- The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Its broad cast, intricate world, and escalating struggle between rival powers make it a natural next epic.
- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
It pairs a richly imagined world with intersecting character arcs and large-scale political and military stakes.
- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
This character-driven fantasy offers power struggles, compromised loyalties, and a sharp, often bleak view of heroism.
- The curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts
For a more mythic turn on rival powers, this series opener builds its epic around opposing forces and intricate lore.
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Its immersive fantasy setting and ambitious central character make it an appealing entry into another expansive series.
- Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
It trades royal courts for a vividly rendered city while keeping scheming, shifting alliances, and sharp-edged characters.
- The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
This classic series opener builds toward a kingdom-wide conflict through court tensions and a layered fantasy world.
- by Maurice Druon
This historical novel brings dynastic rivalries and court conspiracies to life without any supernatural trappings.
- Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Its close focus on a royal household gives political maneuvering and personal loyalties unusual emotional depth.
- The Black Company by Glen Cook
A mercenary company’s perspective brings a gritty, pragmatic counterpoint to sweeping wars and powerful rulers.
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
It combines ambitious worldbuilding and fractured power structures with a stark, character-centered narrative.
- The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
It turns the appeal of political strategy into a focused story about a brilliant outsider navigating an empire.
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
This standalone epic offers rival courts, ancient threats, and a wide-ranging cast in a richly developed world.
- The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
Its sweeping story of rebellion and statecraft will suit readers drawn to power shifts on a continental scale.
- by John Gwynne
It delivers a harsh, myth-inflected world where competing ambitions and dangerous quests converge.
- by Ari Marmell
For a playful reversal of conventional fantasy armies, it follows an unruly band of monsters through a high-stakes campaign.
- by Daniel Abraham
Its grounded treatment of commerce, social change, and political conflict gives its epic fantasy a distinctive texture.
- by Steven Erikson
Readers seeking a vast cast and conflicts spanning empires will find an especially dense and ambitious series opener.
- by Michael Joseph Sullivan Jr., Michael J. Sullivan
A royal crisis and unlikely pair of protagonists launch an accessible fantasy adventure with courtly stakes.
- The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Its legendary kingdom offers a reflective, sometimes tragic exploration of leadership and the burdens of rule.
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
This foundational high-fantasy journey offers an expansive world and an ensemble whose choices shape a realm’s fate.
- The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Its war-scarred protagonist becomes entangled in the fate of a royal household and its political future.
- by Terry Brooks
It offers a classic fantasy quest through a broad secondary world shaped by an approaching struggle for power.
- A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
This far-reaching science-fiction classic offers another route to readers interested in power, history, and civilization’s cycles.