Books like Black Company
30 fantasy books to read after Black Company, by Cook, Glen, the closest match first.
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
1. The Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
- 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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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 9
2. Water Sleeps
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
The survivors of the Black Company attempt to rescue some of their cohorts, long imprisoned.
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 6
3. Dreams Of Steel
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
After the Company's defeat at Dejagore, Lady, one of the few survivors, sets out to avenge herself and the Company against the Shadowmasters, and she joins forces with an ancient...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1.5
4. Port Of Shadows
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
A lot of things happened in back rooms, dark corners and out of the way places before the civil authorities became involved. Even when a young girl walked into the...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 10
5. Soldiers Live
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
The members of the Black Company are faced with a number of old enemies, while an evil spirit, a forvalaka, attacks them at a shadowgate, igniting a chain of repercussions...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 3
6. The White Rose
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
The Selection meets The Handmaid’s Tale in the epic sequel to the New York Times bestselling author Amy Ewing’s The Jewel. Violet is on the run. She’s escaped the Duchess...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 5
7. Shadow Games
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan plunges readers into the darkest recesses of the mind as a man and a woman discover the terrifying power—and the forbidden passion—that...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 7
8. Bleak Seasons
by Cook, Glen
- Same series
- Same author
A fantasy on a band of brothers-in-arms who hire themselves out ot fight evil wizards. Their adventures take the reader on a tour of strange races and cultures.
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9. 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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10. 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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11. Lord Of The Rings
by Tolkien, J.r.r.
- On the same lists
In this classic fantasy example, Frodo and his buddies embark on a grand quest with the fate of Middle Earth at stake. During the course of the very long and physical journey, Frodo also embarks on an internal journey.
I read this when I was 9 - four times that is. Maybe I was just a kid, but I had never seen or imagined anything like this series. You...
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12. 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
13. 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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14. 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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Hyperion Cantos book 1 Start here
15. Hyperion
by Simmons, Dan
- On the same lists
So most of this series is in fact, not Dying Earth but it is a pinnacle of science fiction. The Poet's Tale: Hyperion Cantos in the first novel of Hyperion is a part of the Dying Earth sub-genre and it is the connection the readers have from Earth to the strange new universe of Hyperion.
A grand intelligent space opera tale that also tells a series of very personal tales. This juxtaposition between epic and the personal gives real life to the story. The whole...
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16. The City & The City
by Miéville, China
- On the same lists
A startling premise that was so foreign yet so fascinating. This is a detective novel like you've never read, with such a distinct setting that you'll never forget it. And...
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17. Armor
by Steakley, John
- On the same lists
Some of best battlefield action scenes I’ve ever read. You literally feel the rush of adrenaline, the shock, confusion, and horror of the battlefield. There is literally never, ever a...
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18. The Road
by Mccarthy, Cormac
- On the same lists
A father and son walk a burned-out America toward the sea, in McCarthy's bleak and beautiful end-of-the-world novel.
robably one of the most depressing books I’ve read in my life. Oh yes, it’s well written, brilliant maybe, and all that. However, this book stripped all hope away and...
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19. 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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20. Earthsea Cycle
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- On the same lists
Another fantasy series that crops up near the top of many best fantasy lists. Earthsea Cycle is a classic fantasy tale well done. While it doesn't rack up a sizable...
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The Swans' War book 1 Start here
21. 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
22. 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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23. 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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24. 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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25. 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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26. 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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27. 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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28. 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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29. 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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30. 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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