Series

Books like Nine Kingdoms: 9 series to read next

Nine Kingdoms is set in secondary world. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Nine Kingdoms is 15 books, 2004–2023.

“Neroche's kingdom is threatened by the darkness of an evil Black Mage- and all hope lies in the legend of two magical swords.”
from the catalogue description of Star of the Morning

The Nine Kingdoms page →Narrow this list →

Tolkien's legendarium
The Riftwar
Shannara
Cosmere
Lord of the Isles
Sword of Truth
Pellinor
Earthsea
Trillium / World of the Three Moons

Tolkien's legendariumUniverse

universe163 books1923

Fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Before the seas were bent and the mountains raised, there was Music — and from that Music came Arda, and in the west of Middle-earth the long defeat and stubborn hope of those who dwell there.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

The RiftwarUniverse

universe44 books1982

Epic fantasy and fantasy, set in secondary world.

“On the world of Midkemia a tear opens in the air itself, a rift hung between stars, and through it march the armies of an empire from another world entirely.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

ShannaraUniverse

universe50 books1977

Epic fantasy and fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Long after the world we know has burned itself to slag in the Great Wars, the Four Lands rise green over the bones of the old age.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

CosmereUniverse

universe54 books2005

Epic fantasy and fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Before the worlds, there was Adonalsium, and then there was not.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Final Empire →

Lord of the IslesSeries

seriesDavid Drake10 books1997

Epic fantasy, adventurous in tone, about quests, set in secondary world.

“In 1997, Drake began his largest fantasy series, Lord of the Isles, using elements of Sumerian religion and medieval-era technology.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Lord of the Isles →

Sword of TruthUniverse

universe27 books1994

Epic fantasy and fantasy, set in secondary world.

“Truth is a blade, and it cuts the hand that grips it carelessly.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

PellinorSeries

seriesAlison Croggon5 books2002

“Maerad has spent most of her life enslaved on a remote farm, until the wandering Bard Cadvan recognizes in her the Gift -- a rare and powerful magical ability -- and takes her from captivity into training.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Bone Queen →

EarthseaUniverse

universe19 books1964

Reflective in tone.

“There is a lesson every wizard of Earthsea learns young: to know a thing's true name is to hold its whole being, and to speak it is to move the balance of the world.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Trillium / World of the Three MoonsSeries

seriesJulian May, Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley & Elisabeth Waters5 books1990

Epic fantasy and fantasy, adventurous in tone, set in secondary world.

“Individually, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May and Andre Norton have won the love and admiration of millions of readers.”
from the catalogue description of Black Trillium
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Black Trillium →

Why these

No sales rank, no star ratings, no readers also bought.

Shared terms are not a promise that a book feels the same. Two series can be far-future political intrigue and read nothing alike — what the ranking can say is what they are about, and each card says which parts it shares.

Questions readers ask

What should I read after Nine Kingdoms?: Tolkien's legendarium — the closest match to Nine Kingdoms on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Nine Kingdoms?: Star of the Morning. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Nine Kingdoms.
How big is Nine Kingdoms?: Nine Kingdoms is 15 books, 2004–2023.

Books like Nine Kingdoms: 9 series to read next

Read next in Nine Kingdoms

Why these

Questions readers ask

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