Not Many Fantasy Books Need More Pages, But I Really Wish These 8 Were Longer

Fantasy books tend to run long, so it’s rare to find ones that would benefit from more pages — but there are a few that left me wanting just that. Lengthy fantasy books are the norm, and some don’t necessarily need 800+ pages to tell their stories. But to achieve immersive world-building, believably complex characters, and a well-paced plot, many authors give themselves more space to cover everything. In some cases, these fantasy books are scarier than they look, and they move at a satisfying pace despite being overwhelmingly large.

Of course, there are plenty of fantasy novels that run shorter, and that can sometimes prove a smart decision. These books will be more likely to appeal to beginners, and they’re often faster to get through, especially if they deliver on great pacing and twists. I don’t often have complaints about a fantasy book’s length — and when I do, it’s usually that it’s a little too long — but there are a few gems that left me wondering why they didn’t have more pages.

8

Faebound (2024)

By Saara El-Arifi

Saara El-Arifi’s Faebound has a fascinating magic system and world, and both could easily be explored more deeply in the 2024 release. Faebound is fast-paced and has an entertaining plot, but that just made me want more of this story. The drum magic and obeah deserve more attention on their own. While Faebound‘s sequels will no doubt show more of both, I do think the novel would benefit from spending more time (and pages) on its world-building.

Additionally, Faebound‘s sapphic romance is compelling, but it would be even more so with another hundred pages dedicated to it. Things move quickly when Yeeran arrives in Mosima, and all the political intrigue and murder doesn’t leave enough time to focus on her blossoming bond with Furi. Their relationship takes a backseat to the plot, and it feels underwhelming at times — even when emotions should be running high. Since both characters are fascinating on their own, I wouldn’t have minded seeing much more of them together.

7

Five Broken Blades (2024)

By Mai Corland

Five Broken Blades is a fast-paced and entertaining read — and a great replacement for Six of Crows — but it’s hard to do its cast of characters justice with six POVs squeezed into just under 500 pages. With its constant twists and turns, Five Broken Blades is supposed to be a shorter and snappier addition to the genre. However, given how complex its leads are, it would actually benefit from longer chapters that allow readers to spend more time with them. It would also be great to explore the dynamics outside the three main pairings.

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Additionally, Five Broken Blades features a rich world inspired by Korean folklore, and I wish we’d been able to slow down and learn more about it. While the sequel, Four Ruined Realms, digs deeper into the titular kingdoms and the magical artifacts that exist there, they could have been better established in book 1. King Joon also makes for an intriguing villain, but we see far too little of him. Needless to say, I would have devoured a much longer version of Five Broken Blades just as happily.

6

The Gilded Wolves (2018)

By Roshani Chokshi

Another multi-POV heist story, The Gilded Wolves would benefit from more pages for the same reason as Five Broken Blades. Although I appreciate the quick pacing and non-stop action, the characters are the true highlight of Roshani Chokshi’s 2018 novel. And since it jumps from perspective to perspective, readers end up wanting more of all of them. Fortunately, the book has two sequels, but even they’re on the short side compared to typical fantasy fare.

The Gilded Wolves also has a unique world and magic system, but they get lost within the heist story and character arcs at times. More space would enable the book to flesh them out further. Additionally, the fact that much of the plot depends on bad blood from something that happened years earlier lends itself to a lengthier run. As much as I love The Gilded Wolves, there are a lot of elements of the book that deserve more page time.

5

Vicious (2013)

By V.E. Schwab

One of the best V.E. Schwab books out there, Vicious leaves its mark even at around 400 pages. However, its villainous main characters could fill more space with their layered motivations and personalities, as well as their engrossing connection to one another. I’d have loved to see more of Eli and Victor’s relationship before Vicious’ inciting incident; it would have added tension to their already compelling enmity.

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The science behind Victor and Eli’s powers is also intriguing, and Vicious could add to its length by elaborating on it further. It by no means needs to —​​​​​​​ what’s there works on its own — but I still found myself wanting more details. There’s a reason Vengeful was such a coveted sequel, even years later. Vicious is great as it is, but the 2013 novel could add a couple of hundred pages without it hurting the story. In many ways, I believe it would benefit it.

4

Divine Rivals (2023)

By Rebecca Ross

Divine Rivals took BookTok by storm upon its 2023 release, but it’s a story that’s very light on the fantasy elements. The romance between Iris and Kitt is front and center, and even the book’s newsroom narrative gets plenty of detail, giving it a unique and atmospheric spin. However, when it comes to the conflict between Divine Rivals’ gods, the book leaves something to be desired. The entire story hinges on the enmity between Dacre and Enva — and the war that unfolds because of it — but it doesn’t touch on their history or characterization nearly enough.

Ruthless Vows makes up for this to an extent, but Divine Rivals would have had a better balance of fantasy and romance if it had tackled those things earlier. Kitt and Iris’ relationship is also incredibly compelling before they get together, but things move quickly once they do. I’d have loved to see them sit in their feelings a bit longer, allowing readers to truly savor the romance portion of the novel.

3

Reckless (2024)

By Lauren Roberts

Reckless is noticeably shorter than both Powerless and Fearless, and it does suffer slightly as a result. Although the second book in the Powerless Trilogy has great romance and banter, it doesn’t do enough to move the plot forward. Paedyn and Kai spend much of the sequel outside Ilya, leaving readers to wonder what happens to the kingdom on the heels of book 1’s big death and rebellion. Fearless fills in the blanks, but it would have been nice to actually see some of this firsthand — especially since Reckless utilizes Kitt as a POV character.

And Kitt’s chapters feel disjointed, with their only purpose seemingly being to showcase his grief. His perspective chapters are too short to give readers a good grip on his development or how he comes back from his loss. We also don’t get to see him make the decision that leads to Reckless’ cliffhanger. Properly fleshing out Kitt’s chapters alone would have benefited Reckless, even if it made the book longer as a result.

2

Heartless Hunter (2024)

By Kristen Ciccarelli

There are few flaws to be found in Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli, but the romantasy book has one of the coolest takes on witches and blood magic — and those are aspects of the story I’d happily take more of. While we obviously get that in its sequel, Rebel Witch, there just isn’t enough of this great magic system in book 1. This is somewhat inevitable, as Rune’s abilities are limited; she can’t risk scarring her skin. But the book’s ending could have unfolded with more action, or it could have delivered more magic scenes through flashbacks or rogue witches.

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Additionally, Heartless Hunter benefits from both of its leads being likable and having chemistry, but the supporting characters deserve more page time. This is especially true of Alex, who makes up the novel’s central love triangle, and Verity, whose final twist would be even more devastating if we spent more time with her. In general, Ciccarelli’s world is ripe for expansion. The Crimson Moth could easily be more than a duology, and its first book could be longer without losing its appeal.

1

The Atlas Six (2020)

By Olivie Blake

The Atlas Six is yet another multi-POV story with morally bereft characters that could benefit from being slightly longer. Given how few redeeming qualities some of The Atlas Six‘s leads have, it’s difficult to get attached to them. By expanding their chapters or even adding more, Olivie Blake’s novel could give readers a real reason to feel invested in this story. As it stands, the atmospheric setting and mind-bending magic system overshadow most of the people involved in this book.

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And even the setting and magic of The Atlas Six could use more elaboration. While both are fascinating, they don’t necessarily get the level of attention they deserve, especially considering the way they’re portrayed. The book’s magic is fairly complex and scientific, so more attention would give readers a chance to understand it better. And the Alexandrian Society could be fleshed out further, but the fantasy book doesn’t have the space to do so.