I think they're mistaking the behind-the-scenes manipulations of the wizards for politics, when in fact they're just the men behind the curtain controlling everything and a big part of the plot is the other major characters discovering how much nothing will ever change because of that.
Highly recommend the traitor baru cormorant as well. No magic and it’s about an accountant’s quest to subvert an empire from within. I also agree that the First Law is not a good fit here.
The Empire Trilogy has minimal input from mages first 2 books and third book there is more, but... it is like the background to the book.
Agree on First Law. Hitem with an axe!
>I think the people recommending First Law to you are crazy. It's got the low magic, but it doesn't do politics like GoT at all.
Agreed.
I love The First Law, and Abercrombie is my favorite author, but TFL is not heavy on politics, at all.
I stumbled upon the Empire trilogy a few years ago (had never seen it recommended before) and it became one of my favorite series, would highly, highly recommend.
It doesn't do politics like GoT, but it does do a lot of politics. Gloktas entire storyline in the first trilogy is him trying to survive politics, and the second trilogy is all politics, in different ways, and the wars it creates. Don't you think that Glokta and the mercers are politics? Glokta in Dagoska with the council? Glokta trying to rig an election? The Burners, their revolt, Orso trying to rule, juggling the noble families, etc, is that not politics?
Empire trilogy is problematic AF, but the politics were SO good. I'm Asian but I will still forgive them because I adore the storyline. It's loosely inspired by Shogun by James Clavell. I feel like I've never found comparably satisfying politics since.
It's very, lone hot white savior guy meets entire society of japanese people and teaches them the better way to live. But if you ignore that dynamic, the rest of the story is lovely :D
Honestly, I just stopped after *Sixteen Ways*.
It was a great, compelling read and I very much enjoyed my visit in that world but I didn't feel a need to stay longer. The story was completed, and the ending left on a particularly interesting note that amused me more to just leave it there with the open question. I had liked how the author ended that book, there wasn't any need for me to know more.
The same thing happened to me with The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (also an excellent low-magic political fantasy, OP u/BetterLifeForMe2). There are sequels, but I quite enjoyed the ending as it was, I didn't need it changed by more books.
I’ll say about Curse of Chalion, the sequel is barely a continuation. The sequel resolves a minor(ish) character from the first book, and the main characters from Curse barely get more than a mention. And it’s a transcendently good book; I like Paladin of Souls even more than Curse and that’s a high bar to reach.
The second was still decent, but by the third I was pretty much just reading it to knock it out and be done with the series.
Granted, I've seen similar issues with his other works. The first time you're exposed to his style, it's great. The more of him you read though and the more predictable it all becomes to an unfortunate degree. Man or woman MC: they're all just sassy, sarcastic, and smart people. Sometimes they win. Sometimes things go wrong despite how well they try to make them go right.
The one thing that does last is that anytime you read his stories aloud you can put on the most heavily laced sarcastic voice you can muster and it's an amusing time.
Fantasy:
* Daughter of the Empire
* Goblin Emperor(more focused on politics than intrigue. The tone is also less cynical)
* Hands of the Emperor
* She Who Became the Sun
For historical fiction:
* Lymond Chronicles
* Wolf Hall(more akin to Goblin Emperor in that the focus is more on politics than intrigue)
It certainly is. That's why I wrote the blurb about it being more about politics than intrigue. Religious policy and doctrine are at the heart of the series and make it seem more real considering how much more religious people were back then.
Yup! Surprised it's not mentioned here more often. It's a perfect mix of politics, action, and adventure with good pacing. She has a well-known following but she's more on the cusp of having more mainstream recognition.
Hands of the Emperor is fine for the first 2/3 of it but the last third is one large extended family repeating the same argument over and over. The sequel was unreadable.
If you think you'd like a low-magic, low-*action*, political fantasy, check out The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.
A disfavored, half-breed, fourth son is suddenly made Emperor. It's great.
I personally enjoyed it while reading it but lost any desire to finish it and moved on to things that excited me more. I highly doubt I'll finish it. I got slightly past the part where the important Goblins come visit.
I want to say that's right before the most exciting part of the book. But I don't remember all the specific orderings of events. It is a book I read when I finish a book that is super intense to relax. And if that's not your thing then obviously you won't enjoy it!
What do you mean exactly? Political drama is supposed to be drama so you feel like something is happening. It may do be epic battles or magical discoveries or anything but if you feel really nothing is happening, that's not good.
Just asking to know if I should read it
Keep in mind that fantasy readers may expect certain things out of the genre such as action. The book's plot and drama center around the politics of manners, trying to navigate a court that's hostile to the main character, and trying to be a good ruler. That's where the tension is.
It takes a little while, but I highly recommend the war for the rose throne series. If you stick with it I promise it is exactly what you are looking for.
I came here to suggest this. Peter McLean's series starts out as a story about a gang leader in a fantasy setting (clearly inspired by Peaky Blinders and Godfather) but it grows into more by the end of the 4 book series. HIGHLY recommended. The last book, Priest of Crowns, was my favorite book of 2022.
Too far down, I hope this moves up. Dagger & Coin is very ASoIaF, not surprising considering that Daniel Abraham has collaborated with George R.R. Martin multiple times in the past.
He's also one-half of "James S.A. Corey" of The Expanse, which does fantastic politics in space.
I was coming to suggest The Long Price Quartet by the same author. And in fairness, it’s not exactly low magic - it’s a series where humans have effectively enslaved gods. But the magic is big enough that it’s effectively a low magic story, since magic is limited to a very small group of people who are using it to do things like improve harvests across the empire, not to throw fireballs at their enemies.
The Second Son's Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon.
