There is a particular kind of magic, dear reader, in knowing that the final page of an adventure already exists—that the author has laid down their quill and the tale is whole and complete, waiting like a faithful friend who shall never leave you stranded upon a cliffside.
For those weary souls who have been left dangling by unfinished sagas (we shan’t name names, though certain thrones and certain kingkillers come to mind), this guide offers sanctuary. Here gathered are the finest completed high fantasy series ever committed to paper, ranked and ready for your reading pleasure in 2025 and all the years that follow.
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
One cannot speak of high fantasy without first bowing to the professor from Oxford who invented the very form. Tolkien did not merely write stories—he crafted languages, drew maps, and breathed life into Middle-earth with the precision of a watchmaker and the soul of a poet.
Follow Frodo and Sam as they bear the terrible burden of the One Ring to the fires of Mount Doom, whilst Aragorn, Gandalf, and the Fellowship battle the darkness of Sauron. The trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King—has sold over 150 million copies and shaped every fantasy tale that followed.
2. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Here lies perhaps the grandest tapestry ever woven in fantasy—fourteen volumes spinning across thousands of pages, following the Dragon Reborn as he must either save the world or destroy it in the Last Battle. Robert Jordan began this magnificent work in 1990, and after his passing, Brandon Sanderson completed it with loving faithfulness in 2013.
The One Power, split between saidin and saidar, offers one of fantasy’s most intricate magic systems. With over 1,800 named characters and a world where time itself is cyclical, this series rewards the patient reader with riches beyond measure.
3. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
Not for the faint of heart, this ten-volume behemoth stands as perhaps the most ambitious fantasy series ever completed. Steven Erikson, drawing upon his experience as an anthropologist and archaeologist, created a world so vast it makes others seem like garden plots.
Gods rise and fall like tides. Empires crumble. Soldiers march to wars whose purposes they cannot fathom. With over 400 point-of-view characters and storylines spanning multiple continents and magical realms, Malazan demands much—but gives back tenfold in philosophical depth and sweeping grandeur.
4. The Stormlight Archive (First Arc) by Brandon Sanderson
With the 2024 release of Wind and Truth, the first arc of this extraordinary saga is complete. Five massive volumes—each exceeding a thousand pages—transport readers to Roshar, a world of stone and storms where spirits called spren bond with humans to create Knights Radiant.
Kaladin, a former soldier turned slave; Shallan, a scholar with dangerous secrets; and Dalinar, a warlord seeking redemption—their stories interweave into a tale of honor, sacrifice, and the power of oaths spoken true.
5. Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
In an archipelago where magic flows from knowing the true names of things, young Ged must confront a shadow he unleashed through pride and recklessness. Ursula K. Le Guin’s prose reads like poetry, and her Taoist-influenced philosophy gives this series a quiet wisdom that lingers long after reading.
The original trilogy expanded to six books, exploring not just wizardry but questions of balance, identity, and what it means to hold power responsibly. Margaret Atwood called it one of the “wellsprings” of fantasy literature, and she was not wrong.
6. The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
Spanning sixteen books across five interconnected series, Robin Hobb’s masterwork follows FitzChivalry Farseer—a royal bastard trained as an assassin—through a life of tragedy, loyalty, and hard-won wisdom. Beginning with the Farseer Trilogy and concluding with the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, this saga offers fantasy’s most intimate character study.
Hobb’s gift lies in making you feel every wound, every betrayal, every small triumph. The Fool, a genderfluid prophet, remains one of fantasy’s most unforgettable creations.
7. Mistborn (Original Trilogy) by Brandon Sanderson
What if the prophesied hero failed? What if the Dark Lord won? In Sanderson’s ash-covered world, the Lord Ruler has reigned as immortal tyrant for a thousand years. It falls to Kelsier, a thief with the powers of a Mistborn, to lead a heist unlike any other—the overthrow of an empire.
The Allomancy system—magic through swallowing and burning metals—demonstrates Sanderson’s genius for creating logical, internally consistent magic. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 best fantasy books ever written.
8. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
This trilogy inspired George R.R. Martin to write his own epic saga, and upon reading it, one understands why. Young Simon, a scullion in the Hayholt castle, stumbles into a quest involving three legendary swords and a threat that could unmake the world.
