20 books to read while you wait for The Winds of Winter

9. The Stormlight Archive

The Stormlight Archive is big and epic enough that we need to talk about it by itself, aside from Sanderson’s other works. These books average well over a thousand pages, have some of the deepest worldbuilding of any series out there, and feature many memorable, awesome characters and battles. Oh, and magic. Unlike many other fantasy series, which deal with the decline of magic or the fallout of a world that once had more magic, The Stormlight Archive centers around a world where magic is returning. Thousands of years ago, the Knights Radiant — an ancient order which once defended the world from the deadly Voidwalkers — vanished. Now they’re starting to return.

There’s a lot that makes The Stormlight Archive unique. It has a selection of art scattered throughout each novel, much of which is actually relevant to the story. Each book is split up into five sections, and inserted amidst them is a short story collection unique to each volume. Some of those interludes just provide looks at places we’ve never seen in the series, and some focus on characters who are extremely important. All of them add to the already vivid world.

Speaking of the world, the setting in Stormlight is one of its absolute coolest aspects. The world of Roshar is intermittently swept by terrible, violent storms and literally everything has adapted to deal with this geological phenomenon. Animals have hardened carapaces, plants have shells they can retreat into, and even buildings are built on the leeward side of mountains and fortifications. And of course, the magic ties into these “highstorms.”

Really, I could ramble on all day about how amazing the setting is for The Stormlight Archive. Maybe it’s just best to leave it at that!

One thing to note is that these books aren’t quite as adult as the work of, say, Martin or Joe Abercrombie, at least in terms of violence and sex and such. You’ll find no Ramsey Boltons or Cersei Lannisters in these books. But the themes are as deep as they come, and the characters are incredibly easy to spend time with and root for. And while the series is far from done (currently, there are three books of a projected 10), Sanderson is widely regarded as one of the hardest working writers in the field, and is super communicative with his fans.

Can’t believe it’s true? Check out this progress bar he puts at the top of his website.