Pierce Brown's Red Rising stole my heart, held it up, and whispered through a smile, "See this? This is mine, now." Don't let the "Young Adult" label on its Goodreads page fool you; Red Rising is peak science fic?tion, an unflinching story of rebel??lion that unfolds against the backdrop of outer space.

We're still waiting for the next installment of the Red Rising series to hit bookstore shelves, but that doesn't mean fans of Pierce Brown's epic sci-fi saga have to go hungry. The world of sci-literature is bustling with books that will let you relive that electric thrill you felt when you leafed through Red Rising's first chapter for the first time, and I've picked out ten of ??the best I've read.

10. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Let’s start with another book about the red planet and the plight of those who live on it. The ethical implications of terraforming have always fascinated me. I mean, what right do we as a species have to alter the topography and meteorology of another planet, anyway? That’s just one of the many fascinating questions raised by Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars.

This book follows the tribulations of the first wave of Martian colonists as they struggle to create a sustainable civilization. Resource shortages, logistical issues, and a profound ideological divide over the morality of terraforming keep the tension high and character dynamics fluid from start to finish. Despite this, Robinson keeps hope alive by dropping plenty of wh??olesome moments of camaraderie and hopeful twists of fortune.

9. The Mars House by Natasha Pulley

Many books explore humanity's efforts to terraform Mars, but far fewer dare to dream of what a society on the red planet might look like. The Mars House by Natasha Pulley do??es precisely that. January, one of many Earth-born ex-pats ostracized by the citizens of Mars for their comparatively superior strength and size, agrees to wed Aubrey Gale, a cynical Martian senator, to save himself. As the political situation worsens on the R?ed Planet, January and Gale’s political marriage–and the genuine bond they form�may be the only thing that can save the world they both call home.

The Mars House kicks around a few heavy subjects: the impact of climate change, the treatment of refugees, and the many ways ableism manifests itself in the modern world. No matter how grim things get, Pulley’s thoughtful, tender prose keeps the story from drifting too far into the darkness, pushing an inspiring, engaging message of the healing power of love and understanding that made me just a little optimistic about space travel. It also doubles as a charming romance novel.

8. Legend by Marie Lu

When I think of teen sci-fi, my mind almost always drifts into the passionate, ungovernable world of YA dystopia novels. This is my way of saying Legend by Marie Lu won't be the on??ly Y.A book on this list. June Iparis and Daniel "Day" Altan Wing exist on opposite ends of the stratified Republic of America; the daughter of a prominent military family and an impoverished revolutionary from the slums. As one would expect, paths cross, conspiracies are unmasked, and romance looms.

Legend's narrative takes many of the same ques as Red Rising's, cataloging an oppressed underclass’s rebellion against a prejudicial system. Like Brown, Lu knows how to write a cast of characters you’ll feel compelled to root for and craft a system of power you want to see burned to the ground. Espionage, political intrigue, and bouts o?f cathartic violence keep the pace electric throughout, but Lu never lets her characters' inner turmoil and growing relationships fall to t??he wayside, either.

7. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

The cyberpunk genre loves to explore the darker aspects of technological progress, and Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan is one of the best examples of this. Takeshi Kovacs, a soldier-turned-cr??iminal sentenced to spend eternity as a disembodied, digitized consciousness, gets the deal of a life?time when the copy of an influential business magnate hires him to solve his template’s murder.

Altered Carbon is a gritty, cynical neo-noir reflected through a pristine, condensed cyberpunk prism. Korvacs shares quite a few traits with Red Rising’s Darrow; their minds occupy a body that isn’t theirs anymore, and a deep sense of justice drives them to challenge tyrants and upend a calcified status quo. If you ever wanted to see what would happen if Red Rising met Cyberpunk 2077, this book is for you.

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I adore subversive, genre-jumping retelling of classic fairy tales, and few are more twisted than Cinder by Marrissa Meyer. A cyberpunk reimagining of Cinderella, Cinder’s incarn??ation of the titular put-upon step-daughter is a cyborg mechanic who winds up caught in a vicious power struggle between the rulers of a post-apocalyptic Earth and the civilization that’s cropped up on the Moon.

Cinder does what all the best fairy tale rearrangements do: takes everything that made the original story great and translates it into a new setting. At its core, Cinder is a story about an abused girl rising, overcoming her trauma, and discovering her self-worth. It’s also a top-shelf pi??ece of sci-fi fiction that tackles space travel, class conflict, and forbi?dden romance.

5. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is best known for his massive, interconnected fantasy universe, but Steelheart proves he can also write good sci-fi. After a mysterio??????????????????????????us celestial object clipped through Earth’s orbit and turned a small percent into superpowered “Epics,�the world has become a feudalist nightmare ruled by those claiming to be superheroes. When the Epic Steelheart murders his father, David Charleston joins a secret resistant movement hellbent on killing Epics.

The world-building of Steelheart isn’t as deep as it is in Sanderson’s other work, but he more than makes up for it by delivering an electrifying deconstruction of the superhero genre. We’ve all seen (or at least heard) of The Boys; we all know how terrifying superheroes can be when they decide they don’t have to answer t??o the people they fly over. Sanderson uses his incredible literary gifts to explore this idea further than most, and he also lets us feel how satisfying it would be to bring a self-proclaimed god to their knees.

4. The Expanse by James S. A. Corey

Many sci-fi stories have examined the socioeconomic divide that will probably form between the people of Earth and those who end up living on other planets. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey takes this simple idea and elevates it to epic space opera proportions. The destruction of the ice-hauling ship Canterbury brings the deeply splintered galaxy to the brink of war, and those who survived the ship’s downfall have no choice but to pull together and find out what really happened??.

Leviathan Wakes leans harder into hard sci-fi than any other book on this list, examining what an intergalactic human society running off slower-than-light space travel could look like and the problems that might plague it. If the top-notch sci-fi world-building doesn’t play you, the intense plot, driven by some incredibly engaging characters,? will.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I don't get nightmares very often, but the few I wrestle with almost always involve some terrifying creature I don’t have the luxury of seeing chasing me through a claustrophobic space. The Maze Runner by James Dashner t??aps into humanity’s collective, primordial fear of?? being hunted. Thomas wakes up in the heart of a massive labyrinth, unable to remember anything except his name. All he knows is that if he wants to get out, he’ll have to make it through the maze without becoming lunch for the monsters inside it.

The Maze Runner's premise is about as engaging as it gets, with a plot that starts as a slow burn before exploding into a breakneck race. Like Red Rising’s Darrow, The Maze Runner’s Thomas runs a brutal gauntlet that forces him to become the revolutionary destined to free his people from the walls that bind them. With a new film on the way, now’s the perfect time to learn why this series became one?????????????????????????? of the most successful products of the late-2000s?? YA boom.

2. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Yet another proud member of the “corporatocratic space travel sucks�party, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff narrows its narrative focus around the story of two people caught in a conflict they never asked to be part of. When a war between two megacorporations levels their colony, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason hitch a ride on one of the last escape vessels. Unfortunately, that vessel has a few minor issues: a plague is spreading through its halls, its managing A.I. might be ?insane, and one of the aggressing corporations�warships is hot on its tail.

Illuminae’s isn't written like most other space operas. Instead, we learn Kady and Ezra’s story through interviews, emails, transcripts, and documents presented at a trial. I initially had a hard time understanding the book’s unconventional style. Still, my desire to see the e??nd of the electrifying tale it told gave me more than enough motivati??on to push through my initial frustration.

1. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Literature inspires literature, and that’s okay. Red Rising shares much in common with The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins,? but that doesn't mean the two books are carbon copies. If anything, their similarities prove that the struggle between social classes is engaging and relevant, especially if you throw fun sci-fi elements into the mix.

With that said, it’s hard to deny how well The Hunger Games�plot and themes align with those of Red Rising. Katniss Everdeen’s struggle against the Capital might induce deva-vu in those familiar with Darren’s blood feud with the Golds, and both book’s villainous regimes love to partake in genetic manipulation. If you’re looking for something to scratch that Red Rising itch, you will find it in the pages of The Hunger Games.

The post 10?? Best Books Like Red? Rising for Sci-Fi Thrills (Ranked) appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite what many may assume, and irrespective of the sheer number of books out there?, Fantasy and Epic Fantasy are still burgeoning genres in fiction.

For centuries, writers constrai?ned themselves to literary drama and kept clear of mythology but for a few allusions here and there. And then came Professor Tolkien, a linguist with a knack for names and an even greater gift for the imaginative, who, in his toil, started a movement that reconciled literary fiction with mythological storytelling and set th??e foundations for much of what we today refer to as speculative fiction.

