Book Series That Are Worth The Time to Read

Book series have a tendency to run long and require an amount of dedication and time to read them all through. Some series are especially worth the time and commitment and will have you reread them long after you finish. In this, I will give a rundown of what I believe are some of the best and time-worthy fantasy book series, including the main books and novellas that have been released.

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Number of Books: 9

Series Status: Complete

Books In Order:

1. The Assassin's Blade (Prequel)
2. Throne of Glass
3. Crown of Midnight
4. Heir of Fire
5. Queen of Shadows
6. Empire of Storms
7. Tower of Dawn
8. Kingdom of Ash

At first, I was reluctant to read this series because even though it was already completed, which is always a plus when starting a series, it was relatively long with 8 books. It wasn't until I read another series from the author Sarah J. Maas that I fell in love with her work and then came back to this series. I listed the book The Assassin's Blade first in the list, and there is a discussion on when it should be read in the series. Personally, I would suggest reading the book first because it adds a lot of needed context and allows for a smoother reading experience. Even though it is a relatively long series, when you are reading it, the world that Maas has built makes you lose track of time and have you wanting more even after you are done. This series is packed with assassins, royalty, magical powers, shapeshifters, and strong female lead characters. If you love all of this or have the series on your TBR list, I highly suggest you start reading the books; they won't disappoint.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

Number of Books: 5

Series Status: Ongoing

Books In Order:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
2. A Court of Mist and Fury
3. A Court of Wings and Ruin
4. A Court of Frost and Starlight
5. A Court of Silver Flames

This is another series by Sarah J. Maas and is the first one of her series that I have read, and to this day, it remains one of my all-time favorite series. Whenever someone asks me for book recommendations, especially in the fantasy genre, this is always one of the first books I suggest. The way Maas crafts her story across the books is brilliant and never allows you to get too comfortable with what you know and think about the characters and the storyline. But it's also this exact trait that allows the series to stay refreshing and make you love the series even more. This series will not disappoint with badass lead female characters, fairies, epic battles, and epic romances. It will keep you entranced in everything it has to offer until the very end.

Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

Number of Books: 5

Series Status: Complete

Books In Order:

1. Red Queen
2. Glass Sword
3. Kings Cage
4. War Storm
5. Broken Throne (Collection of Novellas)

This series was highly recommended by a friend who absolutely loved it. At the time I was reading them, only the first three books were out, so I had to wait about a year to read the next one. But in this time, I must have reread the ones that were out like fifty times; I loved them so much. With this series, Aveyard creates this world and characters that lure you in and don't let you go. This series has everything you could ask for in a fantasy series; bloodlines with magical powers, houses of power, royal lines, love, heartbreak, betrayal, and war in the center of it all. The last book I included in my reading order is Broken Throne, a collection of novellas revolving around some of our favorite characters from the series. I put it last in the order because it is one novel, but if you chose to read the different novellas in the order or time they occur, some lists exist that show the exact order. If you do, you would just have to bounce back and forth between the other books and this one.

Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

Number of Books: 11

Series Status: Complete

Books In Order:

1. Shatter Me
2. Destroy Me (Novella)
3. Unravel Me
4. Fracture Me (Novella)
5. Ignite Me
6. Restore Me
7. Shadow Me (Novella)
8. Defy Me
9. Reveal Me (Novella)
10. Imagine Me
11. Believe Me (Novella)

This is a very long series with 6 main books and an additional 5 novellas. I chose to include the novellas in the reading order because I believe that they play a significant role in the storyline and give a greater insight into the characters. I picked this book up one day when I was looking for new books, and I didn't expect to love it or be absorbed in the world Mafi built as much as I did. But I instantly fell in love with the characters and the world when I started reading, and the added trope of enemies and lovers only magnified my love of the series. This is an epic series of self-discovery and forbidden love amongst the chaos of society and the characters trying to manage their powers.

House of Night series by P.C Cast & Kristin Cast

Number of Books: 16 + other world series

Series Status: Complete/ Ongoing

Books In Order:

1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted
6. Tempted
7. Burned
8. Awakened
9. Dragon's Oath (Novella)
10. Destined
11. Lenobia's Vow (Novella)
12. Hidden
13. Neferet's Curse (Novella)
14. Revealed
15. Kalona's Fall
16. Redeemed

When A friend recommended this series to me, I wasn't aware of how long the series actually was. It wasn't until I was at the fourth book that I realized and was already in love and invested in the characters and the story. It is one of the long series that I have read, but even with the amount of time it takes to get through its entirety, it is a fantastic series that manages to keep things fresh and capture your attention until the end. The book takes place in a world where a percentage of the teen population turns to vampires and is forced to go to a boarding school dedicated to the fledglings. This series includes friendship, love, heartbreak, and a fight between good and evil. The novellas I listed correlate to the previous or upcoming books and follow secondary characters, such as the professors at the school. There is also an additional series after the House of Night series called the Other World series that takes place after the end of the house of night series and follows all of our favorite characters from that series, but with a twist.

Fallen Series by Lauren Kate

Number of Books: 6

Series Status: Complete

Books In Order:

1. Fallen
2. Torment
3. Passion
4. Fallen in Love (Novella)
5. Rapture
6. Unforgiven

This series was one of the few cases where I have watched the movie first, and it then introduced me to the books. The movie came out in 2016, and I remember hearing about it briefly and just that it was about a girl who is blamed for the death of a boy from camp and is sent to reform school. She meets and instantly becomes attracted to this guy who turns out to be an angel who has loved her for thousands of years. To say the least, I was instantly drawn to it, and I absolutely loved the storyline. So, when I found out it was based on a book series, I immediately wanted to read them, and I was not disappointed. The series was incredible and gave a new take, not the typical angel and demon story. The series is filled with heartbreak, the battle between good and evil, and love persevering amongst it all.