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Quick answer: If you loved Elantris, try Mistborn: The Final Empire, Warbreaker, The Way of Kings, Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora. Each one offers a clever magic system, political intrigue and a hopeful hero in a richly built world.
Brandon Sanderson's first published novel takes place in Elantris, a once-glorious city whose godlike inhabitants have become cursed and decaying. Prince Raoden is struck by the curse and thrown into the city, while his betrothed Sarene fights political schemes outside the walls as a rival empire closes in. Readers love its puzzle-like magic system and optimistic characters. These books share the same mix of magic, politics and mystery.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistborn: The Final Empire | Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | readers who want more Sanderson |
| Warbreaker | Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | readers who like color-based magic |
| The Way of Kings | Brandon Sanderson | Epic fantasy | readers who want a big epic |
| Tress of the Emerald Sea | Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | readers who like whimsical adventure |
| The Name of the Wind | Patrick Rothfuss | Fantasy | readers who like magic schools |
| The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | Fantasy | readers who like clever schemes |
| Kings of the Wyld | Nicholas Eames | Fantasy | readers who like humor |
| The Goblin Emperor | Katherine Addison | Fantasy | readers who like court politics |
| Foundryside | Robert Jackson Bennett | Fantasy | readers who like inventive magic |
| The Fifth Season | N. K. Jemisin | Fantasy | readers who like unique worlds |
| The Priory of the Orange Tree | Samantha Shannon | Fantasy | readers who like queens and politics |
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Fantasy | readers who like corrupted lands |
| The Grace of Kings | Ken Liu | Epic fantasy | readers who like politics |
| The Will of the Many | James Islington | Fantasy | readers who like academies and politics |
| The Emperor's Soul | Brandon Sanderson | Fantasy | readers who want a short Sanderson |
1. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
A street thief joins a crew to overthrow a dark lord.
Best for: readers who want more Sanderson.
2. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Two princesses are drawn into a kingdom of returned gods.
Best for: readers who like color-based magic.
3. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Soldiers and scholars face a looming war.
Best for: readers who want a big epic.
4. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
A girl sets out across a spore sea to rescue the boy she loves.
Best for: readers who like whimsical adventure.
5. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Kvothe tells his life story.
Best for: readers who like magic schools.
6. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
A gang of thieves cons the nobility.
Best for: readers who like clever schemes.
7. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
A legendary band reunites.
Best for: readers who like humor.
8. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
A half-goblin prince becomes emperor.
Best for: readers who like court politics.
9. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
A thief discovers a strange key that talks.
Best for: readers who like inventive magic.
10. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
A woman searches for her daughter in a world of earthquakes.
Best for: readers who like unique worlds.
11. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
A queen faces an ancient threat.
Best for: readers who like queens and politics.
12. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A village girl fights a corrupted wood.
Best for: readers who like corrupted lands.
13. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
A bandit and a noble rise during a rebellion.
Best for: readers who like politics.
14. The Will of the Many by James Islington
A young man infiltrates an academy in a Rome-like empire.
Best for: readers who like academies and politics.
15. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
A forger must recreate an emperor's soul.
Best for: readers who want a short Sanderson.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Elantris: 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.
How to Choose
For more Sanderson, start with Mistborn, then try Warbreaker and The Emperor's Soul, which is set in the same world as Elantris. If you want clever magic systems, choose Foundryside or The Fifth Season. For political intrigue, try The Goblin Emperor or The Grace of Kings. Readers who want a cozy, whimsical adventure should pick Tress of the Emerald Sea. Elantris is a standalone, so it is a good test of whether you like Sanderson's style before you start his long series.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elantris a good first Sanderson book?
Many readers start with Mistborn, but Elantris is a self-contained, satisfying introduction.
Is Elantris a standalone?
Yes, though it is part of Sanderson's larger Cosmere universe.
Is Elantris his first novel?
It was his first published novel, in 2005.
Is there a sequel?
Sanderson has talked about sequels, but none has been published.
Is Elantris long?
It is around 600 pages.
What is the Cosmere?
It is the shared universe that links many of Sanderson's books.