# Fantasy



## Isabo (Apr 21, 2003)

Not sure what kind of fantasy fiction anyone else likes, but I loved Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet.  She followed this with The Immortals series then The Protector of the Small series.  Just recommending it because I fell in love with them all.  

Other good fantasy books are from Raymond Feist - he meshes different worlds so well!

And if you haven't read Jean M Auel's Children of the Earth series then you are missing out (if you like that kind of thing of course)

isabo x


----------



## Andrew (Apr 22, 2003)

If you haven't read them yet, I _highly_ recommend the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.


----------



## Bartleby (May 13, 2003)

*Required Reading For Fantasy Buffs*

Being something of a major fantasy buff I'll list off a list of books I'll go ahead and list a scant handful of books I think anyone who considers themselves fantasy affectionados should read.

1. George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series : This series is tops of my list, and has been for as long as it's been on the shelves. The characters are more realistic than any other fantasy novel I've read to date, and the plot has more twists and buttonhooks than any suspense novel I've ever read. Best of all the books actually get better as the series gets longer!

2. Greg Keyes' The Briar King : This gem I found quite by accident, and man was I suprised. Keyes hits you from an unusual direction with this book, and his characters while archtypical to be sure in the sense that they fill traditional fantasy roles, have been painted in such fine detail that you stop thinking of them in that sense almost immediately. This book is the first of a new series and I'm anxiously awaiting the follow up.

3. J.V. Jones' A Cavern of Black Ice: Great story, great characters, great worldbuilding, and a bare bones system of magic that even the characters don't quite understand. Jones' first series The Book of Words impressed me as a first attempt. It had amazing potential. Her stand alone novel The Barbed Coil was an amazing feat. All of the drama and detail of a epic series in one book. But  A Cavern of Black Ice takes the prize. The only gripe I have is that the British have the second novel in print already but we Americans do not.

I have many more books to add to this list, but rather than wax poetic in my fanboy voice at nothing I'll keep my cake hole shut until some of you folks let me know you'd like to hear more.


----------



## Isabo (May 14, 2003)

*Fantasy books*

Hey Bartleby,

Please go ahead & list more - I'm already on the ones you mentioned >sheepish grin&lt; I'm a bit of a book nut & fantasy is my fave. Just spent a week reading the whole Raymond E Feist collection again. He's got flaws along the way sure but his writing is still fantastic in my opinion. Merges two worlds brilliantly.  His best work was definitely the earlier ones in the series but he just released Talon of the Silver Hawk (Conclave of Shadows Book One) which did everything to live up to Feist's name. I'm looking forward to King of Foxes (Conclave of Shadows Book Two) which is out over in England during autumn.

I also really like Tamora Pierce - strong female characters tend to dominate the plots. Oh & I also just read Jean M Auel's Earths Children Series which was not so much fantasy but it had all the ingredients - definitely recommend it.  

Well I've babbled on with my likes for a while so feel free to list your other faves & it might shut me up for a while cos I'll most likely be reading them. 

thanks
isabo x


----------



## Bartleby (May 14, 2003)

Isabo~


While I'm not suprised that you've read Martin or Jones, I must say that Keyes was a suprise to me. Have you read any of his "Age of Unreason" series. Excellent stuff while nnot exactly fantasy. I'll be getting around to posting more reccomendations a little later on. Thanks for reading.


----------



## Isabo (May 14, 2003)

Hiya Bartleby,

No I haven't read Keyes but will definitely check those out. Look forward to the next list >grin&lt;

l8ter
isabo x


----------



## Bartleby (May 14, 2003)

*Recommended Reading for Fantasy Buffs Part Duece*

Isabo and whoever else is lurking~


Be sure to read Keyes. At least The Briar King because it really is head and shoulders above most of what is currently on the shelves. The Age of Unreason series is a good series but probably not to everyone's tastes.

This list is going to be shorter than the last one due to time constraints but I'll pop of a pair of good reads in the genre.

1. Charles De Lint is always a good choice if you want to try something different. The only way I know to describe his writing is that it is urban folklore. De Lint has a knack for injecting fantastic elements into a modern setting unlike no other. I would reccomend either  The Little Country or Memory and Dream if you are looking for a novel or Dreams Underfoot for an excellent collection of short stories.

2. Robin Hobb is another excellent choice. Her Farseer series about an orphaned bastard who takes on the role of assasin is excellent, and it's sequel series is just as good.  The characters are a little more two dimensional than some of the other series I've mentioned, but the world and it's unique perspective on magic are exceptional. The best part of Hobb's work is the fact that her plots are rarely typical, she keeps the reader guessing.

