Specsavers me a fantasy book / series
- Thread starter chimaera
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Soldato
Fantasy books series? I'd highly recommmend the following:
Robert Jorden - The Wheel of Time
David Eddings - The Belgariad, & The Mallorean (in that order)
Raymond E. Feist - The Riftwar Saga, The Riftwar Legacy, Krondors Sons, & the Serpentwar Saga (in that order)
George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire
Katherine Kerr - The orginal 4 books in the Deverry Series
They're about the best serious fantasy books that I can recommend off the top of my head. For fantasy humour, I'd recommend looking no further than Terry Pratchett and pretty much any of the discworld series.
Robert Jorden - The Wheel of Time
David Eddings - The Belgariad, & The Mallorean (in that order)
Raymond E. Feist - The Riftwar Saga, The Riftwar Legacy, Krondors Sons, & the Serpentwar Saga (in that order)
George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire
Katherine Kerr - The orginal 4 books in the Deverry Series
They're about the best serious fantasy books that I can recommend off the top of my head. For fantasy humour, I'd recommend looking no further than Terry Pratchett and pretty much any of the discworld series.
The Thomas Covenant Chronicals by Stephen Donaldson.
Weighty tomes about a modern day leper transported to an alternative world where upon he goes through a series of mental and moral crises and struggles eternally with his conscience all set in a fantasy realm. Slightly more taxing than for example The Sword of Shannara.
In some way they were quite hard work and in others they were seriously brilliant. Donaldson has started a new series of them now.
Weighty tomes about a modern day leper transported to an alternative world where upon he goes through a series of mental and moral crises and struggles eternally with his conscience all set in a fantasy realm. Slightly more taxing than for example The Sword of Shannara.
In some way they were quite hard work and in others they were seriously brilliant. Donaldson has started a new series of them now.
Associate
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson
Saga of the Exiles by Julian May (you'll prob have to get them 2nd hand)
Hawkmoon series
Corum series
Elric seris all by Michael Moorcock.
Should keep you busy for a while
Saga of the Exiles by Julian May (you'll prob have to get them 2nd hand)
Hawkmoon series
Corum series
Elric seris all by Michael Moorcock.
Should keep you busy for a while
Soldato
Sharon Penman and Simon Scarrow are both pretty good. Not exactly fantasy, but middle ages and roman conquest respectively.
As far as fantasy goes, I enjoyed Greg Keyes Age of Unreason series. It's a bit different than the usual stuff. Have you tried anything by Michael Moorcock? The Elric series is his most famous, but there's loads to choose from.
/EDIT lol, strange co-incidence as the above poster also mentioned Mr Moorcocks work. The really strange thing is that my "real" name (I changed my name to my wifes when I got married) is Richard Smith
As far as fantasy goes, I enjoyed Greg Keyes Age of Unreason series. It's a bit different than the usual stuff. Have you tried anything by Michael Moorcock? The Elric series is his most famous, but there's loads to choose from.
/EDIT lol, strange co-incidence as the above poster also mentioned Mr Moorcocks work. The really strange thing is that my "real" name (I changed my name to my wifes when I got married) is Richard Smith
Commissario
Kell_ee001 said:As always I will recommend the Katherine Kerr Deverry Series - I think they're awesome!
I've got to get round to buying them some time, i've read about half of them completely out of order (and over the space of about 5 years), as I remember I really liked them
Some of David Eddings stuff is pretty good fantasy (fairly easy to get into as well).
Soldato
Noxis said:I tip my hat to you sir - you have incredible taste
Thanks
Noxis said:
No idea as I haven't read it. Wiki tells me it's Mickey Zucker Reichert however - clicky. Worth a read then you reckon?
WantoN said:*shudder*
Bah! Begone, heathen
Rich_L said:Umm the Wheel of Time series? Is like 12 books or something so should keep you busy for a while
next book IS the last one
Matblack said:His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman
MB
also The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks and any of the rest of his serise, all good.
Soldato
Sic said:
Just started reading the first book last night
A lot of the obvious stuff like David Eddings, Terry Brooks etc have already been mentioned, so I thought I'd recommend he Aurian books by Maggie Furey and the earlier Pern books by Anne McCaffrey.
