The Winds of Winter is lengthy overdue, however there are a number of nice fantasy collection to select up within the meantime. Should you’re like me, you have been ready for George R.R. Martin to complete this ebook for fairly some time. Maybe you google the ebook’s title each day to examine for even probably the most minor of updates. Perhaps you have not accepted the Sport of Thrones ending and wish extra from this world. Whereas I hope you have got a more healthy relationship together with your media than I do, it is nonetheless value choosing up one other collection at times as a result of there are some glorious choices.
George R.R. Martin’s A Music of Ice & Hearth books modified the scope of the fantasy style a long time after J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings created the golden customary. A number of books have been written in response to Martin’s work, increasing on his tone and themes with contemporary concepts. Nonetheless, there are additionally a number of collection that pre-date A Sport of Thrones, which Martin himself was impressed by within the course of of making his world.
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The First Regulation
By Joe Abercrombie
Most followers of up to date fantasy will cite Joe Abercrombie as the right A Music of Ice & Hearth follow-up, as he is the writer most identified for embracing Martin’s darker tone. For many who love the character-focused, dialogue-heavy, and morally grey POV characters in Westeros, The First Regulation collection focuses on these components in its personal compelling world, with a bit much less consideration to plot. Abercrombie is a contemporary grasp at creating advanced, compelling characters who, regardless of their many flaws, are thrilling to observe.
The Blade Itself is the primary ebook in The First Regulation universe, which covers two full trilogies, three standalone novels, and extra.
In a weblog submit from 2008, Joe Abercrombie examines the impact that Martin’s work had on his publishing profession, stating, “A Sport of Thrones was profoundly surprising once I first learn it and essentially modified my notions about what may very well be performed with epic fantasy.” It is arduous to select a more sensible choice for a follow-up than a author whose life was affected as a lot by A Music of Ice & Hearth as anybody. It is value noting that whereas he takes notable inspiration from Martin, Abercrombie additionally has his personal distinct and superbly witty prose fashion.
5
The Wheel Of Time
By Robert Jordan
Pre-dating A Sport of Thrones by simply over half a decade, Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time was a game-changing fantasy collection that usually does not obtain the identical broad cultural acclaim, primarily because of its tv adaptation not being as common. With The Wheel of Time season 3 being launched on Prime Video this month, it is the right time to leap into one of the awe-inspiring, immersive fantasy worlds accessible. Much more so than with Martin, readers of Jordan’s work shall be submerged into an infinite world of detailed cultures, 1000’s of characters, and extra.
In an EW interview, George R.R. Martin as soon as credited Robert Jordan for his influence on the event of A Music of Ice & Hearth, saying he “confirmed us learn how to do a ebook that’s greater than a trilogy,” referring to The Wheel of Time breaking the trilogy format established by Tolkien. Apart from being dense, there are a number of comparisons in these books, corresponding to the specter of a remaining battle between good and evil and The Wheel of Time referring to political battle because the “Sport of Homes.” For immersion even deeper than ASOIAF, that is the path to go.
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Reminiscence, Sorrow, And Thorn
By Tad Williams
Tad Williams’ epic fantasy collection is one other that pre-dates A Sport of Thrones by practically a decade, with the primary ebook, titled The Dragonbone Chair, being launched in 1988. In 2011, George R.R. Martin mentioned, “Fantasy acquired a nasty rep for being formulaic and ritual. And I learn The Dragonbone Chair and mentioned, ‘My God, they will do one thing with this type, and it’s Tad doing it‘” (by way of Westeros.org). This can be a collection that Martin has straight cited as being one of many major inspirations for his collection, and there are quite a few connections.
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Apart from the title of the primary ebook sounding similar to Martin’s Targaryen dynasty-built Iron Throne, there are quite a few character and thematic similarities in Williams’ novels. The occasions of MST encompass the prophesied return of the “Storm King” and observe a boy named Simon, who bears many similarities to Jon Snow. The commonalities in world-building components are quite a few, starting from naming schemes to a person with a terrifying hound helm to animal symbolism to magical bushes. That is presumably probably the most straight related choice by way of world fashion.
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Malazan Ebook Of The Fallen
By Steven Erikson
Like The Wheel of Time, the ten-book collection of Malazan Ebook of the Fallen and the quite a few expanded world novels provide one thing huge and immersive to essentially sink one’s enamel into. Earlier than Sport of Thrones was launched, the fan bases of Malazan and A Music of Ice & Hearth believed the 2 authors (which each have generally discredited) had one thing of a rivalry as a result of related tones and expansive nature of their novels. Each observe morally grey characters, comprise loads of violence, and provide huge histories to discover.
Even passionate readers of the collection will admit that Erikson’s work is troublesome to entry and requires time and a focus to grasp.
A typical high quality famous about Malazan is that it is deeply complicated. Even passionate readers of the collection will admit that Erikson’s work is troublesome to entry and requires time and a focus to grasp. There are a number of non-linear plot threads, practically 20 occasions as many whole POV characters within the collection to observe, and reasonably unforgiving prose to information you thru it. Should you’re interested by embracing a problem just like the depths A Music of Ice & Hearth permits for, Erikson’s work is a number of steps extra sophisticated.
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The Witcher
By Andrzej Sapkowski
There is a purpose that Netflix’s The Witcher was the primary main TV collection made in response to HBO’s Sport of Thrones, other than the previous being acknowledged for the award-winning online game franchise. Andrzej Sapkowski’s ebook collection, which started within the early Nineteen Nineties and has a brand new quantity being launched in 2025, is much like A Music of Ice & Hearth in its darker, violent tone, various POV characters, and give attention to warfare and politics.
The most important distinction between these two is that The Witcher focuses extra on a couple of foremost characters reasonably than an ensemble. It isn’t fairly excessive fantasy like A Music of Ice & Hearth, however reasonably a mix between that and sword-and-sorcery. There is a way more vital mystical presence in Sapkowski’s world for anybody who loves the magical and mythological sides of Westeros.
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The Farseer Trilogy
By Robin Hobb
These fantasy collection may need some main formatting distinctions, however there’s quite a lot of commonality that is value noting. Robin Hobb’s fantasy books are advised from a first-person perspective and observe a foremost character named Fitz. In contrast to A Music of Ice & Hearth’s ensemble, The Farseer Trilogy primarily follows this one determine, although it should be famous he is similar to Jon Snow, even being a bastard from a royal household with extra mysteries behind his delivery, who’s bonded with a wolf.
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By way of world-building, Robin Hobb’s story is set within the lands of the Six Duchies, all of whom are centered extra on figuring out the rightful king than they’re on an more and more prevalent risk referred to as the Purple Ship Raiders. These collection started across the similar time, although Robin Hobb’s ebook saga is already accomplished and has loads of materials to dive into. It is a wonderful choice for anybody wanting a narrative akin to Sport of Thrones, although a tad lighter.
Sources: EW, Westeros.org
Sport Of Thrones
10/10
- Launch Date
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2011 – 2018
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Administrators
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
