Amazing Science Fiction/Fantasy Series 1
Discover the best fantasy and science fiction book series in our curated list! Dive into amazing worlds, epic adventures, and must-read sci-fi & fantasy sagas.
Book
Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom. Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Apprentice “A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne.”—Publishers Weekly “This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don’t want it to be over.”—Steven Brust
Book
Assassin's Quest
by Robin Hobb
“An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz—or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest—perhaps to death. Only Verity’s return—or the heir his princess carries—can save the Six Duchies. But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him—currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was. Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Quest “Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin “Superbly written, wholly satisfying, unforgettable: better than any fantasy trilogy in print—including mine!”—Melanie Rawn
Book
Ship of Magic
by Robin Hobb
The first book in a seafaring fantasy trilogy that George R. R. Martin has described as “even better than the Farseer Trilogy—I didn’t think that was possible.” Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships—rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. Now the fortunes of one of Bingtown’s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy. For Althea’s young nephew, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard the Vivacia, the ship is a life sentence. But the fate of the ship—and the Vestrits—may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider: the ruthless buccaneer captain Kennit, who plans to seize power over the Pirate Isles by capturing a liveship and bending it to his will. Don’t miss the magic of the Liveship Traders Trilogy: SHIP OF MAGIC • MAD SHIP • SHIP OF DESTINY
Book
Mad Ship
by Robin Hobb
The second book in a seafaring fantasy trilogy that George R. R. Martin has described as “even better than the Farseer Trilogy—I didn’t think that was possible.” As the ancient tradition of Bingtown’s Old Traders slowly erodes under the cold new order of a corrupt ruler, the Vestrits anxiously await the return of their liveship—a rare magic ship carved from sentient wizardwood, which bonds the ships mystically with those who sail them. And Althea Vestrit waits even more avidly, living only to reclaim the ship as her lost inheritance and captain her on the high seas. But the Vivacia has been seized by the ruthless pirate captain Kennit, who holds Althea’s nephew and his father hostage. Althea and her onetime sea mate Brashen resolve to liberate the liveship—but their plan may prove more dangerous than leaving the Vivacia in Kennit’s ambitious grasp. Don’t miss the magic of the Liveship Traders Trilogy: SHIP OF MAGIC • MAD SHIP • SHIP OF DESTINY
Book
Ship of Destiny
by Robin Hobb
The third book in a seafaring fantasy trilogy that George R. R. Martin has described as “even better than the Farseer Trilogy—I didn’t think that was possible.” As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city’s inhabitants together against a momentous threat. Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship, the Vivacia, from the ruthless pirate Kennit. Bold though it is, Althea’s scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including Althea’s nephew, whose life already hangs in the balance. Don’t miss the magic of the Liveship Traders Trilogy: SHIP OF MAGIC • MAD SHIP • SHIP OF DESTINY
Book
Fool's Errand
by Robin Hobb
FitzChivalry Farseer emerges from seclusion when Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, disappears, and as Fitz sets out to find the Prince before his betrothal ceremony, he is unexpectedly confronted by betrayal and intrigue at every turn.
Book
Golden Fool
by Robin Hobb
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. There FitzChivalry Farseer, gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, must take up residence at Buckkeep as a journeyman assassin. Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Amid a multitude of problems, Fitz must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—one that could topple the throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.” Only Fitz’s friendship with the Fool brings him solace. But even that is shattered when devastating revelations from the Fool’s past are exposed. Bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz finds that his biggest challenge may be simply to survive. Praise for Robin Hobb and Golden Fool “[Robin Hobb] ranks near the top of the high fantasy field. . . . [She] juggles all the balls with aplomb, besides providing spot-on characterizations.”—Publishers Weekly “Solid storytelling with warmth and heart.”—The Kansas City Star
Book
Fool's Fate
by Robin Hobb
“Complex . . . an atmosphere-filled adventure . . . with a fair quota of surprises . . . a winning combination of strong characters and colorful societies.”—Kirkus Reviews In the final book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, Fitz and the Fool are tested more severely than ever in a book the Monroe News-Star calls “a breathtaking ride from beginning to end.” FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Out Islands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania. The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Out Islands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool has foretold he will die on the island of ice, Fitz plots to leave his dearest friend behind. But fate cannot so easily be defied.
Book
Pawn of Prophecy
by David Eddings
The farm boy, Garion, begins a dangerous quest to recover the magic Orb and prevent the evil Torak from seizing power over the world.
Book
Queen of Sorcery
by David Eddings
The master Sorcerer Belgarath and his daughter are on the trail of the stolen Orb.
Book
Magician's Gambit
by David Eddings
Princess Ce'Nedra joins the young farm boy, Garion, in the struggle to find the magical Orb and defeat the power of an evil sorcerer
Book
Castle of Wizardry
by David Eddings
Garion regains the Orb and struggles to escape from the brutal Murgo soldiers and the deadly magic spells of Grolim Hierachs
Book
Enchanters' End Game
by David Eddings
The conclusion of the Belgariad series sees Garion crowned as Overlord of the West, as in the East, the evil God Torak is about to awaken and challenge Garion's rule
Book
Guardians of the West
by David Eddings
Garion, the King of Riva, finds himself caught between the Dark Prophecy and the Prophecy of Light when he searches a previously obscure part of the Mrin Codex to identify someone or something called Zandramas.
