2005: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Books like 2005: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
30 fantasy books to read after 2005: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Clarke, Susanna, the closest match first.
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1. Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell
by Clarke, Susanna
- Same author
This highly regarded novel is something magical: the story of two magician friends -- both who want to restart English magic after a magic-less dormancy of several hundred years --...
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2. Piranesi
by Clarke, Susanna
- Same author
From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality.Piranesi's house is no ordinary building; its...
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3. 1982: Little, Big
by Crowley, John
- On the same lists
The story revolves around Smoky Barnable, a nebulous sort of bloke, who falls in love with a tall and delicate woman. Completely besotted, he chooses to suspend his beliefs in...
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4. Lord Of The Rings
by Tolkien, J.r.r.
- On the same lists
Do I even need to discuss it? The father of modern fantasy, the recreation of the English myth, an apex of English literature; Lord of the Rings is more than...
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5. Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- On the same lists
Hobb is one of the best characterization writers in the Fantasy genre. Her characters are vividly real, leaping out of the pages into our minds as living characters. She has...
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6. Fafhrd And The Gray Mouser
by Leiber, Fritz
- On the same lists
Often referred to as 'the greatest fantasy author you've never read' by some. And sadly true.But if you've read any modern sword and sorcery with dark themes, complex characters, strong...
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7. Legend
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
The first of the Drenai Saga introduces readers to Druss, a legendary hero who awaits death and can kick your cushy behind.
If you like stories about grand heroes who stand up for the downtrodden, who fight for a righteous cause, then Legend is a shining beacon of this sort of fantasy....
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8. The Way Of Kings
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
The Stormlight Archive has for better or worse become the poster-boy for where (classic) epic fantasy is going. It's the evolution of the Tolkien-style fantasy -- a fantasy that was...
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9. The Night Circus
by Morgenstern, Erin
- On the same lists
There are two types of fantasy readers. Those who feast on action-packed epic struggles for kingdoms, glory, and maybe to save the world from certain destruction from inimical forces. And...
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10. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
by Jemisin, N. K.
- On the same lists
First book in The Inheritance Trilogy, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms centers on the novel's narrator, Yeine, granddaughter of the ruler of the world. Yeine suddenly is named heir to this...
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11. 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...
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12. Neverwhere
by Gaiman, Neil
- On the same lists
An example of the crossover between Urban Fantasy and Crossworlds. An ordinary man is transported to a world of shadows and darkness and must make his way home.
Most (all?) of Gaiman’s works are urban fantasy. The crowd favorite is Neverwhere, which is an interesting take on the whole multiverse conceit found in science fiction. The premise is...
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13. 1998: The Physiognomy
by Ford, Jeffrey
- On the same lists
Welcome to the Well-Built City where Cley is the perfect judge and jury. He is a reliable mediator between life and death because he has been extensively trained in physiognomy...
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14. 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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15. 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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Mythago Wood book 1 Start here
16. Mythago Wood
by Holdstock, Robert
- On the same lists
There are many novels and novellas in this cycle which take place in a forest that has been untouched since the last ice age. It is a labyrinth, a place of peril and living myths.
'Unique' is a vastly overused word. It has about as much meaning as Kim K's twitter feed. But in the case of Mythago Wood, it's warranted. Firstly, Holdstock tells the...
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The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
17. Heroes Die
by Stover, Matthew Woodring
- On the same lists
A novel about two worlds that blends Science Fiction and Fantasy. An action packed adventure filled with real danger, sorcery, and a complex social system.
The Acts of Caine series takes adventure fantasy and drags it sixteen miles through the mud, and then tortures what's left. In a dystopian future, humanity has discovered a way...
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18. The Worm Ouroboros
by Eddision, E. R.
- On the same lists
If there was an award given out for the Most Influential Fantasy Novel Ever Written That No One Ever Reads, this book would get it. The book tells a stylized...
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19. 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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Dresden Files book 1 Start here
20. Storm Front
by Butcher, Jim
- On the same lists
A crime version of the Urban Fantasy sub-genre. Harry Dresden is a wizard and a private investigator
Harry Dresden is a wizard. He has decided to use his power to solve minor crimes to make a living, so he opens up his own private eye firm, the...
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The Earthsea Cycle book 6
21. 2002: The Other Wind
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- On the same lists
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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22. 1991: Thomas The Rhymer
by Kushner, Ellen
- On the same lists
Thomas is a young and flashy balladeer who follows the various courts of the mighty while preserving a friendship with a farming couple and flirting with their pretty neighbor. Thomas...
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23. 2014: A Stranger In Olondria
by Samatar, Sofia
- On the same lists
A stranger in Olondria follows Jevick the 2nd son of an influential trader from the city of Tyom. Even though he was born and grew up in the Tea Islands,...
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24. 2013: Alif The Unseen
by Wilson, G. Willow
- On the same lists
Alif is the screen name of a hacker in an unnamed totalitarian Middle Eastern state. Alif's clients are a diverse group of rebels -- pornographers, bloggers, Islamists, activists -- who...
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25. 2012: Osama
by Tidhar, Lavie
- On the same lists
Joe is a typically average private investigator who lives in Southeast Asia. The only real difference is that Joe's world, terrorist attacks like 9-11 never actually happened. Instead, they're simply...
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26. 2011: Who Fears Death
by Okorafor, Nnedi
- On the same lists
In a post-apocalyptic Sudan, technology has fallen and sorcery flourishes. But the hatred between peoples and cultures still exists. Onyesonwu was a child conceived from a brutal rape. Her mother...
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27. 2010: The City & The City
by Miéville, China
- On the same lists
Imagine two cities that share the exact same geographic space, but do not interact with one another under any circumstances. Unless the government authorities grant permission, that is. If citizens...
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28. 2008: Ysabel
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
Ned is Fifteen, and spending the year with his father in France. He just met a cute girl named Kate. He really should be having a real good time. Unfortunately,...
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29. 2007: Soldier Of Sidon
by Wolfe, Gene
- On the same lists
This is the third book of Gene Wolfe's Soldier series. The story continues the story of the life of Latro, a soldier who forgets every day, and is forced to...
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30. 2006: Kafka On The Shore
by Murakami, Haruki
- On the same lists
This remarkable book tells the story of Kafka Tamura and Nakata. Kafka is a tough fifteen-year-old who, after running away from his father in Tokyo, begins a journey to a...
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 2005: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
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