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Books! 'Good' fantasy books - your recommendations

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notlistening
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Posted: Wed 09 Mar , 2005 3:15 am
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I can recommend Jennifer Fallon. She has two excellent series:
The Demon Child trilogy and The Second Sons trilogy. She is now working on a prequel series to Demon Child. 2 books down, one to go.
And another good Australian author is Trudi Canavan. And Lynn Flewelling is pretty good too!! wish she'd finish off her latest series.
Brian Duncan's series of the Blades isn't bad. Anne McCaffrey is one of my all time favourites except for the Acorna stuff.
I have been enjoying the Goodkind Sword of Truth series but his latest is a bit odd and off track. I don't think he ever means to finish....

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Posted: Wed 09 Mar , 2005 9:50 am
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I've read the past 6 pages and I will be repeating some here but I like to give a detailed answer.

Tolkien: Obviously

Stephen Donaldson
The First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Loved them when I first read them 20 years ago, but I tried reading them again recently and found them too clumsy. May have been just my mood.
after a gap of 20 years (give or take) he has just publiushed the first book of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant so I may take the opportunity to read them again.

Mordants Need & The Mirror of Her Dreams: Can't remember what the Series is called collectively. Again, very enjoyable if a little formulaic. The idea of mirrors and magic was very original though.

Tad Williams
Memory Sorrow and Thorn: A 4 book cycle of very high quality. Highly recommended

Julian May
The Saga of the Exiles: Another 4 book cycle although there have been prequels written since. A long time since I read them but I enjoyed them at the time.

Raymond Feist
Magician Series: I loved Magician, but the sequels seemed a little pedestrian except for the Empire Trilogy which was co-written with Janny Wurtz (I think?). They were very good if you can get past the Feudal Japan thing.

Janny Wurtz
Curse of the Mistwraith and it's sequels. Ok. Nothing mindblowing but readable.

Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
Draganlance Novels. Generic D&D novels. Enjoyable in a pulpish way but nothing more. As a result I have never read any Salvatore or other D&D Tie-in novels.

Robin Hobb
Farseer Trilogy
Liveship Traders Trilogy
Tawny Man Trilogy

Awesome!

Terry Pratchett
I love him. His books can be seperated into groups. There's the Rincewind novels, the Lancre Witches novels and the Town Watch novels, plus a few that are pretty much standalone. I'm a personal fan of the Lancre Witches and Granny Weatherwax.

Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time: started well but then seemed to drag badly. I stopped at book 6 because that's all that had been published when I read them. When the cycle is finished I'll buy and read the rest.

Terry Goodkind
The first book had great potential. The author has a very different voice. These books go places that most Fantasy novels do not. There is some very adult content including rape and sexual domination that is both surprising and challenging. I felt like the rules of engagement had been broken and these books were going to take me places I had not been before. Unfortunately the rest of the books failed to live up to that promise. Each sequel feels like an afterthought to the last. It's got an episodic feel to it that suggests there's no overall plan or story arc. Of course I may be wrong on that.

Michael Moorcock
I've only read the Chronicles of the Runestaff. I never felt any desire to read any more of his stuff.

Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Avalon trilogy was very good. The mini-series did not do it justice.

Ursula leGuin
Earthsea books. I enjoyed them but they did not inspire me in the way that others seem to be inspired by them. That may be a lack in me rather than the books.

Terry Brook
I only read the first four books. Cheap Tolkien knockoffs. The subsequent books may be better.

David Gemmell
A more recent discovery for me. I've really enjoyed the 5 or 6 that I've read but there are many more. I intend to collect them when I can.

That's all I can think of right now, but I'll post back if I think of any more later.

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Axordil
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Posted: Wed 09 Mar , 2005 10:40 pm
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melly is going to talk me into China Mieville even if he hates Tolkien. :D

Neil Gaiman. Pretty much anything, print or graphic.

Gene Wolfe. Pretty much anything.

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Northerner
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Posted: Sun 20 Mar , 2005 6:58 pm
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I'm guessing that they fall into the Fantasy genre, as they're not sci-fi, and strange and fantastical things happen in them- Robert McCammon's novels, especially Swan Song and Boy's Life.

