25 Best Fantasy Books Like The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle)
The Kingkiller Chronicle is one of the best fantasy book series of all time. Its first book, The Name of the Wind, is the best in this great series. So, if you have read it, and want more, don’t worry, as this article brings you the best fantasy books like The Name of the Wind and its series The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Some of the names on this list will be familiar to you, but we promise you, there are some really nice gems similar to The Name of the Wind you need to read.
The Stormlight Archive
The Stormlight Archive is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2022, the series comprises four published novels and two novellas.
The first novel, The Way of Kings, was published on August 31, 2010. The second novel, Words of Radiance, was published in 2014 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List. A fifth novel is expected to be released in fall 2024, while writing for the latter half of the series will begin after Sanderson finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy.
It tells the story of Roshar, a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain. It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. As brutal wars rage over the control of these magical weapons, an ancient text called The Way of Kings tells of ancient times, the Knights Radiant, and perhaps the true cause of the war. The Knights Radiant must stand again.
Portal of a Thousand Worlds
Author of the Seventh Sword series Dave Duncan transports us to Imperial China in an alternate nineteenth century—an Asian epoch not unlike the Boxer Rebellion era—with a spellbinding tale of rebellion, political intrigue, larceny, seduction, shape-shifting, dark magic, and murder. These are troubled years in the Good Land.
Ten centuries have passed since the last time the Portal of a Thousand Worlds opened, bringing chaos, upheaval, and radical change to the then-ruling dynasty, and now the mystical gateway is rumored to be on the verge of opening once more. Only the Firstborn—he who has been reincarnated through countless generations and remembers all he has ever learned—knows what the future holds, but he has been imprisoned for refusing to comply with a repressive imperial government’s wishes.
Now, those hoping to seize the opportunity for wealth and position are hatching sinister plots. And as the cold-hearted dowager empress closely guards a fateful secret, and a rebel army led by a fanatical zealot gathers strength under the Bamboo Banner, the cataclysm approaches.
The recipient of two Aurora Awards and numerous Locus and Endeavour Award nominations, Dave Duncan is an acknowledged master of sword-and-sorcery adventure on par with George R. R. Martin of Game of Thrones fame. A sprawling epic with a colorful cast of royals, thieves, prostitutes, gods, warriors, dragons, assassins, merchants, and mages set against the backdrop of a volatile alternate Asia, Portal of a Thousand Worlds is a magnificent work of invention from one of the premier fantasists of our day.
The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels and one short story written by American author Stephen King. Incorporating themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western, it describes a “gunslinger” and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical.
The series, and its use of the Dark Tower, expands upon Stephen King’s multiverse and in doing so, links together many of his other novels.
Gentleman Bastard
The series takes place in the world of the shattered Therin Throne Empire and its successor states. It follows the life of the young professional thief and con artist Locke Lamora, over a period of some fifteen to twenty years. Lynch has stated that there will be a sequel series set twenty years after with new protagonists, which will also be seven books long.
The world described has a society and technology roughly similar to that of the historical 16th or 17th century, but with several crucial differences: the world is littered with “Elderglass”, an unbreakable material left behind by mysterious beings known as “Eldren”; firearms have not been discovered, the crossbow being the most advanced offensive weapon known; magic exists, virtually monopolized by the secretive and malevolent Bondsmagi; the practice of alchemy offers some devices far beyond 17th-century levels, such as alchemical lights which are the equivalent of electric ones.
Though the society depicted is far from egalitarian, and there is an enormous gap between rich and poor, it does have very considerable gender equality. Similar to present-day Western society—and very different from historical 17th-century societies—women in this world can and do have jobs and careers, on both the bottom and the top of society. Within a few chapters of Red Seas Under Red Skies the (male) protagonists encounter female dock workers, female carpenters, female assassins, female captains of both naval and pirate ships, and women in various other positions.
The Legends of Camber of Culdi
It is the second Deryni trilogy written by Katherine Kurtz.
The Deryni novels are set in the land of Gwynedd, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms. Gwynedd itself is a medieval kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 12th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church), and a feudal government ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and Deryni, a race of people with inherent psychic and magical abilities who have been shunned and persecuted for centuries.
The Camber of Culdi novels takes place eight decades after a foreign Deryni prince invaded Gwynedd and overthrew the human king. Though still a minority of the population, Deryni controls the throne, the Church, and almost all positions of power throughout the realm, and many lead privileged lives at the expense of the human majority. However, a wave of human resentment is starting to surge throughout the kingdom, and a powerful Deryni lord embarks on a quest to restore the ancient line of Haldane kings.
The Deryni trilogies were published in an order which does not match the internal literary chronology of the series. The Legends of Camber of Culdi is the second trilogy published in the series.
