Looking for a new Fantasy series to read

Narse

Moderator<br>Computer Help
Moderator
Mar 14, 2000
3,826
1
81
I just finishe A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and I have found myself without anymore books to read and its driving me nuts.

Series I have read,
Sword of Truth
Wheel of Time
Song of Ice and Fire
Death Gate Cycle.


Any recomendations?

 

Auggie

Golden Member
Jul 18, 2003
1,379
0
0
You may want to read the Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.

And FFS, the DUNE series.

Try the first book of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King - The Gunslinger.

(You have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, right?)
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,806
46
91
Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is pretty good but more modern fantasy (sort of like Harry Potter).

All of the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett are amazing.

The original Conan, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and Kull stories by Robert E. Howard are great, although Solomon Kane and Bran Mak Morn are sort of historical fiction with some light fantasy style elements.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber is great too.

I don't think I've read much pure fantasy in a while so its hard to remember what I've read.
 

Bacstar

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2006
1,296
56
91
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Currently, I just started reading the The Last Chronicals of Thomas Covenant: The Runes of the Earth... so far so good... by Stephen R Donaldson. He has a series prior to this book that is quite good too.

David Eddings has a great set of books too. The Belgeraid series that I highly recommend as well.

David Salvatore ( I think he's the author) has a great series revolving around a rogue Dark Elf "Drizz't d' Arden" or something like that...

Raymond Feist has a great series that I can't remember the name of that follows a Mage. Ahhh I remember now....The Riftware Saga...

 

illusion88

Lifer
Oct 2, 2001
13,164
3
81
Originally posted by: Bacstar
David Eddings has a great set of books too. The Belgeraid series that I highly recommend as well.

I would recomend the Belgariad and the Malloreon, any of the "Garion novels". (Garion is the main charecter)

I would NOT recoment any of the "Sparhawk" novels. The Elenium and the Tamuli. Those were some terrible books.
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
31
91
Originally posted by: illusion88
Originally posted by: Bacstar
David Eddings has a great set of books too. The Belgeraid series that I highly recommend as well.

I would recomend the Belgariad and the Malloreon, any of the "Garion novels". (Garion is the main charecter)

I would NOT recoment any of the "Sparhawk" novels. The Elenium and the Tamuli. Those were some terrible books.

Be sure you start with the Belgariad followed by the Mallorean. You can then pick up the Belgarath and Polgara books if you want. Great books if you like the series.

I also did not see Lord of the Rings on your list...

Not a 'fantasy' book but you would probably enjoy Ender's Game.
 

Narse

Moderator<br>Computer Help
Moderator
Mar 14, 2000
3,826
1
81
Originally posted by: Auggie
You may want to read the Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.

And FFS, the DUNE series.

Try the first book of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King - The Gunslinger.

(You have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, right?)

Wizzards's First Rule is the first book in the sword of truth series, I have read them all and I am eagerly awaiting the last book. I have read LOTR, read back in high school and reread them with the movies.
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
31
91
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Auggie
You may want to read the Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.

And FFS, the DUNE series.

Try the first book of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King - The Gunslinger.

(You have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, right?)

Wizzards's First Rule is the first book in the sword of truth series, I have read them all and I am eagerly awaiting the last book. I have read LOTR, read back in high school and reread them with the movies.

Does this mean the next book will be the last? I finally stopped reading after the book that was mainly about his sister but planned on picking it up once the series came closer to conclusion.
 

azazyel

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2000
5,872
1
76
Steven Erikson The Malazan Book of the Fallen


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi...esults-process=default

Here is my review from Amazon.


Remember the Gunslinger?, August 25, 2006

I may be in the minority here but for me the `The Gunslinger' was a hard read. It was slightly confusing and you just didn't really know where the plot was heading. If it wasn't for the prompting of some of my friends I probably would have finished it but I wouldn't have picked up the `The Drawing of the Three'. But I am so glad I did because I would have missed out on the world that King brought forth. `Gardens of the Moon' would come to be a lot like this.

`Gardens of the Moon' is definitely a hard read but like 'The Gunslinger' it is well worth reading. Personally I look at it this way, Erikson has woven a tapestry so huge, so detailed, so friggen incredible that it cannot be looked at as a whole right off the bat. Instead Erikson just gives you a glimpse here and there that allows you to slowly come to terms with the world he has created. This can be very frustrating and if my friend who told me to read this book hadn't been around to answer some of my questions I might have quit too. But this friend was the person responsible for me reading Martin, Donaldson, Farland, Bakker and so on, so I took his opinion seriously. When he said this series was the best he had ever read I believed him and now I share the same opinion.

Here are some tips for reading this book.

1st: Do not try to guess what's going to happen. Just read it with an open mind. I say this because you're going to meet characters and races that are hundreds of thousands of years old. They introduce their own stories into the mix so trying to guess anything while reading the first book is pointless.

2nd: Try to pay attention. I know it's hard at first but honestly I have read this book (the entire series in fact) twice and each time I realize how detailed Erikson has been. I have full confidence that the entire series is already done in his head.

3rd: Do not underestimate anyone. Something might seem insignificant now but in these stories they can be the pebble that started the landslide.

All in all just get to page 350 and you'll probably start to feel things click. Then you can finish it and start the next books which are breathtaking. If you didn't know the next 2 books are on the same timeline but they occur on different continents. It is in these that you truly bond with the characters and see a new world unfold in front of your eyes.

Oh one last thing to the people who said the magic was lame; you ain't seen nothing yet.
 

Narse

Moderator<br>Computer Help
Moderator
Mar 14, 2000
3,826
1
81
Originally posted by: Bacstar
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Thats a big series!!! Exactly what I was looking for, I will pick up the first book on the way home from work today :-D
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,572
3,401
136
Originally posted by: Narse
I just finishe A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and I have found myself without anymore books to read and its driving me nuts.

