A Dance With Dragons

Fans of Martin's epic scope will appreciate the massive world-building and intricate magic system. Like A Dance With Dragons, it features multiple perspectives across a war-torn continent and focuses on the heavy burden of leadership.

If you enjoy the gritty realism and cynical character studies of ASOIAF, this is the perfect match. It features morally gray characters, sharp wit, and a subversion of traditional fantasy tropes that mirrors Martin's style.

This is one of the few series that rivals Martin in terms of complexity and sheer scale. It drops readers into the middle of a sprawling conflict with deep history, complex politics, and a high body count.

George R.R. Martin has cited this series as a primary inspiration for A Game of Thrones. It features a slow-burn narrative, a detailed secondary world, and a looming ancient threat that feels very familiar to fans of the Wall.

While more focused on a smaller cast, the intricate plotting and 'schemes within schemes' will appeal to fans of Tyrion or Varys. The world-building is rich and the consequences for the characters are often brutal and permanent.

This 'silkpunk' epic mirrors the political maneuvering and rise-and-fall of dynasties found in Martin's work. It focuses on two friends on opposite sides of a rebellion, emphasizing the personal cost of political ambition.

For readers who enjoy the historical texture and dense political/religious maneuvering of A Dance With Dragons, this intellectual mystery offers a similarly immersive and atmospheric experience set in a medieval monastery.

This series pioneered the 'gritty' fantasy subgenre that Martin popularized. It follows a mercenary unit caught in the middle of a war between powerful sorcerers, told with a cynical, grounded perspective on military life.

Though historical fiction rather than fantasy, the political maneuvering in the court of Henry VIII is as lethal and complex as anything in Westeros. Thomas Cromwell is a protagonist that fans of Tyrion Lannister will find fascinating.

This book captures the brutal reality of war and the moral degradation of its characters in a way that echoes Martin's darkest chapters. It blends military strategy with shamanic magic and devastating emotional stakes.