Do you have to read a fantasy series in order?

Usually, yes. Most epics tell one continuous story, so publication order is the safe default. Some series, such as Discworld, work better by sub-series, and our series pages say which.

How do I know if a book series is complete?

Check the series status. On this site, each series page shows its status, its book count, and its first and last publication years. Completed means the catalogue lists the story as finished.

Should you read a book series all at once?

In most cases a finished series lets you do that, because its books are already out. Check the series page, though, because a few completed series still list a book dated after today. Even so, a long epic such as Discworld, with 41 books in our catalogue, is easier to enjoy in stretches.

Is a duology a series?

Yes. A duology is a two-book series. Our guide to completed trilogies and duologies covers the shortest finished sets.

Completed Fantasy Series: Finished Epics, Sorted by Length

Few things feel better than starting a fantasy epic when you know the last page already exists. A completed fantasy series removes the long wait between books. You can read straight through to the ending.

Here, this guide lists a selection of finished fantasy series from our catalogue, sorted by length. Each entry gives the book count, the years of publication, and a note on where to start. We do not rank these as the best. We sort our selection by size, because the usual question is “how long is this commitment?”

How we picked these series

We started with every series in our catalogue whose genre includes fantasy and whose status is completed. As of this writing, that is 188 series. Of those, 59 have five or more books, and 14 have ten or more.

From those 188 we chose a selection of well-known series, from the longest finished run to short classics, and sorted it by book count. It is an editorial selection, not the full list. It leaves out finished series such as Zodiac Academy (13 books), Seekers, Survivors and Bravelands (12 each), and Acorna (10). The counts and years below come straight from each series page. A count can differ from the number of “main” novels you may see elsewhere, because the catalogue sometimes includes prequels or companion volumes.

Also, any opinion in this post is labeled as our editorial view. Everything else is catalogue data. For the full shelf, including ongoing series, see the fantasy genre page.

Long finished fantasy series

These are the biggest commitments in our selection. Each one is marked completed in our catalogue.

Discworld: 41 books, 1983 to 2015

Discworld by Terry Pratchett is the longest finished fantasy series in our catalogue by a wide margin. It runs to 41 books across more than three decades.

However, our series page advises against simply starting at book one. Instead, it suggests picking a sub-series, such as the City Watch or the Witches, and following that strand. This approach makes a very long series far less daunting.

Dragonriders of Pern: 26 books, 1968 to 2018

Dragonriders of Pern is the second longest finished fantasy series in our catalogue. It is marked completed and was created by Anne McCaffrey. Todd McCaffrey and Gigi McCaffrey are also credited on later books. Our page stores a chronological order that starts with Dragonsdawn, not Dragonflight, so check it before you begin.

Realm of the Elderlings: 16 books, 1995 to 2017

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb is a set of linked trilogies and quartets. For example, our page lists 16 books. They are meant to be read in publication order, within each sub-series and across them.

Moreover, you can stop after the first trilogy and still have a self-contained story. Many readers do exactly that. Others continue through all five sub-series.

The Wheel of Time: 15 books, 1990 to 2013

The Wheel of Time is credited to Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson in our catalogue. Our series page notes that the last three main books were completed by Sanderson from Jordan’s notes after Jordan’s death in 2007. You can browse Brandon Sanderson’s author page for his other work.

Because several people have asked who wrote what, we also keep a page on who writes the Wheel of Time books.

Sword of Truth: 13 books, 1994 to 2012

Sword of Truth is one continuous story. Instead, our page says to start with Wizard’s First Rule and read in publication order. It also describes two prequels, which are optional.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: 13 books, 1999 to 2006

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket ran from 1999 to 2006. Our catalogue lists 13 books. Start with the first book and read in publication order.

Mid-length finished series

Next come series of eight to eleven books from our selection. They suit readers who want a real saga without a decade of reading.

The First Law: 11 books, 2006 to 2021

The First Law is catalogued as grimdark epic fantasy. It spans 11 books and 15 years of publishing. Start with the first book and read in publication order.

Ranger’s Apprentice: 11 books, 2004 to 2011

Ranger’s Apprentice is a continuous story. Our page recommends reading the numbered books 1 through 11, with the last book, a collection of shorter pieces, saved as a coda. Its sequel series is a separate entry.

Malazan Book of the Fallen: 10 books, 1999 to 2011

Malazan Book of the Fallen has a reputation for a tough first book. Our page says the opening novel is the hardest to get through. It adds that the series becomes more legible from the second book onward.

The Dark Tower, The Witcher, and Throne of Glass: 8 books each

Three more finished series have eight books each in our catalogue:

The Dark Tower: 1982 to 2012
The Witcher: 1992 to 2013
Throne of Glass: 2012 to 2018

However, reading order is not always obvious. Our catalogue stores more than one order for The Witcher and for Throne of Glass, and it labels any recommended order as editorial. Check the series page before you start.

Short and classic finished series

Not every finished epic is huge. In fact, several of the best-known fantasy series are compact.

Harry Potter has seven books, published from 1997 to 2007. The Chronicles of Narnia has seven books, published from 1950 to 1956. In addition, The Lord of the Rings has three books, from 1954 to 1955.

Finally, Narnia is the best-known case of an order debate. Publication order and chronological order differ, and the right choice depends on the reader. Our explainer on publication order versus chronological order walks through it.

Of the 188 finished fantasy series, 96 have three books or fewer. For those, see our guide to completed trilogies and duologies.

Where to start: our editorial suggestions

These picks are our own view, not sales data or awards. We chose them using three simple criteria: the series is completed, its first book is a clear starting point, and its page gives a plain reading order.

Want a commitment you can finish quickly? Start with Harry Potter or Narnia. Both have seven books.
Want one long saga? Try The Wheel of Time or Sword of Truth. Each is one continuous story.
Want to sample before committing? Try the first trilogy of Realm of the Elderlings. It stands on its own.
Want to dip in anywhere? Pick a Discworld sub-series and follow it.

If you are comparing length across genres, our list of the longest book series covers every genre, finished or not. Meanwhile, fans of fast thrillers may prefer authors like James Patterson. For younger horror readers, there is also a guide to series like Goosebumps.

How to use the series pages

First, every series page shows the status, the first and last years, and the number of books. Therefore, you can check any claim here yourself. Pages with a reading order also say whether it is the publication order or an editorial suggestion.

Because the catalogue updates weekly, counts can change. For that reason, always trust the series page over this summary.

Completed Fantasy Series: Finished Epics You Can Read Straight Through