10 Awesome Authors Every Game of Thrones Fan Needs to Read
2. David Eddings
If all the incest, infanticide and general darkness get you down after a while, then Eddings is an excellent antidote. The Belgariad and Mallorean series are epic (in the traditional sense of the word, not just I want you to look at my video as it seems to mean now), spanning twelve books and 7000 years of history, but dont have the same levels of despair and misery that permeate GOT. Whereas if you saw the Lannisters coming towards you youd cross to the other side (of the country), youd be quite happy to ride with Eddings characters forever. At the start of the book we are introduced to Garion as a young boy, growing up with his Aunt Pol and occasionally being visited by the vagrant storyteller Mister Wolf. Soon he finds himself riding with a group of heroes, including the most powerful sorcerer in history, struggling to deal with being the focus point of conflicting prophecies, both of which end with him in a fight to the death with the evil God Torak. Thats your luck isnt it? This is traditional fantasy at its finest. We have a child growing into his inheritance, an ancient prophecy, legendary artefacts, dark versus the light, all the elements of a heroic fantasy that resonate so strongly. The characters are so well written that by the end of it you know them better than your own family, and you can afford to get attached to them as they (nearly) all make it to the end alive. This is a series I have returned to more than any other.