Books like Blood Song
30 fantasy books to read after Blood Song, by Ryan, Anthony, the closest match first.
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Raven's Shadow book 2
1. Tower Lord
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same series
- Same author
New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ryan returns to the “wonderful universe” (Fantasy Book Critic) of Blood Song, as Vaelin Al Sorna continues on his inevitable road to destiny… King...
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Raven's Shadow book 3
2. Queen Of Fire
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same series
- Same author
The thrilling conclusion to the “deftly and originally executed” (Booklist) New York Times bestselling Raven’s Shadow trilogy from the author of Blood Song and Tower Lord. After fighting back from...
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3. A Raven's Shadow
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same author
The first book in the series (The Blood Song) was a remarkable work and hailed as a successor to Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind -- both books had...
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4. Blood Song
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same author
This indie-fantasy hit all the right notes to become a worldwide best seller, launching Ryan into the stratosphere of the fantasy elite -- at least for a time.The following two...
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5. Legend
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
Drawing heavily on the culture of the ancient Norsemen, Gemmell takes familiar archetypes and crafts them into a well-told tale of sacrifice and dying well. Druss and his once-possessed axe...
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A Raven Shadow book 2
6. Tower Lord
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same author
A huge disappointment. Doing everything wrong that The Bone Song did right. The Tower Lord wasn't a bad book by any means and I'm sure many of you will still...
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A Raven Shadow book 1 Start here
7. The Blood Song
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same author
The first in the “powerful” (SFFWorld.com) New York Times bestselling fantasy series. Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate...
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8. The Waking Fire
by Ryan, Anthony
- Same author
This is Ryan's best book since his wonderful first book (The Blood Song) which took the world by storm and rang all the same bells that Patrick Rothfuss did in...
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9. The Demon Cycle
by Brett, Peter V.
- On the same lists
At night, Peter V. Brett’s world changes. Demons rise from the planet’s core, infused with supernatural powers and with a hunger for human flesh.Constant bombardment has knocked humans back into...
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The Traitor Son Cycle book 1 Start here
10. The Red Knight
by Cameron, Miles
- On the same lists
The first in its series, this book introduces readers to a mysterious character who returns from a campaign and fights for money.
The Red Knight and the Traitor Son Cycle it begins are the most historically-accurate depictions of medieval-era warfare that I've ever read. In fact, if you want to continue enjoying...
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The Powder Mage book 1 Start here
11. Powder Mage
by Mcclellan, Brian
- On the same lists
Like many books on this list, The Powder Mage Cycle doesn’t contain just one magic system. However, the one synonymous with its name stands out the most, and it’s easy...
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12. 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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13. 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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Grim Company book 1 Start here
14. The Grim Company
by Scull, Luke
- On the same lists
With 'grim' in the title, it's not hard to guess that this book is clearly camped in the grimdark sub-genre, and it hits all the right beats for gritty, amoral...
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15. 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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First Law World book 5
16. The Heroes
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
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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17. Chronicle Of The Unhewn Throne
by Staveley, Brian
- On the same lists
The emperor is dead and the empire in turmoil. With these dark scenes, Stavely’s series opens, and things don’t let up from there. A son and heir, Valyn is training...
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18. The Dagger And The Coin
by Abraham, Daniel
- On the same lists
Abraham wowed everyone with his Long Price Quartet books, a fundamentally different sort of fantasy tale that was beautifully written and character driven, very much a different fantasy than you've...
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19. 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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20. 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...
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21. Chronicles Of The Unhewn Throne
by Staveley, Brian
- On the same lists
Staveley's Unhewn Throne series presents an intelligent mash-up of three simultaneous coming of age stories. Separated for eight years, three royal children must face the fallout of the Emperor's assassination...
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Mistborn book 1 Start here
22. 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
23. 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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24. The Chronicles Of Prydain
by Alexander, Lloyd
- On the same lists
Alexander's Wales-inspired epic fantasy offers little in the way of originality when compared to the novels of today. It's a simple tale of Taran, a pig farmer who has always...
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The Wheel Of Time book 1 Start here
25. 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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The Witcher book 3
26. Blood Of Elves
by Sapkowski, Andrzej
- On the same lists
The Witcher series isn’t the first that comes to mind in this genre, especially if your knowledge is limited to the games. However, this particular title features far more training...
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Low Town book 1 Start here
27. Low Town
by Polansky, Daniel
- On the same lists
Low Town (titled the Straight-Razor Cure in the UK), is the first instalment in the Low Town series, and is a noir detective mystery transplanted to a fantasy setting. The...
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Alex Verus book 1 Start here
28. Alex Verus
by Jacka, Benedict
- On the same lists
Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka A lot of the books on this list have a similarity. They may be in wildly different settings and various fantasy worlds, but most of...
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The Lord Of The Rings book 1 Start here
29. The Hobbit
by Tolkien, J.r.r.
- On the same lists
Smaug is the classic dragon figure lying under the mountain—a scary creature who keeps the dwarves from their home and who must be defeated.
The Hobbit is one of the most well-loved fantasy novels of all time. Written by J.R.R Tolkien as a bedtime story for his children, The Hobbit is a light-hearted tale,...
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Gentleman Bastards book 1 Start here
30. The Lies Of Locke Lamora
by Lynch, Scott
- On the same lists
Not all Grimdark lacks humor. This series blends the darkness of Grimdark Fantasy with some lighter, comedic moments.
There's so much about this wonderful series that's right. From a thrilling Robin Hood caper story (think a magical Oceans 11), compelling and complex characters, deep and expansive world-building, fascinating...
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 Blood Song.
The shortlist
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