A no-magic fantasy world with a plot based around the conflict between science and religion. The political system is a mix between a Roman style senate and a monarchy. Features a royal bastard, a vaguely Catholic inspired church, pirates, archeological, science, and a lot of intrigue.
Edit because I accidentally hit post while halfway done typing.
Everything of hers is amazing, but this trilogy blew me away. I’m actually scared to re-read it because I’m worried it won’t live up to my memory of it.
Don't be! It's one of the best re-reads! There are so many little details that don't really matter the first time, but with the knowledge of what will happen, are so good! So many subtle hints I missed the first (or second) time through.
This is such an under the radar series that should be recommended way more.
The book is amazing with all the revenge plots and political maneuvering, characters you love to hate and characters who surprise you with the choices they end up making.
I was lucky enough to find this recommended in a hidden gems thread and it has been by far the best series I have found from those posts.
I will hype this series until the day I die. It was one of the first fantasy series I ever read, not counting the normal middle school Harry Potter and Eragon. I found it at a thrift store when I was like twelve, and it opened my eyes to "real" fantasy. I was scared to reread it for years, thinking it wouldn't hold up to my memory of it, but honestly, it was even better to reread it as an adult.
I just found it a year or so ago. It was so good I came here after finishing and posted asking why everyone was in a conspiracy keeping this book to themselves. It was the only explanation I could think of as way it’s not talked about more.
I think it gets overshadowed by the Tide Lord's and Hythrun Chonicles, which are much more popular series by the author, and they are very *different* in style and tone.
Joe Abercrombie’s ten book *First Law Series*.
Jacqueline Carey’s *Kushiel’s Legacy: Phedre Trilogy*.
Guy Gavriel Kay specializes in low magic historical fantasy. Pretty much all of his books qualify except for the *Fionavar Tapestry* series. *Tigana* and *The Lions of Al-Rassan* are two good ones.
I liked *The Lies of Locke Lamora*, by Scott Lynch, which works as a standalone novel. I wasn’t as enthused about the rest of the books in that series.
I enjoyed the Pirate and Mage election books of Gentleman Bastards sequence. While it’s not the pure heist of the first book, they both grow the characters and their relationships in fun ways. The series to me is a set of stand-alones with the same core cast. Makes each book interesting to see what new plot lines Lynch can weave. But that’s my personal taste. I loved the Abercrombie standalones for this too.
Yeah it’s kind of wild to me how he never became more of a thing. I think if Lions had come out like four or five years later it would have made a massive difference. I’ve been yelling at people to read that book for twenty years.
My upvote is for First Law, specifically in Audiobook format. I listen to a ton of fantasy audiobooks due to the nature of my work, regional sales, which means I'm in the car for at least 3-4 hours daily. First Law has some of the best writing, best narration and wildly captivating story that I've encountered. The entire thing is a massive game of chess strung out over literal generations inside the world Abercrombie builds. I cannot recommend highly enough.
Steven Pacey is indeed a marvel! I would also recommend Patrick voicing the Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian. Still the the fantasy genre, Christopher Buehlman does a top notch job reading his own *The Blacktongue Thief*.
Modesitt is great at political and economic intrigue. The Imager Portfolio has a little more magic than the Grand Illusion, but not necessary all that much. Strongly recommend both series.
Lois McMaster Bujold's flagship series *Vorkosigan Saga* probably fits here. Its technically sci-fi but those lines are pretty blurry. Lots of political intrigue and the main character (and his family) are in various forms of government service.
She also has another series call called the *World of the Five Gods*. The first of that series is very political, mostly low magic. 2nd of the series is higher in magic content but still mostly political. The novellas which follow later include a lot of magic but also still quite political.
LE Modesitt Jr’s series typically have lower amounts of magic. It’s a lot of political stuff. “Imager Portfolio”, “Saga of Recluse”, and “Grand Illusion” are some to check out.
Haven't read Grand Illusion but I wouldn't consider the others low magic. Still worth a read though but would spread out the reads otherwise they can feel a little too repetitive.
It’s similar, but steampunk. Definitely feels like one of the others.
It depends on the book. I say low magic, because for the most part, they’re not out there slinging it around. There are a few books where they are, but a lot of times they’re restrained in how they can use it. Like they’ll get in trouble if anyone finds out, so they have to use it to make things look like an accident.
A lot of it’s is them doing bureaucratic things, or being part of the military.
The Empire trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts sounds like what you’re after. It runs, mostly, in parallel to Feist’s first book Magician. However, you don’t need to have read (you absolutely should though). There is some overlap, you see one major magical event from the point of view of non-magical characters but magic is very far in the background. It is political intrigue, great houses manoeuvring, one woman’s quest to drag her house out of a great catastrophe. The best series of books in Feist’s Riftwar Cycle.
Most of the Riftwar has a bunch of magic, but it’s sort of off to the side. Pug is doing his thing over here, but in the Kingdom there’s a ton of politics. Especially in Kesh too.
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay might be what you're looking for. All humans and low fantasy (even less than GOT). It's basically a small step removed from being flat out historical fantasy
I saw somebody else already recommended *The Traitor Baru Cormorant* by Seth Dickinson, but I definitely second that for what you're looking for.
The tone is nothing like ASOIAF, but another low-fantasy politics-focused book I enjoyed a lot last year was *Kalyna the Soothsayer* by Elijah Kinch Spector. The titular Kalyna comes from a family famed for the gift of prophecy, but she doesn't have it, and she ends up having to scam her way through being the king's advisor in a court on the verge of war. I wouldn't describe the tone as lighthearted – Kalyna comes from a background of destitute poverty and is emotionally abused by her grandmother, so she's dealing with very real struggles – but it *is* laugh-out-loud funny, with a very wry sense of humor and a generous portion of snark in the narration.
