Books like The Ten Thousand
25 fantasy books to read after The Ten Thousand, by Kearney, Paul, the closest match first.
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The Macht book 2
1. Corvus
by Kearney, Paul
- Same series
- Same author
“A satisfying read from a masterful stylist, this will appeal to any fan of nature writing or personal essays.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) Ever since her daughter rescued a fledgling...
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The Macht book 3
2. Kings Of Morning
by Kearney, Paul
- Same series
- Same author
Astalus has returned. He has found an Eldric spell book and, in particular, a spell to summon dragons. The allies march north to confront the Trosgarth’s growing might. Warrior priests...
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3. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
This ten volume series is complex and epic in scope with nonlinear storylines.
This book nearly tops the Best Fantasy Books list and a number of other lists on this site; it would be an injustice to omit this series here as well,...
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The Ascendants Of Estorea book 1 Start here
4. The Cry Of The Newborn
by Barclay, James
- On the same lists
Barclay's series presents large scale, detailed battles in setting that is more realistic. This series begins as an empire gears up for war and magic is just being discovered.
Epic war fantasy where there is a clear sense of black and white. For some, this may be a breath of fresh air from all the gritty, shades-of-grey type fantasy...
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5. The Company
by Littell, Robert
- On the same lists
Not your typical military fantasy fare, but a compelling if different read. It’s a story about a half-dozen ex-soldiers who are veterans of some of the worst battles of the...
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6. The Dragoncrown War Cycle
by Stackpole, Michael A.
- On the same lists
An almost painful amount of battle scenes and gore, to the point where reading yet another description about how a goblin’s head was mashed to pulp by a sword loses...
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The Seer King book 1 Start here
7. The Seer King
by Bunch, Chris
- On the same lists
Two words describe this series: Love and War. A flawed work as a whole, but certainly an exciting, ambitious one, and the flaws are in many ways compensated by the...
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8. Monarchies Of God
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
A lot of people call Kearney's Monarchies of God 'A Game of Thrones Lite.' And for the most part, this is true. There are a five books (each only a...
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Drenai Tales book 1 Start here
9. Legend
by Gemmell, David
- On the same lists
Gemmell specializes in heroic fantasy. His best book is widely regarded as Legend. Legend doesn’t try to be anything but what it is: a heroic adventure with lots of blood,...
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10. Vampire Earth
by Knight, E.e.
- On the same lists
Humans have been conquered and now the vampires rule. That’s the premise of E.E. Knight’s wonderful Vampire Earth series. Vampire Earth is a skillful blending of different genres. It's one...
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11. Deed Of Paksenarrion
by Moon, Elizabeth
- On the same lists
Heroic military fantasy starring woman? This is the premise of Deed of Paksenarrion, following the exploits of a woman who rises above her station to become a legend. This novel...
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12. Ash: A Secret History
by Gentle, Mary
- On the same lists
A gritty, realistic story that is also a part Military Fantasy; set in medieval France.
Ash: A Secret History is one of the few novels on this list with ties to the present world, framed from the start and throughout as a story a historian...
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The Monarchies Of God book 1 Start here
13. Hawkwood's Voyage
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
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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The Monarchies Of God book 2
14. The Heretic Kings
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
Warder John Willoby is being pulled between worlds, disappearing for minutes at a time from the prison and appearing in the midst of a makeshift medieval encampment before tumbling back....
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The Monarchies Of God book 3
15. The Iron Wars
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
ALL IS CHANGE... Struck down in his moment of victory, Hebrion’s young King Abeleyn lies in a coma, his city in ruins and his fiancee and former lover vying for...
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The Monarchies Of God book 4
16. The Second Empire
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
The last Torunnan army stands in front of the walls of its capital, as the army of the Merduk Sultan gathers to crush its neighbour. King Abeleyn of Hebrion is...
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The Monarchies Of God book 5
17. Ships From The West
by Kearney, Paul
- Same author
Sixteen years after the battle of Armagedir, Torunna and the Merduk Empire are allies and the Himerian Church controls most of the continent. Only Hebrion, Torunna and Ostrabar are ruled...
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18. Tyrants And Kings
by Marco, John
- On the same lists
Military fantasy with some great characterization, gray characters, and a lot of plot twists the whole way through. The author takes great pains to create most characters as morally ambiguous...
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Temeraire book 1 Start here
19. His Majesty's Dragon
by Novik, Naomi
- On the same lists
This series explores a post-colonial world and both sides have their faults.
The Napoleonic Wars seem to be an especially fascinating era for writers; this series is the second on the list set in this time period at the turn of the...
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First Law World book 5
20. The Heroes
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as Abercrombie himself describes it this way: "Three men. One battle. No heroes." It was designed to be a standalone novel, but is set...
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21. 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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22. 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
23. 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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Codex Alera book 1 Start here
24. Furies Of Calderon
by Butcher, Jim
- On the same lists
What happens to soldiers after the war is fought? This book tells the story of five veterans and some secrets too.
Most of theitems on this list made it thanks to their unique ideas. Instead, Codex Alera takes a system familiar to millions of children. While many authors claim inspiration from...
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The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
25. 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 Ten Thousand.
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