The ASOIAF books are my absolute favorites. I have read the main series and its companion books multiple times, and they never cease to enthrall. However, with a lack of any new material, I want to start branching out.
I want another book series that embodies some of the best aspects of GRRM’s writing. Here’s a list of such aspects:
Comprehensive World Building: Part of what makes ASOIAF so great is that it establishes a large world outside the main scope of the story that still ties in to enrich the main plot. The large swaths of land provide a wealth of places to explore and a variety of cultures. The histories make the story feel more realistic as everything we do is based in what we’ve done before.
Political Intrigue: As a polsci grad, I love all things politics, so the political warfare of the game of thrones is one of my favorite aspects.
Medieval Fantasy: Don’t get me wrong, sci-fi and more modern fantasies are great, but there’s something about horses and knights and dragons and dying of the plague that just scratches an itch in my brain.
Fleshed Out Characters: I love how the series has a variety of different characters of different backgrounds with different motivations. Whether good or bad or in between, each are given depth. There are also a wealth of complex female characters.
These are my main loves of the series, but some other highlights include: multiple character povs, romance that is present but isn’t the main plot, dragons, a multitude of long books and lore/history companion books, adult themes and advanced writing (I’ve had a college reading level since 8th grade, so there’s only so much YA level reading I can take).
If you guys have any recommendations, I would be so glad to hear them!
by Friendly-Ad969