Over the decades since the release of The Lord of the Rings, many writers have picked up the gauntlet and put their own spins on this ever-evolving genre. Picking 10 out of dozens and dozens of these brilliant wordsmiths and inspired storytellers is a bit of a grating task. Still, I th??ink we can all agree that there are certain names whose legacy remains unforgettable when it comes down to it.

C. S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the most influential fantasy book series ever. To say that Lewis has ??had a hand in shaping the genre storytelling landscape would be a huge understatement because the world of Narnia is now not only a gateway to children’s literature but also one of the most deli??berative works of fiction. Many popular contemporary fantasy stories like The Magicians, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians trace their roots to Lewis�work in the early �0s.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Speaking of authors who themselves have helped define a whole generation of storytellers, Ursula K. Le Guin deserves a spot on this list for her many contributions to the genre through The Earthsea Cycle. Her novel A Wizard of Earthsea, now considered a classic of adventure fantasy, is the perfect blend of traditional fantasy (alluding to Tolkien) tropes and modern sociopolitical elements. Neil Gaiman has repeatedly cited the award-winning novelist and poet as a huge influence on his craft, while many other great name??s like Margaret Atwood, N. K. Jemisin, and Patrick Rothfuss haven’t been far behin?d in heaping praise on K. Le Guin’s enormous legacy.

George R.R. Martin

There have been many worldbuilders and storytellers after Tolkien, but George R.R. Martin is one of the few who seems to have it all: A knack for crafting fictional places and histories, mastery of prose that com??es off as neither flowery nor bland, and the capacity to come up with extremely compelling characters. All of that has turned Game of Thrones and the world of Westeros into one of the most influential works of fantasy in the past few decades. And sure, much to the dissatisfaction of his enormous fanbase, Martin has yet to bring the series to a conclusion, but that by no means diminishes his influence on the genre. Some creatives certainly take their time getting there, but there’s no denying that the wait is worth it when they do.

Brandon Sanderson

If there’s one name out there who has been as influential as Martin, if not more, it’s the prolific and relentless writing machine who goes by the name of Brandon Sanderson. As the creator of such highly acclaimed works as Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, the last three Wheel of Time books, and dozens of other praised novels, Sanderson is currently the king and champion of the Epic Fantasy gen??re. Sanderson is known for his intricate worldbuilding, complex magic systems, nuanced characters, and gob-smacking twists. He’s also the one fantasy author you can trust to always deliver his sequels on schedule.

Neil Gaiman

Known for popular books like Stardust, Coraline, American Gods, Good Omens, and The Sandman comic series, Neil Gaiman is one of the most prominent figures of literary fiction right now. Gaiman is often praised ??for his versatility in weaving together different genres, his talent for lyrical and deeply allusive prose, and his massive influence on pop culture. Many of Gaiman’s works have been adapted into films, animations, television shows, and graphic novels. Gaiman’s self-desc?ribed mission is to “make good art,�and he’s been at it for as long as he’s been able to hold a pen.

Robert Jordan

There are a lot of similarities between Robert Jordan and J. R. R. Tolkien. Both were veterans of a vicious war, Tolkien in the trenches of World War I and Jordan in the unforgiving deltas of Vietnam. Both filled the void left by that terrible experience through telling stories. Both have been credited as heralds and pioneers of the Epic Fantasy genre. Perhaps it would be no hyperbole to suggest that Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time was the true heir to The Lord of the Rings and the most popular work in the genre until J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter took the world by storm. Even now, The Wheel of Time remains the perfect bridge between J. R. R. Tolkien’s traditional take on mythology and George R. R. Martin and many other contemporaries�newer, grimmer spin on the genre. Indeed, in many ways, The Wheel of Time features the best of both worlds.

J. K. Rowling

These days, Rowling is a figure of controversy, engulfed in the culture war raging between conservatives and liberals, but there was a time when everyone with a love for fantasy and the speculative genre had become obsessed with her story of The Boy Who Lived. With over 500 million sales, Harry Potter is still the best-selling fantasy book series of all time, and Rowling’s Wizarding World remains a sensational escapist abode for its dedicated community. Granted, the story may have been derivative to some extent, but there’s no arguing the magic of Harry Potter is still? very much real, nor is there any doubt that Rowling has change??d the game forever.

