I highly recommend The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. Three books - The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur, tell the well known story of Arthur, Lancelot and Merlin in glorious, blood soaked detail. Same author who wrote The Last Kingdom series, which was made into an incredible Netflix show. I’m an avid fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction reader, and this series scratched an itch I didn’t know I had.
Let’s call it “magic adjacent”. The story takes place in the year 400ish so there’s a lot of mysticism and pseudoscience that aligns with classically defined magic. It’s beautifully written and captured my attention start to finish.
I loved the first two books, but the third one felt like it had to significantly alter a few characters just to reconcile Cornwell's Britain becoming the one it is today.
Not a bad thing necessarily, but the first two books portray Merlin as a clever manipulator who knew full well what his "magic" really was, and the third book seemed to turn him into a complete shuteye. Great story, but the change was strangely sudden and drastic.
Great insight. Considering this story is a tragedy, I’m not that surprised you feel this way. I thought book 3 offered the darkness and despair necessary to tell the tale. I think/hope we can both agree the series is a wild ride front to back.
I can agree with that. It might be just a feeling, but I think Cornwell may have written himself into a situation where he wanted the heroic pre-Christianized Arthurian tale while reckoning with the historical truth that, however successful he was, Christianity still wiped out the pagans in Britain.
Shogun is awesome. It's historical fiction, but it has everything you could want from a fantasy novel except maybe stuff like magic or fantasy creatures.
> It's historical fiction
I feel like it's actually a lot easier finding historical fiction that is somewhat reminiscent of ASOIAF than finding actual fantasy that is.
Clavell does flirt with the supernatural in a few odd bits of thoughts, descriptions, and dialogue. It's definitely not fantasy but he has fun with that a little.
I would recommend non-fantasy.
The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon, Masters of Rome by Colleen McCullough, Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong.
Yep, and as well as non-fantasy fiction, you could try some narrative history. Dan Jones' books about the Plantagenets are a good shout, as is his majestic Power and Thrones book about the Middle Ages.
i feel like out of all the replies in this thread, these are the books that “feel” most like game of thrones. suggestions like wheel of time and first law, while they are great series on their own, and might have some similar aspects, don’t have the same tone and feel as game of thrones, and i feel really aren’t that similar at all. these are great suggestions.
**Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney (I've only read the first book of this one so far), or **First Law** by Joe Abercrombie might do it. Both of these have a lot of similarities with ASOIAF, while also being their own thing.
**Monarchies of God** isn't that strong character-wise (but it does a very solid job with its characters), and **First Law** isn't that court-intrigue/politics-focused (but it has a solid amount of politics) and it's rather weak worldbuilding-wise.
The **Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn** series by Tad Williams was a major influence for ASOIAF, but I haven't read it yet myself. I understand that it's more classical fantasy that ASOIAF, but still a lot of people seem to enjoy both.
Two other series I have not read yet, that a lot of people claim is very similar to ASOIAF is the **Crown of Stars** series by Kate Elliott, and **Sword of Shadows** by J.V. Jones (this one, also, isn't finished, but I think it's supposed to be ending soon-ish).
I can speak for Crown of Stars and confirm that it’s both good and the closest thing to ASoIaF I’ve read with the notable differences that CoS is closer to historical fantasy and (cheap shots incoming) has an ending.
I love how Tad Williams writes—but good god are his books notoriously slow. They’re beautifullly written, but the first 2/3 of the first book is terribly slow.
The Expanse. Admittedly, it's sci-fi, but you've got great characters, political intrigues, betrayals, and so much more.
The Wheel of Time has a huge world, intrigues, drama, wars, and so on. Here, kings and queens fight not only with diplomacy but are also directly involved on the battlefield.
Malazan is another good one on those aspects. There are plots inside plots inside plots. And they're not made only by kings and queens but also by gods.
Mind you, both fantasy series are huge and are not characterised by low magic settings, so consider this aspect if you enjoy more "realism".
I loved the audiobooks. Once I get all the novellas, I'm doing a full "read" through. I haven't had time for the show yet, but I hear that despite the changes, it's really good.
The Expanse is excellent and I believe the authors of the Expanse were GRRM's editors. The books are clearly heavily inspired by GRRM's style. I'd also recommend Red Rising. The second trilogy especially scratches the ASOIAF itch (but I've never read anything quite as good as ASOIAF).
I'm going to recommend the Empire of the Wolf series by Richard Swan, starting with Justice of Kings. Magic is rare and mystical, like GoT, and most of the plot is political turmoil between religious sects and the state of a Roman-like empire. It's quality reading.
Please don't take the First Law recommendations. The series is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire. I unfortunately was tricked into believing this and as a result probably had a worse reading experience than I would have had otherwise simply because my expectations for the series weren't set properly.
Read the First Law for its own sake, not because someone on Reddit says it's like ASOIAF. It's not.
Now, if you want my recommendation on what series is closest to ASOIAF that I've read, I would say The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne, though there are some distinctive differences. The Faithful and the Fallen is a little more good vs. evil and embraces some more common fantasy tropes. But it's still multi-POV, epic fantasy with lots of political intrigue and big wars between kingdoms. Lots of death and brutal descriptions of fights and battles.
I would say stop searching for something similar to ASOIAF cause there's nothing like it. I've came to realize this.
It was what introduced me to fantasy books and ever since I read it I've been trying to find something that gives me the same high. Nothing did.
Instead, try reading stuff for what they are, because if you keep looking for George R. R. Martin in every minuscule detail you will be disappointed.
LOL The faithful and the fallen is nothing like asoiaf either. Maybe some similarities with the settings and the fact there’s armies and war but the tones are so different that I’ve never even mentally compared the two before. You said it yourself, faithful and fallen is a good vs evil story which is the direct antithesis to a song of ice and fire. I like the series but wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking for asoiaf.. they would be turned off by the lack of complexity. The similarities you listed are just characteristics of epic fantasy. Loads of books have a hem
First Law isn’t that much like asoiaf either but it can scratch the same itch depending on what someone’s looking for. It’s got morally grey, realistic characters, whose lives are all on the chopping block; main characters can die. There’s also a lot of political intrigue and maybe wring throughout (although way more prevalent after the first trilogy). The tone is also closer to asoiaf but much darker.
I do agree that neither should really be recommended as a replacement but first law is so much closer imo
I've had the same problem you had with The First Law (expecting it would be like ASOIAF from recommendations on here), but with The Faithful and the Fallen. This is certainly a subjective thing as far as what is important to you in a book, but GRRM himself likes to say "The heart in conflict with itself is to only thing worth writing about." Meaning grey characters facing impossible conflicts and decisions. You can find some of that in First Law but not really in FatF, which I thought was morally extremly simplistic and boring.
While I agree with you that First Law is nothing like GOT but you recommend Faithful and the Fallen? Really? How are they related at all? Malice was the most hollow and boring fantasy book I read in recent years.
OP the closest thing to ASOIAF(Game of Thrones) is probably Malazan Book of the Fallen. Even then I don’t like comparing the two because they are very different. But if we compare both with other series out there they are similar in terms of scope and the sheer details. But in terms of story points and characters, they are nothing alike. There’s a reason why ASOIAF is popular and why GOT received its popularity. It’s unique and one of a kind.
>Please don't take the First Law recommendations. The series is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire. I unfortunately was tricked into believing this and as a result probably had a worse reading experience than I would have had otherwise simply because my expectations for the series weren't set properly.
The series have a lot in common and many people who like one like the other. It is \*extremely\* reasonable for someone to recommend the First Law to someone who liked ASOIAF.
If you allowed your expectations to ruin First Law, that's on you.
This has got to be an overreaction right?
1st law is the recommendation so much because so many people feel it’s similar.
And now people want to poo on the popular opinion?
As a massive ASOIAF fan, I will recommend two series, which are often recommended, but with good reason.
- First Law by Joe Abercrombie. This is a dark series with lots of humour. There are 9 books and a collection of short stories. The first trilogy in the series is the eponymous First Law trilogy. You start off with a few very iconic characters. There's war, sieges, character dynamics, quests, politics. It only lacks in one aspect, which in my opinion is the worldbuilding. The main draw of this series is the strong characterisation. Every character has a very unique voice, style, and tone when in their perspective.
- Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. This is a 16 book series, made up of 5 sub-series. The first trilogy is the Farseer trilogy, which follows the coming-of-age and heroes journey of the first person perspective Fitz. He's got so many parallels to Jon Snow, but the similarities between ASOIAF and ROTE don't end there. There's court drama, politics, wars, and the big thing is magic. The magic in the series is deep and intimate between people and animals, which compares and contrasts with the skinchanging abilities you see in ASOIAF. The worldbuilding is good, but not on the same level as GRRM. However, DON'T read this series if all you care about is plot and progression. This is a slowburn series throughout and will take its time to build up the characters. The characters in ROTE are some of my favourite, Fitz being my favourite character I've ever read.
ASOIAF was my fave series for decades until this year I finally had the time to finish Malazan. Malazan is not for everyone but after Malazan I lucked into discovering Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy and finished all 16 books in the whole realm, and these I would recommend to any fan of ASOIAF. I haven’t been this in love with an epic fantasy series since ASOIAF (except Malazan, but again.. Malazan isn’t a quick or easy read and is very very different). I feel so lucky to find two series to add to my favorite books of all time after so many decades.
I’m in the same boat. First Law felt nothing like ASOIAF. Not nearly as large and complex of a story and almost no plot movement by comparison. The two are just written in completely different styles with entirely different goals.
First Law books average around 500-550 pages... GOT books average 1,000... there should be no comparison on depth and detail, it's two very different kinds of reads.... but I find most people who like one, tend to like the other.
Unfortunate that you didn't like First Law.. I'm absolutely loving it. I started the series purely to buy me more time before Winds of Winter comes out... but I'm blowing through it, will probably need to find my next read here in 2-3 months.
I was severely let down by First Law because my expectations were "it's like ASOIAF, but better".
I'm sure I would have liked First Law more if my expectations were set properly. But nothing kills a reader's enjoyment of a series that not having their expectations met (or completely subverted).
It shares similarities to GOT in the sense that the majority of the characters have a questionable moral compass, and that it's labeled as "dark" and the fact that it's super heavy on character building... with this series Glokta essentially being GOT's Tyrion (that's not a direct comparison, no need to flame me haha), but no.... nothing I've read comes close to ASOAIF, that's the greatest of all time IMO... I wouldn't compare the two.. I'd give First Law another try, especially if you stopped during or after the first trilogy. The overall read is incredible.. and it's my favorite thing to read SINCE GOT... but, not comparing it to GOT at all.
