George R.R. Martin ’s A Dance With Dragons was everything we ’d hoped it would be — but now we ca n’t wait to read the next Holy Writ , The current of air of Winter . How can we keep from go mad with restlessness to find out what happen to Tyrion and Daenerys ?
The good intelligence is , fantasy literature offers tons of other great saga — many of which are perfect for fans of Martin ’s A Song of Ice and Fire . Here are 10 not bad fantasy serial publication that will aid the wait for Westeros go much faster . notice : We ’re sort of assuming you ’ve already read Tolkien and C.S. Lewis . If you have n’t go do that right now . We ’ll hold off .
Top image : Earthsea by Stephen Bradbury , viaTirpetz Tales .
First book : The Name of the Wind
How It ’s Like A Song of Ice and Fire : Rothfuss paints a realistic picture of how power make for . Kvothe , being wretched , worries invariably about money , debts , and being unable to bribe drinks for his champion . When he stands up to the nobly born bully at university , he wins the conflict for street cred but lose the war for executive approval . Magic does play a significant character , but it is not awe - inspiringly powerful . Like a lot of the magic in A Song of Ice and Fire , it requires sacrifice , counterbalance , etc . to work .
How It ’s unlike : This is a very concentrated level , all about how the protagonist Kvothe grow to become a fable and a great arcanist . If you loved the multi - character linear perspective in A Song of Ice and Fire , you wo n’t discover that here . It is all narrated either from the first - person linear perspective of Kvothe , or from the third - somebody account of the man who is mind to his tale . There is very little large - shell consequence to any of Kvothe ’s actions , so if you were attend for the sweeping , nation - edifice schemes , those are not yet a part of the story either . ( Although the serial is forebode Kingkiller , hopefully for a reason ) .
enjoin Passage : “ [ The silence ] was as heavy as a great river - smooth stone . It was the affected role , cut - prime sound of a man who is waitress to go . ”
Best fashion It Will Help You await : The last book in this serial is n’t out yet , either ! you may live out your frustrations twice !
First Scripture : Gardens of the Moon
How It ’s Similar To A Song of Ice and Fire : Erikson ’s saga takes blank space in an undeniably brutal mediaeval world where people die and war is a unfeignedly filthy , prolonged business organisation . Like A Song of Ice and Fire , the Malazan serial publication is about an extended struggle for royal or imperial power , as it chronicle the titular Malazan Empire ’s attempt to subjugate its neighbor countries . And yet , although the predatory and expansionary Empire is paint as pretty evil , the main quality you terminate up steady down for are fighting on both sides of the regal war — you ’re trust that penis of an majestic , invading United States Army succeed , at the same time you ’re really beg that members of the rebel group do the same . So you definitely have that same moral equivocalness as Martin — nobody ’s really a hero , everyone ’s just render to survive and prevail onto what power they have .
How It ’s unlike : The Malazan books focus more intemperately on military reality of an imperial war , rather than unify in court and sect plotting . Magic also act a very bombastic role in the Bible ; most Army are equipped with entire legions of mages , and gods actually wreak a part in the game . This can make the first book knotty for some reader to get into , as Erikson does n’t offer a ton of easy expo on how sorcerous works in this globe .
secern Passage : Tattersail wander her way around the dazed survivor , ill-treat across puddles of blood in the wagon - heat , her eyes lingering on an obscene pile of amputated limbs …
sound Way It Will Help You hold off : In puddles of blood in wagon - groove , beside an repugnant pile of amputated limbs .
First book : Assassin ’s Apprentice
How it ’s like A Song of Ice and Fire : If Jon Snow is your pet Stark to read about , you might like this one . The main character , Fitz , is a king ’s bastard who terminate up entangled in the royal sept ’s schemes for baron and fight for succession . He does n’t have a lot of pick in life , and so he tries to foot the best I he can for both himself and those he cares about . If you like the direwolves , this one ’s also for you . Fitz has a special gift called the Wit , through which he can tie emotionally with creature — for Fitz , this ordinarily means dogs . They see what the other sees , feel what the other feels , etc .
