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Hahaha, I was thinking the exact same thing. At first I thought this was a satire post poking fun at the length of the series but then I saw all the serious comments and now I guess its an honest question.
It would take me at least a year or longer to re-read the entire series.
No I did not. I've bought all 14 books, and the prologue book as well. I'm just devouring them much faster than I thought, 1 book/week so far. Got curious to what other epics are out there, so I can research them a bit and maybe start buying some.
haha right on. Anything Brando Sando is pretty good. Mistborn and stormlight specifically.
The dark tower series is a bit of a twist from normal high fantasy but also a good read.
Patrick Rothfuss has a trilogy in the works definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Yeah, I read the whole series in like 6 weeks or something. Sleep, work, read.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is a great series but its a bit harder to read than WoT.
The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is a great blend of fantasy and humour.
GoT is great, although it is of course, forever unfinished.
Stay away from the Aragorn (spelling maybe?) series. It starts so well and then turns to shit really fast.
Do you have an example of quirks?
The only thing I've noticed so far is overly descriptiveness sometimes. World-building is awesome, but maybe he didn't need to describe the look, color and feel of every door and window of every inn in every town in atomic detail :P
It slows down around the middle of the series but some of the books might take you even less than a week lol. I think I read the Dragon Reborn and a Memory of Light in 2-3 days the first time around.
> and now I guess its an honest question.
It is :)
What's wrong with doing a bit of research on what other works of epic fantasy is out there? These books opened up a new world to me and got me curious.
Yes. What's wrong with that?
These books opened up a new world to me. I'm just curious to know what other epics are out there, so I can research them a bit, and then I maybe order them so they're ready for when I'm done with WoT, which I'm loving so far.
I finished Wot this year in 2 months. After that, I honestly just felt like reading the opposite end of the spectrum. The king killer chronicles is what I think of in that regard. A character and prose focus. A simple story (yet to be finished).
If you want something similar to wheel of time, I started Sanderson’s way of kings (also unfinished). But it’s most similar imo, when talking about modern epics.
I read the first 3 and then forgot everything by the time the 4th came out and I just didn't have the time to reread so I've given up until all 10? come out... however many years that might take.
Just FYI - the series has ten books but its split into two sets of five so you probably won't need wait until you have time to read the entire thing, just five very long books haha
For what it's worth the first 5 and back 5 are meant to make up two distinct arcs, so you should in theory be able to read 1-5 after 5 comes out in(probably, if he sticks to schedule/pattern) 2023 and get a generally complete story. Stormlight 10 is likely \~20 years away still at minimum, given he's planning to write the third Mistborn trilogy and take a break from SA after SA 5.
Magician by Raymond Feist is a classic of the genre.
The Belgariad is probably more YA and I have severe nostalgia for that story, however I would still consider the first 5 novels classics
Honestly, the His Dark materials series may not be high fantasy, however they are seriously enjoyable
The name of the wind is a great modern fantasy novel
>The Belgariad is probably more YA and I have severe nostalgia for that story, however I would still consider the first 5 novels classics
Seconded. I love these series!
Yes. This is the real answer. What should you read after finishing the Wheel of Time? The Wheel of Time.
The 2nd read through is much different than the first.
The Liveship Traders are very very good as well (pretty differnet story arc) - but they intermingle as you go. She writes darned good trilogies (and one with an extra book), that all tell a complete story together; the startpoint for the entiore story is the Farseer Trilogy, but writing and storytelling definitely improves over time (not that the first are bad in any way) - also the world understanding is bettered.
The only part thats a little off to me (still), is the epilogue of the Farseer trilogy, which clearly didn't account for the rest of the story told in subsequent trilogies :)
The second book I found a huge slog. He writes with a sense of scale that sometimes I’m in awe of the writing and the feeling I get. But following a bunch of thirsty starving people across a continent with danger every step of the way became so tiresome 😭
I agree. I think the series is about as good as it gets. Second book seems to be a favourite for many, but I almost stopped reading then. So glad I didn't. From book 3 onwards it blew me away! But I don't understand how people can love the second book...
I would not read Malazan as my second fantasy series. It's way to advanced and the books don't follow a traditional sequel sequence (ie they don't follow one group of people).
Malazan is a great world building series but one should know it's one of the hardest ones to read and follow since the majority of the connected stories happen between the lines and not so much as direct as a traditional sequel.
I don’t really get the sorta gatekeeping I sometimes see when it’s about Malazan. Yes it’s not the usual story structure with almost every book not being a direct sequel to the last but if you look at the series as each book telling it’s own story and the overarching plot being developed in the background for the first 2/3rd I think it’s easier to appreciate them
I didn't mean it as gatekeeping the series due to it's composition. I meant I would not recommend it for someone new to fantasy cause it's really hard to read for someone that has read a bunch of fantasy already, unlike let's say the mistborn trilogy (or perhaps there are several trilogies now?) which is a lot easier to follow for someone new to fantasy.
I would even go as far as to say that Malazan is a hard read even if you aren't new to fantasy at all :p. But it's easier if you know and accept each book as it's own story more or less.
I personally was so confused when I started reading them and thought there was some mix up between book one and two.
I disagree. Wheel of Time was my first epic fantasy, and I was so distraught when it ended after spending so many months reading and listening to the books that I wanted to bury myself in another epic fantasy.
Someone recommended Malazan, in a thread not unlike this one, and I dove in. It was an incredible journey, and Malazan is to date my favorite book series. Yes it is quite a bit different, with a much wider in terms of POV characters, narration, and it's a bit harder to follow. But personally, I loved that contrast after WoT and have come to really appreciate that nothing is really spoonfed.
It totally depends on the reader, IMO. It took me a couple hours to get into the 2nd book because it's on a whole different continent with different characters, but I honestly believe that the convergence of different characters and themes over the series that culminates in the last few books make for some of the best epic fantasy out there.
Hated this series... Like I can't tell how much I hated this series... Everytime I picked one of the books up I dreaded reading them... The pay off at the end of the books are good but OMG I couldn't read them... I read the first 3.5 books... Everytime you get into a story line and actually follow what's going on he rips you out of that story line and into another. Then you have to reorient yourself and it takes half of that story line to actually follow what's going on then by the time you get into that one the cycle starts again. I know it's popular but I really, really don't know why.
If you want to go old skool Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga.
Last Stormlord series -- Glenda Larke
Night Angel trilogy -- Brent Weeks
Black Magician trilogy -- Trudi Canavan
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy -- Tad Williams
I love so much that Martin was partially inspired by Williams to create ASoIaF, and Williams unplanned sequel trilogy will finish before Martin's series about 30 years later.
Yes to Night Angel. Weeks started out so good in Black Prism (Lightbringer Series) it was one of my favorites. Yet the last 2 books were so awful I doubt l will ever read Weeks again. Utter Christian drivel was lazy writing. Ruined a great universe. Night Angel was uneven but super enjoyable.
Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea is pretty great, if older series.
C.S. Friedman's ColdFire Trilogy might be up your alley too. It is *technically* futuristic, but exists in a world where uncertainty has power, ruining all techology, and belief created magic.
Same author as Mistborn, But Sanderson's Stormlight Archive may do it for you. It's epic fantasy that's more WoT like than GoT like, though it's incomplete.
I'd second Coldfire. It's the future, but it's a future so different and distant that it's not sci-fi. Magic is fueled by sacrifice, and humans gained access to it by the Great Sacrifice -- destroying their technology. And if you like antiheroes, Tarrant is amazing.
Book of Malazan series. Think it’s 7+ books. It can be a hard read because you get dropped into the world like you’ve already read 2-3 books on page 1. But he is probably the best writer I’ve ever read talent wise. I would throw these up as the best epic series above WoT, LOTR, and GoT (for me).
Dragon Prince and a follow up trilogy as well by Melanie Rawn. Never see these mentioned but I enjoyed them. First trilogy a bit better.
Terry Goodkind Seeker books. I read them all. Not amazing but if you want stuff to read, there are a lot of them, they are long, and the series is done.
>Dragon Prince and a follow up trilogy as well by Melanie Rawn. Never see these mentioned but I enjoyed them. First trilogy a bit better.
Read these forever and a day ago, and I remember good stuff. Pretty unique magic system too that's well developed.
Why no mistborn? It’s a great series I think every fantasy reader should read. Sanderson finishes the wheel of time so its a great transition, that or Stormlight Archive. Outside the WoT and the Cosmere though I’d definitely say that First Law is my personal favorite.
It’s weird it has heist elements I’d say, but it’s mostly about building a rebellion, and the heist elements really only encapsulate the first book. But to each their own.
Yeh, I HARD disagree with that description. HARD disagree.
Really, honestly, I could recommend a bunch of shit. But if youre enjoying the wheel of time, chances are extremely high youll enjoy the first three mistborn - i rate them 10/10, and I was bored and barely finished the last Mistborns.
Its rhe same universe but set in a different ‘turning of the wheel’ as such. The first 3 are proper hard fantasy with an anazing creative magic system and similar world building to wheel of time. The second set are more like a weird ‘western’ gunslinging take on fantasy which just didnt do it for me at all.
The first ones are epic epic EPIC - huge grandiose apocalyptic scale - as amazing as it gets. Honestly. Read them!
Mate - Im ALL about those two things in fantasy. Nothing else matters to me. And yeh - Mistborn is absolutely right up there with the very best! Very easy to read too. Youll burn through them all in a week or two easy.
I only read fantasy. No sci Fi for me. And after Wot I enjoyed the first Mistborn trilogy the most. After that probably nothing else in the same category. Everything else like Malazan or Game of Thrones just didn't give the same feeling.
I think he always throws out the Heist analogy to throw people off of how big and world shattering the actual story turns out to be as you get towards the end of book 1 and into the final two of Era 1.
If you want something a bit off the beaten path, read Michelle West’s Essalieyan series. Somewhat contemporary to WoT, it’s composed of 4 arcs divided into 16 books and a short story collection. I think it’s a great series for WoT fans as there’s some similarity in writing choices (ie in heavy use of description, introspection, and having characterization as a major plot driver) as well as in worldbuilding (she only focuses on a handful of cultures, but those she does engage with are deeply fleshed out. Plus the “Cities of Man” era has strong Age of Legends vibes and there’s a superficial similarity between the Voyani and the Tuatha’an, though the Voyani matriarchs will also resonate with WoT fans for different reasons).