Except all the POV characters (except maybe Glokta) are incredibly passive and lack any semblance of meaningful character arcs. Also, Abercrombie does his darndest to subvert every classic fantasy trope he can think of, which makes the plot very, very different than ASOIAF. Where ASOIAF is serious, First Law is a black comedy.
Yes, they both share some common setting aspects like dark content, morally gray characters, and medieval battles - but there's tons of other series that share these elements so it's not as useful a distinct as First Law fans think.
How many of these books have you read? Logen, Jezal, Bayaz, all have larger overall character arcs the more you read. Shivers character arc is probably one of the most in depth in the series, but that develops well after the first trilogy ends.
I'd also recommend not comparing plots here... GOT is heavily tied to plots, whereas First Law isn't... it's entirely about the characters.
While I wouldn't personally compare the two, I did in fact get into First Law by reading other people's comments doing just that... seemed like the majority who liked one liked the other.... that's not really relevant, but it helped me jump into the series.
I'm talking only about the First Law trilogy, which is the one everyone recommends to start with. Of the characters you mentioned, only Logan and Jezal are POV characters. What Abercrombie does is create the sense of character arcs but ultimately pulls the rug out from you. His point is that sometimes no matter what you do you can't change your fate or the fate of the world - it's nihilistic quintessential grimdark, something ASOIAF is not.
Yeah it just wasn't for me and that's OK. It was a frustrating read for me because I didn't think it was bad or anything, I read the first trilogy and I regret spending the time. I DNF'd it halfway through the second book to pick it up again later and it just did not live up to the hype, like First Law was easily the most recommended and hyped book that I've ever come across.
That first book was a 550 page nothing burger, like I still can't believe it got published. I like Abercrombie's prose and humour but it didn't blow me away. I actually came across it because I wanted to get into Grimdark and First Law and Broken Empire were the top two recommendations, and I went with First Law because I don't really care for 1st person POV.
>I'm absolutely loving it. I started the series purely to buy me more time before Winds of Winter comes out
I think we could both finish our TBR piles before that happens lmao.
I'm glad you enjoy it, I don't want to hate on books/authors and the people who like them, we all have our own nuanced taste and while First Law wasn't for me, I do think lots of others will enjoy so I have actually recommended it to others.
I love that we can have healthy conversations about this... so many other topics (politics/religion) just become flame rants immediately.
Curious... have you ever looked at DragonLance or Death Gate Cycle? Both are by the same authors... Dragon Lance is a giant epic, whereas DeathGate is 7 books (if I remember correctly) and is incredible... very interesting magical world and great characters.
Yeah definitely, I'm here because I love fantasy books and the odd show and comic/manga, not because I wanna argue. I'll definitely disagree because I think people looking recs should hear counter opinions.
Dragon Lance is on my list, the original trilogy but I'm yet to pick it up because my TBR pile is already massive lol. But yeah I will get there, I'm trying to finish off the Warhammer books I picked up before jumping into D&D stuff. I did pick up the R.A Salvatore Drizzt trilogy though so I might start with that.
I don't think I've ever heard of the Death Gate Cycle so I'll havta look into that one!
I'm actually working my way through Howl's Moving Castle and then it's two sequels because I need a break from heavier stuff, I like a nice easy read every once in a while.
Death Gate was probably my favorite of all time until I read all of GOT. The magic system tying different worlds together was incredibly interesting to me.... very highly recommended.
To be fair though, it's been probably 12+ years since I read it. Give it a look, you might end up adding it to your large TBR list haha.
I'll definitely be checking it out on Wikipedia at the very least, I like diving down rabbit holes of fantasy series and authors.
It can be scary rereading stuff you haven't read in a long time, nothing worse than reading/watching/playing something and realising what a big pile of shit it was 😂
Hah, for that matter... I'd very highly recommend Redwall.... but, for kids/teens. Haven't read those books in over 25 years but IMO it was the best fantasy novel for kids on earth.... which is easy to say when I haven't read like 95% of the other YA fantasy series that one might compare it to lol.
I did read at least one of the Redwall books as a kid and I remember enjoying it. I think if I ever have kids I'll read Redwall to them and experience it then.
What else have you read recently? Any other recs or things you've enjoyed?
They are similar in the overarching story they’re telling and how it fits in the general fantasy canon. Both subvert the classic heroes journey story and other trappings of the genre.
But they do it in different ways and that shows up in the writing, story telling, plot, and characterization.
So yeah, if you’re looking for one of those things I think you’ll be disappointed but if you’re okay with the vibe then give it a try. Though fwiw I I prefer first law to asoiaf.
Agreed. I remember when I originally started the series (when it was first published; I'm old!) I was upset when they switched from Fitz to the Liveship Traders because I wanted to read more about Fitz! And then after the Liveship Traders trilogy finished, I was upset because they went back to Fitz and I wanted more of the Lifeships! Every beat of this series was amazing.
I'm pretty sure Jon Snow and Fitz have the same inspiration from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn as both Hobb and Martin are fans. Farseer is too contemporary with A Game of Thrones to be the inspiration, in my opinion. Assassin's Apprentice was published in 1995 and A Game of Thrones was published in 1996. However, there's a certain event in Royal Assassin that almost certainly will have some relevance with Jon Snow in TWOW.
It was a vague memory of an interview I'd read ... I think you may be right that a certain event will cross over. I was certain that GRRM had taken some inspiration from Hobb, it's probably with that.
Robin Hobb's RotE is legitimately the best series I've ever read. When I got to the last book, I was reading slower and slower because I didn't want it to end. This was the first series where, when I turned the last page, I was legitimately sad because I loved the world and the people so much.
I second the nod to First Law. I as well am a big fan of ASOIAF... have read and own every book published so far. 8 books into the First Law world, by Joe Abercrombie, and it's one of my faves of all time. It's not GOT but IMO it shouldn't be compared to GOT... it's different, fresh, and freagin awesome.
Really depends on what people want when they say they want something like game of thrones. Some people want another grim dark series where character choice matters and have stark consequences, no pun intended. In which case maybe a first law series is a good rec. but other people like op might like the world building and the mix of action and political intrigue. In which case wot is a pretty decent suggestion. Tons of world building and I’d say an underrated amount of political move type stuff by rand, and others. Rand and egwene have to get trained up on these areas similar to how Sansa does which is really fun as they learn the “game of houses”.
I am all for world building but the quality of the writing is night and day.
Is would suggest memory sorrow and thorn as the best alternative, even though it can be slow in places.
Martin knows how to write conflict, drama, tension -- all with immediacy that draws blood from the eyes. Jordan, unfortunately, could not write like that.
I dunno. Those are my 2 favorite series. And what I like about both is the depth. I love something I can really sink my teeth into with lots of character building. So it depends what OP liked about ASOIAF.
Admittedly I did read ASOIAF 2nd and I also started both series while in high school so that may color my perspective.
Isn't realm of the elderlings 5 series? The farseer trilogy, the liveship traders trilogy, the tawny man trilogy, the rain wilds chronicles, and the fitz and the fool trilogy
See my
* [SF/F: Politics](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1aze5ci/sff_politics/) list of Reddit recommendation threads and books (one post).
* [SF/F World-building](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19b7x5o/sff_worldbuilding/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
If you're looking for war, politics and a bit of a change of setting, while still remaining brutal, check out Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. The trilogy is called "The powder mage trilogy" and is based around victorian industrial revolution era magic dynamics.
It isn’t fantasy but Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy felt very like early ASOIAF to me, with tons of political intrigue, ambiguous morality and of course a succession crisis so thorny it split a religion. The first two novels won a Booker prize.
Well, you might want to try George R. R. Martin’s mentor and inspiration: Roger Zelazny. And for a fantasy series, **The Amber Chronicles**. It’s comprised of two 5-book arcs: the Corwin cycle and the Merlin cycle. But don’t sweat the size. Each book is only around 200 pages or so. If you go to Martin’s website, I believe he still has a tribute to Zelazny there somewhere.
If it helps at all, Stephen Colbert is a huge fan, and is reportedly trying to produce an adaptation.
I really like the green bone saga by Fonda Lee.
Also Shogun is awesome.
Nothing can truly fill the void left by Asoiaf however. You just get little bits of your itch scratched.
Wheel of Time has complex characters, high politics and a huge succession subplot. It is a little less gritty than ASOIF (Game of Thrones) but only in presentation, the shit that is happening is just as awful and violent. But there will be less gratuitous Red Wedding scenes and more abrupt deaths with less description.
The problem with most fantasy is that it's written at a teen level while ASOIAF is not. It's fantasy for adults. It has fairly well developed characters that experience growth and change as characters based upon what they experience and the choices they make. Showing this realistically is what hamstrings a lot of fantasy. I'd recommend the Second Apocalypse by Bakker but be warned, it is decidedly for adults.
I would say yes to the Accursed Kings but no to Malazan, if you like a dynamic plot. Malazan stalls for aaaaaages on everyday-life descriptions, but if you like that kind of stuff, you are going to enjoy it a lot and it can be very rewarding. I didn't find it rewarding often enough.
Malazan is tricky. It can be super easy to recommend, because it covers a loooot of stuff, but also hard to recommend because of it being it’s own particular thing, kinda unique in fantasy. I would say Malazan is a big possibility in that it covers a lot of complex events, has some really big payoffs if you stick to it, but it is a “love it or hate it” kind of series. For me it paid out. Maybe give a shot to the first book ( or if you have patiance then the first 3 are what usually makes u certain if you love it or not).
A year or two ago Malazan would be recommended in almost every comment.
I’m not making a point about anything, it’s just interesting how recommendations change over time.
The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Jenny Wurts.
The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie
The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu
The Second Apocalypse series by R. Scott Bakker (Be aware this is a very disturbing series even when compared to ASOIF).
While it's not quite as grim, I believe that the Elenium trilogy by David Eddings (and its sequel trilogy, The Tamuli) have what you're looking for - wars, fighting, political intrigue, etc...
I'd recommend Conn Igguldens War of The Roses series. Its four books of betrayal, political struggle and battles (his telling of the first battle of st albans is incredible). Its also worth noting that asoiaf took ALOT of inspiration from this civil war.
I'd also recommend The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie, its what I read after finishing asoiaf and I cant recommend it enough.