Patrick Rothfuss

The idea of The Kingkiller Chronicle was to come up with a fantasy story that not only combines elements from different subgenres but also renovates them in inventive ways. It took Patrick Rothfuss more than ten years to finish drafting and revising The Name of the Wind, but all of that toil was well worth it for a book that became a sensational hit in the Epic Fantasy community. The tale of Kvothe Kingkiller is chock full of emotion, adventure??, wisdom, and folly, and Rothfuss�flowery prose guarantees a reading experience unlike anything you’ve come across before. We could criticize Rothfuss for failing to release the third and final book in the series through all these years �and rightly so �but there’s no denying that The Kingkiller Chronicle will go down as one of the most influential works of Epic Fantasy and on a larger scale, fiction.

Robin Hobb

Serving as a huge influence on many contemporaries like Rothfuss, George R.R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb remains a behemoth of the genre thanks to his Realm of the Elderlings series, more famously known as the Farseer saga. Robin’s prose is powerful and enchanting, her character work is incredibly compelling and driven, and her themes are dark and contemplative. The Farseer Trilogy might remind you of some of the best qualities in Game of Thrones, but the series as a whole has much more to offer. Be forewarned, though; where Hobb treads, unspeak?able, heart-rending tragedy is not far behind.

J. R. R. Tolkien

When talking a?bout the greatest authors in the history of speculative storytelling, you can’t fail to include J.R.R. Tolkien �and not merely for spearheading the literary movement. Even now, no author has managed to soar quite as high as Tolkien did regarding worldbuilding. What the Oxford linguist professor did with his so-called “Legendarium�is the history of an entire universe mirroring our own. The story of creation, the song of Ainulindalë, the fall of Melkor, the tale of the Silmarils, the woes of Beren and Lúthien Tinúviel, the War of Wrath, the reappearance of Sauron, and lastly, the War of the Ring, all comprise a tale unlike any other.

The post 10 best fantasy authors of all time appeared first on Destructoid.

Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere is arguably the most ambitious interconnected fantasy universe out?? there, and since these books have been decades in the making, it’s not surprising to find that they vary in quality.

Indeed, books like The Way of Kings and The Final Empire are separated by more than just a star system within this fictional? world. Sanderson’s writing has undergone massive shifts over the years, usually for the better, and his storytelling chops get more and more intricate as we move forward in what can only be called epic fantasy’s equivalent of the MCU.

Note that this isn’t a Cosmere reading order recommendation, nor an absolutely objective ranking of Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels �if that would even be possible. This is an overview of Sanderson’s two-decade career, highlighting how the aspiring fantasy author has evolved into a maestro of the genre and what those developments have entailed. Here follows every maj?or release in the Cosmere, ranked from worst to best.

21. Elantris

Elantris was the first-published Brandon Sanderson novel. Taking place in the titular city of Elantris, this debut book revolves around an ensemble of humans turned into demigods, with the ability to live forever and heal whatever ill afflicts normal people. But disaster strikes when an unknown curse befalls Elantris and turns its populace into a host of the undead, unable to die and always in pain. Elantris is very inventive in t??erms of worldbuilding, but Sanderson’s pros??e is very rough. To this day, I think Sanderson’s first novel remains his worst, and should in no way be considered a gateway into his Cosmere.

20. Dawnshard

Dawnshard is a Stormlight Archive spinoff centering around Rysn. It takes place after Oathbringer (the third Stormlight book) and as such should be read after that book. Fan-favorite characters like Lopen and Navani Kholin appear in this novella, but I personally never found the Rysn interludes in the main Stormlight Archive all that compelling, and certainly not enoug?h to warrant a novella of her own.

19. White Sand

White Sand is a series of graphic novels taking place in the desert world of Taldain. It features a unique magic system that involves sand, with the story following a Sand Master named Kenton. The White Sand world can serve as a great palate cleanser, especially after reading Sanderson’s chunkier novels like The Stormlight Archive that easily go above 1000 pages.

18. Edgedancer

Now if there ever was a character needing a novella of her own, it would be Lift. The odd Reshi who consumes food and turns it into Investiture to slide her way to mischief is one of the best comic relief heroes in the entire Cosmere. Edgedancer takes place after Words of Radiance (the second Stormlight book) and features Lift as the main character. It’s certainly not among Sanderson’s best works, but who cares about that when you’ve got Lift running, or rather, slidin??g loose in a story of her own?

17. Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

Arcanum Unbounded is a must-have for Cosmere stans because it includes a host of shorts and novellas detailing what happens in the backdrop of some of these main stories. The Eleventh Metal and Secret History are both part of this anthology book, and they give readers more insight into what went down behind the scenes in the original Mistborn trilogy.

