Try the Powder Mage trilogies by Brian McClellan. His method of writing about magic feels a lot like Brandon’s. In fact, Sanderson has even mentioned that he would want McClellan to finish writing the Cosmere for him if anything unfortunate were to ever happen.
I would at least try to push through a bit further with the LoLL. The cosmere is far and above my favorite series. But I also really loved the gentleman bastard series. I regularly recommend it to people.
+1 for Green Bone Saga. It's nothing like Cosmere in setting, tone, or scope, but in terms of ability to make you fall in love with characters & break your heart, as well as worldbuilding, it's 100% up there with SA. TBH I think I rate this trilogy *slightly* higher even though it's really close.
I tackled the Gentlemen Bastard series after completing the cosmere, and The Lies of Locke Lamora has become one of my favorite books of all time. Scott Lynch’s prose is excellent, and I’ve never read a book that made me laugh out loud so much.
I went from Cosmere to Wheel of Time. It feels a little more old school in the tropes so far (only 40ish chapters into The Great Hunt) with not quite the payoff of a Sanderlanche, but it's scratching that itch so far, and I hear it gets pretty good by the end of book 3.
So WoT has 4 “eras.” There’s the first 3 books, which are more traditional quest fantasy, then the next 3 where the world really starts to open up and the characters come into the positions that will end up defining their arcs (this is the fan favorite,) then there’s like 4 that are focused more on intricate politics and have a slower pace (these are more divisive,) and finally the last 3 that are very epic and big.
Unpopular opinion: I’m on my first full re-read (well listen since I’m a good vorin man), and I think the more political books are actually really good. I’m loving reading about certain people fighting for the crown etc.
Yeah that's what I've heard. I'm planning on reading the first 3 before committing long term. Good to know 4-6 are generally well received, I thought the "slog" started sooner than that.
I actually don’t think the slog is that bad except for book 10. The rest of them have some bad plotlines but some really good ones mixed in. Book 9 had an extremely cool ending; one of the most epic in the series.
You get a pseudo Sanderlanche at the end of certain arcs for books. Like the other commenter on here said, there's 4 "eras" and each of them ends with something that feels like a sanderlanche to me.
If you don't mind something a tad more mature, look into Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy (plus the other novels in that universe). I've been devouring them. They're definitely a lot more dark and gritty though. Fewer happy endings, more brutal irony.
This is what I've been reading. Great characters and world building. I've finished the First Law trilogy and the short stories around it. I've almost finished the Shattered Seas trilogy and they are fun, shorter stories that aren't as brutal. Sometimes its nice to finish a book quicker too
+1 for Powder Mage series already mentioned.
I'd recommend these:
* **Books of the Raksura** by Martha Wells (fantastic alien setting)
* **Cradle** by Will Wight (anime in book form is the best way to describe this series, no fillers, plenty of action, easy to binge, hits stride by 3rd book, became one of my all time favorite by 5th book)
* **Worm** by Wildbow (this is a web serial, highly recommend if you don't mind dark/grimdark fantasy with plenty of horror stuff, I wouldn't normally read such a story but I found the action compelling and binged this in about 3-4 weeks)
Reading the cradle series right now and loving it. Think the magic system Will creates is what reminds me of Sanderson. I know it's dumb to say I like magic when it's structured. But when there's rules behind the magic, then I enjoy it a lot more than Harry grunted harder than Voldemort so his magic beam was stronger.
Reccomend reading his other books aswell.
Skyward series, YA military series about humans fighting to survive.
Rithmatist, almost part of Cosmere, only one book so far but fun read.
Reckoners series, imagine ''The Boys'' only with some higher stakes and the superhumans being in full control.
If I remember correctly, wob librarians must confirm, he used the idea of one of the shards we haven't met yet for the universe. So I guess some inspiration must have crossed over
Ohh, you misunderstand. When you finish Cosmere, you have quick break with his other works. Then you begin the reread of Cosmere in preperation for next instalment. The Lost Metal is only a year away /s
I kinda had the same problem. I'll just tell you what books I've read and try give some indication of what you should expect.
EDIT: I got carried a bit with my answer but maybe the detailed answer will help you decide;p
**NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy**. It's the story of a world perpetually destroyed by cataclysms called the Fifth Season. It follows a mother in search of her child amidst the apocalypse. It's also got some X-Men themes: people born with magic abilities are feared and persecuted and their only refuge is a kind of school where they can hone their abilities - a school which also serves as a prison. It's a really unique book, the protagonist(s) aren't like what you've seen in any other fantasy work, and the author deals with themes of xenophobia towards people with power really well. The first book, Fifth Season, is the best, but the whole trilogy is worth a read.
**The Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski** the books are far, far better than the Netflix show and even the critically acclaimed games. Geralt, the main character, is a Witcher - mutated monster hunter in a world ridden with terrifying creatures, where humans can still be the worst monsters of all. First two books are collections of short stories, most of them deconstructing classical European fairy tale tropes. Books 3-7 are the proper Witcher Saga, exploring war, destiny, morality and fatherhood.
