10 Awesome Authors Every Game of Thrones Fan Needs to Read
7. Peter Brett
Peter V Brett is only three (published) novels into his career but hes already one of the most eagerly anticipated authors out there. His series is the Demon Cycle, set in the land of Thesa, once populated by millions, but now just four cities and the outlying villages remain. The reason? The world is plagued by demons who rise out of the ground every night, killing everyone that isnt protected behind magic wards. The choice of demons as bad guys is a good one, theyre more evil than orcs, cleverer than zombies, and not at all mopey like vampires seem to be these days. These ones come in numerous varieties, including speedy fire demons, mountainous rock demons, and extremely scary mind demons amongst others. They are mainly crazed beasts, desperate to kill anything living and they are more than a match for the humans. Yet it isnt the demons that drive this story, its the characters themselves and their reactions and responses to this constant threat. It all comes down to those two pillars of evolution, survival and reproduction. In fact (not that Ive investigated) but Id say there are more sex scenes and references to sex in this series than in Game of Thrones. Yes, I know, I didnt think that was possible either. It isn't particularly gratuitous; its just not such a taboo subject in a world where the human race is under threat of extinction. The big question is whether humankind can defeat the demons, and the prophecies speak of a Deliverer who will lead them in victory. Brett cleverly sets up a situation where we have two potential Deliverers and the tensions that arise from this mean that they are likely to fight each other rather than the real enemy outside the wards. Brett isnt the fastest of writers (though compared to Martin hes James Patterson) but the excellent characterisation, intriguing plot and really cool central concept make this a series worth the wait.