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best fantasy books

calis · 2004-12-14 01:14:33

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…

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14-12-2004 2:14am

#1

calis

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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.

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#2 14-12-2004 7:35pm
madrab

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what about Steven Donaldsons ""Chronicles of Thomas Covenant"

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#3 15-12-2004 1:47am
Evilution

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Legend - David Gemmell
Antrax - Terry Brooks
Farseer books - Robin Hobb
Nobodys Son - Sean Stewart
Magician - Ray Feist

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#4 15-12-2004 2:14am
NeoSlicerZ

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Ian Irvine - The Mirror series and the Well of Echoes
Raymond E. Feist - Magician
J.V.Jones - The ice series(not sure about teh name), 2 out so far Cavern of Black Ice and Fortress of Grey Ice.
David Gemell books are very good too.

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#5 15-12-2004 2:16am
garthv

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George RR Martins series has to be my favourite,followed by a close second with The Wheel Of Time and to top of all of in third place id go with the Dragonlance chronicles by Weis and Hickman

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#6 15-12-2004 2:19am
UNIFLU

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earthsea trilogy by ursula le guinn

fantastic

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#7 15-12-2004 11:34am
moridin

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Hmmm, this is about the 12th time that this thread has reared it's head up... Az, how about stickying the next one that takes off?

Or even better, how about we compile a brief synopsis of the major series' that would interest people and sticky that instead?

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#8 15-12-2004 11:47am
Fenster

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Or how about we just sticky my thread?

On that note, I gotta read those Dragonlance novels.

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#9 15-12-2004 11:49am
Iago

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moridin wrote:

Hmmm, this is about the 12th time that this thread has reared it's head up... Az, how about stickying the next one that takes off?

Or even better, how about we compile a brief synopsis of the major series' that would interest people and sticky that instead?

good idea, we can start with

The Lord Of The Rings ~ Tolkien
Wheel Of Time ~ Jordan
Farseer Trilogy ~ Hobb
The Riftwar and Serpentwar Saga ~ Feist and Wurtz
Magican and the Conclave of Shadows series ~ Feist
Legend, Waylander, Knights of Dark Renown ~ Gemmell
A song of Ice and Fire ~ Martin
The chronicles of Thomas covenant ~ Donaldson
The Dark Elf series by Salvatore...any of them really ~ Salvatore
The Wars of Light and Shadow ~ Wurtz

no particular order, I'll add to this as I think of more...

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#10 15-12-2004 11:57am
Fenster

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Don't forget that Robin Hobb has another six books in the same series after the Farseer trilogy, all of them pretty damm good.

You've the Liveships and Tawny Man.

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#11 15-12-2004 1:05pm
moridin

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The old thread is here

Don't forget prettymuch everything by:
George RR Martin

Steven Erikson

Guy Gavriel Kay

Anyone want to write a short synopsis of the above series/titles, or just pull details off amazon?

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#12 15-12-2004 1:42pm
ixoy

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Can I suggest a format if we're going to have a sticky for suggestions? It's probably too rigid but something like this:

Series Title: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
Author: Tad Williams url="http://www.tadwilliams.com/"]Official site[/url
Number of Books: [4]
The Dragonbone Chair

Stone of Farewell

To Green Angel Tower: Seige

To Green Angel Tower: Storm

Synopsis: The story of Simon, a young kitchen boy and magician's apprentice, whose dreams of great deeds and heroic wars come all too shockingly true when his world is torn apart by a terrifying civil war — a war fueled by ancient hatreds, immortal enemies, and the dark powers of sorcery.

Personal Opinion: One of the first epic fantasies that I read, Tad William's rich landscape reminded me of (as was intended) a more modern re-working of some of the concepts from Lord of the Rings. It's traditional fantasy done very well, with polished prose and interesting characters. It's not high on magic/bloodshed but tries to keep it mostly focused on a small set of characters. Very gripping and highly recommended.

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#13 15-12-2004 2:37pm
moridin

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Series Title: The Malazan Book of the Fallen
Author: Steven Erikson
Number of Books: [5] (so far)
Gardens of the Moon

Deadhouse Gates

Memories of Ice

House of Chains

Midnight Tides

Synopsis: A highly complex story spanning several volumes, the Malazan book of the fallen tells the tale of the Malazan empire's struggles on the contenent of Genabakis. Each volume is discrete, yet when taken together they slowly reveal more and more about the world that Erikson has created.

Gardens of the Moon - concerns the military campaign by the Malazan Empire to capture the last remaining Free City on the Gernsbackian continent.

Deadhouse gates - In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha´ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind.

Memories of Ice - The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all who fail to heed the word of it's elusive prophet, the Pannion Seer.

House of Chains - Tells more about the influence of the Crippled God on the world, and throws new light on the sides of the Apocalypse and the significance of the struggle between Sha´ik and the Malazans.

Midnight Tides - The story of the enslavery of the Tiste Edur, as told by a renegade who dared to question the dark will of the Tiste Edur emperor.

Personal Opinion: The most epic collection of stories I've ever read. Erikson weaves together so many plot-threads, characters, and situations as to astound. The depth of the world he has created is quite frightening. A truly incredible series that should be read by all followers of fantasy. Can be a bit heavygoing at times, due to the sheer wealth of information that he manages to cram in there

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#14 16-12-2004 2:24pm
calis

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jordan wheel of time was great for first few books but man hes just dragging it out now .. it a joke .. and new book wont be here til late 06. ill be dead b4 he finishs that series.

tomas covenat books just didnt do it for me at all. tho i did manage to read all 6 but it was a struggle at times.

tad williams sorrow books were pretty good.