Well that's all I have time for tomight. Enjoy.


----------



## Jukeboxhero (May 17, 2003)

Andrew said:
			
		

> If you haven't read them yet, I _highly_ recommend the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.



The only problem I have with jordan s his insistence on regurgitating facts half way thru his books just to extend the numbers.
otherwise excellent series


----------



## yad4u (May 23, 2003)

It may not be a historical series, but Ender's Game is a great book, as well as the sequels. I'd recommend it to everyone. 

Don't read Ender's Shadow until you're done with the series though!

Happy Reading!


----------



## Isabo (May 25, 2003)

*Ender's Game*

Hi yad4u

Who is the autor to Ender's Game?
Just so I can look for it more easily >grin&lt;

Thanks
Isabo x


----------



## Anonymous (May 28, 2003)

*Re: Ender's Game*



			
				Isabo said:
			
		

> Hi yad4u
> 
> Who is the autor to Ender's Game?
> Just so I can look for it more easily >grin&lt;
> ...




Ender's Game and the rest were written by Orson Scott Card.  He also has a really good fantasy series called Alvin Maker, it starts with the book Seventh Son.  He has several (at least dozen other books) both science fiction, and fantasy as well as some biblical reinterpretations and the like.  (He's a strong mormon.)  He has also written at leasta couple of books on the art of writing, but i've never run across them personally.


----------



## Isabo (May 28, 2003)

*Enders Game*

Thanks 

Isabo x


----------



## lunastar (Jun 9, 2003)

I'll check it out.


----------



## DragonReborn (Jun 13, 2003)

The Wheel of Time series, by Robert Jordan, has changed my life forever, even though I've only read The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt. Have to pay for blasted school books, so I can't blasted buy The Dragon Reborn...


----------



## Jukeboxhero (Jun 13, 2003)

Try the library its free.
Its a good series but he does waffle in the later books.
Get past book 5/6 and its tosh mostly


----------



## Bartleby (Jun 21, 2003)

I'd have to agree with Jukeboxhero on Jordan. His first four books or so were excellent in both character development and plot, but his later books seem too bogged down with subplots, and regurgitated information that only really serves to fill his pockets while stretching out the life of the series. 

On another note, Check out R.A. Salvatore's Demon Wars series. While I'm normally not a big fan of the creator of Drizz't D'Urden, these books really show how much better a writer he can be when he isn't restricted by someone else's setting.


----------



## Bobthegreatjohn (Aug 19, 2003)

*good books*

George RR martins Song of ice and fire is definitly on the top of my list

followed by jordan of course.  (his books seem to becoming better quality slowly).  Read the first one....they keep getting better until just around "the shadow rising".  

In a world of its own, is the entire DUNE (frank herbert) series...possibly the weirdest thing...part sci-fi...part fantasy...and juust all out weird. (with this goes enders game as already mentioned).

David eddings, its a bit of a younger adult sorta thing, and i havent read it in a long long long time....but its something htat most people still hold respect for and like.  Theres something fun about them.

(on a note of books i didnt like:  i hated RA salavatores the demon wars cycle....and tad williams was good...but wasnt up to par with his "dragon bone throne" or whatever it was)

L.E. Modsitt Jr: has a series of books called "the magic of recluce"  the first one being called "the magic of recluce", and then "the towers of sunset".  These books do need to be read in order.

Terry pratchet is always a good read if your out for something fantasy, but yet hilarious, that makes fun of all good fantasy writers.  You can read his (23ish books) in any order, just read, "the color of magic" first, followed by "the light fantastic"  and then go from tehre whichever ones interest you.

Iv started stephen kings Gunslinger books lately...their....very different.  cant really give my oppinion on them yet.

If you get realliy really desperate, the sword of truth series by Terry Goodkind, is an exellent example of a standard book "boy lives on farm, boy is no one, boy kills off evil father, boy wins and becomes kind master of everything".   well its not quiet that...but it has a very....choppy predictable feel about it. (more so than wheel of time)....so its far from good...but its better than say salvatore i think.  but thats just me.


----------



## Karen (Aug 20, 2003)

I completely agree with the consensus on Robert Jordan. I was a HUGE fan of the wheel of time up until about book 5, then I tried to read further and just couldn't take it anymore. I think there's still some interesting stuff going on in that series, but he's determined to stretch into fifteen books what he could probably do in 7 or 8.

