(I am going to skip the Lord of the Rings in this Guide. You probably already know quite a bit about it. But if you haven't read it then you should start there. The language can be just a little bit difficult but it is of course worth it) There are a few series that are pretty much the stapes of the fantasy and epic fantasy world. Here is an overview of them. They are what I consider to be the top five of the bunch. Funny thing about large series of great books is that at first it seems to be a daunting task but as you start reading through the books a sinking feeling comes over you because you know you are getting closer to the end of the books and the end of the adventuring through a new world. Many times I have limited the amount of reading daily reading I have done in a series just to make the experience last longer. These five series are that kind of series.

Terry Brooks The books of Shannara series. There are currently twenty books in the Shannara series and they are roughly broken down into trilogys. It all began in 1977 with the release of the first book The Sword of Shannara (pictured at left). This series of books is often heralded as the rightful heir to the Lord of the Rings. I have to agree :) I read the first book when it came out and fell in love with the series. The books all take place in Shannara but cover a lot of time and a lot of different characters. If you are considering an adventure into Shannara you should start right here with the first book of the first trilogy. The second book is The Elfstones of Shannara which is currently being made into a major motion picture. The third book of the trilogy is The Wishsong of Shannara.

• The Sword of Shannara trilogy (The First Trilogy)
• The Sword of Shannara
• The Elfstones of Shannara : (#2)
• The Wishsong of Shannara : (#3)
• The Heritage of Shannara (The Second Tetrology)
• The Scions of Shannara : (#1) (The Heritage of Shannara, Book 1)
• The Druid of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara (Paperback))
• The Elf Queen of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara, Book 3)
• The Talismans of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara (Paperback))
• The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Morgawr/Antrax/Ilse Witch (The Third Trilogy)
• Ilse Witch (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 1)
• Antrax (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 2)
• Morgawr (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 3)
• High Druid of Shannara (The Fourth Trilogy)
• Jarka Ruus (High Druid of Shannara, Book 1)
• Tanequil (High Druid of Shannara, Book 2)
• Straken (High Druid of Shannara, Book 3)

Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series This is a series of books that currently number 11. The twelfth and final book is scheduled to be out in the Fall of 2009. Robert Jordan passed away while working on this final book but he has extensive interviews and work with Brandon Sanderson who will complete the work for him. It's a wonderful series of books and is extremely large! The page count of each book goes anywhere from 700 to 1100 pages. I personally devoured the first five books in the series one right after the other. After reading the first I ordered the second and so on right through the first five. Never got a chance to go past the fifth. Had to try other things. Well written and very complex. Nice stuff but does get some criticism for tending to keep you hanging all the time. I would say this series is a bit more serious than the Shannara series. The Second Book is The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)

• The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)
• The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2)
• The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3)
• The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4)
• The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
• Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6)
• A Crown of Swords (The Wheel of Time, Book 7)
• The Path of Daggers (The Wheel of Time, Book 8)
• Winter's Heart (The Wheel of Time, Book 9)
• Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, Book 10)
• Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time, Book 11)

Terry GoodKind Sword of Truth Series The first book in this series is Wizards First Rule. I have read the first three books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them. I will get to the others eventually. The Very first book (Wizards First Rule) is just phenomenal. It was released in 1994 to much critical acclaim. You may want to get the box set of the first three novels. You are going to burn through the first one pretty quick. The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears Masterfully crafted books.

• Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1)
• Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth, Book 2)
• Blood of the Fold (Sword of Truth, Book 3)
• Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth, Book 4)
• Soul of the Fire (Sword of Truth, Book 5)
• Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth, Book 6)
• The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth, Book 7)
• Naked Empire (Sword of Truth, Book 8)
• Chainfire (Sword of Truth, Book 9)
• Phantom (Sword Of Truth)

The First Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever:Lord Foul's Bane; The Illearth War; The Power That Preserves (3 Volume Boxed Set) - Of all the series I have read this is my absolute favorite. I have read through the whole series twice. This world stands apart from the others for a couple of reasons. True it is a fantasy work with all the usual things like magic, wizards, big battles and well you know. But it is also very sharply balanced by a peculiar main character - Covenant. He is a leper and a bit of an anti-hero. For a portion of the story he doesn't believe what is happening and he doesn't want to be the hero. There is a very strong internal conflict in him and it goes nicely with the external conflict. Love these books. The first one isLord Foul's Bane Book 1) and it was released in 1977. There are currently eight books in the series and two more are scheduled.

• The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
• Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 1)
• The Illearth War: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book Two
• The Power That Preserves (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 3)
• The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
• The Wounded Land (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1)
• The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2)
• White Gold Wielder (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 3)
• The Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
• The Runes of the Earth (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1)
• Fatal Revenant (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)
• Against All Things Ending
• The Last Dark

A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin This is a series of currently four books and the first book is A Game of Thrones published in 1996. There are three more books planned for the series and several prequel novellas. The fifth book in the series (A Dance with Dragons) is scheduled to be released in Sep 2008) This series of books is more contemporary than the other series; It was started in 1996. And it tends to have much more of a Medieval Europe flavor to it. Political intrigue and the maneuverings between various factions play a big part in the story.

• A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
• A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)
• A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
• A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4)
• A Dance with Dragons (release date Sep 30, 08 can be pre-ordered)

A Note from Will: