Can anyone recommend some fantasy?

[kangaroo11]

I just finished Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive) by Brandon Sanderson and I feel kind of "meh" about it. I don't know if I even want to read the second book, since the third isn't even done and apparently there will be 10 (!) books in the series.

I'm a big Wheel of Time fan. Despite liking fantasy books, I haven't really read a lot of them. I know I dislike religious aspects in my books (looking at you, end books of Sword of Truth).

Anyone have suggestions for what I should read?

[gibbinator]

Elfquest if you're at all into graphic novels. Amazing series, amazing art. You can read all the original storyline graphic novels online for free now on elfquest.com which is amazing.

Then there are a number of novels as well (though hard to come by outside of libraries as they're out of print).

[1yeartogo]

If you haven't read Robin Hobb specifically the storyline with Fitzchivalry Farseer (there's an original trilogy, then tawny man trilogy, and now newer ones Fitz and the Fool) there's another series Liveship Traders which entertwined with it but is not quite as good.

Also the Evermen Saga (a series of 4) by Maxwell were very fast and entertaining.

[aurora]

I assume you're familiar with the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

Anne McCaffrey's Pern (dragonriders, harpers) books are classics.

I also love Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.

I have Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind and following two books on my TBR pile but haven't started them yet because I'm waiting at least until a publication date is announced for the final book.

I sometimes had a hard time getting through Stephen King's Dark Tower series, but the second I finished it I realized I should probably go back and re-read the entire thing. Unlike many of his stories where the endings make you scratch your head, I thought it was perfect.

FWIW, I thought Brandon Sanderson did a great job finishing up the Wheel of Time but I haven't loved his other books nearly as much.

[aurora]

Nov 23, 2015 6:23:57 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

Elfquest if you're at all into graphic novels. Amazing series, amazing art. You can read all the original storyline graphic novels online for free now on elfquest.com which is amazing.

Then there are a number of novels as well (though hard to come by outside of libraries as they're out of print).

Thanks for this rec! My book challenge includes a graphic novel, which I don't normally read, but this sounds fun.

[gibbinator]

Nov 23, 2015 15:57:30 GMT -5 aurora said:

Nov 23, 2015 6:23:57 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

Elfquest if you're at all into graphic novels. Amazing series, amazing art. You can read all the original storyline graphic novels online for free now on elfquest.com which is amazing.

Then there are a number of novels as well (though hard to come by outside of libraries as they're out of print).

Thanks for this rec! My book challenge includes a graphic novel, which I don't normally read, but this sounds fun.

I was just going to recommend the Dark Tower graphic novels to you too, then I saw your other reply! I haven't read them yet but I'll get my hands on them sometime. I think they're all "young Roland" back story leading up to Jericho Hill, etc.

[kangaroo11]

Nov 23, 2015 15:55:45 GMT -5 aurora said:

I assume you're familiar with the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

Anne McCaffrey's Pern (dragonriders, harpers) books are classics.

I also love Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.

I have Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind and following two books on my TBR pile but haven't started them yet because I'm waiting at least until a publication date is announced for the final book.

I sometimes had a hard time getting through Stephen King's Dark Tower series, but the second I finished it I realized I should probably go back and re-read the entire thing. Unlike many of his stories where the endings make you scratch your head, I thought it was perfect.

FWIW, I thought Brandon Sanderson did a great job finishing up the Wheel of Time but I haven't loved his other books nearly as much.

Yes, I follow Sanderson on FB because I liked how he wrote the end of WoT and got a free copy of Way of Kings in ebook form.



I read the first Dragonriders book and it was okay. I read that she feels like more of a scifi writer and not fantasy, so I was unsure if I should continue those books. Lol

[aurora]

Nov 23, 2015 17:53:16 GMT -5 kangaroo11 said:

Nov 23, 2015 15:55:45 GMT -5 aurora said:

I assume you're familiar with the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

Anne McCaffrey's Pern (dragonriders, harpers) books are classics.

I also love Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.

I have Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind and following two books on my TBR pile but haven't started them yet because I'm waiting at least until a publication date is announced for the final book.

I sometimes had a hard time getting through Stephen King's Dark Tower series, but the second I finished it I realized I should probably go back and re-read the entire thing. Unlike many of his stories where the endings make you scratch your head, I thought it was perfect.

FWIW, I thought Brandon Sanderson did a great job finishing up the Wheel of Time but I haven't loved his other books nearly as much.

Yes, I follow Sanderson on FB because I liked how he wrote the end of WoT and got a free copy of Way of Kings in ebook form.



I read the first Dragonriders book and it was okay. I read that she feels like more of a scifi writer and not fantasy, so I was unsure if I should continue those books. Lol

McCaffrey definitely wrote sci fi books. I tend to see the Pern ones as more on the sci fi/fantasy. I don't read her other books, but I do like the Pern world. To be fair, thouh I first read these as a teen so some of my appreciation could be nostalgia.