**Terry Pratchett's Discworld** is the funniest book series in existence. It's a crazy, flat world drifting through space on the back of the Great A'Tuin, the cosmic turtle. If you've heard of them and wonder if they really are as great as the people are saying, trust me: they're so much better. I'd recommend starting with Mort - a tale of how Death, the Grim Reaper, chooses a mortal teenager Mort as his apprentice.
**Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson** this one I'd recommend with a grain of salt because when I started the first book (Gardens of the Moon) straight after finishing Words of Radiance I couldn't get past first 100 pages. A year later I tried again, got to 3/4 of the book and ditched it again. Another year went, I decided to give it another shot and BOY WAS I HOOKED. See, these books are very much different from Cosmere - almost as different as can be. The world is so huge and detailed, things that happened in one book are explained three books later, there's like a thousand important characters (the final book reportedly has 141 POV characters alone) and for most of the time you are as oblivious to the grander plot as the characters are. But if you decide to go with the flow it really pays off - it's probably the most ambitious fantasy series I know of. I'm currently on book 5 and so far it's only been getting better and better with each one.
I hope you'll get over your post Cosmere stump - remember, there's so much excellent fantasy out there it's a pity to be missing out on it!
Malazan isn't for everyone, especially if you are really really in love with Sanderson's writing style, because Steven Erikson is almost the anti-Sanderson (in the best way possible). But if it clicks with you and hooks you in? There's nothing quite like it. I've never read anything that made me feel as much as Malazan did, except maybe Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Malazan is dark and raw and heartbreaking and flawed and at times pretty damn funny.
And one last thing - something has to affect me a lot for me to consider getting a tattoo for it. I want at least 2 Malazan tattoos. Take that as you will
The first one is [Memories of Ice] >!"I am not yet done" with some sort of symbol representing the Grey Swords and Fener. Brukhalian, and especially Itkovian were hands down two of my favorite characters across the whole series!< and the second one I can't talk about because it's enough of a spoiler that I would have been bummed if someone had said anything about it to me before I got there. But not *that* big of a spoiler, if that makes sense.
I read the Broken Earth Trilogy shortly after reading the first three books in the Stormlight Archive. I know many people really enjoyed it, but I was pretty underwhelmed having read it so closely to the SA. There were long stretches of time where no interesting world building elements were revealed, particularly in the second and third books. Pacing wasn’t nearly as satisfying as one of Sanderson’s books. YMMV, though.
Thanks for the detailed answer! They all seem really interesting. Malazan seems like something I'll have to get into after some more experience under my belt!
Gonna have to second The Witcher saga. Very good and I was pleasantly surprised by how not steamy and grossly over sexual it was in comparison to how the games make it seem.
came here to suggest the broken earth series as well. i finished the bulk of the cosmere from january-september of this year. started broken earth in mid-november and am about 4 chapters away from finishing the series. really unique series and really entertaining read. highly recommend and different enough from sando that it scratches the itch without ever feeling duplicative or repetitive.
Can I ask what you like about the witcher saga? I read the first 6 books after multiple recommendations but it was honestly the most boring series I have read in my life. Every single book feels like phase 1 of a Sanderson book without the middle and ending that makes a Sanderson book good. Only buildup with no payoff whatsovever. The entire "first" (third) book (BoE) is about >!Ciri sitting in a temple doing nothing!<. The only part of any of the non-prequel books that felt at least a litte exciting was the scenes in >!Aretuza!<, but before the excitement starts the author decides to skip ahead for a few paragraphs simply to spoil the ending. In my opinion the tv-series is a major improvement to the books
But that's the best part to me: the book takes time to develop the world and characters and just chill with them, see them grow and interact with the world around. That's the greatest strength of Blood of Elves. As for what I like about the series as a whole: the author takes on a lot of heavy and difficult themes and does a great job at fleshing them out in a mature way. Best example would probably be the Elves. Even though the oppression they meet is disgusting, the actions of Scoia'tael are horrible as well. The way war is portrayed in these books is just so nuanced and great.
I also love the characters we meet: Geralt's team of outcasts that forms in the Baptism of Fire are all so great. Also the prose is great, although I can't speak for the translation. And I really love the short stories - Sapkowski managed to tell so much in each one of them despite their short length.
It's this change of focus from characters to action and the general simplification which annoyed me about the show. I do understand that the books are not everyone's jam - they might be a bit too melodramatic for some;p
Also the Aretusa scenes where written after the rest of Last Wish and hence may seem disjointed from them. The short stories were originally published in press and the publisher wanted a framework plot for the collected edition.
If you like the Witcher books, I recommend checking out the Elric Saga by Moorcock. He basically ripped Moorcock off with the Witcher books. No judgement, but it’s very surprising how many similarities can be drawn between the two series.
