Try the Death Gate Cycle. The setting is very, very different to Tolkein's stuff and I can't recall ever hearing of a series like it.
Fantasy books with an original setting.
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Good god, this far into the thread and no-one has mentioned the works of Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman yet? Although they're best known for writing the original 'Dragonlance' trilogies (the 'Chronicles' and 'Legends' trilogies) it's their lesser-known series that are the true works of creative fantasy genius:
The Death Gate Cycle
Dragon Wing, Elven Star, Fire Sea, Serpent Mage, The Hand of Chaos, Into the Labyrinth, The Seventh Gate
A seven book series set on a series of worlds that have been split apart into elemental planes in the aftermath of a devastating war between 2 races of godlike magic-users- the Sartan and the Patryn. Across the realms of Air, Fire, Earth and Water humans, elves and dwarves live different completely lives- in the realm of air, made mostly of floating continents, the humans struggle against the tyrannical elves while the dwarves have been reduced to a pitiful, ignorant state, endlessly tending the massive machine intended to control the whole world, while in the realm of fire the three races tolerate but despise each other, in the realm of water they all live in harmonious peace and in the realm of earth they've all died out completely! The story follows, among other characters, a young Patryn called Haplo who escaped the horrific prison his people were banished to after losing the war against the Sartan and sets out to bring the worlds under the control of his master, the Lord of the Labyrinth. The setting IS the story of this masterful epic, but there is also a vast cast of well-written characters and some masterful storytelling.
The Darksword Quartet
Forging the Darksword, Doom of the Darksword, Triumph of the Darksword, Legacy of the Darksword
On the world of Thimhallen, magic is literally life. One's status in society is largely determined by the strength of one's magic power and things without magic are considered "dead" and abominable. Subsequently man does everything by magic, eschewing tools and weapons completely and there is a class system based around the type of magic each person specialises in. The story revolves around a young man called Joran who was "born dead"- completely without magic. He survives despite being considered an abomination and becomes a rebel against the system, eventually joining a group of outlaw technologists and forging the terrible, magic-absorbing Darksword. A trilogy was originally written in 1988, with a 4th book released 10 years later. A little depressing and morbid for my tastes compared to Weiss and Hickman's other work, but a remarkable creation of fantasy.
The Rose of the Prophet Trilogy
The Will of the Wanderer, Paladin of the Night, The Prophet of Akhran
My personal favourite. The world of Sularin, as everyone knows, is a 20-faceted jewel with Sul, the light oftruth, at the centre and the 20 gods surrounding him. Each of the gods -5 good, 5 evil, 10 neutral, exists at a point of the jewel where 3 of the facets representing the 20 aspects of Sul meet, maintaining the balance of the universe. But now two of the gods have died and some of the immortals who serve the gods have begun to vanish. Akhran the Wanderer, the god of impatience, chaos and faith, suspects the hand of Quar, god of reality, greed and law and attempts to unite his people, also enlisting the aid of a follower of Promenthas, god of goodness, charity and faith. The world itself seems relatively normal compared to Death Gate or Darksword, but manages to implement many different faiths into a fantasy setting (as immortals of different gods can appear as angels, imps, djinn, efreets etc). The books are also amazingly well-written, the characters are fantastic and they're surprisingly funny at times.
The Death Gate Cycle
Dragon Wing, Elven Star, Fire Sea, Serpent Mage, The Hand of Chaos, Into the Labyrinth, The Seventh Gate
A seven book series set on a series of worlds that have been split apart into elemental planes in the aftermath of a devastating war between 2 races of godlike magic-users- the Sartan and the Patryn. Across the realms of Air, Fire, Earth and Water humans, elves and dwarves live different completely lives- in the realm of air, made mostly of floating continents, the humans struggle against the tyrannical elves while the dwarves have been reduced to a pitiful, ignorant state, endlessly tending the massive machine intended to control the whole world, while in the realm of fire the three races tolerate but despise each other, in the realm of water they all live in harmonious peace and in the realm of earth they've all died out completely! The story follows, among other characters, a young Patryn called Haplo who escaped the horrific prison his people were banished to after losing the war against the Sartan and sets out to bring the worlds under the control of his master, the Lord of the Labyrinth. The setting IS the story of this masterful epic, but there is also a vast cast of well-written characters and some masterful storytelling.
