Recommendations for new fantasy reading.

[CrazyBlaze]

So I'm looking for some new reading. And I was hoping you the Escpaist Public could help. I'm looking for newer stuff and authors. Please don't suggest A Song of Ice and Fire as I've read the first three and found it to be ok. To give you an idea of what I like my current favourite authors are Brent Weeks and Patrick Rothfuss.

 

[MammothBlade]

The Dark Tower by Stephen King, a mixture of wild west and dark fantasy. Or the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, which predates a Song of Ice and Fire and is similar in some ways with its tale of feudal political intrigue over magical high fantasy.

 

[Chris Mosher]

If you don't mind a book that is both sci fi and fantasy, Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine is an interesting story about a steampunk enhanced traveling circus in a dystopian / post apocalyptic world. I am reading it now and enjoying it.

 

[Heronblade]

Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card. Alternative version of early American history (Britain still holds some of the colonies, Washington was executed, etc.) with more than a little folk magic.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

Try The Belgariad written by David Eddings.

A really great five book fantasy series that was written in the 1980's. It is a lot like the Lord of the Rings type of fantasy series, what with a band of heros on an adventure. He also wrote another five book series called The Malloreon which is a sequel series to The Belgariad.

 

[Solo-Wing]

Eragon and the rest of the Inheritance cycle.

I also Like Charlie Fletcher and his books: Stone Heart, Iron Fist, and Silver Tongue.

 

[the clockmaker]

The first law series by joe abercromie, Interesting characters who have huge multi book arcs and the action ranges from apocalypic magic to an old man trying to get his step children back.

 

[twistedmic]

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, by Steven Erikson (ten books in the main series, and a handful of side-story books) is pretty good, though the books are long, the shortest one around five to six hundred pages.

 

[Zburator]

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, by Steven Erikson (ten books in the main series, and a handful of side-story books) is pretty good, though the books are long, the shortest one around five to six hundred pages.

Ah! Just beat me to the punch! I can't recommend the Malazan's enough as a series that focuses on war campaigns with a very strong fantasy universe. Although the books are not an easy read, very wordy and long as he said. Also depressing. Very depressing.

Still. Awesome dark fantasy series for the experienced reader.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Try The Belgariad written by David Eddings.

A really great five book fantasy series that was written in the 1980's. It is a lot like the Lord of the Rings type of fantasy series, what with a band of heros on an adventure. He also wrote another five book series called The Malloreon which is a sequel series to The Belgariad.

I could second that, with the caveat that you don't ever read anything else by him. Everything else he's ever done seems to be a very obvious rehash of the Belgariad.

 

[Fijiman]

You could try The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix.

 

[Seigneur Pupulon]

The first law series by joe abercromie, Interesting characters who have huge multi book arcs and the action ranges from apocalypic magic to an old man trying to get his step children back.

This ! I highly suggest you get that one.


Also, Chronicles of the Black Company by Glenn Cook.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I must disagree with the advice above about the Eragon books. They really do suck. Story, characters, plot, pace, quality of writing, all are poor across the board. Steer clear, honestly.

What I will recommend doing however, is picking up a book by Fiona McIntosh or Jennifer Fallon. Both are incredible authors and their series' are wonderful. Fallon in particular wrote the Tide Lords quartet, it's among my favourite fantasy series of all time. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I would have suggested Patrick Rothfuss as well...his two books made this past Summer a thoroughly enjoyable one. I can't wait to read the rest of Kvoth's story.

Eddings is also enjoyable, if a bit predictable (okay, very predictable). Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time epic is being finished off by Brandon Sanderson, and if you haven't read it, you really should. The 13th and final book in the series will probably be out by the time you finish the first twelve epic volumes. I absolutely envy anyone who only picks it up now....when I started reading it 8 had just come out, and I've had to wait patiently for over a decade for the subsequent four. I can't imagine how long fans who picked up the first book when it was first published have been waiting!