Maybe consider the witcher series (books to be clear)? I love the story and world building. It was very exiting to learn about the witcher training, sorceresses and so on. It also has quite a bit of geo-politics, but more subtle than ASOIF. The series is a bit confusing to get into, as the first two books are short story collections takling place at different times before "the main" story is followed more chronologically from book 3.
There is nothing like GoT. There’s the reason it is beloved. But there are some books that share common features. First Law is very charismatic…more so that GoT. Very grim/dark…especially in the second trilogy. It’s much more dark humor than GoT. It’s also not nearly as complex/layered. It’s efficient and amazing at what it does. The characters…much like GoT shine. Extremely well developed characters
Did you read the books? Definitely read the books.
If you’ve read the books, read *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, a collection of short stories set 100 years before the events of the show that are incredible and a shame to miss.
The Codex Alera. One of my favorite series ever, this six-book swords and horses fantasy by Jim Butcher is fantastic. It's hinted throughout the series that a very long time before the story begins, a Roman legion and some civilian followers from Earth somehow stumbled into the fantasy world the story is set in, and over time, multiplied and carved out the nation of Alera from among the non-human hostile creatures of that world. The series has political intrigue, military fantasy, and all of the humans in the empire use elemental magic of one type or another. Think Game of Thrones meets Avatar the Last Airbender meets the Roman Empire.
>Think Game of Thrones meets Avatar the Last Airbender meets the Roman Empire.
...meets Pokemon.
Author Jim Butcher has stated that he wrote Codex Alera in response to a challenge regarding using tired tropes. In this case, it was "lost Roman legion" plus Pokemon.
Faithful and the Fallen is pretty cool, John Gwynne, I am on book 3 Ruin, the series is complete at 4 books. Start with Malice, it reminds me of GoT a bit with more magic in the world and has prophecies and sort of a 'good versus evil' but with a lot of grey and characters wants and needs get in the way of things - check it out!
Lots of death, lots of twists and turns, lots of politics, good battle writing and good epic battles!
'The Spellmonger Series' by Terry Mancour. It's a massive series, currently on book 16 of an estimated 30. It is a single story following the main character(s) throughout. Massive world building, character depth & development, unending politics, and deep darkness in many forms.
As an alternative to suggesting fictional series, might I suggest looking into one of the inspirations for ASOIAF: The War of the Roses, a major conflict of 15th Century England between the House of York and the House of Lannis-sorry!Lancaster. A lot goes down and - like ASOIAF - there are a lot of players!
In a similar vein, I find the history of the Sengoku Jidai period in Japan even more fascinating. Not so much a war of succession as a series of improbable events that led to the unification of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Featuring ninja, cavalry charges, and a sneaky sandal-bearer.
The God-King Chronicles by Mike Brooks. Kingdom and succession drama (and street-level drama, and everything in between), fantastic world-building (*actual* world-building, not "how many d6 does the character's fireball do"), complex characters, clashing cultures.
And as a bonus it's complete :)
I suggest the Acacia Trilogy by David Anthony Durham, or The Kingdoms of Thorne and Bone by Greg Keyes. Both of these are fantastic and finished, and while they may not have the carnivorous pace of ASOIAF, they are compelling and enchanting in their own right.
Something similar with respect to politics and sizable great characters, but in scifi and quite old now would be Legend of galactic heroes. Another one is Attack on Titan.
Not fantasy but feels like it: Red Rising. Its game of thrones in space. Worldbuilding is phenomenal. Characters are amazing. Politics are top tier.
First book is hunger gamesy. Brown wrote it to get the series to publishing. The rest of the series is GoT Space Opera. .
It’s more historical fiction but The Saxon Stories chronicle the historical events that game of thrones is based off of. It scratches the political scheming and massive battles itch that GOT does but from a single POV.
The dandelion dynasty by Ken Liu is definitely a master crafted series with tons of political scheming, complex story telling and world building with great characters on a massive scope. I mean the first book is a 700 page prolog basically
I’ve been reading the Dune series(mainly inspired to do so after the movies came out). I guess it leans more towards sci-fi than fantasy, but if you want good world building and excellent characters with a lot of depth I’d give it a shot. I’m on the 4th book and it has quickly become a favorite series of mine.
Wheel of time. People say it doesn’t really get going until book 7 I’m on book 7 and it’s great but I enjoyed the first 6 as well. There’s a show on prime that’s airing but it’s very different from the books. I’m enjoying both.
Maybe have a read of The Lord of the Rings? I think it ticks most of your wants, even if it is done in a somewhat different way.
It also has had a huge impact on fantasy and culture over the years.
Sons of Darkness IS EXACTLY LIKE ASOIAF. Kingdom politics at its best. There is an Empire, a Republic, a Union of Kingdoms, a Religion Controlled Monarch - will totally cure that Machiavellian itch
berserk, kind of.
last year i read berserk and needed to read something else exactly like that—it was so good. ended up with asoiaf…
berserk is thematically and narratively similar to game of thrones in a lot of ways, but it’s a manga, the story isn’t finished yet (ur used to that tho lol), and the original creator has passed away. it’s being finished by a close friend and collaborator.
another difference—the story is mainly centered on only one character and whoever is around him at the time. the main character, guts, is a soldier—politics are above his pay-grade. there’s still a lot of politics going on, but it’s less a story about coups and subterfuge and more a story about… suffering and fighting destiny.
the world-building is divulged slowly yet is very dense, the art is beautiful, and the vibe is similar tho imo? idk, berserk isn’t a 1:1 comparison, but the setting and tone are there.
Malazan is a lot like game of thrones in that it has the following qualities:
- Very well written
- value as literature
- rich banquet of characters and points of view
- a completely fleshed out history to the world that the reader must piece together on their own
- politics, though the mortal politics take a back seat to the politics of the gods and the ascended
I would check out the Red Rising series - bear with it because book 1 starts a bit slow imho but then it gets really, really good.
It’s got a definite ‘GOT in space’ thing going on, but it doesn’t feel too sci-fi… it has sci-fi elements but it’s more about the politics and rivalries of the main characters and factions.
It’s a little more fast paced and action focused, but The Faithful and the Fallen has a lot of similar varying view points of different journeys people are going on and lots of politics about ruling the lands.
This recommendation won't be near the scope of ASOIAF, but I'm going to recommend it anyway because it's a really enjoyable series: [The Black Company](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CJP9QS?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin)
What I linked to is a set of 4 books. There are not four books in the series. There are like 10 books in the total series but they've been put together into these four sets of books.
To give a *very* simple synopsis on the plot starting out, the Black Company is a group of mercenaries with a long and fabled legacy. They've been hired by the bad guys, so think of Morgoth and his forces when he was waging war during the First Age of Middle Earth. Except he had a wife. And the Black Company are a group of mercs who are fighting alongside Morgoth's forces in a war against all the heroes and forces of good but you've also got some other gods thrown in there as well. That's kind of how The Black Company book opens up.
You won't find similar out there... but there are authors around who can finish a story. The Blackwing series by Ed McDonald or empire of a vampire by Jay kristoff have some of the same dark fantasy tone and I enjoyed both a lot.
Arcane is fire. I’m on my 4th rewatch of GOT, and somehow only Arcane has risen to this level of “omg”.
It’s an animation and i’m not an animation fan by all means, but the story and style is absolutely breathtaking.
It has broken records after records, won the most awards for its category and the soundtrack is out of this world (every song was written especially for every scene).
I highly reccomend it, it was and is along with Got one of the only series I could rewatch on repeat.
The Wandering Inn might fit? It has a huge cast of complex characters and some absolutely incredible world building. There is a fair amount of politics later in the series once the characters have gotten more established.
* **The Empire Trilogy** by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts: lots of politicking and intrigue. Some open warfare, but the plot mostly revolves around political stratagems, betrayals and complex plotting. The trilogy intersects with Feist's novel *Magician*, which in turn is the opening book in the **Riftwar Cycle**; that series is considerably simpler than either the **Empire** books or GRRM.
* **The Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney: some politics and intrigue, particularly religious intrigue, but more about warfare and combat (more Renaissance-based, so cannons and primitive guns more than swords and shields), and the interaction of that with politics. Like **ASoIaF** there's a supernatural threat bearing down on the main kingdoms whilst they are occupied fighting one another. The series is relatively minimalist, in that there are five short novels combined into two omnibuses, each still shorter than the shortest **ASoIaF** novel. Still excellent.
* **The Sword of Shadows** by J.V. Jones: especially good if you enjoyed the North/Beyond the Wall storyline from **ASoIaF**. Complex warfare and politics between and within the primitive clanholds, and the neighbouring "civilised" city-states. Low magic but impressive results when it kicks in. Superb characterisation. To be frank, should probably be regularly mentioned alongside GRRM, Hobb, Erikson, Williams etc as one of the best epic fantasy series around, but incomplete (4 books out now, Book 5 is just about done, one more book to go) with sometimes long gaps between volumes. There is, however, a predecessor trilogy in the same world, **The Book of Words**, which was less well-written but had some excellent characters and ideas, so there's really seven books out now to keep you ticking over.
* **Pretty Much Anything** by Guy Gavriel Kay. Kay uses historical sources and inspirations like Martin, but set in his own fantasy world with very low-key (and sometimes non-existent) magic. A big difference is that Kay mostly writes stand-alones in the same world (or several very similar worlds, to one another and to Earth). He's not as enthusiastic about warfare as GRRM, but his characters are fantastic and there's a lot of politics and rich historical detail. *The Lions of Al-Rassan*, *Tigana* and *Under Heaven* are probably the best places to start.
* **The Warlord Chronicles** trilogy by Bernard Cornwell: pretty much *exactly* what you'd get if Martin rewrote the story of King Arthur. Outstanding.
* **Crown of Stars** by Kate Elliott. Also seven books, but complete. Like **ASoIaF**, clearly heavily inspired by actual European history, although in the very early medieval period rather than the late one, so much smaller army sizes. A lot of politics and scheming, with light magic whilst a bigger supernatural threat builds in the background. Very good, maybe slightly overlong and with one or two annoying characters but some others who are absolutely brilliant.
* **Memory, Sorrow and Thorn** by Tad Williams: a primary inspiration on **ASoIaF** and similarly rich storytelling and lore. A bit more "classical fantasy" then **ASoIaF** and not as gritty. Probably the closest we'll ever get to "if GRRM rewrote Tolkien." The current sequel quartet, **The Last King of Osten Ard**, is much more heavily into political intrigue.