Furthermore, I think the series pretty much reaches it's height around "The Dragon Reborn". It's great when you can root for the characters while they're ascending to power, but once they all become ultra-ultra powerful (and every character from the beginning does), they become pretty much unsympathetic. I cannot stand Rand al'thor anymore.

End vent.

My favorite fantasy author is probably Terry Pratchett. A lot of people read the Discworld series and then say "Oh, he's the parody guy", but every once and a while when he plays it straight, his stories are capable of much greater poigniancy than I've seen from any other author in the genre. For an example, try "Reaper Man" and "Guards, Guards".

"Sword of Truth" was a decent diversion, but I think that was pretty much a one-book series. As previously stated, it's just too predictable.


----------



## Jukeboxhero (Aug 20, 2003)

In defense of mr Goodkind I have enjoyed the Sword of truth series immensly(?sp) I have on my bookskelf every title including the new one. Whilst The hero does always win its a different win each time.

and not quite boy lifes on farm etc. now that would sum up the wheel of time.


----------



## lemon (Aug 20, 2003)

Anybody ever read any of Neil Gaiman's novels?  They're weird and VERY different from the usual fantasy stuff.  My favorite book of his is Neverwhere, which is being made into a movie, and has one of the weirdest and most original plots in fantasy literature.  Just wondering if anyone else on this forum knows what I'm talking about.


----------



## Karen (Aug 21, 2003)

I enjoyed Neverwhere.......Door was a great character^^.

Also, if you like Gaiman, then you probably already know this, but "Good Omens", his colloborative novel with Terry Pratchett, was really good. Kind of like wha the movie "Dogma" would have been like if it was actually well-written.

I've really gotta hunt down more of Gaiman's work, everything that I've read by him so far, I've really liked, but I know that I've only scratched the surface.


----------



## Jukeboxhero (Aug 21, 2003)

loved neverwhere


----------



## Kitten Courna (Aug 24, 2003)

Maybe I beat the "favorite author" dead horse a bit, but I still recommend to all of you, Steven Brust.  Short, indeed, finish them in a matter of hours, but a talented writer who is doing exactly as he wants to do.

-Kitten


----------



## Annie Insight (Sep 3, 2003)

*My fantasy favorites...and then some questions!  *grin**

I absolutely _love_ Mercedes Lackey.  I've read most of the Valdemar books, starting with the "Arrow" series.  Actually, the library doesn't have what I haven't read, so I think next week I'll see if I can't go down to the local bookstore and just read for an afternoon...or better yet, save up my money and buy 'em!  I've read some of the trilogies...I just can't get over the role of the horse-like Companions!  They are so cool, and I really enjoy the way they get along with the people in the story.

I also like Tamora Peirce...haven't read much of her, though.  Has anyone been to her official website?  Very well done, and her bio is fantasmarrific!

My boyfriend loves Anne McCaffrey...he's always telling me about the "Pern" series and how much he loves the dragonriders.  I haven't read anything by her...yet!

He told me about this book that he thought was really awesome...it's called "Malady of Magick".  Anyone heard of it?  I want to see if that one's at the library because it sounds like it would be a good read...


----------



## CopyMaster (Sep 5, 2003)

Three words (more like two but three sounds better, how do you count the "K."?): Philip K. Dick

Two words: Patrick O'Leary

L.E. Modessit, Jr.
Robert Jordan,
Orson Scott Card,
Gene Wolfe,
You get the picture...

Fantasy/Sci-Fi with a slightly different twist by the first two, and last one, possibly second to last as well

Modessit: Recluce is an interesting concept, twists the notions of color associations of good and evil on their heads, writing is a bit childish in some parts, too much onomatopoeia (BOOM, BANG, WHHUFF, if you've read it you'll understand) but the ideas and plots are excellent and almost a little too realistic, scary thought indeed

Have to agree with other posts on Jordan though:
Wheel of Time 1-6: awesome 
Wheel of Time 7-??: cannon fodder

Enjoy!


----------



## Farror (Sep 10, 2003)

Robet Jordan all the way! Altghough the books are tending to slow down, think of how potentially action packed the eleventh book could be. Also, somem of this detail is quite important and I really doubt that jordans readers would be satisfied if he stopped too soon. Think of the THOUSANDS of loose ends there would be!