16. The Alloy of Law (Wax & Wayne #1)

Taking place many years after the first trilogy, The Alloy of Law thrusts readers into the second Mistborn era, this time in a steampunk setting, and introduces them to Wax and Wayne. Given how brilliantly The Final Empire sets up the Mistborn world, a lot of readers were partially underwhelmed by how The Alloy of Law picked up the narrative. But then again, you can’t always expect Sanderson to write acclaimed page-tur??ners. After all, even the Brando Sando machine is prone to churning out mediocre books every now and again.

15. The Sunlit Man

The fourth Secret Project from Sanderson’s most-backed Kickstarter campaign of all time, The Sunlit Man takes place in the space age of the Cosmere, more than ten-thous??and years following the Shattering of Adonalsium. It follows the story of a person named Nomad, who h?as gained immortality and is escaping a mercenary band called the Night Brigade by hopping between Cosmere worlds. But there’s more to this Nomad person than meets the eye, and learning his true identity will leave you utterly flabbergasted.

14. Shadows of Self (Wax & Wayne #2)

Shadows of Self is the second book in the Wax & Wayne series, continuing to chronicle the adventures of its titular characters in the world of Scadrial. Shadows of Self is a huge improvement over Alloy of Law and actually sets up an interesting narrative for the next two sequels. It also marks the first time where we? see how technology and magic interact within the Cosmere narrative.

13. Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4)

The fourth Stormlight Novel entertained a painfully sluggish pace and featured a ton of filler subplots. That’s not to say Rhythm of War isn’t important or any good. In fact, if this book had been 300-400 pages shorter, I would’ve loved every second of reading it. But as it stands, Rhythm of War is probably the ??weakest? novel in Sanderson’s so-called Magnum Opus.

12. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

The story takes place on the planet Komashi, where the shard of Virtuosity has shattered herself. Our favorite world-hopper and storyteller Hoid is trapped on Komashi, and he tells readers the story of Yumi, a highly powerful individual in this world, and Nikaro, who is a nightmare painter contracted by the government to stop the nightmares released from the Shroud. The epic factor takes a back seat for this particular outing, because Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is, at its heart, a romantic story.

11. The Lost Metal (Wax & Wayne #4)

The Lost Metal brought the story of Waxillium Ladrian and Wayne to a satisfying conclusion. While you’d generally be hard-pressed to rank any of the Wax & Wayne books higher than the first Mistborn era, the end of this saga will bring you to tears, and that is a testament to Sanderson’s abili??ty to write compelling characters and interesting narratives, even if at times it might feel like things can’t possibly come so neatly together.

10. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)

The first book in the Mistborn trilogy and the story that made Sanderson’s name, The Final Empire takes readers to the planet Scadrial, where a tyrannical god-emperor called the Lord Ruler is presiding over a world on the brink of catastrophe. The Final Empire tells the tale of a band of misfit rebels as they try to bring together the slave class to topple this invincible, immortal god-emperor. Many fans and Sanderson himself recommend The Final Empire as an entry point into the Cosmere narrative.

9. The Bands of Mourning (Wax & Wayne #3)

As mentioned earlier, the second Mistborn era, more commonly known as the Wax & Wayne series, fails to soar to the same heights as the original trilogy, but there’s an exception to this rule, and that exception is The Bands of Mourning. There’s much brilliant character work underlying this second-to-last chapter in the story, and the events that lead up to the finale will leave you enthralled. Every Brandon Sanderson fan should read the second Mistborn era, if for nothing besides experiencing the sheer awesomeness of The Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal.

8. Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald Sea was the first Secret Project to be released following Sanderson’s Kickstarter campaign. The novel started as a personal gift to Sanderson’s wife, but when the book was finished and read by her, she convinced Sanderson to release it. Now, Tress of the Emerald Sea is among the author’s best published novels, with many fans even putting it in their top 5 Cosmere list. Hoid is back, and this time he tells a story that took place in years long past. Tress of the Emerald Sea is intimate, heartfelt, s??incere, and a great read overall, even if you don’t understand the obvious Cosmere re??ferences sprinkled throughout the book.

