different: a personal favorite, Katherine Kerr's Deverry Cycle. Inspired by Celtic mythology, this has a very different feel to Lord of the Rings, and shows the sheer diversity of the epic fantasy genre. The core concept is simple: This is a world where reincarnation is real, and where each life is an opportunity to address (or worsen) the mistakes of the last. The main character is the powerful sorcerer Nevyn, a near-immortal who's seeing the patterns and cycles repeat.

This saga is different to the rest, in that it is told out of sequence; it hops around the timeline in the most delightful way, allowing readers to see emerging patterns and gradually understand the world as Nevyn does. The theme of reincarnation means every action matters, both ethically and cosmically, and gives this story a spectacular scale that's unparalleled by other entries. Personally, I love rereading this saga in different orders, coming to understand Kerr's genius in fresh ways.

You can buy Daggerspell here.

2 The Sword Of Truth

Terry Goodkind

Next, we have Terry Goodkind's phenomenal Sword of Truth series. Spanning 21 books (and six novellas), this follows the story of Richard Cypher and his allies (and lover Kahlan Amnell). They're on a desperate quest to overthrow evil forces who control the entire world, and protect it from yet more darkness that threatens to overcome it. Yes, we're talking that kind of scale of epic fantasy here; heroes who are battling with the fate of the entire world on their shoulders.

The Sword of Truth has a fantastic magic system, one that shapes the entire series; every book is loosely based around one of the wizard's rules. Expect quite interesting philosophy here, too, because Goodkind openly considers himself a "contrarian," and delights in subverting expectations. This means the series is fairly controversial, but I'd always recommend it for the sharp edge and challenge.

You can buy Wizard's First Rule here.

1 The Realm Of The Elderlings

Robin Hobb

Finally, let's turn to Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings. This epic fantasy series is a little different, because the trilogies (and one four-parter) are set across a wonderfully well-developed world, which means there aren't as many recurring characters. It also means each trilogy can be read separately, although there are geopolitical ripples that spread between the books if you read the in publication order. That aspect alone means the entire Realm of the Elderlings ripe for rereading.

The story began in 1995 with Assassin's Apprentice, first book in the Farseer trilogy. It spans a staggering 19 books, with the last one published in 2007, giving a sense of just how incredible Robin Hobb's rate of writing is. The entire series has received overwhelming popular and critical acclaim, although the slow pace and tremendous depth mean it's quite an intense reading experience.