Also, whilst not strictly "fantasy" I enjoyed the Dune series by Frank Herbert
Also, whilst not strictly "fantasy" I enjoyed the Dune series by Frank Herbert
Associate
i'd second the recommendation of the Thomas Covenant Series (actually two series of 3 books each) by Stephen Donaldson. Very dark in places though - a million miles from Terry Pratchett!
Also one of my fave ever series was The 'Torturer' series by Gene Wolfe - Shadow of the Torturer is the first in the series. Excellent books!
Also one of my fave ever series was The 'Torturer' series by Gene Wolfe - Shadow of the Torturer is the first in the series. Excellent books!
Soldato
One I have missed out is the Icewind Dale books by R.A Salvatore, yes they're based in a game universe, but they're still excellent books in their own right.
As for the Wheel of Time, I've read all up until the one that's just been released, books 1-5 are gripping, but from then onwards it just seems to drag and drag. It gets to the point where you think he could have condenced an entire book down to a chapter and just made it into part of the previous book. I'll finish the series because I've stuck it out this far and I'll be damned if I'm not going to find out what happens to everyone. But it'll be a chore I think.
Trojan, you forgot Legends of the Rift War (Another 3 book series), which I would personally read after Magician and before Silverthorn. Then there's the Conclave of Shadows, set about 50 years after the Serpent War, although that series is still in progress, 4 books have been written so far and the story is getting rather good (A potential enemy that even the Valheru were scared of)
As for the Wheel of Time, I've read all up until the one that's just been released, books 1-5 are gripping, but from then onwards it just seems to drag and drag. It gets to the point where you think he could have condenced an entire book down to a chapter and just made it into part of the previous book. I'll finish the series because I've stuck it out this far and I'll be damned if I'm not going to find out what happens to everyone. But it'll be a chore I think.
Trojan, you forgot Legends of the Rift War (Another 3 book series), which I would personally read after Magician and before Silverthorn. Then there's the Conclave of Shadows, set about 50 years after the Serpent War, although that series is still in progress, 4 books have been written so far and the story is getting rather good (A potential enemy that even the Valheru were scared of)
I've read most of the books suggested already in this thread (Sci-fi/ fantasy addict!), and most of the ones already suggested are pretty good. I'd tend to stear clear of the newer David Eddings/ Terry Brooks books, as unfortunately they've gone rather downhill milking off the sucess of thier precursors. A couple of more estoric ones:
The Kusheline trilogy- Jacqueline Cary. May be a little hard to get hold of, but a brilliant read, set in something akin to medieval Europe. (Probably will want either a large internet retailer or a specialist bookshop)
The War of the Flowers- Tad Williams.
Some of the stuff by L.E. Modesitt Jr. is OK, as long as you remember to avoid anything in his major series, and overlook the some of the more irritating anti-communist tones, and the fact that he tends to philosophise on the human condition. (I have a feeling he's some sort of fundamentalist American christian, but can't be bothered to go & find the details now)
The Dune series by Frank Herbert is also more sci-fi orientated, but I'll reccomend it anyway.
Trouble is though that sci-fi and fantasy are so intertwined, its often near impossible to tell the two apart, and a heck of a lot of this is going to come down to simply personal tastes.
-Leezer-
The Kusheline trilogy- Jacqueline Cary. May be a little hard to get hold of, but a brilliant read, set in something akin to medieval Europe. (Probably will want either a large internet retailer or a specialist bookshop)
The War of the Flowers- Tad Williams.
Some of the stuff by L.E. Modesitt Jr. is OK, as long as you remember to avoid anything in his major series, and overlook the some of the more irritating anti-communist tones, and the fact that he tends to philosophise on the human condition. (I have a feeling he's some sort of fundamentalist American christian, but can't be bothered to go & find the details now)
The Dune series by Frank Herbert is also more sci-fi orientated, but I'll reccomend it anyway.
Trouble is though that sci-fi and fantasy are so intertwined, its often near impossible to tell the two apart, and a heck of a lot of this is going to come down to simply personal tastes.
-Leezer-
Associate
Another one for the His Dark Materials trilogy, the best bar none.
Trojan said:Thanks
No idea as I haven't read it. Wiki tells me it's Mickey Zucker Reichert however - clicky. Worth a read then you reckon?
Bah! Begone, heathen
Ah yes Mickey Zucker Reichert - very good books highly recommended, good mix of your typical fantasy god + large battles etc.