What to Read After The Way of Kings
The Way of Kings is the first book in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive — a 1,000-page epic with one of fantasy's most intricate magic systems, an ensemble cast across multiple POVs, and world-building that pays off across thousands of pages. Readers who finish it are usually looking for the same commitment: deep systems, moral complexity, and stories that trust the reader to keep up. See our full Stormlight reading order for what comes next in the series, or explore more books like Stormlight Archive.
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Words of Radiance
by Brandon Sanderson
The direct sequel and widely considered one of the best books in the Stormlight Archive. The scale expands, the magic system deepens, and the payoffs from The Way of Kings start arriving in force. Read this immediately — the full reading order is at our Stormlight Archive reading order guide.
View on AmazonEpic FantasyMagic SystemEnsemble CastWar🌸 Heat: Sweet - 2
Mistborn: The Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson
If you want more Sanderson before continuing Stormlight, Mistborn is the entry point into the broader Cosmere. Tighter in scope than Stormlight but equally satisfying in its magic system and heist-driven plot. For the full Cosmere reading sequence, see our Brandon Sanderson reading order.
View on AmazonHeist FantasyMagic SystemEnsemble CastRevolution🌸 Heat: Sweet - 3
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
The other titan of modern epic fantasy. Slower pace than Stormlight but prose that is genuinely beautiful — Rothfuss writes at a literary register Sanderson doesn't aim for. The magic system is built on sympathy and naming, intellectually rigorous in the same way as Stormlight's Stormlight and Fabrials.
View on AmazonMagic SystemComing of AgeUnreliable NarratorAcademia🔥 Heat: Warm - 4
The Blade Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
For readers who loved Stormlight's morally complex characters but want something darker. Abercrombie deconstructs epic fantasy tropes with surgical precision — every heroic archetype in The Blade Itself is revealed to be something more complicated and more honest.
View on AmazonGrimdarkMorally Grey CastEpic FantasySubverted Tropes🌸 Heat: Sweet - 5
The Lies of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
Heist fantasy with an ensemble cast and deep world-building set in a fantasy Venice. Lighter tone than Stormlight but delivers the same pleasure in intricate plotting and character dynamics that reward attention. The banter between characters is the best in the genre.
View on AmazonHeist FantasyEnsemble CastFound FamilyPolitical Intrigue🌸 Heat: Sweet - 6
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
Sci-fantasy with Stormlight's scale and emotional brutality. Multiple POVs, class-system politics, and a protagonist who earns every victory the hard way. Brown writes setbacks with the same commitment Sanderson does — nothing is given for free.
View on AmazonSci-FantasyClass RevolutionEnsemble CastUnderdog Hero🌸 Heat: Sweet - 7
The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon
Standalone epic fantasy at Stormlight's scope — dragons, multiple continents, and a female-led ensemble cast. For readers who want the same commitment and world-building depth without an unfinished series. Shannon builds a world that feels lived-in from the first chapter.
View on AmazonEpic FantasyDragonsFemale-LedMultiple POVs🔥 Heat: Warm - 8
A Memory of Light
by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
If you want to understand Sanderson's roots, the Wheel of Time is essential — and A Memory of Light is the culmination Sanderson finished after Jordan's death. Reading the full Wheel of Time shows exactly where his approach to epic fantasy was shaped. For the complete sequence, see our Mistborn follow-up list for more Sanderson picks.
View on AmazonEpic FantasyMultiple POVsMagic SystemEnsemble Cast🌸 Heat: Sweet