10 Books To Read If You Love Game Of Thrones

There is no question that HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones is a cultural milestone, and its success for the cable network almost unparalleled. Its immense popularity has shown that a  mixture of quasi-historical authenticity and fantasy elements can lead to huge critical and viewership success.

Now that it has concluded its final season, there are a lot of people out there wondering what they should read next to fill the Westeros-sized hole in their schedule. Here are ten books that you should read if you loved Game of Thrones.

10 Kushiel’s Dart

If what you loved about Game of Thrones were the plotting and the feuding of various royal powers, then you should definitely check out Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. Set in a fantastical country reminiscent of Renaissance France, it follows the adventures of Phèdre, a young woman fated to experience pain as pleasure.

The novel is sumptuously written and elaborately plotted, and it is easy to get lost in the beautiful, deadly, and dangerous world that Carey manages to capture with ease. Phèdre is a great heroine, and it is impossible not to fall in love with her.

9 The Dragonbone Chair

Long before there was A Song of Ice and Fire, there was Tad Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. Set in the medieval-like world of Osten Ard, the first book in the series, The Dragonbone Chair, follows the young kitchen boy Simon as he’s drawn into a conflict with an immortal enemy known as the Storm King.

The novel, and the series as a whole, are pretty standard epic, following a young hero as he both finds himself and sets out to defeat an existential threat. However, Williams just has such a way with words that it’s easy to simply savor the adventure.

8 Malice

The first book of John Gwynne’s The Faithful and the Fallen series takes place in a world poised on the brink of a cataclysmic conflict between angels and demons. A young man named Corban is fated to be the champion that will lead the forces of light to an ultimate victory over the armies of darkness.

Again, this is a pretty straightforward epic, but where the series really stands out is in its frank depiction of violence and in its emphasis on the essential nobility and goodness of the human spirit.

7 The Rage of Dragons

Evan Winter is part of an exciting new generation of fantasy writers who are expanding the horizons of what the genre can accomplish. Featuring characters that are people of color, The Rage of Dragons is bracing in its frank depiction of violence and in its exploration of the dark heart of humanity.

The novel features a world and a magic system that are quite unique but still well-developed, and while it almost exclusively focuses on the perspective of one character, it is still easy to get absorbed into this world of warring dragons and imperialism.

6 The Winter King

For those who liked the gritty medieval character of Game of Thrones, Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King, the first book in his Warlord Chronicles hits many of the same spots. It’s a gritty and realistic retelling of the King Arthur legend, told from the point of view of his faithful soldier Derfel.

While all of the traditional characters from the legends of King Arthur are here, they are shown in ways that accord with what we know about the historical period. In Cornwell’s capable hands, the old story feels new and exciting.

5 The Gunslinger

Though best known for writing horror, prolific author Stephen King also has his own epic fantasy. The Gunslinger, the first book in the Dark Tower series, follows the gunslinger Roland as he pursues the enigmatic Man in Black across a blasted landscape reminiscent of our own world.

What makes King’s fictional universe so captivating is that he finds new and exciting ways to add his own macabre touch to the genre of epic fantasy. The first book is, arguably, the best of the series, but the rest of the books are worth a read as they explore the interconnectedness of Stephen King’s many creations.

4 The Way of Kings

For those who loved the sprawling nature of the storytelling in Game of Thrones, then definitely check out Brandon Sanderson. The three (soon to be four) books in his sprawling epic The Stormlight Archive should hit all the right spots for those who like their fantasy books big enough to use as a weapon.

As with all of Sanderson’s work, these books feature meticulous world-building and a magic system that, to the uninitiated, can be a bit bewildering. However, if you can soldier through, the payoff in the series is well worth the patience.

3 The Ruin of Kings

Jenn Lyons’ made quite the splash with the release of her book The Ruin of Kings, the first of a new series. It manages to turn the traditional epic formula on its head with its story of a young man who might not be the savior that everyone thinks but might actually be an agent of destruction.

The novel isn’t told in strictly chronological order, so there is quite a bit of back and forth that the reader has to negotiate in order to fully grasp what’s going on in the plot. However, it’s definitely worth the read.

2 Children of Blood and Bone

Tomi Adeyemi is another young writer of color who made a bit splash when her debut novel premiered. Children of Blood and Bone takes place on a fictional continent where magic has been persecuted almost out of existence. When young Zélie sets out to possibly restore it, she unleashes forces she never could have imagined.

The action in the book is breathlessly paced, and the main characters share many of the characteristics of the fan-favorite characters of Game of Thrones: young people simply trying to survive and thrive in a dangerous and deadly world.

1 The Queens of Innis Lear

If you’ve ever wondered what Shakespeare’s King Lear would look like in a fantasy setting, then look no further than Tessa Gratton’s The Queens of Innis Lear. Set largely on a fictional continent resembling England, the novel focuses on the struggles of three sisters as they compete for their father’s crown.

Gratton manages to capture some of the strangeness of the original play, but she gives the women a much stronger role to play. For those who love the strong women of Game of Thrones, this book is a must-read.

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