How It ’s Different : There are not a lot of badasses in the Farseer Trilogy . Fitz is not shooting his malevolent pappa while he sits on the privy or bringing about the rebirth of dragons in the world . When crisis strikes , people react passively ( i.e. moving away from the coast where the pillager attack ) . When someone is plot against the king , it ’s fundamentally an unfastened secret that the court is afraid to cover . When the main type gets beaten , he just takes it . Because he has to . Some readers will discover this drilling to read about , but some readers will find these reactions realistic . short bastard without a real blank space in the globe are n’t going to take up implements of war against every injustice done against them . They ’re go to take what they can get .
Telling Passage : “ She has no reason to rise up against me , economise the ones she excogitate in her head . Her ambitiousness have always exceeded her ability . ” [ The business leader ] break , and looked directly at [ his second son ] . “ In royalty , that is a most lamentable failing . ”
well Way It Will serve You waitress : With puppy . That you’re able to spill the beans to .
First book : The Blade Itself
How It ’s Similar A Song of Ice and Fire : Now , if ever two men were probable to sit down and discuss the myriad way in which humanity is a shiftless mess with the moral compass of a pole - less planet , it would be Joe Abercrombie and George R.R. Martin . That might be all you take to have it off . In all sincerity , in the First Law Trilogy , Abercrombie paints a mankind that does n’t serve to make anyone noble or better ; in fact , it makes most of the reference meaner and stronger . The fighting scene are brutal and well - write , and you ’re not really certain what will constitute a happy ending here .
How It ’s Different : There are fewer storyline to follow , and Abercrombie ’s plotting is much more aboveboard and less purposefully world - building . Abercrombie ’s elan also include a bunch more dark humor , with disabled characters giggling maniacally at their own agony — Truly a rush ! For most masses stairs are a workaday affair . For me , an risky venture ! — and lone survivor of war comfort themselves by talking to the cookpot . Abercrombie ’s characters are also a stack less likeable than Martin ’s . The persona in A Song of Ice and Fire may not be knights in shining armour , but most of them are somewhat comely people trying to make their way in an unrelenting creation . However , the humour , perspective , and occasional burst of good in Abercrombie ’s characters still make them sympathetic and relatable . You ’ll find yourself rooting for some pretty craptastic human being — we ’ve got a torturer , a shallow and selfish immature noble , an unapologetically manipulative wizard , and a Berserker .
Telling Passage : “ Well , you ’ve outperform yourself this time , Glokta , you mad cripple ! When the Mercers rule out about this they ’ll have you flayed ! ” “ I ’ve tried flaying , it tickle . ”
Best Way It Will Help You Wait : Inquistor Glokta ’s internal monologues are curious than every SNL skit you will see between now and the dismissal of wind of Winter .
First Good Book : The Way of Shadows
How It ’s Similar to A Song of Ice and Fire : The protagonist of this series , Azoth ( or Kylar Stern , as he total to be make love — we ’ll call him Azoth ) is , like many of Martin ’s character , more a survivor than anything else . He is alternately a Noel Coward and a submarine sandwich , noble and despicable , kind when it matters and cruel when it matter more . One of the gentlest and most genuinely good graphic symbol at the offset of the serial , Logan Gyre , has to learn to be fierce , manipulative , and brutal in monastic order to survive for three months in a hole in the ground . In inadequate , life is knotty , so you have to be sturdy .
How It ’s dissimilar : This is basically a story about how a street puke becomes an assassin . While he does get caught up in international war and strategy about royal succession , the Night Angel Trilogy is square centered on Kylar , and Kylar ’s journeying . You wo n’t find the unbelievably intricate and extensive plotting of A Song of Ice and Fire here , though the story does exchange between three - four major level spark . Magic , as with many of our recommendations , plays a large and rather spendthrift role in the serial — babies switch wombs , multitude become immortal , magic artefact talk to their owners , etc . If that sort of magic sounds like it would stretch out the limits of your credulity too far , you may not like the latter part of this series .
Telling Passage : At first everything was curses and beatings . Azoth could n’t do anything right . But curses were just melodic line , and licking were just momentary pain . Blint would never maim Azoth , and if he choose to kill him , there was nothing Azoth could do to stop him anyway . It was the closest affair to safety he ’d ever know .
Best Way It Will help oneself You waitress : Have you ever scan a book where a humans get a rope out of human sinew ? Well , now you’re able to check that off your bucket list .
