I'm in the mood to dive into a new fantasy series (or standalone) and really love books with deep, immersive world-building. Think along the lines of [mention a series you like, e.g., Sanderson's Cosmere, A Song of Ice and Fire, Wheel of Time] but I'm open to different styles!
I enjoy complex magic systems, interesting cultures, political intrigue, and characters you can really get invested in. Can be epic fantasy, grimdark, YA, or anything in between as long as the world feels rich and detailed.
What are some of your favorite fantasy reads known for their incredible world-building? Any hidden gems I might have missed?
Looking forward to your suggestions!
by Defiant_Fix8658
4 Comments
I quite like Rachel Aaron’s Eli Monpress series (and Heartstriker, if you want something set in the real world). You might also like Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series (starting with The Song of the Lioness quartet) and Emelan (starting with The Circle of Magic quartet) and possibly Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett?
For stand-alones, maybe Plain Kate and Sorrow’s Knot by Erin Bow, and A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston?
The Tensorate Series by Neon Yang had a very interesting magic system imo
Shannara
The Fifth Season
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (very unique world building)
The Curse of Chalion and the sort-of-related follow up Paladin of Souls
As a start, see my
* [SF/F World-building](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19b7x5o/sff_worldbuilding/) list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).