Series I have read,
Sword of Truth
Wheel of Time
Song of Ice and Fire
Death Gate Cycle.


Any recomendations?

Robin Hobb's Assassin series.

Also Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Not everyone's into it, but they're classics IMO.
 

azazyel

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2000
5,872
1
76
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Bacstar
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Thats a big series!!! Exactly what I was looking for, I will pick up the first book on the way home from work today :-D

I can't stand Terry Brooks. I've read a few of his books but very really felt anything for them.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,572
3,401
136
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Bacstar
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Thats a big series!!! Exactly what I was looking for, I will pick up the first book on the way home from work today :-D

Just an FYI, once you get past the first three and High King of Shannara, they begin to progressively suck worse and worse. The last one was just absolutely horrible.
 

azazyel

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2000
5,872
1
76
Originally posted by: dainthomas
Originally posted by: Narse
I just finishe A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin and I have found myself without anymore books to read and its driving me nuts.

Series I have read,
Sword of Truth
Wheel of Time
Song of Ice and Fire
Death Gate Cycle.


Any recomendations?

Robin Hobb's Assassin series.

Also Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Not everyone's into it, but they're classics IMO.

The Covenant once are good but very weird, what he did to that girl in the first couple chapters had me wondering why I kept reading them. But the characters are really well done.

Robin Hobb's books are really good as well. I was really surprised because my g/f just randomly bought it and gave it to me to read. She also has a great talent for getting you emotionally involved with her characters. Nighteyes kicked arse. (remember the Tawneyman series is the second trilogy of these books)
 

Narse

Moderator<br>Computer Help
Moderator
Mar 14, 2000
3,826
1
81
Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Auggie
You may want to read the Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.

And FFS, the DUNE series.

Try the first book of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King - The Gunslinger.

(You have read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, right?)

Wizzards's First Rule is the first book in the sword of truth series, I have read them all and I am eagerly awaiting the last book. I have read LOTR, read back in high school and reread them with the movies.

Does this mean the next book will be the last? I finally stopped reading after the book that was mainly about his sister but planned on picking it up once the series came closer to conclusion.


Confessor is the last book to the closing trilogy, should be out later this year.
 

Narse

Moderator<br>Computer Help
Moderator
Mar 14, 2000
3,826
1
81
Originally posted by: dainthomas
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Bacstar
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Thats a big series!!! Exactly what I was looking for, I will pick up the first book on the way home from work today :-D

Just an FYI, once you get past the first three and High King of Shannara, they begin to progressively suck worse and worse. The last one was just absolutely horrible.

Hmmm maybe not then
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
The David Eddings books were good.

Elizabeth Moon - The Deed of Paksenarrion (trade paper trilogy)

L.E. Modesitt Jr. - The Magic of Recluce, Towes of the Sunset, The Magic Engineer, then the rest of the Recluce book in publication date order.
 

alzan

Diamond Member
May 21, 2003
3,860
2
0
The Wizardry series by Rick Cook - kind of a mixture of Fantasy & computer programming/science. Also, the Gaean Trilogy by John Varley is very good. And (if you're into British humor, the (increasingly misnamed) Hitchhikers trilogy by Douglas Adams.

alzan
 

TotalicRuler

Junior Member
Jul 9, 2007
4
0
0
I would reccommend the CodexAlera by Jim Butcher. This series seems to start off slow but pickls up rather quickly and becomes very enjoyable. I have lebnt this series out to 3 different friends and also my brother and all agree that it is quite enjoyable. I would also recomend the Dresden Files, I started this series at book 7 rather unwittingly and moved on to 8 and 9 which are all excellent. I the decided to backtrack and found that the earlier books were not as enjoyable but were still pretty good.

I saw the series by Salvatore recommended above and would like to second it.

The Shannara series really makes me angry though, it seems to me to get quite repetitive and even annoying at times. The books just seem to formulaic for me, I was unable to get into the books (I have read of that series, which is defineitly not all of them) enough to be able to ignore the sameness of the plots. I would say read at least one of the books though and give it a chance to grow on you.

Though this is not fantasy I would suggest reading Orson Scott Card (including Ender's Game) books, they are Sci Fi but are quite excellent. If you just read the series by George Martin I think the level of character detail and devolpment and plot depth presented by Card will keep you interested.

I think thats about all I have for you for now. Good luck with your choices. :D
 

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,849
48
91
There have been some other good suggestions, but I'd also recommend:

The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

The Age of Unreason series by Gregory Keyes

I will second the recommendations for the original Shannara trilogy (Sword, Elfstones, Wishsong) by Terry Brooks and the Belgariad series by David Eddings. However, both of those authors have the problem that their later books are very derivative and not worth the time, so you might not want to continue past those books.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,000
109
106
Just finished Song of Ice and Fire and have moved on to trying King's Dark Tower series again. I read the first book 10 years ago and didn't like it and I just finished it again last night and still didn't like it. I'm going push through the second book to see if they get any better since a lot of people seem to love the series. When I finish that or give up on it I'm going to move on to the Half-Blood Chronicles .
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,572
3,401
136
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: dainthomas
Originally posted by: Narse
Originally posted by: Bacstar
Anything by Terry Brooks when it comes to the Shannara series... I've read them all over the years. I just finished the series on the High Druid of Shannara.

Thats a big series!!! Exactly what I was looking for, I will pick up the first book on the way home from work today :-D

Just an FYI, once you get past the first three and High King of Shannara, they begin to progressively suck worse and worse. The last one was just absolutely horrible.

Hmmm maybe not then

The four I listed are all very worthwhile, and complete stories in their own right. Just don't waste time on the rest.