First book : Banewreaker
How It ’s exchangeable to A Song of Ice and Fire : In Carey ’s thought experimentation of a serial publication , she look at a Tolkien - esque floor from the perspective of the “ risky guys , ” and shows us that they ’re actually pretty similar to the “ in force bozo ” — except for the fact that they ’re more large-hearted . Her intervention of idea like nobility , righteousness , and moral standard call off those very phrases in interrogation , much like a pile of Martin ’s Song of Ice and Fire . And she also apply a big and wide-ranging dramatis personae of characters that includes knights , elven princess , and dragons .
How It ’s unlike : This is a book centered in mythology and the devising of the globe . Carey for sure imbues the gods and their courier with humanity , character , and worked up world , but if hearing a metropolis described as “ a thousand point of spark ” makes you annoyed or violate your break of disbelief , this might not be for you . Carey ’s also very concerned in metaphysics and the ways that god and spirituality directly affect and interact with humanity , so that is an important and well - explore theme you do n’t see quite as much of in A Song of Ice and Fire .
estimable manner It Will assist You Wait : The flying dragon in this serial are awing .
First book : The Black Company
How It ’s Like A Song of Ice and Fire : The Black Company books follow a band of wide-ranging ( though by and large not nice ) soldier of fortune who are down on their luck and trying to keep their bank accounts in the Shirley Temple Black . In a quest to do so , they end up in the service of the evil , all - powerful Lady and her empire . They run an interesting moral spectrum . Some characters will genuinely seek to do the right thing when circumstances allow ( rescuing a miss from opprobrious soldiers ) ; others will be downright sadistic when circumstances allow . Cook ’s portrayal of power struggles not only between the two combatants in a state of war , but between ‘ allies ’ on the same side , is also similar to Martin ’s nuanced portrayal of alliance . The Lady ’s forces , the Taken , are all supposed to be united against the rebels attempt to overthrow them , but they niggle and fight amongst themselves . Much of the ship’s company ’s natural process in the first book is taken up with defending one Taken against another .
How It ’s dissimilar : The book of the North are narrated in first somebody by a Company medic named Croaker , making for a rather dissimilar tale vogue than A Song of Ice and Fire . However , the Books of the South and Books of the Glittering Stone are narrate in third somebody . Cook is also a lot less interested in character study than Martin , so there is less nidus on the characters ’ developing and more on their interactions . The cast of fibre is also minor , and the plot simple . Fans of Martin ’s writing style will find Cook ’s very different , especially when Croaker is narrate . Croaker ’s style can be choppy , quick , and leave out thing that you might want to record more about ( for good example , a struggle scene ) .
Telling Passage : There were nine of them , if you counted Madle and some customers who got involved . Candy overturned the card table . We tripped the catch on our spring tubes . Four poisoned darts snapped across the common elbow room . We drew steel .
It lasted only seconds .
“ Everybody all right ? ” Candy asked .
“ Got a scratch ” , Otto said . I checked it out . Nothing to interest about .
good Way It Will Help You hold off : You will pick the good celebrity child name by philander together member of the Black Company . I promise no one will make fun of Shed Goblin Croaker on the vacation spot .
First book : The direction of king
How It ’s alike to A Song of Ice and Fire : When the tale set out off , you might get disturbed that it ’s not very Martin - esque at all . The altruistic Heralds are wage a warfare against a race of monsters called “ The Voidbringers ” . Although it entail they must fight and die on behalf of humanity , only to find themselves in a igneous pity of suffering upon destruction , they continue to defend the humans in cycle per second after bike … Until they do n’t . They leave one of their own in the hell - pit everlastingly and roll out . The level flashes forward to a thousand age , when various baronial factions are fighting one another for dominance of the incredibly powerful Shardblades and Shardplates left behind by the departure of the Heralds . Like the books in A Song of Ice and Fire , The Way of male monarch switches each chapter between a horde of seemingly disparate character trying to make their way out of a complicated and confusing World Wide Web of factions and conspiracies . There are also no clear delineations between the military force of “ good ” and those of “ evil . ” The centre - color - based caste organisation under which most of the characters be is , of path , a terrible concept , but it is more inflict by prospicient years of some ethnic stigma than direct by an malign emperor . When we get word of the noble and non - vehement High Prince , we all know exactly what is going to happen to him at the hands of the other nine less painstaking High Princes . And the secondary slave who hates his imposing overlord is n’t an inspired Johnny Reb ; he ’s out for vengeance for what was done to him and his brother , nothing more ( yet ) .
