10 Excellent Fantasy Books With Great Pacing

Proper pacing can make or break fantasy books, and handling this detail with care can make even the longest additions to the genre feel less daunting. As lengthy fantasy books tend to be the standard, it can be difficult to strike the right balance when it comes to progressing character arcs and plots. In some cases, too much detail can make the narrative drag, creating lulls in an otherwise solid story. In other scenarios, embracing too much of a breakneck pace results in a fantasy book that could easily have more pages and depth.

Thankfully, there are many incredible fantasy novels that successfully deliver on detailed characterization and world-building while still engaging readers all the way through. Masterful pacing allows them to have the best of both worlds, making them easy to devour, even for less seasoned fantasy readers. From well-balanced books like Vicious and Legendborn to faster-paced reads like Fourth Wing, these novels stand out in that regard.

10

Mistborn: The Final Empire (2006)

By Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson’s two 10/10 fantasy series are proof that he knows how to grip readers, despite his stories often being long and complex. The author’s ability to keep readers engaged, even while detailing a complicated magic system or getting deep into world-building, is impressive. It’s a talent that allows Sanderson to stand out in the fantasy genre. And Mistborn: The Final Empire is among the best examples of his excellent pacing, as the book immediately grabs readers, then keeps them invested through its non-stop action and emotional beats.

Even as Sanderson is explaining Mistborn‘s metal-based magic system, readers are treated to entertaining banter between Kelsier and Vin, along with training action that teases even more epic sequences to come. The heist-like narrative to overthrow the Lord Ruler never lulls, even as the characters are planning their next moves. And Sanderson’s memorable twists make the entire journey worthwhile, paying off hundreds of pages of setup in an incredibly satisfying way. It’s hard to imagine anyone being bored during Mistborn with so much happening.

9

The Lies Of Locke Lamora (2006)

By Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora is a hefty fantasy book, but you wouldn’t know it from how easy it is to get through. Scott Lynch’s first Gentlemen Bastard novel instantly absorbs readers into its dark and atmospheric world, and the book’s plot and characters will ensure they remain there until the story is through. With all the characters’ scheming and banter, The Lies of Locke Lamora never feels slow or dull. There’s plenty of action, some heart-wrenching twists, and big emotional moments, all of which make the story’s progression feel seamless.

Lynch strikes an ideal balance, which explains why the 2006 book is such a success.

The fact that The Lies of Locke Lamora transitions from past to present storytelling could work against the book, but Lynch handles the jumps masterfully. And despite its twisty narrative, The Lies of Locke Lamora never feels too quickly paced either. The characters and world are sufficiently fleshed out without the novel dwelling too heavily on description. Lynch strikes an ideal balance, which explains why the 2006 book is such a success.

8

A Storm Of Swords (2000)

By George R.R. Martin

While the later Song of Ice and Fire books have a few pacing issues — largely because A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons break up the POVs while taking place simultaneously — the first three are surprisingly painless in that regard. A Game of Thrones takes some adjusting to, so readers can get the feel of the world and large cast of characters. But George R.R. Martin’s next two installments throw readers into the drama and political intrigue and don’t let up. This is especially true of A Storm of Swords, which packs an impressive amount into its run.

A Storm of Swords is the peak of ASOIAF so far, as the series’ plot progresses significantly, taking readers on a satisfying and entertaining ride. There’s no opportunity for a lull in Martin’s story, as the novel jumps from major development to major development. In fact, it delivers the Red Wedding, Purple Wedding, Battle for the Wall, Tywin Lannister’s death, and shocking Moon Door scene in the span of several hundred pages. This could feel like too much, but Martin’s slower moments and expert storytelling ensure it doesn’t. Even with so much happening, A Storm of Swords leaves you wanting more.

7

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2000)

By J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is another series that boasts impressive pacing throughout, though Order of the Phoenix and The Deathly Hallows are a bit weaker than the other installments. While any of the early books could be considered a masterclass in pacing, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is probably the most impressive on that front. It’s lengthier than the first three installments, yet the sequel is just as structurally sound. It feels like an appropriate amount of time is given to each portion of the narrative, with the stakes of the Triwizard Tournament’s trials compounding on one another as they go.

And Goblet of Fire proves to be one of the most important books in the series due to its ending, which finally brings a fully formed Voldemort back into the fold. This twist could easily overshadow everything else that happens, but the way it’s set up makes it feel like a natural development. It fits with the rest of the narrative, tying everything together in a way that pays off and ensures nothing from the earlier chapters is wasted.

6

Six Of Crows (2015)

By Leigh Bardugo

There are few fantasy books as structurally impressive as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, which handles multiple POVs, a heist story, and the characters keeping secrets from the reader without ever feeling messy. Multi-POV stories often leave readers favoring some perspectives over the others, but this doesn’t happen with Six of Crows. Bardugo ensures that there’s always something interesting going on, no matter whose perspective you’re in, and she gives readers good reasons to appreciate each member of the main cast.

