As you might’ve noticed,The Winds of Winterhas not yet been released - and it doesn’t look like it’s coming anytime soon. The lengthy delay for George R.R. Martin’s sixthA Song of Ice and Firebook is only surpassed in infamy around the series byGame of Thrones' ending, the backlash to which rather increased the hope and desire to see the novel come to fruition. Even as we reach 14 years sinceA Dance with Dragons, I remain (perhaps foolishly) optimistic about the book’s release.
Certainly, there’s credit to Martin for not rushing - no one could ever accuse him of that.The Winds of Winteris taking so longbecause of so many other commitments, yes, which I understand can irk people, but there’s also a clear commitment to getting it right. The struggle in doing so, because this story is now so vast and complex, adds to the delays, but should also - again, hopefully - make it worth the wait (A Dream of Spring, the seventh book, is perhaps a separate conversation).
Still,waiting forThe Winds of Wintercan’t all be re-watchingGame of Thronesand re-readingA Song of Ice and Fire- or at least, I have to force myself to not do that. There are plenty of othergreat fantasy books, of course, but this is the closest I’ve personally found to scratching theASOIAFitch while delivering a unique experience.
The Two-Book Fantasy Series That I Think Is Perfect If You Like A Song Of Ice & Fire
It’s Not Just A Copycat, Which Makes It Even Better
For me,the best replacement I’ve found forA Song of Ice and FireisThe Kingkiller Chronicle. That’s perhaps no surprise, as Patrick Rothfuss was influenced by Martin, and there are some similarities in their styles.The Kingkiller Chronicle, which comprises two main books plus some spinoffs, takes place in the fictional world of Temerant. Using a story-within-a-story framework, it sees Kote, an innkeeper, telling the story of his past as Kvothe, a trouper who goes to university to study magic, and becomes not only a talented wizard (or arcanist), but somehow the eponymous “Kingkiller.”
2007
2011
2013
The Slow Regard Of Silent Things(companion novella)
2014
The Narrow Road Between Desires(companion novella, expansion of previous workThe Lightning Treefrom 2014)
2023
The Kingkiller Chroniclehas a few key similarities withA Song of Ice and Fire, even if it’s not quite as high fantasy or epic in terms of its locations and characters.Rothfuss' prose is often beautiful, even poetic. He does a great job with worldbuilding and make Temerant feel like a unique, lived-in place, while drawing inspiration from history (albeit with more of a Renaissance influence than the grim, violent nature of theSeven Kingdoms of Westeros).
A History Of GRRM’s Updates On The Winds Of Winter: 10 Key Things He’s Said Since Game Of Thrones Started
The Winds of Winter is one of the most anticipated novels ever, and George R.R. Martin has given several updates on it through the years.
Both series have fascinating structures that play around with storytelling: inASOIAF, that’s the point-of-view style; inKingkiller, it’s the story-within-a-story.There’s a lot of strong character work and detail in Rothfuss' series that recalls what I love about how Martin develops his characters, and Kvothe’s story, because he’s an unreliable narrator, is both following the hero’s journey and subtly subverting it, not dissimilar to how Martin deconstructs many fantasy tropes that arose in so much post-Tolkien literature.
The Kingkiller Chronicle feels like a perfect mid-point between Harry Potter’s low fantasy, with its singular hero and magical school, and ASOIAF with its more detailed world and densely layered narrative.
Still, these books aren’ttoosimilar, so it doesn’t just feel like a retread or a lesser version ofA Song of Ice and Fire. For me, and this is a big reason I love it,The Kingkiller Chroniclefeels like a perfect mid-point betweenHarry Potter’s low fantasy, with its singular hero and magical school, andASOIAFwith its more detailed world and densely layered narrative. Having grown-up withPotterand then first readA Song of Ice and Firein my early 20s, it’s a comforting blend of the two that’s familiar and new at the same time.
The Long Wait For Both Fantasy Book Sequels Is Absolutely Worthwhile
It’s Not Just About The Destination
Of course, the other similarity betweenA Song of Ice and FireandThe Kingkiller Chronicleis the long wait fans have had to suffer through. LikeA Dance with Dragons,the most recent book in Rothfuss' series,The Wise Man’s Fear, released in 2011. And, similarly, thewait forThe Doors of Stone, the planned third and final installment, goes on and on.
So why am I recommending another unfinished fantasy series? Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment and only want sagas that are potentially never going to end (which, in a way, also means you can never be disappointedbythe ending). But it is also that,for both series, the journey is worthwhile regardless of the destination.
If we never get The Winds of Winter, is that going to make me regret reading A Song of Ice and Fire? Absolutely not.
If we never getThe Winds of Winter(or we do, but don’t getA Dream of Spring), is that going to make me regret readingA Song of Ice and Fire? Absolutely not. The countless hours spent reading it, readingaboutit, and writing about it, have provided enough value many times over. Similarly, the enjoyment of readingThe Kingkiller Chronicle, and the ability to escape into another great world, is worth it even if the books aren’t finished, because that, to me, is what fantasy is all about. But an ending sure would be nice all the same, eh?