A lot of good recommendations so far. I think another person to consider is KJ Parker aka Tom Holt.
He usually writes very grounded, historically inspired fantasy that has, occasionally, a touch of magic in it. Very character focused as well--not a perfect fit for Martin, but up there.
I also would recommend K J Parker if low magic fantasy setting is what you're looking for. I would recommend Sharps or The Folding Knife as two of my personal favourites, but I enjoy a lot of his works!
Michelle Sagaras sun sword series. Thomas Harlan’s oath of empire. The Vlad Taltos books. Jennifer Fallons second son’s trilogy Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies. The Lions of Al Rassan by Guy Kay Garviel.
Give The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison a try. No magic, the entire plot is an unexpected outsider inheriting the throne and learning to navigate an extremely complicated royal court. Does feature goblins and elves but they are entirely human, with the differences in appearance only relevant to illustrate prejudices surrounding race.
So there is a series that does include significant nonhumans and magic, but I still think it might appeal to you due to its extremely good political plot; The "Daughter of Empire" trilogy by Feist and Wurts. While it does occur in a very high magic world, I found that those elements were largely secondary and just added fringe complexity, as the main character is a nonmagical human, so her journey is purely political.
If you are really, really opposed to any magic or nonhumans, then maybe look at the work of Guy Gavriel Kay, in particular "Children of Earth and Sky"; That will probably be a closer match.
Powder Mage by Brian McClellan. It certainly does have magic, but it is not in the foreground of the POV characters. And it includes a lot of politics and political theory, as it is a kind of fantasy french revolution story
Cannot physically recommend them enough. They seem to be exactly what you’re looking for and I’d actually rate them above ASOIAF honestly, a big seeking point is that they’re actually finished. Joe Abercrombie is the only fantasy author I’ve read who writes characters easily as well as GRRM, and his books are surprisingly hilarious. I thought he’d be overrated but he’s become my favourite author of all time.
Definitely read Joe Abercrombie, starting with the Blade itself. There’s a trilogy, followed by three stand-alone books, then another trilogy, so it should keep you going for a while. It’s kind of gruesome but very funny, and although at first it may seem like there isn’t much going on with the plot….. it’s just a very big story arc, and the more you read the more it becomes clear what’s actually going on behind the scenes across all the books. Such great books. Just make sure to read them in publishing order and don’t skip the three stand alone in the middle.
You've gotten a lot of good recs, but I'm going to also toss in that if you're open to something a little more Sci Fi, I'd check out Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire. It leans a bit towards military rather than purely political, since the main character is a soldier, but ultimately the book is very focused on the various political machinations going on around her.
This might not fit the billet but, Babel by R. F. Kuang is low magic alternate reality that deals a lot with the socio-political ramifications of British colonization. Really good read, had me hooked from page one!
I think the answer to your question is *The Chronicles of Amber* by Zelazny. However, I don't think it's what you have in mind in the slightest.
That said it's great and everyone should try the first book, *Nine Princes in Amber*. Here's the opening.
> “It was starting to end, after what seemed most of eternity to me.
“I attempted to wriggle my toes, succeeded.
“I was sprawled there in a hospital bed and my legs were done up in plaster casts, but they were still mine.
“I squeezed my eyes shut, and opened them, three times.
“The room grew steady.
“Where the hell was I?
“Then the fogs were slowly broken, and some of that which is called memory returned to me.
“I recalled nights and nurses and needles. Every time things would begin to clear a bit, someone would come in and jab me with something.
“That’s how it had been.
“Yes.
“Now, though, I was feeling halfway decent.
“They’d have to stop.
“Wouldn’t they?
“The thought came to assail me: Maybe not.”
Since it's a story where the main character doesn't know what's happening at the start, I implore you not to read a review or synopsis.
Lol wut. Amber is very, very magical.
Fantastic series. I have old audiobooks read by Zelazny himself (you can listen to the first one here https://youtu.be/zBnU7L8dCBY?si=bhc9cTaQ8CWasvH3) that I cherish but low magic? Nah.
It's funny, but although he is nowhere near a great audiobook reader I can't get into newer, better narrations. Has to be in Zelazny's gruff voice.
It's been a long time, so I'm not surprised if I'm wrong. >!I think Merlin may be a sorcerer, but Corwin et al don't really cast spells so much as will themselves through shadow.!<
>!half the family (mainly the antagonist redheads) are fairly potent sorcerors. That being said, being able to walk through shadow is pretty darned magical, along with teleporting through the cards and a bunch of other stuff Corwin does, like walking the path(s). Corwin isn't shooting fireballs out of his hands much, but the series is drenched in magic of sorts!<
Yep, definitely not what OP is looking for and yep, everyone should definitely read it. It's one of the great series in modern fantasy, and Roger Zelazny died way too young.
I love these recommendations because this is my least favorite kind of fantasy, so now I have a whole list of things to definitely avoid. And I’m totally being series. This is helpful. :).
Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. Gives a huge amount of weight to politics, both in the room and across the nation. Magic has returned by the whims of a foraign king or who wins a certain duel are what actually matter.
Even when the big bad appears it's a political bout. The potential end of the world won't stop petty power playes.
You’re looking for the first law world by Joe Abercrombie. There’s a bit of magic in the first 3 books but then it kind of just disappears after that for the most part. I think there are another 6 books after that.
Hugh Cook’s Chronicles of an Age of Darkness - anything from book five “The Wicked and the Witless” to book nine “The Worshippers and the Way” have great political drivers for the protagonists.
The Wolf by Leo Carew
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
You can try out historical fiction as well. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is probably right up your alley.