----------



## Melter (Nov 1, 2003)

Any chance I get to mention fave fantasy and I will always put The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake in there. This trilogy lives and breathes characters. And you're given humour, drama, sadness, horror, excitement, and lots more thrown in for good measure.

For those mentioning Neil Gaiman you should check out the Sandman graphic novels if you haven't already. They really show how good a writer this guy is.


----------



## Sneaky (Nov 10, 2003)

I am a bif fan of Katherine Kurtz and her Deryni Series. Medieval Fantasy mixed with magic. 

And of course David Gemmell and Alan Dean Fosters Spellsinger Series. Dito Tanya Huff. Thats enough


----------



## Allusearna (Dec 6, 2003)

I love Robin Hobb.  She’s written three trilogies under that name.  Her characters are so detailed and alive, the books really are character driven.  By that, I mean if the characters were a little different, just a little, she would have ended up with a totally different plot.  (The Plots are brilliant as well)  My favorite trilogy was the first one, the Farseer Trilogy.

Also, Tracy Harding.  She’s an Australian author (my sister had dinner with her a few months ago. Apparently she’s really nice and my sis got her autograph, saying it was real nice meeting my sis and that ‘we’ll have to do dinner some other time’) 
Basically it starts with Tory, a black belt who’s stranded due to her car breaking down, as it’s late she decided to sleep in a stone circle till morning, and wakes up in the 6th Centaury.  There’s two trilogies, though I haven’t finished the second as my stupid sister is hogging the 2nd book… but It’s real great.  A lot of time travel and past and future reincarnations that you’ve got remember (there are tables, so it’s not TOOO confusing) and there’s even a few nice time loops J  quite a lot of mythology too, with Taliesin and the Goddess and later on more Gods and Goddesses, and  Gwynn ap Nudd.

As for David Eddings, I used to be a fan, though they never once made my cry (unlike the past two author’s books) but they did make me laugh a few times.  But I would advise anyone not to read too many of his books, or you will realize they all have basically the same plot with the same characters but have different names and are set in a different world.  They get really predictable, more than they were in the beginning.  

I like Tad Williams, especially the memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, but I wouldn’t HIGHLY recommend them, I’ve found better authors since then.


----------



## MikeM (Dec 9, 2003)

uh, Tolkein...


----------



## DreamWalker (Dec 9, 2003)

*Sword of Truth*

In my personal opinion, the Sword of Truth series is by far my favourite, and I do not agree with BobthegreatJohn.  While the series may fit into the category he said it was under (I'm too lazy to look it up.  If you don't know what it is, you'll have to look for it...if you care.)it is so much more.  It is full of drama, and packed tightly with action.  
  And as the series goes on, the morals of the books become more clear and life-changing; after reading Faith of the Fallen, my life utterly changed, for the best.  This is not to say all will take away the same feeling I did when I read it, and the rest of the books, but it is definitly worth the read


----------



## Lethal (Dec 9, 2003)

I think that you should pick up the Sabriel trilogy by *Garth Nix*.  The books are _Sabriel_, _Lilrael_, and _The Abhorsen_.  They are all excellent books taking place in a time of magic and death.


----------



## Allusearna (Dec 10, 2003)

> h, Tolkein...



well, of course.
he wasn't mentioned as there is no point.
everyone knows he's the beast, and it's blasphemy to even compare others to him…


----------



## blackswan (Dec 30, 2003)

I love the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind as well...Tolkien, I actual get bored a lot when I read his books. The only one I seem to like is the Hobbit, that's it. I admire his highly skilled world builting and all, but I just have a problem with his talented description and songs at *times*. 

Another author I love, but not many people know of is Anne Bishop, her dark jewels triliogy is one of the best fantasys I've read, I love it. 

And *Stephen King* is of course, one of the very, very best fantasy writers. (his books are considered fantasy, depite what some people thinks. It's fantasy, because it can't be real...)  


-Laura


----------



## Tivanosa Evangelista (Jan 12, 2004)

.


----------



## odstone (Jan 21, 2004)

*"Sword of Truth" was a decent diversion, but I think that was pretty much a one-book series. As previously stated, it's just too predictable.
Karen*

Don't start this series... I thought it would go somewhere.  but all it did was spit the same plot at me in almost every book.
steps to Sword of truth.
1.  Richard discovers something
2.  He gets captured
3.  He discovers a truth about himself and the way his power works
4.  He escapes.  Goes at the bad guy 
5.  While escaping Richard does something that opens a can of worms for the next book
6.  Bad guy escapes ... 
7.  You think everyone will live happily ever after.

