best fantasy books

Ichiro

The George RR Martin Game of Thrones series is excellent.
But the wait between books is a pain in the a**!

Currently reading Joe Abercrombie First Law Trilogy Excellent books!

wellboytoo

Hi new to this forum, I started reading Marvel and DC comics 40 years ago found the Hobbit and never looked back, read an awful lot of tripe in there but some beauties as well.
Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
dark Tower King
Stephen Donaldsons first trilogy
Trudi Canavans new 2 trilogy's nice reading
the ring trilogy Koji suzuki
The graveyard book Neil Gaiman
The book of lost things John Connolly
Anything by Nevil Shute (if you can find it)
Eon Gregg Bear
Mental blank from here will update as I think of them

looksee

I started reading fantasy with Lord of the Rings, and years later the McCaffrey books, which I loved but now I find them a bit too naive.
More recently Feist's Daughter of the Empire and sequels, I have read them several times and still enjoy them. Also Magician, great book.
Ricardo Pinto's first book of The Stonedance of the Chameleon was a book that totally fascinated me, I read it then as I turned the last page I went back to the beginning and read it again. Its very harsh and gruesome in places, but he creates an intriguing world. However I really could not get into the second book, it seemed to endlessly go nowhere.
The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick written in 1994 is steampunk meets fantasy, a story of a girl trapped in a Dickensian factory run by elves and sleazy humans, and her subsequent life with a metal dragon. Doesn't sound much put like that, but it is brilliantly written, very grim but with touches of Prachett. One on its own, and worth reading.

Jaxxy

Fantastic thread, you guys have given me enough reading recommendations to last me at least a year.

My only problem now is whether to start with Feist or Williams.

Airsoft_Invent

Inheritance Cycle - CHristopher Paolini

thebullkf

Michael Marshall Smith
-Only Forward.

Neil Gaimon
-American Gods.
-Neverwhere.


King.

-DT series.
and
-Black House(with Peter Straub)

Feist

-The Magician.

Orson Scott Card.
-Tales of Alvin Maker.

Clive Barker
-Weaveworld
-Imajica
-The Great and Secret Show.

Currently reading...


Paul Hoffman

-The left hand of God.


thats all i can think of off the top of my head;)

dermothickey

Read most of the books in here though for some reason have stayed away from the robin hobbs series as the local library never has book 1, 2 or 3 always book 8/9 etc...

Just finished David Zindell's Lightstone series, Wow is all I can say.Fantatsic

Still waiting to get the new Feist book in...what a legend. What concepts amazing imagination.

The Silmarillion by Tolkien
Mort by Terry Pratchett
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Rowlling
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
Spiral by Koji Suzuki
The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

...I'm sure I'll think of more

zippygirl

Basically all i can say is Charles de Lint!
He is the man!
Mystical realism!
Read The Onion Girl and Widdershins and BE AMAZED!

Narsil

The Lord Of The Rings
The Hobbit
The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix(Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen)-They are awesome books!!
Harry Potters(cant help myself:o)
The Silmarillion
The Magician-Raymond Feist
Magicians Apprentice-Trudi Canavan
The Chronicles Of The Necromancer-Gail Z Martin

vitaminG

Finished the "Otherland" series by Tad Williams recently.

An interesting story and a lot of imagination. However, it did remind me of why I stopped reading Stephen King - there seemed to be a lot of padding that didn't particularly enhance the story. Overall, I felt the story could have been told in three books rather than the four they are contained in.

GodlessM

dogbert27 wrote: »

The Belgariad and Silmarillion - David Eddings

Silmarillion is Tolkein mate.

Orion

GodlessM wrote: »

Silmarillion is Tolkein mate.

Obviously he meant The Malloreon.

But well spotted - that was only posted 10 months ago :rolleyes:

GodlessM

Macros42 wrote: »

Obviously he meant The Malloreon.

But well spotted - that was only posted 10 months ago :rolleyes:

First thing I see when the page opens, it comes easy

Orion

Sure we won't fight over it anyway. And if we do I claim the dwarves and the elves!

GodlessM

Macros42 wrote: »

Sure we won't fight over it anyway. And if we do I claim the dwarves and the elves!

Lol

Aiel

I just love the Wheel of Time series.I've just finished The Gathering Storm now and am eagerly awaiting the 2nd last book in November.I think Sanderson has done a great job.He's alot more direct then RJ was,who would spend 2 pages describing what clothes someone was wearing.Once you get use to that though and skim through those paragraphs you'll be fine:).