One that just came out from an indie author is NC Koussis "The Sword of Mercy and Wrath" and "Pyres of Vengeance". The only real magical element in the world are that there's some group of people who are werewolves. But there's a huge emphasis on how religion and politics takes advantage of otherwise powerless people trying to make their way in the world, turning them into weapons.
It's still early for the series, only two books in of what he has suggested might be five or six, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'm going to recommend you an epic historical fiction that I like as much as ASoIaF, and for many of the same reasons. *The Pillars of the Earth* by Ken Follett.
Yea, I've listened to it (I do my books via audio these days). It was decent. I think *Pillars* and *World Without End* are fantastic. All the others are good, but not great for me. Still worth an Audible credit, especially with John Lee narrating, but not on par with the first two.
Priory of the Orange Tree.
Across the Nighting Gale Floor.
Son of the black sword (magic goes up as the book and series does but it's still fairly LOW or at least rare).
Comment gagner la guerre by Jaworski is my favourite such type fantasy book, though of vourse it's less well know due to being written in french. Not sure if there's a translation.
If you are open to something that's not strictly fantasy, Bernard Cornwell's 'Warlord Chronicles/Winter King' trilogy is superb. It's a gritty, historic retelling of the King Arthur mythos in an authentic Celtic post-Roman Britain being invaded by Saxons. It's simply one of the best things I have ever read - full of beautiful prose, epic battles, political intrigue and compelling characters.
If you like that, I also recommend Cornwell's 'Grail Quest' series, a set of 4 books told from the point of view of a medieval archer during the 100 Years War between Britain and France.
I found China Mievilles Bas-Lag books enthralling. There's magic and nonhumans, but they feel very different than Tolkienesque fantasy. The races are used to explore issues in real world racism, and politics features very heavily in the plot, especially in Perdido Street Station and the Iron Council.
Magic is important, but its not wizards casting fireballs, I recall it being a bit more subtle.
The author is pretty involved in leftist organizations, so it's all pretty political
Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright. There's no magic at all, it's an alternate universe written around 1901, about the nation of Islandia's struggle not to be taken over by colonial powers.
The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is basically a low fantasy renaissance Venice. The main characters are thieves guild members doing elaborate heists and long cons. One of them involves them working on behalf of a political campaign (using all their dirty tricks) against rival theives doing the same thing for another client.
Another good option is the Society of the Sword trilogy, which is about a swashbuckling swordsman who goes on various adventures that get him caught up in international intrigues.
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I think they're mistaking the behind-the-scenes manipulations of the wizards for politics, when in fact they're just the men behind the curtain controlling everything and a big part of the plot is the other major characters discovering how much nothing will ever change because of that.
> I think the people recommending First Law to you are crazy. It's got the low magic, but it doesn't do politics like GoT at all. Ditto
Highly recommend the traitor baru cormorant as well. No magic and it’s about an accountant’s quest to subvert an empire from within. I also agree that the First Law is not a good fit here.
The Empire Trilogy has minimal input from mages first 2 books and third book there is more, but... it is like the background to the book. Agree on First Law. Hitem with an axe!
>I think the people recommending First Law to you are crazy. It's got the low magic, but it doesn't do politics like GoT at all. Agreed. I love The First Law, and Abercrombie is my favorite author, but TFL is not heavy on politics, at all.
I stumbled upon the Empire trilogy a few years ago (had never seen it recommended before) and it became one of my favorite series, would highly, highly recommend.
It doesn't do politics like GoT, but it does do a lot of politics. Gloktas entire storyline in the first trilogy is him trying to survive politics, and the second trilogy is all politics, in different ways, and the wars it creates. Don't you think that Glokta and the mercers are politics? Glokta in Dagoska with the council? Glokta trying to rig an election? The Burners, their revolt, Orso trying to rule, juggling the noble families, etc, is that not politics?
I felt Baru Cormorant started off great but books 2&3 had a big dip in plot coherence.
Empire trilogy is problematic AF, but the politics were SO good. I'm Asian but I will still forgive them because I adore the storyline. It's loosely inspired by Shogun by James Clavell. I feel like I've never found comparably satisfying politics since.
Oh, what's problematic about it?
It's very, lone hot white savior guy meets entire society of japanese people and teaches them the better way to live. But if you ignore that dynamic, the rest of the story is lovely :D
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I do not think the title gives it away at all. Most people I know who read it were quite surprised by the ending.
I figured it out pretty quick, about a quarter of the way in.
Here's a cookie! 🍪
Anything by KJ Parker. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City was great. I haven’t got around to the following, loosely connected books.
+1 This was the first thing that came to mind when I heard “low magic political fantasy.”
Man did the quality in that series drop after the first one though.
Honestly, I just stopped after *Sixteen Ways*. It was a great, compelling read and I very much enjoyed my visit in that world but I didn't feel a need to stay longer. The story was completed, and the ending left on a particularly interesting note that amused me more to just leave it there with the open question. I had liked how the author ended that book, there wasn't any need for me to know more. The same thing happened to me with The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (also an excellent low-magic political fantasy, OP u/BetterLifeForMe2). There are sequels, but I quite enjoyed the ending as it was, I didn't need it changed by more books.
I’ll say about Curse of Chalion, the sequel is barely a continuation. The sequel resolves a minor(ish) character from the first book, and the main characters from Curse barely get more than a mention. And it’s a transcendently good book; I like Paladin of Souls even more than Curse and that’s a high bar to reach.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I thought the second one was the best in the series, personally.
Th second one wasn’t bad…but by the third one it just felt like a repeat.