The first book is the best every thing after ...  you see Goodkind beating a dead horse.
Yes I am bitter ... I payed money for those books.


----------



## Fantasia (Jan 22, 2004)

Karen said:
			
		

> I enjoyed Neverwhere.......Door was a great character^^.
> 
> Also, if you like Gaiman, then you probably already know this, but "Good Omens", his colloborative novel with Terry Pratchett, was really good. Kind of like wha the movie "Dogma" would have been like if it was actually well-written.


I agree with you on that 100%.  While I'm not saying that Dogma's script was a hack-job, but only one thing really tickled me in that whole movie,  and it was that little disclaimer in the beginning that even God had a sense of humor and that if you don't believe, just look at the duckbilled platipus.

That said, I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere", but that colloborative novel "Good Omens" is just one of my favorites.  Good, funny stuff.  I adored Crowlie and Arizaphale (the southern pansie!  Haha!) and I love Agnes Nutter, even if she barely showed up in the book.  It was this book that gave me a better appreciation of the word "Nice" and whenever I come accross a 5 letter word in a crossword described as "_More_ exact" I now know just what the answer is. X'D


----------



## defenestrator (Apr 18, 2004)

I love Hobb, her books are excellent, and her characters are developed incredibly well. Then again, they'd have to be, considering that they're what drives her books.

Eddings is another of my favourites, but I'd recommend that you stick with his first series, the Belgariad. After that, everything else seems rather similar. Even if he does have a wonderfully wry sense of humour.

The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist is also a great series. The characters are endearing, and it's definitely worth a read.

I noticed, however, that no one has mentioned Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. It's an amazing series, very well written, and I highly recommend them.


----------



## Leapord (Apr 25, 2004)

Hobb is a wonderful author.  I have yet to read Fool's Fate, though.  Will do so as soon as it's out in paperback.

Also, Anne Bishop is definitely someone to check out.  She's not the best author around, and the worlds she creates tend not to be described very well, but she really knows how to craft characters that you fall in love with.  Take a look at the Black Jewels Trilogy and Tir Alainn series.

If Terry Brooks was mentioned earlier, I missed it.  I love his books, particularly the Heritage of Shannara series.

And some more....

Dark Elf Trilogy (R.A. Salvatore)
Otherland series
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series (both Tad Williams)
Redwall series (Brian Jacques) (yes, I know they are children's novels, but they're still fun to read)


----------



## Gundampilotspaz (Apr 26, 2004)

Dark Elf Trilogy by R.A. Salvator
Dragonlance series by Weis and Hickman. 
Of course the works of J.R.R Tolkien. If you haven't read anything by him (yeah right) start with "The Hobbit" then move on to "Lord of the rings" and finish with "The Silmarillion". "The Silmarillion" is Tolkien's finest work, because he never intended to publish it. It was for him, to create a mythlogy for england. And not even an ancient culture could of done better.


----------



## A_MacLaren (Jul 6, 2004)

I've never read Jordan, but I can't say I'm inclined to. He smells a bit like Eddings to me, and I hate Eddings with a fury only matched by the legendary beserkers.
However, I do recommend Cecilia Dart-Thornton: The Bitterbynde Trilogy. A delicious Celtic-Australian mix of stuff.
Steven Erikson: The Malazan Book of the Fallen series. These books are genius. I have to say, Erikson is what all modern fantasy should be like; mature, well-plotted, funny (at times) and brilliant. Just brilliant.
Douglas Adams, if he counts as fantasy. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Also, try tracking down the radio play of Hitchhiker's Guide, it's great.
Phillip Pullman: His Dark Material's Trilogy. It's aimed at children, but it is one of the single most brilliant and heart-breaking things I've ever read.
Harry Potter. Don't ask why. It's like eating really sweet food. You want to stop after the third mouthful, but then you've read the whole series and you have to take the weekend off to recuperate.
Terry Pratchett: anything you can find. He's funny, he's touching, he's mysterious, he's great.
John Wyndham, great at freaking you out with walking plants that kill and eat you and scary children that read your mind.
That's all, for now. I insist, most politely but firmly, that you at least attempt this list.


----------



## Lews (Jul 12, 2004)

I strongly suggest that you read The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay, really good trilogy.


----------



## Oracle (Jan 21, 2005)

An excellent series is The Magic of Xanth, by Piers Anthony. I've read the first two books, and I've been looking for the third.

There are tons of books in the series, and it's really excellent.


----------

