Conn Iggulden
Martin famously based A Song Of Ice And Fire on this tumultuous period of history and this four-book series takes us through the battles and betrayals as the great houses of England tore themselves and the country apart.
4. THE FIRST LAW SERIES
Joe Abercrombie
A warrior with a split personality, a girl with a hint of demon blood, a crippled swordsman and an arrogant young noble are manipulated in a war between conniving wizards and flesh-eating mages. It's dark, it's vicious and at times also very funny.
3. THE GUARDS, GUARDS SERIES
Terry Pratchett
The misadventures of a drunken guards captain and his band of misfits as they take on dragons, plotters, assassins, werewolves and mad dwarfs. It is absolutely hilarious — and also capable of moving you to tears.
2. THE DRENAI SERIES
David Gemmell
These are stand-alone books that nevertheless form a distinct saga. There are 11 in the series but three are a prequel trilogy and another two are a sequel. Read one and you'll want to read them all. Again full of battles, back-stabbing and a healthy dose of magic.
1. THE LAST KINGDOM SERIES
Bernard Cornwell
The TV adaptation was good but the books are even better. Saxon warrior Uhtred slaughters his way through the Viking invasions. Martin said these books have the best battle scenes he has ever read. Twists, turns, lashings of humour and buckets of blood and guts.
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5. IF YOU LIKED … GoT family drama
TRY … SUCCESSION, watch on Neon
And you thought your family was dysfunctional? The warring houses of Westeros fought each other to the death and there's the same race to power in HBO drama series, Succession. Now filming season two, the headline-grabbing series stars Brian Cox as media mogul, Logan Roy who resists letting go of the wheel; while his children fight around him. Look out for Aussie actor Sarah Snook.
4. IF YOU LIKED … Thrones romance
TRY … FOSSE/VERDON, watch on Neon
They were right into dating their relatives in GoT, but even in you're not into incestuous couple, the drama that surrounds the intriguing relationship between musical impresario, Bob Fosse and under-appreciated choreographer, Gwen Verdon will quicken your pulse (even if it's just because it makes you want to dance in your lounge room). Michelle Williams plays Verdon, to Sam Rockwell's Fosse.
3. IF YOU LIKED … Women of Westeros
TRY … BIG LITTLE LIES, watch on Neon
Whether you sided with Sansa and Arya Stark, or had a soft spot for those nasty queens, Cersei and Danyers, the power women of Westeros at least proved the most compelling and productive characters in the race to the Iron Throne. When it comes to rallying together and surviving on female instinct and wiles, they don't come smarter than the Monterey Five, aka Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz and Laura Dern.
2. IF YOU LIKED … Fantasy action
TRY … OUTLANDER, watch on Lightbox
Forget Night walkers and wildings. We'll take our fantasy TV in the shape of the beautiful time travelling lovers of Outlander. With season five looming, fans are holding out for the next chapter in the tale of Claire Randall (played by Caitriona Balfe) who plays a married World War II nurse who finds herself transported from 1945 to 1743 Scotland, when she meets the dashing Highland warrior, Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.
1. IF YOU LIKED … Killing time
TRY … WENTWORTH, watch on TVNZOnDemand
Sure, the body count at the end of eight seasons of GoT is nearing 6000 by tomorrow's finale, but the women of Cell Block H have quite the murderous record as well. Wentworth returns for season 7 and the action is set to pick up six months after we left the drama — with Rita (Leah Purcell) and Marie (Susie Porter) set to go for the jugular and top dog status. Let the bloodshed begin.