How It ’s dissimilar : The Way of Kings is populate with score of mythical objects and sorcerous abilities , most of which are explained , though not as in - depth or obviously as allomancy in Mistborn . So again , if you ’re looking to get out of phantasy without dealing in too much illusion , you will be out of luck . Sanderson also employs fewer POV characters , in all probability about four - five major unity , which can make the switching easier to deal with . The manner of king also gets cutesier than A Song of Ice and Fire , sometimes in way that might irk . ( For representative , the “ Storm you ” execration ? Might be a little much . )
“ Where does it come from ? ”
“ From the work force who give it to you . That ’s the only fashion to get it . ”
“ One did not drop a line the ending of a lifetime of religion with a overemotional last chapter . ”
Best Way It Will Help You Wait : This book has scene . Pretty picture . Want 1,000 pages for the price of one book ? Wish granted .
First book : Shadowmarch
How It ’s Similar to A Song of Ice and Fire : As with many of the suggestion here , the Shadowmarch serial shifts between multiple plotlines in multiple countries until all of the different character ’ storylines eventually meet in an epic showdown . The primary family with which we are concerned is the Eddon family , whose throne of Southmarch has been take over from them . The surviving Gemini , Barrick and Briony , must flee their nursing home and struggle to reclaim their rights while their father is held for ransom . Meanwhile , two state of war loom — one with the deep , Fae - like Qar across the edge , and another with the imperial power of the Autarch across the sea . The Scripture has been criticized for taking a farsighted time to get moving — the same unfavorable judgment we ’ve heard hurtle at the 4th and fifth Koran of A Song of Ice and Fire .
How It ’s Different : The Shadowmarch serial skews unseasoned than A Song of Ice and Fire , though not implausibly so — so you ’re unquestionably see at younger - act agonist and a less hard - and - lowering tone . Shadowmarch is also much more interested in how strange and otherwordly the Qar across the border are . While the Others across the wall in A Song of Ice and Fire are terrifying and violent zombi - Godhead , the Qar come across as more mysterious and fascinatingly , freakishly different . ( This is not to say that the fair citizen in Shadowmarch is n’t peeing - your - pants scared of the Qar ; it ’s more a input on Williams ’ descriptions ) . So if the mystery story of the Others has you frustrated and want to lie with more , you might regain a book which explores the sort - of - equivalent Qar interesting and solid .
Best Way It Will Help You waitress : Did you ever wonder what it would be like to read about Richard III as a ginger youngster live in a fantasy kingdom ? No ? Well , that describes one of the two Eddon twins , and we do n’t want to live in your paltry imagination . literal sound way : This series is accomplished . All the ledger are written , all the plot are tied up .
First book : A Wizard of Earthsea
How It ’s exchangeable to A Song of Ice and Fire : LeGuin ’s story miss a fundamental , major villain for the first two record , and most of the serial ’ problem are cause by human vice such as vernal hubris or powerlust . The struggles of Ged to become a more potent mage are just that — everybody ’s looking out for number one . Tenar , the other protagonist , enroll in the second Word , and is initially most interested in consolidate her might as an Arch - Priestess and keep the other priestess from pack her down . It also address in very interesting path with the wake of traditional quest plotlines . What does the hero do after he ’s done being a torpedo ? Can someone so hefty be satisfied just going back home ? Image : Earthsea by Morrow Gray .
How It ’s dissimilar : LeGuin ’s is a more traditional fantasy chronicle , with a tone that suits her publishing house ’s initial request she pen for “ older fry , ” and the series seldom switches away from Ged for too long . This makes for a more square plot than any of Martin ’s . Also , after the malign wizard Cob enroll in the third book , there ’s immediately a more defined villain with a more traditional “ quest to stop the risky guy ” secret plan . However , as mentioned above , it deals with the wake of said plots in an interesting way .
Telling Passage : … then she saw that he must have in him the fashioning of power . As her sister ’s son he had been nothing to her , but now she looked at him with a young centre .
good Way It Will Help You Wait : In a thaumaturgist house made of dragon bones at the death of the world .
BooksBrandon SandersonFantasyGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinJacqueline CareyUrsula K. Le Guin
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