You have followed the Cosmere from world to world, dear reader, and now you find yourself hungry for more—more ingenious magic, more sweeping adventure, more of that particular alchemy that makes a fantasy novel feel like coming home. Fear not, for I have gathered here a collection of tales that shall delight the devoted Sanderson enthusiast, each one possessing that certain spark of wonder you have come to crave.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
In the city of Camorr, which rises from the waters much as Venice does in our own world, there lives a most extraordinary thief. Locke Lamora is his name, and he leads a band of rogues called the Gentleman Bastards in the most elaborate confidence schemes imaginable. If ever you delighted in the clever heists of Mistborn’s crew, you shall find yourself utterly enchanted here. The wit is sharp as a blade, the brotherhood between thieves warm as hearth-fire, and the twists arrive with the delicious inevitability of a trap springing shut. Lynch has crafted something rather magnificent—a fantasy world where brains triumph over brawn, and loyalty is worth more than gold.
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
Here is a delightful secret: Brian McClellan once studied at the feet of Master Sanderson himself. The pupil has become quite the master in his own right, spinning a tale of revolution and gunpowder magic that would make any Mistborn reader’s heart sing. In a world where some mages snort black powder to enter deadly trances, and others hurl elemental fury, Field Marshal Tamas has just overthrown his king. The magic system—oh, the magic system!—possesses that crystalline logic Sanderson devotees adore, with Powder Mages who can float bullets through the air and ignite charges from impossible distances.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Light itself becomes magic in Brent Weeks’ magnificent Lightbringer series, and one might argue his chromaturgy rivals even the cleverest of Sanderson’s inventions. Drafters pull colors from light to create luxin—a substance both wondrous and deadly—while the Prism himself can draft every hue in the spectrum. The costs are terrible and precise: use too much, break your halo, and madness awaits. Gavin Guile’s secrets pile upon secrets in a tale that grows ever more epic, ever more intricate, until the final revelations leave one quite breathless.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
If you have loved the immersive quality of Sanderson’s storytelling, you shall find yourself utterly lost—in the most agreeable way—within Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle. Young Kvothe tells his own legend to a traveling chronicler, and what a legend it is. The magic here feels almost scientific in its precision, grounded in the physics of sympathy and the poetry of naming. Rothfuss writes with such music in his words that even Ursula K. Le Guin herself praised his prose. The University, the Chandrian, the tragedy slowly unfolding—it is fantasy storytelling at its most beautiful.
The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington
Speaking of those inspired by Sanderson, James Islington wrote this magnificent trilogy after Mistborn captured his imagination, and the influence shows in all the right ways. Here is a tale of forbidden magic, ancient evil, and—most deliciously—time itself as a plaything of powers beyond mortal ken. Every loose thread, every mysterious moment, every question that troubles your mind connects with breathtaking precision by the trilogy’s end. Islington must possess some supernatural gift for plotting, for the way his story locks together is nothing short of architectural genius.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Shall we speak of heists once more? For Leigh Bardugo has crafted one set in the frozen reaches of her Grishaverse, and it is perfectly splendid. Six outcasts—a criminal prodigy, a wraith-like spy, a sharpshooter with secrets, a disgraced soldier, a Grisha heartrender, and a demolitions expert—must break into an impenetrable fortress. The Grisha magic system operates with satisfying consistency, the crew dynamics crackle with tension and affection, and Ketterdam’s dark streets feel wonderfully alive. If Mistborn’s original crew stole your heart, these Crows shall claim it anew.
The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan
Royce the cynical thief and Hadrian the optimistic warrior make the most wonderful pair of rogues-for-hire one could hope to meet. Michael J. Sullivan wrote this entire series before publishing the first volume, which means the plot threads weave together with remarkable intention—much as Sanderson plans his own grand narratives. What begins as simple sword-and-sorcery adventures deepens into something far more epic, with secrets stretching back through centuries and friendships that shall warm your heart completely.
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Brandon Sanderson himself calls this “a wonderful work,” and who are we to disagree with the master? Guy Gavriel Kay has written a standalone fantasy of such emotional power that it lingers long after the final page. A sorcerer-tyrant has erased an entire nation’s name from memory—only those born there can even hear the word “Tigana” spoken aloud. The resistance that forms is built upon song and memory and desperate hope. Kay writes with the sensibility of a poet, crafting prose that moves like music, and his exploration of memory and identity strikes deep indeed.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Here is fantasy with teeth, dear reader—a military academy tale that transforms into something far darker and more powerful. Rin, a war orphan, claws her way into the empire’s most elite school, only to discover she possesses a terrifying connection to ancient gods. R.F. Kuang draws upon Chinese history to create a grimdark epic where shamans pull deities into their own bodies at terrible cost. The magic system is inventive, the stakes impossibly high, and the journey from student to soldier to something else entirely is both devastating and magnificent.
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sanderson himself recommends Garth Nix for those seeking “clean fantasy,” and Sabriel stands as a shining example. In the Old Kingdom, necromancy runs in families—but the Abhorsen line exists to put the dead back to rest rather than raise them. When Sabriel’s father becomes trapped beyond death, she must take up his bells and his sword and venture into a land where the dead do not sleep quietly. The magic system here—Charter marks and necromantic bells—possesses that wonderful specificity that systematic magic lovers adore, while the atmosphere grows delightfully eerie.
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
For those who hunger for the most ambitious worldbuilding imaginable, Steven Erikson’s ten-volume epic awaits. This is not a gentle read—the complexity is staggering, the cast spans hundreds, and the timeline stretches across millennia. But for readers who relish Sanderson’s grand scope, Malazan offers something even more vast. Themes of compassion and civilization thread through battles between gods and mortals, and the payoffs—when they arrive—shake one to the foundations. Many consider it the most accomplished epic fantasy of our century.
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
Sanderson suggests “anything by Robin Hobb, particularly the Fitz books,” and this is where Fitz’s tragedy begins. FitzChivalry Farseer, illegitimate son of a prince, trains as an assassin while navigating the dangerous currents of royal politics. The magic here—the telepathic Skill and the bond-creating Wit—carries the addictive quality Hobb always intended. Her character work is legendary, creating a protagonist so deeply realized that readers feel they know him as a friend. George R.R. Martin called her books “diamonds in a sea of zircons,” and the description fits.
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Sanderson describes this series as “a lot of fun and different,” and the premise alone delights: the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons. Captain Will Laurence captures a French frigate bearing an unhatched dragon egg, and when the creature bonds with him, his entire life transforms. The relationship between Laurence and Temeraire—the most inquisitive, philosophical, and charming dragon you shall ever meet—forms the heart of this alternate history adventure. Stephen King called it “a terrifically entertaining fantasy novel,” and Peter Jackson praised its brilliant melding of fantasy and historical epic.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin made history by winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel three consecutive years—once for each book in this extraordinary trilogy. In a world wracked by catastrophic seismic events, those who can control earthquakes are simultaneously essential and despised. Jemisin’s magic system operates with geological precision, her worldbuilding astonishes, and her prose—written partially in second person—creates an intimacy that is quite unprecedented. The themes are weighty, the characters unforgettable, and the craft on display is nothing short of mastery.
Finding Your Next Favorite
Each of these books shares something essential with Sanderson’s work—whether systematic magic, intricate plotting, epic scope, or the sheer joy of worldbuilding done magnificently well. Some lean darker, some brighter; some challenge with complexity, others welcome with accessibility. But all of them understand what makes fantasy fiction feel like an adventure worth taking.
Happy reading, dear Sanderson fan. May your next journey through imaginary worlds prove just as wondrous as those that came before.