A couple of Amazon reviews:
Swan Song: Swan Song is rich with such characters as an ex-wrestler named Black Frankenstein, a New York City bag lady who feels power coursing from a weird glass ring, a boy who claws his way out of a destroyed survivalist compound. They gather their followers and travel toward each other, all bent on saving a blonde girl named Swan from the Man of Many Faces. Swan Song is often compared to Stephen King's The Stand, and for the most part, readers who enjoy one of the two novels, will enjoy the other. Like The Stand, it's an end-of-the-world novel, with epic sweep, apocalyptic drama, and a cast of vividly realized characters. But the tone is somewhat different: The good is sweeter, the evil is more sadistic, and the setting is harsher, because it's the world after a nuclear holocaust. Swan Song won a 1988 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. It's a monster of a horror book, brimming over with stories and violence and terrific imagery--God and the Devil, the whole works.

Boy's Life:From Kirkus Reviews
Midway through this enthralling ``fictography,'' as McCammon calls it, the young hero learns of a book ``about [a] town and the people in it...maybe there wasn't a real plot to it...but the book was about life...[it] was sweet and deep and left you wishing for more.'' That's a perfect description of McCammon's fictional autobiography as well, an exuberant celebration of childhood mystery and marvel that's a giant step apart from his popular horror/suspense novels (Mine, 1990, etc.). It's 1964, and both Zephyr, Alabama, and aspiring 12-year-old writer Cory Meckenson, who narrates, are about to grow up from the idyll of small-town America--an idyll that McCammon paints with a score of bull's-eye details, from Cory's delirium on first hearing the Beach Boys to his delight on joining his father on his milkman's route in the cool of a summer's dawn. It's on this route that Cory begins to come of age, as he and his dad witness the sinking in the town lake of a car carrying a brutally murdered man. Who was the man? Who killed him and who sank the car? These questions cast a flitting shadow over the next year, brimming with earthly wonders--a raging flood, a shootout, a showdown with bullies--but also with purely, often darkly, magical wonders as well--a living dinosaur; precognitive nightmares; the grotesque life after death of Cory's dog. And throughout the loose-jointed tale--teeming with smartly realized characters, from the ancient black ``Lady'' whose voodoo wisdom rules Zephyr's ghetto to the wimpy boy with a Nolan Ryan arm to Cory's high-strung mom and quietly courageous dad--the mystery of the man in the lake grows in intensity until it implodes, in one of the rapturously sentimental story's few false notes, into a jarringly melodramatic climax. Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury and every bit their equal: a cornucopia of bittersweet fantasy storytelling that is by far McCammon's finest book. (Literary Guild Dual Selection for September). -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


I have read and re-read these books and always recommend them.

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Meneltarma
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Posted: Tue 29 Mar , 2005 4:56 pm
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He's never said anything about Tolkien, Ax, but he's certainly more influenced by Mervyn Peake. I think Peake's a better author than Tolkien anyway (*cringe*) so I love Mieville for agreeing. :D

I'd forgotten The Owl Service. It's the only Alan Garner book I've ever read, and it was certainly very creepy (I read it two years ago:D) but a very good book. I must try to find it again.

Oh, and for fantasy/cyberpunk, has anyone read anything by Jeff Noon? One of my favourites...his stories are set in a bizarre alternate Manchester and can be quite...graphic. But they're beautiful and lyrical and contain many allusions to Alice in Wonderland.


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ToshoftheWuffingas
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Posted: Tue 29 Mar , 2005 6:13 pm
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Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light was a stunner many years ago and many of his books use mythological overtones.
I see echoes of Fritz Lieber's stories of Lankhmar in Terry Pratchet's books.
The Compleat Enchanter by I think Fletcher Pratt was entertaining and had a sequel or two.


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sh_wulff
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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 4:26 am
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Farnk Herbert's Dosadi experiment and anything with agent Xerxes is a ripping yarn

although if you want wide fields of grenn and no grtty reality.. then read something else

I've recently discovered GRR Martin and his characterization is better than Tolkien


China Mieville sounds intriguing
so I'll give that a try ( my bro has also recommended him but I forgot the name :Q )

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Amrunelen
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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 10:07 pm
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Another fantasy writter I've enjoyed...Garth Nix. More specifically, the Abhorsen Trilogy (consisting of the books Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen). Found under the young adult reading category, but I think others could possibly enjoy them.

It involves another ancient part of the world in book know as the Old Kingdom, necromancy, the Abhorsen (banisher of the dead), "Charter magic", the "Clayr", various dead creatures (mordicants, mordauts, gore crows, dead hands, etc), and the list goes on...

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yovargas
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Posted: Tue 19 Apr , 2005 10:53 pm
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Wanted to echo some sentiments on Goodkind's Sword of Truth. I adored the first four books, but after that it became clear that he was pulling a Jordan and had no particular intention of finishing the story ever. When I started, I thought it was a four book series (that's how many were out at the time), but when I got to the end of the fourth and he still didn't end it - despite a really blatantly obvious opportunity for a fantastic finale - I got pretty sick of it. But damn those first books were good, particularly the first one. In the genre, it's the (very distant) second best I've read.


