Recommend a Fantasy series that is beautifully written

[Del Murder]

I'm pretty sure that's the exact writing style she's trying to avoid.

[I Don't Need A Name]

D'ohhh! You have to ruin my fun, don't you

[Del Murder]

It is still a better recommendation than Wheel of Time, which I couldn't even get through the first chapter.

[Lonely Paper Star]

A Song of Ice and Fire - George. R. R. Martin

I'm only on the first book, but I already find some of the words very quotable. ;o

[Flaming Ice]

Lord of the Rings

There are books too? Oh man, I loved the movies! I'll give this a try. THANKS!

There's also the hobbit, it's a prequel to the series.

[Bunny]

It is still a better recommendation than Wheel of Time, which I couldn't even get through the first chapter.

Did you at least make it through the three paragraphs where he describes a blade of grass?

Name of the Wind and, to a lesser degree, Wise Man's Fear are fairly essential reads for any person interested in fantasy; Rothfuss has a pretty distinct way with words that makes him one of the better fantasy writers in recent memory. Aside from The First Law Trilogy, Abercrombie has written three standalone books that all work in a different type of sub-genre into them. It works out pretty well, despite seeming pretty cheesey on the surface. As a plus, I think all six of the books are set in the same world, but not necessararily with the same characters.


If you like crime-type shows, even a little bit, then The Lies of Locke Lamora is a really good suggestion. It is pretty standard fantasy and doesn't really add anything new to the genre, but Lynch is a pretty fun writer and it reminds me of a crime-mystery-fantasy show in book form.


Other than those, my only two real suggestions are The Runelords Saga (David Farland), which is about nine books total (split into two separate series) and The Time Master Trilogy (Louise Cooper), which is an older series of books that might be hard to find but is really good. Runelords is probably my favorite fantasy series I have ever read, mainly because it has a pretty unique magic system that isn't the entire point of the story but helps move the plot along.

[Citizen Bleys]

It's not as highbrow as I think you're looking for, but I highly enjoyed Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg.

[Araciel]

I err uh..love trashy fantasy books..

But Neil Gaiman.

[Jinx]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I will read these and report back!

I think I'll start with Orphan Tales #1.

Yesssss. I hope you like it.

[Jiro]

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

I second this, as well as adding Brent Weeks' new series to the list. Uhh. I forget the name of the series though. The second book was just released, anyway.

[Bunny]

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

I second this, as well as adding Brent Weeks' new series to the list. Uhh. I forget the name of the series though. The second book was just released, anyway.

The Lightbringer Series. First book is Black Prism, second is Blinding Knife. Weeks is another one of those writers who is pretty standard fantasy but does so it in a fun way.

[Miriel]

Hmm... I just looked up the Night Angel Trilogy on Goodreads and the very first review says that the book is "Oddly homophobic and misogynistic."

My tolerance level for fictional misogyny/sexism (and lack of strong female characters in general) is rather low. I was only able to tolerate books like the Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series (aka, Men Who Hate Women) because of the strength of the main female character who was hardcore and amazing. It's part of the reason why I could not get through Song of Ice and Fire.

Should I attempt this Night Angel Trilogy, or would it fall too much in line with the "Let's-have-excessive-scenes-of-violnce-and-rape-to-show-how-gritty-and-dark-we-can-be" type fantasy books that would pretty much annoy the smurf out of me?

[Bunny]

It's been awhile since I've read the trilogy, but I don't really see how it is abundantly or oddly homophobic. Some characters do get raped, but I don't think it is done with any degree of graphic detail, as far as I can remember anyway. There is a lack of powerful female characters in the general sense, because the story is centered on one character (the main character) and his interactions with the rest of the cast are fairly unimportant in the general scheme.

You probably wouldn't like the Night Angel Trilogy, not because of supposed misogyny or homophobia, but because it is fairly dark and depressing and has more in common with Sanderson's work than anyone else who puts out more substantial work. It's a good read, but definitely not a good representation of what fantasy can be.

[Jiro]

I didn't get any feelings of homophobia or misogyny from it. wtf kind of a comment is that? xD

[Miriel]

I have no idea, it's just the very top review I saw on goodreads.

I'll put it in my to-read list and get around to it when I'm feeling in the mood for something darker. Right now, I'm primarily focused on finding a fantasy series that isn't just entertaining or well constructed, but actually has beautiful words. The kind of writing that makes you giddy and you re-read sentences constantly because it's just delightful to run your eyes across and hear it in your head.

Vonnegut or Atwood or Zusak or Junot Diaz quality writing translated to a fantasy setting.