10 epic sci-fi/fantasy book series to binge
By Daniel Roman
Credit: Tor Books
1. The Wheel of Time
When it comes to epic-length book series, it’s hard to beat The Wheel of Time. Written by master storyteller Robert Jordan and completed after Jordan’s death by Brandon Sanderson, it’s no exaggeration to say that The Wheel of Time is one of the best, most beloved works of longform fantasy to ever be written. Counting the prequel novella New Spring, there are 15 books in all, and most weigh in at around 800 pages. That’s approximately 12,000 pages of reading. What more could a homebound fantasy fan wish for?
The Wheel of Time follows a group of teenage best friends who are whisked away from their small farming village by a sorceress (called Aes Sedai in this world) on the eve of a monster attack. Moiraine Damodred, Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, believes that one of them is the reincarnation of a legendary hero known as the Dragon Reborn, and that they hold the key to save the world…as well as destroy it. With monsters hot on their tail, the small group sets out for the White Tower — the seat of power of the Aes Sedai — so that Moiraine can better divine which one of them is the resurrected Dragon.
But as with any good yarn, the journey is far from simple, and as the series goes on, we find ourselves mixed up in events that are as epic as epic gets. The final book in the series has possibly the largest battle sequence of any book ever published -– that one chapter is longer than the entire first Harry Potter book. There is an abundance of magic, creatures, fantastical settings and lovable characters. And while this series is on the more accessible side of the epic fantasy spectrum — it’s never overly gruesome or graphic — it has no shortage of moments that will put your heart in your throat.
The fact that Amazon is currently developing a much-hyped television adaptation is the cherry on top of the whole affair. With production currently on pause due to the pandemic, that means now is your best chance to give The Wheel of Time a read-through and get ahead of the game before the show comes out.