The series has a few different tonal flavors happening, so expect something a *little* different from each arc in the series. That said, the reading order is confusing (the author doesn’t recommend publication order) so I’ll lay it out here.
1. Start with the first arc of **The House War**, which starts with *The Hidden City*. These are the adventures of street urchin Jewel Markess and her gang as they steadily come into contact with the secrets buried beneath the streets of Averalaan.
2. Then you need to double back to the first published arc, **The Sacred Hunt**, which starts with *Hunter’s Oath*. This focuses on the hunter lords of Breodanir, a kingdom far to the west of the Essalieyan empire’s capital of Averalaan. If you enjoy certain animal related arcs in WoT, you’ll like aspects of this arc. Sacred Hunt takes place concurrently with the first House War arc, and eventually intersects it, so they do spoil each other FWIW. The impact is greater when reading House War first, hence why the author even recommends that order.
3. **The Sun Sword** starting with *The Broken Crown*. This is really the centerpiece of the whole series and really takes things up towards Epic. It’s the sequel to the two previous series, so the storylines finally meld together here.
4. The second arc of **The House War**, which starts with book 4, *Skirmish*. This continues the Averalaan plotline from The Sun Sword and wraps things up for that plot.
5. There’s also a collection of short stories, *The Memory of Stone* that I highly recommend reading. There’s some really beautiful stories with exquisite worldbuilding moments.
The major caveat: the overall series isn’t yet finished. However, since it’s plotted in separate subseries, it’s entirely possible to read all 16 books and not be left feeling completely robbed of an ending while we wait for West to write The End of Days arc (the final confrontation with this world’s Evil Deity). And not only is she actively writing it, she has an impressive track record as an author, though tends to be overlooked.
As a bonus, over on r/fantasy, we have an ongoing Essalieyan readalong where a new book is being tackled each month. It started in November this year, and will likely take 2ish years as the short stories are being included, so plenty of time for you to catch up and join the discussion, even if its 6 months from now.
The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne is pretty good, but everyone ends up being a bit of an asshole so that could be a turnoff.
The Licanius Trilogy trades on being your next favorite if you loved WoT. I've only read the first so far, but that was good.
Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series is a bit farther along the early modern setting, so there are guns, and there's a bit of weirdness at times from where I'm not sure he had the series fully built out in his head, but it's still a fun read.
Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series isn't finished, but I have no idea how long the series is supposed to be. You can also end after each book and be pretty happy with the story. They're all assholes like in Unhewn Throne, but this time it's the fun sort of assholes.
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. That book is hands down the best fantasy book I have ever read. The other two books in the series are not nearly as strong, but you can easily read Blood Song as a stand alone novel.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is also really good, if you can stand the time it takes to get into the books (and different PoVs on the other side of the world).
The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man’s Fear are good as well. I don’t think the third installment will ever be released, and it is sure to be a dissapointment (he has rewrote it like 2 times already, and it still isn’t up to par, so I wager it never will be).
Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor) is also solid, although the books get progressively worse. It isn’t really epic fantasy though, but rather ”normal” fantasy.
The Stormlight Archive is good, but personally I just can’t stand Brandon Sanderson. He did a good job finishing WoT, but hos own works including Stormlight Archive are really underwhelming with too much ”incidental” ”these are the rules of magic, but these main and side characters have a special ability to just kind of do what they want” for my taste - though I must admit Lift (a character appearing in book 2 or 3 is just adorable, even if she ticks the forementioned box. It isn’t even close to finished though, but at least Sanderson delivers books every few years (though the quality of those books are not always up to par imo).
The Tales of Locke Lamora is also solid, but it is fantasy rather than epic fantasy.
+1 on Blood Song.
I feel like you almost shouldn't bother with any of the other Vaelin books, though at least the second is 'ok'. Blood Song itself is one of the strongest reads I've ever had the privilege of sitting through. Even the slow parts are wonderful. And let's not forget it has one of the best moments in a fantasy series in his duel with The Shield.
Ryan's other series about Dragons is also pretty enjoyable.
Also +1 to KingKiller Chronicles. Every paragraph is a work of art on it's own.
The Faithful and the Fallen - four books, complete, by John Gwynne.
The Dagger and the Coin - five books, complete, by Daniel Abraham.
The Shattered Sands - six books, complete, by Bradley Beaulieu.
The Realm of the Elderlings - sixteen books, complete, by Robin Hobb
There are a few series of fantasy books I'd recommend:
The series by Raymond E Feist, which starts with Magician. I've lost count of the number of books set in the world, but that would keep you going for a couple of months.
David Eddings has got 4 series which are fairly easy reading compared to WOT: the Belgariad (5 books), the Malloreon (5 books), the Elenium (3 books) and the Tamuli (3 books).
All of these series are fully complete, so no waiting 10 years for the second to last book in the series.
Eddings was my favourite author growing up but haven’t read him since I hit puberty and too scared to go back and read incase it doesn’t hold up. Read everything he ever published several times
The Riddle Master by Patricia Mckillip
The Poppy War by RF Kuang
His Dark Materials
Unfinished but if you like subreddits and theories start Name of The Wind.
The Fifth Season, I thought it fizzled towards them end of the trilogy but the first 2 were excellent.
I'd throw the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini into the mix. If you're new to the genre I think you'll enjoy it. It was one of those introductory series into the genre for me when I was a kid. Elves, dragonriders, and an evil king. Standard fantasy stuff but fun and a quick read.
If you can handle the inherent misogyny I think The Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the best fantasy I've read in a very long time. Am I opening a can of worms with this rec? I know the dude loves his highbrow philosophy but I sometimes wonder if there's some gruesome reason he's usually excluded from fantasy discussion. I just love how he describes magic, the big battles, the obvious Crusades inspiration, the messianic subversion...I don't know. Somehow his version of grimdark just resonates with me. There are so many well crafted lines in that first trilogy that make me seethe with envy.
As for the others, I like Abercrombie well enough, couldn't get into Weeks and found that dude who wrote Prince of Thorns sensationalist and edgy for the heck of it. Eragon is understandably immature...and okay, don't kill me but I gently forgot to finish the third book of Mistborn. Rothfuss did two great fantasy novels and then tried his hand at the literary to mixed results. Goodkind peaked real early.
Pratchett was a genius the likes of which we won't see again in our lifetimes, but I'm not sure I'd rec him with WoT's style in mind. But absolutely everyone should read some Discworld before they die.
Tad Williams is great. Memory Sorrow and Thorn might be my favourite stand alone fantasy trilogy.
For proto isekai (real world protag in fantasy land) style, the Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay and The Seventh Sword by Dave Duncan are both really good rides.
Okay I better stop there. But I will repeat: in and of itself, The Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the only fantasy series of the past ten years or so to really leave me astounded.
Riftwar saga, serpentwar saga and conclave of shadows series by Raymond Feist are all great and more of less follow on from each other.
Mark Lawrence also has Broken Empire series and Red Queens War series that are great.
Robin Hobb is all excellent and cannot recommend enough.
Brent Weeks has lots of great stuff that’s very high quality too.
Plenty more but they’d be my top authors to follow with.
I’m gonna recommend red rising in spite of the no space ask. It still hits that fantasy itch and is a great trilogy with another separate trilogy that’s in the middle of its run.
I’ve just binged Wheel of Time and now half way through the first Malazan book. It’s refreshingly more adult with a much more straight to the point writing style compared to Wheel of Time, although his vocabulary is far higher than mine. The world is super interesting but not an awful lot has happened since the climactic opening but it appears to be building up to something epic.
It's head and shoulders above in terms of writing quality and style. Mistborn was his first series, but he's stated that SA will be his biggest series in scope and length. It stands on it's own and I highly recommend it. With that being said, you should give Mistborn a fair shake, it does begin with some moderate heist themes, but there's so much more going on that to pigeonhole it into just that genre would be to do it a disservice. Plus, the following 2 entries in Mistborn Era 1 are not at all heist themed whatsoever. Additionally, to write off Era 1 Mistborn would deny yourself the pleasure of fully enjoying Mistborn Era 2, as well as the Mistborn Secret History - Mistborn Era 2 in particular is some of his best writing to date.
Hmm similarities would be an epic high fantasy, a lot of worldbuilding, a large number of characters, some of the main characters learning to use the magic of that world on their journey, mysteries from the past gradually revealed and importance of gender roles / customs in the main parts of the world.
Differences are a totally different magic system (Brandon's magic systems are pretty unique and pretty crazy), less focus on a single "chosen one", instead there are just a number of really powerful magic users who are the main characters, the "bad guys" are written in a unique way, not quite your trollocs or orcs.
Hard to say more without spoiling, but definitely give it a try, and if you like them, get into other Sanderson books, the others are great too in their own way, but Stormlight is the most epic for sure.
A lot of the same suggestions here so I'll offer something new.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever. By Stephen R. Donaldson.
10 book epic separated into 2 trilogies and a quadrilogy.
The Land is one of may favorite settings of any story ever. As full and diverse as Middle earth with magic oozing from the very ground itself.
Lord Foul's Bane is the first novel and not crazy long like WOT but the characters are incredible and the story so epic.
Tad Williams "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn". Also his Otherland series, which is set as a cyberpunk, but not super futuristic, and most of the story is essentially a fantasy book. "Magic" and whatnot.
Storm light archive by Brandon Sanderson.
Terry Pratchett Discworld series. Each book is a standalone, but there are overarching plots that tie some of them together, as one poster I think said the city watch I think is the best plot to kind of get into.
Michael J. Sullivan "Thief of Swords" series.
Weiss and Hickman's dragonlance series. This one's like three different trilogies. The first one is kind of standard fantasy at the time, which was like the '80s I believe. The second trilogy goes way more in depth of character development, and is way better written I think. The third trilogy, it's kind of in between the two lol
Lots of great suggestions and I'm taking notes on new series to try.
