Books like Lord Foul's Bane
30 fantasy books to read after Lord Foul's Bane, by Donaldson, Stephen R., the closest match first.
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1. Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
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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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 2
2. The Illearth War
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
“The Thomas Covenant saga . . . will certainly find a place on the small list of true classics in its specialized field.”—The Washington Post Book World After scant days...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 3
3. The Power That Preserves
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
“A trilogy of remarkable scope and sophistication.”—Los Angeles Times Twice before Thomas Covenant had been summoned to the strange otherworld where magic worked. Twice before he had been forced to...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 4
4. The Wounded Land
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
Ten years after Thomas Covenant's adventures in the Land, Dr Linden Avery has taken a job at the hospital in his home town. Covenant is pulled back into the Land...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 5
5. The One Tree
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
“The hottest fantasy writer since J.R.R. Tolkien!”—The Washington Post Thomas Covenant, accompanied by Linden Avery, begins his search for the One Tree aboard the giantship Starfare's Gem. Armed with the...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 6
6. White Gold Wielder
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
White Gold Wielder: the stunning conclusion to Stephen Donaldson's extraordinary fantasy saga Thomas Covenant realized that despite their awful failure on the Isle of The One Tree, there was no...
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 7
7. The Runes Of The Earth
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
New York Times bestselling author Stephen R. Donaldson presents the first novel of the four-volume finale to the series that’s become a modern fantasy classic: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant....
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The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 8
8. Fatal Revenant
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- Same series
- Same author
A sequel to The Runes of the Earth finds Linden Avery returning to the Land in search of her kidnapped mentally ill son, whom she discovers fully healed and at...
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The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
9. 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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10. 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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11. The First Law
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
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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12. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
A grand and epic series with a huge cast of characters with epic battles, sieges, mages, and carnage.
Steven Eriksen has been both lauded and criticized for his extreme detail, and that extends to his magic system. In Malazan, magic comes from warrens, a realm from which mages...
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The Prince Of Nothing book 1 Start here
13. 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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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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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
15. The Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
An elite mercenary unit is the focus of this series. It is a mix of fantasy, gritty realism, and military fiction. It is often cited as an inspiration for the Grimdark sub-genre.
In an era when fantasy was about honorable farm boys with magic swords and a noble destiny, Glen Cook said 'fuck that mess; let's have some amoral pricks doing bad...
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Elric book 1 Start here
16. Elric Of Melnibone
by Moorcock, Michael
- On the same lists
The first of the Elric Saga, this novel is signficant because the protagonist is a magic user and a bit frail—not quite the typical Sword and Sorcery hero.
Elric is the prince of a dying race, a pale, morose champion of right, despite the cards stacked against him. He's a physical weakling who needs to take drugs and...
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17. The Prince Of Nothing
by Bakker, R. Scott
- On the same lists
In a world saturated by religious fanaticism, Maithanet, enigmatic spiritual leader of the Thousand Temples, declares a Holy War against the infidels. Ikurei Conphas, military genius and nephew to the...
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Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn book 1 Start here
18. Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn
by Williams, Tad
- On the same lists
Epic fantasy with attention to characters and details.
Tad Williams' series was the source of inspiration for many of the titles on the listand some outside of it. Authors like R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and more all cite...
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Vlad Taltos book 1 Start here
19. Jhereg
by Brust, Steven
- On the same lists
The genius of this series lies in the exquisite character development – especially in relation to the hero, Vlad Taltos. We're accustomed to rooting for anti-heroes these days, (Hi, Dexter...
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Ghormenghast book 2
20. Gormenghast
by Peake, Mervyn
- On the same lists
The first real Fantasy of Manners series and is set in a Byzantium kingdom rife with intrigue, treachery, manipulation and murder.
A startling work of imagination that will evoke feeling when you read it. Reading Gormenghast is like feasting your eyes on a masterfully drawn painting -- you might not always...
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Gentleman Bastards book 1 Start here
21. 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...
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Lyonesse book 1 Start here
22. Lyonesse
by Vance, Jack
- On the same lists
If you were to open a copy of Lyonesse and give it a good shake, a bunch of (very annoyed) fairies would fall out. Because they're everywhere in this book....
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23. Riddle-master Trilogy
by Mckillip, Patricia A.
- On the same lists
This trilogy offers another refreshing take on traditional coming of age stories. Often in fantasy, magic is seen as a way out for the protagonist. It lets them move away...
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The Red Queen's War book 1 Start here
24. Prince Of Fools
by Lawrence, Mark
- On the same lists
This first entry into the Red Queen's War trilogy is about a layabout, womanizing, alcoholic prince. He's also just funny enough not to think he's an utter bastard. Okay, he's...
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Manifest Delusions book 1 Start here
25. Beyond Redemption
by Fletcher, Michael R.
- On the same lists
In a world where belief defines reality, the world could be a paradise, right? Not in Fletcher's world of Manifest Delusions, where corpses line the streets and narcissists spawn false...
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The Crimson Empire book 1 Start here
26. A Crown For Cold Silver
by Marshall, Alex
- On the same lists
The Crimson Empire trilogy, of which there are two instalments published at the time of writing, is one of the best additions to darker fantasy in recent years. It's the...
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Mythago Wood book 1 Start here
27. 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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28. 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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29. 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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Watch book 1 Start here
30. Night Watch
by Lukyanenko, Sergei
- On the same lists
The unusual Moscow setting of Night Watch is echoed by its magic system. Lukyanenko’s contemporary world is inhabited by both humans and ‘Others’, supernatural beings who can attune to Dark...
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 Lord Foul's Bane.
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