Darkover series vs Xanth
Two fantasy series side by side, straight from the catalog data: Xanth is the longer series (47 books vs 43 books); Xanth is the more recent one, starting in 1977. There's no wrong answer — pick the shape that fits your reading appetite, and Shelfmark will keep your place in either (no account needed).
| Statistic | Darkover series | Xanth |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Mercedes Lackey | Piers Anthony |
| Books | 43 | 47 |
| Published | 1961–2016 | 1977–2022 |
| Books per year | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Start with | The Door Through Space (1961) | A Spell for Chameleon (1977) |
| Reading order | Full Darkover series order → | Full Xanth order → |
Numbers come from the Shelfmark catalog (Wikidata + Open Library). "Books per year" is catalogued books divided by the publication span — a rough cadence, not a quality score.