All readers know what it is to reach the final page of a beloved book and find themselves utterly bereft. Those who have wandered through the halls of the University with Kvothe, who have listened to his tale unfold at the Waystone Inn, understand this peculiar ache most keenly. The wait for The Doors of Stone has stretched on rather like a Faerie road—enchanting but interminable.
Yet take heart, dear reader, for there exist other magical doorways through which one might slip. What follows is a collection of fifteen remarkable books, each possessing that same ineffable quality that made The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear so terribly difficult to put down.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
In the Venice-like city of Camorr, where canals wind between towers of mysterious Elderglass, there lives a most remarkable thief. Locke Lamora is his name, and lying is his particular genius. Much like Kvothe spinning tales to survive, Locke weaves deceptions so elaborate they might be called art.
The tale unfolds in two braided timelines—Locke’s roguish childhood under the tutelage of a false priest, and his present exploits targeting the nobility. When a mysterious figure called the Gray King disrupts their schemes, Locke and his band of Gentleman Bastards find themselves fighting not for gold, but for their very lives. Scott Lynch writes with wit sharp as any blade, and the bonds of brotherhood herein shall warm even the coldest heart.
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Here is a boy called Fitz, which is to say bastard, for he is the illegitimate son of a prince. Like Kvothe, he is clever beyond his years and lonelier than any child ought to be. He possesses two magics—the Wit, which connects him to animals, and the Skill, which touches other minds—and both bring him more sorrow than joy.
Robin Hobb writes with such patient tenderness that one feels every slight Fitz endures, every small kindness that keeps him whole. The prose moves like a river, slow and deep and carrying one inexorably forward. This is fantasy that cares more for the heart than for spectacle, and it shall leave a mark upon you that does not easily fade.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
On the island of Gont, a boy named Ged discovers he has power over the true names of things—a magic that should feel wonderfully familiar to Kingkiller devotees. Young, proud, and hungry for knowledge, Ged travels to a school for wizards on the Isle of Roke, where his arrogance summons forth a shadow that will pursue him across the world.
Ursula K. Le Guin crafted this tale in prose so clean and beautiful it reads almost like myth. The magic system, built upon knowing the true names of things, surely influenced Rothfuss himself. This is the story of a boy becoming a man, and a man learning that to face one’s darkness is the bravest magic of all.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Patrick Rothfuss himself has declared this the finest book he has ever read, and who are we to argue with Kvothe’s creator? A unicorn, believing herself the last of her kind, sets forth to discover what has become of her people. She is joined by a hapless magician and a pragmatic woman, and together they journey toward the castle of King Haggard and the terrible Red Bull.
Peter Beagle writes fairy tales that know they are fairy tales, yet remain no less magical for their self-awareness. The prose shimmers like moonlight on water. This is a story about immortality and mortality, about what is lost and what might yet be saved—themes that echo through Kvothe’s own mysterious tale.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Imagine a circus that appears without warning, opens only at night, and contains wonders that defy all sensible explanation. Within its black-and-white striped tents, two young magicians compete in a contest they barely understand, creating ever more marvellous attractions while falling quite hopelessly in love.
Erin Morgenstern writes with such lush, dreamy beauty that one feels transported entirely. For those who treasured the poetic quality of Rothfuss’s prose, who lingered over his descriptions of music and magic, The Night Circus offers similar enchantment. The competition between Celia and Marco unfolds like an elaborate dance, beautiful and dangerous in equal measure.
The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip
Morgon, the simple prince of farmers, bears three mysterious stars upon his forehead and possesses a talent for riddles that once won him a crown from a dead lord. When shapeshifters begin hunting him across the realm, he must journey to find the High One and unravel the greatest riddle of all—his own destiny.
Patricia McKillip wrote fantasy like poetry, each sentence crafted with deliberate beauty. Her prose is elliptical and dreamlike, requiring patience but rewarding it with images that shine like jewels. For readers who love Rothfuss’s lyrical style, McKillip is essential reading—a masterwork of the form.
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
In a world of ash and mist, where the sun is red and flowers are merely legend, a young street thief named Vin discovers she possesses Allomancy—the ability to burn metals for magical powers. She joins a crew of rogues planning the impossible: to overthrow the immortal Lord Ruler who has reigned for a thousand years.
Brandon Sanderson constructs magic systems with the precision of a master clockmaker, and his Allomancy is wonderfully inventive. Vin’s journey from suspicious urchin to confident warrior mirrors Kvothe’s own transformation, and the heist-like plotting satisfies in the most delightful way.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
On the war-torn Shattered Plains, a soldier named Kaladin struggles to protect his men while bearing the weight of past failures. Meanwhile, a scholar named Shallan seeks to steal from one of the world’s most dangerous women. Their tales interweave across a world where storms shape everything and ancient Knights once protected the realm.
