Recommend a good fantasy book/series/author?

[Argo]

Originally posted by: DannyLove
THE DARK TOWER

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Thraxen]

First and foremost: George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.

Where the hell is A Feast for Crows??? I wish the next book would be released.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Thraxen

First and foremost: George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.

Where the hell is A Feast for Crows??? I wish the next book would be released.

Preach it, brotha! The wait is killing me....

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: DannyLove
THE DARK TOWER

A definite must!

Also, along with quite a few others - Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy

Right now I am reading Tad Williams' Otherland series and that is pretty good.

 

[Grakatt]

Yes..the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, are good..quite, miserable, and veryyy gloomy, but very good

I liked the first five books of the Sword of Truth very much..very engrossing, if that's a word..

And GRRM Martins Song of Ice and Fire..very good stuff. 'Rhaegar fought bravely, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought valiantly, and Rhaegar died'

 

[JImmyK]

I am by no means any authority on Fantasy books, but before I started working fulltime I would have to say I read a good 200 fantasy novels.

The best too date has been George RR Martins Ice and Fire.

What was unfortunate is that was the FIRST fantasy novel I ever read 6 years ago and since then have not found a better series.

Robin Hobbs Farseer trilogy is quite good as well, but none of them are in the same league. And Fitz can tend to be a bit of a ?whiner? at times.

Salvatore and Terry both good as well I?ve read at least 20-30 of their books, but once again after reading Ice and Fire, they just fall short.

I don?t like criticizing authors since I could never do what they do, but I just refrain from giving them top standing.

 

[JImmyK]

Do you guys remember when you first read Ice and Fire, and the Red Wedding came?

I think I cringed in a corner and just sat there for a few hours. That was just wicked.

 

[Maetryx]

The Amber series by Roger Zalazney - cosmic power wielded by the egotistical, in-fighting first family of the multiverse...

I can't remember the author's name but I recently enjoyed the Dead God Trilogy... basically Dungeons & Dragons books set in the Scarred Lands campaign setting. That makes them sound boring, which they are not. The forsaken elves lost their deity in the divine war about 150 years prior to the books. Their deity was so utterly killed by his rivals that his name has been removed from the memory of the entire world. The trilogy follows the former high priest to that god and his unlikely companions.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: JImmyK
Do you guys remember when you first read Ice and Fire, and the Red Wedding came?

I think I cringed in a corner and just sat there for a few hours. That was just wicked.

That was messed up. Gotta admit though, its that kinda stuff that makes his books great.

Even if he finishes now though, won't it have to come out next year? Thought I read something on printing cycles or something and how its already passed this year.

 

[Mnementh]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: DannyLove
THE DARK TOWER

A definite must!

Also, along with quite a few others - Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy

Right now I am reading Tad Williams' Otherland series and that is pretty good.

I've literally just finished Otherland, very good but tended to drag on in some points, what was absolutely excellent about the series though it was so out there, there was no way you could guess what was gonna happen which is a problem with most books.

 

[KevinH]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Another vote for Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth...the first few are the best, they sort of go downhill from there into lectures on morality. The first one is easially the best of the lot, it's the sort of book you start reading and totally forget about what's going on around you. Very few games or movies, much less books, are able to achieve this...that's why I keep giving the series a chance, I'm hoping for another one like the first one.

Terry Brooks' Shannara series is great as well...and starting with the later written Prequel actually helps.

I agree 100%. The drop off after the first was enormous. At this point, he's just milking the cash cow.

 

[bloinkXP]

Conan. Only the original series however is any good.
Buy The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard from Amazon for 10.40. It has all of this original material plus maps and other notes. This is what really swords and socery fantasy is about.

I have read R.E Feist, Tolkein, Eddings, Salvatore, Hobbs, and others. Howard really stands out with these stories because the settings are viewed through Conan's eyes and not really to the reader.

-bloink

 

[WhiteWonder]

dune

 

[joinT]

Originally posted by: JImmyK
Do you guys remember when you first read Ice and Fire, and the Red Wedding came?

I think I cringed in a corner and just sat there for a few hours. That was just wicked.

great now i gotta stop reading this thread.

 

[kru]

Wow...so many of the books mentioned here brought back great memories. And the ones I haven't yet read....well, I'm gonna be busy scouring the book rental places over here to find them!

Just to add a li'l twist to the respective book listings, what was the first sci-fi/fantasy book you read (or the one that started your love affair with the genre)?

Mine was "The Dragon Hoard" by Tanith Lee

I'll add another vote to these already-mentioned series:

Dark Tower series - Stephen King
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson
Riftwar Saga - Raymond E. Feist & Daughter/Servant/Mistress of the Empire trilogy - Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts
Original Shannara trilogy - Terry Brooks (haven't read the Scions series yet)
Deryni Series - Katherine Kurtz (any new ones in the series? last I read were the Camber and King Kelson trilogies)
Dragonriders of Pern series - Anne MacCafferey
Spellsinger series - Alan Dean Foster
Battle Circle trilogy - Piers Anthony
Stainless Steel Rat series - Harry Harrison
Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan ([rant]first five books were excellent...but am I the only one who wishes he'd pick up the pace? the last few books were pretty much 900 pages of crap followed by the last chapter where all the action happens. seriously, this guy's gonna die of natural causes before this series is anywhere near finished. tolkien pulled it off in three books...does Jordan need fifteen books, each nearly 1000 pages long to create his fantasy world?[/rant])

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks Terry Goodkind seems to rip off a lot of ideas from the Wheel of Time series? Think I read the first three or four books then gave up on the Sword of Truth series. It read too much like Jordan-lite. Actually, a trashy romance-esque version of Jordan-lite.

