Epic Fantasy Doorstops for Winter Lockdowns
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- Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time launched in 1990 with The Eye of the World and concluded in 2013 with Brandon Sanderson completing the final three volumes after Jordan's death in 2007.
- Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Cycle began with Magician (1982) and expanded into the longest-running epic fantasy series, spanning over 30 novels across multiple sub-series.
- Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series debuted with Wizard's First Rule in 1994 and ran for 17 volumes, ending with Warheart in 2015.
- Tad Williams's Shadowmarch tetralogy (2004–2010) stands alongside his earlier Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy as a cornerstone of 1990s-era immersive epic fantasy.
- Jordan's Lord of Chaos (1994) is the sixth Wheel of Time instalment and the series' longest single volume at over 1,000 pages in hardback.
- As of June 2026, Patina's sci-fi and fantasy collection rotates preloved copies of Jordan, Feist, Goodkind, and Williams — the doorstops that defined 1990s epic fantasy.
Lord of Chaos: Book 6 of the Wheel of Time — Robert Jordan
The instalment where Jordan stops holding back and lets the chaos spill everywhere. This is peak Wheel of Time — Rand al'Thor's power spiralling out of control, political factions fracturing, and a climax that still gets quoted in forums 30 years later. At over 1,000 pages, Lord of Chaos is the series at its most operatic and unapologetically dense. You need a character chart and you'll love every minute of it. Jordan's worldbuilding rewards the patient; this is the volume where that contract pays off. Explore our current copy of Lord of Chaos Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at PatinaNew Spring: A Wheel of Time Prequel — Robert Jordan
The origin story that recontextualizes everything you thought you knew about Moiraine. Published in 2004 but set twenty years before The Eye of the World, New Spring tracks Moiraine Damodred's transformation from Accepted to Aes Sedai and her first encounter with Lan Mandragoran. It's the series' leanest entry — under 350 pages — but Jordan uses the constraint to write his tightest plotting. If you've only watched the Amazon adaptation, this is the book that explains why book readers have Opinions about Moiraine's arc. Explore our current copy of New Spring Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at PatinaFlight of the Nighthawks: The First Book in an Epic Fantasy Series of Magic and War — Raymond E. Feist
Feist launching yet another sub-cycle — and somehow still making Midkemia feel infinite. This is the opening volume of the Darkwar Saga (2005–2007), itself nested inside the sprawling Riftwar Cycle that's been running since 1982. Feist's genius is making 30+ books feel like they're all the same story — Flight of the Nighthawks revisits Pug and the Conclave of Shadows as a new existential threat emerges. If you've read Magician, you're already hooked. If you haven't, start there and work your way here when you're ready for the deep end. Explore our current copy of Flight of the Nighthawks Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at PatinaSecrets [Paperback] — Author Unknown
A metadata ghost — no author, no ISBN, just a title and 200 pages of mystery. This one's a gamble. No cover data, no publisher, just the word "Secrets" and a spine that suggests mass-market fantasy or thriller territory. Could be a forgotten 1980s sword-and-sorcery paperback, could be a romance with a sword on the cover. The condition says "readable"; the thrill is not knowing what you're walking into. Sometimes the best lockdown read is the one you didn't plan for. Explore our current copy of Secrets Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at PatinaThe Pillars of Creation — Terry Goodkind
Goodkind's riskiest narrative move — a Sword of Truth instalment with zero Richard Rahl. Book seven of the Sword of Truth series (2001) follows entirely new characters — Jennsen and Oba — caught in the wake of the D'Haran Empire's expansion. It's Goodkind testing whether his world can carry a story without his marquee protagonist, and the fandom is still split on whether it worked. If you're deep into the series, Pillars is essential connective tissue. If you're not, it's a fascinating detour into what epic fantasy looks like when the Chosen One sits this one out. Explore our current copy of The Pillars of Creation Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at PatinaShadowmarch: Shadowmarch Trilogy Book One — Tad Williams
Williams doing what he does best — immersive, slow-burn worldbuilding that earns every page. Published in 2004, Shadowmarch is Williams's return to pure epic fantasy after the cyberpunk detour of Otherland. Twin heirs, a besieged castle, creeping dark magic, and a vanished king — it's classic high fantasy architecture, but Williams layers in enough political intrigue and moral ambiguity to keep it from feeling derivative. If you loved Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and want something denser, this is your winter lockdown anchor. Explore our current copy of Shadowmarch Browse more Sci-Fi & Fantasy books at Patina These are the books you measure winter with — not by days, but by volumes finished. Jordan, Feist, Goodkind, and Williams wrote doorstops because the worlds demanded it, and now you've got the time to let them swallow you whole.Where can I buy secondhand copies of The Wheel of Time in Sydney?
Patina Paperbacks stocks rotating preloved copies of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, including Lord of Chaos and the prequel New Spring. We're Sydney-based and ship Australia-wide — check the Sci-Fi & Fantasy collection for current availability, as epic fantasy doorstops move fast during winter.
Are Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar books worth reading if I've never started the series?
Honestly, yes — but start with Magician (1982), not Flight of the Nighthawks. Feist's Riftwar Cycle is 30+ books deep, and while each sub-series has its own arc, the world rewards reading in publication order. The payoff is a fantasy universe that feels genuinely lived-in, with recurring characters aging across decades of in-world time.
What's the difference between Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth and The Wheel of Time?
Both are 1990s multi-volume epics, but Goodkind leans harder into Objectivist philosophy and moral absolutes — his protagonists make Speeches. Jordan's Wheel of Time is more ensemble-driven, with denser worldbuilding and a magic system (the One Power) that's basically a physics textbook. If you want intricate plotting and sprawling POV casts, Jordan. If you want heroic individualism and faster pacing, Goodkind.
How long does it take to read an 800-page epic fantasy novel?
Depends on your tolerance for multi-page descriptions of embroidery and council meetings. A committed reader can finish Lord of Chaos in a week; a casual one might stretch it over a month. The point isn't speed — it's immersion. These doorstops are designed for the kind of reading where you lose track of time, not rack up page counts.
Does Patina stock Tad Williams's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series?
Our stock rotates, but Williams's earlier trilogy (The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower) does turn up in the preloved flow. As of June 2026, Shadowmarch is the Williams title currently on the shelves. Sign up for our newsletter or check the fantasy collection regularly if you're hunting a specific volume.