2020 may be a year for the books, but with quarantines sprawling into months, violence and unrest everywhere, and the climate threatening to burn everything not sunk to a crisp, it really begs the question of whose books? What sadistic idiot wrote this, and can we please get back to an actual narrative instead of a domino line of disasters? I’m certainly wishing for the sense and structure of a plot to follow, and I’m finding myself missing Game of Thrones more and more. Even at its worst, GoT brought us together and gave us people to root for. But with the HBO series over and The Winds of Winter indefinitely delayed, I’m finding solace in other big epics. They definitely eat up the time spent self-isolating, but more than that, they give me hope that there are still heroes out there, and ways forward. Here are 10 enormous epics that might help you cope, whether by giving you a long escape, or just by reminding you to be a badass in a mask.
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
This is the obvious place to start, since the Wheel of Time series is kicking off soon as Amazon’s answer to HBO’s success with epic fantasy. A group of friends in a small town get launched into the wider world of magic, politics, and the ancient battle between good and evil when sorceress Moiraine arrives looking for the prophesied Dragon Reborn. Sprawling across a whopping 13 books, it can feel bloated and draggy at times, but also thrilling, intense, and brilliant. Jordan sadly passed away before he could complete the series, so the last books are written by Brandon Sanderson, who appears on this list in his own right as well.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Yes, it’s a single volume, but it’s a 900+ page single volume that spans continents, centuries, and a wide cast of characters. It has action, magic, politics, religion, battles, and dragon-riding, too. It takes inspiration from another English source: the legend of St. George and the Dragon, rather than the War of the Roses. But this isn’t the princess-rescuing tale you think you know; it’s a wild, complex, and sweetly sapphic epic.
A Chorus of Dragons by Jenn Lyons
If the intense politics and character-driven drama were your favourite parts of GoT, fear not, for the Chorus of Dragons series may be even more twisted and intense. The magic is also bigger, there are more dragons, and the march of the undead to do battle with the living happens every few years, not every few millennia. It’s like GoT on PCP.
Oh, and if you’re worried that this series will end up with a perpetually delayed finale just like G. R. R. Martin’s or Patrick Rothfuss’s, I wouldn’t fret too much. Lyons is an absolute powerhouse, and she’s released three of the five (massive) volumes in two years. Would someone please give this woman her own miniseries?
The Shadow by Lila Bowen aka Delilah Dawson
If all the crazy monsters, cults, magic, and sweeping vistas are what you like best about GoT, then try The Shadow series. It’s set in an alternate version of the American West, so you won’t have any of English or Tolkenian tropes. Instead there’s Rhett, a pansexual, biracial transman chosen by destiny to hunt monsters. Only, he’s a monster too, a shapeshifter who will have to learn to hold his own among human cowpokes and rangers as well as alchemists, dragons, Chupacabra, and—my personal favourite nightmare—something called the Cannibal Owl. Rhett’s found family is just as loyal (and just as persnickety) as the Starks, too.
The Broken Earth by N. K. Jemisin
As massive in skill as in scale, these books each won a Hugo for their brilliance. Shifting POV and delving far into the past to try to save the future, these books ask questions about systems of power and delve into the lives of those who have immense power—and immense lack thereof, too. If GoT leaves you wondering what’s happening to all the people who aren’t kings and khaleesis, or find the relentless endurance of its characters compelling, try this trilogy.
The Belgariad and The Malloreon by David and Leigh Eddings
GRRM is what happens to Tolkien in a grittier, less noble world. The Belgariad is what happens if Tolkien had a sense of humour. All the tropes like thief, sorcerer, barbarian, chosen one, etc. are represented and given wry twists, but it’s not really satire or Pratchett-esque absurdity. It’s serious fantasy without quite so much doom and gloom. These books are also classic 80s and 90s works, so parts might feel a little dated, but the bones are strong.
The Books of Pellinor by Allison Croggon
This is like LOTR if all the singing were the main point of everything. Bards are the magic-users in this world, and they use their power to bring healing, justice, and prosperity to the land. But darkness is now rising and evil is creeping into even the ranks of the Bards. If you want to see how people draw together to fight a much larger threat even while dealing with smaller, more immediate crises, these books will scratch that itch.
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson doesn’t really write anything but epics, so honestly you could choose even a standalone novel of his, like Warbreaker or Elantris. It’s most fitting, though, to highlight his epic-to-incorporate-all-epics, which is a planned ten volumes, each of which are massive and complex. Sanderson is incredibly consistent, so know that you’ll get lots of great action and meticulous plotting that results in some great twists. He’s very chaste, though, so don’t expect anything at the level of twincest.
The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Although four of Zelazny’s books equal one of Martin’s, I’d still say this hefty tome is worthy of inclusion on a list of epics. Corwin is one of nine brothers and seven sisters vying for the throne of Amber, the ultimate kingdom of which our world and all others are merely shadows. Playing with the concept of Platonic ideals, Corwin and his siblings can warp reality to bring it closer to the “ideal” realm. If you like the family drama and the swordfighting, here are the books for you. Also, there are a bunch of, ah, sibling relationships. Lannicest fans, I don’t really understand you but there you go.
The Dragaeran Books by Steven Brust
These books ask—and answer—the question of what happens if the hero of an epic is a thief and assassin rather than a noble chosen one. Vlad Taltos, minor mafioso, thief, for-hire killer and occasional witch, has a sword and a dragon.
He also has bills to pay, people to kill, and enemies to avoid. Good thing he also has some powerful friends. These books are perfect for anyone whose favourite character is Arya/A Girl, or who appreciates Littlefinger’s schemes. Vlad does become a reluctant do-gooder in later books despite his best efforts, drawn into not just the machinations of the gods and god-like sorcerers, but also the work of political organisers and social justice reformers that really put these books ahead of their time in some ways.
GRRMartin recommends Robin Hobb’s series and I have to agree with him: it is a diamond in a sea of zircons. It’s 4 trilogies and 1 quadrilogy set chronologically in the same world. The Realm of the Elderlings is an excellent read!