Critics call it “the single best Tolkien-style fantasy not written by Tolkien.” Williams’ dense, atmospheric prose builds a world that feels ancient and lived-in. Patience with the slow opening rewards readers with one of fantasy’s great classic tales.
9. The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
For those who find traditional heroes a touch too noble, Joe Abercrombie offers the antidote. A nine-fingered barbarian, a crippled torturer, and an arrogant nobleman navigate a world of political scheming and brutal warfare where no one is quite what they seem.
Called “the finest epic fantasy trilogy in recent memory,” The First Law helped establish grimdark as a genre. Abercrombie’s wit is razor-sharp, his characters memorably flawed, and his subversion of fantasy tropes utterly delightful.
10. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
History was made when this trilogy became the first to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three consecutive years—and for good reason. On a supercontinent wracked by apocalyptic “Fifth Seasons,” orogenes who can control tectonic forces are feared, enslaved, and hunted.
Jemisin’s experimental second-person narration and non-linear storytelling might seem daunting, but they serve a story of oppression, survival, and geological magic unlike anything else in fantasy.
11. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Through a wardrobe door lies Narnia—a land of talking animals, noble mice, brave horses, and the great lion Aslan. Lewis crafted seven books of wonder that have enchanted readers since the 1950s, weaving Christian allegory with adventure that never preaches.
From the eternal winter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the apocalyptic beauty of The Last Battle, Narnia offers a complete mythology accessible to children yet meaningful to adults.
12. The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne
Completed in 2024, this Norse-inspired trilogy delivers Viking fantasy at its finest. In a world where dead gods’ bones litter the landscape and their descendants carry monstrous powers, three warriors—Orka, Varg, and Elvar—pursue vengeance, freedom, and glory.
Gwynne, a real-life Viking reenactor, writes combat with unmatched visceral authenticity. Orka, a mother whose fury knows no bounds when her child is threatened, stands among fantasy’s most formidable heroines.
13. The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
What begins as a tale of two rogues framed for a king’s murder becomes something far grander. Royce, a cynical thief, and Hadrian, an optimistic swordsman, share a friendship that anchors this adventure through six books of court intrigue, ancient secrets, and world-altering revelations.
Sullivan’s accessible prose and beloved characters offer a welcome rest for readers weary of grimdark. The final chapters pull together threads you never knew were being woven, creating a deeply satisfying conclusion.
14. The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Stephen King’s magnum opus defies simple categorization—part Western, part fantasy, part horror, wholly unique. Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, pursues the Dark Tower across multiple universes in a quest that spans eight novels and thirty years of King’s writing life.
The series interconnects with dozens of King’s other works, creating a meta-narrative that rewards longtime readers while standing complete on its own merits.
15. The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
Gods walk as slaves in Jemisin’s debut series, chained to serve the human rulers of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. When outcast Yeine is named heir to the throne, she must navigate divine politics and mortal treachery alike.
The worldbuilding explores the consequences of power—what happens when beings of infinite might are forced to serve finite ambition. Beautiful, sweeping, and surprisingly romantic.
16. The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence
Young Prince Jorg Ancrath is not a hero. He is something far more complicated—a brilliant, brutal protagonist who will burn kingdoms to claim what he believes is his. In a post-apocalyptic Europe where technology has faded to legend, Jorg carves his path to the Emperor’s throne.
Lawrence’s first-person prose is darkly philosophical and wickedly funny. Warning: Jorg’s moral compass points in directions most would not follow. Yet somehow, impossibly, you find yourself hoping he succeeds.
How to Choose Your Next Completed Fantasy Series
For readers new to the genre, The Chronicles of Narnia or The Riyria Revelations offer welcoming entry points. Those seeking the classic epic experience should begin with Tolkien or The Wheel of Time. Adventurers craving challenge will find it in Malazan. Those hungry for moral complexity will feast upon The First Law or The Broken Empire.
The beauty of completed series lies in their promise: every question has an answer, every journey reaches its destination, every story finds its proper ending. No author’s worry or distraction shall leave you stranded. The books are finished, and they wait for you—patient as ancient mountains, ready to share their secrets whenever you choose to open their pages.
Happy reading, dear adventurer. May you find worlds worth getting lost in.
