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Recommend some Fantasy BooksFollow

#27 Jan 07 2014 at 12:24 PM Rating: Decent
Dread Lörd Kaolian wrote:
are we doing sci fi reccomendations too? I have a whole fleet of those as well...


Well, Dune was in the op's post, so SF was slightly implied, no?

Fantasywise, I'ld like to add Jack Vance as a suggestion. The Lyonesse trilogy is (for me anyway) Vance at his best. As with more of his stories, the ending is rushed, but everything before that is most enjoyable. It's more in line with your examples than his older (and perhaps more popular): 'Tales of a Dying Earth'.

'Sovereign Stone' trilogy by Weiss & Hickman. My personal favourite of theirs. The first part reads as a fairly standard and cliché story, but it's done well and remains interesting. It really picks up at book two.

'The Birthgrave' trilogy by Tanith Lee. Dark stuff though, not sure if she's ever written anything 'happy'. (mostly good books though, don't get me wrong, but often pretty depressing)


I can't advice any series longer than a trilogy myself that haven't been mentioned already (definitely Discworld, the first fifteen books or so are brilliant), I tend to lose interest after the third or fourth book. (Jordan and Martin for instance)



#28 Jan 10 2014 at 11:02 AM Rating: Good
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Since you have Lord of the Rings try Bored of the Rings. National Lampoons remake of Lord of the Rings in book form.

David Weber has some good fantasy novels, but he mostly writes sci-fi so it takes forever between novels. The Invisible Ring by Anne Bishop is interesting (I may have the author wrong.) If you like it then take a look at the other books in that world. Her witchcraft books are an interesting read.

If you like the David Eddings books then take a look at Redemption of Althalus. I think that is his best book. It is a stand alone novel (at this time).

Sci-fi

Illegal Aliens is still one of my favorites. It is a comedy. The illustrations are done by the same guy that did Mythadventure series. (If you get the kindle version the illustrations have been removed which is a shame.) Nothing like first contact between humans and aliens going completly wrong when randomly selected humans ends up with a street gang. Having done translation work the alien translator doing street gang to highly educated is great.

The Necroscope series are an interesting scifi/modern set with "vampires" Do not read if you like twighlight. I learned my lesson that sparkle vampire lovers do not like this set of vampire books.
#29 Jan 15 2014 at 1:37 PM Rating: Excellent
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I only skimmed the other posts because I'm very busy and important.

Guesses on what might not have been recommended yet:

-Freedom series by Anne McCaffrey (First one is Freedom's Choice) I think
-World of Tiers series by ...Farmer maybe? I'm not looking it up, see above
-Not a series, but "The Wind-Up Girl" - fantasy/sci-fiish, more grown up than the other stuff (well, except SoIaF) you listed but I think you can handle it
-Also a fantasy and not a series, "The Night Circus"
-Also a fantasy and not a series and very short and very new "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" by Gaiman
-Have you read Sandman? Even if you don't usually go for graphic novels, you should this time, it's worth it, I cried and I'm heartless
-I assume you've read The Chronicles of Amber, but if you haven't do that
-You very likely haven't read the Daughter's of the Sunstone trilogy, but it's also hard to find since it's been out of print forever
-Read the Earthsea Trilogy if you haven't. Yes, I said Trilogy...it was a Trilogy and it should have stayed a Trilogy, just pretend it still is.
-His Dark Materials? - The first one is the Golden Compass

-Sword of Truth goes off the rails into silly town after the first one, I pretend that just the first on exists. Same deal (nearly) with WoT - I stopped reading either series after one or another book. Well, it was five for SoT, I remember clearly throwing that one down and saying "fts".

-The Thomas Covenant books are awesome if you greatly enjoy being depressed and constantly questioning why you keep reading them.

Nexa

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#30 Jan 15 2014 at 2:23 PM Rating: Good
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Nexa wrote:
-Also a fantasy and not a series, "The Night Circus"

I have mixed feelings about this book.