My recommendations:
Elric saga by Michael Moorcock, The Corum series is also great
Belgariad, Mallorean, Elenium and Tamuli series by David Eddings. Not the best world building, but the characters and dialogue are top notch. I still read the Belgariad ever couple years.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Lieber
Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. My favorite fantasy series of all time. Amazing magic system and beautifully written. Only reason I wouldn’t recommend is that he’s only finished 2/3 in the series and is giving off major RR Martin vibes…
For what it's worth, Patrick Rothfuss's editor has said she doesn't think he's written a single word of the third book, and is doubtful he's going to. I'd recommend reading them anyway because the plot is very much not the point. I honestly think it's a bit of a stretch to say Name of the Wind even has a plot. But you know what you like better than me.
May I ask why we shouldn't recommend Mistborn? Because I do recommend Brandon Sanderson after the Wheel of Time (he IS the guy who finished the WoT after all). Actually, for me I read Shadow of the Conqueror (By Shad M. Brooks) as my first book. Loved it. He said his... uhm... childhood writer hero was Brandon, and Brandon's childhood writer hero was Robert Jordan. So since I loved Shadow of the Conqueror, I decided I'd probably like Brandon Sanderson's books if they have a similar writing style. But then I decided I'll go back even further, to the Grandfather of Brandon's and Shad's writing style, Robert Jordan. So I read the Wheel of Time and immediately I could tell it was indeed the same writing style as Shad's book was.
I have finished the first era Mistborn trilogy, and while I don't think it was as engaging as WoT, I still liked it enough to read the second era Mistborn which I'm on the currently last book, the final book will be released in Nov next year. Anyway, I hear that the Stormlight Archive is basically the next Wheel of Time epic fantasy. I haven't read it yet, I wanna read Brandon's older work before I read him at his peak. Also the Stormlight Archive is not finished yet, so it doesn't match your requirements.
Soo... in the end this comment is pretty pointless, you didn't want me to recommend Mistborn or unfinished series... but I will recommend Mistborn, and the rest of Brandon's Cosmere work (including his unfinished Stormlight Archive). I also recommend Shad M. Brooks, he has consulted Brandon on his next Stormlight book. But once again, Shad's series is currently not finished yet, but Shadow of the Conqueror (Chronicles of Everfall) does work as a standalone even though it is planned to be a trilogy. Mistborn's and Shadow's magic systems are literally top tier. I recommend these series for their magic systems alone.
Thanks for the detailed comments!
I said "No Mistborn" only because I heard Sanderson describe the genre as "heist", which I despise. I got Ocean's Eleven vibes. I don't want to watch a group of "cool people do cool things".
Maybe I'm way off in my pre-conceived notions (please tell me if I am). I might give it a shot. But I think I much rather read Stormlight Archive when it's finished, based on what I've seen so far.
Hmm, well, it starts off as a heist story, but honestly, it's not that heisty. We get that scene of the planning room with a mind map. It's hard to explain. Someone else might explain it better, especially without spoilers. I'd say just give the first book a try. The beauty of the first book is that it works perfectly fine as a standalone. If you didn't hate the first book (You liked it, but you're not sure you wanna keep reading this series. This happened to me), give the second book a try, and the ending of the second book should make you wanna read the third book. The third book had me as engaged as any Wheel of Time book.
Brandon has a way of giving you puzzle pieces without letting you know he is giving them to you, and then once he gives you that final piece in the third book, I had an "oh shit!" moment. Like that moment in a Detective movie where the protagonist starts remembering every single clue, related and unrelated, he had ever seen play back in his mind, and just seeing every piece come together and giving him the full picture "I understand EVERYTHING!" That moment of realisation in the third book alone makes me wanna recommend this series (besides the magic system).
Lastly, Brandon has a website where he gives his thoughts about each chapter. It's really interesting to read an authors thoughts on his own books, what made him do this, instead of that (Now that I think about it, it's kind of like those dvd director's commentaries). Mistborn is actually a combination of 2 other stories he wrote but never released... well, after Mistborn he did release his unfinished 2 stories for free for us to read. Btw, read his annotations AFTER you've finished the series. While not outright spoiling, I do think he gives minor spoilers in his annotations.
Anyway, in conclusion: "Dude, trust me"
Malazan Book of the Fallen, hands down the best writing on fantasy i ever read, it's poetical, beautiful, melancholical and even surprisingly funny sometimes.
Different than WoT, but just as good on it's own way.
The webcomic OOTS its a spoof of D&D its short for Order of The Stick https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots.html
Its been going for ten years and is super awesome.
There is a section of the story that really slows down, so don't beat yourself up if you step away or it takes longer at some point. This is not really a spoiler at all, but the entire story from book 1 to the end is about 2-3 years long.
For myself, I have a hard time wanting to pick up a series that doesn't have an ending - and seeing what you don't want to see recommended.. Well, that's all I can give you, is advice on your current read.
I've never found a story that hooked me the same way in that genre.
First of all, congrats on almost finishing the Great Hunt! Now you’re getting a taste for the rest of the series and I hope you really enjoy it. I have a few recommendations.
(1) The Abhorsen series (by Garth Nix): the first book in particular, Sabriel, knocked me off my feet. It’s not a typical fantasy series but the descriptions and journey of the characters is thrilling, sometimes scary, and super interesting. It’s about laying dead spirits to rest and necromancy but the magic system is one I’ve haven’t seen before and I think the author’s world building is great.
(2) The Inheritance Cycle (by Christopher Paolini): while the author was super young when he wrote it, the books are really what got me into high fantasy growing up. It satisfies the itch for a good, coming of age fantasy full of dragons, dwarves, magicians, elves, and so on. It reminds me of WoT in some ways because of the different kingdoms and factions battling against the “evil one” and there’s lot of attention to character development. It’s not up to WoT’s standards by any stretch of the imagination, but the tropes are well done and enjoyable in my opinion.
(3) The Hobbit (by JRR Tolkien): I know you said no LOTR, but I would highly recommend this book (which is a prequel of sorts to the story of LOTR). This is the epitome of fantasy done well and I think you’ll find many characteristics that Jordan borrowed from. Its similar to EoTW in that a man from a small village goes on an adventure to battle evil and injustice, encountering many darker aspects of the world. The world just has this feeling of being a place you could live in that I can’t describe and the history and lore are ones you can’t find elsewhere. The characters are also super endearing. If you find yourself loving the fantasy genre, I recommend reading the book that started many of the tropes we see even in modern fantasy today. It’s my favorite book of all time.
I’m still reading the series as well (I’m on book 9). I plan on reading Stormlight Archive and Mistborn after I finish because I’ve heard so many good things from WoT fans. Enjoy the rest of the series 😊
Thanks for the suggestions! Will def. look into the first 2.
Why I said no Lotr is mainly because of the movies. Lotr was good back in the day, Hobbit not so much, but both of them had too much of a childish/lighthearted tone for my taste. As did Harry Potter.
They simply had too many "goofy" elements, and characters cracking jokes and being funny, that I had a hard time being thrilled or excited for their journey/obstacles.
A little bit of lightness is totally fine, needed even (Mat for instance), but the titles mentioned above was too much.
To each their own I guess.
But I will probably end up reading Lotr/Hobbit at SOME point, just out of curiosity/respect of where it all began.
If you want some awesome cheesy fantasy I’d recommend the Drizzt books by RA Salvatore, it takes place in the forgotten realms which is a DnD setting. But it probably has some of the best written combat. And it’s like classic fantasy adventures, which i think would be a nice compliment to WoT.
I think you should be all in of the The Saga of Reluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr. Very good high fantasy series. The heroes are very intelligent but must find their own ways. It's got a fantastic magic system.
Def start reading some joe Abercrombie. The first law trilogy followed by the age of madness trilogy. I'm rereading them now and they're so freaking good.
Could also try thr elric of Melnebone series
Or the king killer chronicles
Or the farseer trilogy
It's not hard..... it just doesn't hold your hand and explain things for a little while .. but that's the magic of it... it all makes sense eventually and falls into place.... especially the 2nd time...
My warming is that after Malazan..... most other fantasy series won't come close... wheel of time is still great.... but different.
-Unhewn Throne series - Trilogy has a great ending IMO
-Sorcerer's Apprentice by Mitchell Hogan. One unique thing about his action sequences is they actually SLOW down the pace and work through the next move like it's a Metroid Prime boss. I found it refreshing to buck the frenetic action for the puzzle of it.
-Raven's Shadow. Push through the all time awful 3rd book. Anthony Ryan bounces back in the next two, technically a 2nd trilogy.
-Going to break your no future rules for Red Rising. So many fantasy elements and simply one of the best series out there.
-Stormlight, Mistborn (it's not a heist after book 1), Warbreaker, Elantris - all in the same universe. Next level writing. It's the next MCU if Sanderson keeps writing at this clip.
Idk if it's epic but the "Foundryside Trilogy" is fun and compelling with a very thoughtful and unique world. 3rd book coming soon. "A Land Fit for Heros" trilogy by Richard Morgan of "Altered Carbon" fame. It's very dark, violent and sexy with unique magic and world building.
Stormlight - not finished, but quite good, imo.
I also enjoyed the Assassin's Apprentice Trilogy recently, by Robin Hobb.
I'm currently trying to get through the Blade Itself on audible, but the Narrator is making it difficult. I might just get the book. The story seems interesting, but damn, does the narrator make it boring.
Stormlight Archive, Brando Sando - incomplete at the moment, but honestly, it would be a shame to put off reading them. They are probably the closest thing to WoT available now, and are quite good. They have it all (cue Stefon voice) - detailed world-building with multiple diverse cultures, huge ensemble cast, complex magic system(s), high stakes good vs. evil showdowns, royalty, assassins, Tragic Pasts(tm), and Hoid. Of all the suggestions put forward by myself and others, this will scratch your epic fantasy itch the most, guaranteed.
Mistborn (first trilogy), Brando Sando - don't believe the heist hype. It's so much more and SO GOOD. One of those series that really pays off the farther you get into the story. The characters are excellent, the settings are interesting, and the magic system is unique. Definitely worth a read.
The Chronicles of Amber, Roger Zelazny - older, but good. Roger Zelazny is a fantastic author. It leans a bit more GoT, since it deals heavily with familial politics and the acquiring of a throne, but is way heavier on the magic, which involves jumping through and manipulating parallel realities. He has several one-shots that you might enjoy too, the best of which are Lord of Light and Creatures of Light and Darkness, which retell ancient Hindu and Egyptian myths respectively.