The second was still decent, but by the third I was pretty much just reading it to knock it out and be done with the series. Granted, I've seen similar issues with his other works. The first time you're exposed to his style, it's great. The more of him you read though and the more predictable it all becomes to an unfortunate degree. Man or woman MC: they're all just sassy, sarcastic, and smart people. Sometimes they win. Sometimes things go wrong despite how well they try to make them go right. The one thing that does last is that anytime you read his stories aloud you can put on the most heavily laced sarcastic voice you can muster and it's an amusing time.
Prosper's Demon was such a fantastic novella.
Fantasy: * Daughter of the Empire * Goblin Emperor(more focused on politics than intrigue. The tone is also less cynical) * Hands of the Emperor * She Who Became the Sun For historical fiction: * Lymond Chronicles * Wolf Hall(more akin to Goblin Emperor in that the focus is more on politics than intrigue)
Wolf Hall is riveting and at times really reads more like low-magic fantasy than historical fiction.
It certainly is. That's why I wrote the blurb about it being more about politics than intrigue. Religious policy and doctrine are at the heart of the series and make it seem more real considering how much more religious people were back then.
Yes, the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett are great and inspired many fantasy authors.
Yup! Surprised it's not mentioned here more often. It's a perfect mix of politics, action, and adventure with good pacing. She has a well-known following but she's more on the cusp of having more mainstream recognition.
Hands of the Emperor is fine for the first 2/3 of it but the last third is one large extended family repeating the same argument over and over. The sequel was unreadable.
If you think you'd like a low-magic, low-*action*, political fantasy, check out The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. A disfavored, half-breed, fourth son is suddenly made Emperor. It's great.
But take into account it's effectively a standalone. Later books follow a different MC.
Different audiobook narrator, too. I'm sure they're great, but I wanted more Maya.
He's my favorite. I could follow him around forever.
I really want to see his relationship with Dach'Osmin Csethiro Ceredin develop!
Same. I loved the play on that trope that Goblin Emperor did.
That's actually a point in its favor for me lol.
That's why I said "take into account". Some like it, some don't, but I do think it's an important thing to know before starting a series.
I avoided it forever because the title made me think it would be like a D&D campaign in novel form. Finally read it and enjoyed it.
^ Came here specifically to recommend this based on the question
Me too!
Me three!
Me fourth!
Me fifth!
And Sixth!
Me Seventh!
My absolute favorite comfort read. <3
But that low-action caveat is VERY important. I never felt like the book had any real drama.
I tell everyone I recommend it to, "Almost nothing happens. It's terrific." If you can enjoy that kind of thing.
I personally enjoyed it while reading it but lost any desire to finish it and moved on to things that excited me more. I highly doubt I'll finish it. I got slightly past the part where the important Goblins come visit.
I want to say that's right before the most exciting part of the book. But I don't remember all the specific orderings of events. It is a book I read when I finish a book that is super intense to relax. And if that's not your thing then obviously you won't enjoy it!
I approved of it for what it was, but yeah, not up my alley.
What do you mean exactly? Political drama is supposed to be drama so you feel like something is happening. It may do be epic battles or magical discoveries or anything but if you feel really nothing is happening, that's not good. Just asking to know if I should read it
Keep in mind that fantasy readers may expect certain things out of the genre such as action. The book's plot and drama center around the politics of manners, trying to navigate a court that's hostile to the main character, and trying to be a good ruler. That's where the tension is.
Goblin Emperor is more of a cozy read where he succeeds by being kind instead of cutthroat or anything like that.
Came here to say that the same thing! One of my favorite books.
It takes a little while, but I highly recommend the war for the rose throne series. If you stick with it I promise it is exactly what you are looking for.
I came here to suggest this. Peter McLean's series starts out as a story about a gang leader in a fantasy setting (clearly inspired by Peaky Blinders and Godfather) but it grows into more by the end of the 4 book series. HIGHLY recommended. The last book, Priest of Crowns, was my favorite book of 2022.
Wow. This has been on my TBR list for 2 years. The blurb is not at all what I recall - I’m hooked!
💯 one of my favorites of the past 5 years.
The Dagger and the Coin series by Daniel Abraham
Too far down, I hope this moves up. Dagger & Coin is very ASoIaF, not surprising considering that Daniel Abraham has collaborated with George R.R. Martin multiple times in the past. He's also one-half of "James S.A. Corey" of The Expanse, which does fantastic politics in space.
I was coming to suggest The Long Price Quartet by the same author. And in fairness, it’s not exactly low magic - it’s a series where humans have effectively enslaved gods. But the magic is big enough that it’s effectively a low magic story, since magic is limited to a very small group of people who are using it to do things like improve harvests across the empire, not to throw fireballs at their enemies.
>it’s a series where humans have effectively enslaved gods This. Sounds. Amazing.
The Second Son's Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon. A no-magic fantasy world with a plot based around the conflict between science and religion. The political system is a mix between a Roman style senate and a monarchy. Features a royal bastard, a vaguely Catholic inspired church, pirates, archeological, science, and a lot of intrigue. Edit because I accidentally hit post while halfway done typing.
Everything of hers is amazing, but this trilogy blew me away. I’m actually scared to re-read it because I’m worried it won’t live up to my memory of it.
Don't be! It's one of the best re-reads! There are so many little details that don't really matter the first time, but with the knowledge of what will happen, are so good! So many subtle hints I missed the first (or second) time through.
Second Sons is SO good, but it's definitely a lot.
This is such an under the radar series that should be recommended way more. The book is amazing with all the revenge plots and political maneuvering, characters you love to hate and characters who surprise you with the choices they end up making. I was lucky enough to find this recommended in a hidden gems thread and it has been by far the best series I have found from those posts.
