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Hobbity Hobbit
Lorien
May 12 2015, 1:12am
Post #1 of 45
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Any good fantasy book recommendations?
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Hey, I've been trying to find a good fantasy book. I don't like them too violent, like GOT (I have watched the show, but I sometimes have to cover up the screen, because it gets really violent), I still like it, Vikings, and Fargo. Otherwise than that I don't want that much TV-MA.
Well some books I have been reading and like are Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives, obviously JRR Tolkien's, and things like those. I do like Eragon and The Name of Wind but I'm trying to find something more like the above.
"As the snowflakes cover my fallen brothers,
I will say this last goodbye."
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
May 12 2015, 11:33am
Post #2 of 45
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Have you tried the Discworld books
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by the late lamented Sir Terry Pratchett? They're not what I'd call 'high fantasy' but they are superb; characters you can believe in, places you can inhabit - and a wry satirical and sometimes very dark outlook, with humour thrown in. I think you love them OR you just don't get what all the fuss is about. I love them. He has written non-Discworld books too - e.g. The Long Earth, Nation - worth a look if you're after somethng different.
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Darkstone
Immortal
May 12 2015, 1:24pm
Post #3 of 45
(1010 views)
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Earthsea
Riverworld
Witch World
Paksenarrion series
Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories
The Tamir Triad
Thursday Next
1632
******************************************
Living Will Addendum:
To Whom It May Concern:
If I'm ever on life support, please unplug me.
Then plug me back in.
(Hey, works for computers!)
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RosieLass
Valinor
May 12 2015, 3:17pm
Post #4 of 45
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Terry Brooks' original stuff is good.
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His Magic Kingdom of Landover series is excellent.
And the Shannara series isn't bad, if you can get past the first book, which is basically LOTR with the names changed. (I liked the Sword of Shannara quite a lot, actually. But it's pretty obviously a "homage" to Tolkien.)
"Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it."
--Joyce Meyer
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
--Leonard Nimoy
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Annael
Immortal
May 12 2015, 3:34pm
Post #5 of 45
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the Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin //
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People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Riven Delve
Tol Eressea
May 12 2015, 3:54pm
Post #6 of 45
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is Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment). It's really more of a fantasy hybrid since the setting is 5th-century Britain, but it has many fantasy elements.
“Tollers,” Lewis said to Tolkien, “there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.”
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Elberbeth
Tol Eressea
May 12 2015, 4:05pm
Post #7 of 45
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Try the Temeraire series, starting with His Majesty's Dragon//
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"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
May 12 2015, 4:51pm
Post #8 of 45
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I second the recommendation for the Discworld series. also EarthSea If you like more fantasy in a humorous vein, I would also suggest the Myth (Aahz and Skeeve) books by Robert Asprin. Other books and book series I would suggest:
- The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
- The Chronicles of Corum - Moorcock
- The Hawkmoon series - Moorcock
- The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Lieber
- The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
- ElfQuest graphic novels by Wendi and Richard Pini
- The Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman
- Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffery
- The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
- The Belgariad by David Eddings
- The Elenium by David Eddings
- The Thieves' World shared-world series edited by Robert Asprin
That should get you started!
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on May 12 2015, 4:56pm)
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acheron
Gondor
May 12 2015, 6:39pm
Post #9 of 45
(990 views)
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Scott Lynch - The Lies of Locke Lamora
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Somewhat "violent", though I would say less than ASOIAF. And the characters swear a lot.
But if that's ok then it's a really exciting, fun story. There are currently two sequels as well.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man, for precisely the same reasons. -- Douglas Adams
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
May 12 2015, 7:02pm
Post #10 of 45
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I really like Lois McMaster Bujold. She's known for her SciFi Vorkosigan series but I really liked her Chalion "series" (Three books set in the same world but the third only loosely associated) and her Sharing Knife series. http://en.wikipedia.org/...Lois_McMaster_Bujold
I also like the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony. Again, he's another SciFi writer but these books are set in modern time with a mixture of technology and magic. My favorite is On a Pale Horse but the others are very good also. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarnations_of_Immortality
_
Heed WBA when building blanket forts.
ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
(This post was edited by Dame Ioreth on May 12 2015, 7:13pm)
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Eruvandi
Tol Eressea
May 12 2015, 7:04pm
Post #11 of 45
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I only discovered the Tales of Goldstone Wood series early this year, but it's quickly become a favorite. It's climbed right up to the top 3 in my list of favorite fantasy series, right alongside Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
Tales of Goldstone Wood has a fairytale feel to it, lots of fantastical creatures, both light and dark elements, myths, legends, humor, drama, action, romance, and adventure, but it's all totally clean, which is something I appreciate a lot. There is some violence in every book, but it's never worse than what you'd find in LOTR.
There are seven novels and two novellas in the series so far, with another two novels coming late this year and early next year. (I'm really excited for those!!!) I've been reading my way through the series and I'm up to book 5: "Dragonwitch". I've loved each of the books I've read up to this point and I've cried at some point in all of them because there are some really beautiful themes and touching moments in each story. My favorite of the series so far is book 3: "Moonblood" (So beautiful! *sniff* ), but you should know that you need to read books 1 and 2 first to really understand what's going on in that one. Dragonwitch may soon replace it as my favorite, though, because I'm really liking it and I'm not even half way through!
As far as I know, all of the books are available in both physical and digital format. I've found them on both Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
Feel free to ask me if you want to know any more.
Lord I give you everything, Anything you want from me
Take my past and my future I lay it at your feet
Yeah, I'm after your heart, you've stolen mine
I give you my all 'cause you gave up your life
I'm not who I was simply because, Oh, you set me free
And you change me from what I used to be
Opened my eyes, now I can see
You're making this life so beautiful
So beautiful
~"Beautiful" by Dan Bremnes
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Kelly of Water's Edge
Rohan
May 12 2015, 7:21pm
Post #12 of 45
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The Once and Future King by T.H. White. It's probably the best known version of Arthurian Legends (the musical Camelot is based on it - although the book has a lot more going on). The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter series are also fantasy staples for a reason.
Other than that, don't discount looking into ancient/medieval myths, legends and folk tales (the original versions - not adaptations for children), some of which inspired Tolkien - like Beowulf, Kalevala, Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid. 1001 Arabian Nights etc. That's arguably fantasy's real core.
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dormouse
Half-elven
May 12 2015, 7:33pm
Post #13 of 45
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I love them too. Beautifully written books with phrases that stick in the mind and interesting characters.
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Ciars
Rohan
May 12 2015, 7:37pm
Post #14 of 45
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There's lots to consider, I have tried to edit this to leave out any which may be in GOT violence territory!
David Eddings has a few series, starting with The Belgariad
Anne McCaffery has a good number of books from the Pern books to the Talent series though it is a mix of science fiction/ fantasy as well
Trudi Canavan"s Black Magician series
Robert Jordan's wheel of time series( Sanderson finished this following his death)
Robin Hobb's farseer trilogy and liveships series with more series that continue these stories after!
Raymond E feist's Magician is a good start into a multiple series of books
Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series
Karen Miller's Innocent Mage series
Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series
L.E.Modesitt Jnr has a whole number of books on offer in a series from Recluce, to the Imager series, be warned these can be addictive and hours can be lost!
Brent Weeks Prism series is worth a read
There's really quite a few books out there, try to check out the first few pages/ chapters first before buying or the author's websites sometimes they give sneak peeks as one person may like what another dislikes! Happy reading!
(This post was edited by Ciars on May 12 2015, 7:44pm)
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dormouse
Half-elven
May 12 2015, 7:42pm
Post #15 of 45
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As no one else has said it....
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... how about Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It's quite unlike anything else I know. No violence (except the Battle of Waterloo, that is, but the main character isn't fighting). The story is set in the early 19th century in an England almost exactly like the real one, except that it's an England which was once magical and has lost everything save a dry academic study of magic. No one has practised magic for generations. The story is about the return of real magic - and it's threaded through with references to the distant magical past rather in the way that Lord of the Rings rests on a whole imagined history.