The Broken Earth
It is a science fantasy series written by N. K. Jemisin and it consists of three books.
This is the way the world ends…for the last time. A season of endings has begun. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun.
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, A Game of Thrones, in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy, has published five out of a planned seven volumes. The fifth and most recent volume of the series, A Dance with Dragons, was published in 2011, six years after the publication of the preceding book, A Feast for Crows. He is currently writing the sixth novel, The Winds of Winter. A seventh novel, A Dream of Spring, is planned.
A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine in the first novel, to 31 characters by the fifth novel.
Three main stories interweave: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others in northernmost Westeros, and the ambition of the deposed king’s exiled daughter to assume the Iron Throne.
Raven’s Shadow
The Raven’s Shadow is an epic fantasy series composed of a trilogy of novels set in the same world: Blood Song, Tower Lord, Queen of Fire and Wolf`s call, written by Anthony Ryan.
Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order.
Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the unified realm. Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. He cherishes the memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. A future that will alter not only the realm, but the world.
Earthsea Cycle
The Earthsea Cycle, also known as Earthsea, is a series of high fantasy books written by the American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. Beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), The Tombs of Atuan, (1970) and The Farthest Shore (1972), the series was continued in Tehanu (1990), and Tales from Earthsea and The Other Wind (both 2001). In 2018, all the novels and short stories were published in a single volume, The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, with artwork by Charles Vess.
As long ago as forever and as far away as Selidor, there lived the dragonlord and Archmage, Sparrowhawk, the greatest of the great wizards – he who, when still a youth, met with the evil shadow-beast; he who later brought back the Ring of Erreth-Akbe from the Tombs of Atuan; and he who, as an old man, rode the mighty dragon Kalessin back from the land of the dead. And then, the legends say, Sparrowhawk entered his boat, Lookfar, turned his back on land, and without wind or sail or oar moved westward over the sea and out of sight.
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three novels. Originally planned as a six-book series, The Wheel of Time spans 14 volumes, in addition to a prequel novel and two companion books. Jordan died in 2007 while working on what was planned to be the final volume in the series.
He prepared extensive notes so another author could complete the book according to his wishes. Fellow fantasy author Brandon Sanderson was brought in to complete the final book. During the writing process, however, it was decided that the book would be far too large to be published in one volume; instead, it would be published as three volumes: The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013).
The series draws on numerous elements of both European and Asian mythology, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism, the metaphysical concepts of balance and duality, and a respect for nature found in Taoism, the Abrahamic concepts of God or Satan and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (1869).
The Wheel of Time is notable for its length, detailed imaginary world and magic system, and a large cast of characters. The eighth through fourteenth books each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. After its completion, the series was nominated for a Hugo Award. As of 2021, the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. Its popularity has spawned a collectible card game, a video game, a roleplaying game, and a soundtrack album. A TV series adaptation produced by Sony Pictures and Amazon Studios premiered in 2021.
Lightbringer
Lightbringer is a book series written by Brent Weeks, composed of five books.
In a world where magic is tightly controlled, the most powerful man in history must choose between his kingdom and his son in the first book in the epic NYT bestselling Lightbringer series.
Guile is the Prism. He is a high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he’s willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.
The Mistborn Saga
Mistborn is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author Brandon Sanderson and published by Tor Books. The first trilogy, published between 2006 and 2008, consists of The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages. A second series was released between 2011 and 2022, and consists of The Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal.
A third series will follow them, which is likely to be released yearly from 2025 to 2027. A fourth trilogy is also planned. Sanderson also released a novella in 2016, Mistborn: Secret History.
The first Mistborn trilogy chronicles the efforts of a secret group of Allomancers who attempt to overthrow a dystopian empire and establish themselves in a world covered by ash and gods. The first trilogy received a huge success and it made Sanderson develop his fictional universe, the Cosmere, which also includes The Stormlight Archive.
Set about 300 years after Era 1, the second series is about the exploits of Waxillium Ladrian, a “wild-west Deputy” forced to move into the big city, and starts investigating kidnappings and robberies. The third series will be set in the early computer age with 1980s technology. The main character is planned as a Terris woman who is a computer programmer and Nicroburst; her brother is also planned to be a character. The fourth series is planned to be a space opera.
Riyria Revelations
The Riyria Revelations is a series of Six high fantasy novels (published in Three volumes) written by Michael J. Sullivan and published by Orbit Books in 2011 and 2012. The series consists of Three original titles, Theft Of Swords, Rise Of Empire, and Heir Of Novron. The books were previously self-published as a Six-volume series selling 90,000 copies.
