Books like A Wizard Of Earthsea
30 fantasy books to read after A Wizard Of Earthsea, by Guin, Ursula K. Le, the closest match first.
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The Earthsea Cycle book 2
1. The Tombs Of Atuan
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same series
- Same author
One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time The Newbery Honor-winning second novel in the renowned Earthsea series from Ursula K. LeGuin. In this second novel in...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 3
2. The Farthest Shore
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same series
- Same author
Darkness threatens to overtake Earthsea. As the world and its wizards are losing their magic, Ged—powerful Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord—embarks on a sailing journey with highborn young prince, Arren. They...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 4
3. Tehanu
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same series
- Same author
When Sparrowhawk, the Archmage of Earthsea, returns from the dark land stripped of his magic powers, he finds refuge with the aging widow Tenar and a crippled girl child who...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 5
4. Tales From Earthsea
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same series
- Same author
The tales of this book explore and extend the world established by the Earthsea novels--yet each stands on its own. It contains the novella "The Finder," and the short stories...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 6
5. 2002: The Other Wind
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same series
- Same author
Like the previous Earthsea stories, this book seems to be centred around Ged, the sorcerer who is most often recognised by his common name, Sparrowhawk. But, like all except the...
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6. Earthsea Cycle
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same author
Another fantasy series that crops up near the top of many best fantasy lists. Earthsea Cycle is a classic fantasy tale well done. While it doesn't rack up a sizable...
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7. Lavinia
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same author
The Aeneid may be more myth than legend, but in this retelling Le Guin gives a voice to Lavinia, who was previously a prize to be won.
The Aeneid may be more myth than legend, but in this retelling Le Guin gives a voice to Lavinia, who was previously a prize to be won.
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8. Powers (2009)
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same author
Gavir is a slave in the city of Etra, brought up with the children of the household that owns him and educated like them. He can remember a page of...
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The Wheel Of Time book 1 Start here
9. The Eye of the World
by Jordan, Robert
- On the same lists
One of the most definitive versions of classic epic fantasy -- especially the Fat Fantasy version of it.
The Wheel of Time is known for its extraordinary characterization and epic plot, but it also features some of the best elemental magic. It integrates classic and unique components, crafting...
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10. Broken Empire / Red Queens War
by Lawrence, Mark
- On the same lists
The first in The Broken Empire series, this gritty and violent novel focuses on a single character, who is an anti-hero, with a very dark past.
Mark Lawrence doesn’t use an abundance of technical explanations and diagrams, but that doesn’t make his magic system any less interesting. In fact, it lets him focus on his astonishing...
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11. Chronicles Of Amber
by Zelazny, Roger
- On the same lists
A 10 book chronicle--these stories combine other worlds, magical elements, mystery, shadow, and science.
The Amber Chronicles is a complex blend of genres and plot. It starts like a murder mystery, drawing the reader in, then it moves on to a mixture of sci-fi...
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Mistborn book 1 Start here
12. Mistborn
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Though Sanderson's main criticism is a lack of character depth, it's hard to deny the satisfying coming of age stories in Mistborn. The novel describes a classic rags-to-riches story, Vin...
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Abhorsen book 1 Start here
13. Sabriel
by Nix, Garth
- On the same lists
Garth Nix's Sabriel is marketed to the young adult audience but easily appeals to a wider readership. Fantastic world-building paints both the realm of Ancelstierre, and The Old Kingdom, where...
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14. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
A grand and epic series with a huge cast of characters with epic battles, sieges, mages, and carnage.
Steven Eriksen has been both lauded and criticized for his extreme detail, and that extends to his magic system. In Malazan, magic comes from warrens, a realm from which mages...
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15. Kushiel's Dart
by Carey, Jacqueline
- On the same lists
Comparisons to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series abound when discussing Kushiel's Dart, but this novel isn't what you would think of as typical fantasy;...
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Sevenwaters book 1 Start here
16. Daughter Of The Forest
by Marillier, Juliet
- On the same lists
This series follows several generations of a family who have a special relationship with the Otherworld and takes place mostly in ancient Ireland.
This intricate retelling of the Celtic Swans fairy tale takes an enchanting story and embellishes it with depth, believable backstory, ancient magic, and great characters. It is painfully dark, at...
