The Best Fantasy Books Like the Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is the most influential fantasy novel of all time. It’s not the most popular. It’s not the most mainstream. For that, look to Harry Potter or Brandon Sanderson. Their fantasy books sell far more copies.

What sets the Lord of the Rings apart is that it’s serious and profound. It confronts mature themes, delves into great detail, and roots itself in a deeply imagined history. It’s timeless quest through a fantasy world that feels real and meaningful.

Few other writers rival Tolkien. But there are indeed a few.

World-building Like the Lord of the Rings

Part of what makes the Lord of the Rings unique is its extensive fantasy world-building. It includes a vast array of languages, cultures, histories, and myths that Tolkien meticulously crafted. His background as a philologist and scholar contributed to the depth and richness of the languages, especially the Elvish languages Quenya and Sindarin.

Few fantasy worlds are as richly imagined. Here are some of them:

• Dune by Frank Herbert. Dune is famous for having some of the best world-building in speculative fiction, even when compared to Tolkien. Mind you, it blends fantasy with science fiction. There are swordfights alongside spaceships. That isn’t for everyone. Moreover, the writing isn’t nearly as eloquent.
• The Second Apocalypse by R Scott Bakker. The Second Apocalypse is one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. I prefer it to the Lord of the Rings. Mind you, it wouldn’t exist without Tolkien’s influence. It takes many of Tolkien’s themes and subverts them. It’s much darker, tenser, and more mature. If you hesitate to read a darker and more mature book, avoid this one.
• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. This isn’t a favourite of mine. Maybe it would have been if I had read it when I was younger. But, the worldbuilding is quite good. Many people adore it. Brandon Sanderson has a larger and more loyal fanbase than Tolkien. The writing is simple and easy to follow. The books are long and offer good value.

Stories Like the Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings has themes of heroism, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. These more human struggles are set against the archetypal war between good and evil.

Plots like these are a dime a dozen. The Lord of the Rings profoundly impacted the fantasy genre, inspiring countless authors to follow in Tolkien’s footseps, writing very similar plots.

What sets the Lord of the Rings apart is that it isn’t afraid of sorrow or tragedy. It goes deeper. It’s concerned with more than offering yet another heroically happy ending. Fortunately, many authors have taken that spirit and run with it, crafting even deeper and more poignant stories.

• Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell. Gemmell began writing while he was dying, racing to finish his first book before he passed away. The story was passionate, urgent, and tragic, and it made him a legend in the fantasy genre. Gemmell managed to survive, hone his craft, and write even better books. This one deals with similar themes as his first one, but the story is much better. It shaped my teenage years, and I’ve read it twice since then.
• The Monarchies of God by Paul Kearney. The story in this series is similarly epic as in the Lord of the Rings. It’s also as deep and historic and perhaps even more gripping. There’s more emphasis on war and battles, less on magic and evil. The story is somewhat darker and tenser.
• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. The story starts so similarly to the Lord of the Rings that it feels like a blatant ripoff. That was intentional, though, and Jordan gleefully subverts our expectations later. I’m neutral on this series. The writing is beautiful, but the plot lacks focus, and the world never convinced me it was real.

A Serious Tone Like the Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings has serious prose and deep, nuanced characters. This stands in sharp contrast to most modern fantasy, which is often somewhat quippy. The heroes are brave badasses who laugh in the face of danger. There’s nary a threat to their lives. Their plot armour is invulnerable, and they know it.

Tolkien preferred a more serious tone. He writes about humbler heroes facing more overwhelming odds. Frodo isn’t a badass. Rather, he’s smaller, weaker, and more naive than the average man of Middle Earth. A single orc can overtake him, and he knows that, so he’s often scared and overwhelmed. The severity of the prose reflects this.

When the author takes his story seriously, it allows us to take it seriously, too.

• The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Nobody writes deeper and more nuanced characters than Hobb. Not even Tolkien. Her writing is beautiful, mature, and rich with meaning. Her plots aren’t as epic as some of the other series on this list. Instead, her stories feel more intimate.
• A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. There’s a reason Game of Thrones was so popular. The books are even better. Martin’s prose is surprisingly immersive. The plot is intricate and realistic, the characters are nuanced, and their motivations feel real. The only downside is that the series isn’t finished and may never be.
• Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. Under Heaven is my favourite of Kay’s books, but you can pick any of them. All of them are beautifully written and feature believable, nuanced characters. He’s often described as being the most poetic fantasy writer. What sets Kay apart is that his worlds are quite similar to ours. There is very little magic there.

Final Book Recommendations

If you want something darker and more mature than the Lord of the Rings, go with The Darkness that Comes Before by R Scott Bakker. It’s the first book in his Second Apocalypse series. The characters, plot, word, and writing style are totally unique, but you’ll notice the similarities to the Lord of the Rings right away. It has religious themes, old wizards, immortal elf-like beings, and mysterious evil forces.

If you want something more character-focused and cozy, go with the Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. It’s the first book in her Farseer Trilogy. It’s slow, beautiful, dark, and mature.

My main recommendation is to read The Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell. It’s a deep, mature, and emotional tale about a young man in a small village rising up against overwhelming odds. If you love the Lord of the Rings, you’ll love these books, too.