25 Series I Want To Read in 2014
Last year, I blogged over at The Founding Fields about 25 book series from various genres, science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, space opera, etc that I wanted to read in 2013. The intention behind that particular reading challenge was to read a broad variety of some of the most popular names in those genres as well as to try out several new authors and revisit some favourite classics. While I wasn’t as successful in the challenge as I might like, I’ve made it a new year resolution to make sure that I do indeed repeat the challenge in 2014 with new books, new authors, and finish it this time.
To that effect, here are the 25 book series I’ve picked for this reading challenge for this year. You can see the previous list for 2013 here.
25. Sirantha Jax by Ann Aguirre
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: As part of my drive to broaden my reading by experimenting more with the works of women authors, this is one of the books that I’m really looking forward to reading this year. Promising kick-ass hero in a space opera setting is definitely my kind of thing.
24. Sarah Beauhall by J. A. Pitts
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: I was going to be reading this series back in 2012 actually since I had an eARC of the third book at the time, but never got around to it and totally forgot about it in 2013. So, time to correct that!
23. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Scalzi comes highly recommended, like several other authors on this list and he is said to be a pretty big SFF writer. Since that’s one of the reasons why I put together these lists, this series is definitely getting read this year, at least the first book.
22. Night Angel by Brent Weeks
Genre: Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Same as above with Scalzi, Weeks is a big name in fantasy and I’ve wanted to check out this series for a while, mostly due to the covers.
21. Cobra by Timothy Zahn
Genre: Science Fiction/Military Science Fiction
Why: Star Wars made me a huge fan of Timothy Zahn’s work and this series sounds quite different from those novels, but is still SF/MSF and since I love the genre, this book is on the list for this year.
20. The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Why: I read Bourne Ultimatum back in high school and really loved it. Then I saw the movies in recent years and liked them to. Sounds like a good time as any to read the original trilogy.
19. The Chaos Knight by Erin Hoffman
Genre: Fantasy/Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Another series with some really amazing covers that I’ve wanted to read for a while.
18. Magic Ex Libris by Jim C. Hines
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Hines is a very outspoken author about the problems of the publishing industry and I’ve been following his commentaries for quite a while. With the new year, its a good time to get on with reading his novels
17. Books of The Order by Phillippa Ballantine
Genre: Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Another author who comes highly recommended and is very popular among some of my blogger friends.
16. Retrieval Artist by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Genre: Science Fiction | Author Blog
Why: Same as above.
15. Underworld Detection Agency by Hannah Jayne
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: I picked up an eARC of the third book sometime last year, IIRC, and I’ve wanted to check out the series ever since. More so because I want to read more in the urban fantasy genre.
14. The Clockwork Century by Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk | Author Blog
Why: A steampunk series is something I’ve wanted to try out for a long time, ever since I read Tim Akers’ The Horns of Ruin in 2012 and Liesel Schwarz’s The Conspiracy of Alchemists last year. And Cherie Priest is a huge name in the genre so this is automatic.
13. Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Another urban fantasy series that comes highly recommended.
12. Star Wars: The Dark Nest by Troy Denning
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera/Tie-In
Why: Having recently started reading the Star Wars novels again, and having read the entire New Jedi Order books with the Yuuzhan Vong arc, time to read this story again with the Killiks.
11. Godspeaker by Karen Miller
Genre: Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: A fantasy author who comes very highly recommended.
10. Pax Britannia: Ulysses Quicksilver by Jonathan Green
Genre: Steampunk | Author Blog
Why: I know Jonathan through his Black Library work and it has always been promising, if not quite there. Been meaning to read his Ulysses Quicksilver books for quite a while now, so… yeah.
09. The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: Big-scale space opera is totally right up my alley and this series is as big-scale as they come.
08. StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga by Christie Golden
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera | Author Blog
Why: I’ve read only one or two StarCraft novels to date and the experience has been mixed. But since Christie is an author I like and this year I want to read a lot more tie-in fiction, and since I already have a copy of the third book from my college days, time to read this series finally.
07. Legion by William C. Dietz
Genre: Science Fiction/Military Science Fiction | Author Blog
Why: Been a long time fan of Bill’s work and with the new novel in the series coming out soon, I figure its time I started reading this particular series.
06. Coldfire by C. S. Friedman
Genre: Fantasy/Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: As with many other authors here, Friedman is an author I’ve been wanting to read for a long time.
05. Forgotten Realms: The Last Mythal by Richard Baker
Genre: Fantasy/Epic Fantasy/Tie-In
Why: I’ve only read one Richard Baker novel to date, but I really loved it and this particular series has been on the radar for more than a year and a half now.
04. Star Trek: The Fall by Various
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera/Tie-In | Author Blogs – David R. George III, Una McCormack, David Mack
Why: The biggest Star Trek series being published right now with some really interesting characters, especially the DS9 crew in the first novel.
03. Star Wars: The Lost Tribe of The Sith by John Jackson Miller
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera/Tie-In | Author Blog
Why: One of the biggest Star Wars series published recently and almost entirely focused on the Sith so this one too is pretty automatic.
02. The Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Why: I remember reading this series back in high school and it was a great experience since 2001: A Space Odyssey happens to be one of the very first SF/space opera novels I read.
01. Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
Genre: Fantasy/Epic Fantasy | Author Blog
Why: Inspired by fellow blogger Mieneke, I’m doing my own re-read of the Midkemian universe this year and no place like the epic Riftwar Saga to get things going!
Posted on January 2, 2014, in 25 Series To Read In 2014, Book Lists and tagged 2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three, 25 Series To Read In 2014, 3001: Final Odyssey, A Darkness at Sethanon, Abaddon Books, Ace Books, Ace/Roc, Aliens, Ann Aguirre, Arthur C. Clarke, Baen Books, Beyond the Shadows, Black Sun Rising, Blizzard, Blood Bound, Boneshaker, Book Lists, Books of The Order, Brent Weeks, By Blood Alone, C. S. Friedman, Cherie Priest, Christie Golden, Cobra, Cobra Bargain, Cobra Strike, Codex Born, Coldfire, Consequences, Courageous, Crown of Shadows, Dauntless, DAW Books, Del Rey, Demons, Dragons, Dreadnought, Dungeons & Dragons, Elves, Empress, Epic Fantasy, Erin Hoffman, Espionage, Extremes, Fantasy, Fantasy Classics, Fearless, Female Protagonist, Firstborn, Forgotten Realms, Galactic Empire, Ganymede, Geist, Godspeaker, Hammer of God, Han Solo, Hannah Jayne, Harper Voyager, Historical Fiction, Human Nature, Iron Kissed, J. A. Pitts, Jack Campbell, Jaina Solo, Jason Bourne, Jedi, Jim C. Hines, John Jackson Miller, John Scalzi, Jonathan Green, Karen Miller, Kensington Press, Killiks, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lance of Earth and Sky, Legion, Legion of the Damned, Leia Organa, Leviathan Rising, Libriomancer, Luke Skywalker, Mages, magic, Magic Ex Libris, Magician, Magician: Apprentice, Magician: Master, Mercy Thompson, Military Science Fiction, Moon Called, Mystery, Night Angel, Old Man's War, Orbit Books, Orion Books, Patricia Briggs, Pax Britannia, Penguin Group, Phillippa Ballantine, Pocket Books, Protoss, Pyr Books, Raymond E Feist, Retrieval Artist, Richard Baker, Riftwar Saga, Robert Ludlum, Roc Books, Sarah Beauhall, science fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Classics, Shadow Hunters, Shadow's Edge, Shield of Sea and Space, Silverthorn, Simon & Schuster, Sirantha Jax, Sith, Space Opera, Spectyr, Star Trek, Star Wars, StarCraft, Steampunk, Steampunk Fantasy, Sword of Fire and Sea, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Chaos Knight, The Clockwork Century, The Dark Nest, The Dark Templar Saga, The Disappeared, The Fall, The Final Battle, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, The Last Mythal, The Lost Fleet, The Lost Tribe of The Sith, The Odyssey, The Riven Kingdom, The Way of Shadows, Thief, Thriller, Tie-in fiction, Timothy Zahn, Tor Books, Troy Denning, Twilight, Ulysses Quicksilver, Under Attack, Under Suspicion, Under Wraps, Underworld Detection Agency, Unnatural History, Urban Fantasy, Victorian London, When True Night Falls, William C. Dietz, Wizards of the Coast, Wrayth, Zerg. Bookmark the permalink. 22 Comments.
Shadowhawk's Shade 
Great list. I’ve noted some to read and seconded your intention to read on several others. Other series I can recommend:
The Liaden Universe by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Agent of Change)
The First Contact series by CJ Cherryh (Foreigner, #1)
Otherland AND Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews (Magic Bites)
The Uplift Trilogy by David Brin
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Storm Front)
The Mageworlds by Debra Doyle and James MacDonald (Price of the Stars)
Also check out Laura Ann Gilman, Seanan McGuire, Charles Stross, Liz Williams, Devon Monk, CE Murphy and Ally Shields.
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Thanks for all the suggestions, Kathy! Kate Daniels is on my longlist of books to read, eventually.
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Cool selection. I need to read a number of these, too. Really like those new Feist covers. Have Magician, really should get around to it…
Also on my own list: Cherie Priest (read first one), Ann Aguirre, Jim Hines, C.S. Friedman.
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Those new Feist covers are absolutely gorgeous!
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Ballintine’s first book Geist was terrible. Moved so slow and the female protagonist was not someone to look up to. The Sith shorts are also not all that great. I gave two of them a try and then decided to skip them. Although the author does redeem himself with Kenobi.
Otherwise a few great book on your list. You should love Weeks, Friedman and Scalzi. I have the first Hines novel but have yet to get to it.
I too am curious about Campbell’s work.
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We shall see about Ballantine 🙂 I’ve heard some not so good things about Lost Tribe, but I’m very curious about them, especially after reading Crucible. And yeah, Kenobi is quite excellent. It made my best of the year list!
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There are a few books on this list that I also mean to read. Perhaps not in 2014 (though I’d love it if that were the case), but eventually. I feel like I’m lagging behind with so many great series and authors, not having read so many books that hear others say are pretty much cornerstones of genre fiction.
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I know right? Those are my intentions with this whole idea too 🙂
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