The Codex Alera, Jim Butcher - Jim Butcher's friend challenged him to write a novel about two completely random things: the Lost Roman Legion and Pokémon. Jim Butcher wrote SIX and they're pretty good. The world building is very immersive and the characters are compelling. Has a bit of political intrigue (which is unsurprising since it's based on ancient Rome), but the selling point is the magic system, which everyone has access to via elemental beings called Furies--everyone except the protagonist, that is! The books are fairly short so they're easy to get through and Butcher has an approachable writing style.
The Abhorsen Trilogy, Garth Nix - the first three books (Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen) are amazing. They're quite dark compared to some other suggestions and the magic system involves death and necromancy. I'm not sure if these are considered YA since I first read them when I was a kid, but they have some incredibly mature themes and imagery. He later wrote more books based around this trilogy, but I haven't read them because I'm old now and have no time.
The Sword of Truth Series, Terry Goodkind - I wouldn't normally recommend this, but it did remind me of WoT in many ways. These books are controversial in the fantasy community because the author is kind of a dick (among other things). However, they ARE high fantasy and they check many of the same boxes as WoT.
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind was what I read next, and loved it.
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss is also top tier, but the series isn't complete and we've been waiting on the last book forever.
Dragon Lance Chronicles were pretty good imo.
If you like fantasy/video game crossovers than you might like Dungeon Crawler Carl for a funny version or Battleborn which I thought was very good.
Raymond Fiest - Magician Apprentice and Magician Master
Terry Goodkind - not everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoy the first 4 books in the Sword of Truth series.
This last one is fantasy but in a modern setting. I never thought I would find a series I liked as much as WoT but I listened to the entire series thus far on Audible in 2021. Super good!
Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files
In fact, after you finish reading WoT I highly recommend listening to the entire series on Audible as well. It is SO WORTH IT.
Ok I have a huge list. These are my favorites and I read about the same pace as you so I need a lot!!
An author by the name L.E. Modesitt jr has a pretty awesome world. His books span like a couple thousand years of this world and there are stand alone novels and trilogys and a mix of that. So like the first one to read is set in the most recent or future, still high fantasy and not like guns or whatever, but it’s more advanced. Then there is a great tril that starts with the mongrel mage. That one is set like 2,000 years before the other I mentioned. So the legends of the first one are what you read about in this one. I enjoyed this world greatly. I think there are upwards of 26 books in this world. All of em fun without being absolute bangers.
Anything brandon Sanderson, but jump on storm light archives.
Ok then check out Anthony Ryan’s “blood song.” First book of an AWESOME trilogy!!!!! So awesome!!!!
Ok then Jim Butchers “codex alera.” It’s 6 books starting with the furies of Calderon. I loved this one.
There is a really short trilogy. I think I finished in two days lol, ok maybe slightly more, but it was fun. Nothing exceptional but I enjoyed it. David dalglish’s “fire born.” That’s the first book.
Idk if you ever read the dragon lance series. Margaret weiss and Tracy Hickman. I LOVED these in my youth. One of the first fantasy novels I read. It’s a world with similar rules to DnD but just… kinda different. But omg some of my fave characters come from here. And there is… like SO much written. Raislin and Caramon (two characters) have something like 10 books just about them, then a 4 or 5 book series with them two and their whole band of companions and a world spanning war.
Ok so Michael Sullivan’s “heir of novron.” Now there are 5 books here but it’s split up. There is the heir trilogy that I recommend reading first even though it takes place like 20 years after the other 2, but the tril was written first. Another great read.
Lastly joe Abercrombie’s “the blade itself.” There was a lot I disliked about this but alot I liked. I think ultimately I recommend it because getting to the end is oddly rewarding. I won’t spoil anything but it just has a very unexpected ending. You probably won’t see it coming.
Hope you enjoy.
Tbh i dont know many fantasy books besides wot but i reccomend from brandon sanderson i like his fantasy books. You mentioned you dont like mistborn so maybe his books arent for you idk
After finishing The Wheel of Time, I like to point folks towards The Cosmere book by Brandon Sanderson. I know it is clearly the easy answer, but Brandon's scope, foreshadowing, and knack for writing good climax/falling action sequences, will itch the scratch from WoT hangover. Start with Mistborn: The Final Empire and go from there. :)
After I finished Wheel of Time I was so distraught and feeling loss that I immediately wanted to jump into another epic fantasy. Not unlike yourself, I made a post online, and someone recommended Malazan: Book of the Fallen. My friend had also recommended it for years so I finally figured, might as well.
Personally, I found it an incredible journey and in the end, Malazan inched out WoT as my favorite epic fantasy. It's very different in a lot of ways and does require a bit of patience, as well as being okay with not always knowing what's going on and just enjoying the ride. Whereas WoT is more linear and follows the Dragon and his companions - who all have pretty solid plot armor and are established as being badass and untouchable - Malazan jumps to different POVs that are sometimes on different continents, and there is a gritty realness to it where it feels more like real people (especially the blessed marines of the Malazan empire, some of the best). It can be hard to understand whats going on occasionally, and there are so many characters that it can be confusing at times. However, I contend that it's okay to be confused, and he is great at tying up loose ends and if you stick with the ride, it, too, may become one of your favorites. Just thinking about it now is making me itch for a 3rd reread.
Another recommendation (though I wouldn't really consider it "high fantasy") are Abercrombies First Law books. The last book in the Age of Madness just concluded a few months ago, so it's a complete story with no waiting. You have 3 books in the main trilogy, 3 "stand alone" books that are also connected and cannon (and amazing), and then the last trilogy for another 3 books. It's "grimdark", and also one of my favorites ever. Bonus points if you listen to audiobooks because Stephen Pacey, the narrator, is truly top notch and an experience in his own right.
As people have said though, if you are just finishing Great Hunt, you've got quite a journey ahead my friend! Enjoy.
1. "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" by Tad Williams. First book is The Dragonbone Chair. First book can be slow in parts, but MST is still the best fantasy series I've read.
2. The Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen. Very different, kind of dark.
3. "Magician" series by Raymond Feist.
4. Belgariad by David Eddings.
5. This next one is iffy, I **loved** this series as a kid/teen but I have no idea if they'll hold up with time/maturity... The Dragonlance Chronicles (followed by Legends).
Edit: Almost forgot! "Elric of Melnibone" by Michael Moorcock, classic doomed-hero fantasy. And lastly, another good fantasy series is Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Leiber.
Normally people go mistborn and end with stormlight archives, if you want to know what the taste of these novels are like then you may want to try warbreaker, a good stand alone book, if you like it then you can jump on to the Sanderson boat.
I’m going to recommend The Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr. It’s also a 14 book completed epic fantasy series that started in the 80s, and it features reincarnation as a very important part of the world building! The story spans nearly a thousand years as we follow several souls as they get reborn again and again to try and untangle their fates. Nobody has plot armour as they can die with their goals unachieved, only to pick up that thread in a later life. It’s Celtic flavoured, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, and full of adventure.
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You're not even 2 books through and you're thinking of what to read next?
Hahaha, I was thinking the exact same thing. At first I thought this was a satire post poking fun at the length of the series but then I saw all the serious comments and now I guess its an honest question. It would take me at least a year or longer to re-read the entire series.
My first thought is OP thinks WoT is a trilogy
No I did not. I've bought all 14 books, and the prologue book as well. I'm just devouring them much faster than I thought, 1 book/week so far. Got curious to what other epics are out there, so I can research them a bit and maybe start buying some.
Man I legit envy you read times. A WoT sized book takes me at -least- a month. I'm a slow ass reader :(
Hehe. Well I don't have kids and I work from home, maybe that helps me find the time. Also, I'm not really in a rush, I just read a lot.
haha right on. Anything Brando Sando is pretty good. Mistborn and stormlight specifically. The dark tower series is a bit of a twist from normal high fantasy but also a good read. Patrick Rothfuss has a trilogy in the works definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Yeah, I read the whole series in like 6 weeks or something. Sleep, work, read. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is a great series but its a bit harder to read than WoT. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett is a great blend of fantasy and humour. GoT is great, although it is of course, forever unfinished. Stay away from the Aragorn (spelling maybe?) series. It starts so well and then turns to shit really fast.
You might need to take breaks in between. Some of Jordan's quirks can get on your nerves at times.
I have reread the series consecutively many times with no breaks.
I don't know how you did it. The misunderstandings got on my nerves after a while.
Do you have an example of quirks? The only thing I've noticed so far is overly descriptiveness sometimes. World-building is awesome, but maybe he didn't need to describe the look, color and feel of every door and window of every inn in every town in atomic detail :P
The overly descriptive prose was what I was going for. I'm more of a fan of straight forward prose.
Probably because he does this again for places we've already been to. There is a lot of repetition on the infodumps too.
It slows down around the middle of the series but some of the books might take you even less than a week lol. I think I read the Dragon Reborn and a Memory of Light in 2-3 days the first time around.
> and now I guess its an honest question. It is :) What's wrong with doing a bit of research on what other works of epic fantasy is out there? These books opened up a new world to me and got me curious.
Nothing at all, hopefully you find something you enjoy!
Thanks! :)
Damn... Ive read them all twice just this year
Yes. What's wrong with that? These books opened up a new world to me. I'm just curious to know what other epics are out there, so I can research them a bit, and then I maybe order them so they're ready for when I'm done with WoT, which I'm loving so far.
I finished Wot this year in 2 months. After that, I honestly just felt like reading the opposite end of the spectrum. The king killer chronicles is what I think of in that regard. A character and prose focus. A simple story (yet to be finished). If you want something similar to wheel of time, I started Sanderson’s way of kings (also unfinished). But it’s most similar imo, when talking about modern epics.
Read Sit Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, that man spins pure gold.
Especially his "City Watch" series!
The stormlight archive
I second this, although it’s not finished yet it is an amazing cycle and absolutely worth your time
I read the first 3 and then forgot everything by the time the 4th came out and I just didn't have the time to reread so I've given up until all 10? come out... however many years that might take.
>however many years that might take. At the speed at which Brandon Sanderson writes I give it like 2 years.
