The series may be over, but A Song of Ice and Fire still has a long way to go: two huge plot books to go, to be exact. Even if you’re a literary purist and refuse to touch the HBO adaptation, you’ve probably heard that a large number of fans are outraged by the entire final season of the show. Good thing we have all those hundreds of pages left, right?
but winter winds are nowhere to be seen. it could come in six months or in an eternity, because george r.r. Martin’s lips are sealed as to the release date. what’s a bookworm to do in the meantime? look for similar flights of fantasy, opulent worlds, elegant prose, and complex characters, of course! we’ve prepared some truly epic fantasy titles to help you while you wait for book number six.
You are reading: Books to read while waiting for winds of winter
the name of the wind
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is the first novel in an epic series chronicling the life of Kvothe, infamous wizard and orator extraordinaire. Raised and trained as a musician and entertainer, Kvothe eventually heads to a magic academy and vows to learn the titular name that will allow him to summon the wind. r.r. fans Martin’s tendency to twist tropes and subvert expectations will find much of the same in this heroic tale. And with a hefty 662 pages followed by two more novels (the final volume is also awaiting a release date), it’ll have plenty of plot to keep him busy while he waits to return to Westeros.
alanna: the first adventure
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Give us all women gentlemen! Seriously, we can never have enough ladies in armor and chainmail kicking ass, taking names, and wielding swords with a vengeance. Obviously, we’d pay a lot of money to see a reunion between Brienne of Tarth and our childhood hero, Alanna of Trebond. Alanna: Tamora Pierce’s First Adventure is a classic bildungsroman with just about everything fantasy fans could want: an intriguing magic system, strong female characters, and compelling plotlines. Alanna, like Brienne and Arya Stark, eschews the feminine and dreams of fighting. Disguising herself as a boy, she switches places with her twin brother and sets out on the path to knighthood.
the problem of the three bodies
liu cixin’s three body problem may be more hard sci-fi than fantasy, but its windy plot and complex characters make it a logical choice for fans of an ice song and fire. After witnessing her father’s murder, Ye Wenjie is blackmailed into working at a government defense research facility that searches for life in the dark depths of space. forty years later, several physicists begin to commit suicide. the story not only does a wonderful job of tackling complex physics topics, but also brings them to life, weaving science with fast-paced action and an enigma that spans decades.
black leopard, red wolf
marlon james’s black leopard, red wolf has already been called “an african game of thrones”. how could you not pick it up based on that promise alone? Tracker, a skilled mercenary known for finding people who don’t want to be found, is hired to find a boy who has been missing for three years. Although he normally works alone, he finds himself traveling through the desert with an odd assortment of characters, including a shapeshifter, all hoping to locate the boy. As the tracker progresses, he discovers that there is much more to it than just finding a missing child. rich in mythology and captivating in its cast of characters, this novel grabs you from the moment you lay your eyes on its stunning cover and refuses to let go even after you’ve reached the last page. As an added bonus, James lives in our Minneapolis home base!
the hundred thousand kingdoms
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nk jemisin has won three (three!) hugo awards for his broken earth trilogy, but fans of the political machinations and deadly intrigue in a song of ice and fire should seek out his oldest heritage trilogy, beginning with the hundred thousand kingdoms. Jemisin’s debut novel tells the story of Yeine Darr, a girl from a northern tribe who finds herself transported to the heart of a glittering city and declared heir to the king after the death of her mother. in this world, the gods are slaves to the whims of even the youngest children of the ruling family, and blood relations mean nothing when a crown is at stake. Now, Yeine must stay alive by fighting to win a throne she doesn’t even want.
red queen
victoria aveyard takes the tried and true post-apocalyptic fantasy romance and does it well. red queen plunges readers into a shadowy world dominated by elite silvers who rule over downtrodden reds. Silvers have incredible powers that allow them to do things from invade minds to grow plants to cause explosions. the reds have nothing, until our main character discovers an incredible power coursing through his red veins. Aveyard is also a screenwriter, and his cinematic writing shines in a series of epic fight scenes that will have readers hungrier than r.r. martin has saved.
assassin’s apprentice
Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book in the Clairvoyant trilogy, which follows the brave Fitz, a boy with a magical bond with animals. kicked out because of his questionable lineage, he takes solace in his ability. but members of the nobility despise this power, and he learns to hide it when he is adopted into the royal household and begins training to become a royal assassin. arya fans rejoice! If you’re dying to learn more about the deadly training of Stark’s youngest daughter, Fitz is up to the task.
set the scene with frostbeard
It can be absolutely nerve-wracking to wait for a new release, especially when you don’t even have a date to look forward to. we are there with you. our solution, or coping method, to be more precise, is to brew a hot cup of our favorite tea, light a book-scented candle, and curl up with a soothing read on a comfortable couch. Good luck with the waiting game, and let us know if you try any of these epic fantasy novels!