Books like The Broken Sword
30 fantasy books to read after The Broken Sword, by Anderson, Poul, the closest match first.
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1. Bartemaus
by Stroud, Jonathan
- On the same lists
This series follows a magician in training and Bartimaeus, a 5,000 year old djinni (who has quite the wit).
In a genre that's collapsing under the weight of cloned Tolkien worlds, hackneyed plots, and stick-thin characters, it's hard to find something new and interesting. That is until you read...
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2. Nos4r2
by Hill, Joe
- On the same lists
One of those weird trips into a nightmare land that you want to wake up from but can't. NOS4R2 reads with the same style and power of Stephen King horror...
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3. The Lightbringer Trilogy
by Weeks, Brent
- On the same lists
A recent epic fantasy trilogy, but one of the most exciting epic fantasy series the past decade. The Lightbringer has probably the most unique magic system I've seen yet in...
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4. World Without End
by Russell, Sean
- On the same lists
Sean Russell writes books for people who like to read. Ponderous, slow, and often steeped in mystery, his worlds are rich with characterization and plot. His "Moontide and Magic" is...
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5. Forgotten Beasts Of Eld
by Mckillip, Patricia A.
- On the same lists
An endearing modern classic that won the World Fantasy Award, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a powerful tale about a good young sorceress who is wronged because of man's...
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6. A Song For Arbonne
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
An Historical Fantasy that focuses on the clash between two cultures and features intrigue, romance, mystery, revenge and redemption.
A book that's powerful in the beauty of its lyrical prose, the powerful descriptions, and the deep characters. This is a book that has more in common with pure historical...
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7. 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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8. The Broken Sword
by Anderson, Poul
- Same author
The Broken Sword explores what happens when a human child is exchanged at birth and taken and raised by the elves. It is a solid bit of writing and a...
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9. Tigana
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
Tigana is based on Renaissance Italy. Kay uses Italian politics to make the story seem plausible.
Tigana is both a sweeping epic and a look into human nature – flaws and all. The characters and plot exist in an area of grey where good and evil...
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10. 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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11. The Curse Of Chalion
by Bujold, Lois Mcmaster
- On the same lists
Lois McMaster Bujold is famous for her very atypical characters. She demonstrated this with her Miles Vorkosigan character, and she does the same thing with the Curse of Chalion. The...
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12. Good Omens
by Gaiman, Neil
- On the same lists
A sushi-loving angel, a gearhead demon and Death as a gamer nerd. Do we even need to be a plot?Why it's on this listSometimes fantasy (and its audience) takes itself...
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13. The Princess Bride
by Goldman, William
- On the same lists
A cult classic both on the page and in film, this story is full of romance, sword fights, comedy, true love, miracles, pirates, princesses, wild beasts, and a good dash of wit. An entertaining read worth every moment.
If you've never said, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”, you're about as rare as a swear word at Hogwarts. Part of the reason...
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14. Talion: Revenant
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
List more than a few entries on this Top 100 list, Talion is a completely underrated fantasy book. Stackapole is a prolific author, writing everything from Star Wars novels, video...
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15. Elantris
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
This fantasy fiction novel will suck you in. Elantris is one of the best standalone fantasy books in the genre. It's about addictive as chocolate and a whole lot healthier!...
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16. 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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17. 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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18. 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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19. 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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20. The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz
by Baum, L. Frank
- On the same lists
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Another classic quest story about a young girl who just wants to go home.
A true classic and not at all like the movie. Because of the popularity of the movie, many assume the book and the movie are the same; but this is...
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21. The Etched City
by Bishop, K.j.
- On the same lists
The Etched city was formed from the love union between Stephen King and China Mieville. If you want a more complex fantasy novel with a good dose of the bizarre,...
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22. 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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23. Hrolf Kraki's Saga
by Anderson, Poul
- Same author
A retelling of the legendary 6th century Danish king Hrolf Kraki. Anderson draws from a diverse array of source material, including mythological poems.
A retelling of the legendary 6th century Danish king Hrolf Kraki. Anderson draws from a diverse array of source material, including mythological poems.
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24. 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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25. Conan The Barbarian
by Howard, Robert E.
- On the same lists
Conan – the name conjures up images of swords, bare chests, sweat, blood and lots of furs (like a non-campy version of Dolf Lungren's He-Man). It's hard to believe that...
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26. Devices And Desires
by Parker, K. J.
- On the same lists
KJ Parker is a highly underrated author. His (or her...the author writes under a pseudonym) books are not the normal fantasy fare. Expect complicated characters, moral ambiguity, deep themes, and...
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27. The Broken Sword
by Anderson, Poul
- Same author
The Broken Sword tells the story of a human baby stolen at birth and raised by elves. It is a rock-solid bit of writing and a truly fantastic dark fantasy...
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The Monarchies Of God book 1 Start here
28. Hawkwood's Voyage
by Kearney, Paul
- On the same lists
One of the best undiscovered epic fantasy series out there a sort of A Song of Ice and Fire lite if you will. Yes, if you want to look at...
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29. Long Price Quartet
by Abraham, Daniel
- On the same lists
Western settings. Farm boys. Spoilt rich kids. Often, coming of age fantasy hits you over the head with unsubtle interactions and world-building. Abraham's Long Price Quartet does not fit into...
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Thursday Next book 1 Start here
30. The Eyre Affair
by Fforde, Jasper
- On the same lists
Imagine an alternate world where the world of books and people collide. It does in this delightful series by Jasper Fforde. I could spend the next 10,000 words trying to...
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 The Broken Sword.
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