George R.R. Martin’s epic series A Song of Ice and Fire was already a big name in the fantasy world prior to its television adaptation, after which it became a worldwide phenomenon and one of the most-watched shows in history. The TV series inspired a new wave of interest and love for the original works, but with the show well and truly finished and just two titles left to release in the series, fantasy fans are asking: What’s next?
Whether you’re a longtime fan of A Song of Ice and Fire or a newcomer to the fantasy genre who fell in love with its HBO adaptation, these books like Game of Thrones are sure to enthrall, thrill, and delight.
Marlon James’ Dark Star Trilogy is known as the ‘African Game of Thrones’. It pulls from African history and mythology to create a world where nothing is what it seems and everything centres around finding one boy who has gone missing.
In it, a bizarre cast is brought together in the search, led by a renowned mercenary known as Tracker who seeks to find the boy but also to find out why so many are intent on finding him. Each release in the trilogy uncovers a different character’s perspective, including Tracker, the Moon Witch and the boy.
This rising star of a trilogy comes from Jamaican writer Marlon James, and it has already won numerous awards and made it onto Time’s list of the best 100 fantasy books of all time. It combines magic, adventure, and intrigue much like Game of Thrones, but with a whole new and exciting twist.
In The Broken Earth Trilogy, society is segregated into different groups, climate change threatens apocalyptic upheavals every few centuries, and a small group of people with magical powers have the ability to influence it all.
Drawing on her own experiences as a Black woman in modern-day America, writer N. K. Jemisin has created a rich and enthralling fantasy world where power is held by few and society is oppressive and rigid. Each instalment has won the Hugo Award for fantasy, and her first win for The Fifth Season made Jemisin the first-ever Black person to win the award.
As a relatively new work, The Broken Earth Trilogy has been able to tackle issues of climate change and an unequal society like few others, making it an immensely beloved series with a fresh perspective, all while still offering classic fantastical elements of magic, adventure and wonder.
From renowned writer Hilary Mantel comes the epic, dramatic and gripping Wolf Hall Trilogy, a fictionalized biography of Thomas Cromwell across the span of his lifetime. With political intrigue, the ingenious machinations of those in power, and tragedy, love and royalty, this trilogy is truly one of the best books like .
