Game of Thrones ending and want more from this world. While I hope you have a healthier relationship with your media than I do, it's still worth picking up another series now and then because there are some excellent options.
George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire books changed the scope of the fantasy genre decades after J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings created the golden standard. Several books have been written in response to Martin's work, expanding on his tone and themes with fresh ideas. However, there are also multiple series that pre-date A Game of Thrones, which Martin himself was inspired by in the process of creating his world.
6 The First Law
By Joe Abercrombie
Most fans of contemporary fantasy will cite Joe Abercrombie as the perfect A Song of Ice & Fire follow-up, as he's the author most known for embracing Martin's darker tone. For those who love the character-focused, dialogue-heavy, and morally gray POV characters in Westeros, The First Law series focuses on those elements in its own compelling world, with a bit less attention to plot. Abercrombie is a modern master at creating complex, compelling characters who, despite their many flaws, are thrilling to follow.
The Blade Itself is the first book in The First Law universe, which covers two complete trilogies, three standalone novels, and more.
In a blog post from 2008, Joe Abercrombie examines the effect that Martin's work had on his publishing career, stating, "A Game of Thrones was profoundly shocking when I first read it and fundamentally changed my notions about what could be done with epic fantasy." It's hard to pick a better choice for a follow-up than a writer whose life was affected as much by A Song of Ice & Fire as anyone. It's worth noting that while he takes notable inspiration from Martin, Abercrombie also has his own distinct and beautifully witty prose style.
5 The Wheel Of Time
By Robert Jordan
Pre-dating A Game of Thrones by just over half a decade, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time was a game-changing fantasy series that often doesn't receive the same broad cultural acclaim, mainly due to its television adaptation not being as popular. With The Wheel of Time season 3 being released on Prime Video this month, it's the perfect time to jump into one of the most awe-inspiring, immersive fantasy worlds available. Even more so than with Martin, readers of Jordan's work will be submerged into an enormous world of detailed cultures, thousands of characters, and more.
In an EW interview, George R.R. Martin once credited Robert Jordan for his impact on the development of A Song of Ice & Fire, saying he "showed us how to do a book that’s bigger than a trilogy," referring to The Wheel of Time breaking the trilogy format established by Tolkien. Aside from being dense, there are several comparisons in these books, such as the threat of a final battle between good and evil and The Wheel of Time referring to political conflict as the "Game of Houses." For immersion even deeper than ASOIAF, this is the route to go.
4 Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn
By Tad Williams
Tad Williams' epic fantasy series is another that pre-dates A Game of Thrones by nearly a decade, with the first book, titled The Dragonbone Chair, being released in 1988. In 2011, George R.R. Martin said, "Fantasy got a bad rep for being formulaic and ritual. And I read The Dragonbone Chair and said, ‘My God, they can do something with this form, and it’s Tad doing it'" (via Westeros.org). This is a series that Martin has directly cited as being one of the primary inspirations for his series, and there are numerous connections.
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Aside from the title of the first book sounding very similar to Martin's Targaryen dynasty-built Iron Throne, there are numerous character and thematic similarities in Williams' novels. The events of MST surround the prophesied return of the "Storm King" and follow a boy named Simon, who bears many similarities to Jon Snow. The commonalities in world-building elements are numerous, ranging from naming schemes to a man with a terrifying hound helm to animal symbolism to magical trees. This is possibly the most directly similar option in of world style.
3 Malazan Book Of The Fallen
By Steven Erikson
Like The Wheel of Time, the ten-book series of Malazan Book of the Fallen and the numerous expanded world novels offer something massive and immersive to really sink one's teeth into. Before Game of Thrones was released, the fan bases of Malazan and A Song of Ice & Fire believed the two authors (which both have commonly discredited) had something of a rivalry due to the similar tones and expansive nature of their novels. Both follow morally gray characters, contain plenty of violence, and offer vast histories to explore.
Even ionate readers of the series will it that Erikson's work is difficult to access and requires time and attention to understand.
A common quality noted about Malazan is that it's deeply confusing. Even ionate readers of the series will it that Erikson's work is difficult to access and requires time and attention to understand. There are several non-linear plot threads, nearly 20 times as many total POV characters in the series to follow, and rather unforgiving prose to guide you through it. If you're interested in embracing a challenge like the depths A Song of Ice & Fire allows for, Erikson's work is several steps more complicated.
2 The Witcher
By Andrzej Sapkowski
There's a reason that Netflix's The Witcher was the first major TV series made in response to HBO's Game of Thrones, aside from the former being recognized for the award-winning video game franchise. Andrzej Sapkowski's book series, which began in the early 1990s and has a new volume being released in 2025, is similar to A Song of Ice & Fire in its darker, violent tone, varying POV characters, and focus on war and politics.
The major difference between these two is that The Witcher focuses more on a few main characters rather than an ensemble. It's not quite high fantasy like A Song of Ice & Fire, but rather a mixture between that and sword-and-sorcery. There's a far more significant mystical presence in Sapkowski's world for anyone who loves the magical and mythological sides of Westeros.
1 The Farseer Trilogy
By Robin Hobb
These fantasy series might have some major formatting distinctions, but there's a lot of commonality that's worth noting. Robin Hobb's fantasy books are told from a first-person perspective and follow a main character named Fitz. Unlike A Song of Ice & Fire's ensemble, The Farseer Trilogy primarily follows this one figure, though it must be noted he's very similar to Jon Snow, even being a bastard from a royal family with more mysteries behind his birth, who's bonded with a wolf.
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In of world-building, Robin Hobb's story is set in the lands of the Six Duchies, all of whom are focused more on determining the rightful king than they are on an increasingly prevalent threat called the Red Ship Raiders. These series began around the same time, though Robin Hobb's book saga is already completed and has plenty of material to dive into. It's an excellent option for anyone wanting a story akin to Game of Thrones, though a tad lighter.
Sources: EW, Westeros.org
Game Of Thrones
- Release Date
- 2011 - 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
- David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
- David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
Cast
Jon Snow
Isaac Hempstead WrightBrandon Bran Stark
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
- Creator(s)
- David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
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