What are the top five best fantasy series since 1990?

[Happy Ent]

Yes, it’s even worse than unconstructive one-liners.

[Fiddler]

1. Wheel of Time - Jordan/Sanderson. This series still stands as my all time favorite series.

2. Malazan book of the Fallen - Erikson. The characters were always very cool and the plots, while extremely convuluted, were always a fun journey.

3. Song of Ice and Fire - Martin. Great characters, great world and the first series I read that actually killed off main "good" guys.

4. Dresden Files - Butcher. What started as a magic noir detective series has grown into a great "save the earth" type story.

5. Harry Potter - Rawlings. Mixing magic with high school drama worked so well. The final book to this series is the only book I have ever waited around at midnight to purchase (I may or may not have been waving a wand in that line).

I have read so many great series since 90, but I would say those are the five that I have enjoyed the most.

[Francis Buck]

Surprised at the lack of mentions for The Book of the Long Sun. I can easily understand why it's not necessarily someone's favorite fantasy since the 90's -- it ain't an easy read -- but goddamn is it one of the best. I've been getting back into it now and the sheer depth of the series, the creativity, etc., is just mind-blowing. It's like the Ulysses of SFF -- you have to work for it. And the effort makes the pay-off all the more satisfying.

[john]

That's sci-fi really though, isn't it?

[matt b]

That's sci-fi really though, isn't it?

Yep. And it tends to get overshadowed by New Sun, and maybe to a lesser extent Short Sun as well, but I've got a soft spot for Long Sun myself. Something about Patera Silk that I just love. Gene Wolfe isn't for everyone, either, but he's sure for me!

[williamjm]

In some ways it seems harder to decide on the best series than on best individual books, since few series stay at a consistent level of quality so you end up having to decide whether the great bits in Malazan or the Wheel of Time entirely make up for the tedium of other parts of the series.

ASOIAF - although, as others have pointed out we should almost have a different list for the uncompleted series since it's difficult to really judge it without knowing how it concludes.

The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham - in some ways this works better as a series than the others in the way that the books are good individually but also compliment each other very well to make a great series

The First Law by Joe Abercrombie - particularly if the standalones are also considered, but the trilogy is still great on its own.

Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding - it doesn't have the depth of some of the other series, but it is perhaps the most enjoyable and for what it is I think it is perfectly executed (particularly once past the first book).

Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky - I haven't quite finished the tenth and final book yet so I guess this is a bit provisional but I really like the imaginative world-building and as a long series it managed to be more consistent than either Malazan or WoT even if it perhaps didn't reach the heights of the best bits of those series.

Honourable mentions:

The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham - I was a bit disappointed by the first book but since then it's been on an upwards trajectory and if it continues to improve it might rise on to the list

The Malazan Book of the Fallen - there are many great moments in here, I'd say at least three great books and it did have a satisfying ending but there were times in the second half of the series where I was having to force myself through some bits of the books

The Wheel of Time - this could have been up there with the best of them if it had been half the length and Jordan hadn't died. I thought Sanderson made a valiant effort to finish it and some bits of the ending worked well, but there were too many problems with the Last Battle.

[Queen Ayras Lord Commander]

Thank god no one said Twilight!

[Frey Filet]

At the expense of sounding like a broken record..

1. ASOIAF, GRRM

2. The Farseer Trilogy, Robin Hobb

3. The Kingkiller Chronicles, Patrick Rothfuss

4. The Second Apocalypse, R. Scott Bakker

5. The Broken Empire, Mark Lawrence

Some of the more cringe-worthy series I've read, mainly in junior high/high school:

- The Elenium/ The Tamuli, David Eddings

- Deverry Series, Katherine Kerr

- Everything post Heritage of Shannara series, Terry Brooks

- The Soldier Son, Robin Hobb

Completely abandoned out of mounting boredom:

Malazan

Wheel of Time

[Circle_breaker]

The OP seems to have my taste, here's my list.

1) The First Law by Abercrombie, personally I was left somewhat disappointed by the trilogy, but the 3 'stand alone' books that take place in universe are so good that it vaults it up to my favorite series.

2) The Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding, maybe not the most layered series; but was by far the most enjoyable reading experience of my life. For anyone who hasn't read this series pick up Retribution Falls tomorrow. Imagine Steampunk and fantasy having a baby, Indiana Jones and Firefly making a love child, then those two getting together to create this masterpiece.

3) Kingskiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, I know that this series is incomplete but the quality and depth of these Novels is so outstanding that it deserves a place in my top 5. It's the only series that I've read that has the same substantial layering a depth that you find in A Song of Ice and Fire. By far my most enjoyable reread, every line has a purpose and every story has bearing on plot.

