This post is reposted and revised from my previous website. Enjoy!
No feeling is better than finishing a great book. You put your heart and soul into the story and become or befriend the main characters. You get wrapped up into the story so deep that your emotional sanity hinges on the outcome of the story. When a character dies, you feel like you’ve lost a friend or an enemy. But then, once you finish a series, that fleeting sense of joy leaves and is replaced with an abyss of sadness and loss. You’re afraid to start a new series, because no series can compare to the one you just read. Here is a list of my top 5 fantasy series/books that helped fill the reading void.
#5 Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
If you haven’t already read it or seen the movies: set in a magical world unmatched by any other, a band of friends composed of a dwarf, elf, ranger, hobbits, and a wizard must face perilous obstacles in their journey to save the entire world. “One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them!”
#4 KingKiller Chronicles: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
If you like beautiful prose and captivating story-telling, then this book will satiate your literary desires. When Kvothe, a man canonized as myth and legend, goes into hiding from kings and men, he unexpectedly comes across a traveling scribe who wants Kvothe’s true story to separate the man from the myth.
#3 Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Following the life of an impoverished girl and set in a hostile world ruled by an immortal ruler, Vin must band together with untrustworthy friends to understand her powers and free her people. If you haven’t heard of or read Brandon Sanderson, I highly recommend reading his books immediately. He crafts his worlds and his characters with as much care as Michelangelo put into the Sistine Chapel.
#2 Stormlight Archive: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Yes, another Brandon Sanderson. When humanity is abandoned by the gods who protect them and mislead with a corrupted history of events, three strangers must assemble the missing pieces to stop a threat of total annihilation. With magic, mystery, and a new world, this series will keep you inside all day.
#1 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
For those of you who already know me, you’ll know that I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. Yes, I’m in Hufflepuff, and yes, my patronus is a cat. If you’ve never read this series, it’s time to begin this magical journey. Three unlikely friends must join together to learn magic and face the deadliest wizard to walk the wizarding world.