Series

Books like Under Heaven: 9 series to read next

Under Heaven is historical fantasy, about political intrigue and war, set in east asia, bittersweet in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Under Heaven is 2 books, 2010–2013.

“Set in Kitai, a fantasy analogue of Tang-dynasty China centered on the capital Xinan, it is a story of court intrigue and personal survival rather than epic-fantasy world-war.”
from the catalogue description

The Under Heaven page →Narrow this list →

Sarantine Universe
The Radiant Emperor
Deryni
World of Ice and Fire
Zimiamvian Trilogy
The Circle of the World
Initiate Brother
The Riftwar
Shards of Empire

Sarantine UniverseSeries

seriesGuy Gavriel Kay8 books1995

Historical fantasy, reflective in tone, about political intrigue.

“Each novel stands alone, but together they trace centuries of the same fictional world, distinct from Kay's separate Sarantine Mosaic duology.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Last Light of the Sun →

The Radiant EmperorSeries

seriesShelley Parker-Chan2 books2021

Dark in tone, about rebellion and revolution.

“The Radiant Emperor reimagines the rise of the founder of a Chinese dynasty as a peasant girl who takes on her dead brother's identity and destiny to survive famine and war, rising through ambition and deception toward the throne.”
from the catalogue description

Start with She Who Became the Sun →

DeryniUniverse

universe44 books1970

Tense in tone.

“In the kingdom of Gwynedd, power is at once a sacrament and a heresy.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

World of Ice and FireUniverse

universe19 books1980

Epic fantasy, dark in tone.

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

Reading order →

Zimiamvian TrilogySeries

seriesE. R. Eddison4 books1922

Epic fantasy.

“Dissolution of the realm seems certain as alliances are formed and begin to intrigue against each other.”
from the catalogue description of Mistress of Mistresses
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Mistress of Mistresses →

The Circle of the WorldUniverse

universe29 books2006

Grimdark.

“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 →

Initiate BrotherSeries

seriesSean Russell2 books1991

Adventurous and tense in tone.

“Among those out of favor with the new liege is the Order of the Botahist Monks, whose mystical powers have enabled them to hold positions as Spiritual Advisers to the Imperial court for nearly ten centuries.”
from the catalogue description of The Initiate Brother

Start with The Initiate Brother →

The RiftwarUniverse

universe44 books1982

Epic fantasy.

“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 →

Shards of EmpireSeries

seriesSusan Shwartz2 books1996

Tense in tone, about faith and religion, set in europe.

“In the tenth century, the center of the world is not Rome, but Byzantium.”
from the catalogue description

Start with Shards of Empire →

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 Under Heaven?: Sarantine Universe — the closest match to Under Heaven on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Under Heaven?: Under Heaven. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Under Heaven.
How big is Under Heaven?: Under Heaven is 2 books, 2010–2013.

Books like Under Heaven: 9 series to read next

Read next in Under Heaven

Why these

Questions readers ask

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