Books like The Runelords
30 fantasy books to read after The Runelords, by Farland, David, the closest match first.
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1. The Rune Lords
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
From Publishers WeeklyThe breathless third installment of Farland's second Runelords quartet opens with the cliffhanger from 2007's Sons of the Oak: flameweaver wizard Fallion Orden, son of the Earth King,...
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Runelords book 2
2. Brotherhood Of The Wolf
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
Volume Two of The Runelords Raj Ahtan, ruler of Indhopal, has used enough forcibles to transform himself into the ultimate warrior: The Sum of All Men. Ahtan seeks to bring...
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Runelords book 3
3. Wizardborn
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
Book Three of The Runelords Certain works of fantasy are immediately recognizable as monuments, towering above the rest of the category. Authors of those works, such as Stephen R. Donaldson,...
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Runelords book 4
4. The Lair Of Bones
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
Gaborn's kingdom of Mystarria is in ruins, four powerful kings move to seize its territory, and an army of Reavers rises from the underworld to destroy humanity. The wizardborn Averan...
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Runelords book 5
5. Sons Of The Oak
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
The death of the supernatural Earth King, Gaborn, sets off a revolution by powerful immortal beings who are targeting Gaborn's son Fallion.
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Runelords book 6
6. Worldbinder
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
The bestselling epic breaks new ground After the events of Sons of the Oak, Fallion and Jaz, the sons of the great Earth King Gaborn, are living as fugitives in...
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Runelords book 7
7. Chaosbound
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
The world has been fused with a parallel one, with great destruction: lands have sunk beneath the sea and mountains have risen from it. Borenson and Myrrima set out to...
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8. A Tale Of Tales
by Farland, David
- Same series
- Same author
A rollicking, bawdy collection of 50 fairy tales told by 10 storytellers over five days follows the compilation efforts of 17th-century Italian poet Giambattista Basile and traces the experiences of...
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Magic Ex Libris book 1 Start here
9. Libriomancer
by Hines, Jim C.
- On the same lists
Many feel a sense of wonder when they’re absorbed in a novel, but in Libromancerthis feelingtakes on a physical form. Mages are able to reach into works of fiction and...
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The Grimnoir Chronicles book 1 Start here
10. Hard Magic
by Correia, Larry
- On the same lists
Usually, a superpower system wouldn’t make this list, but the detail and logic Coreia imbues makes it a must read. ‘Actives’ are a small, yet growing percentage of the population,...
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Dance Of The Rings book 1 Start here
11. Ring Of Lightning
by Fancher, Jane S.
- On the same lists
Though physical buildings often play their part in magic-based strategy games, they rarely make it into novels. An exception is Jane S. Fancher’s Ring Dancers series, where powerful leylines device...
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12. The Crooked Letter
by Williams, Sean
- On the same lists
Two young men on a trip to Europe, the twins Seth and Hadrian, are separated when Seth is murdered. His spirit is taken to a strange and hostile realm, while...
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13. The Books Of Change
by Williams, Sean
- On the same lists
Earth’s greatest feats of power come from nature, and this holds true in Sean Williams’ world. Magic in The Stone Mage and the Sea is stored in natural locations, built...
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14. The Magister Trilogy
by Friedman, C.s.
- On the same lists
Friedman has featured on this list already, but like all good world-builders, she has more than one idea floating around. The trilogy’s first book, Feast of Souls, ends up being...
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The Age Of Discovery book 1 Start here
15. Cartomancy
by Stackpole, Micheal A.
- On the same lists
They say it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill, but anything after that and you reach the point of diminishing returns. In Cartomancy, practice doesn’t just make perfect, it...
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16. The Horns Of Ruin
by Akers, Tim
- On the same lists
In Tim Akers’ world, the gods were once mortal. At face value, that doesn’t sound particularly interesting, but there’s a caveat. Gods become powerful by performing amazing feats, be it...
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17. Craft Sequence
by Gladstone, Max
- On the same lists
If a magic system was by alawyer, this would be it. That may sound like a boring concept, but Max Gladstone’s execution is far from it. In his urban fantasy...
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Magics book 1 Start here
18. Master Of The Five Magics
by Hardy, Lyndon
- On the same lists
With magic, it’s difficult to craft a system that’s both complex and interesting. Lydon Hardy is a master of that balance, his series inspiring Magic: The Gathering, The Name of...
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Mistborn book 1 Start here
19. Mistborn
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Brandon Sanderson is well-known for his magic systems, and Mistborn standshigh above the rest. In the Final Empire, ash falls from the sky, mist moves unnaturally through the night, and...
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20. Kingkiller Chronicle
by Rothfuss, Patrick
- On the same lists
The Kingkiller Chronicles has multiple magic systems, and the first won’t excite at first glance. As in The Wizard of Earthsea, certain magicians can create powerful magic by learning the...
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21. The Rithamatist
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
The Rithmatist’s magic system has been likened to a real-time strategy game, if it incorporated chalk, and it was a life or death situation. Rithmastists use their magic to give...
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The Death Gate Cycle book 1 Start here
22. Dragon Wing
by Weis, Margaret
- On the same lists
The Death Gate Cycle
The Death Gate Cycle has been praised endlessly for its world-building, so it’s no surprise that an incredible magic system backs it up. Humans are split into two races, the...
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23. Skullsworn
by Staveley, Brian
- On the same lists
Most magic systems have a single source. In Earthsea, it’s words, Mistborn has metals, and so on. With his worldseries, Stavely does things a little differently. Magic users, known as...
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Warbreaker book 1 Start here
24. Warbreaker
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Brandon Sanderson proves his expertise in magic once more with Warbreaker, a story of two princesses, separated and each trying to prevent a war. In theShardworld of Nathis, every individual...
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25. Sufficiently Advanced Magic
by Rowe, Andrew
- On the same lists
With his ambitious title, Andrew Rowe promises a complex magic system, and he delivers on it. Despite its status as a LitRPG, the book moves outside of traditional magic systems...
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26. The Lightbringer
by Weeks, Brent
- On the same lists
The Lightbringer series holds one of the best magic systems in fantasy, straight from the mind of Brent Weeks. It manages to be simple in concept, yet holds tons of...
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The Powder Mage book 1 Start here
27. Powder Mage
by Mcclellan, Brian
- On the same lists
Like many books on this list, The Powder Mage Cycle doesn’t contain just one magic system. However, the one synonymous with its name stands out the most, and it’s easy...
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The Saga Of Recluce book 1 Start here
28. The Saga Of Recluce
by Jr., L. E. Modesitt
- On the same lists
The Saga of Reclucedescribes a constant war between order and chaos, and its magic system is a significant part of that. Where Order is present in the molecular bonds that...
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29. The Stormlight Archive
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Understandably, some readers prefer series more epic in their nature, and Sanderson also has that covered. Though it’s magic systemsaren’t quite as compelling as in Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive is...
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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 The Runelords.
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