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moonfariegalena
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the only thing better from Bradley`s Avalon is Bradley`s Darkover... :drool:
although, in the end the "Mists" proved least satisfying...still have "Ancestors of Avalon" to read

nobody mentioned Pullman`s "Sally Lockhart trilogy" it`s very different from "his dark materials" but quite interesting, victorian London and a female detective....much better than my description of it :oops: which is non-existent

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Posted: Mon 09 May , 2005 2:19 pm
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Yova, in a recent interview Terry Goodkind announced that his new book Chainfire is the first of a trilogy that will wrap up the Sword of Truth series. There is an end in sight!

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Meneltarma
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Posted: Sun 15 May , 2005 5:23 pm
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mfg - I rather liked Pullman's Lockhart books. They're obviously meant for a slightly younger audience, but he isn't afraid to do painful things like kill off important characters. :)


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*Alandriel*
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Posted: Sat 21 May , 2005 5:50 pm
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Ahhh… lots more recommendations. Thanks folks – once I'm done with re-reading Hitchhikers I'll definitely check out some of those. :)

Of course you can join nolistening. The more the merrier :D

Alantar: Wheel of time series – I don't think you'll ever end up buying. Jordan seems to just keep on churning them out. I lost it also at book 6.
Tad Williams : Memory Sorrow and Thorn – now that there is even a thread here about them it definitely has me intrigued.


One book I recently read for my daughter which could kind-of fall into the 'fantasy' type is
The Tale of Desperaux by Kate Dicamillo.
I must say, hardly ever have I enjoyed reading a book like this one. How the author manages to keep the language so rich yet so simple is just pure magic and the tale is full of grown-up stuff yet easily worked to be understood by a youger audience. My daughter is 7 though the book is more suited to older kids I guess.

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Sassafras
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Posted: Sat 21 May , 2005 6:24 pm
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A few good books mentioned here.

China Mieville walks to the beat of a different drummer.
Perdido Street Station is a dense phantasmagoric subcreation like none other. I highly recommend it.

George R.R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire.
The first three books are deftly written with intricate plot lines.
Waiting for the fourth book ( 3 years and counting :( ) is a bit like waiting for Godot.

Tad Williams. I didn't much care for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I did like the Otherland series and I've just started Shadowmarch, the first of a new series. Btw, he has his own MB (Shadowmarch.com) and often posts in response to questions or criticism. :)

Patricia McKillip. Her books are like small gems. Not terribly earth shattering but well-polished and many-faceted.

Terry Goodkind. What Alatar and yov said.

Robert Jorden. Do we have a 'puke' smilie?

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notlistening
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Posted: Tue 31 May , 2005 4:34 am
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Alatar, I am mightily happy to hear that Goodkind is going to wrap his books up. When I first picked up Chainfire to read, I read about 20 pages and put it down again, not liking the tangent he was going off t0. I may just have to pick it up again now I know the end is in sight (probably 2 years away though)

I have just started a series by Elizabeth Haydon. 1st book called "Rhapsody" It took me about 100 pages to get really interested. I found out today she is up to book 6 now (due out this year) so I may yet catch up.


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PrincessOfIthilien
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Posted: Wed 29 Jun , 2005 10:01 pm
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I love Terry Pratchett...the man has an amazing imagination and is obviously deliciously warped.

When I started reading His Dark Materials, I absolutely loved it. By the time I reached the third book, I really didn't like it at all. I think it's well written, and if it reaches the screen it should be pretty amazing, but I found it so pretentious, and actually quite offensive.

Maybe I should read it again.


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*Alandriel*
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And if you do, Princess, then pop by the group read thread of HDD in this forum. clickety

On my reading list up next are some MERP manuals :D
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fisssh
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Posted: Wed 20 Jul , 2005 5:18 pm
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I highly recommend the Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody. They are set in a post-apocalyptic world after what appears to have been a nuclear war, though the people are kept ignorant of their history. They live in a medieval-type society, but glimpses of their more advanced past are slowly revealed. The heroine Elspeth is discovered to have forbidden psychic abilities and learns that she is destined to prevent a second holocaust.

The first three books - Obernewtyn, The Farseekers, and Ashling are available in the US but I had to special order the fourth - The Keeping Place - from Australia. No definite word on when the fifth - The Seeking is due. Soon I hope!

