Similar Book recommendations

[Wit95]

I'm looking for fantasy books that give me the same feeling of "epicness" as some of the battles in "Words of Radiance", the end of "Oathbringer"

Spoiler

on the Thaylen Field

The Lord Ruler

Spoiler

killing Kelsier

Sazed's

Spoiler

Ascension in Mistborn

or Taravangian/Dalinar interacting with

Spoiler

Odium

Just to name some examples.Basically epic, cinematic scenes if that makes sense. Sanderson does it best from all books I've read so far. I’ve really enjoyed Sandersons action and stress induced scenes that have you clinging onto every word.

I already read most of Tolkien's, Sanderson's and Abercrombie's work. I disliked "Assassin's Apprentice".

Appreciate the help

Edited May 2, 2021 by Wit95

[RedBlue]

Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) has some pretty great scenes in the vein of normal-but-awesome humans taking on hugely powerful magical beings. Its vibe leans more towards gritty fairytale retelling, with the heroes leaning more on their cleverness than physical fighting, but I think it works as epic fantasy. 

[+ILuvHats]

If you're looking for books with epic battles, revelations, etc., here are my recommendations:

The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks - The twists and turns in this series are superb, and the world building, specifically the magic system, are sooo well done. Weeks used to be in my top 3 favorite authors, though after reviewing his work and expanding my reading horizons, he's since dropped off. Still, Lightbringer is a must-read IMO if you're a fan of Sanderson since the two authors are very stylistically similar. 

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters - Man, this book was a quick read. It's a classic revenge story taking place in an ancient Nigeria inspired fantasy world, and throughout all media, I've rarely seen vengeance arcs done so well. The protagonist's hatred is so visceral, driving him to become almost superhumanly powerful without magical abilities, in a world where magical strength is the standard for elite warriors. Winters story doesn't take too many unexpected turns, but it doesn't really need any considering the sheer charisma of his cast of characters.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir- The front cover blurb says it all: "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space." This is not your traditional SFF, and I'm not sure if it's quite what you're looking for since the focus is on the stylization of the characters and setting, but I think the plot is still cinematic, especially the last 100 pages or so. If you want to get outside your comfort zone a little, give this book a try.

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - I'm sure you've heard of Dresden if you pay any attention to the fantasy community. I put this series off for a long time because 17 books (15 at the time) seemed like a lot. Every day I regret not reading the series earlier. If you can ride out the first two books, which are pulpy and not terribly distinctive, you are in for a ride. It picks up on the third book, and Butcher does not let up. The books still remain somewhat episodic, but different plot lines and characters start to be weaved together into a vast, expansive universe. Later in the series, Butcher pulls off some jaw-dropping moments, and a cliffhanger that would have killed me if the next book hadn't come out yet. In terms of Sanderson style avalanches, Dresden is one of the few authors I've read who has matched Brandon. Just get through the first few books and you'll be in love. And really, the first two books aren't bad by any measure, they just don't hold up to the rest of this majestic series.

The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee - Think "The Godfather" set in 1960s fantasy Japan/Vietnam with Abercrombie style morally grey characters. Of the Asian inspired SFF I've read, this is probably my favorite one. It's highly character driven, and if you're a fan of Abercrombie's style you'll definitely enjoy Fonda Lee.

Edited May 2, 2021 by ILuvHats

[Wit95]

12 hours ago, ILuvHats said:

If you're looking for books with epic battles, revelations, etc., here are my recommendations:

The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks - The twists and turns in this series are superb, and the world building, specifically the magic system, are sooo well done. Weeks used to be in my top 3 favorite authors, though after reviewing his work and expanding my reading horizons, he's since dropped off. Still, Lightbringer is a must-read IMO if you're a fan of Sanderson since the two authors are very stylistically similar. 

