Fantasy books to read?

[Nefarious]

Hi all. I have recently run out of fiction books to read and would like some suggestions...I have read the classics like Eddings, Robert Jordan, some Discworld, and Tolkien stuff of course, and have recently read most of the Avalon series by Marrion Zimmer Bradley (waiting for someone to hurry up and read the last one so I can read it). Have also read Ian Ivrine's The View From The Mirror series (which was ok, but not great IMO).

I was considering reading The Crucible series by Sara Douglass as I've read her other two Tencendor series and very much enjoyed them. Also maybe the The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb as I enjoyed the first series.

So, any feedback on those or other recommendations?

Thanks

[Sinwah]

My two recommendations:

The Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen (see my other post on this forum). Best. Fantasy series. Ever.

Secondly, if you like the Lord of the Rings style fantasy, read Terry Brooks' Shannara series. Good read, long series as well so if you get into it its not over fast (about 12 books I think).

The Malazan books are more gritty and violent with alot of backstory still to be explored, Brooks' series were my old favourite series. They follow through generations of a family (the descendants of the Shannara house) and how their bloodline changes through the ages due to exposure to magic in previous books.

[s3raph]

Oh my God. You've no idea the can of worms you've opened here Nefarious.

[minorproblem]

Download and read the monty python scripts... all of them :D
[I Realise this is not fantasy but still an awesome thing to read and great for shenanigans] Exeem link: exeem://21/ced4385e1cac89282a9c5fec78dd02fb37dac394/Monty Python Scripts


If you are intrested in the terry Brooks Series i am seeding it now:

exeem://55/9f23409eb054a9a85c437763692975a788d45bf2/Terry Brooks - Complete Collection - Science Fiction


[edit]These links might not work till morning ive gotta take my computer offline overnight but you can queue them[edit]

[abelgold]

I can't recommend Raymond E Feist highly enough... Start with "Magician" and work thru the series. Magician is my fave novel of all time and I still find it impossible to put down once I start re-reading it.

[Sparhawk]

Gah, you've already ready my stock 2 suggestions.

You liked the second Tencendor trilogy? It went a bit too metaphysical/pseudo-religious for my likings. Also, bringing Earth into it = pointless IMHO.

[Nefarious]

Thanks all for your input :)


The Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen (see my other post on this forum). Best. Fantasy series. Ever.
Might have to look into this one then. Haven't heard of it before.

I've read a lot of the earlier Terry Brooks and the Shannara series (about 5 or so), but then I got a bit annoyed that each new book was on a new generation of characters.

Raymond Feist is excellent and I have read most of his too - fav is definitely Magician...will have to re-read that one day.

And yep Sparhawk, I did like the 2nd series, but it did drag a bit towards the end.

minorproblem: Thanks for the links but I don't have Exeem installed as there were lots of issues with Spyware bundled with it...I know there is an Exeem lite, but haven't looked into it yet...have you found any problems with it?

There has to be some more good authors/series out there that I haven't heard of! :)

[minorproblem]

minorproblem: Thanks for the links but I don't have Exeem installed as there were lots of issues with Spyware bundled with it...I know there is an Exeem lite, but haven't looked into it yet...have you found any problems with it?

Nope no problems it runs ok one wine, the loadup times a alot better than things like DC etc and it is reasonably easy to share packages, which would be the biggest plus i suppose.

[durus]

Anything by Chris Bunch or David Gemmel (Excellent Fantasy writers)
For Sci-Fi go for Peter F Hamilton, David R Green (Death Stalker series), Chris Bunch (again), Ian M. Banks, Jeff Noon, or Gibson (start with Neuromancer)

[ShinymetalASS]

My recommendations (and this is but the bare tip of an iceberg referred to by seraph. Worms like you find on arakis my friend) are as follows:

Eeilinaan Series by Kate Forsyth
Deverry Series by Katherine Kerr (this one is freakin brilliant)
Still a fan of the Obernewton and Darkfall series by Isobelle Carmody
Gormenghast series by Mervin Peak.
Lord of the Isles series by David Drake (this one rocks btw)

Well theres about 30 books there for you. If you like violent fantasy then I'd go with David Drake and to a certain extent Katherine Kerr. If you like it a bit less so, then the others. Though Gormenghast is a series that cant really be described, only read. p.s. peak was mad by the end of the third book. Should explain a lot if you get there.

Enjoy my friend. Freakin sweet.

P.S. you must spread some reputation around before you can give it to Seraph again.

