Books like The Stormlight Archive
30 fantasy books to read after The Stormlight Archive, by Sanderson, Brandon, the closest match first.
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The Stormlight Archive book 2
1. Words Of Radiance
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same series
- Same author
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began. Expected...
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2. The Stormlight Archive
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same series
- Same author
If you like your epic fantasy big in the style of Wheel of Time, the closest you'll find to that style is The Storm Light Archive -- written by the...
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3. Skybreaker
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same series
- Same author
A legendary ghost ship. An incredible treasure. A death-defying adventure. Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries...
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The Stormlight Archive book 3
4. Oathbringer: Book Three Of The Stormlight Archive
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same series
- Same author
The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Words of Radiance, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson at the top of his game.In Oathbringer, the third volume...
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Reckoners book 1 Start here
5. Steelheart
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same author
- On the same lists
While Sanderson excels at writing âepicâ fantasy, Steelheartwas a pleasant surprise. Sanderson takes on the âsuperheroâ fantasy genre andwrites a uniquely compelling tale about a band of ordinary humans whospecialize...
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Mistborn book 1 Start here
6. Mistborn
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same author
- 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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7. The Rithamatist
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same author
- 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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Mistborn book 1 Start here
8. Mistborn
by Sanderson, Brandon
- Same author
- On the same lists
Though Sanderson's main criticism is a lack of character depth, it's hard to deny the satisfying coming of age stories in Mistborn. The novel describes a classic rags-to-riches story, Vin...
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9. 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 Death Gate Cycle book 1 Start here
10. 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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11. 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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First Law World book 5
12. 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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13. 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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14. Testament Of Youth
by Brittain, Vera
- On the same lists
Giving a voice to a lost generation, this edition features a new introduction by Brittain’s biographer. Now a major motion picture starring Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Hayley Atwell, and Taron...
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15. The Shadow Year (2009)
by Ford, Jeffrey
- On the same lists
In 1960s Long Island, a boy and his older brother Jim build Botch Town, a detailed model of their neighbourhood with clay figures for the people who live there. Their...
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16. The Demon Cycle
by Brett, Peter V.
- On the same lists
At night, Peter V. Brett’s world changes. Demons rise from the planet’s core, infused with supernatural powers and with a hunger for human flesh.Constant bombardment has knocked humans back into...
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17. 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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The Powder Mage book 1 Start here
18. 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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Codex Alera book 1 Start here
19. 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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20. 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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21. 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
22. 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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23. 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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24. The Golem And The Jinni
by Wecker, Helene
- On the same lists
This is one of the more non-traditional fantasy, literary picks on this list, but don't be scared off: The Genie and the Golem is one of the most heart-warming, touching...
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The Crescent Moon Kingdoms book 1 Start here
25. Throne Of The Crescent Moon
by Ahmed, Saladin
- On the same lists
This debut novel promises a good start to a new series. The novel is an example of the Sword and Sorcery kind of swashbuckling action.
Adventure fantasy that's unlike anything you've read before. Take the setting and wonder and magic of The Arabian Nights, mix in the modern fantasy traditions, and bake it with some...
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26. Nos4a2
by Hill, Joe
- On the same lists
A child's imagination becomes a weapon in Joe Hill's chilling tale of a car that carries children away to Christmasland.
In the tradition of Steven King, the spiritual father to Joe Hill's style of horror, NOS4A2 is a novel about the tricky space of growing up and the uncanny shit...
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27. 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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28. 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
29. 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
30. 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...
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 Stormlight Archive.
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