If you have turned the final page of Mistborn and find yourself bereft—as one might feel upon departing Neverland—take heart, dear reader. For there exist other worlds quite as wondrous, other magic quite as marvellous, and other heroes quite as brave as Vin herself. These fifteen books shall carry you to realms where the impossible becomes gloriously, thrillingly possible.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Here is a tale to make your heart race and your conscience squirm most delightfully! In the Venice-like city of Camorr, where canals glitter beneath mysterious Elderglass towers, young Locke Lamora leads his band of Gentleman Bastards in the most audacious cons imaginable. Like Kelsier’s crew, these rogues possess that peculiar blend of brilliance and loyalty that makes one root for thieves against one’s better judgement. The banter crackles with wit, the heists spiral into magnificent chaos, and the friendships run deeper than any canal. George R.R. Martin himself praised this debut, and rightfully so.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Now here is magic to rival Allomancy itself! In this dazzling world, drafters transform light into a substance called Luxin, each colour granting different properties and powers. The chromaturgy system stands shoulder to shoulder with Sanderson’s finest inventions—complex enough to reward careful attention, yet intuitive enough to never lose the reader in its intricacies. Gavin Guile, the most powerful Prism in the world, carries secrets that would topple empires. For those who adored Mistborn’s metallic magic, this light-based wonder shall prove an absolute feast.
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
What delicious audacity—to begin a fantasy novel with the bloody overthrow of a king! Brian McClellan, who studied under Sanderson himself, crafts a world where Powder Mages inhale gunpowder to gain superhuman abilities. They can ignite charges from impossible distances, float bullets with pinpoint precision, and achieve feats of strength that would make any Thug envious. Set in a world echoing the French Revolution, this tale combines the familiar satisfaction of hard magic with the thunder of muskets and the chaos of revolution.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Prepare yourself, for this journey grows darker than ash falling upon Luthadel. Young Rin escapes a miserable fate through sheer brilliance, only to discover she possesses the power to call down gods themselves. The magic system—shamans using trance to borrow devastating divine power—proves both wondrous and terrifying. Like Vin, Rin rises from nothing, but where Sanderson offers hope, Kuang unflinchingly examines what power does to those who wield it. This is fantasy that burns, that scars, that refuses to look away. Not for the faint of heart, but utterly magnificent.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Perhaps you desire characters so magnificently flawed they become unforgettable? Then meet Logen Ninefingers, the barbarian who has run out of luck; Jezal dan Luthar, a nobleman drowning in selfishness; and Sand dan Glokta, a torturer whose dark humour shall haunt your dreams most pleasantly. Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy proves that fantasy need not shy from humanity’s shadows. The prose sparkles with wicked wit, and the characters burrow into one’s heart despite—or perhaps because of—their manifold imperfections.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Oh, what a crew! Six outcasts in the crooked city of Ketterdam take on an impossible heist, and every single one shall steal your heart along with their target. Kaz Brekker, the criminal mastermind with his crow-headed cane; Inej, the silent spider who walks on whispers; and four more glorious rogues besides. The Grisha magic provides clever obstacles and solutions aplenty, while the found-family dynamics echo everything beloved about Kelsier’s gang. Perfectly paced, utterly thrilling, and concluded with a proper duology that respects your time.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Four parallel Londons exist side by side, each with its own relationship to magic—and only the rare Antari can walk between them. Grey London has forgotten magic entirely. Red London flourishes with it. White London starves for it violently. And Black London… well, we do not speak of Black London. Kell, an Antari smuggler of forbidden items, meets Lila, a cross-dressing thief with ambitions that would make Vin herself nod in approval. The world-building proves absolutely scrumptious, the characters delightfully roguish, and the adventure never slows.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Though set among the stars rather than medieval kingdoms, this tale of revolution and revenge shall satisfy any Mistborn devotee. Darrow, a miner on Mars, discovers his entire society is built upon monstrous lies—and infiltrates the ruling class to destroy it from within. The colour-coded caste system recalls the Final Empire’s rigid structure, while Darrow’s journey from nobody to revolutionary leader mirrors Kelsier’s righteous fury. Darker and bloodier than some fantasy, but magnificently propulsive.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
If you have ever longed to linger in a fantasy world rather than race through it, Patrick Rothfuss shall oblige you most generously. Kvothe tells his own legend—from orphaned trouper’s child to notorious wizard—in prose so beautiful one must occasionally pause simply to savour a sentence. The magic system, called Sympathy, operates on scientific principles of energy transfer that would satisfy any hard-magic enthusiast. The University scenes prove particularly enchanting, and Rothfuss’s worldbuilding rewards attention with endless delightful details.
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Here we meet Fitz, a royal bastard raised in the shadows of Buckkeep Castle, trained in the quiet art of assassination while navigating the perilous waters of court politics. Robin Hobb writes characters with such emotional depth that readers emerge from her books feeling they have lost dear friends. The magic here—the telepathic Skill and the animal-bonding Wit—explores addiction and connection in ways both beautiful and heartbreaking. George R.R. Martin declared her books “diamonds in a sea of zircons,” and he speaks true.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
This extraordinary novel won the Hugo Award, as did its two sequels—an unprecedented achievement that speaks to its power. In a world plagued by catastrophic seasons that destroy civilizations, orogenes can control seismic energy itself, quelling earthquakes or unleashing devastation. Yet these same orogenes are enslaved, feared, murdered. The magic system—called orogeny—operates with satisfying rules while serving as piercing commentary on power and oppression. Utterly original, fiercely written, and unlike anything else in fantasy.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In the Seven Kingdoms, certain individuals are born with Graces—extraordinary talents marked by mismatched eyes. Katsa’s Grace is killing, which has made her a weapon for her cruel uncle the king. But when she discovers a secret that spans kingdoms, everything changes. The Grace system provides that delightful variety of powers that fans of Allomancy shall recognize—each Graceling unique, each ability with fascinating applications. Katsa herself proves a thoroughly satisfying heroine: fierce, capable, and determinedly her own person.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
In the city of Tevanne, scriving is the art of convincing objects they are something else entirely—making a crossbow bolt believe it is falling from a great height, making wood think it is soft as clay. This magic system, praised by Sanderson himself, offers that same satisfaction of clever rules cleverly applied. Sancia, our thief protagonist, reminded reviewers strongly of Vin, and the heist plot unfolds with marvellous complexity. Computer programming meets sword-and-sorcery in the most delightful way imaginable.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
In a Roman-inspired world, the lower classes must cede their mental and physical energy—their Will—to those above them in a magical pyramid scheme of exploitation. Young Vis, an orphaned prince in hiding, infiltrates a prestigious academy to uncover dark secrets while concealing his own forbidden past. Critics compared it favourably to both The Name of the Wind and Red Rising, praising its dark academia atmosphere and nuanced exploration of power, colonialism, and what it costs to survive within systems that oppress. The sequel arrived in late 2025.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
In this Ancient Rome-inspired world, the Scholars live enslaved by the brutal Martial Empire. Young Laia must become a spy within Blackcliff, the infamous academy that forges the empire’s most feared warriors, to save her captive brother. Meanwhile, Elias, the school’s finest student, secretly yearns to escape the violence he was raised to embrace. Time magazine named it among the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, and like Vin, Laia demonstrates that courage and resilience can bloom even in the darkest circumstances.
There you have it, dear reader—fifteen doorways to wonder, each promising adventures as thrilling as those you found in Luthadel’s ash-covered streets. Whether you crave intricate magic, cunning heists, morally complex characters, or worlds so real you could reach out and touch them, these books await. The only question remaining is: which extraordinary journey shall you begin tonight?
