If you liked
Books like A Game of Thrones
by George R. R. Martin
A Game of Thrones broke the fantasy genre open by killing the people you assumed were protected and letting the schemers win. Martin's Westeros is still the standard other epic fantasy gets measured against. If you tore through it and want more of that scale and political ruthlessness, here is where to go next.
The shortlist
What to read next
A Clash of Kingsby George R. R. Martin
“A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin 1998 review. Five claimants vie for the Iron Throne while a comet crosses the sky over Westeros. The middle volume of A Song of Ice and Fire and the one most committed Martin readers consider his peak.”
A Storm of Swordsby George R. R. Martin
“A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin 2000 review. The third Song of Ice and Fire novel and the structural series peak - the Red Wedding, the Purple Wedding, and the broader War of Five Kings reordering.”
The Way of Kingsby Brandon Sanderson
“The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 2010 review. On the storm-blasted continent of Roshar, an enslaved bridgeman, a disgraced scholar, and a young prince converge as the world races toward a forgotten war. The most ambitious epic fantasy debut since A Game of Thrones.”
Mistborn: The Final Empireby Brandon Sanderson
“Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson 2006 review. A street urchin named Vin discovers she can use magic by ingesting and burning metals, and a crew of thieves recruits her for the impossible: kill the immortal Lord Ruler.”
The Fifth Seasonby N. K. Jemisin
“The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin 2015 review. On a continent where seismic activity defines life, three women's stories converge as a fifth season begins. Hugo Best Novel 2016, the first volume of the Broken Earth trilogy, and the most important fantasy debut of the 2010s.”
The Priory of the Orange Treeby Samantha Shannon
“The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 2019 review. A standalone epic fantasy across four kingdoms preparing for the return of a banished ancient dragon. Canonical contemporary literary epic fantasy.”
FAQ
Common questions about A Game of Thrones read-alikes
- Should I just keep going with the series?
- Yes, and most readers agree A Storm of Swords is the peak of the whole sequence. A Clash of Kings comes first and widens the war; A Storm of Swords is where the reputation for shocking turns was earned. Read both before you look elsewhere.
- I want epic fantasy that will actually be finished.
- Brandon Sanderson is the answer readers reach for. The Way of Kings starts his enormous Stormlight Archive; Mistborn: The Final Empire is the tighter place to start. He is famous for delivering on the promise, which is not something anyone says about Westeros.
- I want the politics without the medieval European setting.
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin builds its power structures around geologic catastrophe and won three consecutive Hugos doing it. The Priory of the Orange Tree offers the sprawling multi-court intrigue in a standalone doorstopper with dragons.
- How grim are these compared to Martin?
- The Fifth Season is bleaker in places and more personal. Mistborn and The Priory of the Orange Tree pull back toward hope. None of them match the sheer body count of a Martin wedding, if that is what you are bracing for.
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