We have a TV adaptation starting here at the weekend: I'm sure it will appear in the US before long.
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Ciars
Rohan
May 12 2015, 7:46pm
Post #16 of 45
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I've seen the trailers for the past week or so, it does look interesting. I may have to look for the books now!
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Ettelewen
Rohan
May 12 2015, 7:51pm
Post #17 of 45
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I read the Myth Adventures books years ago and still love them, and the Chronicles of Amber are re-read regularly (would be awesome on film, but how would you do it?). Anything by Roger Zelazny is highly recommended.
I would add the Guardians of the Flame series, by Joel Rosenberg.
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
May 12 2015, 9:27pm
Post #18 of 45
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I read the Myth Adventures books years ago and still love them, and the Chronicles of Amber are re-read regularly (would be awesome on film, but how would you do it?). Anything by Roger Zelazny is highly recommended.
I would add the Guardians of the Flame series, by Joel Rosenberg.
I've read and and enjoyed the Guardians of the Flame books. The series is sorta like, what if the Dungeons & Dragons Saturday-morning cartoon had been made for grown-ups? with its premise of a group of gamers trapped in a fantasy world by their gamemaster. And you're right, it's better than it sounds.
There is also Glen Cook's The Chronicles of the Black Company about the adventures of a mercenary band. I've also read a couple of Cook's Garrett books about a private investigator operating in a swords-and-sorcery setting.
There are lots of fantasy books and series that I either haven't gotten around to trying or just weren't to my taste, like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Or series like Stephen A. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever that pose some challenges such as a hard-to-like hero.
One last recommendation: Anything by Gene Wolfe, but especially The Book of the New Sun.
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
May 12 2015, 9:59pm
Post #19 of 45
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I just finished listening to these (narrated by Nicol Williamson)in the car during my last long drive. Loved this series!
_
Heed WBA when building blanket forts.
ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Annael
Immortal
May 12 2015, 9:59pm
Post #20 of 45
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I second the recommendations for the Discworld books, the Chalion books, and the Dragonriders of Pern series. Personally I love Harry Dresden as well as Robin Hobb's Farseer books, but they do have a lot of violence (which is why I didn't recommend PC Hodgell's books). You might like Joan Vinge's Snow Queen series and pretty much anything by Patricia McKillip; the Riddle-master of Hed series and the Cygnet series are my favorites.
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
May 13 2015, 8:14am
Post #21 of 45
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has written books where the fantasy world is woven like an invisible thread into the real, modern world - and now and again it surfaces, to great effect.- e.g. Greenmantle, Spiritwalk, Moonheart.
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Morthoron
Gondor
May 13 2015, 12:07pm
Post #22 of 45
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Very much an anti-hero is Thomas Covenant....
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Or series like Stephen A. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever that pose some challenges such as a hard-to-like hero.
And it is a very good series, but only up to the 4th book (The Wounded Land). That's when Donaldson's verbosity sinks the series.
I would also suggest the greatest of the Arthurian Cycle retellings, T.H. White's The Once and Future King. Funny, sad and profound all at once.
Please visit my blog...The Dark Elf File...a slighty skewed journal of music and literary comment, fan-fiction and interminable essays.
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Darkstone
Immortal
May 13 2015, 2:05pm
Post #23 of 45
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Quit just into the second book when I realized it was just going to be more of the same.
It did inspire me to write a story about a guy who insists on doing the right thing and helping people even though he believes they're only figments of his imagination in a coma induced dream world. But unfortunately it didn't inspre me enough to get it published.
******************************************
Living Will Addendum:
To Whom It May Concern:
If I'm ever on life support, please unplug me.
Then plug me back in.
(Hey, works for computers!)
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NottaSackville
Valinor
May 13 2015, 2:08pm
Post #24 of 45
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 Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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NottaSackville
Valinor
May 13 2015, 2:11pm
Post #25 of 45
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I third the recommendations of Myth and Chronicles of Amber //
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Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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Tales of Goldstone Wood
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