The Fantasy 101 › Books Like

Books Like A Song of Ice and Fire

Martin, 1996 · #14 on the Epic Fantasy 101 Booklist · 94/120 · adapted for screen

Noble houses tear Westeros apart over the Iron Throne. Meanwhile an older threat gathers beyond the Wall in the north.

Mood9Theme8Structure7Further reading7Creative details9Real-world blend3Divine influence6Climax and fights8Epicness9Genre standard10Originality7

Its strongest scores: genre standard and mood. The five books below have the closest scores across all eleven criteria.

If you liked A Song of Ice and Fire, read:

  1. The Witcher

    Sapkowski, 1992 · #35 on the list · 85/120

    Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter, finds the men who hire him are often worse than the beasts. He is bound by destiny to a princess named Ciri.

    Close on mood, theme, structure, further reading.

  2. The Black Company

    Cook, 1984 · #28 on the list · 87/120

    A mercenary company's annalist records their service to a sorceress called the Lady, and what it costs them.

    Close on mood, theme, structure, real-world blend.

  3. The Wheel of Time

    Jordan, 1990 · #32 on the list · 86/120

    Rand al'Thor, a farm boy from the Two Rivers, learns he is the Dragon Reborn. He is destined to fight the Dark One and to break the world again.

    Close on theme, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

  4. The First Law

    Abercrombie, 2006 · #33 on the list · 85/120

    A crippled torturer, a barbarian with a body count and a vain young nobleman are drawn into an old wizard's war. Their paths cross at the Union's heart.

    Close on mood, theme, structure, creative details.

  5. Conan

    Howard, 1932 · #21 on the list · 91/120

    A Cimmerian barbarian cuts his way through the Hyborian Age as thief, pirate, mercenary and king.

    Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

Featured pick

Acenes of Sparta: The Dragon Slayer

Manolis Tsongas, 2026 · #5 on the list · 101/120 · for adults and mature teens

A dragon is the real reason King Leonidas and his three hundred died at Thermopylae. Sixty-two years later the gods send a Spartan boy of the agoge to kill it. The book takes lessons from tragedy and the cost of sacrifice, as is the Greek way.

How the scores work: each book is rated 1 to 10 on eleven criteria; real-world blend and climax and fights count double, for a maximum of 120. See the full Fantasy 101.