* **The Gap Saga** by Stephen R. Donaldson: a key influence on **ASoIaF**, and in fact directly inspired GRRM's POV structure in his series. It's very dark and very grim (maybe moreso than **ASoIaF**), and is a space opera rather than fantasy, but the political intrigue does ramp up over the course of the five books (plus the first book is like a novella). Somewhat depressing, but well-written.
* **Also Pretty Much Anything** by K.J Parker, who tends to focus on some of the same stuff as GRRM but in different books. So the **Fencer Trilogy** has a GRRM-like focus on warfare and shocking plot twists and family betrayals, whilst the standalone *Folding Knife* has rich political intrigue and realpolitik scheming.
* **The Eternal Sky Trilogy** by Elizabeth Bear: political intrigue and clan warfare amongst a Hun/Mongol/Dothraki-like society. Particularly good if, like me, you feel the Dothraki were under-developed and wanted a richer and more interesting take on the same idea.
* **The Amtrak Wars** by Patrick Tilley: post-apocalyptic fantasy in a North America changed beyond recognition, so it has underground cities, massive land-train aircraft carriers, primitive tribesfolk who have actual magic, and, for some reason, proper samurai. Slightly deranged, and very 1980s, but tremendous fun. The main character is basically what you get if Jaime Lannister and Littlefinger *were the same person*. Not much political intrigue at the start but later on it goes completely nuts, with the characters having to keep different versions of different stories going for the different factions they are pretending to support but actually betraying, pretending to support but actually just kinda ignoring, actually supporting but pretending they're not and so on. It's bananas. And the massive battles, when they finally come, are glorious.
I recommend The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (starts with THE WARDED MAN (or PAINTED MAN for Europe) and is clearly influenced by GoT. It also has the different point of view characters, some politics, and ends up making you like the characters who typically would just be cast as the villains. And the main series is complete at 5 books!
First of all, please do indeed read the *A Song Of Ice And Fire* series, which is the basis for the Game Of Thrones television show. The world-building and characterization is much deeper, and the politics is (gradually) revealed to be much more complex. There are three prequel novellas, set 90 years before ASOIAF begins, collected as *A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms*. There are also the world-building novels *The World Of Ice And Fire*, and *Fire And Blood*. Both are written as if by a Maester as academic treatises; the dry, scholarly tone doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. *Fire And Blood* is the basis for the current television show House Of The Dragon, showing some of the earlier years of the Targaryen Dynasty in Westeros.
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For another series with complex world-building, deep characterization, massive battles, and intricate politics, please allow me to suggest *A Practical Guide To Evil*: [https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/](https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/) Seven volumes, plus many extra bonus chapters; entire series completed as of February 2022. Epic fantasy (as in swords & sorcery). The MC is an orphan, who chooses to become a collaborator with the Evil Empire which conquered her home country in order to mitigate its brutal occupation. Later, while representing Team Evil, uses the methods of Good in order to make the world a little less on fire all the time. The MC gains tremendous >!personal, military, political, and even religious!< power, collecting a very impressive set of both allies and enemies. Lots of drama, intrigue, murders, duels, and set-piece battles. Even the treaty negotiations and political conferences are tense and dramatic; the author does a good job in showing how the military strategies intersect with the politics...and how both intersect with Heroic and Villainous narratives. While there are plenty of stories with anti-heroes, this is the only one I can think of with a well-executed *anti-villain*. This is a fantasy kitchen sink of a crapsack world, including multiple human ethnicities & languages, orcs, goblins, elves, drow, dwarves, ogres, Summer faeries, Winter faeries, angels, devils, demons, the undead, at least one dragon, conflicting schools of arcane magic, divine magic, and especially, *Heroes* and *Villains*.
Seinfeld.
Hear me out.
Comparing "Seinfeld" to "Game of Thrones" might seem far-fetched at first glance, given that one is a sitcom about everyday life and the other a sprawling fantasy epic, but beneath their surface differences, there are surprising parallels that reveal how these two iconic shows share common themes, narrative techniques, and character dynamics. Both "Seinfeld" and "Game of Thrones" revolve around the interactions of a core group of characters whose distinct personalities and relationships drive their respective narratives, with each show featuring deeply flawed, morally ambiguous characters whose interactions often lead to misunderstandings, betrayals, and either comedic fallout or dramatic twists. "Seinfeld" is notorious for its characters' selfishness and moral ambiguity, with a "no hugging, no learning" policy that mirrors the moral complexity and difficult choices faced by characters in "Game of Thrones," where decisions have significant and often devastating consequences. Both shows offer keen social commentary, with "Seinfeld" dissecting the absurdities of daily life and societal norms, while "Game of Thrones" explores power, politics, and human nature, tackling themes like the corrupting influence of power and the brutal realities of war and ambition. They also share a penchant for unpredictability and subversion of expectations, with "Seinfeld" often avoiding traditional sitcom resolutions and "Game of Thrones" shocking audiences with major character deaths and plot twists, creating a sense of tension and uncertainty. Additionally, both series have left a significant cultural impact, with "Seinfeld" revolutionizing television comedy and embedding phrases like "yada yada yada" into the cultural lexicon, and "Game of Thrones" becoming a global phenomenon that influenced the fantasy genre and pop culture at large with its iconic quotes and complex narrative. Despite their surface differences, "Seinfeld" and "Game of Thrones" share common threads in their approach to character development, moral complexity, social commentary, narrative unpredictability, and cultural influence, contributing to their enduring popularity and impact.
No other series is quite like GoT/ASOIAF. That said, I’d like to plug two of my favorite fantasy book series that I haven’t seen anyone on this thread mention: The Powder Mage/Gods Of Blood And Powder series (two trilogies) by Brian McCellan, and The Shadow Campaigns series by Django Wexler. Both are part of the “flintlock fantasy” subgenre (and arguably its best examples), meaning that they are set in worlds with a social and tech level closer to the American Revolution or the TV show Bridgerton than to medieval Europe. But both are multi-POV stories full of palace intrigue, interesting magic, and epic battles with the fates of kingdoms at stake. The Shadow Campaigns leans heavily into the military aspects in the first book, but expands in subsequent books to include plenty of political skullduggery. The Powder Mage stories go for an equal balance of those elements right from the start.
TV show wise, House of the Dragons is the obvious one, you might also consider Shadow and Bone
For books, I would recommend the Gentleman Bastards series, first book is titled The Lies of Locke Lamora ... Also the first law series has some of that politicing
I don't have a ton of experience with what you are looking for, but those ones come to mind
The Gentleman Bastards series, for example is about a group of thieves... And every book involves tons of machinations towards some sort of heist or grand crime, with multiple opposing forces... Not so much kings and queens and royal courts, but loads of treachery and plots
I can't say this enough. THE POWDER MAGE TRILOGY. It's literally a civil war with a big war with the magic abilities, assains, and the gods themselves come down
Philippa Gregory writes fantastic historical fiction based on the Plantagenet dynasty, which inspired a lot of ASOIF.
Bonus, she writes from POV of the historical women. All the intrigue, politics, succession, etc, and a bit of magic here and there.
And, like ASOIF, because each book centers around one person’s experience, one gets different POVs of the same events.
Edit: clarity
I’ve written a series that Independent Book Review called “a must-read for fans of political fantasy.” I was inspired by Game of Thrones, but wanted to pair it with allusions to modern events and peasant uprisings. Check it out if you’d like—A Seat for the Rabble and An End to Kings, the first volumes in the A King Without a Crown series. Ted Nasmith, who created the covers for The Lord of the Rings and artwork for GOT, painted original covers for the works.
I highly recommend The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. Three books - The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur, tell the well known story of Arthur, Lancelot and Merlin in glorious, blood soaked detail. Same author who wrote The Last Kingdom series, which was made into an incredible Netflix show. I’m an avid fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction reader, and this series scratched an itch I didn’t know I had.
I'm currently 3/4 of the way through the third book and I'm really sad it's going to end soon. Love me some Derfel.
It's been a really long time since I've read anything Arthurian. Thanks for the recommendation.
I wish HBO would remake sharpe.
Thanks for the recommendation. Is there any magic involved in the Warlord Chronicles?
Let’s call it “magic adjacent”. The story takes place in the year 400ish so there’s a lot of mysticism and pseudoscience that aligns with classically defined magic. It’s beautifully written and captured my attention start to finish.
Ty for this. Added to my list
I loved the first two books, but the third one felt like it had to significantly alter a few characters just to reconcile Cornwell's Britain becoming the one it is today. Not a bad thing necessarily, but the first two books portray Merlin as a clever manipulator who knew full well what his "magic" really was, and the third book seemed to turn him into a complete shuteye. Great story, but the change was strangely sudden and drastic.
Great insight. Considering this story is a tragedy, I’m not that surprised you feel this way. I thought book 3 offered the darkness and despair necessary to tell the tale. I think/hope we can both agree the series is a wild ride front to back.
I can agree with that. It might be just a feeling, but I think Cornwell may have written himself into a situation where he wanted the heroic pre-Christianized Arthurian tale while reckoning with the historical truth that, however successful he was, Christianity still wiped out the pagans in Britain.
Warlord chronicles is phenomenal! Great recommendation for op
Shogun is awesome. It's historical fiction, but it has everything you could want from a fantasy novel except maybe stuff like magic or fantasy creatures.
The show was so good and gave me similar vibes as early days of Game of Thrones. Hard for any show to do that nowadays.
> It's historical fiction I feel like it's actually a lot easier finding historical fiction that is somewhat reminiscent of ASOIAF than finding actual fantasy that is.
Clavell does flirt with the supernatural in a few odd bits of thoughts, descriptions, and dialogue. It's definitely not fantasy but he has fun with that a little.
Karma, neh?
For the fantasy magic version of this see “Tales of the Otori” across the nightingale floor. Shogun but with magic ninja gaiden
Top 5 novel of all time for me.
It’s my number 1 with Noble House and Tai-Pan filling spots 2 and 3 haha.
I would recommend non-fantasy. The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon, Masters of Rome by Colleen McCullough, Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong.
Message to OP: The Accursed Kings was a huge inspiration for his work that he called it “The original Game of Thrones.”
Accursed Kings+Ostenard in a blender equals ASoiaf, op
Yep, and as well as non-fantasy fiction, you could try some narrative history. Dan Jones' books about the Plantagenets are a good shout, as is his majestic Power and Thrones book about the Middle Ages.
i feel like out of all the replies in this thread, these are the books that “feel” most like game of thrones. suggestions like wheel of time and first law, while they are great series on their own, and might have some similar aspects, don’t have the same tone and feel as game of thrones, and i feel really aren’t that similar at all. these are great suggestions.