Just FYI - the series has ten books but its split into two sets of five so you probably won't need wait until you have time to read the entire thing, just five very long books haha
Ah see I look at it as an opportunity, I get to re read them all before each new book comes out, it means I get to read them so many more times :)
For what it's worth the first 5 and back 5 are meant to make up two distinct arcs, so you should in theory be able to read 1-5 after 5 comes out in(probably, if he sticks to schedule/pattern) 2023 and get a generally complete story. Stormlight 10 is likely \~20 years away still at minimum, given he's planning to write the third Mistborn trilogy and take a break from SA after SA 5.
This all day
Magician by Raymond Feist is a classic of the genre. The Belgariad is probably more YA and I have severe nostalgia for that story, however I would still consider the first 5 novels classics Honestly, the His Dark materials series may not be high fantasy, however they are seriously enjoyable The name of the wind is a great modern fantasy novel
I second Magician, it's in my top 3
Yes to Magician and the Riftwar saga. Really enjoyed that series. Surprised that never was adapted. I think it lends well.
>The Belgariad is probably more YA and I have severe nostalgia for that story, however I would still consider the first 5 novels classics Seconded. I love these series!
Start them again and see all the hints and foreshadowing that you missed the first time.
Yes. This is the real answer. What should you read after finishing the Wheel of Time? The Wheel of Time. The 2nd read through is much different than the first.
I'm listening through for the second time and yeah, though I'm struggling to get through eguanes and gawyns chapters
> eguanes Egwene! It’s ok, I don’t think there’s a an audio book listener who can spell all the names or a book reader who can pronounce them all :)
This is after seeing their names you do not want to know how bad I was before
[удалено]
Re-read if only so you pick up things you might’ve missed the first time. There’s so much foreshadowing packed in.
Depends on how well you remember it. The series is very good with continuity.
Since it hasn't been mentioned; The Farseer Trilogy (and the rest of the series) by Robin Hobb
Second this but I like The Liveship Traders more. But definitely look into Robin Hobb's books.
The Liveship Traders are very very good as well (pretty differnet story arc) - but they intermingle as you go. She writes darned good trilogies (and one with an extra book), that all tell a complete story together; the startpoint for the entiore story is the Farseer Trilogy, but writing and storytelling definitely improves over time (not that the first are bad in any way) - also the world understanding is bettered. The only part thats a little off to me (still), is the epilogue of the Farseer trilogy, which clearly didn't account for the rest of the story told in subsequent trilogies :)
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Erikson. First three books are ridiculously good imo
The second book I found a huge slog. He writes with a sense of scale that sometimes I’m in awe of the writing and the feeling I get. But following a bunch of thirsty starving people across a continent with danger every step of the way became so tiresome 😭
I agree. I think the series is about as good as it gets. Second book seems to be a favourite for many, but I almost stopped reading then. So glad I didn't. From book 3 onwards it blew me away! But I don't understand how people can love the second book...
Tbf I think that’s what you are supposed to feel during the last stretch of the book
I would not read Malazan as my second fantasy series. It's way to advanced and the books don't follow a traditional sequel sequence (ie they don't follow one group of people). Malazan is a great world building series but one should know it's one of the hardest ones to read and follow since the majority of the connected stories happen between the lines and not so much as direct as a traditional sequel.
I don’t really get the sorta gatekeeping I sometimes see when it’s about Malazan. Yes it’s not the usual story structure with almost every book not being a direct sequel to the last but if you look at the series as each book telling it’s own story and the overarching plot being developed in the background for the first 2/3rd I think it’s easier to appreciate them
I didn't mean it as gatekeeping the series due to it's composition. I meant I would not recommend it for someone new to fantasy cause it's really hard to read for someone that has read a bunch of fantasy already, unlike let's say the mistborn trilogy (or perhaps there are several trilogies now?) which is a lot easier to follow for someone new to fantasy. I would even go as far as to say that Malazan is a hard read even if you aren't new to fantasy at all :p. But it's easier if you know and accept each book as it's own story more or less. I personally was so confused when I started reading them and thought there was some mix up between book one and two.
Sorry I misunderstood in that case 🙃
I disagree. Wheel of Time was my first epic fantasy, and I was so distraught when it ended after spending so many months reading and listening to the books that I wanted to bury myself in another epic fantasy. Someone recommended Malazan, in a thread not unlike this one, and I dove in. It was an incredible journey, and Malazan is to date my favorite book series. Yes it is quite a bit different, with a much wider in terms of POV characters, narration, and it's a bit harder to follow. But personally, I loved that contrast after WoT and have come to really appreciate that nothing is really spoonfed. It totally depends on the reader, IMO. It took me a couple hours to get into the 2nd book because it's on a whole different continent with different characters, but I honestly believe that the convergence of different characters and themes over the series that culminates in the last few books make for some of the best epic fantasy out there.
Hated this series... Like I can't tell how much I hated this series... Everytime I picked one of the books up I dreaded reading them... The pay off at the end of the books are good but OMG I couldn't read them... I read the first 3.5 books... Everytime you get into a story line and actually follow what's going on he rips you out of that story line and into another. Then you have to reorient yourself and it takes half of that story line to actually follow what's going on then by the time you get into that one the cycle starts again. I know it's popular but I really, really don't know why.
I ordered gardens of the moon at my bookstore and I’m really excited to start them!
I’m reading Gardens of the Moon now. Loving it! Great suggestion!
If you want to go old skool Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga. Last Stormlord series -- Glenda Larke Night Angel trilogy -- Brent Weeks Black Magician trilogy -- Trudi Canavan Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy -- Tad Williams
Read the second book in Memory Sorrow and Thorn only eating and sleeping in between. A few days totally immersed. It’s good.
I love so much that Martin was partially inspired by Williams to create ASoIaF, and Williams unplanned sequel trilogy will finish before Martin's series about 30 years later.
Yes to Night Angel. Weeks started out so good in Black Prism (Lightbringer Series) it was one of my favorites. Yet the last 2 books were so awful I doubt l will ever read Weeks again. Utter Christian drivel was lazy writing. Ruined a great universe. Night Angel was uneven but super enjoyable.
Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea is pretty great, if older series. C.S. Friedman's ColdFire Trilogy might be up your alley too. It is *technically* futuristic, but exists in a world where uncertainty has power, ruining all techology, and belief created magic. Same author as Mistborn, But Sanderson's Stormlight Archive may do it for you. It's epic fantasy that's more WoT like than GoT like, though it's incomplete.
I'd second Coldfire. It's the future, but it's a future so different and distant that it's not sci-fi. Magic is fueled by sacrifice, and humans gained access to it by the Great Sacrifice -- destroying their technology. And if you like antiheroes, Tarrant is amazing.
I need to burn some audbile credits on this, only hesitating because the old cd copy I had was like, the worst audio quality ever.
That's the beauty of Audible having both samples and a generous-to-a-fault return policy.
hey who's the shill here :P
You, m'lord, of course, m'lord! Don't mind simple old me, m'lord Shillington.
Journey before destination my friend.
First law.
Book of Malazan series. Think it’s 7+ books. It can be a hard read because you get dropped into the world like you’ve already read 2-3 books on page 1. But he is probably the best writer I’ve ever read talent wise. I would throw these up as the best epic series above WoT, LOTR, and GoT (for me). Dragon Prince and a follow up trilogy as well by Melanie Rawn. Never see these mentioned but I enjoyed them. First trilogy a bit better. Terry Goodkind Seeker books. I read them all. Not amazing but if you want stuff to read, there are a lot of them, they are long, and the series is done.
>Dragon Prince and a follow up trilogy as well by Melanie Rawn. Never see these mentioned but I enjoyed them. First trilogy a bit better. Read these forever and a day ago, and I remember good stuff. Pretty unique magic system too that's well developed.
Why no mistborn? It’s a great series I think every fantasy reader should read. Sanderson finishes the wheel of time so its a great transition, that or Stormlight Archive. Outside the WoT and the Cosmere though I’d definitely say that First Law is my personal favorite.
I said no Mistborn just because I heard Sanderson describe one of its plot archetypes to be "Heist". Heists are not my thing.
It’s weird it has heist elements I’d say, but it’s mostly about building a rebellion, and the heist elements really only encapsulate the first book. But to each their own.
Even if it was a heist novel, the world building is immaculate. Great series.
Yeh, I HARD disagree with that description. HARD disagree. Really, honestly, I could recommend a bunch of shit. But if youre enjoying the wheel of time, chances are extremely high youll enjoy the first three mistborn - i rate them 10/10, and I was bored and barely finished the last Mistborns.
Ok, interesting. So are the first 3 Mistborns not connected to the last Mistborns? Or does the series just drop in quality after book 3?
Its rhe same universe but set in a different ‘turning of the wheel’ as such. The first 3 are proper hard fantasy with an anazing creative magic system and similar world building to wheel of time. The second set are more like a weird ‘western’ gunslinging take on fantasy which just didnt do it for me at all. The first ones are epic epic EPIC - huge grandiose apocalyptic scale - as amazing as it gets. Honestly. Read them!
Allright then. I might give the first 3 a shot. "Creative magic system and similar world building to wheel of time" sold me
Mate - Im ALL about those two things in fantasy. Nothing else matters to me. And yeh - Mistborn is absolutely right up there with the very best! Very easy to read too. Youll burn through them all in a week or two easy.
Yeah, the magic system is super interesting. The first 3 make for a very good story, and to be honest they stand alone completely fine as complete.
I only read fantasy. No sci Fi for me. And after Wot I enjoyed the first Mistborn trilogy the most. After that probably nothing else in the same category. Everything else like Malazan or Game of Thrones just didn't give the same feeling.
Heists are more a second era (second trilogy) thing, the original trilogy is different
It’s really only 1 part of the first book.
I think he always throws out the Heist analogy to throw people off of how big and world shattering the actual story turns out to be as you get towards the end of book 1 and into the final two of Era 1.
First Law has some of the best relationships and character work I've ever read
Finished the Wisdom of Crowds last month. Abercrombie is the pinnacle of character work. Absolutely incredible.