[Sinwah]

Nefarious: The first book is a bit iffy (Gardens of the Moon). I enjoyed it immensely however alot of people don't like that one. Book 2 is the best (Deadhouse Gates) :P

[Nefarious]

Those Arakis worms are more than welcome if they bring spice!

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about..That list should keep me going for a while, thanks all :)

[Serpent_Girl]

I actually didn't like the crucible by Sara Douglass.

I absolutely LOVE all Robin Hobb's books. Especially the Royal Assasin series, the Mad Ship series and the other series that combined them both and concluded them. Freaking BRILLIANT!! I also love Ian Irvine's books and of course you HAVE to read Discworld!! :D

[AntZ]

Just on an aside - isn't it amazing how many "kids" or "young adult" fantasy books are so amazingly good, popular and well written compared to their "adult" counterparts.

[Arsozah]

I didn't like the Crucible that much either. They're worth a read, but they're definately not her best. I didn't mind the Troy Game though. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

I agree with ShinyMetalASS:
Eeilinaan Series by Kate Forsyth
Deverry Series by Katherine Kerr (this one is freakin brilliant)
Still a fan of the Obernewton and Darkfall series by Isobelle Carmody

Hmmm...

The Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot is okay, too.

[Scythe]

Read the Lankhmar series by Fritz Leiber, if you can find them, for the original Sword-and-Sorcery duo. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser rule.

Also the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling is fairly good, but only if you have a tolerant attitude towards male sexual orientation.

[Drakin]

Deverry Series by Katherine Kerr (this one is freakin brilliant)

THIS FUCKING SERIES HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 8 YEARS!!!!!
One book to go and what does she do, get in shit with the publishers and start writing other books...


Oh and robin hobb, read the live ship traders and then the tawny man..

Tad williams is cool too..

[Drakin]

I also love Ian Irvine's books :D

Im with you on that one..

[ShinymetalASS]

Im with you on that one..

Im with you on that one.

And now we're like some kind of Irvine Parabox (just to borrow from Futurama AGAIN)

[Foxfire]

I'll add a third vote for the deverry series by Katherine Kerr, it's blimey brilliant.

Glad to see you've already read Magician... I picked up 'Exile's Return" almost as soon as it came out and finished it far too quicky.... <<

Mathew Reilly (aussie author wooo ;p) is great for modern day action. He actually manages to make a really great action book interesting. I'd recommend starting with 'Temple' and then moving on to 'Contest' and then the scarecrow series starting with 'Ice Station'.

The Gap Series by Stephen Donaldson is probably one of the best sci-fi stories I've read if you don't mind a bit of violence and rape of body/mind/soul. Personally I don't care for stories with a lot of rape and whatnot in them, but he actually writes a really decent tale with the humiliation of the people central to their actions in the the story. *shrugs* One of those ones you have to read I guess. ;p

Er... ok last one... back onto fantasy again.

The Death Gate Cycle by Magaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Actually, almost anything done by this pair, but the Death Gate Cycle (a seven book series) is blimey brilliant, seriously some of their best work with some truly cool characters.

[Drakin]

Mine wasnt a vote for devvery, at least not till the last book comes out :)

Deathgate however brilliant..

[Blink]

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin. Great books, he should be bringing the fourth one out shortly (I hope).

Wouldn't recommend the Crucible series by Sara Douglass, it was a bit crap.

[Asmodeus]

If you're looking for something thats a decent change of pace. Check out the fantasy genre called "Alternate History" real interesting stuff.

If you like horror, a series that combines a bit of both, and some good ol fashioned filth would be the anita blake series by laurell K hamilton. gotta love a series with a vampire hunter who has a stuffed penguin collection.. sex with vampires and were-critters and a whole society built on teh concept that vampires and were-critters are real and exist in society...

Some are also comical and light enjoyable reads that play 'what if' with history.. what if..
ghandi became a thugee instead of a pascifist?
columbus discovered australia, china, south africa instead?
the nazis won the war?
jfk didn't die?

so on and so forth. interesting stuff once you get into it.

[Arsozah]

THIS FUCKING SERIES HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 8 YEARS!!!!!
One book to go and what does she do, get in shit with the publishers and start writing other books...

I hadn't heard about a publishing dispute but she also had congestive heart failure which held it up. That's a better excuse than anything Isobelle Carmody can come up with

[StudMuffin]

I can't recommend Raymond E Feist highly enough... Start with "Magician" and work thru the series. Magician is my fave novel of all time and I still find it impossible to put down once I start re-reading it.

couldn't agree more. currently reading the serpent war saga again. would recommend all of his books especially the riftwar saga, serpent war saga and faerie tale.

another author i recommend is robbin hobb