The Darksword Quartet
Forging the Darksword, Doom of the Darksword, Triumph of the Darksword, Legacy of the Darksword
On the world of Thimhallen, magic is literally life. One's status in society is largely determined by the strength of one's magic power and things without magic are considered "dead" and abominable. Subsequently man does everything by magic, eschewing tools and weapons completely and there is a class system based around the type of magic each person specialises in. The story revolves around a young man called Joran who was "born dead"- completely without magic. He survives despite being considered an abomination and becomes a rebel against the system, eventually joining a group of outlaw technologists and forging the terrible, magic-absorbing Darksword. A trilogy was originally written in 1988, with a 4th book released 10 years later. A little depressing and morbid for my tastes compared to Weiss and Hickman's other work, but a remarkable creation of fantasy.
The Rose of the Prophet Trilogy
The Will of the Wanderer, Paladin of the Night, The Prophet of Akhran
My personal favourite. The world of Sularin, as everyone knows, is a 20-faceted jewel with Sul, the light oftruth, at the centre and the 20 gods surrounding him. Each of the gods -5 good, 5 evil, 10 neutral, exists at a point of the jewel where 3 of the facets representing the 20 aspects of Sul meet, maintaining the balance of the universe. But now two of the gods have died and some of the immortals who serve the gods have begun to vanish. Akhran the Wanderer, the god of impatience, chaos and faith, suspects the hand of Quar, god of reality, greed and law and attempts to unite his people, also enlisting the aid of a follower of Promenthas, god of goodness, charity and faith. The world itself seems relatively normal compared to Death Gate or Darksword, but manages to implement many different faiths into a fantasy setting (as immortals of different gods can appear as angels, imps, djinn, efreets etc). The books are also amazingly well-written, the characters are fantastic and they're surprisingly funny at times.
Damn, JUST ninja'dChadSexington said:
The Belgariad, by David Eddings. 5 books in a series, all set in a world where each nation is loosely based off a real-world country/culture. It's sword&sorcery but the world itself is kinda realistic. There are economies, political intrigue, black chapters that happened in the real world... and the characters sell the whole thing. They're all distinct, and the way they interact with each other just seems so natural and believable.
Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series has got to be one of my favorites.
Its a modern fantasy setting, in which magic and science are coequal. The basic forces of existence are offices filled by mortals, Fate, Death, Nature, Time, War, etc. who serve for varying periods of time; some for decades, others for centuries. Each of the books centers around 1 person who stumbles into/is selected for one of these offices, their struggles to learn their duty, and their desires to hold onto some portion of the mortal life.
The first ones called On a Pale Horse, its about a down on his luck artist, who looses his job and his love and, in the process of committing suicide, accidentally kills the grim reaper, thus being forced into the now vacant office.
They're really a great read.
Its a modern fantasy setting, in which magic and science are coequal. The basic forces of existence are offices filled by mortals, Fate, Death, Nature, Time, War, etc. who serve for varying periods of time; some for decades, others for centuries. Each of the books centers around 1 person who stumbles into/is selected for one of these offices, their struggles to learn their duty, and their desires to hold onto some portion of the mortal life.
The first ones called On a Pale Horse, its about a down on his luck artist, who looses his job and his love and, in the process of committing suicide, accidentally kills the grim reaper, thus being forced into the now vacant office.
They're really a great read.
Dragonlance is pretty damn genius. At least the early ones. Dragons of Spring Dawning is the first book that ever made me cry. (the scene at godshome)Arcane Azmadi said:
Darksword is good, but i could never recomend it over 'Chronicles'
Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, the guy who's finishing off Wheel of time. Incredibly original. Also "The Court of the Air" and its sequels by Stephen Hunt. Both very different to the traditional Tolkien fantasy.
Michael A. Stackpole's Dragoncrown War
It consists of four books:
"The Dark Glory War"
(which is sort of a prequel)
"Fortress Draconis"
"When Dragons Rage"
"The Grand Crusade"
It takes place in a fantasy world where gunpowder is a new thing in
warfare, has a lot of blood and some sex while telling a very
good story.
Elves are badass, dwarfes are shapeshifters and magic actually rocks.