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The Magicians book 1 Start here
17. The Magicians
by Grossman, Lev
- On the same lists
A prequel novel about a high school senior who is admitted to a school for gifted children, for a magical education in upstate New York. A typical quest story that turns dark. Things are not black and white in this world and the characters are psychologically rich.
School fantasy is often aimed at children, and it's very successful at hitting that market. It's much harder to appeal exclusively to adults, and that's where The Magicians shines. Rather...
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Codex Alera book 1 Start here
18. Furies Of Calderon
by Butcher, Jim
- On the same lists
What happens to soldiers after the war is fought? This book tells the story of five veterans and some secrets too.
Most of theitems on this list made it thanks to their unique ideas. Instead, Codex Alera takes a system familiar to millions of children. While many authors claim inspiration from...
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19. The Deed Of Paksenarrion
by Moon, Elizabeth
- On the same lists
Paks is one of the earlier examples of a strong, realistic female heroine who appeals to men and women. She becomes a badass paladin in her world of dwarves, elves,...
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A Song Of Ice And Fire book 1 Start here
20. A Game Of Thrones
by Martin, George R. R.
- On the same lists
While Martin's epic contains a lot of brutality towards women, it also shows how women, surviving in a man's world, can use their cunning, charm, and looks to run the...
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21. The Kingkiller Chronicles
by Rothfuss, Patrick
- On the same lists
A world that is vast, fantastical, and strongly rooted in logical world-building—it is a trilogy and biography of a famous musician and adventurer.
If you haven't heard of The Kingkiller Chronicles by now, you'll want to pick it up as soon as possible. Rothfuss' award-winning series took the genre by storm in 2007...
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Watch book 1 Start here
22. Night Watch
by Lukyanenko, Sergei
- On the same lists
The unusual Moscow setting of Night Watch is echoed by its magic system. Lukyanenko’s contemporary world is inhabited by both humans and ‘Others’, supernatural beings who can attune to Dark...
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The Dark Tower book 7
23. The Dark Tower
by King, Stephen
- On the same lists
The multiverse, parrellel universes, and a gun slinger that can save the multiverse. What more can you ask for? The Dark Tower is the single body of work that ties together every book ever created by King. Read it.
"The Dark Tower" is a series of books by Stephen King that blends elements of multiple genres, including horror, western, fantasy, and science fiction. The series follows the quest of...
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24. The Color Of Magic
by Pratchett, Terry
- On the same lists
A huge series, these books are part of the Comic Fantasy sub-genre. It parodies and is influenced by canonical authors like Tolkien, Lovecraft, and Shakespeare in addition to folklore, mythology, and fairy tales.
What would a list of best fantasy books be without mentioning Terry? Not that Brooks dude who wrote an entire series about glowing pebbles. The other one. The funny one....
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The Last Unicorn book 1 Start here
25. The Last Unicorn
by Beagle, Peter S.
- On the same lists
The short sequel to The Last Unicorn and is the quest of a young girl who seeks to make her village safe from a mean griffon.
Told from the perspective of the unicorn herself, this novel is as much satire as it is fairytale. The journey begins when she overhears a conversation insinuating that the unicorns...
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26. The Coldfire Trilogy
by Friedman, C.s.
- On the same lists
Influenced by Isaac Asimov, the magical force in these novels is derived from natural forces and governed by consistent rules, a force that humans must learn to control.
There are few things harder to control than emotion and this makes magic in The Cold Firetrilogy immensely difficult. The planet Erna is controlled by a force known as the...
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Damar book 1 Start here
27. The Blue Sword
by Mckinley, Robin
- On the same lists
The original "strong heroine" fantasy author, McKinley broke new ground with her work in the 80's. Harry Crewe feels restless, insignificant, invisible. Until kelar, a kind of magical force handed...
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28. The Goblin Emperor
by Addison, Katherine
- On the same lists
This Hugo and Nebula nominee goes outside the realm of traditional fantasy in a blend of steampunk and dark magic. All too often, fantasy focuses on human protagonists, or half-elves/faeries....
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29. The Ice Dragon
by Martin, George R. R.
- On the same lists
Most of the world has heard of Game of Thrones by now, but R. R. Martin's book series is still overlooked in favor of the more accessible TV show. For...
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30. Harry Potter
by Rowling, J. K.
- On the same lists
Most of you will have read it already, some of you will be sick of it, but you can't do a coming of age list without mentioning it. Harry Potter...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to A Wizard Of Earthsea.
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