Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is a great read, if you're willing to invest the time. There are few series as long as this one (it's not even complete yet!). His character list is well over a hundred, and his descriptions are fantastically detailed; both of these help each book be 600+ pages long. I enjoyed the series thoroughly, even if it did take a while to get through. Be prepared for a time commitment from the Wheel of Time.