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quillon
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I haven't seen anyone mention Dennis L. McKiernan yet. My favorites by him are Dragondoom and Voyage of the Fox Rider. I also enjoyed his Iron Tower Trilogy.

And I must also say that George R. R. Martin can weave a really good tale, even if it takes him too damn long to do it!

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Snowdog
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Posted: Fri 22 Jul , 2005 11:22 pm
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I have to thank Moonbiter for getting me into this book series. I have read through this whole series and for sure Glen Cook doesn't follow the usual book fantasy formula. He builds an amazing but often cruel world, and despite a few dry stretches along the way, he keeps your interest and will throw in a twist and turn when it seems least expected. The veiwpoint is from the common grunt's eye, not from the nobles. I highly recommend this series as a read!

Here's a list of Glen Cook's Black Company series of books and a brief synopsis:
  • The Black Company
  • Shadows Linger
  • The White Rose
These three are called The Books of the North and are also sometimes referred to as The Annals of the Black Company. They are available as a single three book hardbound edition by that name (regularly listed on ebaY - advanced search under 'Books' for 'Glen Cook').

I will say here that the first two chapters of the First book Black Company are kind of hard starting as names of some of the major characters are thrown out, and this has turned some people off from continuing to read them. If you have this issue, I hope you stay with it, or skip to chapter 3 titled Raker. It was a short in a sci-fi/fantasy mag and gets the book going. You can always go back and read the first two as a prequel if need be. A note on the chapters in the first book.. they are huge! Take the breaks when the story shifts a little or where the stars are.

The first three books start with the Black Company taking on a new contract with the Empire, and board ship to head north. Along the way they have to battle a rebellion against the empire, and in finally coming to the city of Charm, are faced with the downfall of said empire. Some good battles and sorcery along the way!


The next book is a stand alone that is a 'journal' of one of the characters you get to know in the White Rose.
  • The Silver Spike
Its an excellent book that takes place after the events of the White Rose where an evil so dark attempts to arise. I think its one of the better books of the series.

The fifth and sixth books in the series are The Books of the South:
  • Shadow Games
  • Dreams of Steel
Shadow Games is the account of the rest of the Black Company as they journey south, minus the members who stayed north and are written about in Silver Spike. The timelines of these two books are concurrent. Here is a synopsis of the two Books of the South:
There are seven members of the Company left, and its a hard time for the Company. Shadow Games covers what they encounter, and ultimatly, what they get mixed up in as they travel south, and introduces us to the Shadowmasters who fear their coming. After much intrigue and army-building, There come a climatic battle with the shadowmaster's. Dreams of Steel continues from the aftermath of the battle, and is the first book written from a different character's point of view. The writing style is seemingly different, which is a great feat for an author to do in my opinion.

Then there is the more recent Glittering Stone series.
  • Bleak Seasons
  • She Is the Darkness
  • Water Sleeps
  • Soldiers Live
The account in Bleak Seasons is of the annalist protoge Murgen who we get to know starting in Shadow Games. The account parallels events mentioned in Dreams of Steel and is again, a bit different from the earlier writings.

She Is The Darkness gets us back to the writings of the original Annalist Croaker, and all he had been through since the end of Shadow Games. The last couple chapters I noticed a changed writing style, and I felt the story got a little choppy. It seemed he may had let it sit for a time, and now hurried to finish to maybe meet a deadline. The story worked, but I thought it could have used another chapter to smooth it out.

Water Sleeps, and Soldiers Live are follow up adventures and closes out stories of many of the characters we come to know and love. Some new folk are introduced but not really developed, and it leaves open the door for more books in the future me thinks.

As a series, you can feel the morphing of the story through the years it took Glen Cook to write them, and at time I think he dwells too long on things that really didn't require so much verbage, and doesn't go into things I found intriguing. Overall I highly recommend reading this series.

Here are the book covers of most of them.

I found out in this interview with Glen Cook. There may be a couple more Black Company books coming in a few years!

Yes, the Black Company is quite dark for sure. One of the things I liked about it was the way the battles were described, especially in the 4th to 6th books. Also, some of the characters seem 'real' and the composition of the Black Company at any one time is filled with 'everyman' types from all walks of life. I'm suprised this series isn't more popular. I guess it takes a grim sort of person to understand it.

I found a Black Company Livejournal Community here. Woo Hoo!

Now about Tonk, a gambling card game played in the Black Company books. Here are the rules! I had the opportunity to play this game a year or so ago, and it was quite fun.


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