If You Like A Song of Ice & Fire, Read These 5 Finished Fantasy Book Series While Waiting for The Winds of Winter

A Song of Ice and Fire fans have been waiting a long time for the next installment, but there are completed fantasy book series they can look to while awaiting George R.R. Martin’s next sequel. It’s been 15 years since A Dance With Dragons first debuted, and The Winds of Winter has been delayed multiple times since. Recently, ASOIAF Book 6 even hit a major milestone: it passed the 5,458-day mark, which is how long it took for all five of the previous installments to come out. Martin has been vocal about his struggles completing the novel, but that doesn’t make the wait any less agonizing.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great fantasy books to dig into outside of A Song of Ice and Fire — and a number of them will scratch a similar itch. Series like Sword of Shadows by J.V. Jones, The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, and the Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch are often recommended for fans of Martin’s work. And to be fair, all of these are great choices. Those dreading another wait for new books may want something that’s completed, however. These finished fantasy series fit the bill.

5) The First Law by Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie gets a lot of praise in dark fantasy spaces, and rightfully so. The author has a number of incredible books to choose from, but the majority take place in the universe of The First Law trilogy. As such, that’s the series readers should start with. And fans of Martin’s work will appreciate it, even if Abercrombie’s writing style and world-building is very different. The First Law is the right pick for those who enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire‘s complex cast, most of whom get their own POV chapters throughout its run.

Abercrombie’s First Law books are also multi-POV, and they center deeply flawed individuals. Readers will find themselves invested in these characters, even as they prove difficult to root for. On top of that, The First Law trilogy has a similar realism to it and focuses more on political machinations than magic. It hits similar notes to A Song of Ice and Fire, but it’s also very much its own experience. And it offers a satisfying conclusion, which fans of Martin’s series haven’t gotten yet.

4) The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Another finished fantasy series with similarities to A Song of Ice and Fire is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Comprised of three books, The Poppy War takes place in another brutally realistic fantasy world — and it doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to depicting it. Unlike Martin’s story, Kuang’s opens focused on one perspective: that of Rin, an orphan determined to get into a prestigious military academy to avoid an unwanted marriage. Rin pulls that off, and we do spend time in a university setting. However, the novel eventually shifts to a war narrative, giving it a closer feel to something like ASOIAF.

Kuang’s deeply flawed characters and unflinching depiction of their experiences will feel familiar to fans of Martin’s work. The author also draws inspiration from history, specifically the Second Sino-Japanese War. There’s some debate on how well that works, but The Poppy War certainly manages to be dark and haunting because of it. It’s a series that will stay with you, and it’s one that A Song of Ice and Fire fans should try.

3) Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

The First Law and The Poppy War can get as dark as A Song of Ice and Fire, but they’re not as comparable in terms of scope. Martin’s series and the world it inhabits is massive, and only a handful of fantasy stories rival it in that regard. One that checks the boxes for being both massive and dark, however, is Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen. And since it spans a whopping 10 books in total, it will keep readers plenty occupied while waiting for The Winds of Winter.

Malazan Book of the Fallen has the detailed world-building and politics that fans of A Song of Ice and Fire love, and it has a huge cast of complicated characters as well. It kicks off with a military campaign, but it weaves in a number of storylines as it continues — some of which don’t make sense until later. It’s an investment, but Erikson’s pay-off makes it a worthwhile one. It has the grit and depth ASOIAF fans are likely looking for, and it brings its massive story together in a rewarding way that we’re hoping Martin will also achieve.

2) The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

Like Malazan Book of the Fallen, Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings will give readers plenty to do. The sprawling fantasy saga consists of 16 books across five different series. As you might guess, it has a decent scope — though the story it tells is a bit more focused and personal than Martin’s. Even still, the character work that Hobb achieves is just as impressive. And like Martin, she isn’t afraid to present her characters with the natural consequences of their actions, even when those consequences prove devastating.

The first series in the Realm of the Elderlings, titled The Farseer Trilogy, follows royal bastard FitzChivalry Farseer while he’s raised as an assassin. He’s also forced to maneuver the politics of court, and the scheming is similarly ruthless to that of A Song of Ice and Fire. As the saga continues, Fitz’s narrative gets wrapped up with other characters’. And the ending Hobb offers is one that will stay with readers long after they’ve closed the last book. It’s hard-hitting and a great choice for anyone looking for their next fantasy read. (Martin also blurbed it, so clearly, he approves!)

1) The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham

Those interested in the ways that various institutions interact with power in A Song of Ice and Fire will enjoy Daniel Abraham’s The Dagger and the Coin. As its name suggests, the five-book fantasy series opens with political turmoil — sparked by an empire’s latest conquest — then explores the financial ramifications of it. It looks at how banks and religions respond to the political plots present in so many fantasy series, and those are topics Martin explores as well. Needless to say, fans of his work may find themselves hooked by Abraham’s novels for those elements alone.

The Dagger and the Coin shares other similarities to ASOIAF, like its multi-POV structure and moral greyness. And it’s often praised for its satisfying conclusion, so fans won’t be left wondering how all the tangled conflicts play out. Abraham’s series isn’t as commonly recommended to ASOIAF fans, so it’s one newer or more casual fantasy readers won’t necessarily have tried. It may prove a pleasant surprise for those hoping to fill the void left by Martin’s unfinished story.

What’s a finished fantasy series you’d recommend for A Song of Ice and Fire fans? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!