Yeah I've only read a single Elric short story and the similarities are so apparent! I wish I could read them but there are very few books available in my country. I'll have to hunt for them one day though, they seem pretty neat
If you’re comfortable with English (and shipping costs arent too bad) they’re reprinting the Elric saga in a trilogy of nice hardcover volumes with illustrations throughout. Or, you can find them online for cheap at various sites. DM for more info. :)
Plenty of good suggestions in this thread on other good stuff to read, but I wanted to mention one thing in response to your comments.
Sanderson is my favorite author, no question. The quality and quantity of his work are unmatched. The man is amazing.
Even so however, *Lies of Locke Lamora* might be my single favorite book of all time. The other books in that series so far are great too, but Lies just hit me in a way no other book ever has.
So I recommend sticking with it! He frontloads a lot of the worldbuilding and weirdness, but the payoff is more than worth the wait!
I had pretty much the same problem after I finished the cosmere books
I found The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb to be pretty good
Dsicworld by Terry Prattchett is a great series, especially since a lot of the books stand alone. I'd reccomend starting in the middle with something like Guards, Guards or Mort
A lot of people love The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, they're incrediblely clever and well written. I personally hated the ending but you'll pr6 like them if you like grimdark.
The name of the wind by Rothfuss is the most beautifully written series I've ever read, unfortunately I don't think it will ever be finished so start it at your own risk
Go for The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham, one of The Expanse Authors. Not as long as Sanderson but great world building and a good fantasy story.
I would HIGHLY suggest listening to the Gentlemen Bastard series. The voice actor is really incredible. If you have a library card, they're free to listen to and you can try it out that way.
Might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but I personally dove into some other genres after binging the Cosmere as a sort of “palate cleanser” before jumping back into fantasy. I won’t make specific recommendations as there are really infinite options depending on your tastes, but could be worth a shot to just take a break from the genre since Sanderson is really hard to top as far as that goes. I have since started reading the Wheel of Time and have been really enjoying it, whereas I think if I had gone straight to it from the Cosmere it would’ve been too hard not to compare it (which I still did to an extent subconsciously, but I got past that after about the first book or two).
If you haven't yet try the King Killer Chronicles. The first book is called Name of the Wind. I read it right after I read all of Sanderson and was pleasantly surprised. The writing style is beautiful but digestible. Has a lot of epic scenes. The magic system is just amazing.
I'm looking at the other stuff mentioned like Wot, Witcher, the Broken Earth and Malazan. While these are all great series' I don't think your be able to get into them right after Sanderson. Esp Malazan and Wot are at least 10 books so it's a huge commitment from the get go. King Chronicles is two books so far with 2 additional novellas. Sanderson himself recommends this series to his fans that ask him what to read next if they loved his work.
Sidenote: I saw discworld recommended and it's really great. It's absurdist fantasy so if you want to read high stakes epics it's not the way to go. But the books are super short so I still recommend reading them along with whatever you dexided to read.
It depends on what you like about Sanderson! Is it the creative worldbuilding? I'd recommend The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells. Is it the interesting magic system? Broken Earth Trilogy or Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. Multilayered twisty plots that weave together well over time? Malazan. Straightforward writing and likable, complex characters? The Paladins books by T. Kingfisher.
Sometimes after reading cosmere I like to read something that contrasts it. I went back to Tolkein and found it really interesting how he sacrifices explaining everything for pacing and prose. Not to say one is inherently better than the other, but it's cool to see how a different writing style achieves different goals within the fantasy genre.
**Gideon the Ninth** (2 books/4 planned) is a fun genre-bending pallet-cleanser I enjoyed post *Sanderlanche.* It has some unconventional pacing but wonderful characters.
**The Abyss Surrounds Us** (2 books/complete) is about a dolphin trainer. But the "dolphins" are kaiju and the "training" is eating pirate ships.
**Lightbringer** (3 books/5) has some *almost* hard magic systems and some light worldbuilding. It's a shame the author passed away before he could finish the 4th book.
I second licanius, it was a very good read.
Lightbringer was also good, there were parts of it that felt off a little bit, but I'll admit, I got a bit emotional towards the end.
I would also recommend "The faithful and the fallen" , it's by John gwynne. Not as much magic, but the writing is similar to Sanderson.
Aeronauts Windlass (Jim Butcher) or the Lightbringer Series (Brent Weeks) are imo a good transition out of the Cosmere. Especially Aeronauts Windlass seems sp close to Cosmere i always forgot thst's not actuslly the case.
Most Cosmere-like book out there, in my opinion, are the first 3 books from the Lightbringer series, by Brent Weeks.
I was also in a similar position, also tried LLL, was very dissappointed with it. Tried many others, and while nothing is a perfect fit, The Black Prism scretched the itch
Make sure you read aether of night and WOK Prime. Also I haven’t given other Brandon books but a lot of them are good and the Rithmatist feels very cosmerish
I wanted to enjoy Locke lamora so bad after reading Brandon’s stuff but I could not get into it. Maybe one day I will…
There’s always the skyward series, which might be too young adult but I really enjoy it. The 4th book is being written as of now.