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#15 16-12-2004 4:59pm
Manach

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Leaving aside Tolkein as a special case.
Best Adult Series - "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant"
Honourable Mentions for the excellent "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" of Tad Williams and "The Assassins Apprentice" Series by Robin Hobb .

Best Young Adults - "The Belgarion" series by David Eddings

Best Fantasy Book - Legend by Gemmell.
Honourable Mentions "Guards, Guards" by Terry Pratchett and "George and the Dragon" by Gordon Dickson

finally, worst ever "Colours in the Steel: The Fencer Trilogy" - agggh.

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#16 17-12-2004 2:32am
calis

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the worst ever has to be any of them forgotten realms books.

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#17 17-12-2004 9:56pm
madrab

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they may be aimed at a younger audience but i found the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix freally good (a bit short maybe)

i still have to read Abhorsen but Sabriel and Lireal were really good

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#18 18-12-2004 1:54pm
azezil

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*bing*
your wish is my command

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#19 18-12-2004 2:07pm
pwd

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selling books by gemmell donaldson brooks dickson in this thread:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=209783

need to be able to collect from rathgar if you want any.

(this is not commercial or whatever so I think it's ok to post it. Need spare cash and space and people looking at this might be interested.)

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#20 18-12-2004 4:06pm
Undergod

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Steven Eriksson - Malazan Book of the Fallen (five books so far, completely changes all the rules of epic fantasy), I think moridin summed it all up above.

I didn't think the Fencer Trilogy all that bad, it kind of went overboard with the symbolism and such, but the action scenes were good-moderate and all the information on making stuff was cool.

Wheel of Time... the action and magic and background history is all cool, but the politics are so dull.

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#21 18-12-2004 4:22pm
Mr E

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Just finished the Black Magician trilogy (The Magicians Guild, The Novice, The Dark Lord) by Trudi Canavan. Really enjoyed them.....

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#22 19-12-2004 8:40pm
elvenscout742

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LotR, of course.

The Songs & Swords books by Elaine Cunningham.

The Drizzt Do'Urden books by RA Salvatore, particularly Homeland and The Halfling's Gem.

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#23 19-12-2004 8:49pm
RuggieBear

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calis wrote:

the worst ever has to be any of them forgotten realms books.

I happen to like this particular uni-verse....pity some of the writing in it can be dire...but i still rate the ice wind dale trilogy and the darkelf stuff by RA Salvatore as very entertaining

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#24 19-12-2004 8:57pm
elvenscout742

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Here, here!

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#25 28-12-2004 7:35pm
calis

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i tried reading few of them books but couldnt. havent gone back to them. played the icewind dale game tho that was v good

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#26 07-01-2005 12:14am
Buttmunchy

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Stravaganza - Mary Hoffman. Kids book - you wouldn't read it.

Harry Potter - JK Rowling. Duh!

I don't know any other really good ones at the moment.

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#27 13-01-2005 9:40pm
americanCat

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the Rhapsody series.. some mercedes lackeys' books..and any book by Alice Borchardt

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#28 07-03-2005 1:01am
jem

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Picking up on earlier post.

The Lord Of The Rings ~ Tolkien naturally
Wheel Of Time ~ Jordan started good didn't even bodder to read last few must be his pension series.
Farseer Trilogy ~ Hobb good
The Riftwar and Serpentwar Saga ~ Feist and Wurtz best of these was magician by a long way.
Magican and the Conclave of Shadows series ~ Feist
Legend, Waylander, Knights of Dark Renown ~ Gemmell naturally
A song of Ice and Fire ~ Martin very good read.
The Dark Elf series by Salvatore...excellent loved the dark elf.
The Wars of Light and Shadow ~ Wurtz
one of the star war series was good, can't thing who wrote the one with Admiral Thawn read it years ago.

This tread will drive me mad thinking of all those I read over the years.

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#29 01-04-2005 9:53am
meditraitor

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Just got around to reading it and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, bit short but it left me craving for more,,, bring on the book four

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#30 11-04-2005 1:26pm
Karmafaerie

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Nobody has even mentioned Katherine Kerr yet!
My three favorite fantasy authors, in no particular order, would have to be
Terry Brooks
David Eddings
Katherine Kerr

Brooks tends to ignore details a lot, and his books have a tendency to drag for large periods, but he has an amazing ability to interchange different sequences of his stories. I mean, I don't know anybody, who when reading The Sword Of Shanarra for the first time, didn't plod through the first half, and then find the second half so riveting that they couldn't put it down!!!

Eddings, is often refereed to as childish, but I don't think that that is very fair on him. His stories tend to be very middle of the road, i.e.: good triumphs over evil and everybody lives happily ever after, but his real skill lies in the interaction of the characters. After a while, you begin to think of them as real people, and I've never read an another author who manage to do this so thoroughly.

If you want something more grown up though, Katherine Kerr is about the best you can hope for. Here is a woman who really knows her subject matter! The Devery. and subsequent, series, are so packed with every possible detail (She practically invented a bunch of different languages!!!), but at the same time, the story is brilliant. The story branches out over the better part of a millennia, but it's still very compelling, and only rarely over complicated.

Well, that's my two cents anyway!

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#31 11-04-2005 2:12pm
meditraitor

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Karmafaerie wrote:

I mean, I don't know anybody, who when reading The Sword Of Shanarra for the first time, didn't plod through the first half, and then find the second half so riveting that they couldn't put it down!!!!

Now I shall have to go back and read the second half ( first half had me in Coma)

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