J.R.R. Tolkien made readers believe that an entire world could exist beyond the pages of a book. Middle-earth has its own languages, histories, legends, rival kingdoms, and forgotten battles. Tolkien wove them all into an adventure that feels as if it began long before Bilbo found the One Ring. The Lord of the Rings helped shape modern fantasy, and its influence can be seen in generations of writers, who have since imagined their own vast kingdoms and extraordinary quests.
Of course, fantasy has grown far beyond the Tolkien formula. Some of the best fantasy books of all time capture different aspects of what makes The Lord of the Rings special. For instance, authors have embraced the political rivalries and brutal power struggles of medieval kingdoms, or captured the feeling that you’re witnessing a legend passed down through the years. Either way, they all have the scale and escapism of The Lord of the Rings.
‘The Sword of Shannara’ by Terry Brooks
A Classic Quest With a Familiar Tolkien Touch
What It’s About: The Four Lands face destruction when the Warlock Lord begins gathering an army to conquer the world. The only weapon capable of stopping him is the legendary Sword of Shannara, but its power can only be wielded by a descendant of the ancient Shannara bloodline. That puts Shea Ohmsford, a young man raised in the peaceful Shady Vale, at the center of a dangerous mission.
Why You Should Read It: Let’s address the obvious point first. The Sword of Shannara is heavily influenced by The Lord of the Rings. In fact, it is often considered to be one of the most Tolkien-inspired fantasy novels ever written. There is an unlikely hero, a powerful evil threatening the land, ancient races, and a journey that takes its companions through forests, mountains, and hostile territories. It’s a gorgeous read.
‘Piranesi’ by Susanna Clarke
A World Hidden Inside an Endless House
What It’s About: Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi follows a man living inside an enormous house made of endless halls, giant staircases, and rooms filled with statues. Ocean tides sweep through its lower levels, clouds gather in its upper reaches, and birds fly freely through its corridors. He believes the House contains all that the world has to offer. But as Piranesi records his discoveries in his journals, gaps in his memories begin to challenge everything he believes about his home.
Why You Should Read It: Part mystery, part fantasy, and part character study, Piranesi is one of those rare novels that is difficult to describe without spoiling its best surprises. Clarke takes fantasy in a completely different direction from Tolkien’s sprawling kingdoms and epic battles, giving the book a dreamlike quality that resembles the mythic side of classic fantasy. Immersive and surprisingly profound, it is a good pick for those who love escapist fantasy.
‘The Broken Sword’ by Poul Anderson
A Norse Myth With a Dark Twist
What It’s About: Published in the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring and set in a world shaped by Norse mythology, The Broken Sword follows Skafloc, a human child stolen by elves and raised among them. His place in their kingdom is threatened when a changeling named Valgard replaces him in the human world. At the center of the conflict sits a broken sword with a terrible history.
Why You Should Read It: If you appreciate Tolkien’s use of mythological influences, you will find Anderson’s The Broken Sword fascinating. He draws heavily from the Norse sagas, giving the book a harsher atmosphere than the heroic optimism associated with traditional fantasy. Its elves are dangerous and morally complicated, its battles carry devastating consequences, and fate hangs over the characters’ decisions from the very beginning.
‘The Last Unicorn’ by Peter S. Beagle
A Fairy Tale With a Touch of Melancholy
What It’s About: In The Last Unicorn, a unicorn discovers that she may be the last of her kind after overhearing two hunters discussing their disappearance. Determined to find out what happened to the others, she leaves her forest and sets off on a journey across the world. Along the way, she meets Schmendrick, an unreliable magician, and Molly Grue, a woman who has spent years waiting for a chance to encounter a unicorn.
Why You Should Read It: Like Tolkien, Beagle understands that fantasy works best when wonder and sorrow exist side by side. He approaches the genre with a storyteller’s sense of mischief, mixing gentle humor with a surprisingly moving meditation on mortality, love, and the passage of time. His prose has a lyrical quality that suits the book’s fairy-tale setting, while the characters bring warmth and personality to an otherwise melancholy adventure.
‘The Lions of Al-Rassan’ by Guy Gavriel Kay
Three Lives Caught Between Rival Kingdoms
What It’s About: Inspired by medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan takes place in a land where religious divisions and political ambitions threaten an uneasy peace. The story follows Ammar ibn Khairan, a celebrated poet and soldier; Rodrigo Belmonte, a respected military commander; and Jehane bet Ishak, a gifted physician caught between their worlds. As rival kingdoms prepare for conflict, the three form an unlikely bond.
