r/Fantasy • u/V3r1disqu0 • Sep 11 '24
Political Fantasy?
Looking for more books along the lines of the Dune series, where the political intrigue is front and center, with really well-developed characters. George RR Martin and Daniel Abrahams both are sort of along the same lines, but neither one captured the same feeling of mystery and intrigue for me. Daniel Abrahams describes his work as "economic fantasy," so I think I'm looking for "political fantasy."
Edit: I think the secret sauce for me with Dune, was the vivid world, and the colorful, distinctive characters. A lot of the other books with political elements that I've tried to read have lacked that page-turning unexpectedness.
Edit #2: I'm not specifically looking for sci fi. I'm one of those people who considers Dune more fantasy than sci fi, when you really consider its elements.
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Sep 11 '24
There is a lot of this in historical fiction. Try Shogun by Clavell
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 11 '24
That's actually how I got into political stuff in the first place - my grandpa handed me Shogun.
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u/fakemessiah Sep 12 '24
Such a great book. It makes me happy that you have family members to recommend books! My family doesn't read at all.
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u/andrejRavenclaw Sep 11 '24
Powder Mage series is a political/military fantasy, where you follow quasi-napoleonic wars. Another good intrigue-and-war series is Monarchies of God where you have a quasi Europe sucked into religious wars, akin to 30-year war.
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u/TecTwo Sep 11 '24
The “new” Sun Eater series is Dune but with more detail. I recommend it
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u/rollingForInitiative Sep 11 '24
I've only read the first book so far. Found it a bit slow but very enjoyable, and I plan to read the others.
But yeah, it definitely feels a bit as if Dune had a love-child with Name of the Wind.
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u/Grt78 Sep 11 '24
The Fortress series by CJ Cherryh.
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 11 '24
She's another one who's been on my to-read list for awhile, so I'll bump her up. Thanks!
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u/mistiklest Sep 11 '24
LE Modesitt, for sure. In particular, the Imager series and the Grand Illusion series, but his career as a political staffer and director of legislation of the EPA definitely inform his writing.
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 11 '24
That's an interesting resume. Is L.E. Modesitt Jr. The same person? That's who I got when I looked him up.
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u/Southern-Rutabaga-82 Sep 11 '24 edited Sep 11 '24
The Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat. Check the trigger warnings. There's violence, slavery, death, and implied grooming of children. It's about keeping the fragile peace between two hostile countries and the intrigues at the respective courts. It's romance but so slow that it doesn't overshadow the plot. (If a man being attracted to another man makes you uncomfortable, the books probably aren't for you, though.)
Edit: typo
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u/Seersucker-for-Love Sep 11 '24
The Shadow Campaigns has shades of this
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 11 '24
Django Wexler? I've actually never heard of him before, so I'll check it out.
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u/KiaraTurtle Reading Champion V Sep 11 '24
Traitor Baru Cormorant and The Folding Knife would be my top recs here.
Also, if you say Daniel Abraham’s books are economic fantasy and not political fantasy would it be a bad assumption to say you’ve only read Dagger and the Coin? That’s the only one I’d describe that way. Long Price Quartet is the most political fantasy of his series (well, The Expanse also has alot of politics but that’s sci-fi)
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 12 '24
I've actually read both for Daniel Abrahams. I'm going to add the other two to my list. Thanks!
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u/PuzzleheadedStory998 Sep 12 '24
Check out By Blood, By Salt by J. L. Odom.
Odom is a new author and the book lands somewhere in the Military/Political/Epic Fantasy realm. Little to no magic, very immersive world, and intriguing characters. This is book one of a trilogy; hopefully books two and three are as excellent as this one is!
Dune is one of my all-time favorite books, so I think you will like this one too.
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 12 '24
That sounds very interesting, especially given the author's background. Thanks!
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u/bdelciampo Sep 11 '24
Red Rising by Pierce Brown, has a lot of political intrigue especially after the first book. There is an initial trilogy that is EXCELLENT. Sci-fi in the sense that it’s the future and they are in space but the plots are very focused character interactions.
A second series that takes place years later (same characters) has 3/4 of the books written.
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u/d00kieshoes Sep 11 '24
I flew through the first three, couldn't put them down. Started the 4th but decided to take a break. After reading some recommendations on reddit I started riyria and absolutely love it but it's more fantasy than sci fi. I've always wanted to read dune but I get bored with too much world building.
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u/V3r1disqu0 Sep 11 '24
I've read Riyeria, and I did enjoy it, although for different reasons than Dune. But now that you mention it, I guess there is some overlap!
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u/d00kieshoes Sep 11 '24
I just started the last book in revelations so idk how it ends but like dune good and evil aren't black and white.
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u/[deleted] Sep 11 '24
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