# Stand alone fantasy novel...



## Sephiroth (Jul 5, 2006)

Does anyone know of any good ones? (That aren't by Eddings, as I detest his stuff). The amount of series' I'm waiting for the next books in is ridiculous, and I just want to read a self contained fantasy novel without having to read another ten million books to find out what happens.

I bought a book today called Shadowmarch by tad Williams thinking it was a stand alone novel...but no, it's number 1 of a trilogy. Boy, was a I an unhappy camper..

Please help.


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## Walkio (Jul 5, 2006)

I like Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. There's about thirty of them, but they are stand alone in the sense that each has its own plot. They're hilarious too.


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## Sephiroth (Jul 5, 2006)

Oh, that reminds me that I seen a copy of Thud! by Mr. Pratchett somewhere in my house. Cheers.


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## Scarecrow (Jul 5, 2006)

You know, now that I think of it, I don't believe I've ever seen a single stand-alone fantasy novel. Ever.

It's always a trilogy, or a quartet, or a septet...


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## Scarecrow's Arrow (Jul 18, 2006)

Morningstar by David Gemmell is a stand alone, I think. I could be wrong- it's a really good book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345379098/104-0275417-0503936?v=glance&n=283155


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## KeineAngst (Jul 18, 2006)

Scarecrow said:
			
		

> You know, now that I think of it, I don't believe I've ever seen a single stand-alone fantasy novel. Ever.
> 
> It's always a trilogy, or a quartet, or a septet...



you know i think your right, everytime i think ive read a stand alone book i end up seeing the next one somewhere. I dont mind though, the longer the series the better(if the authors good)

heres a warning though.  NEVER read Shannara books by Terry Brooks. There are 1million and there all exactly the same(yea, more so than in most fantasy series)


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## Nilla (Jul 18, 2006)

There are _some_ out there. One I would really reccommend is Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. It is a stand alone novel with no potential of any others following it. [He does have a new book coming out which is the first of a trilogy, but it's unrelated to Elantris.]

Also, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle is one I enjoyed. 

Can't think of anything else. Hope you find something!

Nilla

p.s I agree about the Terry Brooks comment. If you read One or two of the Shannara books its enjoyable, but once you've read about three, you've realized they're all the same . . . (I've read most of them and really it's the same formula repeating itself over and over again).


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## Chaeronia (Jul 19, 2006)

Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay.


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## Sparx (Jul 19, 2006)

Whats wrong with series books. Is it so much to ask to read first book in a series and then read the following books once you finished. Their reason their is hardly any stand-alone fantasy books is because the authors create such huge and amazing worlds that can't simply be explored in just one novel.


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## Stewart (Jul 19, 2006)

Sparx said:
			
		

> Whats wrong with series books.


Long and dull and the quality tends to decline as the next volume is released.



> Is it so much to ask to read first book in a series and then read the following books once you finished.



Well, it is. Just because you've read the first book in a series doesn't mean the author has finished the second. It would therefore be a lengthy wait between what you suggest.



> Their reason their is hardly any stand-alone fantasy books is because the authors create such huge and amazing worlds that can't simply be explored in just one novel.



I doubt it's because the authors "create such huge and amazing worlds" but because the fantasy market is a largely incestuous beast where novels  in a multi-book series can be traced back through the family tree of fantasy fiction to Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_. One does it; they've all got to do it. Sheep writing.

And should it really be about exploring worlds? I would hope, were I to read more fantasy, that the world would be of little concern in comparison to the story and its characters. Having shit like purple grass described to me by a world-builder serves little purpose in a novel - it feels little more than padding. Much like more than one book in a series. Still, if it keeps them making money by just dragging tales along as long as necessary, then so be it.


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## Fantasy of You (Jul 26, 2006)

Why don't you just buy a book that has the sequels on sale alrdy... it must be obvious


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## wowzer77 (Jul 27, 2006)

Anything by Richard Adams, I talk about him quite a bit..he has some great books.. they are all fiction, but the most like actual "fantasy" would be Shardik.  There is a prequel to Shardik, but you dont have to read it really, and I've heard it's not half as good.  Shardik is a human saga that starts at the beginning and ends at the end.  Sounds like just wat your looking for.


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## Mishka (Aug 9, 2006)

Beauty by Sheri S Teper is one that stands out for me.

And I second the vote for Tigana, that's a cracking book.

xx


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## Spherical Time (Sep 16, 2006)

Enchantment is a good, stand alone fantasy novel by Orson Scott Card.

Everything else that I can currently think to recommend is a series.


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## Rhea (Oct 20, 2006)

I really loved 'Daughter of the Forest' by Juliet Marillier. It IS the first part of a trilogy, BUT it stands alone well. Meaning? You can read the first one without reading the rest, because the story basically ends there. The second one (which I haven't read) seems to be set in the next generation - so whether I read it or not is, I think, of no consequence. Read 'Daughter of the Forest' - it's incredibly romantic in style, I'm female and loved it, and thought it might appeal mostly to females. But I tentatively showed it to a male friend and he loved it, too.


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