I absolutely loved it right up until the last few pages, which I hated. There was a huge buildup which led to a wish-washy cop out ending. The whole point was that the game was going end tragically. That it was going to end badly for at least one, if not both of them. But then in the end it was like, eh, whatever. Stuff happens and there's this guy who did... something... and that's it. I felt cheated.

I have a really hard time recommending this book to anyone because while most of it was incredible, the ending was amazingly bad.
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#31 Jan 17 2014 at 10:58 AM Rating: Decent
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Death Gate Cycle was really enjoyable. Fairly easy read, interesting characters but not over done.
#32 Jan 22 2014 at 4:30 PM Rating: Good
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The New Sun series is pretty good. It's an adventure story with an unusually interesting setting, which means the things that happen to the protagonist are unusually interesting, too, I kind of expected it to be somewhat tough going, but it wasn't at all.

The Iron Dragon's Daughter is kind of pulpy by design but much more imaginative than the vast majority of fantasy. It's not exactly a happy book, but it's a lot of fun. especially compared to, say, the dour and winding work of Brooks.

Lastly, you should check out China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels, which are solidly fantasy (some of his other **** you could get really ***** about defining if so inclined). There are three of them, not a trilogy, but you should start with Perdido St, Station. That's a general you but goes doubly for Demea who might not like the third one very much for reasons.

I'm pretty sure I recommend the same ******* books in all of these threads. I haven;t actually read much fantasy in the past few years; it's much easier to find good SF.
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#33 Jan 27 2014 at 8:51 AM Rating: Good
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idiggory, King of Bards wrote:
You need to read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

This is literally not optional. It's probably the single best fantasy novel of the past decade. The competition isn't even close. It's the first of a trilogy that isn't finished (only book 2 is out), but still.
I'm just finishing up book 2. I'm kind of pissed that I let myself onto yet another waiting list for the climatic finish of a make-believe story as imagined by a chubby, bearded fantasy nerd.
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#34 Jan 27 2014 at 12:11 PM Rating: Good
I don't know what to tell you, Elinda.

Would you like to talk about it?
#35 Jan 27 2014 at 12:13 PM Rating: Good
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There's probably a support group...

But, hey, at least this series is far more likely to be finished than Martin's.
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#36 Jan 27 2014 at 12:22 PM Rating: Good
If Martin dies, the TV series will go on. That's all I care about.

You know, with relation to that specific issue.
#37 Jan 27 2014 at 12:24 PM Rating: Good
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Well at this point the series is definitely going to need to manage its own plot at some point, so yeah, no worries there. Live or die, they'll have to leave Martin's canon behind.

I'm still rooting for Sansa to win the game of thrones. Though I'll settle for Arya or Dany.
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#38 Jan 27 2014 at 1:55 PM Rating: Good
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idiggory, King of Bards wrote:
Well at this point the series is definitely going to need to manage its own plot at some point, so yeah, no worries there. Live or die, they'll have to leave Martin's canon behind.

I'm still rooting for Sansa to win the game of thrones. Though I'll settle for Arya or Dany.

I'm rooting for Gendry.

Wait. Did he die?
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#39 Jan 27 2014 at 2:54 PM Rating: Good
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I don't... think... so...

I could accept Gendry.

Or Jon.
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#40 Jan 27 2014 at 11:30 PM Rating: Good
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I'm kinda hoping they all get eaten by zombies. Or whatever it is you call those things.
#41 Jan 28 2014 at 4:59 AM Rating: Excellent
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White Walkers

I just hope Jaime makes it through to the end. With Arya my favourite character in Fire&Ice.
#42 Jan 28 2014 at 9:51 AM Rating: Good
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I'm hoping Jaime gets killed by whoever is crowned, tbh. Poetic justice and all that.

Arya better survive, though.
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#43 Jan 30 2014 at 1:04 PM Rating: Excellent
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My assumption is (and don't read further if you don't want to hear assumptions/guesses about what will happen in GOT):


Not really a spoiler since it's just me hypothesizing, but whatever -

1. We'll find out that Jon is the son of Rhaegar and Ned's sister and not Ned...and Ned hid him and brought him back.
2. Jon marries Dany - cause that's the way that family "swings"
3. They rule together.

