Fantasy novel recommendations

[Mark]

'Ello,

I'm re-reading the Dragonlance books (original trilogy) at the moment, and really enjoying them. So I am keen to continue with some other fantasy books aside from Dragonlance, and hoping some folks here had some recommendations.

I like the sword-and-sorcery, goblins and elves type of fantasy. We the LoTR books but I can never get into them (I think it's the songs), but am going to give them a bash.

So, any recommendations?

 

[dreamwatch]

I recommend three rip roaring tales for you Marki. Bloodeseed, Phoenix Fire, and Crystal and Steel by Lyndan J. Darby. Enjoy.

 

[Shadow298]

the Bas-Lag books by China Mieville: Perdido Street Station, The Scar and The Iron Council if you want something very different and anti-Tolkienian in tone and setting.

 

[Goreripper]

I always skip the songs when I read LoTRs, as well as the entire section with Tom Bombadil. But if you like the LoTR theme, try the Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. It's basically exactly the same story, except there's a sword instead of a ring, 'gnomes' instead of dwarfs and the baddies live in a big mountain that's shaped like a skull. Of course. Apparently Magician and the Riftwar saga are good, but I could never get past the first half of Magician because it was like reading a 2nd rate LoTR. So... urm, I don't know if I've been able to help really, except to add that I would avoid Tad Williams and the Dragonbone Chair or whatever it's called, because that was one of the most excruciatingly boring things I've ever read.

 

[phlogiston]

I've been reading some of the more modern fantasy recently.


Joe Abercrombie: The First Law trilogy. These are probably the best fantasy books I've ever read. I enjoyed them a whole lot.

Patrick Rothfuss: The Name of the Wind. The first book of the Kingkiller Chronicles, and until I read Abercrombie's stuff it was probably the best fantasy book I've ever read. It's been picking up awards left, right and center.

Brandon Sanderson: The Mistborn trilogy. I'm approaching the end of the of the first book, and it's really really good. Not as good as Abercrombie or Rothfuss, but up there.

Some classic fantasy:
George R.R. Martin: the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. If you like dense, tightly packed fantasy with about a million characters, this is the series for you. Read it slowly though, he's taking his own sweet time writing the next book.


And speaking of Tad Williams, I really enjoyed his "Shadowmarch" trilogy. At least the first two books. He's dragging his heels a bit writing the last one.

But seriously, Abercrombie and Rothfuss. I've turned into a such a fucking fanboi over both of these two.

 

[Spruce Goose]

Read some crime novels from Dennis Lehane.
He wrote Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone.

I strongly recommend you read Shutter Island and The Given Day. The Given Day is a fuckin epic of a novel set in Boston in 1918 just before the Boston Police Strike. It's 700 odd pages but it is.... dude.....

 

[Mark]

Cheers guys

Gore: I think it's always the Bombadil section of LoTR that leaves me wondering why I'm bothering, so I'll skip that and see how I get on

Phlog: seen you mention Abercombie elsewhere, and Spiff bought one of his I think, so will def look into his stuff.

Spruce: thanks man! I like a good crime novel too, so will look at The Given Day

 

[Bucko]

The Happy Hooker by Xaivier Hollander ..............

 

[Spiff]

Brandon Sanderson is co-host of Writing Excuses, a great creative writing podcast (www.writingexcuses.com). Saw his first book at Borders and almost bought it.

Mark, if you're interested in reading some crime novels then read the Carl Hiaasen omnibus I bought you for Christmas a few years back. He's a hoot.

 

[Lord Tim]

If you're digging the original trilogy, try the Death Gate Cycle which was also by Weis and Hickman. It's like a more involved version of Dragonlance in a different setting when you break it all down, but the same kind of pacing and writing style. Great series!

 

[Spiff]

I read the first Death Gate Cycle book and it was just too busy for me. Maybe I was too young for it, I don't know, but it was just very overwhelming. Might be different now.

*shrug*

Weis & Hickman did quite a few non-Dragonlance series. Darksword and their new Dragon Ships (Dragonships?) series immediately spring to mind. Haven't read any of them.

 

[Winmar]

The Bible

 

[Goreripper]

 

[Shadow298]

the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett if you want something funny and different.

 

[phlogiston]

I recently tried to re-read the Dragonlance trilogy. I just couldn't. I don't know what it was, but it just seemed...silly. You can almost hear the dice being rolled as they narrate their Dungeons and Dragons game.

 

[Spiff]

Yeah, the first book was based on pre-existing modules but after that they wrote fresh stories and then based the modules on the novels. Something like that.

Shadow, Mark has read some Terry Pratchett - I even got him a personally signed copy of Mort because I'm such a great brother (plus a signed copy of Good Omens - he still needs to hit Neil Gaiman up for an autograph though).

 

[Mark]

Phloggy, aye they're not exactly high-art (or even medium art). Am on the third book now, and ready for it to end so I can move on to something tighter.

Love "Good Omens" by Pratchett/Gaimen I've read it once a year since it came out (and even, sadly, listened to the audiobook). Never gets boring.

Timmeh, will look into the Death Gate books - thanks!

Bevi, will try the first of those books but if they're like they look I will happily give up