10 Awesome Authors Every Game of Thrones Fan Needs to Read
6. Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson is the literary equivalent of a butterfly with ADHD. He published his first book, "Elantris", in 2005 and since then has released another fifteen(!) books, covering four series plus several stand alones which he has plans to make into series later. Oh and he also finished the last three Wheel of Time novels following Robert Jordans death. This is a bit of a double edged broadsword as it does mean that you do get loads of excellent new books, but if youre waiting for the next book in a particular series then you could be in for a long wait. Mind you, if youve been reading Martin then you get this anyway, without all the other books in between. Unlike a lot of other authors, he always has very strict rules governing whatever magic system he uses, and it's often more akin to superpowers where his characters have specific abilities. Whereas other writers have the magician conveniently pull a magic solution out of their backside for whatever the situation is, Sanderson has to work within the framework he's set up. For instance, in the Mistborn series the characters draw their powers from metals, different types give different capabilities and most people can only use one sort. The other thing I love about Sanderson he eschews the traditional medieval Europe setting, instead imbuing his worlds with something unique. In the aforementioned Mistborn series there is no colour, and the planet is covered in mists that form every night. In the Stormlight Archive terrible storms roll across the lands and to cope the local flora has evolved so you get flowers made of living stone and creatures made from rock. These differences are never just wallpaper either, they are always integral to the story. Start reading Sanderson and youll be reading one of the most exciting writers around today.