Instead of a string of sequels, the entire series was conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual episodes. All were written before the first was released so those plot elements are intertwined, yet each is self-contained with its own conflict and resolution.
The Riyria Chronicles is a prequel series to The Riyria Revelations which explores: the origin of the partnership between Royce and Hadrian, how Riyria was formed, and the adventures the two went on during the twelve years prior to the events in The Riyria Revelations.
While you can read the books in either publication order (starting with Theft of Swords) or chronologically (starting with The Crown Tower) the author suggests publication order as you are introduced to the characters and world as originally intended. In addition, there are some subtle winks and nods for veterans of Revelations when reading Chronicles. These aren’t major plot points just little extras for “those in the know.”
Six of Crows
Six of Crows is a fantasy novel written by the Israeli-American author Leigh Bardugo and published by Henry Holt and Co. in 2015. The story follows a thieving crew and is primarily set in the city of Ketterdam, which is loosely inspired by Dutch Republic–era Amsterdam. The plot is told from the third-person viewpoints of six different characters.
The novel is followed by Crooked Kingdom (2016) and is part of the Grishaverse. Nina’s storyline continues in the King of Scars duology: King of Scars (2019) and Rule of Wolves (2021), and the other Crows make cameo appearances in the latter novel.
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are two sword-and-sorcery heroes appearing in stories written by American author Fritz Leiber. They are the protagonists of what are probably Leiber’s best-known stories. One of his motives in writing them was to have a couple of fantasy heroes closer to true human nature than the likes of Howard’s Conan the Barbarian or Burroughs’s Tarzan.
Fafhrd is a very tall (nearly 7 feet (2.1 m)) and strong northern barbarian, skilled at both swordsmanship and singing. The Mouser is a small (not much more than 5 feet (1.5 m)) mercurial thief, gifted and deadly at swordsmanship (often using a sword in one hand and a long dagger or main-gauche in the other), as well as a former wizard’s apprentice who retains some skill at magic.
Fafhrd talks like a romantic, but his strength and practicality usually wins through, while the cynical-sounding Mouser is prone to showing strains of sentiment at unexpected times. Both are rogues, living in a decadent world where only the ruthless and cynical survive. They spend a lot of time drinking, feasting, wenching, brawling, stealing, and gambling, while are seldom fussy about who hires their swords. Still, they are humane and—most of all—relish the true adventure.
The First Law
The First Law is a fantasy series written by British author Joe Abercrombie. The First Law is the title of the original trilogy in the series, but is also used to refer to the series as a whole. The full series consists of a trilogy, three stand-alone novels, a number of short stories, and a second trilogy, titled The Age of Madness, of which the third book was published in September 2021.
The First Law series is set in an epic fantasy world at war, reminiscent of medieval-era Europe and the greater Mediterranean world. Long ago, the world was inhabited by both Demons and Humans. Then, hundreds, or thousands, of years ago, in the Old Time, a legendary half-Demon, half-Human with great magical powers, named Euz, banished the Demons from the world. Magic still exists, which relies on connections to the Other Side, where the Demons live. However, Euz left behind the First Law: “It is forbidden to touch the Other Side direct.”
Red Queen
Red Queen is a young adult fantasy novel written by American writer Victoria Aveyard. Published in February 2015, it was her first novel and first series. Aveyard followed up with three sequels: Glass Sword, King’s Cage and War Storm. Red Queen won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Goodreads Author and was nominated for the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.
Shades of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic is an adult fantasy novel by American author V. E. Schwab published by Tor Books in 2015. It is the first installment of the Shades of Magic trilogy.
As a young Antari magician, Kell is one of the last magicians with the rare ability to travel between the four parallel Londons, which he calls Red, Grey, White, and Black.
Kell officially serves the royal family of Red London, The Maresh Empire, as an ambassador, traveling between worlds to deliver messages, letters of importance and other such news. However, Kell has a secret life as a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of magic. It’s a risky pastime with dangerous consequences.
After a smuggling job goes wrong, Kell escapes to Grey London where he finds Delilah Bard, a young thief looking for a taste of adventure and a chance at something more. Delilah first saves Kell, then captures him and talks him into going with him. In a world with magic, it’s of course unavoidable that things go horribly wrong along the way.
The Black Mage
Rachel E. Carter is the USA Today bestselling author of The Black Mage, a YA fantasy series about magic, love, and war -with future projects to come.
Magic. Romance. Rivals. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Falling Kingdoms, and Tamora Pierce. Before the age of seventeen, the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice —pursue a trade or enroll in a trial year in one of the realm’s three war schools to study as a soldier, knight, or mage… For fifteen-year-old Ryiah, the choice has always been easy.
