Authors Like Brandon Sanderson: 7 Epic Fantasy Writers

Brandon Sanderson has become the defining figure in modern epic fantasy through sheer craft and productivity. His Cosmere — the shared universe linking Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, and more — is built on ingenious, rule-based magic systems, propulsive plotting, and the rare guarantee that his series actually finish. If you have read your way through Sanderson and need somewhere to go next, the genre he helped revitalise is full of writers who deliver different parts of his appeal.

Below are seven authors who each capture a key element of the Sanderson experience, with a starting point for each.

What Makes a Brandon Sanderson Read-Alike

Sanderson’s appeal rests on a few pillars. There is the intricate magic system, engineered with logic and consequence. There is the immersive, interconnected world you can disappear into for thousands of pages. There is the plot-driven momentum and the famous “Sanderlanche” of converging climaxes. And there is the completionist satisfaction of a series that delivers a real ending. Most read-alikes lean into one or two of these, so the best pick depends on which one keeps you reading.

It also helps to know whether you prize the world-building or the characters. Sanderson is sometimes faulted for prose and interiority that take a back seat to plot and systems, so if that is exactly what you love, lean toward the architects below; if you want richer characters and language, the authors at the literary end of this list will scratch that itch.

Robert Jordan — The Epic He Finished

The most natural next step is the series Sanderson completed after the author’s death. Robert Jordan created The Wheel of Time, the sprawling fourteen-book epic that defined a generation of fantasy. The Eye of the World begins it all, with the deep world-building, prophecy, and escalating stakes Sanderson fans crave — and finishing it means reading Sanderson’s own conclusion to the saga.

Patrick Rothfuss — The Character Depth

For the emotional and lyrical depth that balances Sanderson’s systems, Patrick Rothfuss is essential. The Name of the Wind tells the intimate, first-person story of Kvothe with prose far more polished than Sanderson’s. The trade-off is the famous wait for the finale — but the writing is a revelation. See our authors like Patrick Rothfuss guide for more.

Robin Hobb — The Emotional Heart

Robin Hobb offers the character interiority Sanderson sometimes sacrifices for plot. Assassin’s Apprentice introduces FitzChivalry Farseer in a first-person narrative of unusual emotional depth. For Sanderson fans who want to feel a series as much as admire its mechanics, Hobb is the one.

George R.R. Martin — The Political Epic

George R.R. Martin brings the grand, morally complex political fantasy that Sanderson’s larger works gesture toward. A Game of Thrones trades clean magic systems for ruthless court intrigue and shocking violence. A grittier, more cynical epic for readers ready to leave Sanderson’s hopefulness behind.

Joe Abercrombie — The Grim and Witty

Joe Abercrombie delivers a darker, sharper, and crucially finished epic. The Blade Itself, first of the First Law trilogy, is brutal, funny, and brilliantly characterised. For Sanderson fans who want the completed-series satisfaction with a meaner edge, Abercrombie is ideal.

Scott Lynch — The Clever Heist

Sanderson’s Mistborn began as a fantasy heist, and Scott Lynch is the master of that mode. The Lies of Locke Lamora follows a gang of con artists in a Venice-inspired city with dazzling wit and plotting. A perfect fit for readers who loved the schemes and reversals of Sanderson’s best.

Terry Pratchett — The Witty Deep Bench

For the prolific output and a lighter touch, Terry Pratchett offers more than forty Discworld novels. Wyrd Sisters is a great entry point to his comic, humane fantasy. For Sanderson fans who love that there is always more to read and want some warmth and wit, Pratchett’s bottomless backlist is a gift.

A Note on Where to Start

A word on commitment, because epic fantasy demands it. The authors here range from the truly enormous to the relatively contained, and matching that to your appetite matters. Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time is a fourteen-book, multi-million-word undertaking — glorious, but not a casual yes. Abercrombie’s First Law and Hobb’s Farseer trilogy are tighter three-book arcs that resolve cleanly. Lynch and Rothfuss come with ongoing waits for their next volumes, much like Sanderson’s own Stormlight Archive. And Pratchett’s Discworld is the rare giant series you can enter almost anywhere, since most books stand alone. If you want a guaranteed, finished story, start with Abercrombie or Hobb; if you want a world to live in for years, Jordan and Pratchett are bottomless. Either way, the entry points above are chosen as the best single doorway into each writer, so you can commit to a sample before committing to a saga.

How to Choose Your Next Read

If you want the epic Sanderson finished, start with Robert Jordan. For character depth and prose, read Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb. For a gritty political epic, go to George R.R. Martin. For a darker finished trilogy, read Joe Abercrombie. For a clever heist, read Scott Lynch. And for wit and a deep backlist, read Terry Pratchett.

What unites them is Sanderson’s core promise: that a fantasy world can be vast, internally consistent, and genuinely satisfying to finish. For more, our best epic fantasy series and best fantasy books of all time roundups gather many more worlds to conquer. Pick the writer who matches whatever you love most about the Cosmere, and your next great series is waiting.