Black Sails. Game of thrones but pirates. Its fantastic.
Oooh this is on my list to read up next! Can’t wait
**Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney (I've only read the first book of this one so far), or **First Law** by Joe Abercrombie might do it. Both of these have a lot of similarities with ASOIAF, while also being their own thing. **Monarchies of God** isn't that strong character-wise (but it does a very solid job with its characters), and **First Law** isn't that court-intrigue/politics-focused (but it has a solid amount of politics) and it's rather weak worldbuilding-wise. The **Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn** series by Tad Williams was a major influence for ASOIAF, but I haven't read it yet myself. I understand that it's more classical fantasy that ASOIAF, but still a lot of people seem to enjoy both. Two other series I have not read yet, that a lot of people claim is very similar to ASOIAF is the **Crown of Stars** series by Kate Elliott, and **Sword of Shadows** by J.V. Jones (this one, also, isn't finished, but I think it's supposed to be ending soon-ish).
I can speak for Crown of Stars and confirm that it’s both good and the closest thing to ASoIaF I’ve read with the notable differences that CoS is closer to historical fantasy and (cheap shots incoming) has an ending.
Would Crown of Stars be good in audio form?
My friend who loves audio says the audio books are good
Seconding *Monarchies of God*, more people should read it, truly amazing.
I can vouch for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Tad Williams is a master of writing real people, not just characters.
I love how Tad Williams writes—but good god are his books notoriously slow. They’re beautifullly written, but the first 2/3 of the first book is terribly slow.
The Expanse. Admittedly, it's sci-fi, but you've got great characters, political intrigues, betrayals, and so much more. The Wheel of Time has a huge world, intrigues, drama, wars, and so on. Here, kings and queens fight not only with diplomacy but are also directly involved on the battlefield. Malazan is another good one on those aspects. There are plots inside plots inside plots. And they're not made only by kings and queens but also by gods. Mind you, both fantasy series are huge and are not characterised by low magic settings, so consider this aspect if you enjoy more "realism".
The Expanse is excellent and the audio books are extremely well done!
I loved the audiobooks. Once I get all the novellas, I'm doing a full "read" through. I haven't had time for the show yet, but I hear that despite the changes, it's really good.
The Expanse is excellent and I believe the authors of the Expanse were GRRM's editors. The books are clearly heavily inspired by GRRM's style. I'd also recommend Red Rising. The second trilogy especially scratches the ASOIAF itch (but I've never read anything quite as good as ASOIAF).
I'm going to recommend the Empire of the Wolf series by Richard Swan, starting with Justice of Kings. Magic is rare and mystical, like GoT, and most of the plot is political turmoil between religious sects and the state of a Roman-like empire. It's quality reading.
Please don't take the First Law recommendations. The series is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire. I unfortunately was tricked into believing this and as a result probably had a worse reading experience than I would have had otherwise simply because my expectations for the series weren't set properly. Read the First Law for its own sake, not because someone on Reddit says it's like ASOIAF. It's not. Now, if you want my recommendation on what series is closest to ASOIAF that I've read, I would say The Faithful and the Fallen by John Gwynne, though there are some distinctive differences. The Faithful and the Fallen is a little more good vs. evil and embraces some more common fantasy tropes. But it's still multi-POV, epic fantasy with lots of political intrigue and big wars between kingdoms. Lots of death and brutal descriptions of fights and battles.
I would say stop searching for something similar to ASOIAF cause there's nothing like it. I've came to realize this. It was what introduced me to fantasy books and ever since I read it I've been trying to find something that gives me the same high. Nothing did. Instead, try reading stuff for what they are, because if you keep looking for George R. R. Martin in every minuscule detail you will be disappointed.
LOL The faithful and the fallen is nothing like asoiaf either. Maybe some similarities with the settings and the fact there’s armies and war but the tones are so different that I’ve never even mentally compared the two before. You said it yourself, faithful and fallen is a good vs evil story which is the direct antithesis to a song of ice and fire. I like the series but wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking for asoiaf.. they would be turned off by the lack of complexity. The similarities you listed are just characteristics of epic fantasy. Loads of books have a hem First Law isn’t that much like asoiaf either but it can scratch the same itch depending on what someone’s looking for. It’s got morally grey, realistic characters, whose lives are all on the chopping block; main characters can die. There’s also a lot of political intrigue and maybe wring throughout (although way more prevalent after the first trilogy). The tone is also closer to asoiaf but much darker. I do agree that neither should really be recommended as a replacement but first law is so much closer imo
I've had the same problem you had with The First Law (expecting it would be like ASOIAF from recommendations on here), but with The Faithful and the Fallen. This is certainly a subjective thing as far as what is important to you in a book, but GRRM himself likes to say "The heart in conflict with itself is to only thing worth writing about." Meaning grey characters facing impossible conflicts and decisions. You can find some of that in First Law but not really in FatF, which I thought was morally extremly simplistic and boring.
While I agree with you that First Law is nothing like GOT but you recommend Faithful and the Fallen? Really? How are they related at all? Malice was the most hollow and boring fantasy book I read in recent years. OP the closest thing to ASOIAF(Game of Thrones) is probably Malazan Book of the Fallen. Even then I don’t like comparing the two because they are very different. But if we compare both with other series out there they are similar in terms of scope and the sheer details. But in terms of story points and characters, they are nothing alike. There’s a reason why ASOIAF is popular and why GOT received its popularity. It’s unique and one of a kind.
>Please don't take the First Law recommendations. The series is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire. I unfortunately was tricked into believing this and as a result probably had a worse reading experience than I would have had otherwise simply because my expectations for the series weren't set properly. The series have a lot in common and many people who like one like the other. It is \*extremely\* reasonable for someone to recommend the First Law to someone who liked ASOIAF. If you allowed your expectations to ruin First Law, that's on you.
This has got to be an overreaction right? 1st law is the recommendation so much because so many people feel it’s similar. And now people want to poo on the popular opinion?
As a massive ASOIAF fan, I will recommend two series, which are often recommended, but with good reason. - First Law by Joe Abercrombie. This is a dark series with lots of humour. There are 9 books and a collection of short stories. The first trilogy in the series is the eponymous First Law trilogy. You start off with a few very iconic characters. There's war, sieges, character dynamics, quests, politics. It only lacks in one aspect, which in my opinion is the worldbuilding. The main draw of this series is the strong characterisation. Every character has a very unique voice, style, and tone when in their perspective. - Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. This is a 16 book series, made up of 5 sub-series. The first trilogy is the Farseer trilogy, which follows the coming-of-age and heroes journey of the first person perspective Fitz. He's got so many parallels to Jon Snow, but the similarities between ASOIAF and ROTE don't end there. There's court drama, politics, wars, and the big thing is magic. The magic in the series is deep and intimate between people and animals, which compares and contrasts with the skinchanging abilities you see in ASOIAF. The worldbuilding is good, but not on the same level as GRRM. However, DON'T read this series if all you care about is plot and progression. This is a slowburn series throughout and will take its time to build up the characters. The characters in ROTE are some of my favourite, Fitz being my favourite character I've ever read.
ASOIAF was my fave series for decades until this year I finally had the time to finish Malazan. Malazan is not for everyone but after Malazan I lucked into discovering Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy and finished all 16 books in the whole realm, and these I would recommend to any fan of ASOIAF. I haven’t been this in love with an epic fantasy series since ASOIAF (except Malazan, but again.. Malazan isn’t a quick or easy read and is very very different). I feel so lucky to find two series to add to my favorite books of all time after so many decades.
I read First Law after ASOIAF and I was super let down, they aren't similar at all imo, nowhere near as much depth and its not as dark either.
If you starts books seeking for the next ASOIAF you will always be let down.
...but that's literally the topic of the thread you are in.
I’m in the same boat. First Law felt nothing like ASOIAF. Not nearly as large and complex of a story and almost no plot movement by comparison. The two are just written in completely different styles with entirely different goals.
I'll never ever get this comparison
First Law books average around 500-550 pages... GOT books average 1,000... there should be no comparison on depth and detail, it's two very different kinds of reads.... but I find most people who like one, tend to like the other. Unfortunate that you didn't like First Law.. I'm absolutely loving it. I started the series purely to buy me more time before Winds of Winter comes out... but I'm blowing through it, will probably need to find my next read here in 2-3 months.
I was severely let down by First Law because my expectations were "it's like ASOIAF, but better". I'm sure I would have liked First Law more if my expectations were set properly. But nothing kills a reader's enjoyment of a series that not having their expectations met (or completely subverted).
It shares similarities to GOT in the sense that the majority of the characters have a questionable moral compass, and that it's labeled as "dark" and the fact that it's super heavy on character building... with this series Glokta essentially being GOT's Tyrion (that's not a direct comparison, no need to flame me haha), but no.... nothing I've read comes close to ASOAIF, that's the greatest of all time IMO... I wouldn't compare the two.. I'd give First Law another try, especially if you stopped during or after the first trilogy. The overall read is incredible.. and it's my favorite thing to read SINCE GOT... but, not comparing it to GOT at all.
Except all the POV characters (except maybe Glokta) are incredibly passive and lack any semblance of meaningful character arcs. Also, Abercrombie does his darndest to subvert every classic fantasy trope he can think of, which makes the plot very, very different than ASOIAF. Where ASOIAF is serious, First Law is a black comedy. Yes, they both share some common setting aspects like dark content, morally gray characters, and medieval battles - but there's tons of other series that share these elements so it's not as useful a distinct as First Law fans think.
How many of these books have you read? Logen, Jezal, Bayaz, all have larger overall character arcs the more you read. Shivers character arc is probably one of the most in depth in the series, but that develops well after the first trilogy ends. I'd also recommend not comparing plots here... GOT is heavily tied to plots, whereas First Law isn't... it's entirely about the characters. While I wouldn't personally compare the two, I did in fact get into First Law by reading other people's comments doing just that... seemed like the majority who liked one liked the other.... that's not really relevant, but it helped me jump into the series.
I'm talking only about the First Law trilogy, which is the one everyone recommends to start with. Of the characters you mentioned, only Logan and Jezal are POV characters. What Abercrombie does is create the sense of character arcs but ultimately pulls the rug out from you. His point is that sometimes no matter what you do you can't change your fate or the fate of the world - it's nihilistic quintessential grimdark, something ASOIAF is not.
