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Quick answer: If you loved Edgedancer, read Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, then Pierce Brown's Red Rising, then J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon and Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule. All are epic fantasy with heart.
Brandon Sanderson's Edgedancer is a novella in the Stormlight Archive. These picks share its worldbuilding.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie | Adult | readers who like grimdark |
| Red Rising | Pierce Brown | 15+ | older teens who like sci-fi epics |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | 9-14 | a classic dragon story |
| The Lord of the Rings | J.R.R. Tolkien | All ages | readers who want the source |
| Gardens of the Moon | Steven Erikson | Adult | readers who want a deep series |
| Wizard's First Rule | Terry Goodkind | Adult | the series opener |
| Magician | Raymond E. Feist | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| Lord Foul's Bane | Stephen R. Donaldson | Adult | readers who want an anti-hero |
| A Wizard of Earthsea | Ursula K. Le Guin | All ages | readers who prefer shorter books |
| The Warded Man | Peter V. Brett | Adult | the Demon Cycle start |
| Kings of the Wyld | Nicholas Eames | Adult | readers who want humor |
| The Goblin Emperor | Katherine Addison | Adult | readers who like courtly drama |
| Foundryside | Robert Jackson Bennett | Adult | readers who like heists |
| City of Stairs | Robert Jackson Bennett | Adult | more Bennett |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | 13+ | fans of a girl chosen for a destiny |
1. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Logen Ninefingers, Inquisitor Glokta and Captain Jezal begin a story of war and treachery. Grim and funny.
Best for: readers who like grimdark.
2. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Darrow, a miner on Mars, infiltrates the ruling class to overthrow it. It is violent and mature, but fast and gripping.
Best for: older teens who like sci-fi epics.
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins leaves his comfortable hole to join thirteen dwarves and the wizard Gandalf in reclaiming treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. The original dragon quest and a good read-aloud.
Best for: a classic dragon story.
4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The founding epic of modern fantasy. A quest to destroy the One Ring.
Best for: readers who want the source.
5. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
The first of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, a dense, epic series. Complex and ambitious.
Best for: readers who want a deep series.
6. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
The first Sword of Truth book. Richard meets Kahlan and the wizard Zedd. Start here if you are new.
Best for: the series opener.
7. Magician by Raymond E. Feist
Pug, a boy at a castle, becomes a powerful magician as two worlds fight. A classic of epic fantasy.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
8. Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
Thomas Covenant, a leper, finds himself in a magical Land. Dark and divisive, and a landmark of the genre.
Best for: readers who want an anti-hero.
9. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ged, a talented young wizard, unleashes a shadow. A short and wise classic.
Best for: readers who prefer shorter books.
10. The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
Three young survivors learn to fight demons that rise at night. The best place to begin.
Best for: the Demon Cycle start.
11. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
A band of aging mercenaries reunite for one last job. Funny and rock-and-roll.
Best for: readers who want humor.
12. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Maia, a half-goblin, becomes emperor and must survive court intrigue. Kind, quiet and gripping.
Best for: readers who like courtly drama.
13. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Sancia, a thief, uses scriptmarks to fight merchant houses that control magic. Fast, inventive and industrial.
Best for: readers who like heists.
14. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
A spy investigates a murder in a city where gods once ruled. Smart, inventive and tense.
Best for: more Bennett.
15. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Alina Starkov discovers a power that could free her war-torn land from the Fold, a belt of darkness. The Russian-inspired setting and the Grisha magic system give it a fresh feel.
Best for: fans of a girl chosen for a destiny.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Edgedancer: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Edgedancer. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For epic fantasy, read The Blade Itself. For modern fantasy, try Red Rising. For quests, pick The Hobbit.
Related: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Edgedancer?
Brandon Sanderson.
Is it a novella?
Yes.
Where do I start with Sanderson?
With Mistborn or The Way of Kings.
Which book here is best for fans of a girl chosen for a destiny?
Try Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, which suits readers looking for fans of a girl chosen for a destiny.