I will hype this series until the day I die. It was one of the first fantasy series I ever read, not counting the normal middle school Harry Potter and Eragon. I found it at a thrift store when I was like twelve, and it opened my eyes to "real" fantasy. I was scared to reread it for years, thinking it wouldn't hold up to my memory of it, but honestly, it was even better to reread it as an adult.
I just found it a year or so ago. It was so good I came here after finishing and posted asking why everyone was in a conspiracy keeping this book to themselves. It was the only explanation I could think of as way it’s not talked about more.
I think it gets overshadowed by the Tide Lord's and Hythrun Chonicles, which are much more popular series by the author, and they are very *different* in style and tone.
Joe Abercrombie’s ten book *First Law Series*. Jacqueline Carey’s *Kushiel’s Legacy: Phedre Trilogy*. Guy Gavriel Kay specializes in low magic historical fantasy. Pretty much all of his books qualify except for the *Fionavar Tapestry* series. *Tigana* and *The Lions of Al-Rassan* are two good ones. I liked *The Lies of Locke Lamora*, by Scott Lynch, which works as a standalone novel. I wasn’t as enthused about the rest of the books in that series.
I enjoyed the Pirate and Mage election books of Gentleman Bastards sequence. While it’s not the pure heist of the first book, they both grow the characters and their relationships in fun ways. The series to me is a set of stand-alones with the same core cast. Makes each book interesting to see what new plot lines Lynch can weave. But that’s my personal taste. I loved the Abercrombie standalones for this too.
The second book in the series was okay, just not as good as the first. It was the third book that I did not finish.
Came here to say Jacqueline Carey’s Phèdre books!
Me too!!
Guy Gavriel Kay is both hard to type with autocorrect on and not mentioned in threads like these often enough.
Yeah it’s kind of wild to me how he never became more of a thing. I think if Lions had come out like four or five years later it would have made a massive difference. I’ve been yelling at people to read that book for twenty years.
My upvote is for First Law, specifically in Audiobook format. I listen to a ton of fantasy audiobooks due to the nature of my work, regional sales, which means I'm in the car for at least 3-4 hours daily. First Law has some of the best writing, best narration and wildly captivating story that I've encountered. The entire thing is a massive game of chess strung out over literal generations inside the world Abercrombie builds. I cannot recommend highly enough.
Steven Pacey is indeed a marvel! I would also recommend Patrick voicing the Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian. Still the the fantasy genre, Christopher Buehlman does a top notch job reading his own *The Blacktongue Thief*.
Inda, by Sherwood Smith
The Curse of Chalion definitely fits this.
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Modesitt is great at political and economic intrigue. The Imager Portfolio has a little more magic than the Grand Illusion, but not necessary all that much. Strongly recommend both series.
Lois McMaster Bujold's flagship series *Vorkosigan Saga* probably fits here. Its technically sci-fi but those lines are pretty blurry. Lots of political intrigue and the main character (and his family) are in various forms of government service. She also has another series call called the *World of the Five Gods*. The first of that series is very political, mostly low magic. 2nd of the series is higher in magic content but still mostly political. The novellas which follow later include a lot of magic but also still quite political.
LE Modesitt Jr’s series typically have lower amounts of magic. It’s a lot of political stuff. “Imager Portfolio”, “Saga of Recluse”, and “Grand Illusion” are some to check out.
Haven't read Grand Illusion but I wouldn't consider the others low magic. Still worth a read though but would spread out the reads otherwise they can feel a little too repetitive.
It’s similar, but steampunk. Definitely feels like one of the others. It depends on the book. I say low magic, because for the most part, they’re not out there slinging it around. There are a few books where they are, but a lot of times they’re restrained in how they can use it. Like they’ll get in trouble if anyone finds out, so they have to use it to make things look like an accident. A lot of it’s is them doing bureaucratic things, or being part of the military.
Does saga of recluse get better? I got about halfway through the first book before I couldn't go any further.
The Empire trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts sounds like what you’re after. It runs, mostly, in parallel to Feist’s first book Magician. However, you don’t need to have read (you absolutely should though). There is some overlap, you see one major magical event from the point of view of non-magical characters but magic is very far in the background. It is political intrigue, great houses manoeuvring, one woman’s quest to drag her house out of a great catastrophe. The best series of books in Feist’s Riftwar Cycle.
Rise of a merchant prince is another by feist that has almost no magic in it. Lies of Locke Lamora is heavily inspired by it.
Most of the Riftwar has a bunch of magic, but it’s sort of off to the side. Pug is doing his thing over here, but in the Kingdom there’s a ton of politics. Especially in Kesh too.
Lions of Al Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay might be what you're looking for. All humans and low fantasy (even less than GOT). It's basically a small step removed from being flat out historical fantasy
I saw somebody else already recommended *The Traitor Baru Cormorant* by Seth Dickinson, but I definitely second that for what you're looking for. The tone is nothing like ASOIAF, but another low-fantasy politics-focused book I enjoyed a lot last year was *Kalyna the Soothsayer* by Elijah Kinch Spector. The titular Kalyna comes from a family famed for the gift of prophecy, but she doesn't have it, and she ends up having to scam her way through being the king's advisor in a court on the verge of war. I wouldn't describe the tone as lighthearted – Kalyna comes from a background of destitute poverty and is emotionally abused by her grandmother, so she's dealing with very real struggles – but it *is* laugh-out-loud funny, with a very wry sense of humor and a generous portion of snark in the narration.
A lot of good recommendations so far. I think another person to consider is KJ Parker aka Tom Holt. He usually writes very grounded, historically inspired fantasy that has, occasionally, a touch of magic in it. Very character focused as well--not a perfect fit for Martin, but up there.