Although Bardugo’s characters are fleshed out thoroughly, Six of Crows moves at a fast speed, throwing readers right into the narrative and hardly ever letting up. This works in the book’s favor; while readers might take a minute to adjust to the world and magic system — especially if they haven’t read the Shadow and Bone trilogy — it’s easy to get invested in Six of Crows’ plot. The characters’ motivations make sure of that, as do the greater stakes that accompany their Ice Court heist.

5

An Ember In The Ashes (2015)

By Sabaa Tahir

Like Six of Crows, An Ember in the Ashes wastes no time throwing readers into its fantasy world, allowing them to find their footing as they go. It works just as well for Sabaa Tahir’s 2015 novel, as the opening of the book gives readers an immediate idea of the dangerous and corrupt world that Laia is living in. And Laia is thrust into the rebellion efforts quickly at the beginning of the book. Everything from there unfolds fairly fast, with Tahir doing a good job of moving the plot along and keeping readers engaged.

The writing style and action contribute to An Ember in the Ashes’ solid pacing, as do the tensions between characters.

The writing style and action contribute to An Ember in the Ashes’ solid pacing, as do the tensions between characters. Even in the book’s slower moments, these elements ensure readers never get bored. An Ember in the Ashes manages to deliver a gripping and compelling story from beginning to end, and that’s a strength that continues into the book’s sequels as well.

4

Legendborn (2020)

By Tracy Deonn

Legendborn isn’t as fast-moving as some of the other YA fantasy offerings on this list, but Tracy Deonn’s novel is well-balanced when it comes to pacing. Its slower setup at the beginning pays off thoroughly towards the middle and end of the book. And the magic system and world-building are unique enough that learning about them doesn’t feel like a lull, even as Legendborn takes its time unpacking them.

And once Legendborn‘s story gets moving, Bree’s journey delivers on the action, big emotional beats, and poignant commentary. All of this makes the novel gripping and easy to devour, even with a high page count and many slower moments scattered throughout. Legendborn is perfect for readers who appreciate a steady simmer that pays off once the story’s tension reaches a boiling point. Deonn maintains this balancing act in Legendborn‘s sequels, too, giving readers plenty of reason to come back to the story.

3

Fourth Wing (2023)

By Rebecca Yarros

There are several reasons Fourth Wing is such a phenomenon, and the book’s immersive world and easily digestible story are chief among them. The latter can be attributed to Fourth Wing‘s pacing, which ensures a fast and entertaining experience throughout. While Iron Flame runs a bit long, and Onyx Storm‘s pacing feels uneven at times, Fourth Wing maintains a consistently solid momentum from beginning to end.

Given that Fourth Wing opens with its heroine crossing a deadly parapet, it’s probably inevitable that Yarros only ramps up the action and suspense.

Given that Fourth Wing opens with its heroine crossing a deadly parapet, it’s probably inevitable that Yarros only ramps up the action and suspense from there. Between the tense character interactions and big action sequences, there’s hardly a chance to catch one’s breath. This works for the book, which leans into its fast pacing and twisty narrative to deliver an incredibly fun time. And Fourth Wing‘s ending doesn’t just cement the impressive pacing of book one; it also proves a sufficient way to invest readers in the rest of The Empyrean Series.

2

Vicious (2013)

By V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab’s Vicious could be hundreds of pages longer, and I’d still eat it up — but the fantasy book’s structure is solid as it is, and that includes its pacing. The 2013 novel doesn’t take long to get into its main premise, though it steadily builds the tensions between its main characters ahead of its dramatic climax. Vicious walks a fine line between this slower build-up and the book’s fast pacing later on, and it makes for a memorable story that will keep readers on edge the entire time.

Schwab uses Vicious’ transitions from past to present to the book’s advantage, with the back-and-forth ensuring that readers want to know what happens next. The lead-up to Victor and Eli’s big showdown is well-crafted, and the complexity of the characters makes any lulls feel just as interesting as the bigger moments. The book’s shorter length probably lends itself to this balancing act as well, though it will still leave readers wanting more. (Fortunately, there’s a sequel.)

1

The Last Magician (2017)

By Lisa Maxwell

The Last Magician‘s time travel story and magic system could hurt the book’s pacing, but Lisa Maxwell rises to the occasion on both fronts, striking the right balance when digging into these elements. The time-travel aspects of the story don’t overtake The Last Magician‘s narrative, book-ending Esta’s arc in the novel instead. This allows readers to get accustomed to the idea ahead of the sequels, which lean more heavily into this part of the series. However, it ensures it doesn’t take away from the more-pressing heist plot.

And that heist narrative moves at a fast and engaging rate, keeping readers turning the pages with all the twists and tension that stem from it. The fantasy book still takes the time to build out its cast and flesh out its world. However, The Last Magician manages to do so while progressing at a satisfying speed. That’s made even more impressive by the fact that the story is told through multiple POVs, a device that doesn’t hold things up or leave readers wanting.