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters - Man, this book was a quick read. It's a classic revenge story taking place in an ancient Nigeria inspired fantasy world, and throughout all media, I've rarely seen vengeance arcs done so well. The protagonist's hatred is so visceral, driving him to become almost superhumanly powerful without magical abilities, in a world where magical strength is the standard for elite warriors. Winters story doesn't take too many unexpected turns, but it doesn't really need any considering the sheer charisma of his cast of characters.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir- The front cover blurb says it all: "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space." This is not your traditional SFF, and I'm not sure if it's quite what you're looking for since the focus is on the stylization of the characters and setting, but I think the plot is still cinematic, especially the last 100 pages or so. If you want to get outside your comfort zone a little, give this book a try.

The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - I'm sure you've heard of Dresden if you pay any attention to the fantasy community. I put this series off for a long time because 17 books (15 at the time) seemed like a lot. Every day I regret not reading the series earlier. If you can ride out the first two books, which are pulpy and not terribly distinctive, you are in for a ride. It picks up on the third book, and Butcher does not let up. The books still remain somewhat episodic, but different plot lines and characters start to be weaved together into a vast, expansive universe. Later in the series, Butcher pulls off some jaw-dropping moments, and a cliffhanger that would have killed me if the next book hadn't come out yet. In terms of Sanderson style avalanches, Dresden is one of the few authors I've read who has matched Brandon. Just get through the first few books and you'll be in love. And really, the first two books aren't bad by any measure, they just don't hold up to the rest of this majestic series.

The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee - Think "The Godfather" set in 1960s fantasy Japan/Vietnam with Abercrombie style morally grey characters. Of the Asian inspired SFF I've read, this is probably my favorite one. It's highly character driven, and if you're a fan of Abercrombie's style you'll definitely enjoy Fonda Lee.

Thanks so much for this detailed response! 

I would love to hear you thoughts on The Malazan Book of the Fallen in case you've read that. Do you think this would fit in my criteria too? I'm asking because I posted this on reddit and many people recommended Malazan. 

[+ILuvHats]

4 hours ago, Wit95 said:

I would love to hear you thoughts on The Malazan Book of the Fallen in case you've read that. Do you think this would fit in my criteria too? I'm asking because I posted this on reddit and many people recommended Malazan. 

I actually haven't read Malazan, though it's on my TBR list. I can really only get into one megaseries each year. Two years ago it was Wheel of Time, last year it was Dresden. This year will probably be Malazan.

[Wit95]

2 minutes ago, ILuvHats said:

I actually haven't read Malazan, though it's on my TBR list. I can really only get into one megaseries each year. Two years ago it was Wheel of Time, last year it was Dresden. This year will probably be Malazan.

I just bought The Black Prism for my Kindle. Excited to start a new series, thank you so much for the recommendation!

[Orlion Blight]

5 hours ago, Wit95 said:

Thanks so much for this detailed response! 

I would love to hear you thoughts on The Malazan Book of the Fallen in case you've read that. Do you think this would fit in my criteria too? I'm asking because I posted this on reddit and many people recommended Malazan. 

Would it fit your criteria? Meh. There are some moments, perhaps even books!, that'll fit the criteria, but I would mostly say "no". Erikson looooves his post-modern bs and that's everywhere and it kinda makes things befuddling.

That said, Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice probably fit your criteria pretty well. So if you wanted to give it a try, breeze through Gardens of the Moon and then enjoy those two. 

[Wit95]

42 minutes ago, Orlionra said:

Would it fit your criteria? Meh. There are some moments, perhaps even books!, that'll fit the criteria, but I would mostly say "no". Erikson looooves his post-modern bs and that's everywhere and it kinda makes things befuddling.

That said, Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice probably fit your criteria pretty well. So if you wanted to give it a try, breeze through Gardens of the Moon and then enjoy those two. 

Any other books that come to your mind that would fit my criteria? 

[+ILuvHats]

2 hours ago, Wit95 said:

I just bought The Black Prism for my Kindle. Excited to start a new series, thank you so much for the recommendation!

Awesome! Let me know what you think after finishing it.

[BreezeCauthon]

I'd definitely recommend Wheel of Time, if you haven't read it already, I think it has what you're looking for.