After waiting to learn the fates of our favorite Game of Thrones characters and alliances—including, most importantly, Jon Snow and Daenerys—season seven was over before we knew it. While it certainly exceeded our expectations, we're now waking up with a Lady Mormont scowl, knowing that there’s no more Game of Thrones until 2019.
The pain! The agony! Luckily, the Internet is happy to oblige us with season eight predictions. While we suffer through the long hiatus and endless fan theories, here are some fantasy books to read during the agonizing wait. But hey, who's counting? It's not like we have tally marks scratched into our walls...
The Bishop's Heir
For fans of Lady Melisandre’s red magic:
Fans of Lady Melisandre's red magic and mourners of Stannis Baratheon will love the first book in this trilogy from acclaimed fantasy author Katherine Kurtz. In her world, young King Nelson has ascended through the social ranks to lead a group of magical people called the Deryni. But others—like the pretender queen Caitrin Quinnell and the dangerous cleric Edmund Loris—have other ideas about who should be running the show.
The Cutting Edge
For fans of the ever-changing monarch in King’s Landing:
Like the people of Westeros, the people of Krasnegar must navigate a world that's not unlike a house of cards. For once, they think they’ve lucked out now that Princess Inos has peacefully succeeded her father and married Rap, a stable boy-turned-sorcerer, along the way. Unfortunately the aging (and mad) Emperor isn't so supportive. Will Rap’s murky past come back to haunt him? And can he and his new bride find the courage to maintain the peace in Krasnegar—or will they say, "Screw it!" and leap to their deaths?
Werenight
For fans of Jon Snow’s exploits beyond The Wall:
Die-hard Jon Snow fans will recognize a familiar character in Gerin, the hero of Werenight. Gerin the Fox never hoped to rule, but when his brother and father are slain, he must rise to the challenge and become a formidable protector. But now the same raiders who killed his family are back—and as if that weren’t threat enough, his enemies have weaponized magic. Gerin won't be fighting men, but monstrous weremen.
The Golden Horn
For fans of Yara Greyjoy and the Iron Born:
This fictionalization of the life of one of the most infamous Viking warriors, Harald Hadrede, begins when he's just 17. As we follow his world travels and violent quest for the throne, Poul Anderson paints a fascinating picture of the Byzantium empire. The only thing that would make The Golden Horn even more fascinating is if Harald was a female conqueror...but then, that’s what why we have Game of Thrones' Yara Greyjoy.
Related: How Game of Thrones Became the TV Juggernaut It Is Today
The Hero and the Crown
For fans of Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark:
Aerin is a bit of an outcast in her father’s court—a tomboy more interested in dragons and sword fighting than marriage. Sound like someone you recognize from Game of Thrones? When a renegade dragon is reported to Aerin’s father, she decides takes matters into her own hands and must prove that she's the only ruler capable of controlling the last of the great species.
The Blade Itself
For fans of The Hound:
Infamous barbarian Logen Ninefingers’s luck has run its course. In this first book in The First Law Trilogy, all his old fights and old foes may have come back to get him (think: Brienne basically leaving The Hound for dead at the top of a mountain). But surely there’s still friendship to be found? Well, maybe not friendship—but a common ground found over a shared enemy. Can Logen make alliances that will save his life in the upcoming war? Or is he just too stubborn to care?
Gardens of the Moon
For fans of Daenerys’s exploits in Meereen
The corrupt Empress Laseen controls all of the Malazan Empire through her henchmen and sorcerers (Cersei Lannister's ears just pricked up). But there’s one holdout—Darujhistan, the last of the free cities—and she'll be damned if she doesn't bring them under her under rule. If Khaleesi’s quest to conquer Meereen and rid the world of slavery was the most compelling part of the past few seasons, try Gardens of the Moon if you're dying to see what happens to queens who stop at nothing to get what they want.
The Name of the Wind
For fans of Varys and Littlefinger
In the world of fantasy, there are roles to play: Some become heroes, warriors, or rulers. Others are destined to be master manipulators—or, as they're called in Game of Thrones: Varys and Littlefinger. If you're a fan of their behind-the-scenes schemes then you’ll love The Name of the Wind, a coming-of-age story about a young wizard who rises from poverty to become one of the most powerful men in the land.
Shadow & Claw
For fans of Jaime Lannister (in particular, his relationship with Brienne):
If Jaime Lannister’s character arc is your cup of tea, you’ll love the story of Severian, who is raised to be a torturer. But when he takes mercy on one of his victims, he's exiled from his profession and home. Now, he must take up a quest for an ancient relic—and therein, he finds his true calling.
Featured Photo: Still from "Game of Thrones" (2016), via HBO