Yeah it just wasn't for me and that's OK. It was a frustrating read for me because I didn't think it was bad or anything, I read the first trilogy and I regret spending the time. I DNF'd it halfway through the second book to pick it up again later and it just did not live up to the hype, like First Law was easily the most recommended and hyped book that I've ever come across. That first book was a 550 page nothing burger, like I still can't believe it got published. I like Abercrombie's prose and humour but it didn't blow me away. I actually came across it because I wanted to get into Grimdark and First Law and Broken Empire were the top two recommendations, and I went with First Law because I don't really care for 1st person POV. >I'm absolutely loving it. I started the series purely to buy me more time before Winds of Winter comes out I think we could both finish our TBR piles before that happens lmao. I'm glad you enjoy it, I don't want to hate on books/authors and the people who like them, we all have our own nuanced taste and while First Law wasn't for me, I do think lots of others will enjoy so I have actually recommended it to others.
I love that we can have healthy conversations about this... so many other topics (politics/religion) just become flame rants immediately. Curious... have you ever looked at DragonLance or Death Gate Cycle? Both are by the same authors... Dragon Lance is a giant epic, whereas DeathGate is 7 books (if I remember correctly) and is incredible... very interesting magical world and great characters.
Yeah definitely, I'm here because I love fantasy books and the odd show and comic/manga, not because I wanna argue. I'll definitely disagree because I think people looking recs should hear counter opinions. Dragon Lance is on my list, the original trilogy but I'm yet to pick it up because my TBR pile is already massive lol. But yeah I will get there, I'm trying to finish off the Warhammer books I picked up before jumping into D&D stuff. I did pick up the R.A Salvatore Drizzt trilogy though so I might start with that. I don't think I've ever heard of the Death Gate Cycle so I'll havta look into that one! I'm actually working my way through Howl's Moving Castle and then it's two sequels because I need a break from heavier stuff, I like a nice easy read every once in a while.
Death Gate was probably my favorite of all time until I read all of GOT. The magic system tying different worlds together was incredibly interesting to me.... very highly recommended. To be fair though, it's been probably 12+ years since I read it. Give it a look, you might end up adding it to your large TBR list haha.
I'll definitely be checking it out on Wikipedia at the very least, I like diving down rabbit holes of fantasy series and authors. It can be scary rereading stuff you haven't read in a long time, nothing worse than reading/watching/playing something and realising what a big pile of shit it was 😂
Hah, for that matter... I'd very highly recommend Redwall.... but, for kids/teens. Haven't read those books in over 25 years but IMO it was the best fantasy novel for kids on earth.... which is easy to say when I haven't read like 95% of the other YA fantasy series that one might compare it to lol.
I did read at least one of the Redwall books as a kid and I remember enjoying it. I think if I ever have kids I'll read Redwall to them and experience it then. What else have you read recently? Any other recs or things you've enjoyed?
Same experience for me. I saw First Law as so character driven but lacking the intricate plot lines that ASOIAF has.
They are similar in the overarching story they’re telling and how it fits in the general fantasy canon. Both subvert the classic heroes journey story and other trappings of the genre. But they do it in different ways and that shows up in the writing, story telling, plot, and characterization. So yeah, if you’re looking for one of those things I think you’ll be disappointed but if you’re okay with the vibe then give it a try. Though fwiw I I prefer first law to asoiaf.
Realm of the elderlings is just…perfect
Agreed. I remember when I originally started the series (when it was first published; I'm old!) I was upset when they switched from Fitz to the Liveship Traders because I wanted to read more about Fitz! And then after the Liveship Traders trilogy finished, I was upset because they went back to Fitz and I wanted more of the Lifeships! Every beat of this series was amazing.
I'm fairly sure I read somewhere that Fitz was the inspiration for Jon Snow.
I'm pretty sure Jon Snow and Fitz have the same inspiration from Memory, Sorrow and Thorn as both Hobb and Martin are fans. Farseer is too contemporary with A Game of Thrones to be the inspiration, in my opinion. Assassin's Apprentice was published in 1995 and A Game of Thrones was published in 1996. However, there's a certain event in Royal Assassin that almost certainly will have some relevance with Jon Snow in TWOW.
It was a vague memory of an interview I'd read ... I think you may be right that a certain event will cross over. I was certain that GRRM had taken some inspiration from Hobb, it's probably with that.
Robin Hobb's RotE is legitimately the best series I've ever read. When I got to the last book, I was reading slower and slower because I didn't want it to end. This was the first series where, when I turned the last page, I was legitimately sad because I loved the world and the people so much.
I've heard it's an excellent experience on a reread too.
Finishing the series and being done with it felt like a farewell to a good friend. It was amazing.
I second the nod to First Law. I as well am a big fan of ASOIAF... have read and own every book published so far. 8 books into the First Law world, by Joe Abercrombie, and it's one of my faves of all time. It's not GOT but IMO it shouldn't be compared to GOT... it's different, fresh, and freagin awesome.
I think op was asking about shows, not sure
> couldn't ever find a show or book series similar to it. I think either.
I second anything by Hobb! Love the Farseer Trilogy.
Literally finished Assassin’s Apprentice yesterday and I’m obsessed lol. I mean George even has a quote of praise on the cover.
Mhmm he has a few different ones, like "a diamond in a sea of zircons".
These are 2 fantastic suggestions, and my next 2 favourites after asoiaf. 3rd place would be the wheel of time series.
Going from asoiaf to wheel of time would be awful.
Really depends on what people want when they say they want something like game of thrones. Some people want another grim dark series where character choice matters and have stark consequences, no pun intended. In which case maybe a first law series is a good rec. but other people like op might like the world building and the mix of action and political intrigue. In which case wot is a pretty decent suggestion. Tons of world building and I’d say an underrated amount of political move type stuff by rand, and others. Rand and egwene have to get trained up on these areas similar to how Sansa does which is really fun as they learn the “game of houses”.
I am all for world building but the quality of the writing is night and day. Is would suggest memory sorrow and thorn as the best alternative, even though it can be slow in places.
Martin knows how to write conflict, drama, tension -- all with immediacy that draws blood from the eyes. Jordan, unfortunately, could not write like that.
I dunno. Those are my 2 favorite series. And what I like about both is the depth. I love something I can really sink my teeth into with lots of character building. So it depends what OP liked about ASOIAF. Admittedly I did read ASOIAF 2nd and I also started both series while in high school so that may color my perspective.
Third place would be memory sorrow and thorn
Wow tons of books in ROTE. Do you read them all or just the first trilogy?
Isn't realm of the elderlings 5 series? The farseer trilogy, the liveship traders trilogy, the tawny man trilogy, the rain wilds chronicles, and the fitz and the fool trilogy
Yes, thank you for spotting my mistake!
Sadly there is nothing like a song of ice and fire. What do you like in these books? Characters? World building? Plot twists? Politics?
ALL. I love the world building and all the kingdoms and politics very much.
See my * [SF/F: Politics](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1aze5ci/sff_politics/) list of Reddit recommendation threads and books (one post). * [SF/F World-building](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19b7x5o/sff_worldbuilding/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
If you're looking for war, politics and a bit of a change of setting, while still remaining brutal, check out Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. The trilogy is called "The powder mage trilogy" and is based around victorian industrial revolution era magic dynamics.
A CAVERN OF BLACK ICE BY J.V. JONES
Maybe give India by Sherwood Smith a shot. Lots of characters, lots of politics, long spanning series.
It isn’t fantasy but Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy felt very like early ASOIAF to me, with tons of political intrigue, ambiguous morality and of course a succession crisis so thorny it split a religion. The first two novels won a Booker prize.
Well, you might want to try George R. R. Martin’s mentor and inspiration: Roger Zelazny. And for a fantasy series, **The Amber Chronicles**. It’s comprised of two 5-book arcs: the Corwin cycle and the Merlin cycle. But don’t sweat the size. Each book is only around 200 pages or so. If you go to Martin’s website, I believe he still has a tribute to Zelazny there somewhere. If it helps at all, Stephen Colbert is a huge fan, and is reportedly trying to produce an adaptation.
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy(kinda) by Tad Williams.
I really like the green bone saga by Fonda Lee. Also Shogun is awesome. Nothing can truly fill the void left by Asoiaf however. You just get little bits of your itch scratched.
Wheel of Time has complex characters, high politics and a huge succession subplot. It is a little less gritty than ASOIF (Game of Thrones) but only in presentation, the shit that is happening is just as awful and violent. But there will be less gratuitous Red Wedding scenes and more abrupt deaths with less description.
Crown of Stars also does the pseudo medieval thing but imo it does it better
The problem with most fantasy is that it's written at a teen level while ASOIAF is not. It's fantasy for adults. It has fairly well developed characters that experience growth and change as characters based upon what they experience and the choices they make. Showing this realistically is what hamstrings a lot of fantasy. I'd recommend the Second Apocalypse by Bakker but be warned, it is decidedly for adults.
The Accursed Kings Malazan
I would say yes to the Accursed Kings but no to Malazan, if you like a dynamic plot. Malazan stalls for aaaaaages on everyday-life descriptions, but if you like that kind of stuff, you are going to enjoy it a lot and it can be very rewarding. I didn't find it rewarding often enough.
Malazan is tricky. It can be super easy to recommend, because it covers a loooot of stuff, but also hard to recommend because of it being it’s own particular thing, kinda unique in fantasy. I would say Malazan is a big possibility in that it covers a lot of complex events, has some really big payoffs if you stick to it, but it is a “love it or hate it” kind of series. For me it paid out. Maybe give a shot to the first book ( or if you have patiance then the first 3 are what usually makes u certain if you love it or not).
A year or two ago Malazan would be recommended in almost every comment. I’m not making a point about anything, it’s just interesting how recommendations change over time.
The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Jenny Wurts. The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu The Second Apocalypse series by R. Scott Bakker (Be aware this is a very disturbing series even when compared to ASOIF).
> Dandelion Dynasty I think this best hits the ASOIAF level of scale and scope along with politicking
Guy Gabriel Kay
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon!!!
The Erland Saga by R. S. Moule
While it's not quite as grim, I believe that the Elenium trilogy by David Eddings (and its sequel trilogy, The Tamuli) have what you're looking for - wars, fighting, political intrigue, etc...
I'd recommend Conn Igguldens War of The Roses series. Its four books of betrayal, political struggle and battles (his telling of the first battle of st albans is incredible). Its also worth noting that asoiaf took ALOT of inspiration from this civil war. I'd also recommend The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie, its what I read after finishing asoiaf and I cant recommend it enough.