I want this to be true because 1. I want both Dany and Jon to win and this allows that and 2. because I want Ned to have not cheated on Cat.

Also, I think eventually, Arya kills just about everyone. Or at least I hope she does. I channel my rage at all injustice through Arya, haha. I also don't care about Dorne, because **** Dorne.


Nexa
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#44 Jan 31 2014 at 11:14 AM Rating: Good
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If Jon is Rhaegers kid that makes Dany his Aunt.

I've thought Jon and Dany would be the ultimate couple - her dragons will be necessary to save the wall. Also they'd be so cute together (though Jon is no Khal Drogo).

I can't justify Cat's long standing grudge against Jon. She was a self-righteous ***** and now she's an undead *****.


Edited, Jan 31st 2014 6:14pm by Elinda
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#45 Jan 31 2014 at 12:07 PM Rating: Good
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Might as well take the half second to point out that the series IS called A Song of Ice and Fire.

I do think it's probably that Jon is actually a Targaryen. The whole "I'll tell you about your mother some day..." thing was just too weird. Ned had scruples, but scruples so thorough that he would leave his son in such limbo? That's crazy...

As for Cat, there were some aspects of her character I loved. That one, I did not. If you're going to punish someone for not being faithful, you do NOT punish the child. They can't help that they exist, and they shouldn't be ashamed of it.

It's not the fact that she carried the grudge that bothers me. It's the fact that Jon is the one who had to pay for it, not Ned.
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#46 Feb 17 2014 at 9:52 PM Rating: Good
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For what it's worth, I plowed through the Elenium (familiar territory) and didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the Belgariad/Mallorean series. Probably because it's so much more abbreviated, there wasn't any space for Eddings to get lost in humorous subplots, side quests, and banter. Solid three books, but it felt like he took just the core of the Belgariad/Mallorean books and stripped away all of the frills and trimmings that made the originals great.

Up next is The Name of the Wind.
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#47 Feb 18 2014 at 8:45 AM Rating: Excellent
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Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragon Lance series is pretty good. Specifically The War of Souls trilogy. I quite enjoyed it.

Also, just as a friendly reminder the Dragonlance Chronicles is one series I do NOT recommend. Nothing like finishing the first book on an epic high note, having the characters mention the fight through the mountains they will have to go through to get to their destination, only to find they are at said location at the start of the second book.
#48 Feb 18 2014 at 11:21 AM Rating: Good
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Demea wrote:

Up next is The Name of the Wind.

It was a silence of three parts..... I recently burned through it plus the second book.

I would second the Dragonlance books by Weiss and Hickman. I'm not sure which ones are which anymore but the ones featuring the Magere brothers - Raistlen and Caraman and the kender Tasselhoff I liked.

They had to have been good characters for me to remember them after all these years.

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#49 Feb 18 2014 at 11:34 AM Rating: Excellent
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Elinda wrote:

I would second the Dragonlance books by Weiss and Hickman. I'm not sure which ones are which anymore but the ones featuring the Magere brothers - Raistlen and Caraman and the kender Tasselhoff I liked.

They had to have been good characters for me to remember them after all these years.



Not going to get into too much spoilers but Caraman only makes a short appearance at the beginning of the first book of War of Souls and Raistlen is much later on. They were much more active in the Dragonlance Chronicles though.
#50 Feb 18 2014 at 10:01 PM Rating: Decent
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Elinda wrote:
[quote=Demea]


They had to have been good characters for me to remember them after all these years.




So true. Those were a good read. ANd now that they have been mentioned, and I haven't read anything in quite some time, I just might go and grab them out of my book case again, at least just to prove to the wife that I have kept all those books to actually read them again at some point in time.

Edited, Feb 18th 2014 8:03pm by Xizervexius
#51 Mar 14 2014 at 4:49 PM Rating: Good
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Just finished The Name of the Wind. Really good read, though it meandered around a bit towards the end. Already ordered the next book in the trilogy.

Until then, I'm taking a break from fantasy to read 12 Years a Slave.
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