Book
King of the Murgos
by David Eddings
Here David Eddings’ bestselling The Malloreon continues as the epic quest begins, across new lands and among strange peoples. A magnificent fantasy of men, Kings, sorcerers, and Gods caught up in a death struggle between two ancient, warring Destinies—the culmination of a seven-thousand-year war of Good and Evil. The infant son of Garion and Ce’Ndra had been foully kidnapped. Now they began the great quest to rescue the child, with the immortal Begarath the Sorcerer, his daughter Polgara the Sorceress, and inevitably the little Drasnian, Silk. Guided by the Orb of the God Aldur, their way led through the foul swamps of Nyissa, then into the lands of the Murgos. And at the end, they must face a horrible danger—to themselves and to all mankind. For the Dark Prophecy had not vanished when Garion slew the evil God Torak. Instead, it had fled to Zandramas, who was now the Child of Dark. Dark and Light still contended for mastery, and Zandramas planned to use the child in some rite and the Sardion Stone to insure that the Dark would triumph. If they could not be at that impossible place when Zandramas arrived, they would lose—forever.
Book
Demon Lord of Karanda
by David Eddings
Here David Eddings continues his bestselling The Malloreon, taking the quest across a strange continent and among stranger peoples struggling over the religion of a dead God. A story of ancient, opposing Destinies, battling for control of all men. Zandramas had stolen King Garion’s infant son and fled to use the child in some ritual that would make the Dark Destiny supreme. Garion and his friends had followed, but now they were captives of Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea, who, while friendly, stubbornly refused to let them leave. Meanwhile, a horde of demons was ravaging the cities through which they must travel. Zandramas was escaping further toward her goal. And the Seeress of Kell revealed that they must be at the ancient palace of Ashaba within a matter of days or Zandramas would win by default. Then a horrible, fatal plague struck the city of Mal Zeth, closing it against all traffic in or out.
Book
The Sorceress of Darshiva
by David Eddings
As the bestselling THE Mallorean series contnues, Garion is pursuing Zandramas, in the form of a great dragon flying over them, across the known world. With the forces of evil threatening on both sides, Garion still had to get to the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell had warned, but they had no idea where that might be....
Book
Seeress of Kell
by David Eddings
THE FINAL RECKONING Time was running out for Garion and his companions in their quest to recover Garion's infant son and heir. If they could not locate the Place Which Is No More, then Zandramas, the Child of Dark, would use Garion's son in a rite that would raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe! Only the Seeress of Kell could reveal the site of that mysterious place--and that she could do only once Garion and Polgara had fulfilled an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers . . . Kell itself was closed to Zandramas--but her dark magic could force the knowledge she needed from one of Garion's party. She laid her traps and dispatched her foul minions, determined to claim the world for the Dark God. But Garion would let nothing stand between him and his son . . . Here is the epochal conclusion to David Eddings' bestselling The Malloreon, the culmination of an unparalleled quest across strange lands and among strange peoples--a magnificent fantasy of men, Kings, Sorcerers, and Gods caught up in the seven-thousand-year war between two ancient, opposing Destinies battling to determine the fate of all creation.
Book
A Shadow on the Glass
by Ian Irvine
With this stunning and original debut, Ian Irvine begins the saga of The View from the Mirror, a brilliant epic fantasy that rivals the works of Robert Jordan and J. V. Jones. "Once there were three worlds, each with its own human race. Then, fleeing from out of the void came a fourth race, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever..." The Tale of the Forbidding In ancient times the Way Between the Worlds was shattered, leaving bands of Aachim, Faellem, and Charon trapped with the old humans of Santhenar. Now Llian, a Chronicler of the Great Tales, uncovers a 3,000-year-old secret too deadly to be revealed-while Karan, a young sensitive, is compelled by honor to undertake a perilous mission. Neither can imagine they will soon meet as hunted fugitives, snared in the machinations of immortals, the vengeance of warlords, and the magics of powerful mancers. For the swelling deluge of a millennial war is rising, terrible as a tsunami, ready to cast torrents of sorcery and devastation across the land...
Book
The Tower on the Rift
by Ian Irvine
In this second volume, Karan, a young Sensitive carrying the blood of all three Worlds, comes into possession of the Mirror of Aachen, which holds the power to heal--or destroy--World relations. But as war rages, Tensor, the leader of the Aachim people, steals the mirror and flees with the young chronicler, Lilan, leaving all to wonder how they plan to use this magic.
Book
Dark is the Moon
by Ian Irvine
In the third volume of this original saga, the young Sensitive Karan, who carries the blood of all three Worlds in her veins, finds herself holding the knowledge that can either heal or permanently destroy the rift. The time is right for Rulke, the great betrayer, to use the deadly construct he has spent a thousand years perfecting. Unfortunately for Karan, all he needs to succeed is her unique talent. (July)
Book
The Way Between the Worlds
by Ian Irvine
After cracking the Wall of the Forbidding, Rulke must battle alien lords for control of the Way Between the Worlds, as well as the wizards Mendark and Yggur, who wish to seal the Way, while monsters from the Void wreak havoc.
Book
Sailing to Sarantium
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Crispin is a mosaicist, a layer of bright tiles. Still grieving for the family he lost to the plaque, he lives only for his arcane craft. But an imperial summons from Valerius the Trakesian to Sarantium, the most magnificent place in the world, is difficult to resist. In a world half-wild and tangled with magic, a journey to Sarantium means a walk into destiny. Bearing with him a deadly secret and a Queen's seductive promise, guarded only by his own wits and a talisman from an alchemist's treasury, Crispin sets out for the fabled city. Along the way he will encounter a great beast from the mythic past,and in robbing the zubir of its prize he wins a woman's devotion and a man's loyalty--and loses a gift he didn't know he had until it was gone. Once in this city ruled by intrigue and violence, he must find his own source of power. Struggling to deal with the dangers and seductive lures of the men and woman around him, Crispin does discover it, in a most unusual place--high on the scaffolding of the greatest artwork ever imagined....
Book
Lord of Emperors
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Crispin the mosaicist finally achieves his goal of journeying to the fabled Sarantium, but is drawn into the deadly webs of the court and the city.