Still, with Game of Thrones gone from our TV screens, if you’re looking for another big epic, Three Kingdoms might fit the bill. Here are four ways the two stories resemble each other.

Robert Baratheon and Dong Zhuo

As you may have gathered from the intro, both stories have a similar beginning: A usurper takes over a crumbling, centuries-long dynasty before getting taken out by people close to him. A classic betrayal story. Et tu, Brute?

In Game of Thrones, Robert Baratheon ended the rule of House Targaryen in Westeros. His reign proved (relatively) short-lived once his wife hatched a plan to assassinate him, kicking the Game of Thrones into high gear.

Tywin Lannister and Cao Cao

It seems like most compelling epics can’t do without a ruthless but meticulous anti-hero who is synonymous with fear in the eyes of his enemies.

In Game of Thrones, Tywin Lannister serves that role. He is perhaps the most feared man in the Seven Kingdoms, despite having neither dragons nor sorcery on his side. He’s always three steps ahead of his opponents, and after the fall of Robert Baratheon, the patriarch of the Lannister family becomes Hand of the King.

(And in case you’re wondering, yup, that’s the same Cao Cao from the Dynasty Warriors series.)

House Tyrell and the Sun family

Tywin’s role in raising House Lannister to a triumphant place in the Seven Kingdoms overshadowed the rise of another family: House Tyrell. The rulers of the Reach are quiet, unflappable -- and ambitious. The betrothal of Magaery Tyrell to King Joffrey brings them into the limelight, but their position as rulers of the agricultural heart of Westeros always gave them an outsized amount of power.

The Sun family is also similar to House Tyrell in another way: Both place a big emphasis on family bonds and education.

The Battle of the Blackwater and The Battle of Red Cliffs

One of the most iconic battles in Game of Thrones is the Battle of the Blackwater, which results in a major power shift in Westeros. In Three Kingdoms, it’s the Battle of Red Cliffs that changes history forever.

Both battles also see the use of a similar strategy: A chain to stop ships, and fire. So much fire.

In Game of Thrones, the battle commences after Stannis Baratheon leads his armada to King’s Landing. Outnumbered, Tyrion Lannister somehow lures the Baratheon fleet into a trap before setting the ships ablaze. While this is going on, Tyrion uses a huge chain to keep the enemy ships from retreating.  

Where are the Starks and the Targaryens?

OK, so this is where the comparison collapses. There are no good comparisons for the Starks and the Targaryens. And as a historical novel, the Three Kingdoms doesn’t have to account for an external doomsday threat or grapple with overly-powerful mythical creatures.

At their core, the two stories are very different. But they are both sprawling epics with plenty of backstabbing and intrigue. So if you are a fan of Game of Thrones and looking for another epic to sink your teeth into, Romance of the Three Kingdoms might just be your jam.