Recommend me: lore like Game of Thrones, but only one book

22 days ago by bowsertattoo to c/books

I also don't like Martin's writing style. But I love the lore. I just can't do another series. What's one book that has the kind of worldbuilding that made us all love (and then hate the unfinished state of) A Song of Ice and Fire?

Melobol 11 points 22 days ago

If you only want single book entries, you probably need to go back to classic literature.
Anything that's good will be the victim of its own success and get more installments.

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bowsertattoo -16 points 22 days ago

sound like you just don't know a good one

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Melobol 9 points 22 days ago

I know good classic ones. Not anything from this century, because: capitalism.

Edit here is some amazing ones:
The Count of Monte Cristo — Alexandre Dumas
Anything not just: Las Miserables from Victor Hugo
War and Peace — Leo Tolstoy (this technically was published as several books) it is really fun!
The Brothers Karamazov — Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Red and the Black — Stendhal I do love this tho it has a second one.
The Master and Margarita — Mikhail Bulgakov
Enjoy!

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i_need_your_bones 10 points 22 days ago

Stop teasing us give up those vintage beauts

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Melobol 6 points 22 days ago

Edited my comment, with the list :)

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bowsertattoo 3 points 22 days ago

i actually do have a copy of les mis around here somewhere... are you saying NOT to read that one? lol

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Melobol 3 points 22 days ago

No, that book is just miserable in my book. It is great tho.
Hmm thinking about it the other books from him were not less miserable.

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determinist 1 point 22 days ago

War and Peace is fantastic, one of my favourite books. Good suggestion.

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gazter 8 points 22 days ago

The Hobbit.

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sem 2 points 22 days ago

Such a good book, and perfectly answers the question

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MoonMelon 8 points 22 days ago

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

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SkaveRat 4 points 22 days ago

That's cheating. Stephenson books are a trilogy in a single-book-trenchcoat

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MoonMelon 1 point 21 days ago

Hah, I thought the same thing but technically it passes. Also, world-building wise, I wanted to fucking live in a concent for like five years after reading that book, just being a secular monk tending vegetables and doing math problems with my staff and my sphere. It probably just hit me at the right time, but usually books don't have that effect on me.

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lukecooperatus 6 points 22 days ago

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon fits here.

While it does technically have a sequel (which is a prequel, if I remember correctly) set in the same universe, the first book is a complete story unto itself.

The world feels vast and detailed, and the characters are satisfying. Samantha Shannon's prose is great as well. Highly enjoyable book!

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TheMinions 4 points 22 days ago

It’s really hard to compare (nearly complete) series with a standalone book.

Maybe try Mistborn: The Final Empire, and just read that specific entry of the Mistborn series and ignore all the other Cosmere books.

Unfortunately I’m not very good an answering this question, because I often go for long running fantasy series and not one off books.

I’m assuming you’re looking for something in the realm of high fantasy, right? Or are you genre-flexible?

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Scrath 2 points 22 days ago

The first mistborn book is great. While the rest of the series is also quite good, imo it just does not quite reach the level of the first book. Fortunately, that one can be read standalone.

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bowsertattoo 1 point 22 days ago

was looking for high fantasy, i already read a lot of sci fi

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Smeagol666 3 points 22 days ago

The Dosadi Experiment by Frank Herbert. There was a previous book called Whipping Star that sets up the universe, but it's not necessary to enjoy Dosadi.

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Okokimup 3 points 22 days ago

Clive Barker's books are good for this. If you want fantasy in particular, try Imajica and Weaveworld.

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Hazel 2 points 22 days ago

River of Gods by Ian McDonald.

And probably his other books also, but I haven't read them yet.

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PolandIsAStateOfMind 1 point 22 days ago

In single standalone book? That's a bit of challenge. Try Dune book 1, Brandon Sanderson Elantris and Warbreaker, Henryk Sienkiewicz The Knights of the Cross and Trilogy (Trilogy can be read as 3 separate books though, it's tied more by general topic and historical period than by any plot). Also Martin's Fire and Blood, it's finished and the writing style is different than ASoIaF.

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bowsertattoo 1 point 22 days ago

thanks for the recs! i do love the first dune as a standalone book. i think that's a good example since even thought there's sequels it was intended as a single book and works alone

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frank 1 point 22 days ago

Okay it's 3 books but they're short and it has an ending lol

The silo series (wool, shift, dust)

Also I would check out the Mistborn series. It's more books, but many of them (like mistborn) can stand alone and be a great story. Insanely good world building, some of the most unique out there I think

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bowsertattoo 1 point 22 days ago

i appreciate it has an ending, but im also a slow reader and not looking for any series.

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MantisToboggon 1 point 22 days ago

The book of Mormon.

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Nutteman 3 points 22 days ago

That's the 3rd in a trilogy.

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