4) The Dark Tower by Stephen king, Stated in the 1980s but not finished until the late 90s (i think) I'm going to include Stephen Kings epic in the list. and epic is the only way to describe it. a scope so vast that your brain might explode trying to comprehend it, the story of Roland and his quest for the dark tower deserves a place on any fantasy list

5) The Traitors Son Cycle by Miles Cameron, another incomplete series that only took two books to blow me away. Set in an alternate earth filled with wild creatures including fairies, daemons, golums, dragons, wyverns, mages and other classical creatures this is a fun an immensely rewarding read. For fans of sieges (the first book can literally be described as siege porn), antagonist POVs (something not nearly enough series do), in-depth magic systems, with funny and morally grey characters then try this lesser known series out.

Honorable mentions

The Riyria Revelation by Michael Sullivan, a series that takes no shame in it's fantasy tropes you'll find yourself hoping that the peasant farmer has ancient kings blood. A fast paced, light heated fantasy story that any fan of the genre needs to read.

The Gentlemen's Bastards by Scott Lynch, The first book was a classic, one the bet fantasy novels ever. The second was very good. but the third was utter shit, but i understand why it was necessary. Lets hope Lynch can regain his form in the next installment.

The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence, needs to be mentioned. So many badass moments brought to you courtesy of the ever love-able Jorg.

[Darth Richard II]

Jeez, I don't even know where to begin on this one. At least the post 1990 invalidates a few, but it's hard to pick just five. I'm still thinking about it.

Does Wolfe's Wizard Knight count as a series, or is it considered one of those novels published in two parts things?

[Harpua1031]

Yep. And it tends to get overshadowed by New Sun, and maybe to a lesser extent Short Sun as well, but I've got a soft spot for Long Sun myself. Something about Patera Silk that I just love. Gene Wolfe isn't for everyone, either, but he's sure for me!

Nerd

[RedEyedGhost]

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (again, started in 1989, but it's defo a 90s series)

The Gentleman Bastard sequence - Scott Lynch

Cat Valente - Orphan's Tales

Ian Tregillis - Milkweed Triptych

The Second Apocalypse, R. Scott Bakker

Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding - it doesn't have the depth of some of the other series, but it is perhaps the most enjoyable and for what it is I think it is perfectly executed (particularly once past the first book).

If we were making top 10 11 lists, these would round out mine.

Legend of Eli Monpress

Off topic: Have you read Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence? I'm reading Three Parts Dead right now, and it reminds me of a slightly darker The Spirit Thief (the only Eli Monpress book I've read so far). It's really quite good.

[Darth Richard II]

Hmm, are we including scifi, and does Banks Culture series count as a series?

[matt b]

Nerd

Hippie.

[Corvinus85]

Thank god no one said Twilight!

or Eragon

[RedEyedGhost]

My list should be taken with a major grain of salt as I've only been into the genre since discovering Martin and my top five series since 1990 is dangerously close to being a list of "the only fantasy series released since 1990 that I've actually read."

1. ASOIAF

2. Bakker's Second Apocalypse

pretty big gap

then my 3-5 is probably Rothfuss, Abercrombie, and Abraham* in some order.

side note: very interested in checking out Glen Duncan on REG's rec. Love the notion of a well-done ww series even if I've never tried one.

No Gene Wolfe?

Some people felt that The Last Werewolf was a bit pretentious, and honestly it was. But that was also intentional - the story is "written" by a 200⁺ year old, extremely well read, werewolf who feels he has experienced everything life has to offer as he watches all of his kind being systematically exterminated. So, a little bit of pretentiousness comes with the territory, and all of that is left behind in books two and three. One of the main strengths about the books, imo, is Duncan's ability to craft a highly unique voice for each of his POV characters.

Hmm, are we including scifi, and does Banks Culture series count as a series?

That would completely change my list if I did.

[Frey Pies]

Finished Series:

1. Harry Potter by JK Rowling

2. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Orson Scott Card

3. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

4. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

5. Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb

On-going series:

1. The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

2. A Song of Ice and Fire (would have been first if AFFC and ADWD were combined)

3. Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Routhfuss

[Jussi]

Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow & Thorn

The Dragonbone Chair was published in 1988.

[The Marquis de Leech]

2. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Orson Scott Card

!!!!!!!!!!

[Papirolle]

Surprised at the lack of mentions for The Book of the Long Sun. I can easily understand why it's not necessarily someone's favorite fantasy since the 90's -- it ain't an easy read -- but goddamn is it one of the best. I've been getting back into it now and the sheer depth of the series, the creativity, etc., is just mind-blowing. It's like the Ulysses of SFF -- you have to work for it. And the effort makes the pay-off all the more satisfying.

Long Sun is a good, but like you say, hard read. However, Gene Wolfe's best series is the Book of the New Sun. If you haven't read that, you should get to it immediately! Chances are you'll love it since you liked Long Sun so much. Also, you should then read Short Sun which is also better than Long Sun.

In order (of publication) they are New Sun -> Long Sun -> Short Sun.

They are all connected. Short Sun is a direct sequel to Long Sun and they are both loosely connected to New Sun.

My top 5:

1. Asoiaf - GRRM

2. The Second Apocalypse - Scott Bakker

3. Solar Cycle - Gene Wolfe

4. Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson

5. The Dark Tower - Stephen King