Books like Earthsea Cycle
30 fantasy books to read after Earthsea Cycle, by Guin, Ursula K. Le, the closest match first.
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1. The Gentleman Bastards
by Lynch, Scott
- On the same lists
This starts off decidedly on a non-epic note: a band of thieves go about robbing the rich to...live lavishly and just because they can. There is not great evil to...
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2. Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- On the same lists
A fantasy tale that people love to love or love to hate -- there is very rarely any middle ground when it comes to Thomas Covenant. My recommendation is that...
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Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn book 2
3. Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn
by Williams, Tad
- On the same lists
There are writers who like to write pulp and there are some writers who like to write fiction. Williams is the latter. Memory, Sorrow, Thorn. This series has made pretty...
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4. The Dark Is Rising Sequence
by Cooper, Susan
- On the same lists
The setting is our world, but rooted in a mythological Celtic past.
One of the best YA epic fantasy series. Well-developed characters that are stereotypical but still exhibit a surprising amount of depth. A standard save-the-world plot, but one that still evokes...
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5. Guards Guards
by Pratchett, Terry
- On the same lists
The eighth novel of the Discworld series. A noble dragon, some magic, and a bit of mayhem make for an adventurous and humorous ride.
What best list would be complete without throwing on something funny: a book that fully critiques the very archetype carrying the story forward. If you were to toss in Terry...
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The Swans' War book 1 Start here
6. The Swan's War
by Russell, Sean
- On the same lists
A beautiful and deftly woven fantasy tale that rings strong with a lot of the elements that make Lord of the Rings so captivating.Why might you want to read this?...
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Shadowmarch book 1 Start here
7. Shadowmarch
by Williams, Tad
- On the same lists
Epic fantasy has become so cheap it's now at the dime-a-dozen price range. Every author and wannabe-author is trying to pour out epics faster than beer at a Irish pub...
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8. Oath Of Empires Saga
by Harlan, Thomas
- On the same lists
This is epic fantasy with a face you've never seen before. The series centers on an alternative Rome where magic works. And like the real Rome, this Rome is a...
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9. The Folding Knife
by Parker, K. J.
- On the same lists
One of the more complex fantasy works on this list, The Folding Knife is another one of those epics that don't initially made the standard epic fantasy criteria until you...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 1 Start here
10. A Wizard Of Earthsea
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- Same author
Today, Ursula K. Le Guin’s magic system may not sound exceptional. Like many, it uses the knowledge of true names to control elements, creatures, and even humans. Consider, however, that...
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11. 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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12. Imajica
by Barker, Clive
- On the same lists
Barker's vast, strange epic of rival worlds and a sorcerer's quest, horror on the scale of high fantasy.
You might also call this one The Lord of the Rings of horror books -- a somewhat apt description that describes what this is. It's not a book that will...
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13. The Kingkiller Chronicle
by Rothfuss, Patrick
- On the same lists
The Name of the Wind is a stunning work of imagination and storytelling triumph and currently ranks very near the top of my Top 25 Best Fantasy List. I won't...
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14. The Chronicles Of The Unhewn Throne
by Staveley, Brian
- On the same lists
A new epic fantasy series that just hits pitch perfect notes. This is really one of the best new fantasy series to come out the past decade.There's royal siblings separated...
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15. Boreal Moon Trilogy
by May, Julian
- On the same lists
A High fantasy series that's never gotten the love it deserves. I read this series a few years ago and was thoroughly addicted. Lots of politics, fighting, strange magic, and...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
16. Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
This epic fantasy series is quite a bit different from your standard fantasy fare. If you want an epic military fantasy series where good and bad are not so clearly...
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17. The Killing Moon
by Jemisin, N. K.
- On the same lists
A series that's immensely well written and one that takes quite a few of the epic fantasy archetypes and runs away with them in a slightly new direction.Expect complex politics,...
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18. Man Of His Word
by Duncan, Dave
- On the same lists
A beloved fantasy series by all who've read it, though few modern fantasy readers have read it. This is probably one of the best hidden epic fantasy gems out there...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 2
19. The Tombs Of Atuan
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- 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
20. The Farthest Shore
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- 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
21. Tehanu
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- 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
22. Tales From Earthsea
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- 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
23. 2002: The Other Wind
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- 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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24. 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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25. The Traitor Son Cycle
by Cameron, Miles
- On the same lists
Epic fantasy meets medieval historical fiction.And about fucking time.No more cutting off heads with butter knives, riding days in full plate armor without feeling a scratch of discomfort, fighting for...
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The Death Gate Cycle book 1 Start here
26. Dragon Wing
by Weis, Margaret
- On the same lists
The Death Gate Cycle
The Death Gate Cycle has been praised endlessly for its world-building, so it’s no surprise that an incredible magic system backs it up. Humans are split into two races, the...
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27. Sword Of Shadows
by Jones, J. V.
- On the same lists
I can't say enough good things about this amazing fantasy series except that the author has gone completely AWOL and, as of 2015, looks like she's pretty much abandoned writing...
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28. The Long Price Quartet
by Abraham, Daniel
- On the same lists
This is NOT your standard epic fantasy. But oh man, there's a lot to love about this one. If you want to take a much needed break from the standard...
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29. The Wheel Of Time
by Jordan, Robert
- On the same lists
This award winning magical realism novel creates a complex world that is literal and magical, that has a history of unrest, and chronicles human experience.
The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave...
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30. Abhorsen Trilogy
by Nix, Garth
- On the same lists
A dark epic fantasy tale about a girl who will go into the land of the dead to save her father. It's an exciting adventure that's also scary. Nix is...
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 Earthsea Cycle.
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