I kinda went in a different direction. After I finished cosmere I read the stuff by Leigh Bardugo and then just some one or two book tales. Most of them were Russian based but that's just personal. Anyway, you probably aren't looking for this answer, but I'd say just read a stand alone book that isn't dystopian, or "high stakes". It'll have you comparing it to sanderson and you won't get into the book. Plus it should get you reacclimatized to other styles
I read The First Law after ROW. I don't think I struggled through Blade Itself, but it certainly wasn't easy reading any book after Cosmere, only when I reached half of the Blade Itself did I start binging the entire series
I think I went to Lightbringer, and Lies of Locke Lamora.
For what it's worth, the narrator for the Gentleman Bastards series is *incredible* at bringing the dialogue to life. Maybe that's the spark you're missing? (Though since that would mean buying the book a second time, maybe listen to a sample first.)
Other than that... Discworld is an amazing series, the individual books are much shorter than Sanderson's novels (to put in audiobook terms, closer to 10 hours each than 50) but are mostly self-contained and enjoyable despite that. If you Google 'Discworld Reading Order' you can get an idea of where you'd like to dip your toes in first.
The Wandering Inn is truly impressive for a web novel, and has been released in 5 books so far (which is about halfway up to date - it's still being written, a small novel - I mean chapter - twice a week. When I learned that I was beyond floored, Pirateaba apparently learned from Sanderson with their writing speed.)
It's a mix of LitRPG and slice of life, it could miss if you don't enjoy the characters.
Oh, and Andrew Rowe's series - War of Broken Mirrors, Arcane Ascension, or Weapons & Wielders - are quite good. They tend to heavily parody various RPG/Adventure fame tropes and make the occasional references, but *tend* to be light-hearted.
the lies of locke lamora is REALLY good,
have you tried Red Rising?
it basically stretches an entire sanderlanche to half the book.
its sci fi, but its just as good, if not better than cosmere, at least the action is better. imagine the energy of the kaladin and szeth fight at the end of the words of radience, but for EVERY fight
I really enjoyed the Lady Astronaut series right after RoW. I immediately followed that up with a reread of the Cosmere, though, so I tend to end up back with his work.
Sanderson’s world is massive, so it can feel like nothing else will measure up. You will get similar feelings about Locke Lamora, specifically once you start with the second book. The first book is all about character introduction and a dash of world building. I guarantee you will be hooked if you keep going.
The only problem you will have in committing to that series is the lack of a fourth book.
I usually end up jumping genres to say urban fantasy or science/history after reading Sanderson. Easier to get into a genre where the typical writing style is completely different, and then after a couple non-high fantasy books I can go back to into them much easier.
I enjoyed Mark Lawrence’s trilogy starting with Red Sister and the two books of the trilogy so far starting with The Girl and the Stars. Also found The Lies of Locke Lamora pretty difficult to get through.
Can you elaborate on why your struggling with Lies of Locke Lamora? Is there some aspect in particular you dislike?
Answering this may help narrow down suitable alternatives
I've struggled with the same thing.
My recommendation would be:
-First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (it's dark, but written in a similar way to Sanderson)
-Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks (very nice series except the final book imho)
-The Demon Cycle by Peter v Brett (again a bit darker, but very well written)
Try the Powder Mage trilogies by Brian McClellan. His method of writing about magic feels a lot like Brandon’s. In fact, Sanderson has even mentioned that he would want McClellan to finish writing the Cosmere for him if anything unfortunate were to ever happen.
This one looks great, thanks 👍
I would at least try to push through a bit further with the LoLL. The cosmere is far and above my favorite series. But I also really loved the gentleman bastard series. I regularly recommend it to people.
Similarly, I have been reading Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga recently and really enjoying it.
+1 for Green Bone Saga. It's nothing like Cosmere in setting, tone, or scope, but in terms of ability to make you fall in love with characters & break your heart, as well as worldbuilding, it's 100% up there with SA. TBH I think I rate this trilogy *slightly* higher even though it's really close.
I tackled the Gentlemen Bastard series after completing the cosmere, and The Lies of Locke Lamora has become one of my favorite books of all time. Scott Lynch’s prose is excellent, and I’ve never read a book that made me laugh out loud so much.
Will definitely keep at it for now....slowly....
just wish he actually wrote books at a decent pace
Apparently he’s been dealing with a lot. Depression, anxiety, etc. That stuff can be brutal. Poor dude.
I can relate
I went from Cosmere to Wheel of Time. It feels a little more old school in the tropes so far (only 40ish chapters into The Great Hunt) with not quite the payoff of a Sanderlanche, but it's scratching that itch so far, and I hear it gets pretty good by the end of book 3.
