More like The Second Empire

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World of Ice and FireUniverse
universe19 books1980
Fantasy.
“Winter is coming, and the men who forget it die first.”
from the catalogue
Start with A Game of Thrones →
includes A Song of Ice and Fire, Targaryen History
The Poppy WarSeries
series4 books2018
Fantasy.
“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
Start with The Poppy War →
The Circle of the WorldUniverse
universe29 books2006
Fantasy.
“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
Start with The Blade Itself →
includes The First Law Trilogy, The Age of Madness
MalazanUniverse
universe36 books1999
“Pity the historian who tries to map this world; pity more the god who thinks he rules it.”
from the catalogue
Start with Gardens of the Moon →
includes Malazan Book of the Fallen, Night of Knives, The Kharkanas Trilogy, Path to Ascendancy, Witness Trilogy
The City (Gemmell)Series
series2 books2013
Fantasy, 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
Start with The City →
The Second ApocalypseSeries
series11 books2003
Fantasy, challenging in tone, about faith and religion.
Start with The Darkness That Comes Before →