fantasy novels

I recently started reading this really old one (1960s) by Andre Norton (a woman!) that my mom has had around forever, Chronicles of the Witch World. The best way to describe it is 'interesting'.

At first, I didn't htink I'd be able to finish it because of the writing, but it's so unique, once you get used to it you don't mind it. There's descriptions of crazy monsters and races, and the way the plot is set up makes me think of an rpg actually, you know what you have to go do and that something will inevitably happen as you go to do it, but you'll usually be surprised by the what.

did I mention the diction is crazy? She's not one to put in useless words.

Fantasy novels: Discuss.

A Dance with Dragons needs to come out now.

Like, right now.

Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is the greatest fantasy series I've ever read. Some people find it off-putting at first, because Covenant isn't a terribly likable chap (although he does grow a lot as the series progresses), but I can't recommend the series enough.

For more conventional high fantasy, I'm also a big fan of Dennis L. McKiernan's Mithgar novels and Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry.

I agree wholeheartedly with DK, A Dance with Dragons needs to come out NAO! I need my Tyrion fix. Damn that series is so freaking awesome.

I haven't read a good fantasy novel for a while.. I have my childhood favorites though. The Familiar Dragon trilogy and Enchanted Forest chronicles were thoroughly enjoyable. And random Forgotten Realms stuff from Ed Greenwood here and there

I really liked the first book in the Death Gate Cycle series, but I didn't really care much beyond it. Each book is in an entirely different realm, and the first one was really captivating. The next one I read, though, just didn't hold me. But the first book is good, at least.

Allie, that Shannarah book I got from your mom is good if you basically want Lord of the Rings with different characters xD

stu, I've read one before, thanks!

For adult Fantasy, books by David Gemell are pretty good.

Ive tended to read more 'kids' fantasy though.

David Farland's Runelords series is probably my favorite group of books. It's fairly different from anything else I have read but it follows some of the same principles of fantasy so it does not seem like it is trying too hard to be something different.

My favorite individual book is more recent. "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. It's received spectacular praise for the writing style and storyline by famous authors and critics alike. I'm waiting patiently for the second book to come out.

R.A. Salvatore writes a lot of good stuff, most of which I have read multiple times without getting bored. His writing style is extraordinarily fluid, making most of his books seem shorter than they actually are. It's easy to get attached to his characters, even the villains.

Currently I'm reading "The Soulforge". I'm not entirely sure how the Dragonlance timeline works exactly, but I think this is the first prequel to the Twins Saga. It's pretty good.

ZOMG Twilight is lyk sooo goood :fangirlism:

No, I didn't mean that.

Seriously. I hate those books. And yet I read them all. Someone please help me. Please! :(

When I was young, I liked the Robin Jarvis Deptford series. They were pretty funky.

r. a. salvatore wrote the Attack of the Clones novelization, did he not? And that was a piece of trash. but if you can promise that his 'real' works are better. . .

I have never read a single Star Wars novelization and I plan on keeping it that way for as long as humanly possible. I was talking about his works with Forgotten Realms lore.

the terry brooks one for the phantom menace was pretty good, as I recall. But RAS just suffered from having to write about AotC

The love for ASoIaF makes me exceptionally happy. Unfortunately, that series and its awesomeness has just about ruined every other fantasy novel. For someone who writes fantasy, I tend to hate just about every series I read. xD

Salvatore writes a lot of books that should be comics.

That being said, I've read probably more than fifty D&D related novels.

I also like Terry Pratchett, George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Piers Anthony...um...countless others I can't think of right now.

They have already turned a third of Salvatore's books into graphic novels.

Which perhaps should have been the original medium... :P

Care to explain why?

I've been upset to find I'm not into reading nearly as much as I used to be.

That being said, I love Sherwood Smith's new trilogy and I cannot wait for the last one to be out. Smith is absolutely amazing.

I like about half of Robin Hobb's stuff. Her first and third trilogies, but not so much with her second and latest. The Fool was just a really great character.

Neil Gaiman is good too but I prefer his poetry and graphic novels.

I've got a long list of authors whose stuff I want to finish but never got around to doing so, and that includes George R. R. Martin, Steven Erikson, and Gene Wolfe.

There are also books I cannot stand and that would be Terry Goodkind.

Also, Andre Norton is a woman? Huh, I never knew that. Go her.

Right now I have been re-reading some Tanya Huff books I have. They are alright, nothing spectacular about the writing style save for the wit. She always makes me laugh.

I can't wait for The Shadow Returns by Lynn Flewelling It is coming out this June It will be her fourth book in her Nightrunners series. It was actually LunarWeaver who recommended me the series. It is <3. I also like her other series, the Tamir Triad. Set in the same world as Nightrunners but a few centuries earlier.

I've also found myself dipping into some of Mercedes Lackey books as well. I read The Last Herald-Mage trilogy which was good but it is super depressing. Then again, Vanyel was a whiny snot at times. It kinda falls into that whole "gay love is filled with angst" motif. Then again, the book was written in the 80's, so often I find criticisms about it to forget that fact (it is often criticized for the whole its-okay-to-be-gay message). If you want to read fantasy novels with gay characters, I strongly recommend reading Nightrunners series since the romance is really well done and paced out through the books. Anyways, I am planning to hopefully read more of her Valdemar books.

I read the first couple of mercedes lackey's bardic voices series, they were pretty good.
<tmi>
(i read them over a course of months while sitting on the toilet, but it didn't affect the quality of the writing any)
</tmi>

I've never been on the toilet for more than a month at a time. You should see a doctor at once.

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Originally Posted by Ouch!

