This post was originally published on here
A good fantasy book will leave readers eager for a sequel, and we’ve been waiting years to get our hands on these. There are many incredible fantasy books coming out in 2026, including continuations of series. However, some of our most-anticipated sequels have been hanging in the balance for years now. While many authors keep to tight schedules — just look at Brandon Sanderson — there are still follow-ups that take longer than is standard.
Videos by ComicBook.com
This can be due to a number of factors, from the author working on other projects, to them taking a conscious break, to grappling with creative delays. Whatever the reason, a years-long wait won’t make readers lose interest in their favorite stories. We’ll be seated for these sequels whenever they arrive. What’s a few more years of waiting, anyway?
4) The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin
Perhaps the most famously delayed fantasy book of all time is The Winds of Winter, the sixth installment in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. Considering A Dance With Dragons came out in 2011 — and ended on a massive cliffhanger, no less — we’ve been waiting quite some time for this one. The Winds of Winter missed its first deadline a decade ago now, and Martin has been vocal about its continued delay. Despite struggles to finish the book, he is making some progress; in 2023, he claimed he was about 75% of the way through on Bangcast. Some readers have lost hope of ever seeing The Winds of Winter, but I’m still waiting to read it. There are plenty of fans who will be seated whenever it does arrive.
3) A Court of Thorns & Roses 6 by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns & Roses remains one of the biggest romantasy series on the market, and more books are coming — though it’s been five years since the most recent one, A Court of Silver Flames, first hit shelves. In an interview with TODAY, Maas suggested she had ideas for at least two more additions to the series. Neither of those has come to fruition, though the author revealed that she was done with the first draft of book 6 on Instagram last July. That means we shouldn’t be waiting too much longer for this sequel. And while it could take a couple more years, progress might mean we’ll know which characters this will focus on soon. That’d be something to tide readers over while they wait.
2) The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss
The Kingkiller Chronicle was huge in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when Patrick Rothfuss’ first two installments came out. The Name of the Wind hooked many fantasy readers, and The Wise Man’s Fear kept them eagerly engaged on this journey. However, Rothfuss’ third and final sequel, The Doors of Stone, has been in limbo since book two’s release. Rothfuss has attributed the delay to rewrites and his struggles with perfectionism over the years. Recently, while on tour with Joe Abercrombie, he called the sequel a “bloated, unpublishable” book (via Winter Is Coming). It’s unclear when we’ll see the finale of The Kingkiller Chronicle, but many are still waiting to read it. Even if it’s taking as long as The Winds of Winter, it’ll be worth it just to know how this epic ends.
1) The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series endeared us to its dark world in The Lies of Locke Lamora, then got us thoroughly attached to its leads in its two sequels. The series isn’t over though, despite the fact that The Republic of Thieves came out back in 2013. The Thorn of Emberlain, its next installment, is supposed to continue this adventure. Unfortunately, it’s been in the same sort of limbo as The Doors of Stone and The Winds of Winter. The author has given updates here and there, and per Reddit, he suggested he’s still working on it at Boskone 63. That doesn’t give much of a release timeline, but it offers hope we’ll be reunited with Locke and Jean one of these days.
What’s a fantasy book you’ve been waiting years for? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