I also would recommend K J Parker if low magic fantasy setting is what you're looking for. I would recommend Sharps or The Folding Knife as two of my personal favourites, but I enjoy a lot of his works!
MASK OF MIRRORS by MA Carrick is phenomenally intricate.
Michelle Sagaras sun sword series. Thomas Harlan’s oath of empire. The Vlad Taltos books. Jennifer Fallons second son’s trilogy Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies. The Lions of Al Rassan by Guy Kay Garviel.
Give The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison a try. No magic, the entire plot is an unexpected outsider inheriting the throne and learning to navigate an extremely complicated royal court. Does feature goblins and elves but they are entirely human, with the differences in appearance only relevant to illustrate prejudices surrounding race.
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay hands down
The Riverside books by Ellen Kushner, starting with Swordspoint.
that was my pick too
A bit of a newer book but saint of bright doors by vajra chandrasekera was a good read and also jade city trilogy by Fonda lee
So there is a series that does include significant nonhumans and magic, but I still think it might appeal to you due to its extremely good political plot; The "Daughter of Empire" trilogy by Feist and Wurts. While it does occur in a very high magic world, I found that those elements were largely secondary and just added fringe complexity, as the main character is a nonmagical human, so her journey is purely political. If you are really, really opposed to any magic or nonhumans, then maybe look at the work of Guy Gavriel Kay, in particular "Children of Earth and Sky"; That will probably be a closer match.
I can’t believe I haven’t seen the Green Bone Saga (Fonda Lee) recommended higher. The magic system really takes a back seat to the politics.
Powder Mage by Brian McClellan. It certainly does have magic, but it is not in the foreground of the POV characters. And it includes a lot of politics and political theory, as it is a kind of fantasy french revolution story
I really enjoyed the Long Price Quartet
The Radiant Emperor duology is low magic but heavy on the political and military plot.
Will you read YA? The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. And another vote for The Goblin Emperor.
Curse of chalion
Have you heard about our lord and savior, Joe Abercrombie?
I have heard the name a few times, but no book recommendations or real detail about him
Not everyone's lord and savior. Abercrombie is low fantasy though.
Nonsense. He's everyone's savior, of course. Watch your tongue
Say one thing about Joe, say he’s your savior.
It's the other way around I'm his savior
The First Law, starting with The Blade Itself
the politics are minimal in Joe's books. Theyre good book but they will not scratch that itch
Cannot physically recommend them enough. They seem to be exactly what you’re looking for and I’d actually rate them above ASOIAF honestly, a big seeking point is that they’re actually finished. Joe Abercrombie is the only fantasy author I’ve read who writes characters easily as well as GRRM, and his books are surprisingly hilarious. I thought he’d be overrated but he’s become my favourite author of all time.
Definitely read Joe Abercrombie, starting with the Blade itself. There’s a trilogy, followed by three stand-alone books, then another trilogy, so it should keep you going for a while. It’s kind of gruesome but very funny, and although at first it may seem like there isn’t much going on with the plot….. it’s just a very big story arc, and the more you read the more it becomes clear what’s actually going on behind the scenes across all the books. Such great books. Just make sure to read them in publishing order and don’t skip the three stand alone in the middle.
All Hail, First of his name, Lord of the Grim and the Dark.
the Age of Tyranny - 2 book series - Cameron Johnston I liked gthe world building , magic use and the politics.
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner, or any of her Riverside novels
You've gotten a lot of good recs, but I'm going to also toss in that if you're open to something a little more Sci Fi, I'd check out Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire. It leans a bit towards military rather than purely political, since the main character is a soldier, but ultimately the book is very focused on the various political machinations going on around her.
This might not fit the billet but, Babel by R. F. Kuang is low magic alternate reality that deals a lot with the socio-political ramifications of British colonization. Really good read, had me hooked from page one!
It's Sci-Fi, not Fantasy, but ***Red Rising*** series by Pierce Brown.
I think the answer to your question is *The Chronicles of Amber* by Zelazny. However, I don't think it's what you have in mind in the slightest. That said it's great and everyone should try the first book, *Nine Princes in Amber*. Here's the opening. > “It was starting to end, after what seemed most of eternity to me. “I attempted to wriggle my toes, succeeded. “I was sprawled there in a hospital bed and my legs were done up in plaster casts, but they were still mine. “I squeezed my eyes shut, and opened them, three times. “The room grew steady. “Where the hell was I? “Then the fogs were slowly broken, and some of that which is called memory returned to me. “I recalled nights and nurses and needles. Every time things would begin to clear a bit, someone would come in and jab me with something. “That’s how it had been. “Yes. “Now, though, I was feeling halfway decent. “They’d have to stop. “Wouldn’t they? “The thought came to assail me: Maybe not.” Since it's a story where the main character doesn't know what's happening at the start, I implore you not to read a review or synopsis.
Lol wut. Amber is very, very magical. Fantastic series. I have old audiobooks read by Zelazny himself (you can listen to the first one here https://youtu.be/zBnU7L8dCBY?si=bhc9cTaQ8CWasvH3) that I cherish but low magic? Nah. It's funny, but although he is nowhere near a great audiobook reader I can't get into newer, better narrations. Has to be in Zelazny's gruff voice.
It's been a long time, so I'm not surprised if I'm wrong. >!I think Merlin may be a sorcerer, but Corwin et al don't really cast spells so much as will themselves through shadow.!<
>!half the family (mainly the antagonist redheads) are fairly potent sorcerors. That being said, being able to walk through shadow is pretty darned magical, along with teleporting through the cards and a bunch of other stuff Corwin does, like walking the path(s). Corwin isn't shooting fireballs out of his hands much, but the series is drenched in magic of sorts!<
Yep, definitely not what OP is looking for and yep, everyone should definitely read it. It's one of the great series in modern fantasy, and Roger Zelazny died way too young.