There are shaman generals, living bridges, pirates and so much more awesome stuff...
Other authors could write ten books with all the ideas Stackpole puts into one
The prequel plays with your expectations and smashes some of them.
Not all heroes will survive and some of the twists are just briliant.
It consists of four books:
"The Dark Glory War"
(which is sort of a prequel)
"Fortress Draconis"
"When Dragons Rage"
"The Grand Crusade"
It takes place in a fantasy world where gunpowder is a new thing in
warfare, has a lot of blood and some sex while telling a very
good story.
Elves are badass, dwarfes are shapeshifters and magic actually rocks.
There are shaman generals, living bridges, pirates and so much more awesome stuff...
Other authors could write ten books with all the ideas Stackpole puts into one
The prequel plays with your expectations and smashes some of them.
Not all heroes will survive and some of the twists are just briliant.
I have to second the mentions of Weiss and Hickman, as well as Robert Jordan and Terry Prattchett. Great reads, original and thoroughly entertaining - which is what matters most, right?
A little left field here, but allow me to suggest some authors who are better known for their science fiction and martial-arts fiction/spy thriller chops, (respectively) David Weber and Eric Van Lustbader.
Weber's contribution to the Fantasy Genre was the War God series, a great little jaunt in and of itself, not to mention a good introduction to his work. If, however, you should decide to peruse his work further, then definitely read The Empire of Man series (March Upcountry, March To The Sea, March To the Stars, We Few). Though it is fairly well established Sci-fi, it does resonate with a very fantasy-esque feeling throughout the middle of the series. Also, the dominant sentient species on the planet the series takes place on are eight foot tall giant mucous-covered barbarians that can rip the technologically advanced space marines IN TWAIN!
The specific Lustbader book I will mention is The Veil of a Thousand Tears. He is a master wordsmith and he knows is craft - but to be honest, I never really finished that book. I expected either Tolkienesque fantasy, or a thriller in the vein of Lustbader's earlier work - I was not ready for different this book was from what I expected it to be, though now I rather wish I still had the damn thing...
A little left field here, but allow me to suggest some authors who are better known for their science fiction and martial-arts fiction/spy thriller chops, (respectively) David Weber and Eric Van Lustbader.
Weber's contribution to the Fantasy Genre was the War God series, a great little jaunt in and of itself, not to mention a good introduction to his work. If, however, you should decide to peruse his work further, then definitely read The Empire of Man series (March Upcountry, March To The Sea, March To the Stars, We Few). Though it is fairly well established Sci-fi, it does resonate with a very fantasy-esque feeling throughout the middle of the series. Also, the dominant sentient species on the planet the series takes place on are eight foot tall giant mucous-covered barbarians that can rip the technologically advanced space marines IN TWAIN!
The specific Lustbader book I will mention is The Veil of a Thousand Tears. He is a master wordsmith and he knows is craft - but to be honest, I never really finished that book. I expected either Tolkienesque fantasy, or a thriller in the vein of Lustbader's earlier work - I was not ready for different this book was from what I expected it to be, though now I rather wish I still had the damn thing...
The Night Watch books (Night Watch, Day Watch, Twighlight Watch and Last Watch) by Sergei Lukyanenko are awesome. It's about wizards and vampires and all sorts of other things living in secret in modern Moscow.
Some excellent recommendations in this thread worth repeating.
Discworld, Terry Pratchett.
Kingkiller Chronicles, Patrick Rothfuss.
Death Gate Cycle, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Incarnations of Immortality, Piers Anthony.
Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan and Brian Sanderson.
Here's a couple I haven't seen already mentioned.
The Banned and the Banished series, by James Clemens. Book one is titled "Wit'ch Fire", the five part series is presented as a secret educational text, recalling the 'true events' of a period of history in which their world was reshaped.
The Necrosope series, by Brian Lumley. Vampires. Proper vampires. These vampires certainly do not sparkle in the sun. They hunt you, fuck you, eat you and use the leftovers to build their castles.
Discworld, Terry Pratchett.
Kingkiller Chronicles, Patrick Rothfuss.
Death Gate Cycle, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
Incarnations of Immortality, Piers Anthony.
Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan and Brian Sanderson.
Here's a couple I haven't seen already mentioned.
