#The ten finest books to learn after you’ve completed Recreation of Thrones – Destructoid

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What to learn when you watch for Winds of Winter
For those who liked working your manner by means of George R.R. Martin’s expansive fantasy collection A Music of Ice and Fireplace, or in case you’re only a fan of its TV present adaption, you’ll love the ten books we’re highlighting with this listing. Every affords thrilling motion scenes, loveable characters, and immersive worldbuilding.
1. The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

The Dragonbone Chair units up an interesting fantasy world that’s about to descend into chaos with the loss of life of its king. Caught in the course of the upcoming wrestle is Simon, who works within the kitchens of a fort generally known as Hayholt. This location has a couple of attention-grabbing similarities to Winterfell in Recreation of Thrones that trendy readers will get pleasure from discovering within the early elements of the guide. The plot right here admittedly begins out fairly gradual. Nonetheless, the worldbuilding and action-packed second half make investing your time into this one a richly rewarding expertise. When you’re carried out with The Dragonbone Chair, you’ll be able to proceed the Reminiscence Sorrow, and Thorn collection in Stone of Farewell.
2. Chronicles of the Black Firm by Glen Prepare dinner

For those who’d wish to strive an epic fantasy collection that’s a bit darker than A Music of Ice and Fireplace, then The Black Firm could be a terrific guide so that you can strive subsequent. It follows the destiny of a mercenary group that income from an ongoing warfare and focuses on a set of characters who’re, at finest, morally questionable. In truth, they’re downright evil typically. The battle is fought between the forces of a magic wielder generally known as the Girl, who’s attempting to re-establish dominion over the land, and the insurgent forces who oppose her, who’re identified collectively because the White Rose. The start of the guide drops you proper into the center of the motion, so it’s regular to not totally perceive what’s taking place instantly.
3. Shōgun by James Clavell

For a historic fiction learn with conflicts and drama like Recreation of Thrones, you would possibly strive James Clavell’s Asian Saga masterwork Shogun. The guide opens with the journey of an English sailor generally known as John Blackthorne, who survives a shipwreck solely to scrub ashore in a land closed off to foreigners: Japan. Bloody battles, political intrigue, and romance await Blackthorne, who ventures into his new life generally known as Anjin-San. The large forged of characters, beautiful historic particulars, and grand scale of Clavell’s work make it an immensely satisfying odyssey.
4. The Crimson Knight by Miles Cameron

Miles Cameron’s The Crimson Knight has a gorgeously described world, an enormous forged of fascinating POV characters, and a plot that engages you proper from the get-go. The titular Crimson Knight is a frontrunner of a band of warriors for rent. He and his firm begin the guide by taking what seems to be a easy task from the Abbess of a nunnery, however earlier than they realize it, they discover themselves in the course of a bloody battle. Like Westeros in Recreation of Thrones, the dominion has a huge wall to maintain it secure from the mysterious risks of the Wild past it. Whereas there are various mythic creatures on this world, there’s additionally loads of grounded medieval realism.
5. The Spoil of Kings by Jenn Lyons

The Spoil of Kings kickstarts the Refrain of Dragons collection with an interesting manner of constructing out its world and characters. As an alternative of issues from the attitude of a single lead character, we look at the story of the protagonist, Kihrin, from a distance, with two utterly totally different unreliable storytellers that typically contradict each other. Who will Kihrin turn into, and which particulars are true? You’ll love this guide in case you get pleasure from placing collectively the items of a posh timeline as you learn.
6. A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

John Gwynne’s A Time of Dread takes place in an enormous fantasy world that feels prefer it’s on the sting of being swept up by an unknown darkness. A gaggle of divine warriors generally known as the Ben-Elim rule the land and maintain the chief of their enemies inside their fortress. Their victory, which set the stage for the guide, doesn’t seem to be it will likely be everlasting. The story follows 4 principal perspective characters as they uncover unnerving indicators of demons, black magic, and coming risks. The story continues in A Time of Blood.
7. The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

The King Arthur legend has had greater than its fair proportion of guide and movie adaptions, however few are as satisfying as Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King. That’s as a result of the story that’s being informed right here is one that might have really occurred. The writing musters as many historic particulars as attainable about fifth and sixth century Britain and scales down the magical parts that you just’d get within the likes of Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave or the latest Inexperienced Knight movie adaption.
8. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, is a traditional of the fantasy style for a superb motive. The world of Center-Earth, from the rolling hills of the Shire to the white tower of Minas Tirith, is immensely expansive and gorgeously detailed. The characters are additionally exceptionally properly drawn, and the hunt to destroy the One Ring is, in fact, an interesting story each step of the best way. For those who completed A Music of Ice and Fireplace and also you haven’t learn by means of this one but, it ought to positively be your high precedence.
9. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

The participating characters, pitch-perfect worldbuilding, and grand scale of The Expanse novels ought to attraction to any Music of Ice and Fireplace fan, despite the fact that the collection is a very totally different style. The primary guide, Leviathan Wakes, begins its story with a satisfying sci-fi thriller. Jim Holden and the crew members of his ship are investigating an unknown misery name out within the Asteroid Belt after they uncover a lethal secret. Elsewhere, Joe Miller, a detective who works for a safety firm, is wanting into a wierd disappearance that leads him in the identical course as Holden.
10. Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin

Wish to dive deeper into the world of A Music of Ice and Fireplace after you’ve completed A Dance With Dragons? A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a good place to start out. It’s a group of novellas that observe the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg about 90 years earlier than the beginning of A Recreation of Thrones. The story supplies extra of a ground-level take a look at Westeros than Martin’s different books set in the identical world. Plus, it should quickly be a TV collection.
Printed: Apr 6, 2025 02:26 pm