Best Fantasy Series for Adults
For most adults who want to get excited about fantasy instead of merely admiring it from a distance, start with Mistborn. It is the cleanest gateway on this list: fast, inventive, easy to visualize, and backed by the rare promise of a finished arc you can actually complete. The reason The Name of the Wind still ranks near the top is prose and atmosphere; it is the prettier book. The honest tradeoff is simple: choose Mistborn for momentum, Rothfuss for voice, and A Game of Thrones only if you can live with an unfinished giant.
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How to use this guide
Genre roundups are most useful when they separate mood, pacing, and reader tolerance for darkness instead of treating every pick as interchangeable. Use these lists to match the reading experience you actually want: page-turner, atmosphere, ambition, comfort, or challenge. If you ignore the tradeoffs, you can easily buy the most famous title in a category and still hate the reading experience.
In this guide
Direct answer
If you want the shortest possible answer to best fantasy series for adults, start with A Game of Thrones. It is the clearest fit for readers who want most famous / most expansive. If that does not sound like you, the best alternate starting point is The Name of the Wind.
That recommendation is less about prestige and more about reader fit. A Game of Thrones is the strongest overall answer when you want most famous / most expansive, while The Name of the Wind becomes the smarter pivot if you want a different tone, structure, or level of commitment from the same topic.
Best overall pick
A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
Best for: Most Famous / Most Expansive
Best alternate
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Best for: Best Literary Fantasy / Best Prose
Quick comparison
| # | Book | Best For | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin | Most Famous / Most Expansive | See current availability |
| 2 | The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss | Best Literary Fantasy / Best Prose | See current availability |
| 3 | The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson | Best Finished Epic Fantasy | See current availability |
| 4 | Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson | Best Finished Fantasy Trilogy / Best Entry Point | See current availability |
| 5 | The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch | Best for Thriller Fans Coming to Fantasy | See current availability |
Full reviews
1.A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
Multiple noble houses compete for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms while a supernatural threat emerges in the north. Martin's world is brutally realistic, morally complex, and populated with dozens of three-dimensional characters. The prose is accessible and the plotting is extraordinary. The TV adaptation divergence has not diminished the novels.
Skip this if: Skip this if unfinished series bother you — Martin has not finished the main series and there is no announced publication date for the next volume.
2.The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
A legendary wizard tells the story of his life across three days in a rural inn. Rothfuss writes fantasy with the literary care of a serious novelist — the prose is the best in the genre. Kvothe is one of fantasy's most compelling protagonists. The second book (The Wise Man's Fear) matches the first. Book three remains unpublished.
Skip this if: Skip this if unfinished series bother you — book three of the Kingkiller Chronicle has been in progress for over a decade.
3.The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
The first book in the Stormlight Archive, set on a world where hurricanes called highstorms have shaped all life. Sanderson's magic systems are the most rigorously designed in fantasy, and his world-building is unmatched in scale. Slow to start — the payoff arrives around page 400. Best fantasy series currently being published.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want a shorter commitment — the Stormlight Archive is planned as a 10-book series with each book 1,000+ pages.
4.Mistborn
by Brandon Sanderson
In a world covered in ash where the Dark Lord won a thousand years ago, a group of thieves attempts the impossible heist of overthrowing an immortal god-king. The Mistborn trilogy is a complete, satisfying story told across three volumes. The first book is Sanderson's most accessible and the magic system is his most elegant.
Skip this if: Skip this if you want Martin-level moral ambiguity — Sanderson's heroes are more traditionally heroic.
5.The Lies of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
Two thieves in a Venice-inspired fantasy city run elaborate cons against the nobility while navigating a genuine moral crisis. Lynch writes fantasy from the ground level — not kings and armies but grifters and street wisdom. Witty, dark, and morally complex. The best fantasy novel for readers who like crime fiction.
Skip this if: Skip this if you prefer traditional epic fantasy — this is a heist novel wearing fantasy clothes.
How to choose the right book from this list
The fastest way to use this page is to match the book to your actual reading mood, not to the broad category. These notes are where the tradeoffs usually become clear.
Decide how much commitment you want
Mistborn is the safest recommendation because the core trilogy is finished and satisfying. Stormlight is for readers who actively want a thousand-page commitment. A Song of Ice and Fire and Kingkiller are for readers willing to live with uncertainty.
Match the series to your reading taste
If you want elegant prose, choose The Name of the Wind. If you want politics and brutality, choose A Game of Thrones. If you want rules-based magic and payoff, choose Sanderson.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best adult fantasy series for beginners?
Mistborn is the best beginner-friendly answer because it is fast, clear, inventive, and complete. It gives you the pleasures of epic fantasy without the usual bloat.
Should I start The Name of the Wind even though the series is unfinished?
Yes if you care more about the experience of the first two books than the certainty of an ending. No if unfinished series reliably frustrate you.
Verification note
Edition, format, and availability can change. Check the current listing before purchasing; this guide is editorial reading guidance, not a substitute for a publisher or retailer listing.
Our verdict
Start with Mistborn if you want the strongest all-around recommendation and the least buyer's remorse. Move to The Name of the Wind for prose and atmosphere. Save A Game of Thrones for when you want maximum scope and can accept the unfinished risk.
If you only buy one book from this page, choose A Game of Thrones. If you already know that fit is not quite right, move directly to The Name of the Wind instead of forcing yourself through the obvious bestseller.