Corsendonk

Aiel wrote: »

I just love the Wheel of Time series

I think we guessed that with that login name:)

Steeeeeeo!

calis wrote: »

has to be :

george r r martins song of ice and fire books followed by gemmells waylader books followed closely by fiests midekima and kelewan books!!!!!

robert jordans was good for 3 books but ant book ten now its a joke!!

robin hobb farseer was dull at start and picked up.

terry brooks shannara series faded 2wards the end for me tho first 3 were great.

eddings - first books i read but a little "childish" to read now.

the wheel of time books maybebe many and long but they are masterful. Jordan is able to juggle several substories andstill keeps you interested in whats going on with all of them. 9 and 10 arent quite as good but 11 was good and 12 has started to finish a few things up. i would honestly say these are better than LoTR and by a country mile.

Steeeeeeo!

Also,

has anyone read The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind?

another epic series although its an 11 part one again. easier to read than the Wheel of Time, albeit with a little less creativity but the character building is awesome and the stories are interesting enough to keep you going through them all. Worth a look for fantasy fans and a personal favourite of mine for the characters alone.

AnCapaillMor

Steeeeeeo! wrote: »

Also,

has anyone read The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind?

another epic series although its an 11 part one again. easier to read than the Wheel of Time, albeit with a little less creativity but the character building is awesome and the stories are interesting enough to keep you going through them all. Worth a look for fantasy fans and a personal favourite of mine for the characters alone.

Don't know what it was about the Terry Brooks books but i had to drag myself to read them, read the The Jerle Shannara Trilogy and one of the first sword books and gave up halfways through the 2nd sword book.

Most of Gemmells stuff(apart from the feeling of a rushed ending) and martins stuff are essential. Abercrombie if he keeps it up will be essential too.

Steeeeeeo!

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Don't know what it was about the Terry Brooks books but i had to drag myself to read them, read the The Jerle Shannara Trilogy and one of the first sword books and gave up halfways through the 2nd sword book.

Most of Gemmells stuff(apart from the feeling of a rushed ending) and martins stuff are essential. Abercrombie if he keeps it up will be essential too.

Hmmm, are you perhaps mistaking Brooks' The Sword of Shannara for Goodkinds' The Sword of Truth?

i agree on Brooks. i've read books 4 times the size of those in half the time because i was captivated. Brooks just isn't engaging enough. i only finished some of them because i had started them.

AnCapaillMor

Gah all those terrys confuse me, actually loved the sword of truth series, great books, he's coming out with another Richard\Kahlan book some time is'nt he? Add them to my must haves. I stand by my Brooks opinion.

coffee_cake

Steeeeeeo! wrote: »

Also,

has anyone read The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind?

another epic series although its an 11 part one again. easier to read than the Wheel of Time, albeit with a little less creativity but the character building is awesome and the stories are interesting enough to keep you going through them all. Worth a look for fantasy fans and a personal favourite of mine for the characters alone.

Goodkind was ok.
My problem, particularly toward the end, was that it was:
rape preaching rape rape rape preaching preaching preaching
the characters would have been much better if they weren't making speeches every 5 mins.
Writing style - a lot of content was redundant. 3 pages in one of the middle books, when we're already familiar with Kahlan, repeating EVERY paragraph heading with "time was hers. he was hers". Or having a 2 page description of Richard drawing his sword and how he's always felt in the past every other time he drew out his sword. The actual ending of the series evoked a very "groan :rolleyes:" reaction in me too.
Yes, he irritates me that much
I know Robert Jordan also mastered the art of writing a lot without saying much, toward the end, but at least several of his books were excellent.

Lucifer31

Iain M Banks anyone??

I've read most of his sci-fi. I think I've read his stuff more than any other sci-fi, other than Tolkien.

oeb

Have any of you read Kevin J. Anderson's new fantasy series? It's a trillogy, first two books are out The Edge of the World & The Map of All Things with the third to follow next year.

I finished the second one last week, it's fantastic so far.

ixoy

Terry Goodkind and Kevin J. Anderson mentioned in the last few posts? People, in case it isn't clear, this thread is for the best fantasy books and not the worst. If this means you need to edit your post, please let me know.

AnCapaillMor

oeb wrote: »

Have any of you read Kevin J. Anderson's new fantasy series? It's a trillogy, first two books are out The Edge of the World & The Map of All Things with the third to follow next year.

I finished the second one last week, it's fantastic so far.

Oh how did i miss those, that good so. forgot about him, followed his saga of the 7 suns religulosuly for 5 years. Used order them from the states and paying the extra shipping so i'd get a few weeks early.

