If you’re a Game of Thrones/Song of Ice & Fire fan, you’re in a bit of a tough spot right now. It’s the break between TV seasons, and the next book in the series is nowhere in sight. If you’re waiting for the next book in particular, you likely have more than enough time to read everything on this list before it appears. So if you’re jonesing for an epic fantasy fix, I’ve got some suggestions for you:
Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings
Great characters, above all. If you think you care about GRRM’s characters, Hobb’s about to school you in emotional hooks. But this group of books also has: political scheming and intrigue. Magic. Strange foes, unlikely friends, rare dragons, long journeys. While Hobb doesn’t kill off characters with quite the frequency of GRRM, it packs a gut punch when she does. This is possible my favorite fantasy world, and the first trilogy especially possibly my favorite series. It’s so good, you guys. The different trilogies/groupings of books all take place in the same world, but don’t all focus on the same time period or characters. But there’s just enough overlap between them (random cameos and references) that they’re connected and you feel like you’re in on an inside joke. While most of these sets are complete (no waiting!), she did just start a new series in this world that I have an ARC for, and I’m super excited about it.
Start with: Assassin’s Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1)
Series reading order:
- The Farseer Trilogy (complete)
- The Liveship Traders trilogy (complete)
- The Tawny Man trilogy (complete)
- The Rain Wild Chronicles quartet (complete)
- The Fitz and the Fool trilogy (new, in progress)
Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel Universe
This is another series with sweeping political intrigue and continent-spanning drama. It takes place in an alternate version of Europe, and follows (at least for the first series) the life of courtesan and spy Phèdre. There’s plenty of danger and a good amount of sex, given her profession. The characters and world are both richly developed. Like GRRM, Carey doesn’t shy away from hurting or killing off characters. This is another one of my all-time favorite series, especially the first trilogy.
Start with: Kushiel’s Dart (Phèdre’s Trilogy, #1)
Series reading order:
- Phèdre’s Trilogy (complete)
- Imriel’s Trilogy (complete)
- Moirin’s Trilogy (complete)
Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince
If you want complex, world-spanning political drama and power struggles, this will fit the bill. The world is richly developed and diverse. It’s got an interesting magic system. There’s a decent amount of love stories/sexy times, if you’re missing that about the GoT HBO show. The cast of characters is huge and the POV jumps around to follow different people, much like GRRM’s stuff (there’s a handy chart of families/characters included in each book). And, you know, it’s finished – no waiting.
Start with: Dragon Prince (Dragon Prince #1)
Series reading order:
- Dragon Prince Trilogy (complete)
- Dragon Star trilogy (complete)
Steven Brust’s Dragaera
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a break from the grimness of GRRM, you might give this world a try. Brust has set up an unusual world, with distinct houses of power and more than one kind of magic. The Vlad Taltos series especially is just fun to read – the narrator, Vlad, is a smart-ass, wise-cracking type of guy. It wasn’t unusual for me to laugh out loud reading these. That’s not to say Important Serious Things don’t happen in the books, because they do. But humor is one of Vlad’s coping mechanisms, so it diffuses things most times. The other books in the world are even more tongue-in-cheekily written, with a healthy dose of the absurdity that historians can display. You still get the intricate political intrigue, and danger, and adventures, but in a lighter tone.
Start with: Taltos
Series reading order:
- Vlad Taltos series (in progress, 14 books so far, publication order is not story-chronological order, see list in text at link)
- The Phoenix Guards (one book)
- Five Hundred Years After (one book)
- Viscount of Adrilankha trilogy (complete)
What fantasy series would you recommend for those coping with Game of Thrones withdrawl?