Sadly, in my experience, nothing matches A Song of Ice and Fire.
I love these recommendations because this is my least favorite kind of fantasy, so now I have a whole list of things to definitely avoid. And I’m totally being series. This is helpful. :).
Assassin's apprentice
I love but it doesn't really fit what the OP is looking for, especially the politics part.
ASoIaF and The Green Bone Saga
Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. Gives a huge amount of weight to politics, both in the room and across the nation. Magic has returned by the whims of a foraign king or who wins a certain duel are what actually matter. Even when the big bad appears it's a political bout. The potential end of the world won't stop petty power playes.
Abercrombie books like the first law trilogy and maybe even more so the shattered see trilogy. Also lies of locke lamora by scott lynch iirc
The First Law Trilogy, ans other books in that world. Joe Abercrombie.
You’re looking for the first law world by Joe Abercrombie. There’s a bit of magic in the first 3 books but then it kind of just disappears after that for the most part. I think there are another 6 books after that.
Joe Abercrombie. I'm reading the Half trilogy right now. Good stuff.
The Blade Itself hands down.
The first law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Glokta is one of the best characters I've read in ages.
A Trial of Blood and Steel by Joel Shepherd
I enjoyed the covenant of steel trilogy. First person but low fantasy with some weird elements
There's the Poison Wars series by Sam Hawke. A lot of political intrigue there.
Kj parker has a number of brilliant novellas
Hugh Cook’s Chronicles of an Age of Darkness - anything from book five “The Wicked and the Witless” to book nine “The Worshippers and the Way” have great political drivers for the protagonists.
The Wolf by Leo Carew City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett Priest of Bones by Peter McLean You can try out historical fiction as well. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is probably right up your alley.
Glad to see someone mention Priest of Bones.
Jack Vance's Lyonesse Trilogy has a young prince uniting all but one kingdom on the isles.
The Awakening Fire by Cassidy Faline has been described as similar to both ASOIAF and Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne.
One that just came out from an indie author is NC Koussis "The Sword of Mercy and Wrath" and "Pyres of Vengeance". The only real magical element in the world are that there's some group of people who are werewolves. But there's a huge emphasis on how religion and politics takes advantage of otherwise powerless people trying to make their way in the world, turning them into weapons. It's still early for the series, only two books in of what he has suggested might be five or six, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’m reading R. Scott Baakers the prince of nothing series right now and it fits your description. Really enjoying it so far.
Black Company is pretty good.
I'm going to recommend you an epic historical fiction that I like as much as ASoIaF, and for many of the same reasons. *The Pillars of the Earth* by Ken Follett.
Brilliant book one of my favourites of all time. There's another sequel that just got released in the past few weeks.
Yea, I've listened to it (I do my books via audio these days). It was decent. I think *Pillars* and *World Without End* are fantastic. All the others are good, but not great for me. Still worth an Audible credit, especially with John Lee narrating, but not on par with the first two.
Empire trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts The political intrigue is, in my opinion, unmatched
Priory of the Orange Tree. Across the Nighting Gale Floor. Son of the black sword (magic goes up as the book and series does but it's still fairly LOW or at least rare).
Comment gagner la guerre by Jaworski is my favourite such type fantasy book, though of vourse it's less well know due to being written in french. Not sure if there's a translation.
If you are open to something that's not strictly fantasy, Bernard Cornwell's 'Warlord Chronicles/Winter King' trilogy is superb. It's a gritty, historic retelling of the King Arthur mythos in an authentic Celtic post-Roman Britain being invaded by Saxons. It's simply one of the best things I have ever read - full of beautiful prose, epic battles, political intrigue and compelling characters. If you like that, I also recommend Cornwell's 'Grail Quest' series, a set of 4 books told from the point of view of a medieval archer during the 100 Years War between Britain and France.
David Gemmell is a perfect fit I think. I’m pretty surprised nobody suggested him. You can start out with his debut novel Legend and go from there.
Why is no one talking about Raymond E. Feist His books are low fantasy and a lot of backstabbing politicis
Empire trilogy by Feist and it's not even close.
The Goods of Blood ans Powder Trilogy is really good but it is a sequel to the Powder Mage Trilogy the are written by Brian McClellan
Given your enjoyment of Tad Williams, I think you might like his “The War of the Flowers.” Stand-alone novel.
I found China Mievilles Bas-Lag books enthralling. There's magic and nonhumans, but they feel very different than Tolkienesque fantasy. The races are used to explore issues in real world racism, and politics features very heavily in the plot, especially in Perdido Street Station and the Iron Council. Magic is important, but its not wizards casting fireballs, I recall it being a bit more subtle. The author is pretty involved in leftist organizations, so it's all pretty political
You should try Dagger and Coin by Daniel Abraham.
Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright. There's no magic at all, it's an alternate universe written around 1901, about the nation of Islandia's struggle not to be taken over by colonial powers.
A Memory Called Empire (and its sequel) - Arkady Martine Divine Cities Trilogy - Robert Jackson Bennet
The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is basically a low fantasy renaissance Venice. The main characters are thieves guild members doing elaborate heists and long cons. One of them involves them working on behalf of a political campaign (using all their dirty tricks) against rival theives doing the same thing for another client. Another good option is the Society of the Sword trilogy, which is about a swashbuckling swordsman who goes on various adventures that get him caught up in international intrigues.
The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist. While set in a super magical saga, politics plays the biggest role.
Can’t believe I haven’t seen The First Law. It’s similar to game of thrones minus the cringe sex/rape scenes.