7. The Emperor’s Soul

The Emperor’s Soul won the Hugo Award for best novella in 2013. This short story revolves around a thief named Shai, who gets caught during her latest hustle. Shai also practices magical forgery, which is convenient for her in this case, because the emperor has been left brain-dead following an assassination attempt. The monarch’s advisors petition Shai to forge a new soul for the emperor and earn her freedom. Shai and Gaotona, one of the emperor’s advisors, research his life and try to understand where a man of ideals went wrong, all in an attempt to rec??onstruct his soul in 100 days.

6. The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)

While The Well of Ascension is not an action-heavy book, it does pack a lot of philosophical dilemmas into its narrative. How do people tackle the socio-economic problems of an empire that is steadily burning in the fires of greed and hatred? Is there a case to be made for democracy? What does it mean to pick up the mantle of a leader? And the best thing about The Well of Ascension is the mind-numbing twist at the end of the book. I’ve been bamboozled by stories and books and narratives more times than I can count, but the second Mistborn boo?k will always have a special place in my heart.

5. Warbreaker

Sanderson is one of the most prolific writers alive, but despite publishing more than 30 novels, he’s still mostly known for a select few. Warbreaker is one of them, detailing the story of two sister princesses, Vivenna and Siri, when they get embroiled in a political conflict between their nation of Idris and the rival kingdom of Hallandren. Warbreaker also marks the debut of a prominent Stormlight character and has been well-received by fans and critics alike. And the best part? You can head over to Sanderson's official website right now and read Warbreaker for free.

4. Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3)

The third Stormlight Novel centers around the origin story of one of the protagonists, Dalinar Kholin, a.k.a. Blackthorn. It also includes the biggest battle against the Voidbringers as the Knights Radiant come together to thwart their assault on one of the Rosharan countries. If we consider The Stormlight Archive to be first and foremost a book about moral philosophy, then Oathbringer is where that point reaches a powerful crescendo.

3. The Hero of Ages (Mistborn #3)

The culmination of the first Mistborn era happens in The Hero of Ages. Having learned the buried truth about their world, Vin, Elend, and the rest of the gang have to race against the most primordial force in existence to save Scadrial from devastation. The Hero of Ages is a great book, and beyond that, a testament to Brandon Sanderson’s ability to weave a very complex narrative together. Almost every plot thread from the trilogy has a satisfying payoff in The Hero of Ages, and every character finds their resolution to one degree or another by the end of the book. Mistborn certainly has its ups and downs, but read all three books and you ?begin to understand why people often bring up its name when talking about the best fantasy books in history.

2. Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2)

The second Stormlight Archive book continues Kaladin Stormblessed’s story in the war camps. Shallan Davar is also joining the frontlines to investigate the Voidbringers, while Dalinar Kholin struggles to form an alliance with the Highprinces and defeat the Parshendi once and for all. Things come to a head when the Alethi plan a decisive offensive against the Parshendi, little knowing that the strange marbled creatures have plans of their own. No matter how far Sanderson goes, Words of Radiance will remain one of his best books. (It might interest you to know Words of Radiance is also the highest-rated book on Goodreads, followed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom.)

1. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1)

I have zero doubts that The Way of Kings is a literary achievement that will be studied many years from now. Setting up one of the most ambitious and imaginative fantasy worlds ever attempted, The Way of Kings came out in 2010 and began The Stormlight Archive in earnest, introducing us to unforgettable characters like Kaladin Stormblessed, Shallan Davar, and Dalinar Kholin. Kaladin’s character arc and backstory, Dalinar’s struggles with his unsettling visions, the trials of Bridge Four, and ultimately, the build-up to the final battle on the Shattered Plains and its aftermath, are all a masterclass in superb storytelling. The Way of Kings is, without a doubt, Sanderson’s crowning achievemen?t as a fantasy author.

Forthcoming works set in the Cosmere

The next Stormlight book is coming out on December 6, 2024. Titled Wind and Truth, this fifth installment will conclude the first Stormlight arc. Sanderson will follow that up with another secret project called Isles of the Emberdark. Then we’ll be off to the third Mistborn era, set in the post-industrial pe??riod, equivalent to our own 1?980s.

After we're finished with the third Mistborn series, Cosmere stans can expect to see one or two sequels for Elantris, followed by the second Stormlight Archive arc, spanning another five books. Sanderson will probably release a couple of spinoff novels and novellas along the way too, and then, the entire Cosmere will come together for a definitive conclusion in the fourth science fiction-themed Mistborn era.

The post Brandon Sanderson’s entire Cosmere universe, ranked from worst to best appeared first on Destructoid.