The Abarat series by Clive Barker is one of the most underrated fantasy series I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
The first book begins with a girl named Candy wandering beyond the limits of her landlocked Minnesota town only to stumbled into the middle of an intense fight between an otherworldly thief and the assassin chasing him. Before she knows it, she has summoned a magical sea that sweeps her away to the Abarat, a world where each hour is an island filled with the stuff of dreams – or nightmares. As Candy explores the many wonders of the Abarat, long buried secrets – including her own impossible connection to the fantastical world – come to light, and unlikely heroes step forth to face down terrors the likes of which neither their world – or ours – have ever seen.
The series is both whimsical and dark (increasingly so with each book). It's incredibly unique and beautifully illustrated with oil paintings made by the author himself.
So far, only three of the planned five books have been released; there is now, officially, a George R.R. Martin-sized gap since book three was released, BUT Barker recently indicated that he's planning to take a break from conventions and other things that have caused a delay in his writing – apparently books four and five should be forthcoming!
I know this isn't a completely unknown series, I just think that it deserves more love than it generally gets.
by LadyEdithSharpe