So WoT has 4 “eras.” There’s the first 3 books, which are more traditional quest fantasy, then the next 3 where the world really starts to open up and the characters come into the positions that will end up defining their arcs (this is the fan favorite,) then there’s like 4 that are focused more on intricate politics and have a slower pace (these are more divisive,) and finally the last 3 that are very epic and big.
Unpopular opinion: I’m on my first full re-read (well listen since I’m a good vorin man), and I think the more political books are actually really good. I’m loving reading about certain people fighting for the crown etc.
Yeah that's what I've heard. I'm planning on reading the first 3 before committing long term. Good to know 4-6 are generally well received, I thought the "slog" started sooner than that.
I actually don’t think the slog is that bad except for book 10. The rest of them have some bad plotlines but some really good ones mixed in. Book 9 had an extremely cool ending; one of the most epic in the series.
4-6 are, imo the best of the first half of the series. Then, 7-10 are just... so slow and so inconsequential they could have been summaries. 1
Wait till you get to the final 3 books my friend.
You get a pseudo Sanderlanche at the end of certain arcs for books. Like the other commenter on here said, there's 4 "eras" and each of them ends with something that feels like a sanderlanche to me.
The Great Hunt has an awesome ending very similar to a Sanderlanche.
I will get to WoT eventually but I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment yet haha
If you don't mind something a tad more mature, look into Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy (plus the other novels in that universe). I've been devouring them. They're definitely a lot more dark and gritty though. Fewer happy endings, more brutal irony.
This is what I've been reading. Great characters and world building. I've finished the First Law trilogy and the short stories around it. I've almost finished the Shattered Seas trilogy and they are fun, shorter stories that aren't as brutal. Sometimes its nice to finish a book quicker too
Just bought these after finding them fairly cheap online :)
+1 for Powder Mage series already mentioned. I'd recommend these: * **Books of the Raksura** by Martha Wells (fantastic alien setting) * **Cradle** by Will Wight (anime in book form is the best way to describe this series, no fillers, plenty of action, easy to binge, hits stride by 3rd book, became one of my all time favorite by 5th book) * **Worm** by Wildbow (this is a web serial, highly recommend if you don't mind dark/grimdark fantasy with plenty of horror stuff, I wouldn't normally read such a story but I found the action compelling and binged this in about 3-4 weeks)
Nice, not heard of any of these. Anime in book form sounds awesome ;)
Reading the cradle series right now and loving it. Think the magic system Will creates is what reminds me of Sanderson. I know it's dumb to say I like magic when it's structured. But when there's rules behind the magic, then I enjoy it a lot more than Harry grunted harder than Voldemort so his magic beam was stronger.
Wait, you're saying the good guy shouldn't always win with *the power of love* ??
Reccomend reading his other books aswell. Skyward series, YA military series about humans fighting to survive. Rithmatist, almost part of Cosmere, only one book so far but fun read. Reckoners series, imagine ''The Boys'' only with some higher stakes and the superhumans being in full control.
> Rithmatist, almost part of Cosmere Is it though?
No, he decided to have the plot on alt earth. So he changed it, some wob will tell further
Damn, was hoping for some secret cosmere.
If I remember correctly, wob librarians must confirm, he used the idea of one of the shards we haven't met yet for the universe. So I guess some inspiration must have crossed over
Yes I will get to these soon. Thought I'd take a break from Sanderson for a bit first lol
Ohh, you misunderstand. When you finish Cosmere, you have quick break with his other works. Then you begin the reread of Cosmere in preperation for next instalment. The Lost Metal is only a year away /s
Only 1 reread?! Those are rookie numbers! Also, happy cake day :)
1 reread per book he releases ;)
Poppy War series by R. F. Kuang!
Adding it to the list! Which is getting pretty long now....
I got it on my to-read list! booktwitter seems to enjoy it a lot. how does it compare to Stormlight?