[kangaroo11]

I hit up Barnes and Noble today.

I got Mists of Avalon and a couple other recommenations. Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia McKillip and the first three books of Belgariad by David Eddings. She also recomended Shadowmarch by Ted Williams, which I forgot to grab.

I may have also picked up the second Stormlight book. lol Maybe I care more about it than I thought.

[Dusky]

Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
Once Upon a Winter's Night Dennis L McKiernan

[MrsAxilla]

I really enjoyed The Throne of Glass series.

[kangaroo11]

Thanks, I'll look into these ones too!

[aurora]

Nov 24, 2015 16:08:20 GMT -5 kangaroo11 said:

I hit up Barnes and Noble today.

I got Mists of Avalon and a couple other recommenations. Riddle-Master trilogy by Patricia McKillip and the first three books of Belgariad by David Eddings. She also recomended Shadowmarch by Ted Williams, which I forgot to grab.

I may have also picked up the second Stormlight book. lol Maybe I care more about it than I thought.

Let me know how you like Mists!

I have the Belgriad on my TBR list but I've been waiting to try to find it at my local used book store instead of buying it new. We'll see if that ever happens. But, also let me know if it's worth rushing out to buy new!

[elleblue]

Oh man, I loved Mists of Avalon in college and I picked up a used copy at my local library book sale a few years ago. But, true to form, CEP ruined it (or more specifically they ruined Marion Zimmer Bradley) for me before I could get to rereading it.

My recommendation would be the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It has a fun/funny origin story but the books are surprisingly good. link

[kangaroo11]

B&N carried none of the above recommendations. I will try to order some online. I returned Riddle-Master because it bored me in the first 5 pages and bought the second 2 books of Belgariad. It's a very typical fantasy book, but an easy read and entertaining.

[aurora]

Dec 4, 2015 7:22:40 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Oh man, I loved Mists of Avalon in college and I picked up a used copy at my local library book sale a few years ago. But, true to form, CEP ruined it (or more specifically they ruined Marion Zimmer Bradley) for me before I could get to rereading it.

My recommendation would be the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It has a fun/funny origin story but the books are surprisingly good. link

::plugs ears and sings LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAA::

[kangaroo11]

Dec 4, 2015 20:49:21 GMT -5 aurora said:

Dec 4, 2015 7:22:40 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Oh man, I loved Mists of Avalon in college and I picked up a used copy at my local library book sale a few years ago. But, true to form, CEP ruined it (or more specifically they ruined Marion Zimmer Bradley) for me before I could get to rereading it.

My recommendation would be the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It has a fun/funny origin story but the books are surprisingly good. link

::plugs ears and sings LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAA::

Yeah, I saw some of that on Wikipedia and chose to ignore it. She's dead now, so whatever. 

[Deleted]

By far the best fantasy I've read in years (and the only author I'll use the cliché "as good as Tolkein" about) is a Polish author named Andrzej Sapkowski. Start with "The Last Wish," a collection of short stories and then move into his novels.

I'll be the voice of dissent and say I didn't like "The Name of the Wind."

Also if you haven't yet read "His Dark Materials" (the Golden Compass) they're a must read. I don't consider them to be YA.

If you're into YA, "The Prydain Chronicles" series by Lloyd Alexander are another favorite of mine.

[2curlydogs]

Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle and Hood trilogy.

If you haven't read anything by Ursula LeGuin you should do so now.

[Deleted]

Seconding the Kingkiller Chronicles by Rothfuss. Those books are amazing. I can't wait for him to stop working on Planescape and get back to writing.

I'm working my way through Raymond E. Feist's work right now. Start with the Riftwar Saga and go from there. There's a LOT.

I also really like the Blood of Elves and Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Play the games too!

[2curlydogs]

If you can find them, the Guardians of the Flame series by Joel Rosenberg.

[kangaroo11]

Sheesh, I'm gonna be up to my ears in books for a while with all these titles! Thanks everyone.

[redshoejune]

I love the Belgariad! I first read it in high school so the genre format was pretty new to me, I'm curious how it is for an adult reading it the first time.
I really liked the Mistborn trilogy and the Graceling books, in case you didn't get enough suggestions before

[kangaroo11]

Dec 8, 2015 23:24:21 GMT -5 redshoejune said:

I love the Belgariad! I first read it in high school so the genre format was pretty new to me, I'm curious how it is for an adult reading it the first time.
I really liked the Mistborn trilogy and the Graceling books, in case you didn't get enough suggestions before

It feels like it's for someone younger. Like I wouldn't have a problem with my kid reading it in middle school. 

I looked into Mistborn, but I was worried it would have more of a modern feel (I like medieval style without much technology lol). 

[aurora]

Dec 8, 2015 16:57:01 GMT -5 kangaroo11 said:

Sheesh, I'm gonna be up to my ears in books for a while with all these titles! Thanks everyone.

Is that really a problem?