Books like Best Served Cold
30 fantasy books to read after Best Served Cold, by Abercrombie, Joe, the closest match first.
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First Law World book 1 Start here
1. The Blade Itself
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
Abercrombie's work has become synonymous with the growing sub-genre of grimdark fantasy Naturally there's a lot of crossover between grimdark fantasy (which subverts the tropes of traditional heroic fantasy) and...
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First Law World book 5
2. The Heroes
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as Abercrombie himself describes it this way: "Three men. One battle. No heroes." It was designed to be a standalone novel, but is set...
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First Law World book 2
3. Before They Are Hanged
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
The second novel in the wildly popular First Law Trilogy from New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by...
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First Law World book 3
4. Last Arguments Of Kings
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
The final novel in the First Law Trilogy by New York Times bestseller Joe Abercrombie. Logen Ninefingers might only have one more fight in him -- but it's going to...
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First Law World book 6
5. Red Country
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
This series drags epic fantasy into the 21st century with grit, moral ambiguity, explicit violence, and well-rounded/flawed characters.
A New York Times bestseller! They burned her home. They stole her brother and sister. But vengeance is following. Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away...
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6. The First Law Trilogy
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
A torturer, a barbarian and a vain nobleman are dragged into a war, the grim, darkly funny start of Abercrombie's First Law.
One of the best fantasy book series period and one of the best audiobook performances to boot. This is one of those rare reading performances by a master narrator where...
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First Law World book 7
7. Sharp Ends
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same series
- Same author
Sharp Ends is the ultimate collection of award winning tales and exclusive new short stories from the master of grimdark fantasy, Joe Abercrombie. Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words...
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Graceling Realm book 1 Start here
8. Graceling
by Cashore, Kristin
- On the same lists
Katsa is a pragmatic graceling born with the ability to kill with her bare hands from the time she was eight years old. Graced as all gracelings are with unique...
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9. The First Law
by Abercrombie, Joe
- Same author
This series takes place in an epic fantasy world at war and contains gritty violence and realistic characters.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny,...
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10. Liveship Traders Trilogy
by Hobb, Robin
- On the same lists
A nautical fantasy featuring pirates, dragons, and magic? What's not to love? To top it off, Liveship Traders is filled with fantastic women. Ronica, the widow of the liveship's former...
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11. The Black Jewels Series
by Bishop, Anne
- On the same lists
A landmark step in feminist fiction, this dark fantasy series is unlike anything you've ever read. Bishop takes the physical and typical differences between men and women, highlights rather than...
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The Queen Of The Tearling book 1 Start here
12. The Queen Of The Tearling
by Johansen, Erika
- On the same lists
In a post-apocalyptic rendition of Earth, civilization has returned to medieval technology, and the rightful queen who was hidden away as a child seeks to regain her throne. Johansen attempts...
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13. Tiger And Del Series
by Robertson, Jennifer
- On the same lists
This series starts off with so much promise. Del, brave warrior-woman in the North has been training for five years to rescue her brother from slavers in the South and...
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World Of The Five Gods book 2
14. Paladin Of Souls
by Bujold, Lois Mcmaster
- On the same lists
Paladin of Souls is the only book I know of featuring a middle-aged, retired queen on a pilgrimage, who is chalked up as mad—though personally I think she's just bored...
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Study book 1 Start here
15. Poison Study
by Snyder, Maria V.
- On the same lists
Yelena is about to be executed for murder and is offered an alternative: food taster to the king. She herself is poisoned and must appear for her daily antidote or...
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16. Vlad Taltos
by Brust, Steven
- On the same lists
If smartass characters are your thing, then Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust should be at the top of your list. The book is unoriginally named after the protagonist, but in...
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Left Hand Of God book 1 Start here
17. The Left Hand Of God
by Hoffman, Paul
- On the same lists
Paul Hoffman's The Left Hand of God caused a major buzz upon its release in 2010. It succeeded almost unheard of hype, with trailers, apps, and 'best-seller' labels right off...
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18. Tales Of The Otori
by Hearn, Lian
- On the same lists
When your focus is character and action, it's easy to just settle for generic medieval fantasy and be done with it. However, at some point, you start craving something new,...
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19. Study
by Snyder, Maria V.
- On the same lists
Poison Study is another novel that toes the line between young adult and mature. It opens with an incredible hook and drags you all the way through the story on...
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20. Shadowdance
by Dalglish, David
- On the same lists
A fantasy assassin list would not be complete without a mention of David Dalglish's Shadowdance series. Through the course of the novels, we get the viewpoint of not one, but...
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21. Shadow Saga
by Sprunk, Jon
- On the same lists
There's a tendency in fantasy to build extremely complex, D&D-like worlds, and in many cases, that's just what readers are after. However, there's also something to be said for books...
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22. The Riyria Chronicles
by Facs, Michael J Sullivan Md
- On the same lists
Michael J. Sullivan's Ryria series is one of the highest rated in fantasy, and for good reason. His books have sold over one million copies in English and thousands more...
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23. Waylander & Waylander Ii
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
David Gemmell's Drenai Saga burst onto the heroic fantasy scene in 1984 and bears no relation to the Draenei from World of Warcraft. His lasting impact on the fantasy world...
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24. His Fair Assassin
by Lafevers, Robin
- On the same lists
Robin LaFever's Grave Mercy drags you into the trilogy with a great hook and only gets better from there. It's set in an alternate 14th century Brittany, where fourteen-year-old Ismae...
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25. The Anvil Of The World
by Baker, Kage
- On the same lists
Sci-fi fans may know Kage Baker for her popular series, The Company. It's a blend of fictional world and humor, and her debut fantasy series is no different. The Anvil...
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Throne Of Glass book 1 Start here
26. Throne Of Glass
by Maas, Sarah J.
- On the same lists
If you're a YA fan, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better assassin fantasy book than Throne of Glass. As the novel opens, Celaena is given a chance to end...
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27. Tales Of Pawan Kor
by Hayden, David Alastair
- On the same lists
Despite the similarity in name, there's little to connect Tales of Pawan Kor and our previous list item. This world is very clearly high fantasy, with beautifully detailed creatures, religions,...
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28. Villains By Necessity
by Forward, Eve
- On the same lists
Good has triumphed over evil, but things are not perfect. This is the story of the last assassin
The examination of morality is a common theme in assassin novels, but none do it quite like Eve Forward's Villains by Necessity. The author takes the concept and turns it...
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29. Fallen Blade
by Mccullough, Kelly
- On the same lists
The subject of McCullough's Fallen Blade series is fairly obvious from the title, yet the series has more depth than you may expect. The opening sucks the reader into the...
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30. In The Lion Of Cairo
by Oden, Scott
- On the same lists
History and fantasy nuts should find an amazing middle ground with The Lion of Cairo. It's set between the Second and Third Crusade, and it's clear Oden has done his...
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 Best Served Cold.
The shortlist
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