Novel That Sparked His Interest Among 5 Near-Perfect Fantasy Books Recommended by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson’s approach to recommendations

Sanderson has built a large readership in fantasy and has also advocated for other writers. He often urges aspiring writers to read extensively, while cautioning that tastes differ and no book will resonate with everyone.

His website’s FAQ has a section devoted to recommendations, with particular attention to students interested in writing. Sanderson also labels some suggestions “clean,” reflecting his own avoidance of explicit language and sexual content in his books.

Tad Williams’ sweeping fantasy

Sanderson recommends Tad Williams’ work broadly, and Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn is among Williams’ best-known series. The story follows Simon, a young man drawn into an apocalyptic conflict with ancient magical forces, as he and his allies endure repeated setbacks and losses.

The series runs to nine novels when its prequels, interlude and sequel series, The Last King of Osten Ard, are included. It influenced George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Sanderson likes Williams’ long-winded style but warns that it may deter some readers early on; despite its place on his “clean” list, the series contains very dark themes.

The novel that drew Sanderson in

The novel follows Jenny Waynest, a witch living in the Northlands with Lord John Aversin. They travel south to confront the dragon Morkeleb in exchange for help for their homeland, but discover that the threat and the situation at court are more complicated than they anticipated. Published in 1985, the book later gained renewed attention through Sanderson’s recommendation; Hambly went on to write sequels, with new installments still appearing.

Daniel Abraham’s epic series

Sanderson recommends Daniel Abraham’s work under any of his pen names, and The Dagger and the Coin offers a place to begin. Abraham is also known for co-writing The Expanse as James S.A. Corey with Ty Franck. The pair are again using that name for the science-fiction series The Captive’s War.

The Dagger and the Coin is a five-book epic fantasy series published from 2011 to 2016. Its wide scope and many point-of-view characters have drawn comparisons to A Song of Ice and Fire. The title refers to two forces that can bring calamity: violence and war, represented by the dagger, and economic instability, represented by the coin.