Books Like A Game of Thrones: 5 Epic Fantasy Reads to Try
George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thronesraised the bar for epic fantasy: sprawling politics, morally gray characters, and a world where no one is safe. If you’re deep in the wait for the next book and need something with the same weight and scheming, here are five read-alikes we recommend to Westeros fans.
For the gorgeous prose: The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Windis a different flavor — a single, brilliant narrator recounting his own legend — but the worldbuilding and lush writing make it an easy sell to anyone who reads fantasy for immersion. Fair warning: the series is also famously unfinished, so you’ll be waiting alongside us.
For the doorstopper epic: The Way of Kings
If it was the sheer scope of Westeros you loved, Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kingsdelivers an enormous, meticulously built world with warring nations, ancient magic, and a cast you’ll follow for thousands of pages. The payoff-to-page ratio is unmatched.
For the grimdark edge: The First Law
Joe Abercrombie’s The First Lawtrilogy is the natural home for readers who loved Martin’s cynicism and gray morality. It’s sharp, funny, and brutal, with characters who refuse to be heroes — grimdark at its very best.
For the brutal, ambitious heroine: The Poppy War
R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy Waropens like a school story and descends into harrowing, war-torn epic fantasy inspired by 20th-century Chinese history. It does not flinch — perfect if the darkness of Westeros is a feature, not a bug, for you.
For the heist-and-scheme thrills: The Lies of Locke Lamora
Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamorabrings the political maneuvering and witty con-artist energy that made the Lannister chapters so addictive. A gorgeously realized canal city, an elaborate con, and dialogue you’ll want to read aloud.
Build your next epic stack
These are some of the most-traded titles in our fantasy section, so used copies cycle through often — worth checking the shelves on each visit. Tell our AI Matchmakerwhether you want more politics, more grimdark, or more magic, and it’ll point the way. Browse online or stop by the store in Milwaukie. New to the genre? Start with our classic fantasy novels everyone should read.