The Banned and the Banished series, by James Clemens. Book one is titled "Wit'ch Fire", the five part series is presented as a secret educational text, recalling the 'true events' of a period of history in which their world was reshaped.
The Necrosope series, by Brian Lumley. Vampires. Proper vampires. These vampires certainly do not sparkle in the sun. They hunt you, fuck you, eat you and use the leftovers to build their castles.
Go for Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
Plenty of cool cultures and peoples to immerse yourself in and none remotely resemble tolkien worlds. Characters are well developed and the plot is really good if you ask me. Not to mention the book's general moral and message.
Oh, but in Book II it deviates a bit from typical fantasy, so you may not like it from then on, but Book I at least fits the description of original fantasy.
Plenty of cool cultures and peoples to immerse yourself in and none remotely resemble tolkien worlds. Characters are well developed and the plot is really good if you ask me. Not to mention the book's general moral and message.
Oh, but in Book II it deviates a bit from typical fantasy, so you may not like it from then on, but Book I at least fits the description of original fantasy.
Just remembered one that I can't believe I forgot. The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix. Fantastic fantasy books. Two kingdoms, one (Ancelstierre) is a World War I era nation well into its industrial revolution, protected from its northern neighbour the Old Kingdom by a great wall. When the wind blows from the north, technology breaks down, those with magical talent feel their powers grow, and the dead begin to walk.
Further north, beyond the wall, magic is common place. The Old Kingdom is essentially a pseudo-medieval setting plagued by the undead, swiftly descending into anarchy after the fall of the royal bloodline. Generations of Abhorsen, a bloodline dedicated to putting the dead to rest, have died trying to hold back the dead, but even they have been unable to turn back the tide.
It's an amazing setting. In Ancelstierre, the defences south of the wall are a crazed mess of trenches and barbed wire where soldiers are forced to contend with an unnatural enemy that the administrators further south refuse to believe exists. Soldiers killed the day before turn up on parade the next morning, shadows hunt and kill any man separated from the rest, and worst of all, when the wind blows from the north and the dead are at their strongest, the guns, radios, trucks, and all the technology these soldiers rely upon breaks down, and they are forced to fight with sword and bayonet against an enemy that just won't die. And even then, the northern border of Anceslstierre has nothing on the horrors that run rampant in the Old Kingdom.
The first book, Sabriel, is creepy as all hell. The treck through the blizzard at the start of the book, as well as a scene in an underground reservoir later on, are two of the most chilling scenes I have ever read in a book. The later ones, Lirael and Abhorsen, each have their scary moments. Magic in the setting is creepy in its own right. To lay the dead to rest the Abhorsen has to travel into the river of death and fight with bells and magic to force spirits beyond the final gate, struggling against the bitter cold current that constantly strives to take them too. They're brilliant books, one of the most original fantasy settings I've ever read.
Further north, beyond the wall, magic is common place. The Old Kingdom is essentially a pseudo-medieval setting plagued by the undead, swiftly descending into anarchy after the fall of the royal bloodline. Generations of Abhorsen, a bloodline dedicated to putting the dead to rest, have died trying to hold back the dead, but even they have been unable to turn back the tide.
It's an amazing setting. In Ancelstierre, the defences south of the wall are a crazed mess of trenches and barbed wire where soldiers are forced to contend with an unnatural enemy that the administrators further south refuse to believe exists. Soldiers killed the day before turn up on parade the next morning, shadows hunt and kill any man separated from the rest, and worst of all, when the wind blows from the north and the dead are at their strongest, the guns, radios, trucks, and all the technology these soldiers rely upon breaks down, and they are forced to fight with sword and bayonet against an enemy that just won't die. And even then, the northern border of Anceslstierre has nothing on the horrors that run rampant in the Old Kingdom.
The first book, Sabriel, is creepy as all hell. The treck through the blizzard at the start of the book, as well as a scene in an underground reservoir later on, are two of the most chilling scenes I have ever read in a book. The later ones, Lirael and Abhorsen, each have their scary moments. Magic in the setting is creepy in its own right. To lay the dead to rest the Abhorsen has to travel into the river of death and fight with bells and magic to force spirits beyond the final gate, struggling against the bitter cold current that constantly strives to take them too. They're brilliant books, one of the most original fantasy settings I've ever read.