Universe

Books like The Broken Empire: 9 series to read next

The Broken Empire is grimdark and dark fantasy, about revenge, set in secondary world, dark in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

The Broken Empire is 27 books across 2 series, 2011–2022.

“What looks like sword-and-castle medievalism is the ash of our own age, and the magic is only physics that learned to listen.”
from the catalogue description

The The Broken Empire page →Narrow this list →

The Circle of the World
World of Ice and Fire
Malazan
The Poppy War
The Second Apocalypse
Empire of the Vampire
Shattered Sea
The City (Gemmell)
Black Wolves Trilogy

The Circle of the WorldUniverse

universe29 books2006

Grimdark and fantasy, set in secondary world.

“What sets it apart is the honesty of its cynicism — close, sardonic points of view, gallows humour, and a flat refusal to let anyone stay clean.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Blade Itself →

World of Ice and FireUniverse

universe19 books1980

Fantasy and epic fantasy, dark in tone, about political intrigue and war, set in secondary world.

“Winter is coming, and the men who forget it die first.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

MalazanUniverse

universe36 books1999

Epic fantasy, dark in tone, about war, set in secondary world.

“Pity the historian who tries to map this world; pity more the god who thinks he rules it.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

The Poppy WarSeries

seriesR. F. Kuang4 books2018

Grimdark and epic fantasy, dark and tense in tone, about war, set in secondary world.

“The Poppy War follows Rin, a war orphan who tests into an elite military academy and discovers a talent for shamanic power tied to a pantheon of vengeful gods.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Poppy War →

The Second ApocalypseSeries

seriesR. Scott Bakker11 books2003

About faith and religion.

Start with The Knife of Many Hands →

Empire of the VampireSeries

seriesJay Kristoff3 books2021

About vampires.

Start with Empire of the Vampire →

Shattered SeaSeries

seriesJoe Abercrombie4 books2014

About coming of age.

“Yarvi, el hijo menor del rey, nació con una malformación en una mano que ha llevado a todo el mundo, incluso a su propio padre, a considerarlo «medio hombre».”
from the catalogue description of Half a King
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Half a King →

The City (Gemmell)Series

seriesStella Gemmell2 books2013

About rebellion and revolution, set in big city.

“Built up over the millennia, layer upon layer, the City is ancient and vast.”
from the catalogue description of The City

Start with The City →

Black Wolves TrilogySeries

seriesKate Elliott1 book2015

Fantasy and epic fantasy, dark and tense in tone, about war and political intrigue, set in secondary world.

“SOME CHOICES CAN NEVER BE UNDONE.He lost his honor long ago.”
from the catalogue description of Black Wolves

Start with Black Wolves →

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 The Broken Empire?: The Circle of the World — the closest match to The Broken Empire on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with The Broken Empire?: The Red Queen's War. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for The Broken Empire, which is a whole world rather than one run.
How big is The Broken Empire?: The Broken Empire is 27 books across 2 series, 2011–2022.

Books like The Broken Empire: 9 series to read next

Read next in The Broken Empire

Why these

Questions readers ask

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