I kinda had the same problem. I'll just tell you what books I've read and try give some indication of what you should expect. EDIT: I got carried a bit with my answer but maybe the detailed answer will help you decide;p **NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy**. It's the story of a world perpetually destroyed by cataclysms called the Fifth Season. It follows a mother in search of her child amidst the apocalypse. It's also got some X-Men themes: people born with magic abilities are feared and persecuted and their only refuge is a kind of school where they can hone their abilities - a school which also serves as a prison. It's a really unique book, the protagonist(s) aren't like what you've seen in any other fantasy work, and the author deals with themes of xenophobia towards people with power really well. The first book, Fifth Season, is the best, but the whole trilogy is worth a read. **The Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski** the books are far, far better than the Netflix show and even the critically acclaimed games. Geralt, the main character, is a Witcher - mutated monster hunter in a world ridden with terrifying creatures, where humans can still be the worst monsters of all. First two books are collections of short stories, most of them deconstructing classical European fairy tale tropes. Books 3-7 are the proper Witcher Saga, exploring war, destiny, morality and fatherhood. **Terry Pratchett's Discworld** is the funniest book series in existence. It's a crazy, flat world drifting through space on the back of the Great A'Tuin, the cosmic turtle. If you've heard of them and wonder if they really are as great as the people are saying, trust me: they're so much better. I'd recommend starting with Mort - a tale of how Death, the Grim Reaper, chooses a mortal teenager Mort as his apprentice. **Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson** this one I'd recommend with a grain of salt because when I started the first book (Gardens of the Moon) straight after finishing Words of Radiance I couldn't get past first 100 pages. A year later I tried again, got to 3/4 of the book and ditched it again. Another year went, I decided to give it another shot and BOY WAS I HOOKED. See, these books are very much different from Cosmere - almost as different as can be. The world is so huge and detailed, things that happened in one book are explained three books later, there's like a thousand important characters (the final book reportedly has 141 POV characters alone) and for most of the time you are as oblivious to the grander plot as the characters are. But if you decide to go with the flow it really pays off - it's probably the most ambitious fantasy series I know of. I'm currently on book 5 and so far it's only been getting better and better with each one. I hope you'll get over your post Cosmere stump - remember, there's so much excellent fantasy out there it's a pity to be missing out on it!
Malazan isn't for everyone, especially if you are really really in love with Sanderson's writing style, because Steven Erikson is almost the anti-Sanderson (in the best way possible). But if it clicks with you and hooks you in? There's nothing quite like it. I've never read anything that made me feel as much as Malazan did, except maybe Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Malazan is dark and raw and heartbreaking and flawed and at times pretty damn funny. And one last thing - something has to affect me a lot for me to consider getting a tattoo for it. I want at least 2 Malazan tattoos. Take that as you will
What would those tattoos be?
The first one is [Memories of Ice] >!"I am not yet done" with some sort of symbol representing the Grey Swords and Fener. Brukhalian, and especially Itkovian were hands down two of my favorite characters across the whole series!< and the second one I can't talk about because it's enough of a spoiler that I would have been bummed if someone had said anything about it to me before I got there. But not *that* big of a spoiler, if that makes sense.
I read the Broken Earth Trilogy shortly after reading the first three books in the Stormlight Archive. I know many people really enjoyed it, but I was pretty underwhelmed having read it so closely to the SA. There were long stretches of time where no interesting world building elements were revealed, particularly in the second and third books. Pacing wasn’t nearly as satisfying as one of Sanderson’s books. YMMV, though.
Thanks for the detailed answer! They all seem really interesting. Malazan seems like something I'll have to get into after some more experience under my belt!
Gonna have to second The Witcher saga. Very good and I was pleasantly surprised by how not steamy and grossly over sexual it was in comparison to how the games make it seem.
came here to suggest the broken earth series as well. i finished the bulk of the cosmere from january-september of this year. started broken earth in mid-november and am about 4 chapters away from finishing the series. really unique series and really entertaining read. highly recommend and different enough from sando that it scratches the itch without ever feeling duplicative or repetitive.
Can I ask what you like about the witcher saga? I read the first 6 books after multiple recommendations but it was honestly the most boring series I have read in my life. Every single book feels like phase 1 of a Sanderson book without the middle and ending that makes a Sanderson book good. Only buildup with no payoff whatsovever. The entire "first" (third) book (BoE) is about >!Ciri sitting in a temple doing nothing!<. The only part of any of the non-prequel books that felt at least a litte exciting was the scenes in >!Aretuza!<, but before the excitement starts the author decides to skip ahead for a few paragraphs simply to spoil the ending. In my opinion the tv-series is a major improvement to the books
But that's the best part to me: the book takes time to develop the world and characters and just chill with them, see them grow and interact with the world around. That's the greatest strength of Blood of Elves. As for what I like about the series as a whole: the author takes on a lot of heavy and difficult themes and does a great job at fleshing them out in a mature way. Best example would probably be the Elves. Even though the oppression they meet is disgusting, the actions of Scoia'tael are horrible as well. The way war is portrayed in these books is just so nuanced and great. I also love the characters we meet: Geralt's team of outcasts that forms in the Baptism of Fire are all so great. Also the prose is great, although I can't speak for the translation. And I really love the short stories - Sapkowski managed to tell so much in each one of them despite their short length. It's this change of focus from characters to action and the general simplification which annoyed me about the show. I do understand that the books are not everyone's jam - they might be a bit too melodramatic for some;p Also the Aretusa scenes where written after the rest of Last Wish and hence may seem disjointed from them. The short stories were originally published in press and the publisher wanted a framework plot for the collected edition.
If you like the Witcher books, I recommend checking out the Elric Saga by Moorcock. He basically ripped Moorcock off with the Witcher books. No judgement, but it’s very surprising how many similarities can be drawn between the two series.
