If you liked
Books like The Way of Kings
by Brandon Sanderson
The Way of Kings is Brandon Sanderson at the start of his ten-book Stormlight Archive project. The Roshar setting, the spren, the political fantasy backbone, and the Kaladin-Dalinar-Shallan three-POV structure that has carried the series across five published books so far. If you loved it and needed another epic fantasy of equivalent commitment, these are our picks.
The shortlist
What to read next
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.”
A Game of Thronesby George R. R. Martin
“A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin 1996 review. The book that rewrote what epic fantasy was allowed to do. Westeros, the Iron Throne, the deaths nobody saw coming. Required reading.”
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.”
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.”
Six of Crowsby Leigh Bardugo
“Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 2015 review. A crew of six outcasts attempts an impossible heist in the corrupt city of Ketterdam. The YA fantasy heist novel that defined the contemporary Grishaverse and made Bardugo the major YA fantasy writer of her generation.”
Babelby R. F. Kuang
“Babel by R. F. Kuang 2022 review. An alternate 1830s Oxford where the British Empire is powered by silver bars enchanted with the lost meaning between translated words. Nebula and Locus Award winner.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Way of Kings read-alikes
- Should I read Mistborn next?
- If you have not yet, yes. Mistborn: The Final Empire is the Sanderson entry point most readers should have read first — shorter than Stormlight, tighter, complete in three books. Mistborn and Stormlight are connected at the Cosmere level.
- I want more Brandon Sanderson.
- Read the entire Mistborn trilogy. Read Warbreaker (standalone, free online). Read Elantris (his debut). Then return to Stormlight and read Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, Rhythm of War, and Wind and Truth.
- I want another epic-scale fantasy.
- A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings are the obvious peers. The Fifth Season is the highest-craft alternative. Outside the catalog, Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy and Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy are the canonical contemporary picks.
- I want a complete epic fantasy series I can finish.
- Mistborn is the answer for Sanderson specifically. The Fifth Season trilogy is the next-best complete pick from our catalog. Six of Crows is the YA duology version.
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