Why You Should Read It: Guy Gavriel Kay captured the weight of history with The Lions of Al-Rassan. That’s fitting, considering he helped Christopher Tolkien edit The Silmarillion before becoming a novelist himself. His book stands out for its attention to detail, culture, and the people caught in the middle of a political upheaval. The emotional depth is also extraordinary. Long after the battles end, it is the characters and their choices that remain unforgettable.
‘The Dragonbone Chair’ by Tad Williams
An Ancient Threat Beneath a Kingdom in Crisis
What It’s About: The Dragonbone Chair is the epic that bridges the gap between Tolkien and modern fantasy. It’s the first book in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, and it follows Simon, a kitchen boy whose ordinary life is upended when ancient forces begin stirring across the kingdom of Osten Ard. The setup resembles many classic fantasy adventures, but Williams deliberately reveals a more layered and unpredictable story afterward.
Why You Should Read It: Tad Williams occupies a unique position in fantasy history because he helped connect Tolkien’s generation to the authors who followed. George R.R. Martin has repeatedly cited Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn as an important influence on A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book itself delivers the kind of sweeping adventure that made Tolkien’s work so influential. The immersive world-building, detailed cultures, and slow-burn storytelling make it one of the best fantasy trilogies of all time.
‘Mistborn: The Final Empire’ by Brandon Sanderson
A Heist Against an Immortal Ruler
What It’s About: For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler has controlled the Final Empire with an iron fist, keeping the oppressed Skaa population under his rule. When a clever thief named Kelsier develops powerful Allomantic abilities, he begins assembling a crew for an audacious plan to overthrow the immortal tyrant. Their mission takes an unexpected turn when Kelsier recruits Vin, a young street thief who has her own unusual powers.
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Tor Books -
by Gal Or -
Miranda Meeks/Dragonsteel Entertainment
Why You Should Read It: While Mistborn doesn’t resemble The Lord of the Rings stylistically, it delivers the same feeling of witnessing a world-changing conflict with enormous stakes. Sanderson is also one of the best modern world-builders in fantasy. He constructs a society whose politics, religion, and ecology are all shaped by its magic system. There’s a strong sense of teamwork here, too, recalling the fellowship at the heart of Tolkien’s quest while giving the group a very different mission.
‘A Wizard of Earthsea’ by Ursula K. Le Guin
What It’s About: A Wizard of Earthsea follows Ged, a gifted but arrogant young mage whose mistakes unleash a dangerous shadow into the world. His efforts to understand and confront that darkness become both an external quest and an internal journey. Le Guin accomplishes more in a relatively slim novel than many fantasy writers manage across an entire series. The book works as an adventure story and an exploration of identity.
Why You Should Read It: Le Guin builds Earthsea around a fascinating idea that knowing the true name of something gives a wizard power over it. This simple principle shapes the book’s magic, its culture, and Ged’s understanding of responsibility. Of all the writers on this list, Le Guin may be the one whose prose most closely rivals Tolkien’s elegance. Her writing isn’t similar in style, but it achieves the same sense of clarity and depth.
‘A Game of Thrones’ by George R.R. Martin
A Battle for Power With No Clear Heroes
What It’s About: When King Robert Baratheon visits Winterfell and asks his old friend Ned Stark to become the Hand of the King, Ned is pulled into the politics of the royal court. His investigations into the previous Hand’s death uncover secrets that could threaten the throne, while rival families begin maneuvering for control of the Seven Kingdoms.
Why You Should Read It: Martin openly admired Tolkien while also questioning some of fantasy’s traditional assumptions. He takes the dynastic rivalries and feudal structures familiar to epic fantasy and makes political ambition the driving force of the story. Every family has its own alliances and grudges, and even well-intentioned characters can make decisions with disastrous consequences. Where Tolkien emphasizes hope and heroism, Martin leans into ambiguity and human imperfection.
‘The Eye of the World’ by Robert Jordan
What It’s About: The Eye of the World is the first novel in The Wheel of Time. It follows Rand al’Thor and his friends after mysterious forces drive them from their quiet village and into a conflict bigger than they could have imagined. Along the way, they encounter ancient prophecies, forgotten histories, and threats linked to the fate of the world itself.
Why You Should Read It: If the goal is to find a book that recreates the feeling of exploring Middle-earth for the first time, The Eye of the World is an excellent pick. Jordan’s book begins with an ordinary village, a mysterious visitor, and a group of young companions. From there, he steadily expands the setting through its distinct nations and belief systems. With 14 main novels, The Wheel of Time offers an enormous commitment, but The Eye of the World is a terrific place to begin.
- Release Date
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2021 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Rafe Judkins
- Directors
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Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- Writers
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Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna
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