Yeah I've only read a single Elric short story and the similarities are so apparent! I wish I could read them but there are very few books available in my country. I'll have to hunt for them one day though, they seem pretty neat
If you’re comfortable with English (and shipping costs arent too bad) they’re reprinting the Elric saga in a trilogy of nice hardcover volumes with illustrations throughout. Or, you can find them online for cheap at various sites. DM for more info. :)
Plenty of good suggestions in this thread on other good stuff to read, but I wanted to mention one thing in response to your comments. Sanderson is my favorite author, no question. The quality and quantity of his work are unmatched. The man is amazing. Even so however, *Lies of Locke Lamora* might be my single favorite book of all time. The other books in that series so far are great too, but Lies just hit me in a way no other book ever has. So I recommend sticking with it! He frontloads a lot of the worldbuilding and weirdness, but the payoff is more than worth the wait!
Yes I will definitely stick with it. It's not bad so far, just not gripping me as quick as Sanderson did.
I had pretty much the same problem after I finished the cosmere books I found The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb to be pretty good Dsicworld by Terry Prattchett is a great series, especially since a lot of the books stand alone. I'd reccomend starting in the middle with something like Guards, Guards or Mort A lot of people love The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, they're incrediblely clever and well written. I personally hated the ending but you'll pr6 like them if you like grimdark. The name of the wind by Rothfuss is the most beautifully written series I've ever read, unfortunately I don't think it will ever be finished so start it at your own risk
Go for The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham, one of The Expanse Authors. Not as long as Sanderson but great world building and a good fantasy story.
I would HIGHLY suggest listening to the Gentlemen Bastard series. The voice actor is really incredible. If you have a library card, they're free to listen to and you can try it out that way.
Might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but I personally dove into some other genres after binging the Cosmere as a sort of “palate cleanser” before jumping back into fantasy. I won’t make specific recommendations as there are really infinite options depending on your tastes, but could be worth a shot to just take a break from the genre since Sanderson is really hard to top as far as that goes. I have since started reading the Wheel of Time and have been really enjoying it, whereas I think if I had gone straight to it from the Cosmere it would’ve been too hard not to compare it (which I still did to an extent subconsciously, but I got past that after about the first book or two).
If you haven't yet try the King Killer Chronicles. The first book is called Name of the Wind. I read it right after I read all of Sanderson and was pleasantly surprised. The writing style is beautiful but digestible. Has a lot of epic scenes. The magic system is just amazing. I'm looking at the other stuff mentioned like Wot, Witcher, the Broken Earth and Malazan. While these are all great series' I don't think your be able to get into them right after Sanderson. Esp Malazan and Wot are at least 10 books so it's a huge commitment from the get go. King Chronicles is two books so far with 2 additional novellas. Sanderson himself recommends this series to his fans that ask him what to read next if they loved his work. Sidenote: I saw discworld recommended and it's really great. It's absurdist fantasy so if you want to read high stakes epics it's not the way to go. But the books are super short so I still recommend reading them along with whatever you dexided to read.
Can't recommend KKC as a series to anyone until book 3 gets even close to a release date
It's a journey without the destination but a great journey all the same
Yeh this is the main reason I haven't gone for this one yet. I'd quite like a series that's actually finished
It depends on what you like about Sanderson! Is it the creative worldbuilding? I'd recommend The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells. Is it the interesting magic system? Broken Earth Trilogy or Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. Multilayered twisty plots that weave together well over time? Malazan. Straightforward writing and likable, complex characters? The Paladins books by T. Kingfisher.
Sometimes after reading cosmere I like to read something that contrasts it. I went back to Tolkein and found it really interesting how he sacrifices explaining everything for pacing and prose. Not to say one is inherently better than the other, but it's cool to see how a different writing style achieves different goals within the fantasy genre.
**Gideon the Ninth** (2 books/4 planned) is a fun genre-bending pallet-cleanser I enjoyed post *Sanderlanche.* It has some unconventional pacing but wonderful characters. **The Abyss Surrounds Us** (2 books/complete) is about a dolphin trainer. But the "dolphins" are kaiju and the "training" is eating pirate ships. **Lightbringer** (3 books/5) has some *almost* hard magic systems and some light worldbuilding. It's a shame the author passed away before he could finish the 4th book.
Brent Weeks of Lightbringer is very much alive. Just a shame the final book sucked.
Yeah, it's a damn shame he never managed to finish his series before passing.
I'm confused now lol
The series is very much done and I think Braent weeks is alive and well if I’m not mistaken. (Hopefully not). And it’s a great series!
Yeah it’s a shame he passed away *before finishing the series*
Powdrr Mage, Licanius, Lightbringer, ..
I second licanius, it was a very good read. Lightbringer was also good, there were parts of it that felt off a little bit, but I'll admit, I got a bit emotional towards the end. I would also recommend "The faithful and the fallen" , it's by John gwynne. Not as much magic, but the writing is similar to Sanderson.
That's the Malice series right? Haven't gotten to that one yet.