His Julius Caesar series "Emperor" would fit this too IMO
Maybe consider the witcher series (books to be clear)? I love the story and world building. It was very exiting to learn about the witcher training, sorceresses and so on. It also has quite a bit of geo-politics, but more subtle than ASOIF. The series is a bit confusing to get into, as the first two books are short story collections takling place at different times before "the main" story is followed more chronologically from book 3.
There is nothing like GoT. There’s the reason it is beloved. But there are some books that share common features. First Law is very charismatic…more so that GoT. Very grim/dark…especially in the second trilogy. It’s much more dark humor than GoT. It’s also not nearly as complex/layered. It’s efficient and amazing at what it does. The characters…much like GoT shine. Extremely well developed characters
Practical Guide to Evil fits this request, especially books three and beyond.
East of West by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Dragotta published by Image Comics
Did you read the books? Definitely read the books. If you’ve read the books, read *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, a collection of short stories set 100 years before the events of the show that are incredible and a shame to miss.
Tad Williams's Memory Sorrow and Thorn. Is was inspired by LOTR and itself was inspiration for other including Game of Thornes.
This, and *then* ASoIaF inspired Williams to write the Shadowmarch series.
I didn't know that. Very interesting!
The Last Kingdom or Vikings.
The Codex Alera. One of my favorite series ever, this six-book swords and horses fantasy by Jim Butcher is fantastic. It's hinted throughout the series that a very long time before the story begins, a Roman legion and some civilian followers from Earth somehow stumbled into the fantasy world the story is set in, and over time, multiplied and carved out the nation of Alera from among the non-human hostile creatures of that world. The series has political intrigue, military fantasy, and all of the humans in the empire use elemental magic of one type or another. Think Game of Thrones meets Avatar the Last Airbender meets the Roman Empire.
>Think Game of Thrones meets Avatar the Last Airbender meets the Roman Empire. ...meets Pokemon. Author Jim Butcher has stated that he wrote Codex Alera in response to a challenge regarding using tired tropes. In this case, it was "lost Roman legion" plus Pokemon.
Attack on Titan. It has plenty of politicking once you make it past a certain point, and the tone is spot on too.
I second this, AoT is a great recommendation for a GoT fan. It's got the politics, the insane plot twists, the characters and the dark tone.
And a trash ending
Faithful and the Fallen is pretty cool, John Gwynne, I am on book 3 Ruin, the series is complete at 4 books. Start with Malice, it reminds me of GoT a bit with more magic in the world and has prophecies and sort of a 'good versus evil' but with a lot of grey and characters wants and needs get in the way of things - check it out! Lots of death, lots of twists and turns, lots of politics, good battle writing and good epic battles!
Haven’t read it, but Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn is supposed to be rly similar, & ASOIAF was based off it quite heavily I believe
The stormlight archive
House of Dragons it’s excellent!
Spartacus is a great series. Quite a bit lower budget than Game of Thrones but I feel like a GoT enjoyer would also enjoy Spartacus.
'The Spellmonger Series' by Terry Mancour. It's a massive series, currently on book 16 of an estimated 30. It is a single story following the main character(s) throughout. Massive world building, character depth & development, unending politics, and deep darkness in many forms.
As an alternative to suggesting fictional series, might I suggest looking into one of the inspirations for ASOIAF: The War of the Roses, a major conflict of 15th Century England between the House of York and the House of Lannis-sorry!Lancaster. A lot goes down and - like ASOIAF - there are a lot of players! In a similar vein, I find the history of the Sengoku Jidai period in Japan even more fascinating. Not so much a war of succession as a series of improbable events that led to the unification of Japan under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Featuring ninja, cavalry charges, and a sneaky sandal-bearer.
The God-King Chronicles by Mike Brooks. Kingdom and succession drama (and street-level drama, and everything in between), fantastic world-building (*actual* world-building, not "how many d6 does the character's fireball do"), complex characters, clashing cultures. And as a bonus it's complete :)
I suggest the Acacia Trilogy by David Anthony Durham, or The Kingdoms of Thorne and Bone by Greg Keyes. Both of these are fantastic and finished, and while they may not have the carnivorous pace of ASOIAF, they are compelling and enchanting in their own right.
Something similar with respect to politics and sizable great characters, but in scifi and quite old now would be Legend of galactic heroes. Another one is Attack on Titan.
Not fantasy but feels like it: Red Rising. Its game of thrones in space. Worldbuilding is phenomenal. Characters are amazing. Politics are top tier. First book is hunger gamesy. Brown wrote it to get the series to publishing. The rest of the series is GoT Space Opera. .
It’s more historical fiction but The Saxon Stories chronicle the historical events that game of thrones is based off of. It scratches the political scheming and massive battles itch that GOT does but from a single POV.
Faithful and the fallen by John Gwynne!
The dandelion dynasty by Ken Liu is definitely a master crafted series with tons of political scheming, complex story telling and world building with great characters on a massive scope. I mean the first book is a 700 page prolog basically
The Last Kingdom on Netflix
I’ve been reading the Dune series(mainly inspired to do so after the movies came out). I guess it leans more towards sci-fi than fantasy, but if you want good world building and excellent characters with a lot of depth I’d give it a shot. I’m on the 4th book and it has quickly become a favorite series of mine.
Malazan
Wheel of time. People say it doesn’t really get going until book 7 I’m on book 7 and it’s great but I enjoyed the first 6 as well. There’s a show on prime that’s airing but it’s very different from the books. I’m enjoying both.
Shogun is outstanding
Wheel of time
Try Jennifer Fallon's Hythrun Chronicles.
The "Covenant of Steel" series by Anthony Ryan was pretty great.
Maybe have a read of The Lord of the Rings? I think it ticks most of your wants, even if it is done in a somewhat different way. It also has had a huge impact on fantasy and culture over the years.
Sons of Darkness IS EXACTLY LIKE ASOIAF. Kingdom politics at its best. There is an Empire, a Republic, a Union of Kingdoms, a Religion Controlled Monarch - will totally cure that Machiavellian itch
Robin Hobb, starting with the Farseer Trilogy, Lives Liveship Traders trilogy, Tawny man Trilogy, Rainhill chronicles, The Fitz and the fool Trilogy.
berserk, kind of. last year i read berserk and needed to read something else exactly like that—it was so good. ended up with asoiaf… berserk is thematically and narratively similar to game of thrones in a lot of ways, but it’s a manga, the story isn’t finished yet (ur used to that tho lol), and the original creator has passed away. it’s being finished by a close friend and collaborator. another difference—the story is mainly centered on only one character and whoever is around him at the time. the main character, guts, is a soldier—politics are above his pay-grade. there’s still a lot of politics going on, but it’s less a story about coups and subterfuge and more a story about… suffering and fighting destiny. the world-building is divulged slowly yet is very dense, the art is beautiful, and the vibe is similar tho imo? idk, berserk isn’t a 1:1 comparison, but the setting and tone are there.
Malazan is a lot like game of thrones in that it has the following qualities: - Very well written - value as literature - rich banquet of characters and points of view - a completely fleshed out history to the world that the reader must piece together on their own - politics, though the mortal politics take a back seat to the politics of the gods and the ascended
The Last Kingdom and Vikings, both on Netflix. Just not nearly ad much fantasy as there is in Game of Thrones
I would check out the Red Rising series - bear with it because book 1 starts a bit slow imho but then it gets really, really good. It’s got a definite ‘GOT in space’ thing going on, but it doesn’t feel too sci-fi… it has sci-fi elements but it’s more about the politics and rivalries of the main characters and factions.
Vikings, The Last Kingdom, Shogun are the only ones that really come to mind for me.
you mean, one that's not finished? Try The Name of the Wind :)
Watch: Vikings (Netflix in US) Read: The Farseer Trilogy (and beyond, if you enjoy) by Robin Hobb
Play Crusader Kings III
Do better, we all know CK2 is where the genre peaked (how is 3? I never got over the learning curve and went back to 2)
It’s a little more fast paced and action focused, but The Faithful and the Fallen has a lot of similar varying view points of different journeys people are going on and lots of politics about ruling the lands.
Check out 'black sails' its basically politics in water
This recommendation won't be near the scope of ASOIAF, but I'm going to recommend it anyway because it's a really enjoyable series: [The Black Company](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CJP9QS?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin) What I linked to is a set of 4 books. There are not four books in the series. There are like 10 books in the total series but they've been put together into these four sets of books. To give a *very* simple synopsis on the plot starting out, the Black Company is a group of mercenaries with a long and fabled legacy. They've been hired by the bad guys, so think of Morgoth and his forces when he was waging war during the First Age of Middle Earth. Except he had a wife. And the Black Company are a group of mercs who are fighting alongside Morgoth's forces in a war against all the heroes and forces of good but you've also got some other gods thrown in there as well. That's kind of how The Black Company book opens up.
You won't find similar out there... but there are authors around who can finish a story. The Blackwing series by Ed McDonald or empire of a vampire by Jay kristoff have some of the same dark fantasy tone and I enjoyed both a lot.
I really liked the blade born saga by tc edge. Not quite on got level, but it definitely hits the same feels. It's on kindle unlimited too.
A Song of Ice and Fire should be right up your alley.
Arcane is fire. I’m on my 4th rewatch of GOT, and somehow only Arcane has risen to this level of “omg”. It’s an animation and i’m not an animation fan by all means, but the story and style is absolutely breathtaking. It has broken records after records, won the most awards for its category and the soundtrack is out of this world (every song was written especially for every scene). I highly reccomend it, it was and is along with Got one of the only series I could rewatch on repeat.
The Wandering Inn might fit? It has a huge cast of complex characters and some absolutely incredible world building. There is a fair amount of politics later in the series once the characters have gotten more established.
It just finished S1,go watch Shogun.
