12 Must-Read Book Series
12 Must-Read Book Series
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There is something comforting about reading a series. You get to know the characters and the setting. You follow the characters on a long journey and they become your friends. They are a commitment to make, to be sure, but one we make willingly because we know the payoff.
And a good series is one you would read over again.
I have compiled a list of 12 book series I implore you to invite into your life.
There is magic, danger, good vs evil, epic battles, heart-wrenching tragedies, hope-filled revelations and even a few dragons.
I don’t really do favorites, so lest I give the impression of ranking my friends, I have listed them in alphabetical order. Also, I’ve been reading way longer than I’ve been reviewing so a lot of these won’t have reviews. Those that I have reviewed will be linked accordingly. (But know that these are all pretty much five-star series.)
Take a look and start a new adventure!
The Books of Mortals by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee
Details: Christian Fiction, Fantasy; 3 books (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign)
Synopsis: The world almost destroyed itself. Years later, in a dystopian/medieval world, there is peace. But that’s only because we find out that, thanks to genetic modifications, everyone is really ‘dead’. Void of any emotion other than fear. Rom finds himself with a cryptic message and vial of blood promising to awaken him from this slumber. He goes on a dangerous quest to gather an army and bring life back to humanity. But it comes at a cost— awakening emotion will not only bring forth love and joy but also hatred and pain. It’s full of action and is fantastic study of emotions. The characters are great, the setting is great, and the premise is greater. With subtle biblical parallels, it brings profundity and self-reflection. What makes someone alive? And how far would you go to experience true life? If you don’t read much Christian Fiction, don’t write this one off! It is an epic and engaging story that is not cheesy (and it’s not Amish)- please read, you won’t regret it!
2. Charles Jenkins by Robert Dugoni
Details: Suspense/Thriller; 2 Books, so far (The Eighth Sister, The Last Agent)
Synopsis: The series begins with Charles Jenkins, a former CIA case officer, pulled back into action to work a covert operation in Russia. We follow Jenkins on intense spy-movie-esque missions, constantly wondering how he will get out alive. So far both books have taken place in Russia, so if you plan to travel there anytime soon, these books may give you pause before you board that plane— Russia is hard to escape from, yo! Jenkins, in his sixties with a young family, is a likable character with a lot at stake. Pitted against formidable opponents the suspense is high, the espionage thick. If you like pulse-pounding action books, you’ll enjoy this.
3. The Circle by Ted Dekker
Details: Christian Fiction, Fantasy; 4 (main) books (Black, Red, White, Green)
Synopsis: Yes, another Ted Dekker one. His early works are THEE best. Thomas Hunter hits his head in Denver, Colorado, and wakes up in an alternate world. A world where good and evil is tangible. Both worlds are on the brink of disaster. This series follows Hunter back in forth between dreams and reality— when he falls asleep in one world, he wakes up in the other— as he tries to save both. As its summary puts: “an incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, pursuit and death.” Similar to the Books of Mortals in that it draws subtle biblical parallels that bring biblical truths to life. This is a mix between a suspense and a fantasy novel, depending which world Thomas is in. It is an excellent and engaging story. Its unique and deep characters, beautiful and vibrant world building, and action-packed pages, will capture your attention and your heart! Again, don’t let the Christian label distract you. Ted Dekker is a magician in suspense.
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Details: Young Adult, Dystopian; 3 (main) Books (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant)
Synopsis: Considering these books became movies, it’s likely you’ve heard of these, already read them, or at least watched the movies. I read them before the movies and of course, the books are always better than the movies. Especially the last book! I was immediately drawn to this series because it was set up in a very interesting way. The people are divided into factions based on their particular virtue: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Every year, 16-year-olds undergo testing to determine which faction they will join. Part following Tris on a journey of self-discovery and pushing limits, part following a rebellion against the headship that has divided and cast out people who do not measure up to their standards, this is a great series! (Plus, for all you quiz-takers, there are plenty of internet tests to help you determine which faction you’d be part of.) One nice thing about this YA series is that there is no love- triangle! There is a love story, but I found it more compelling than most YA attempts at love. Even if you’ve seen the movies, I would highly recommend the books. You might be surprised at what you find.
5. Frost Easton by Brian Freeman
Details: Suspense/Thriller; 3 Books, so far (The Night Bird, The Voice Inside, The Crooked Street)
Synopsis: The first book in this series was my first Brian Freeman book and I only discovered it because of Amazon First Reads. He is now one of my favorite authors. He has stand alone novels as well, but this series is for sure one you will want to read, especially if you love suspense. Taking place in the San Francisco area, Frost Easton is a homicide detective working a variety of cases and murders. While each book is somewhat stand alone because it concludes each active case, there are characters and threads of mystery that weave into the following books. There is some predictability but he is adept at red herrings and twists. These will be fast reads for you because they are so suspenseful. Unlike Charles Jenkins or Patrick Bowers, Frost Easton is not married and does not have kids. His brother makes regular appearances but Frost’s character is a bachelor. It gives him a different dynamic as a character because he doesn’t have as much at stake in terms of protecting those he loves, but we do see the added element of love interests and how it influences some of his cases or his relationship with his brother.
6. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
Details: Fantasy; 4 Books (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance)
Synopsis: A young boy, Eragon, discovers an egg in the forest. It hatches into a fledgling dragon and thrusts Eragon on an epic adventure across his magical world as he fights the evil empire. Can the ancient prophecy be fulfilled? I really loved how they handled the magic aspect of this story— it does not flow endlessly but requires energy. It makes the battles more interesting and strategic. I think there is some hate on this series because there are some similarities to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I am not a fantasy fanatic and cannot speak to the minutiae, but I have many friends who love both series dearly. I’ve seen the LOTR movies and personally I think there is quite a bit that is different. I think there are elements that can be found in lots of fantasy books, but this series has its own flavor, its own world, its own magic. I was sad when I finished the last book. If you want to escape into another world, this series is for you!
7. Legend by Marie Lu
Details: Young Adult, Dystopian; 3 (main) Books (Legend, Prodigy, Champion)
Synopsis: A dystopian world with people sectioned according to their wealth, it’s a story of privileged, prodigy June and notorious criminal from the slums, Day. Their paths cross when June’s brother is murdered and Day is the prime suspect. Their relationship begins in a game of cat-and-mouse as June hunts him down to avenge her brother. But it takes a turn when they realize they may actually have a common enemy. They become allies in an operation to expose sinister truths their government wants to keep hidden. Will their relationship endure the ups and downs and twists and turns of their worlds colliding and the political agendas violently pursued on all sides? Can they actually trust each other? As it is a YA series, there isn’t a lot of depth, but I still found it very entertaining!
8. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Details: Young Adult, Fantasy; 4 (main) Books (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter)
Synopsis: This is a re-telling of the classic fairytales we all know (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White) but in a fantasy, high-tech world. I was skeptical of this series at first but gave it a try and really liked it! I thought it was super clever and engaging. We begin by meeting Cinder, a cy-borg who, hiding her real identity, meets Prince Kai at a ball and falls in love with him. This relationship exposes her to an impending intergallactic battle that she goes on a mission to prevent. Her path crosses with each of the other characters (per their book name) and together, with their different abilities, form the ultimate army. Again, as a YA series, there is not a lot of depth, but I enjoyed it most for the creativity it took to recompose these stories and weave them together into a cohesive and entertaining storyline. It’s a light but engaging read!
9. Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers
Details: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction; 3 Books (A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure as the Dawn)
Synopsis: This is a beautiful trilogy set in Rome about 70 years after the death of Jesus. It follows two storylines: one of a girl, Hadassah, sold into slavery and her “ill-fated romance” with her owner’s brother, Marcus; two of a man named Atretes who is sold to be a gladiator. Francine Rivers does a fantastic job of setting the scene of this historical fiction story and immersing us in the Roman culture. It is a story of perseverance and persecution. Of clinging to faith when everything else is stripped away. It is a story of discovery of what is true. And it is a beautiful story of love for both Hadassah and Atretes. It’s not high octane, it’s not mysterious or fantastical, but it is yet engaging and captivating. One you’ll want to own and recommend to all your friends!
10. The Patrick Bowers Files by Steven James
Details: Suspense/Thriller; 7 (main) Books (The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight, The Bishop, The Queen, The King, Checkmate)
Synopsis: Steven James is another one of my favorite authors because he writes awesome suspense but also includes interesting moral dilemmas and profound thoughts on life, brilliantly worked into the storyline or the dialogue. Special Agent Patrick Bowers (not to be confused with Jack Bauer) tracks killers and criminals of all kinds. But his main nemesis is one particular serial killer who leaves a chess piece at the scene of his crimes. How long can he elude Bower? This series is fast-paced and intense. A little more gruesome than Frost Easton or Charles Jenkins but nothing really gory or scary. Patrick Bowers is a very likable character and you see his relationship with his teenage daughter, Tess, grow throughout the series as they both process his wife’s (her mother’s) death and move on in life. Once you read this, you will want to read all of his other stand-alone books. (I’ve reviewed a couple- click below)
11. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Details: Young Adult, Fantasy; 6 Books (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Hollow City, Library of Souls, A Map of Days, The Conference of the Birds, The Desolations of Devil’s Acre)
Synopsis: I admit- when this series was first recommended to me, I was not interested. It sounded hokey. I didn’t read it until a few years later and I was glad I did! I love this series. Ransom Riggs incorporates real, vintage, (peculiar) photographs into his story. This is a very creative and interesting series that takes place in both the real world and the peculiar world that the main character, Jacob, stumbles across. He finds an orphanage of peculiar children (all with different abilities) that have been trapped in their ‘loop’ (the same day keeps repeating) and he finds a way to free them. This sends the whole peculiar group of close friends on adventure after adventure as they fight the bad guys and try to save other peculiars. Every book introduces new and interesting characters and places (some in other time periods). We also follow the relationship between Jacob and one of the peculiars, Emma, as they navigate the peculiar boundaries of their separate lives. I know it seems strange, but I really would recommend you give this a try—read at least two of them before you give up— it will be more captivating and suspenseful than you would think. And who doesn’t like pictures?
12. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Details: Fantasy, 4 Books (On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, The Warden and the Wolf King)
Synopsis: The Igiby siblings (Janner, Tink, and Leeli) have an epic adventure as they fight the evil Fangs of Dang (he’s the bad guy) who threaten tyranny on the island they call home. Their journey is also a discovery of their own gifts and roles in a legend of the famed King Wingfeather. It’s full of unique characters, a creative world, lots of suspense and action, and layers of meaning begging to be pondered. It’s charming, witty, intense, engaging, thoughtful, and profound. Good for all ages, as a read-aloud with kids, for adult book clubs, or just a solitary escape we all love when we read. (Also, don’t judge these books by their covers!)
If you give any of these a try, let me know what you think! And drop your own book series favorites in the comments below!