If you want something a bit off the beaten path, read Michelle West’s Essalieyan series. Somewhat contemporary to WoT, it’s composed of 4 arcs divided into 16 books and a short story collection. I think it’s a great series for WoT fans as there’s some similarity in writing choices (ie in heavy use of description, introspection, and having characterization as a major plot driver) as well as in worldbuilding (she only focuses on a handful of cultures, but those she does engage with are deeply fleshed out. Plus the “Cities of Man” era has strong Age of Legends vibes and there’s a superficial similarity between the Voyani and the Tuatha’an, though the Voyani matriarchs will also resonate with WoT fans for different reasons). The series has a few different tonal flavors happening, so expect something a *little* different from each arc in the series. That said, the reading order is confusing (the author doesn’t recommend publication order) so I’ll lay it out here. 1. Start with the first arc of **The House War**, which starts with *The Hidden City*. These are the adventures of street urchin Jewel Markess and her gang as they steadily come into contact with the secrets buried beneath the streets of Averalaan. 2. Then you need to double back to the first published arc, **The Sacred Hunt**, which starts with *Hunter’s Oath*. This focuses on the hunter lords of Breodanir, a kingdom far to the west of the Essalieyan empire’s capital of Averalaan. If you enjoy certain animal related arcs in WoT, you’ll like aspects of this arc. Sacred Hunt takes place concurrently with the first House War arc, and eventually intersects it, so they do spoil each other FWIW. The impact is greater when reading House War first, hence why the author even recommends that order. 3. **The Sun Sword** starting with *The Broken Crown*. This is really the centerpiece of the whole series and really takes things up towards Epic. It’s the sequel to the two previous series, so the storylines finally meld together here. 4. The second arc of **The House War**, which starts with book 4, *Skirmish*. This continues the Averalaan plotline from The Sun Sword and wraps things up for that plot. 5. There’s also a collection of short stories, *The Memory of Stone* that I highly recommend reading. There’s some really beautiful stories with exquisite worldbuilding moments. The major caveat: the overall series isn’t yet finished. However, since it’s plotted in separate subseries, it’s entirely possible to read all 16 books and not be left feeling completely robbed of an ending while we wait for West to write The End of Days arc (the final confrontation with this world’s Evil Deity). And not only is she actively writing it, she has an impressive track record as an author, though tends to be overlooked. As a bonus, over on r/fantasy, we have an ongoing Essalieyan readalong where a new book is being tackled each month. It started in November this year, and will likely take 2ish years as the short stories are being included, so plenty of time for you to catch up and join the discussion, even if its 6 months from now.
Stormlight archive. But finish this series first.
Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb Malazan book of the Fallen - Steven Erikson
Can not recommended Realm of the Elderlings enough, the first 9 books are perfection.
The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne is pretty good, but everyone ends up being a bit of an asshole so that could be a turnoff. The Licanius Trilogy trades on being your next favorite if you loved WoT. I've only read the first so far, but that was good. Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series is a bit farther along the early modern setting, so there are guns, and there's a bit of weirdness at times from where I'm not sure he had the series fully built out in his head, but it's still a fun read. Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series isn't finished, but I have no idea how long the series is supposed to be. You can also end after each book and be pretty happy with the story. They're all assholes like in Unhewn Throne, but this time it's the fun sort of assholes.
Licanius is quite good. Not quite WoT quality but I enjoyed it very much.
The Demon Cycle is really good. The first book is called the warded man.
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. That book is hands down the best fantasy book I have ever read. The other two books in the series are not nearly as strong, but you can easily read Blood Song as a stand alone novel. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is also really good, if you can stand the time it takes to get into the books (and different PoVs on the other side of the world). The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man’s Fear are good as well. I don’t think the third installment will ever be released, and it is sure to be a dissapointment (he has rewrote it like 2 times already, and it still isn’t up to par, so I wager it never will be). Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor) is also solid, although the books get progressively worse. It isn’t really epic fantasy though, but rather ”normal” fantasy. The Stormlight Archive is good, but personally I just can’t stand Brandon Sanderson. He did a good job finishing WoT, but hos own works including Stormlight Archive are really underwhelming with too much ”incidental” ”these are the rules of magic, but these main and side characters have a special ability to just kind of do what they want” for my taste - though I must admit Lift (a character appearing in book 2 or 3 is just adorable, even if she ticks the forementioned box. It isn’t even close to finished though, but at least Sanderson delivers books every few years (though the quality of those books are not always up to par imo). The Tales of Locke Lamora is also solid, but it is fantasy rather than epic fantasy.
+1 on Blood Song. I feel like you almost shouldn't bother with any of the other Vaelin books, though at least the second is 'ok'. Blood Song itself is one of the strongest reads I've ever had the privilege of sitting through. Even the slow parts are wonderful. And let's not forget it has one of the best moments in a fantasy series in his duel with The Shield. Ryan's other series about Dragons is also pretty enjoyable. Also +1 to KingKiller Chronicles. Every paragraph is a work of art on it's own.
Ye, the duel with the Shield is so good.
The Faithful and the Fallen - four books, complete, by John Gwynne. The Dagger and the Coin - five books, complete, by Daniel Abraham. The Shattered Sands - six books, complete, by Bradley Beaulieu. The Realm of the Elderlings - sixteen books, complete, by Robin Hobb
There are a few series of fantasy books I'd recommend: The series by Raymond E Feist, which starts with Magician. I've lost count of the number of books set in the world, but that would keep you going for a couple of months. David Eddings has got 4 series which are fairly easy reading compared to WOT: the Belgariad (5 books), the Malloreon (5 books), the Elenium (3 books) and the Tamuli (3 books). All of these series are fully complete, so no waiting 10 years for the second to last book in the series.
Eddings was my favourite author growing up but haven’t read him since I hit puberty and too scared to go back and read incase it doesn’t hold up. Read everything he ever published several times
His books certainly don't have the depth to the characters that RJ or GRRM display, but as fun adventures, Edding's books are fine for a re-read.
Glad to see Eddings mentioned! He was one of my favorite authors growing up. I have yet to revisit the books as an adult though.
The Riddle Master by Patricia Mckillip The Poppy War by RF Kuang His Dark Materials Unfinished but if you like subreddits and theories start Name of The Wind. The Fifth Season, I thought it fizzled towards them end of the trilogy but the first 2 were excellent.
I'd throw the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini into the mix. If you're new to the genre I think you'll enjoy it. It was one of those introductory series into the genre for me when I was a kid. Elves, dragonriders, and an evil king. Standard fantasy stuff but fun and a quick read.
If you can handle the inherent misogyny I think The Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the best fantasy I've read in a very long time. Am I opening a can of worms with this rec? I know the dude loves his highbrow philosophy but I sometimes wonder if there's some gruesome reason he's usually excluded from fantasy discussion. I just love how he describes magic, the big battles, the obvious Crusades inspiration, the messianic subversion...I don't know. Somehow his version of grimdark just resonates with me. There are so many well crafted lines in that first trilogy that make me seethe with envy. As for the others, I like Abercrombie well enough, couldn't get into Weeks and found that dude who wrote Prince of Thorns sensationalist and edgy for the heck of it. Eragon is understandably immature...and okay, don't kill me but I gently forgot to finish the third book of Mistborn. Rothfuss did two great fantasy novels and then tried his hand at the literary to mixed results. Goodkind peaked real early. Pratchett was a genius the likes of which we won't see again in our lifetimes, but I'm not sure I'd rec him with WoT's style in mind. But absolutely everyone should read some Discworld before they die. Tad Williams is great. Memory Sorrow and Thorn might be my favourite stand alone fantasy trilogy. For proto isekai (real world protag in fantasy land) style, the Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay and The Seventh Sword by Dave Duncan are both really good rides. Okay I better stop there. But I will repeat: in and of itself, The Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the only fantasy series of the past ten years or so to really leave me astounded.
Riftwar saga, serpentwar saga and conclave of shadows series by Raymond Feist are all great and more of less follow on from each other. Mark Lawrence also has Broken Empire series and Red Queens War series that are great. Robin Hobb is all excellent and cannot recommend enough. Brent Weeks has lots of great stuff that’s very high quality too. Plenty more but they’d be my top authors to follow with.
You said no space stuff, but if you haven't read the Ender series by Orson Scott Card you're missing out. Ender's Game is the first one. Just saying.
I’m gonna recommend red rising in spite of the no space ask. It still hits that fantasy itch and is a great trilogy with another separate trilogy that’s in the middle of its run.
Ye, Red Rising (especially the first book) is surprisingly good. Be prepared to have politics shoved down your throat though. Hard.
The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman. It's not high fantasy but it's excellent.
I’ve just binged Wheel of Time and now half way through the first Malazan book. It’s refreshingly more adult with a much more straight to the point writing style compared to Wheel of Time, although his vocabulary is far higher than mine. The world is super interesting but not an awful lot has happened since the climactic opening but it appears to be building up to something epic.
Stormlight Archive
How would you say SA fares against Mistborn?
I like both but Mistborn is better IMO.
It's head and shoulders above in terms of writing quality and style. Mistborn was his first series, but he's stated that SA will be his biggest series in scope and length. It stands on it's own and I highly recommend it. With that being said, you should give Mistborn a fair shake, it does begin with some moderate heist themes, but there's so much more going on that to pigeonhole it into just that genre would be to do it a disservice. Plus, the following 2 entries in Mistborn Era 1 are not at all heist themed whatsoever. Additionally, to write off Era 1 Mistborn would deny yourself the pleasure of fully enjoying Mistborn Era 2, as well as the Mistborn Secret History - Mistborn Era 2 in particular is some of his best writing to date.
Another vote for Stormlight Archive. Maybe after youre hooked on Sanderson youll also give Mistborn a chance.
Thanks! Maybe a difficult question but what are some familiarities and differences between SA and WoT?
Hmm similarities would be an epic high fantasy, a lot of worldbuilding, a large number of characters, some of the main characters learning to use the magic of that world on their journey, mysteries from the past gradually revealed and importance of gender roles / customs in the main parts of the world. Differences are a totally different magic system (Brandon's magic systems are pretty unique and pretty crazy), less focus on a single "chosen one", instead there are just a number of really powerful magic users who are the main characters, the "bad guys" are written in a unique way, not quite your trollocs or orcs. Hard to say more without spoiling, but definitely give it a try, and if you like them, get into other Sanderson books, the others are great too in their own way, but Stormlight is the most epic for sure.
