Books like The Magicians
30 fantasy books to read after The Magicians, by Grossman, Lev, the closest match first.
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The Magicians book 2
1. The Magician King
by Grossman, Lev
- Same series
- Same author
Lev Grossman’s new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD will be on sale July 2024 Return to Fillory in the riveting sequel to the New York Times bestseller and literary phenomenon, The...
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The Magicians book 3
2. The Magician's Land
by Grossman, Lev
- Same series
- Same author
Lev Grossman’s new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD is out now! The stunning #1 New York Times bestselling conclusion to the Magicians trilogy A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE...
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3. The Magicians
by Grossman, Lev
- Same author
The Magicians trilogy is a series that's been critically acclaimed and rates very high on our own Top 25 Best Fantasy Books list. It's a trilogy that's perhaps divisive --...
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4. 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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5. Magician's Land
by Grossman, Lev
- Same author
When The Magicians (the first in the trilogy) was released a few years ago, it received wide critical acclaim from magazines, newspapers and high-brow critics, but was (somewhat) panned by...
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6. The Bright Sword
by Grossman, Lev
- Same author
Collum, a young and talented knight from the middle of nowhere, travels to Camelot to join the Round Table and meet King Arthur. He arrives two weeks too late: Arthur...
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The Dark Tower book 7
7. The Dark Tower
by King, Stephen
- On the same lists
The multiverse, parrellel universes, and a gun slinger that can save the multiverse. What more can you ask for? The Dark Tower is the single body of work that ties together every book ever created by King. Read it.
"The Dark Tower" is a series of books by Stephen King that blends elements of multiple genres, including horror, western, fantasy, and science fiction. The series follows the quest of...
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8. 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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9. 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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Ghormenghast book 2
10. 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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Under Heaven book 1 Start here
11. Under Heaven
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
An alternate ancient china told with the majesty of one of fantasy's best wordsmiths.
On paper, this is the perfect setup for a grand fantasy novel: Guy Gavriel Kay (Tigana, The Fionavar Tapestry, Lions of Al-Rassan) applies his considerable literary talent to crafting an...
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Dresden Files book 1 Start here
12. 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 1 Start here
13. A Wizard Of Earthsea
by Guin, Ursula K. Le
- On the same lists
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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14. 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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15. 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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16. 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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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
17. 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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18. 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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The Divine Cities book 1 Start here
19. City Of Stairs
by Bennett, Robert Jackson
- On the same lists
Robert Jackson Bennett is one of the most talented writers in the genre but who has, for whatever reason, been mostly overlooked by the average reader. His best book (in...
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20. 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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21. Chronicles Of Amber
by Zelazny, Roger
- On the same lists
A 10 book chronicle--these stories combine other worlds, magical elements, mystery, shadow, and science.
The Amber Chronicles is a complex blend of genres and plot. It starts like a murder mystery, drawing the reader in, then it moves on to a mixture of sci-fi...
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22. 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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23. Farseer Trilogy
by Hobb, Robin
- On the same lists
Robin Hobb has received significant praise for her Realm of the Elderlings world, which spans four series and several other short works. However, among that epic list, The Farseer Trilogy...
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24. The Kingkiller Chronicles
by Rothfuss, Patrick
- On the same lists
A world that is vast, fantastical, and strongly rooted in logical world-building—it is a trilogy and biography of a famous musician and adventurer.
If you haven't heard of The Kingkiller Chronicles by now, you'll want to pick it up as soon as possible. Rothfuss' award-winning series took the genre by storm in 2007...
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25. 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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26. The Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy
by Kay, Guy Gavriel
- On the same lists
In this trilogy some University of Toronto graduates are transported from a Celtic conference to a magical world where they must against the darkness.
Gavriel Kay's Fionavar is an ode to J.R.R. Tolkien, building on his life as an editorial assistant to his son, Christopher. Kay was instrumental in the publication of the legend's...
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27. The Color Of Magic
by Pratchett, Terry
- On the same lists
A huge series, these books are part of the Comic Fantasy sub-genre. It parodies and is influenced by canonical authors like Tolkien, Lovecraft, and Shakespeare in addition to folklore, mythology, and fairy tales.
What would a list of best fantasy books be without mentioning Terry? Not that Brooks dude who wrote an entire series about glowing pebbles. The other one. The funny one....
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The Book Of The New Sun book 1 Start here
28. 1981: The Shadow Of The Torturer
by Wolfe, Gene
- On the same lists
The sun has dimmed, the Earth is cooler and has been transformed in wondrous ways.
'The Shadow of the Torturer' is the first book in Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. Narrated by Severian, a member of the Guild of Torturers, the...
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29. The Coldfire Trilogy
by Friedman, C.s.
- On the same lists
Influenced by Isaac Asimov, the magical force in these novels is derived from natural forces and governed by consistent rules, a force that humans must learn to control.
There are few things harder to control than emotion and this makes magic in The Cold Firetrilogy immensely difficult. The planet Erna is controlled by a force known as the...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
30. 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...
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 Magicians.
The shortlist
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