This is epic fantasy at its most ambitious—a doorstop of a book that rewards patient readers with extraordinary depth. The world of Roshar feels genuinely alien, with its crab-like creatures and highstorms and mysterious spren. For those who love Rothfuss’s intricate worldbuilding, Sanderson offers endless marvels to explore.
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
Vaelin al Sorna is left at the gates of the Sixth Order as a boy of ten, abandoned by his father to be trained as a warrior-monk. The story of how he becomes known by many names—Hope Killer, Darkblade, the Shadow of the Raven—unfolds through his own telling, just as Kvothe narrates his legend.
The parallels to The Name of the Wind are striking: a framing narrative, a legendary figure recounting his youth, a coming-of-age in a demanding institution. Anthony Ryan captures that same quality of a man looking back on the boy he was, wondering how he became the legend everyone fears.
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Five young people from a quiet village are swept into an adventure that spans continents when a mysterious woman called an Aes Sedai arrives, pursued by servants of the Dark One himself. Thus begins the Wheel of Time, a fourteen-book epic that shaped the fantasy genre.
Robert Jordan built a world of such staggering completeness that one might spend years exploring it. The magic system is elegant, the cultures varied and deep, the prophecies tantalizing. Many readers find themselves utterly lost in this world, which is precisely the point. This is the classic epic fantasy experience, executed magnificently.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
In a world where magic comes from light itself, Gavin Guile is the Prism—the most powerful man alive, capable of splitting light into every colour of luxin. He has secrets that could shatter empires, and a son he never knew existed has just discovered powers that shouldn’t be possible.
Brent Weeks created a magic system as inventive as any in fantasy. Drafters draw power from specific colours, each with unique properties, and overuse turns them into monstrous wights. The plotting is intricate, the action sequences thrilling, and the central mystery pulls one ever forward.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
There are four Londons, stacked like cards upon one another: Grey London, dull and ordinary; Red London, vibrant with magic; White London, dying and desperate; and Black London, destroyed by magic long ago. Kell is one of the last Antari, magicians who can travel between these worlds—until a theft goes wrong and he meets a cunning thief named Lila Bard.
V.E. Schwab writes with propulsive energy, her parallel Londons vividly imagined and thrillingly different. The partnership between Kell and Lila crackles with wit and tension. For those craving adventure across impossible worlds, this delivers magnificently.
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
At Crydee, on the edge of the civilized Kingdom, an orphan boy named Pug is apprenticed to a court magician. When mysterious invaders from another world threaten the realm, Pug discovers his destiny is far stranger and grander than anyone imagined.
Raymond Feist wrote what many consider the quintessential coming-of-age fantasy—a tale of a humble boy who becomes something extraordinary. The writing has a warmth and momentum that carries one through, and Pug’s journey from uncertain apprentice to powerful mage satisfies deeply.
The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington
Twenty years after a war against the Augurs—seers who once ruled with their visions of the future—young Davian discovers he possesses their forbidden power. His quest for understanding draws him into ancient mysteries, while elsewhere, an amnesiac named Caeden struggles to remember who he was.
James Islington crafts intricate puzzles, his plot threaded with mysteries about time, memory, and identity. The magic system develops beautifully across the trilogy, and the character work anchors epic events in personal stakes. For those who love Rothfuss’s layered storytelling, this offers similar pleasures.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Logen Ninefingers is a barbarian haunted by his violent past. Inquisitor Glokta is a crippled torturer who once was a hero. Jezal dan Luthar is an arrogant young nobleman about to learn humility. When a wizard named Bayaz draws them together, none of their lives will remain the same.
Joe Abercrombie writes fantasy with dark humor and unflinching honesty about human nature. His characters are magnificently flawed, his world cynical and dangerous. This is grittier fare than Rothfuss offers, but the character work is extraordinary, and Abercrombie’s wit cuts sharp as any blade.
Finding Your Next Adventure
Each of these books offers something different: lyrical prose in the vein of Rothfuss, intricate magic systems that reward careful attention, or coming-of-age tales about clever young people discovering their extraordinary gifts. Some are gentle and dreamlike, others dark and sharp-edged.
The magic of being a reader is that you need not choose just one. Perhaps you shall begin with The Last Unicorn for its poetic beauty, then venture into Blood Song for its structural echoes of Kvothe’s tale. Perhaps A Wizard of Earthsea shall lead you to The Riddle-Master of Hed, and onward through enchanted doors without end.
For there is always another story waiting, just as there is always another name for the wind. And while we wait for Kvothe to open that final door, these tales shall keep the magic alive.
