Books like Ash: A Secret History
30 fantasy books to read after Ash: A Secret History, by Gentle, Mary, the closest match first.
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Temeraire book 1 Start here
1. His Majesty's Dragon
by Novik, Naomi
- On the same lists
This series explores a post-colonial world and both sides have their faults.
The Napoleonic Wars seem to be an especially fascinating era for writers; this series is the second on the list set in this time period at the turn of the...
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2. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
This ten volume series is complex and epic in scope with nonlinear storylines.
This book nearly tops the Best Fantasy Books list and a number of other lists on this site; it would be an injustice to omit this series here as well,...
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The Macht book 1 Start here
3. The Ten Thousand
by Kearney, Paul
- On the same lists
Paul Kearny is one of the most underrated fantasy authors out there. He’s written a host of awesome military fantasy books and has been mostly ignored by the wider public...
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The Ascendants Of Estorea book 1 Start here
4. The Cry Of The Newborn
by Barclay, James
- On the same lists
Barclay's series presents large scale, detailed battles in setting that is more realistic. This series begins as an empire gears up for war and magic is just being discovered.
Epic war fantasy where there is a clear sense of black and white. For some, this may be a breath of fresh air from all the gritty, shades-of-grey type fantasy...
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5. The Company
by Littell, Robert
- On the same lists
Not your typical military fantasy fare, but a compelling if different read. It’s a story about a half-dozen ex-soldiers who are veterans of some of the worst battles of the...
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6. The Dragoncrown War Cycle
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
An almost painful amount of battle scenes and gore, to the point where reading yet another description about how a goblin’s head was mashed to pulp by a sword loses...
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The Seer King book 1 Start here
7. The Seer King
by Bunch, Chris
- On the same lists
Two words describe this series: Love and War. A flawed work as a whole, but certainly an exciting, ambitious one, and the flaws are in many ways compensated by the...
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8. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone
by Rowling, J. K.
- On the same lists
Say what you may, but on a list of fantasy books with female authors, J.K. Rowling, likely the most popular female fantasy author of all time, can hardly be left...
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9. The Queen Of The Tearling
by Johansen, Erika
- On the same lists
One of the more recently published novels on this list, Queen of the Tearling has elicited strong reactions; this seems to be one of those love it or hate it...
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10. The True Game Series
by Tepper, Sheri S.
- On the same lists
Warning: get ready to commit if you enjoy this stories; The True Game series is not just a trilogy, it's a trilogy of trilogies. This unique delivery of her story,...
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Song Of The Lioness book 1 Start here
11. Alanna: The First Adventure
by Pierce, Tamora
- On the same lists
While Tamora Pierce's novels are mainly marketed towards younger readers, her Song of the Lioness series is still a worthwhile read, especially if you're looking for a break from some...
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12. The Privilege Of The Sword
by Kushner, Ellen
- On the same lists
Though The Privilege of the Sword is actually the second in a series, the witty and intelligent novel does well a highly praised stand-alone, winner of the Locus award and...
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Drenai Tales book 1 Start here
13. Legend
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
Gemmell specializes in heroic fantasy. His best book is widely regarded as Legend. Legend doesn’t try to be anything but what it is: a heroic adventure with lots of blood,...
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14. Vampire Earth
by Knight, E.e.
- On the same lists
Humans have been conquered and now the vampires rule. That’s the premise of E.E. Knight’s wonderful Vampire Earth series. Vampire Earth is a skillful blending of different genres. It's one...
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Farseer book 1 Start here
15. Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- On the same lists
Several sets of linked trilogies and short stories of high fantasy set in the same world.
How could a story about the apprentice of an assassin not be grimdark? It couldn't, that's how. This first entry sparked off three trilogies about the one protagonist, which contain...
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16. 2004: Tooth And Claw
by Walton, Jo
- On the same lists
Different from other books in the Fantasy of Manners sub-genre in that the characters are dragons. It is a story about the death of a patriarch and love, money, and familial conflict.
The story opens with a moderately well-to-do family gathering at the deathbed of their father, and fighting over the inheritance - not his gold hoard, which has been divided equitably,...
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World Of The Five Gods book 1 Start here
17. The Curse Of Chalion
by Bujold, Lois Mcmaster
- On the same lists
Lois McMaster Bujold did not start off writing fantasy, instead rising to fame in the early 1990s as a prolific science-fiction novelist, winning numerous accolades such as the Hugo, Nebula,...
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Sword Of Shadows book 1 Start here
18. A Cavern Of Black Ice
by Jones, J. V.
- On the same lists
Set in the same world as her bestselling The Book of Words trilogy, A Cavern of Black Ice is the first book in the separate Sword of Shadows series. This...
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19. Deed Of Paksenarrion
by Moon, Elizabeth
- On the same lists
Heroic military fantasy starring woman? This is the premise of Deed of Paksenarrion, following the exploits of a woman who rises above her station to become a legend. This novel...
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20. The Golden Key
by Rawn, Melanie
- On the same lists
The Golden Key is the only book on this list with multiple authors (and three of them at that), perhaps because such works have a tendency to be disjointed, a...
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21. 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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22. Tyrants And Kings
by Marco, John
- On the same lists
Military fantasy with some great characterization, gray characters, and a lot of plot twists the whole way through. The author takes great pains to create most characters as morally ambiguous...
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23. 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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24. War Of Light And Shadow
by Wurts, Janny
- On the same lists
This series is epic in every sense of the word. It takes place over many generations, its world is complex and detailed and the quest at the heart of the...
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Worldbreaker Saga book 1 Start here
25. The Mirror Empire
by Hurley, Kameron
- On the same lists
This first installment in the Worldbreaker Saga (the second came out last October) is an epic fantasy with intriguing world(s), an engaging plot, and complex characters. Throughout the 500 plus...
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26. 1975: The Forgotten Beasts Of Eld
by Mckillip, Patricia A.
- On the same lists
Sybel is 16 years old, and alone in the world, orphaned by her princess mother and her wizard father. Her only goal in life is to maintain the magical animals...
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The Prince Of Nothing book 1 Start here
27. The Darkness That Comes Before
by Bakker, R. Scott
- On the same lists
This book and the Prince of Nothing trilogy, as well as the other books that follow, are so dark that you'll need a shower after reading them. And therapy. This...
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Codex Alera book 1 Start here
28. 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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29. The Golem And The Jinni
by Wecker, Helene
- On the same lists
In Wecker's debut novel, two very unusual immigrants arrive, separately, in 19th century immigrant New York. These two characters are (unsurprisingly) a golem named Chava, created by a Jewish rabbi...
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30. War For The Oaks
by Bull, Emma
- On the same lists
What happens when a rock star is pulled into a supernatural conflict between good and evil? Well, let's head on over to Minneapolis of all places and find out
It was in the 80s that the subgenres of fantasy we know today started. One of these – urban fantasy – owes much of its development from War for the...
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 Ash: A Secret History.
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