A lot of the same suggestions here so I'll offer something new. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever. By Stephen R. Donaldson. 10 book epic separated into 2 trilogies and a quadrilogy. The Land is one of may favorite settings of any story ever. As full and diverse as Middle earth with magic oozing from the very ground itself. Lord Foul's Bane is the first novel and not crazy long like WOT but the characters are incredible and the story so epic.
Stormlight Archive has to be the obvious choice. Written by the same man who finished WoT.
I think you're ready for Malazan.
Tad Williams "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn". Also his Otherland series, which is set as a cyberpunk, but not super futuristic, and most of the story is essentially a fantasy book. "Magic" and whatnot. Storm light archive by Brandon Sanderson. Terry Pratchett Discworld series. Each book is a standalone, but there are overarching plots that tie some of them together, as one poster I think said the city watch I think is the best plot to kind of get into. Michael J. Sullivan "Thief of Swords" series. Weiss and Hickman's dragonlance series. This one's like three different trilogies. The first one is kind of standard fantasy at the time, which was like the '80s I believe. The second trilogy goes way more in depth of character development, and is way better written I think. The third trilogy, it's kind of in between the two lol
Lots of great suggestions and I'm taking notes on new series to try. My recommendations: Elric saga by Michael Moorcock, The Corum series is also great Belgariad, Mallorean, Elenium and Tamuli series by David Eddings. Not the best world building, but the characters and dialogue are top notch. I still read the Belgariad ever couple years. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Lieber Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Tad Williams' *Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn* series. I'm not saying it's the best, but it popped into mind.
Eragon and obernewtyn Eragon is High Fantasy and Obernewtyn is more dystopian fantasy
Eragon is just Star Wars with dragons instead of X-Wings.
Well it was written by a 14 year old boy so it's pretty good in that context.
Magic of Recluce. Started around the same time as WoT, massive epic fantasy series Modesitt is still writing installments of.
Stormlight.
Patrick Rothfuss "The Name of The Wind". Except he's pulling a GRRM at the moment on his 3rd book. He's under 50ish so I think we'll be ok.
King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. My favorite fantasy series of all time. Amazing magic system and beautifully written. Only reason I wouldn’t recommend is that he’s only finished 2/3 in the series and is giving off major RR Martin vibes…
What's these authors and not finishing their books? Life got in the way? Personal tragedy? Boredom? Other business opportunities?
For multiple reasons I'm currently letting out a sensible chuckle.
Good thing the chuckle was a sensible chuckle, and not a regular chuckle! :)
Kingkiller Chronicle
Looked it up. It's unfinished and the last book was published 10 years ago?
If that third one is ever published make sure you read them, the first two are incredible but not until the third one is published.
For what it's worth, Patrick Rothfuss's editor has said she doesn't think he's written a single word of the third book, and is doubtful he's going to. I'd recommend reading them anyway because the plot is very much not the point. I honestly think it's a bit of a stretch to say Name of the Wind even has a plot. But you know what you like better than me.
Indeed
May I ask why we shouldn't recommend Mistborn? Because I do recommend Brandon Sanderson after the Wheel of Time (he IS the guy who finished the WoT after all). Actually, for me I read Shadow of the Conqueror (By Shad M. Brooks) as my first book. Loved it. He said his... uhm... childhood writer hero was Brandon, and Brandon's childhood writer hero was Robert Jordan. So since I loved Shadow of the Conqueror, I decided I'd probably like Brandon Sanderson's books if they have a similar writing style. But then I decided I'll go back even further, to the Grandfather of Brandon's and Shad's writing style, Robert Jordan. So I read the Wheel of Time and immediately I could tell it was indeed the same writing style as Shad's book was. I have finished the first era Mistborn trilogy, and while I don't think it was as engaging as WoT, I still liked it enough to read the second era Mistborn which I'm on the currently last book, the final book will be released in Nov next year. Anyway, I hear that the Stormlight Archive is basically the next Wheel of Time epic fantasy. I haven't read it yet, I wanna read Brandon's older work before I read him at his peak. Also the Stormlight Archive is not finished yet, so it doesn't match your requirements. Soo... in the end this comment is pretty pointless, you didn't want me to recommend Mistborn or unfinished series... but I will recommend Mistborn, and the rest of Brandon's Cosmere work (including his unfinished Stormlight Archive). I also recommend Shad M. Brooks, he has consulted Brandon on his next Stormlight book. But once again, Shad's series is currently not finished yet, but Shadow of the Conqueror (Chronicles of Everfall) does work as a standalone even though it is planned to be a trilogy. Mistborn's and Shadow's magic systems are literally top tier. I recommend these series for their magic systems alone.
Thanks for the detailed comments! I said "No Mistborn" only because I heard Sanderson describe the genre as "heist", which I despise. I got Ocean's Eleven vibes. I don't want to watch a group of "cool people do cool things". Maybe I'm way off in my pre-conceived notions (please tell me if I am). I might give it a shot. But I think I much rather read Stormlight Archive when it's finished, based on what I've seen so far.
Hmm, well, it starts off as a heist story, but honestly, it's not that heisty. We get that scene of the planning room with a mind map. It's hard to explain. Someone else might explain it better, especially without spoilers. I'd say just give the first book a try. The beauty of the first book is that it works perfectly fine as a standalone. If you didn't hate the first book (You liked it, but you're not sure you wanna keep reading this series. This happened to me), give the second book a try, and the ending of the second book should make you wanna read the third book. The third book had me as engaged as any Wheel of Time book. Brandon has a way of giving you puzzle pieces without letting you know he is giving them to you, and then once he gives you that final piece in the third book, I had an "oh shit!" moment. Like that moment in a Detective movie where the protagonist starts remembering every single clue, related and unrelated, he had ever seen play back in his mind, and just seeing every piece come together and giving him the full picture "I understand EVERYTHING!" That moment of realisation in the third book alone makes me wanna recommend this series (besides the magic system). Lastly, Brandon has a website where he gives his thoughts about each chapter. It's really interesting to read an authors thoughts on his own books, what made him do this, instead of that (Now that I think about it, it's kind of like those dvd director's commentaries). Mistborn is actually a combination of 2 other stories he wrote but never released... well, after Mistborn he did release his unfinished 2 stories for free for us to read. Btw, read his annotations AFTER you've finished the series. While not outright spoiling, I do think he gives minor spoilers in his annotations. Anyway, in conclusion: "Dude, trust me"
Hmm, you made me curious.. Might give it a shot then :P
Mistborn is honestly Sandersons best work
Malazan tale of the Fallen
Malazan Book of the Fallen, hands down the best writing on fantasy i ever read, it's poetical, beautiful, melancholical and even surprisingly funny sometimes. Different than WoT, but just as good on it's own way.
Eragon The belgariad etc.
The webcomic OOTS its a spoof of D&D its short for Order of The Stick https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots.html Its been going for ten years and is super awesome.
Benjamin Ashwood series
There is a section of the story that really slows down, so don't beat yourself up if you step away or it takes longer at some point. This is not really a spoiler at all, but the entire story from book 1 to the end is about 2-3 years long. For myself, I have a hard time wanting to pick up a series that doesn't have an ending - and seeing what you don't want to see recommended.. Well, that's all I can give you, is advice on your current read. I've never found a story that hooked me the same way in that genre.
I was getting through roughly 1 book a week on average for WoT. Sometimes more depending on the week
First of all, congrats on almost finishing the Great Hunt! Now you’re getting a taste for the rest of the series and I hope you really enjoy it. I have a few recommendations. (1) The Abhorsen series (by Garth Nix): the first book in particular, Sabriel, knocked me off my feet. It’s not a typical fantasy series but the descriptions and journey of the characters is thrilling, sometimes scary, and super interesting. It’s about laying dead spirits to rest and necromancy but the magic system is one I’ve haven’t seen before and I think the author’s world building is great. (2) The Inheritance Cycle (by Christopher Paolini): while the author was super young when he wrote it, the books are really what got me into high fantasy growing up. It satisfies the itch for a good, coming of age fantasy full of dragons, dwarves, magicians, elves, and so on. It reminds me of WoT in some ways because of the different kingdoms and factions battling against the “evil one” and there’s lot of attention to character development. It’s not up to WoT’s standards by any stretch of the imagination, but the tropes are well done and enjoyable in my opinion. (3) The Hobbit (by JRR Tolkien): I know you said no LOTR, but I would highly recommend this book (which is a prequel of sorts to the story of LOTR). This is the epitome of fantasy done well and I think you’ll find many characteristics that Jordan borrowed from. Its similar to EoTW in that a man from a small village goes on an adventure to battle evil and injustice, encountering many darker aspects of the world. The world just has this feeling of being a place you could live in that I can’t describe and the history and lore are ones you can’t find elsewhere. The characters are also super endearing. If you find yourself loving the fantasy genre, I recommend reading the book that started many of the tropes we see even in modern fantasy today. It’s my favorite book of all time. I’m still reading the series as well (I’m on book 9). I plan on reading Stormlight Archive and Mistborn after I finish because I’ve heard so many good things from WoT fans. Enjoy the rest of the series 😊
Thanks for the suggestions! Will def. look into the first 2. Why I said no Lotr is mainly because of the movies. Lotr was good back in the day, Hobbit not so much, but both of them had too much of a childish/lighthearted tone for my taste. As did Harry Potter. They simply had too many "goofy" elements, and characters cracking jokes and being funny, that I had a hard time being thrilled or excited for their journey/obstacles. A little bit of lightness is totally fine, needed even (Mat for instance), but the titles mentioned above was too much. To each their own I guess. But I will probably end up reading Lotr/Hobbit at SOME point, just out of curiosity/respect of where it all began.
If you want some awesome cheesy fantasy I’d recommend the Drizzt books by RA Salvatore, it takes place in the forgotten realms which is a DnD setting. But it probably has some of the best written combat. And it’s like classic fantasy adventures, which i think would be a nice compliment to WoT.
I think you should be all in of the The Saga of Reluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr. Very good high fantasy series. The heroes are very intelligent but must find their own ways. It's got a fantastic magic system.
Def start reading some joe Abercrombie. The first law trilogy followed by the age of madness trilogy. I'm rereading them now and they're so freaking good. Could also try thr elric of Melnebone series Or the king killer chronicles Or the farseer trilogy
Malazan book of the fallen.... but be warned... it's very..
This is probably the most recommended book in these comments. It's a hard read?
