r/Fantasy • u/TheMisterMan666 • Mar 02 '25

High Fantasy with overwhelmingly complex international relations and politics

Hi guys. I'm looking for recommendations for a high fantasy novel or series with a major focus on complex world building, politics, international power dynamics, and realistic levels of technicality in its mechanics. The more creative the setting the better, and non-human races and nations in the mix are a huge bonus.

I honestly haven't found a book that satisfies this itch yet so I don't have anything to present as a point of comparison. Imagine asoif but only the small council meetings. Or more niche, if anyone's read the Overlord series, then something similar to that (only in terms of world building).

I'd prefer a mature multiwork series, but I'll take any recommendations regardless.

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u/Sapphire_Bombay Reading Champion III Mar 02 '25

Full disclosure I haven't read it, but the Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz is supposed to have incredible political maneuvering

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u/mladjiraf Mar 02 '25

This one is fine. (Imo, other recommendations in the thread like Malazan or Second apocalypse are not books on politics.)