Paddy Samurai

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, RR.Martin, Gemmell, Feist, Abercrombie, Rothfuss,etc,etc.
Tim Powers is one that I would highly recommend.For some reason not a lot of people seem to be aware of his work.

Powers has won the World Fantasy award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare

I regard Tim Powers as one of today's best writers that hardly anyone knows. We can only hope loyal readers such as ourselves using forums such as this one can get the word of Mr. Powers vast talents out to the masses!!

While Stevenson was a heck of a fantasy writer -- check out his "Bottle Imp" if you doubt it -- Tim Powers is perhaps the best fantasy writer most fans have never heard of.

Two of his books that are in my top 10,

"On Stranger Tides".

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. World Fantasy Award–winner Powers (Three Days to Never) demonstrates a precise control of complex narratives in this reprint of his rollicking and enchanting 1987 novel. Puppeteer John Chandagnac, bound for Jamaica to recover stolen money from his uncle, becomes Jack Shandy after pirates attack his ship and force him to join their crew. Shandy's struggle to accept his new life grounds the story for readers, even as Blackbeard and vodun magicians whisk everyone away to dreamlike lands where the Fountain of Youth itself awaits. The chaotic sea battles sing, though at times key events happen so quickly that they get lost in the shuffle as Jack tries to comprehend where he's going and what's at stake. This dark fantasy tale will appeal not just to pirate fans but also to anyone who appreciates Powers's talent for blending the most unlikely elements into a brilliantly cohesive whole.

Don't let this put you off but unfortunately Disney have bought the rights to use parts of it in the next "Pirates of the Carribean" .


The drawing of the Dark.

Del Rey's Impact line introduces a list of titles that have "slipped through the cracks and become buried treasure." The re-release of Tim Powers's The Drawing of the Dark (first published in 1979) is indeed worthy of the imprint. It was his third novel and first foray into the fantasy genre.

It is the year 1529 and Brian Duffy, a soldier of fortune, finds himself in Venice. A late-night confrontation with three brothers over a matter of honor convinces Brian to find greener pastures. After a chance meeting with an old monk named Aurelainus, Brian finds himself hired on to be the bouncer at the famous Herzwesten brewery and inn (formerly a monastery) located in Vienna. During Brian's voyage from Venice to Vienna, he crosses the Dolomite Mountains, only to meet assassins who attack him. Dwarves and creatures Brian knew only from mythology assist him in vanquishing his attackers.
The mythical Fisher King is a central character in The Drawing of the Dark, and cameos by the Roman god Bacchus, the Lady of the Lake, reincarnations of King Arthur and Sigmund from Norse mythology, Merlin, and hosts of soldiers, including Vikings and Swiss mercenaries, add to the otherworldly feel. The legendary heroes are allied against legions of soldiers from the Turkish Ottoman Empire under Suleiman and his wizard Ibrahim, who try to repeat the successes of their 1521 and 1526 invasions of eastern Europe by laying siege to Vienna. But just what is their objective? The city or the beer? Tim Powers does a great job of tying the historical invasion of eastern Europe by the Turks to a rollicking, fun-filled fantasy, which offers its own reasons for the invasion and a wonderful cast of heroes that ultimately repel the invaders. This is a must-read for Tim Powers fans and for readers who have yet to delve into his rich, wonderful worlds.

The Anubis Gates is also top notch!.

Author Tim Powers evokes 17th-century England with a combination of meticulously researched historic detail and imaginative flights in this sci-fi tale of time travel. Winner of the 1984 Philip K. Dick Award for best original science fiction paperback, this 1989 edition of the book that took the fantasy world by storm is the first hardcover version to be published in the United States. In his brief introduction, Ramsey Campbell sets The Anubis Gates in an adventure context, citing Powers's achievement of "extraordinary scenes of underground horror, of comedy both high and grotesque, of bizarre menace, of poetic fantasy."
The colonization of Egypt by western European powers is the launch point for power plays and machinations. Steeping together in this time-warp stew are such characters as an unassuming Coleridge scholar, ancient gods, wizards, the Knights Templar, werewolves, and other quasi-mortals, all wrapped in the organizing fabric of Egyptian mythology. In the best of fantasy traditions, the reluctant heroes fight for survival against an evil that lurks beneath the surface of their everyday lives.

http://www.theworksoftimpowers.com/

Dades

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, RR.Martin, Gemmell, Feist, Abercrombie, Rothfuss,etc,etc.
Tim Powers is one that I would highly recommend.For some reason not a lot of people seem to be aware of his work.

Paddy - sounds very interesting...

What of his would you suggest for a first read?