 

[Heronblade]

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time epic is being finished off by Brandon Sanderson, and if you haven't read it, you really should. The 13th and final book in the series will probably be out by the time you finish the first twelve epic volumes. I absolutely envy anyone who only picks it up now....when I started reading it 8 had just come out, and I've had to wait patiently for over a decade for the subsequent four. I can't imagine how long fans who picked up the first book when it was first published have been waiting!

Let me put it this way, I was 10 when I first plucked The Eye of The World off of my father's bookshelves. I started reading advanced novels at a very young age, although that one was still heavy going for me at the time. I'm 26 now. I've literally been waiting for most of my life, nearly all of it if one starts counting from the ages I can clearly remember.

Oh, also, the last one is the 14th book, 15 if you count the prequel novel.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Let me put it this way, I was 10 when I first plucked The Eye of The World off of my father's bookshelves. I started reading advanced novels at a very young age, although that one was still heavy going for me at the time. I'm 26 now. I've literally been waiting for most of my life, nearly all of it if one starts counting from the ages I can clearly remember.

Oh, also, the last one is the 14th book, 15 if you count the prequel novel.

I expect....seven would've been out when you picked up the first then? You've definitely got a couple of years on me, though I think I'm not far off...14-15 years, give or take. It's a loooong wait man and I feel your pain Just checked, EotW first edition was 1990...22 years some people have waited.

I blame Conan the bloody Barbarian.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Best fantasy books I've ever read.

The Dresden Files (don't know author). Muthafucking amazing. Like seriously. Holy freaking shit.

 

[cubikill]

As said above Wheel of time is just so damn epic. also the Malazan book of the fallen. That book series is huge in scope and awesome.
So in order to to add new books here I go.
3: the Mistborn series.
The series is a different setting. Think industrial revolution with magic. The book takes place almost entirely in one city but it never becomes stale.
2: the king killer chronicals.
The series is the opposet of high fantasy, there is not a grand epic story. The stakes are not big, there is no dark lord world ending threat or even a true villan. Rather is feels like a collection of stories about the main charitcures life. But the books have the most beautiful writing I've ever read. They are works of art.
1: The Way of Kings.
What can I say, thus book is amazing. The world is different and awesome, the charitcures are very good, the story is great. This is my favorite fantasy book ever!


Edit: I didn't see that you said patrick rothfuss was one of your favorite writers. So yeah, but how good are go two books? Also I didn't really like A song of ice and fire ether. So really I'm suggesting Andy thing written by Brandon Sanderson. He writes amazing stuff.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

So I'm looking for some new reading. And I was hoping you the Escpaist Public could help. I'm looking for newer stuff and authors. Please don't suggest A Song of Ice and Fire as I've read the first three and found it to be ok. To give you an idea of what I like my current favourite authors are Brent Weeks and Patrick Rothfuss.

I've got a few weirder suggestions you might like:

The Sharing Knife series (book 1 is subtitled Beguilement) by Lois McMaster Bujold: A fantasy series set in a magical post-apocalyptic American Midwest that involves life-sucking demons, psionic-based magic, and a boat trip down the Mississippi river.

The Dresden Files (book 1 is Storm Front) by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden lives in modern day Chicago. He's a Wizard. He is listed as such in the Yellow pages. He is the only Wizard listed there. He solves crimes, Film Noir style, as a private detective. And Chicago is in the grip of a magical serial killer who makes people's hearts explode.

And, if you like long books, Kushiel's Legacy (book 1 is Kushiel's Dart) by Jacqueline Carey. Set in an alternative magical version of 1100s France, it is a story of politics and spying told from the point of view of the courtesan who learns a secret so valuable that she can't be allowed to live.

These three authors are some of the most respected and talented in sci-fi/fantasy today. And yet, other than Jim Butcher, they tend to fly under the radar of most fantasy readers (possibly because Bujold made her name in Sci-Fi first). Give them a try - you won't regret it.

 

[Connor Wiebe]

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, The Rune Lords series by David Farland. Also thank you for this page, i opened up Calibre and didn't even have to use the search function, joe ambercrombie's the first law series was just there waiting for me.