The love for ASoIaF makes me exceptionally happy. Unfortunately, that series and its awesomeness has just about ruined every other fantasy novel. For someone who writes fantasy, I tend to hate just about every series I read. xD

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I agree with everything you just said. I find it nearly impossible to be affected by the "usual" fantasy novel shocker after the jarring events in A Storm of Swords. It's kind of hard to beat the tragedy that is the Stark family. Unfortunately, after A Feast for Crows, I worry that even GRRM will have difficulty topping that in the future.

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Originally Posted by Kes

I like about half of Robin Hobb's stuff. Her first and third trilogies, but not so much with her second and latest. The Fool was just a really great character.

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Oh dear, I'm almost the complete opposite. The Liveship Traders completely floored me, and remains one of my all-time favorite set of books along with ASoIaF. Her latest trilogy was pretty slow moving but won me over with the last book. On the other hand, I found The Tawny Man trilogy to be underwhelming in comparison, though the final book was pretty much amazing. But yes: Fool > all, and even at her lowest, I find Robin Hobb to be far more readable than a majority of the competition.

I've taken a bit of a break from fantasy in my reading, but I'm looking forward to the next couple of books on my shelf: The Book of Joby, by Mark J Ferrari, and The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie. I've heard great things about both, so I hope they don't disappoint. The Name of the Wind is another one I keep hearing about, but I've been suspicious of it since hearing that the main character is a bit of a Mary Sue.

A thread titled "Fantasy Novels" and no one yet mentioned the names of R.E.Howard,Michael Moorcock or Karl E.Wagner?:(

I'll second Hobb, she's a very entertaining writer.

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Originally Posted by Germ Hamee

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Originally Posted by Kes

I like about half of Robin Hobb's stuff. Her first and third trilogies, but not so much with her second and latest. The Fool was just a really great character.

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Oh dear, I'm almost the complete opposite. The Liveship Traders completely floored me, and remains one of my all-time favorite set of books along with ASoIaF. Her latest trilogy was pretty slow moving but won me over with the last book. On the other hand, I found The Tawny Man trilogy to be underwhelming in comparison, though the final book was pretty much amazing. But yes: Fool > all, and even at her lowest, I find Robin Hobb to be far more readable than a majority of the competition.

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I didn't hate The Liveship Traders but I was kind of just reading through them to get to The Tawny Man because I'm a very character driven person, and I really wasn't a fan of any of the main characters. As for the latest (Soldier Son?) I'll admit I prejudged after the first book and have had the second just sitting around waiting for me to read it.

The character thing is why I have such a hard time reading some of this stuff. Not only do the characters have to capture my attention, but once you start killing their dogs, chopping off their limbs, blinding them and getting them eaten, I get a bit overwhelmed. Not that I want nothing but fluffy bunnies and happy endings, but sometimes a few here and there are nice. Assuming you don't kill the bunny.

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Originally Posted by Kes

Not only do the characters have to capture my attention, but once you start killing their dogs, chopping off their limbs, blinding them and getting them eaten, I get a bit overwhelmed. Not that I want nothing but fluffy bunnies and happy endings, but sometimes a few here and there are nice. Assuming you don't kill the bunny.

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You'd like C. J. Cherryh

*serious face*

holy crap, I just finished Chronicles of the Witch World and omp, it was amazing.

[spoilers]hilarion definitely makes me think of Hyde though :D and I prefer kaththea to whatshername. hooooooooooooooly crap! I am such a girl![/spoilers]

harry potter obviously! but i have read memouirs of a geshia i dunno if thats really fantasy but i will say its a great book! well worth reading!
lord of the rings confuses meh! but im still trying to read it!

Seconds Robin Hobb (Farseers, Live Ships, and all) and Stephen R Donaldson (although I am having trouble getting into his latest Covenant novel)

I love Tolkien, Le Guin, & Pratchette.

I enjoyed Garth Nix's Sabriel series. Robert Aspin had some pretty cool concepts in the 'myth' series. Redwall was a pretty good series, but I got bored after the third or fourth book.

Harry Potter was pretty good.

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Originally Posted by Germ Hamee

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ouch!

The love for ASoIaF makes me exceptionally happy. Unfortunately, that series and its awesomeness has just about ruined every other fantasy novel. For someone who writes fantasy, I tend to hate just about every series I read. xD

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I agree with everything you just said. I find it nearly impossible to be affected by the "usual" fantasy novel shocker after the jarring events in A Storm of Swords. It's kind of hard to beat the tragedy that is the Stark family. Unfortunately, after A Feast for Crows, I worry that even GRRM will have difficulty topping that in the future.

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I don't know, I actually read Feists Magician trilogy after reading ASoIaF and still enjoyed it thoroughly, although I guess it was sort of broken for me in that I kept expecting all the likeable characters to die, or get raped and kidnapped, or some sort of generally horrific thing happen to them. When things kept going well I was utterly lost and confused.

about a Game of Thrones
(SPOILER)smurf GRRM ;.; I loved ned ;.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I cried so hard over him ;o

The only bad thing about the books is that if you go a year between reading them, you can't really pick up with the next one and carry on x.x; and I don't feel like rereading a million pages so I can read a second million pages ;o

Apparently Ann C. Crispin the star wars author collaborated with Andre Norton (the witch world author) on a witch world book. I find that funny because I was/am reading AC crispin's han solo trilogy while I read CotWW xD

andre norton also has a book called Gods and ANDROIDS. I recommend that you take a look at the text on the cover. I laughed really hard when i saw it xD

my mom apparently has the first eight wheel of time books. or so she claims.

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Originally Posted by Bunny

Care to explain why?

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Not really.

:P

Seriously, I just think they feel comic-y. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and I did enjoy every one of his books I've read (which is many, some of which even outside the FR universe), but it just seems to me that the flow of his books and language/imagery therein would be better suited to a graphic novel. The same can be said of a lot of fantasy books, but his in particular just strike me that way.