The Fantasy Review‘s list of 9 Fantasy Book Series for Fans of Path to Ascendancy.
This list assumes you have also read the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, as the first three recommendations are related to this series and should be read only after finishing the main series.
The Kharkanas Trilogy by Steven Erikson
From the blurb of book 1:
The Forge of Darkness introduces readers to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells an epic tale of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in shaping the world of the Malazan Empire.
It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power… and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions.…
Witness by Steven Erikson
From the blurb of book 1:
Many years have passed since three warriors brought carnage and chaos to Silver Lake.
Now the tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands. The town has recovered and yet the legacy remains.
Responding to reports of a growing unease among the tribes beyond the border, the Malazan army marches on the new god’s people. They aren’t quite sure what they’re going to be facing….
The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson
From the blurb of book 1:
BLOOD FOLLOWS
In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese’s legendary ill luck would have it, his previous employer is the unknown killer’s latest victim. But two strangers have come to town and they have posted in Fishmonger’s Round a note, reeking of death-warded magic, requesting the services of a manservant…
The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
From the blurb of book 1:
A score of centuries has passed since the First Apocalypse and the thoughts of men have turned, inevitably, to more worldly concerns…A veteran sorcerer and spy seeks news of an ancient enemy. A military genius plots to conquer the known world for his Emperor but dreams of the throne for himself. The spiritual leader of the Thousand Temples seeks a Holy War to cleanse the land of the infidel.…
Burningblade & Silvereye by Django Wexler
From the blurb of book 1:
Four hundred years ago, a cataclysmic war cracked the world open. Amid the ashes, the Dawn Republic now stands guard over lands littered with eldritch relics and cursed by plaguespawn outbreaks. But a new conflict is looming and brother and sister Gyre and Maya have found themselves on opposite sides of it.…
War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean
From the blurb of book 1:
The war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety heads home with Sergeant Bloody Anne at his side. But things have changed while he was away: his crime empire has been stolen and the people of Ellinburg–his people–have run out of food and hope and places to hide. Tomas sets out to reclaim what was his with help from Anne, his brother, Jochan, and his new gang: the Pious Men. But when he finds himself dragged into a web of political intrigue once again, everything gets more complicated.…
Chronicles of the Raven by James Barclay
From the blurb of book 1:
ELITE, UNSTOPPABLE … AND HIRED TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE
The Raven are an elite. Formed of six men and an elf, they’re swords for hire in the wars that have torn their land apart. For years their only loyalty has been to themselves, and to their code.
But that time is coming to an end….
The Illborn Saga by Daniel T. Jackson
From the blurb of book 1:
Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven.
Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women begin to develop supernatural abilities. These forbidden and secret powers will shatter the lives that they have known, and will force each of them to confront the mystery of the ethereal Gate which haunts their dreams. What does the dream mean, and how is it connected to their burgeoning abilities?…
The Brotherhood of the Eagle by Tim Hardie
From the blurb of book 1:
In the remote land of Laskar the seven ruling clans have vied with each other for power for over a century. The son of the Reavesburg Clan Chief, Rothgar, has been groomed all his life for a role supporting his elder brother, Jorik, in leading their kingdom when their father’s time finally comes to an end.
However, the rulers of their greatest rivals, the Vorund Clan, are in the grip of something older and far darker. They have been conquered by evil, a remnant from the time when the gods warred with one another and the world of Amuran collapsed into the Fallen Age.
Everything is about to change …