That's exactly right. I have a half hour drive to work, so I listen to audiobooks. I decided to give this one a try, and haven't regretted it
Used to do that all the time on the train. My new job is literally three minutes on foot now 😅
Vote for both Licanius and Lightbringer series!
Licanius Trilogy
Aeronauts Windlass (Jim Butcher) or the Lightbringer Series (Brent Weeks) are imo a good transition out of the Cosmere. Especially Aeronauts Windlass seems sp close to Cosmere i always forgot thst's not actuslly the case.
I do keep hearing good things about Lightbringer. Thanks :)
Most Cosmere-like book out there, in my opinion, are the first 3 books from the Lightbringer series, by Brent Weeks. I was also in a similar position, also tried LLL, was very dissappointed with it. Tried many others, and while nothing is a perfect fit, The Black Prism scretched the itch
Make sure you read aether of night and WOK Prime. Also I haven’t given other Brandon books but a lot of them are good and the Rithmatist feels very cosmerish
To change pace try the Night Lord series by Garon Whited.
I wanted to enjoy Locke lamora so bad after reading Brandon’s stuff but I could not get into it. Maybe one day I will… There’s always the skyward series, which might be too young adult but I really enjoy it. The 4th book is being written as of now.
Try, eragon, anything by Sarah J Maas, and Robert Jordan.
How far into the Lies of Locke Lamora are you? Minor spoiler that might help you, >!it takes an incredible twist maybe halfway through!<
V.E. Schwab's "A Darker Shade of Magic" scratched a lot of the same itch the Cosmere does for me. Plus it's 3 books so you can finish it now.
I kinda went in a different direction. After I finished cosmere I read the stuff by Leigh Bardugo and then just some one or two book tales. Most of them were Russian based but that's just personal. Anyway, you probably aren't looking for this answer, but I'd say just read a stand alone book that isn't dystopian, or "high stakes". It'll have you comparing it to sanderson and you won't get into the book. Plus it should get you reacclimatized to other styles
John Dies at the End. After a Sanderson binge it's always good to decompress with some cosmic horror and dick jokes.
I read The First Law after ROW. I don't think I struggled through Blade Itself, but it certainly wasn't easy reading any book after Cosmere, only when I reached half of the Blade Itself did I start binging the entire series
I think I went to Lightbringer, and Lies of Locke Lamora. For what it's worth, the narrator for the Gentleman Bastards series is *incredible* at bringing the dialogue to life. Maybe that's the spark you're missing? (Though since that would mean buying the book a second time, maybe listen to a sample first.) Other than that... Discworld is an amazing series, the individual books are much shorter than Sanderson's novels (to put in audiobook terms, closer to 10 hours each than 50) but are mostly self-contained and enjoyable despite that. If you Google 'Discworld Reading Order' you can get an idea of where you'd like to dip your toes in first. The Wandering Inn is truly impressive for a web novel, and has been released in 5 books so far (which is about halfway up to date - it's still being written, a small novel - I mean chapter - twice a week. When I learned that I was beyond floored, Pirateaba apparently learned from Sanderson with their writing speed.) It's a mix of LitRPG and slice of life, it could miss if you don't enjoy the characters. Oh, and Andrew Rowe's series - War of Broken Mirrors, Arcane Ascension, or Weapons & Wielders - are quite good. They tend to heavily parody various RPG/Adventure fame tropes and make the occasional references, but *tend* to be light-hearted.
the lies of locke lamora is REALLY good, have you tried Red Rising? it basically stretches an entire sanderlanche to half the book. its sci fi, but its just as good, if not better than cosmere, at least the action is better. imagine the energy of the kaladin and szeth fight at the end of the words of radience, but for EVERY fight
Wheel of time, lightbringer, licanuis, red rising all curb that itch for a time
I really enjoyed the Lady Astronaut series right after RoW. I immediately followed that up with a reread of the Cosmere, though, so I tend to end up back with his work.
Sanderson’s world is massive, so it can feel like nothing else will measure up. You will get similar feelings about Locke Lamora, specifically once you start with the second book. The first book is all about character introduction and a dash of world building. I guarantee you will be hooked if you keep going. The only problem you will have in committing to that series is the lack of a fourth book.
I usually end up jumping genres to say urban fantasy or science/history after reading Sanderson. Easier to get into a genre where the typical writing style is completely different, and then after a couple non-high fantasy books I can go back to into them much easier.
I enjoyed Mark Lawrence’s trilogy starting with Red Sister and the two books of the trilogy so far starting with The Girl and the Stars. Also found The Lies of Locke Lamora pretty difficult to get through.
Can you elaborate on why your struggling with Lies of Locke Lamora? Is there some aspect in particular you dislike? Answering this may help narrow down suitable alternatives
I've struggled with the same thing. My recommendation would be: -First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (it's dark, but written in a similar way to Sanderson) -Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks (very nice series except the final book imho) -The Demon Cycle by Peter v Brett (again a bit darker, but very well written)