* **The Empire Trilogy** by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts: lots of politicking and intrigue. Some open warfare, but the plot mostly revolves around political stratagems, betrayals and complex plotting. The trilogy intersects with Feist's novel *Magician*, which in turn is the opening book in the **Riftwar Cycle**; that series is considerably simpler than either the **Empire** books or GRRM. * **The Monarchies of God** by Paul Kearney: some politics and intrigue, particularly religious intrigue, but more about warfare and combat (more Renaissance-based, so cannons and primitive guns more than swords and shields), and the interaction of that with politics. Like **ASoIaF** there's a supernatural threat bearing down on the main kingdoms whilst they are occupied fighting one another. The series is relatively minimalist, in that there are five short novels combined into two omnibuses, each still shorter than the shortest **ASoIaF** novel. Still excellent. * **The Sword of Shadows** by J.V. Jones: especially good if you enjoyed the North/Beyond the Wall storyline from **ASoIaF**. Complex warfare and politics between and within the primitive clanholds, and the neighbouring "civilised" city-states. Low magic but impressive results when it kicks in. Superb characterisation. To be frank, should probably be regularly mentioned alongside GRRM, Hobb, Erikson, Williams etc as one of the best epic fantasy series around, but incomplete (4 books out now, Book 5 is just about done, one more book to go) with sometimes long gaps between volumes. There is, however, a predecessor trilogy in the same world, **The Book of Words**, which was less well-written but had some excellent characters and ideas, so there's really seven books out now to keep you ticking over. * **Pretty Much Anything** by Guy Gavriel Kay. Kay uses historical sources and inspirations like Martin, but set in his own fantasy world with very low-key (and sometimes non-existent) magic. A big difference is that Kay mostly writes stand-alones in the same world (or several very similar worlds, to one another and to Earth). He's not as enthusiastic about warfare as GRRM, but his characters are fantastic and there's a lot of politics and rich historical detail. *The Lions of Al-Rassan*, *Tigana* and *Under Heaven* are probably the best places to start. * **The Warlord Chronicles** trilogy by Bernard Cornwell: pretty much *exactly* what you'd get if Martin rewrote the story of King Arthur. Outstanding. * **Crown of Stars** by Kate Elliott. Also seven books, but complete. Like **ASoIaF**, clearly heavily inspired by actual European history, although in the very early medieval period rather than the late one, so much smaller army sizes. A lot of politics and scheming, with light magic whilst a bigger supernatural threat builds in the background. Very good, maybe slightly overlong and with one or two annoying characters but some others who are absolutely brilliant.
* **Memory, Sorrow and Thorn** by Tad Williams: a primary inspiration on **ASoIaF** and similarly rich storytelling and lore. A bit more "classical fantasy" then **ASoIaF** and not as gritty. Probably the closest we'll ever get to "if GRRM rewrote Tolkien." The current sequel quartet, **The Last King of Osten Ard**, is much more heavily into political intrigue. * **The Gap Saga** by Stephen R. Donaldson: a key influence on **ASoIaF**, and in fact directly inspired GRRM's POV structure in his series. It's very dark and very grim (maybe moreso than **ASoIaF**), and is a space opera rather than fantasy, but the political intrigue does ramp up over the course of the five books (plus the first book is like a novella). Somewhat depressing, but well-written. * **Also Pretty Much Anything** by K.J Parker, who tends to focus on some of the same stuff as GRRM but in different books. So the **Fencer Trilogy** has a GRRM-like focus on warfare and shocking plot twists and family betrayals, whilst the standalone *Folding Knife* has rich political intrigue and realpolitik scheming. * **The Eternal Sky Trilogy** by Elizabeth Bear: political intrigue and clan warfare amongst a Hun/Mongol/Dothraki-like society. Particularly good if, like me, you feel the Dothraki were under-developed and wanted a richer and more interesting take on the same idea. * **The Amtrak Wars** by Patrick Tilley: post-apocalyptic fantasy in a North America changed beyond recognition, so it has underground cities, massive land-train aircraft carriers, primitive tribesfolk who have actual magic, and, for some reason, proper samurai. Slightly deranged, and very 1980s, but tremendous fun. The main character is basically what you get if Jaime Lannister and Littlefinger *were the same person*. Not much political intrigue at the start but later on it goes completely nuts, with the characters having to keep different versions of different stories going for the different factions they are pretending to support but actually betraying, pretending to support but actually just kinda ignoring, actually supporting but pretending they're not and so on. It's bananas. And the massive battles, when they finally come, are glorious.
The Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. It has all the elements of GoT but better.
I recommend The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (starts with THE WARDED MAN (or PAINTED MAN for Europe) and is clearly influenced by GoT. It also has the different point of view characters, some politics, and ends up making you like the characters who typically would just be cast as the villains. And the main series is complete at 5 books!
First of all, please do indeed read the *A Song Of Ice And Fire* series, which is the basis for the Game Of Thrones television show. The world-building and characterization is much deeper, and the politics is (gradually) revealed to be much more complex. There are three prequel novellas, set 90 years before ASOIAF begins, collected as *A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms*. There are also the world-building novels *The World Of Ice And Fire*, and *Fire And Blood*. Both are written as if by a Maester as academic treatises; the dry, scholarly tone doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. *Fire And Blood* is the basis for the current television show House Of The Dragon, showing some of the earlier years of the Targaryen Dynasty in Westeros. \*\*\* For another series with complex world-building, deep characterization, massive battles, and intricate politics, please allow me to suggest *A Practical Guide To Evil*: [https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/](https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/) Seven volumes, plus many extra bonus chapters; entire series completed as of February 2022. Epic fantasy (as in swords & sorcery). The MC is an orphan, who chooses to become a collaborator with the Evil Empire which conquered her home country in order to mitigate its brutal occupation. Later, while representing Team Evil, uses the methods of Good in order to make the world a little less on fire all the time. The MC gains tremendous >!personal, military, political, and even religious!< power, collecting a very impressive set of both allies and enemies. Lots of drama, intrigue, murders, duels, and set-piece battles. Even the treaty negotiations and political conferences are tense and dramatic; the author does a good job in showing how the military strategies intersect with the politics...and how both intersect with Heroic and Villainous narratives. While there are plenty of stories with anti-heroes, this is the only one I can think of with a well-executed *anti-villain*. This is a fantasy kitchen sink of a crapsack world, including multiple human ethnicities & languages, orcs, goblins, elves, drow, dwarves, ogres, Summer faeries, Winter faeries, angels, devils, demons, the undead, at least one dragon, conflicting schools of arcane magic, divine magic, and especially, *Heroes* and *Villains*.
Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. 14 books all thick as fuck. Action, romance, political intrigue, you name it. Its all there
Give Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks a try. It will surprise you!
Seinfeld. Hear me out. Comparing "Seinfeld" to "Game of Thrones" might seem far-fetched at first glance, given that one is a sitcom about everyday life and the other a sprawling fantasy epic, but beneath their surface differences, there are surprising parallels that reveal how these two iconic shows share common themes, narrative techniques, and character dynamics. Both "Seinfeld" and "Game of Thrones" revolve around the interactions of a core group of characters whose distinct personalities and relationships drive their respective narratives, with each show featuring deeply flawed, morally ambiguous characters whose interactions often lead to misunderstandings, betrayals, and either comedic fallout or dramatic twists. "Seinfeld" is notorious for its characters' selfishness and moral ambiguity, with a "no hugging, no learning" policy that mirrors the moral complexity and difficult choices faced by characters in "Game of Thrones," where decisions have significant and often devastating consequences. Both shows offer keen social commentary, with "Seinfeld" dissecting the absurdities of daily life and societal norms, while "Game of Thrones" explores power, politics, and human nature, tackling themes like the corrupting influence of power and the brutal realities of war and ambition. They also share a penchant for unpredictability and subversion of expectations, with "Seinfeld" often avoiding traditional sitcom resolutions and "Game of Thrones" shocking audiences with major character deaths and plot twists, creating a sense of tension and uncertainty. Additionally, both series have left a significant cultural impact, with "Seinfeld" revolutionizing television comedy and embedding phrases like "yada yada yada" into the cultural lexicon, and "Game of Thrones" becoming a global phenomenon that influenced the fantasy genre and pop culture at large with its iconic quotes and complex narrative. Despite their surface differences, "Seinfeld" and "Game of Thrones" share common threads in their approach to character development, moral complexity, social commentary, narrative unpredictability, and cultural influence, contributing to their enduring popularity and impact.
No other series is quite like GoT/ASOIAF. That said, I’d like to plug two of my favorite fantasy book series that I haven’t seen anyone on this thread mention: The Powder Mage/Gods Of Blood And Powder series (two trilogies) by Brian McCellan, and The Shadow Campaigns series by Django Wexler. Both are part of the “flintlock fantasy” subgenre (and arguably its best examples), meaning that they are set in worlds with a social and tech level closer to the American Revolution or the TV show Bridgerton than to medieval Europe. But both are multi-POV stories full of palace intrigue, interesting magic, and epic battles with the fates of kingdoms at stake. The Shadow Campaigns leans heavily into the military aspects in the first book, but expands in subsequent books to include plenty of political skullduggery. The Powder Mage stories go for an equal balance of those elements right from the start.
TV show wise, House of the Dragons is the obvious one, you might also consider Shadow and Bone For books, I would recommend the Gentleman Bastards series, first book is titled The Lies of Locke Lamora ... Also the first law series has some of that politicing I don't have a ton of experience with what you are looking for, but those ones come to mind The Gentleman Bastards series, for example is about a group of thieves... And every book involves tons of machinations towards some sort of heist or grand crime, with multiple opposing forces... Not so much kings and queens and royal courts, but loads of treachery and plots
If you are a GoT then you must WoT to be complete
Elven Ring
Prince of nothing. Best fantasy book series ever
Foundation
Coming back to this for recommendations
I can't say this enough. THE POWDER MAGE TRILOGY. It's literally a civil war with a big war with the magic abilities, assains, and the gods themselves come down
The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne. Great characters, interpersonal conflicts, nationwide politicing, and the battles. So many battles.
Highly recommended Red Rising Trilogy. Yes it’s sci fi but it has all the intrigue of Game of Thrones. The different houses and all of that
Rome (tv series HBO)
Philippa Gregory writes fantastic historical fiction based on the Plantagenet dynasty, which inspired a lot of ASOIF. Bonus, she writes from POV of the historical women. All the intrigue, politics, succession, etc, and a bit of magic here and there. And, like ASOIF, because each book centers around one person’s experience, one gets different POVs of the same events. Edit: clarity
I’ve written a series that Independent Book Review called “a must-read for fans of political fantasy.” I was inspired by Game of Thrones, but wanted to pair it with allusions to modern events and peasant uprisings. Check it out if you’d like—A Seat for the Rabble and An End to Kings, the first volumes in the A King Without a Crown series. Ted Nasmith, who created the covers for The Lord of the Rings and artwork for GOT, painted original covers for the works.
Shogun! Idk if u meant tv or book but this is both
Try Faithful and the fallen by John Gwynne waste paced, more action, and fantasy beings. But just as brutal, political and cruel.