Five Books Like The Lord of The Rings

It is impossible to overstate just how much of an influence J. R. R. Tolkien had on the fantasy genre in literature after releasing his epic The Lord of The Rings trilogy. There is a good reason why it is one of the best selling novels ever written and why so many other fantasy authors drew upon the setting and lore when it comes to their own work. This can be both a blessing and a curse for fans of Tolkien who have already read The Lord of The Rings and would like to experience something new. On the one hand, there are very few books that can hold a candle to the series, but on the other hand, the books are so influential that there are no shortage of similar options to choose from. In case you are stuck figuring out what books like The Lord of The Rings are actually worth your time, then take a look at the ones below.

The Shannara Trilogy 

by Terry Brooks

The original Shannara trilogy, which consists of The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara are amongst the fantasy books that share the most similarities with The Lord of The Rings. The first book in particular is about a quest to retrieve a special sword that is the only weapon powerful enough to defeat a great evil threatening the lands. This has caused a division amongst readers and critics, some who enjoy the way in which Brooks wrote the stories while others found them to be a little too similar to The Lord of The Rings.

The Wheel of Time Series

by Robert Jordan

Another series that is frequently enjoyed by fans of The Lord of The Rings is The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. His books share a very similar feel with the ones by Tolkien in terms of action and adventure, but because Jordan wrote more books, it allowed him to make the scale even grander. Just like LOTR, The Wheel of Time series features a huge cast of characters and plenty of history for fans to immerse themselves in.

Sword of Truth series

by Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind is another prolific fantasy author and his Sword of Truth series contain enough epic fantasy elements to make it appealing to fans of Lord of The Rings. As with LOTR, The Sword of Truth features a protagonist who lives in relative peace and obscurity until he is called upon to undertake an epic quest in order to save the world. Along the way he has to undergo numerous hardships, but never lets it get in the way of his mission. Later books in the series feature more unique elements and stories, but the first few books definitely have the same style and feel as The Lord of The Rings.

The Dragonbone Chair

by Tad Williams

With The Dragonbone Chair, author Tad Williams crafted an epic fantasy tale where a peaceful land is under threat of dark sorcery. There is an undead king who wants to seize control of the land and the only thing standing in his way is a brave group of scholars who call themselves the League of the Scroll. Just like Frodo had to leave the comfort of the Shire and confront foes far worse than what he could ever have imaged, The Dragonbone Chair features a character named Simon, who starts out as a humble kitchen boy, but ends up on a quest that could change the fate of his world.

The Naming

by Alison Croggon

One of the things that made The Lord of The Rings so captivating was the story of Frodo Baggins and how nobody except for Gandolf saw the potential in him to change the world. The Naming by Alison Croggon features a similar theme, with the lead character discovering that she is destined to save her world. Maerad, the protagonist of The Naming starts out as a slave, but  this all changes when one of the greatest bards of her world discovers her talent and takes her under his wing. Together with her mentor Maerad then goes on a quest that will pit them against the forces of darkness and test her limits. 

The Hobbit

by J. R. R. Tolkien

Finally, although The Lord of the Rings trilogy was the first introduction for many readers to epic fantasy in general and J. R. R. Tolkien in particular, it was not his first work. Before The Lord of The Rings, Tolkien wrote a children's fantasy novel called The Hobbit. It is not quite as epic in scope as LOTR, but features a lot of the same characters and settings as the latter books. The success of LOTR also prompted Tolkien to make retrospective changes to The Hobbit in later editions, which makes it essential reading for fans who have yet to experience the quest that Bilbo Baggins undertook with his Dwarven companions.