Become a mage and train in Combat, the most prestigious faction of magic. Yet when she arrives, Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Everyone is rooting for her to fail—first and foremost among them is Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived. Will Ry survive, or will her dream go down in flames?
Spinning Silver
Spinning Silver is a 2018 fantasy novel written by Naomi Novik. Novik originally published a short story called “Spinning Silver” in The Starlit Wood anthology in 2016 and later expanded it into a novel. Spinning Silver won the American Library Association’s Alex Award in 2019, the 2019 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and the 2019 Audie Award for Fantasy. Spinning Silver was a 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel Nominee, a 2018 finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and a 2018 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy. The novel is loosely based on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin.
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk–grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh–Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.
Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel by American author Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, by Viking Press in the U.S. and The Bodley Head in the U.K. It follows the tale of a unicorn, who believes she is the last of her kind in the world and undertakes a quest to discover what has happened to the other unicorns. It has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its original publication, and has been translated into at least twenty languages (prior to the 2007 edition).
In 1987, Locus ranked The Last Unicorn number five among the 33 “All-Time Best Fantasy Novels”, based on a poll of subscribers, it ranked number eighteen in the 1998 rendition of the poll.
She was magical, beautiful beyond belief—and completely alone…
The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment they would never forget. But outside her wondrous realm, dark whispers and rumors carried a message she could not ignore: “Unicorns are gone from the world.”
Aided by a bumbling magician and an indomitable spinster, she set out to learn the truth. but she feared even her immortal wisdom meant nothing in a world where a mad king’s curse and terror incarnate lived only to stalk the last unicorn to her doom.
The Farseer Trilogy
The Farseer Trilogy is a series of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb, published from 1995 to 1997. It is often described as epic fantasy, and as a character-driven and introspective work.
Set in and around the fictional realm of the Six Duchies, it tells the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, an illegitimate son of a prince who is trained as an assassin. Political machinations within the royal family threaten his life, and the kingdom is threatened by naval raids. Fitz possesses two forms of magic: the telepathic Skill that runs in the royal line, and the socially despised Wit that enables bonding with animals. The series follows his life as he seeks to restore stability to the kingdom.
The story contains motifs from Arthurian legend and is structured as a quest, but focuses on a stereotypically minor character in Fitz, an illegitimate child barred from the throne. It is narrated as a first-person retrospective. Through her portrayal of the Wit, a form of magic Fitz uses to bond with the wolf Nighteyes, Hobb examines otherness, ecological themes and the nature-culture divide.
Societal prejudice against the ability causes Fitz to experience persecution and shame, and he leads a closeted life as a Wit user, which scholars see as an allegory for queerness. Hobb also explores queer themes through the Fool, the gender-fluid court jester, and his dynamic with Fitz.
The Prince of Nothing
The Prince of Nothing is a series of three fantasy novels by Canadian author R. Scott Bakker, first published in 2004, part of a wider series known as “The Second Apocalypse”. This trilogy details the emergence of Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a brilliant monastic warrior, as he takes control of a holy war and the hearts and minds of its leaders.
Kellhus exhibits incredible powers of prediction and persuasion, which are derived from a deep knowledge of rationality, cognitive biases, and causality, as discovered by the Dûnyain, a secret monastic sect. As Kellhus goes from military leader to divine prophet, Drusas Achamian, the sorcerer who mentored Kellhus, comes to realize that his student may well be the harbinger of the Second Apocalypse.
Neverwhere
Neverwhere is the companion novelization written by English author Neil Gaiman of the television serial Neverwhere, written by Gaiman and devised by Lenny Henry. The plot and characters are exactly the same as in the series, with the exception that the novel form allowed Gaiman to expand and elaborate on certain elements of the story and restore changes made in the televised version from his original plans.
Most notable is the appearance of the Floating Market at Harrods (in the novel) rather than under the Battersea power station (the TV series). This is because the management of Harrods changed their minds about the proposed filming.
Under the streets of London there’s a world most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armor and pale girls in black velvet.
“Neverwhere” is the London of the people who have fallen between the cracks.
Strange destinies lie in wait in London below – a world that seems eerily familiar. But a world that is utterly bizarre, peopled by unearthly characters such as the Angel called Islington, the girl named Door, and the Earl who holds Court on a tube train.
Now a single act of kindness has catapulted young businessman Richard Mayhew out of his safe and predictable life – and into the realms of “Neverwhere.” Richard is about to find out more than he ever wanted to know about this other London. Which is a pity. Because Richard just wants to go home.
The Roots of Chaos
Samantha Shannon is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Season series. Her work has been translated into twenty-six languages. Her fourth novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree (the first book in The Roots of Chaos), was her first outside of The Bone Season series and was a New York Times bestseller.
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.
Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