I quite liked David Eddings' books, but after you read enough of them you realize that he's just recycling the same characters and the same dialogue. Still...entertaining tho'

 

[konakona]

Scrapped Princess by Ichiro Sakagi. if the series impressed you, it seems like a must read; many people point out how crappy the ending was compared to the novel.

 

[eplebnista]

The Sword of Shadows series by J.V. Jones

• A Cavern of Black Ice, Book 1
  A Fortress of Grey Ice, Book 2
  A Sword from Red Ice, Book 3

The Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn

• Dragon Prince, Book 1
  The Star Scroll, Book 2
  Sun-Runner's Fire, Book 3

The Dragon Star series by Melanie Rawn

• Stronghold, Book 1
  The Dragon Token, Book 2
  Skybowl, Book 3

 

[Mnementh]

Originally posted by: kru
Just to add a li'l twist to the respective book listings, what was the first sci-fi/fantasy book you read (or the one that started your love affair with the genre)?

Mine was "The Dragon Hoard" by Tanith Lee


I quite liked David Eddings' books, but after you read enough of them you realize that he's just recycling the same characters and the same dialogue. Still...entertaining tho'

My first Sci-Fi read was The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison, really got me hooked.

First Fantasy read was Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series

I totally agree with you about David Eddings but like you say very entertaining and why change a winning formula Having said that The redemption of Althalus was completely different, and the jury is out on The Elder Gods series as he's only written the first one so far...

 

[darkjester]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
First and foremost: George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.

Another vote for Martin's series!

 

[ScoobMaster]

Another Martin Ice and Fire junkie here!

I feel like a member of a club - I have also enjoyed many of the books/series mentioned above. I really liked Goodkind's Sword of Truth series (and yes it is true - the first book is more addictive than any drug. you will not want to put it down). Modesitt's Recluse saga was also very entertaining. I am currently halfway through a Storm of Swords (A song of Ice and Fire book three). I think that when I finish this I may have to check out Robin Hobb.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: kru
Wow...so many of the books mentioned here brought back great memories. And the ones I haven't yet read....well, I'm gonna be busy scouring the book rental places over here to find them!

Just to add a li'l twist to the respective book listings, what was the first sci-fi/fantasy book you read (or the one that started your love affair with the genre)?

Mine was "The Dragon Hoard" by Tanith Lee

I'll add another vote to these already-mentioned series:

Dark Tower series - Stephen King
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson
Riftwar Saga - Raymond E. Feist & Daughter/Servant/Mistress of the Empire trilogy - Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts
Original Shannara trilogy - Terry Brooks (haven't read the Scions series yet)
Deryni Series - Katherine Kurtz (any new ones in the series? last I read were the Camber and King Kelson trilogies)
Dragonriders of Pern series - Anne MacCafferey
Spellsinger series - Alan Dean Foster
Battle Circle trilogy - Piers Anthony
Stainless Steel Rat series - Harry Harrison
Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan ([rant]first five books were excellent...but am I the only one who wishes he'd pick up the pace? the last few books were pretty much 900 pages of crap followed by the last chapter where all the action happens. seriously, this guy's gonna die of natural causes before this series is anywhere near finished. tolkien pulled it off in three books...does Jordan need fifteen books, each nearly 1000 pages long to create his fantasy world?[/rant])

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks Terry Goodkind seems to rip off a lot of ideas from the Wheel of Time series? Think I read the first three or four books then gave up on the Sword of Truth series. It read too much like Jordan-lite. Actually, a trashy romance-esque version of Jordan-lite.

I quite liked David Eddings' books, but after you read enough of them you realize that he's just recycling the same characters and the same dialogue. Still...entertaining tho'

Katherine Kurtz has put out a couple more Deryni books in the past few years, namely "King Kelson's Bride" and "In the King's Service". They're both pretty good if you're a big fan of her stuff already.

And yes, you're not alone in thinking that Terry Goodkind is an obvious rip-off of Jordan. Stone of Tears in particular had me going "Didn't I already read this series when it was written by Robert Jordan?"

Stone of Tears = The Seven Seals
The Sisters of Light = Aes Sedai
Collar that male magic users have to wear = Seanchan a'dam
The Keeper = The Dark One
The Blood of the Fold = Whitecloaks

Those are some of the most obvious rip-offs from Wheel of Time that I recall. I still can't believe I made it through 4 books before I gave up on that stuff, which is poorly written to boot. I guess some people just have low standards for what gets published. At least Jordan, despite his dragging the Wheel of Time series out, is still a pretty decent writer.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: JImmyK
Do you guys remember when you first read Ice and Fire, and the Red Wedding came?

I think I cringed in a corner and just sat there for a few hours. That was just wicked.

Yep. That definitely shocked the hell out of me. Can't wait to see what happens in Feast For Crows.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
First and foremost: George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.

 

[Elbryn]

Noone has mentioned David Gemmell yet. I found that i liked just about anything he's written. There's the Druss storyline and a newer rigante arc. both are good.
Denis Mckiernan and his tower type stuff was ok. somewhat similar to tolkien though
Elizabeth Hayden had a trilogy that was a decent read
Another vote for Fiest- all good, Salvatore- starting to read the new ones just because.. decent but nowhere as good as the early stuff.

nothing else comes to mind immediately..

 

[vood0g]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but:

Raymond E. Feist - Riftwar Saga (Magician: Apprentice, Magician: Master, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon)

Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Death Gate Cycle (7 books), Dragonlance Chronicles (3 books), Dragonlance Legends (3 books)

Troy Denning - Prism Pentad Series (5 books)

These are my favorites. Of course lets not forget Tolkien.