Need something to read folks. Have read Tolkien, Eddings, Jordan, Gemmell, Sullivan, Brett (disappointing) no Hobb or Saunderson please.
Need something to read folks. Have read Tolkien, Eddings, Jordan, Gemmell, Sullivan, Brett (disappointing) no Hobb or Saunderson please.
What about the Inheritence Cycle books by Christopher Paolini, starting with Eragon?
Read the first 2, then gave up half way through book 3.
Abercrombie
The blade itself? Whats it about? I have a sample but I’ve not started it yet
The blade itself and books in that world. Basic fantasy grittiness though.
@Andy Essentially it’s about a savage North man, a cranky old Mage with his fingers in a lot of pies, a spoiled noble-brat born into privilege who hates the poor, and a demon girl going off to find a rock so they can take a dump on some religious prophet, meanwhile there’s a war between the Union, the Gurkish (religious nutcases) and the Northmen. Story about revenge and a bunch of other bullshit.
I like the torturer the best
I usually describe it as hack&slash fantasy. From what you like above I think you’ll not enjoy it that much. Try the book of the new sun by Gene Wolfe. Or try the coldfire triology by Celia Friedman. Or Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Anthony ryan bloodsong.
Blurb?
@Andy google?
@Matt thanks for your help.
@Matt most people are happy to give a description of books they like
@Andy https://youtu.be/eMsdejYM-08
@Matt don’t make suggestions then bud if all you are going to be is an arse.
@Andy Bloodsong is a good book, but the remainder of the series is so unspeakably bad it’s best avoiding all together honestly.
I agree, only the first book was good.
gwynne, weeks, both are similar to what you’ve read and are fantastic. if you go with weeks, i’d suggest the night angel trilogy.
Weeks: Night Angel trilogy or Lightbringer series. Both excellent
David dalglish shadowdance series or Sebastian de castells greatcloaks series
Memory Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams is an excellent epic fantasy read!!
I read the first volume, THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR, a couple of months ago. Will need to get onto the second book soon!
@Nirvan It just keeps getting better! I just finished The Witchwood Crown. Can’t wait til the next book comes out!
Night Angel trilogy ?
City of stairs
Lieber
Gardens of the Moon
I would say:
The First Law books by Joe Abercrombie. A good way to check out his style of story telling would to be pick up his short stories “Sharp Ends” which are all part of that universe. The easiest way to describe Abercrombie is to describe him as the Quentin Tarantino of Fantasy.
The Crimson Empire by Alexander Marshall, the first book being “A Crown Of Cold Silver”. Old cranky mercenary comes out of retirement because someone got piss on her shoes and goes on a rampage only to find out someone already started it for her — gathers friends, murders enemies,. It has the most generic name for a trilogy ever and the most uninspired, generic introduction of any book I’ve ever read but holy shit does it come into it’s own and the 2nd book A Blade Of Black Steel is just amazing.
Joe Abercrombie
I have a fantasy comic for 1$ if your interested
Gaimen
This. A hundred times THIS!
Kristen Britain
Kate Forsyth
Jim Butcher Codex of Alera
Zelazny’s Amber series
It has already been said but, Joe Abercrombie.
I just discovered Guy Gavriel Kay. I’m nearly done with the Summer Tree and ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT!
I also enjoyed The Riddlemaster. Another book I don’t hear praised frequently enough.
And Dragonlance was a fun read
I read those but they didn’t do anything for me. I think the mixing of all the different mythologies turned me off?
GGK, one of my favourite fantasy writers! But very far removed from the OP’s stated authors and their styles.
@Mike, his Fionovar Tapestry is an outlier in his oeuvre. He had just finished working as an editor for the Tolkien Estate, so epic fantasy is what he wrote. I personally enjoyed the mixing of those mythologies, especially the Arthurian elements. But his subsequent novels are superior and not at all in the epic fantasy style.
Of his initial list, I was only familiar with Tolkien and Eddings (and the two he isn’t interested in). Fionavar is an outlier? How different are the rest of his books? I am loving Fionavar so far….
@Allison, his other novels are more in the historical vein. They aren’t true historical fantasies set in our past, but historical analogues of our past in alternate worlds. TIGANA is loosely based on the setting of the Italian peninsula during circa the Renaissance, the Sarantine Mosaic duology is set in an analogue of the Byzantium empire during Justinian I’s reign, THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN is set in a country that resembles Moorish Spain, UNDER HEAVEN resembles one of the old dynasties in China, etc.
Most of his protagonists are also atypical compared to epic fantasy – they are artisans, musicians, performers, poets. Even if some of the protagonists in his novels are more the warrior or lord type, they always have kinship with the arts and are somehow accomplished at painting or at poetry recitation. These works feature characters, many times very normal characters, who get swept up by the changing and chaotic times in which they find themselves, where historical, political and religious forces tug them in different directions.
I would say that these stories are mostly historical in nature with some subdued fantasy mixed in, say 3/4 historical and 1/4 magic. But always magic that’s more in the background (TIGANA perhaps features more magical elements) and which comes to the forefront only occasionally. These are often substantive psychological stories, so they are often slower burns, but the emotional resonance is extremely high and they have truly climactic ends. And, of course, written with his usual skill.
Oo! Can’t wait to get to his other books! Thank you so much for the info!
Start with TIGANA. It’s one of his rawest stories, very affecting. I read it after the Fionavar trilogy, and I remember being in a daze for something like 10 minutes after I was done with the last page. Just staring off. This was in ’98-’99. I actually came to prefer the Sarantine Mosaic duology over TIGANA – I think it’s a more accomplished and sophisticated work, but TIGANA has that punch to the gut type of feeling going for it. UNDER HEAVEN is another favourite.
TIGANA (more tragic), Sarantine Mosaic (elegiac, melancholy), UNDER HEAVEN (surprisingly without much pathos).
Rothfuss
Terry Brooks, Weis and Hickman, and Salvatore.
Rothfuss or Memory Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams! Very engaging series!!!