Brandon Sanderson Recommends 10 Near-Perfect Fantasy Books

Brandon Sanderson is a prolific author whose massive bibliography can keep readers busy for years. Sanderson also teaches creative writing and lectures on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, often sharing his thoughts on the fantasy genre and its leading talent. He suggests his fans read Robin Hobb, George R.R. Martin, Anne McCaffery, and Mary Robinette Kowal. Sanderson has also made specific recommendations spanning the novels that inspired him as a kid to brand new releases. If you need a book while waiting for the next Cosmere release, here are 10 books Sanderson suggests reading.

10. Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly (1985)

Sanderson said that reading Dragonsbane in middle school opened his eyes to the power authors possess to connect with their readers. Perfect for fans of The Hobbit, Dragonsbane unites a prince, a lord, and a witch on a quest to kill a dragon residing in a gnomish cavern. The mission and the monster prove more complicated than they initially appear, offering the potential to harness incredible magic power that could change the fate of the realm.

9. Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn (1988)

Melanie Rawn’s debut novel follows Rohan, a prince thrust into leadership after his father is wounded by a dragon. The High Prince Roelstra has 17 daughters and no heir, so he plans to marry one of the princesses to Rohan and then kill his new son-in-law to steal his lands. Rohan plays along with the courtship to hold onto his new power, but he winds up entangled in further schemes with brutal results.

8. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay (1990)

Guy Gavriel Kay is known for putting a fantasy spin on real history. Tigana is inspired by Renaissance Italy and the long conflict between provinces before the nation unified. The vengeful sorcerer king Brandin has erased all memory of the province of Tigana, and survivors born there must start a war to keep their home from being truly lost.

7. Sabriel by Garth Nix (1995)

The first novel in Garth Nix’s six-book Old Kingdom series follows a teenage girl who inherits her father’s job as a necromancer tasked with protecting the Old Kingdom from the dead. Sabriel outruns monsters and finds new friends to stop a rogue necromancer who wants to break the rules keeping magical beings in check.

6. The Truth by Terry Pratchett (2000)

Terry Pratchett was Sanderson’s favorite living author until his death in 2015, and Sanderson has recommended several Pratchett novels including The Truth. The book focuses on William de Worde, who teams up with a group of dwarves to start a newspaper named The Ankh-Morpork Times. The budding investigative reporters become embroiled in a murder plot where the key witness is a terrier.

5. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

The innkeeper Kote is secretly Kvothe the Kingkiller, a legendary warrior and magician who went into hiding after starting a war. He agrees to tell his story to a travelling scribe, and the book follows Kvothe’s adventures as a traveling performer, beggar, and university student. His tale is interwoven with that of the Chandrian, supposedly mythical evil creatures who kill anyone who learns too much about them. Read this one at your own peril. Sanderson provides regular updates about his writing progress and delivers new books each year, but fans have waited 15 years for the conclusion of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy.

4. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (2010)

Brent Weeks’ five-book Lightbringer series suits readers who enjoy Sanderson’s complex magic systems. Gavin Guile is the Prism, the one person capable of efficiently using color magic by splitting light. His power is challenged by the appearance of a teenage son he never knew he had and a self-declared king trying to win independence for his lands. The Black Prism features a wild ending that encourages readers to pick up the sequel, The Blinding Knife, to discover what happens next.

3. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (2010)

Yeine Darr lands at the center of a complex power struggle involving the royal family and the enslaved gods they use as weapons. While Yeine searches for answers about her mother’s murder, she grows infatuated with a captive god. Their dangerous romance reveals that Yeine’s destiny exceeds succeeding her grandfather, leaving her with powerful enemies willing to do anything to preserve the status quo.

2. Jade City by Fonda Lee (2017)

The six jade disciplines of Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga utilize meticulous magic rules similar to Sanderson’s work. While most of Sanderson’s picks are medieval fantasy, Jade City resembles a mob story set in post-World War II Hong Kong. Rival clans battle for territory and resources in a book involving drugs, strip clubs, shipping controls, and characters reluctant to enter the family business.

1. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (2025)

Sanderson and Joe Abercrombie have participated in numerous talks together, and Sanderson praised Abercrombie’s latest book by comparing it to Pratchett’s writing. An unlikely band including a monk, a vampire, a werewolf, a necromancer, and an elf go on a quest to bring a princess home to Troy. Their journey involves getting shipwrecked, cutting deals with a crime lord, braving a cursed house, and evading bounty hunters.

Source: Polygon