The Lies of Locke Lamora
Scott Lynch
A clever orphan turned thief leads a band of con artists in a canal city of nobles and gangsters, in a witty, profane and sometimes brutal adventure.
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Books like The Name of the Wind
The Name of the Wind has a legendary wizard, now an innkeeper, tell the story of his youth, from a traveling troupe to a university of magic. These seven fantasy novels bring more gifted heroes, rich worlds and long, absorbing reading.
Books to read next
Mistborn: The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
In a land where ash falls and a god-emperor rules, a crew of thieves plans a heist with a street girl who has a hidden gift, in a tightly plotted fantasy.
Assassin's Apprentice
Robin Hobb
A royal bastard raised in the stables is secretly trained as an assassin, in a first-person coming-of-age story full of loneliness and loyalty.
The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson
On a world scoured by storms, a long war fought with magical swords and armor opens an epic cycle, in a big, slow-burning and immersive first volume.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin
A gifted, proud young wizard learns the cost of power at a school of magic, in a compact, thoughtful classic.
The Eye of the World
Robert Jordan
Young villagers are led away from their quiet home by a mysterious woman who warns of a rising darkness, in the first of a very long series.
Uprooted
Naomi Novik
A village girl chosen to serve a reclusive wizard in his tower must also face a spreading, corrupted forest, in a fairy-tale fantasy that stands alone.
How to choose
Pick by what you loved about Kvothe's story. For a gifted hero at a school of magic, A Wizard of Earthsea is the compact classic. For a clever young protagonist in a heist story, try The Lies of Locke Lamora or Mistborn. Assassin's Apprentice is a first-person tale of a lonely young man, much like Kvothe telling his own life. The Way of Kings and The Eye of the World are huge, immersive epics that open long series, while Uprooted stands alone. Several are dark: Locke Lamora is profane and violent, Mistborn and The Way of Kings include slavery and war, The Way of Kings also suicidal thoughts, Assassin's Apprentice includes abuse and cruelty, and Uprooted includes an attempted sexual assault and a sex scene. Read the content notes before you start.
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