I’m a Chinese reader who really enjoys fantasy, especially epic fantasy. However, fantasy is relatively niche in China, and most readers here only seem to know about A Song of Ice and Fire and The Lord of the Rings . As a result, there are so many excellent fantasy series that I’ve probably missed.

Some of the series I’ve read recently include R. Scott Bakker’s The Prince of Nothing , Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive , Robin Hobb’s The Liveship Traders , and Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law .

I’d really like to discover what else the English-speaking fantasy community has to offer. I’ve browsed quite a few Goodreads lists, but many of the recommendations seem to focus on romantasy or romance-driven fantasy, which isn’t really my thing.

My ideal fantasy is something along the lines of A Song of Ice and Fire : expansive worldbuilding, complex characters, political intrigue, mature themes, morally ambiguous conflicts, and a darker atmosphere. I also particularly enjoy dark fantasy.…