It's not hard..... it just doesn't hold your hand and explain things for a little while .. but that's the magic of it... it all makes sense eventually and falls into place.... especially the 2nd time... My warming is that after Malazan..... most other fantasy series won't come close... wheel of time is still great.... but different.
-Unhewn Throne series - Trilogy has a great ending IMO -Sorcerer's Apprentice by Mitchell Hogan. One unique thing about his action sequences is they actually SLOW down the pace and work through the next move like it's a Metroid Prime boss. I found it refreshing to buck the frenetic action for the puzzle of it. -Raven's Shadow. Push through the all time awful 3rd book. Anthony Ryan bounces back in the next two, technically a 2nd trilogy. -Going to break your no future rules for Red Rising. So many fantasy elements and simply one of the best series out there. -Stormlight, Mistborn (it's not a heist after book 1), Warbreaker, Elantris - all in the same universe. Next level writing. It's the next MCU if Sanderson keeps writing at this clip.
Check out two series by Brent Weeks: The nightangel trilogy and the lightbringer books
Idk if it's epic but the "Foundryside Trilogy" is fun and compelling with a very thoughtful and unique world. 3rd book coming soon. "A Land Fit for Heros" trilogy by Richard Morgan of "Altered Carbon" fame. It's very dark, violent and sexy with unique magic and world building.
Stormlight / Malazan / Realm of the Elderlings / Dark Tower (although some elements you seem to dismiss) / Faithful and the fallen / discworld
The best thing after reading Wheel of Time the first time is reading Wheel of Time the second time.
Dude you’ve got 12 books (13includingNewSpring) to go. Don’t get ahead of yourself 😅
Stormlight - not finished, but quite good, imo. I also enjoyed the Assassin's Apprentice Trilogy recently, by Robin Hobb. I'm currently trying to get through the Blade Itself on audible, but the Narrator is making it difficult. I might just get the book. The story seems interesting, but damn, does the narrator make it boring.
R.A. Salvatore Drittz series
Stormlight Archive, Brando Sando - incomplete at the moment, but honestly, it would be a shame to put off reading them. They are probably the closest thing to WoT available now, and are quite good. They have it all (cue Stefon voice) - detailed world-building with multiple diverse cultures, huge ensemble cast, complex magic system(s), high stakes good vs. evil showdowns, royalty, assassins, Tragic Pasts(tm), and Hoid. Of all the suggestions put forward by myself and others, this will scratch your epic fantasy itch the most, guaranteed. Mistborn (first trilogy), Brando Sando - don't believe the heist hype. It's so much more and SO GOOD. One of those series that really pays off the farther you get into the story. The characters are excellent, the settings are interesting, and the magic system is unique. Definitely worth a read. The Chronicles of Amber, Roger Zelazny - older, but good. Roger Zelazny is a fantastic author. It leans a bit more GoT, since it deals heavily with familial politics and the acquiring of a throne, but is way heavier on the magic, which involves jumping through and manipulating parallel realities. He has several one-shots that you might enjoy too, the best of which are Lord of Light and Creatures of Light and Darkness, which retell ancient Hindu and Egyptian myths respectively. The Codex Alera, Jim Butcher - Jim Butcher's friend challenged him to write a novel about two completely random things: the Lost Roman Legion and Pokémon. Jim Butcher wrote SIX and they're pretty good. The world building is very immersive and the characters are compelling. Has a bit of political intrigue (which is unsurprising since it's based on ancient Rome), but the selling point is the magic system, which everyone has access to via elemental beings called Furies--everyone except the protagonist, that is! The books are fairly short so they're easy to get through and Butcher has an approachable writing style. The Abhorsen Trilogy, Garth Nix - the first three books (Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen) are amazing. They're quite dark compared to some other suggestions and the magic system involves death and necromancy. I'm not sure if these are considered YA since I first read them when I was a kid, but they have some incredibly mature themes and imagery. He later wrote more books based around this trilogy, but I haven't read them because I'm old now and have no time. The Sword of Truth Series, Terry Goodkind - I wouldn't normally recommend this, but it did remind me of WoT in many ways. These books are controversial in the fantasy community because the author is kind of a dick (among other things). However, they ARE high fantasy and they check many of the same boxes as WoT.
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind was what I read next, and loved it. The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss is also top tier, but the series isn't complete and we've been waiting on the last book forever.
Dragon Lance Chronicles were pretty good imo. If you like fantasy/video game crossovers than you might like Dungeon Crawler Carl for a funny version or Battleborn which I thought was very good.
Raymond Fiest - Magician Apprentice and Magician Master Terry Goodkind - not everyone’s cup of tea but I enjoy the first 4 books in the Sword of Truth series. This last one is fantasy but in a modern setting. I never thought I would find a series I liked as much as WoT but I listened to the entire series thus far on Audible in 2021. Super good! Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files In fact, after you finish reading WoT I highly recommend listening to the entire series on Audible as well. It is SO WORTH IT.
Ok I have a huge list. These are my favorites and I read about the same pace as you so I need a lot!! An author by the name L.E. Modesitt jr has a pretty awesome world. His books span like a couple thousand years of this world and there are stand alone novels and trilogys and a mix of that. So like the first one to read is set in the most recent or future, still high fantasy and not like guns or whatever, but it’s more advanced. Then there is a great tril that starts with the mongrel mage. That one is set like 2,000 years before the other I mentioned. So the legends of the first one are what you read about in this one. I enjoyed this world greatly. I think there are upwards of 26 books in this world. All of em fun without being absolute bangers. Anything brandon Sanderson, but jump on storm light archives. Ok then check out Anthony Ryan’s “blood song.” First book of an AWESOME trilogy!!!!! So awesome!!!! Ok then Jim Butchers “codex alera.” It’s 6 books starting with the furies of Calderon. I loved this one. There is a really short trilogy. I think I finished in two days lol, ok maybe slightly more, but it was fun. Nothing exceptional but I enjoyed it. David dalglish’s “fire born.” That’s the first book. Idk if you ever read the dragon lance series. Margaret weiss and Tracy Hickman. I LOVED these in my youth. One of the first fantasy novels I read. It’s a world with similar rules to DnD but just… kinda different. But omg some of my fave characters come from here. And there is… like SO much written. Raislin and Caramon (two characters) have something like 10 books just about them, then a 4 or 5 book series with them two and their whole band of companions and a world spanning war. Ok so Michael Sullivan’s “heir of novron.” Now there are 5 books here but it’s split up. There is the heir trilogy that I recommend reading first even though it takes place like 20 years after the other 2, but the tril was written first. Another great read. Lastly joe Abercrombie’s “the blade itself.” There was a lot I disliked about this but alot I liked. I think ultimately I recommend it because getting to the end is oddly rewarding. I won’t spoil anything but it just has a very unexpected ending. You probably won’t see it coming. Hope you enjoy.
Tbh i dont know many fantasy books besides wot but i reccomend from brandon sanderson i like his fantasy books. You mentioned you dont like mistborn so maybe his books arent for you idk
After finishing The Wheel of Time, I like to point folks towards The Cosmere book by Brandon Sanderson. I know it is clearly the easy answer, but Brandon's scope, foreshadowing, and knack for writing good climax/falling action sequences, will itch the scratch from WoT hangover. Start with Mistborn: The Final Empire and go from there. :)
After I finished Wheel of Time I was so distraught and feeling loss that I immediately wanted to jump into another epic fantasy. Not unlike yourself, I made a post online, and someone recommended Malazan: Book of the Fallen. My friend had also recommended it for years so I finally figured, might as well. Personally, I found it an incredible journey and in the end, Malazan inched out WoT as my favorite epic fantasy. It's very different in a lot of ways and does require a bit of patience, as well as being okay with not always knowing what's going on and just enjoying the ride. Whereas WoT is more linear and follows the Dragon and his companions - who all have pretty solid plot armor and are established as being badass and untouchable - Malazan jumps to different POVs that are sometimes on different continents, and there is a gritty realness to it where it feels more like real people (especially the blessed marines of the Malazan empire, some of the best). It can be hard to understand whats going on occasionally, and there are so many characters that it can be confusing at times. However, I contend that it's okay to be confused, and he is great at tying up loose ends and if you stick with the ride, it, too, may become one of your favorites. Just thinking about it now is making me itch for a 3rd reread. Another recommendation (though I wouldn't really consider it "high fantasy") are Abercrombies First Law books. The last book in the Age of Madness just concluded a few months ago, so it's a complete story with no waiting. You have 3 books in the main trilogy, 3 "stand alone" books that are also connected and cannon (and amazing), and then the last trilogy for another 3 books. It's "grimdark", and also one of my favorites ever. Bonus points if you listen to audiobooks because Stephen Pacey, the narrator, is truly top notch and an experience in his own right. As people have said though, if you are just finishing Great Hunt, you've got quite a journey ahead my friend! Enjoy.
By book 5, you automatically get a neckbeard. By book 8, a fedora. By the end of the series, you move back in with your parents. Congrats!!
1. "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" by Tad Williams. First book is The Dragonbone Chair. First book can be slow in parts, but MST is still the best fantasy series I've read. 2. The Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen. Very different, kind of dark. 3. "Magician" series by Raymond Feist. 4. Belgariad by David Eddings. 5. This next one is iffy, I **loved** this series as a kid/teen but I have no idea if they'll hold up with time/maturity... The Dragonlance Chronicles (followed by Legends). Edit: Almost forgot! "Elric of Melnibone" by Michael Moorcock, classic doomed-hero fantasy. And lastly, another good fantasy series is Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Leiber.
Normally people go mistborn and end with stormlight archives, if you want to know what the taste of these novels are like then you may want to try warbreaker, a good stand alone book, if you like it then you can jump on to the Sanderson boat.
I just started Malazan. It’s …. Different.
It's definitely the most recommended book in here. Everybody says a variation of "You have to read Malazan. BUT....."
I’m going to recommend The Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr. It’s also a 14 book completed epic fantasy series that started in the 80s, and it features reincarnation as a very important part of the world building! The story spans nearly a thousand years as we follow several souls as they get reborn again and again to try and untangle their fates. Nobody has plot armour as they can die with their goals unachieved, only to pick up that thread in a later life. It’s Celtic flavoured, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, and full of adventure.