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Looking for Fantasy Novels


Sad Bread

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I'm waiting for the last book of the Kingkiller Chronicles and I haven't found anything to hold me off. I'm really open to any suggestion but I really enjoy works of fantasy and psychology. 

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Have you read any of Terry Prachett's books? They're fantasy and weird and wacky, however they often focus on serious aspects of the human (or not so human) condition.

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1 hour ago, Evren said:

Have you read any of Terry Prachett's books? They're fantasy and weird and wacky, however they often focus on serious aspects of the human (or not so human) condition.

I looked him up and there's so much to choose from! Thanks for your suggestion

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Searching_for_solitude

The Wee Free Men was the first terry prachett book I read and I found it very funny but engrossing. I’d suggest that’s a good one as any to start from :)

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8 minutes ago, Searching_for_solitude said:

The Wee Free Men was the first terry prachett book I read and I found it very funny but engrossing. I’d suggest that’s a good one as any to start from :)

Thank you I wasn't sure which to read first (there are so many 😵)

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Searching_for_solitude

I’ve always enjoyed the Tiffany aching series (wee free men is the first in the series), my dad used to read them to me at night so I’ve always had an influence in my life from Pratchett .

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Fantasy novels! I have some, which you can check out. Stormlight archive series and mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson have an excellent world building. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K Jemisin is one of my favorites too! Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch is very interesting too, the main character is a thief, though I have read only first book of that series. I thought Kingkiller Chronicles had ended a long time ago. I guess I was wrong. I had only finished its first book. 

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47 minutes ago, Sad Bread said:

Thank you I wasn't sure which to read first (there are so many 😵)

Yeah, 

The Color of Magic is the first in the Discworld series (which is where most of them are from). You don't really have to read Discworld in order but it does have a continuity and you might be confused if you start outside of it.

Wee Free Men is the first in the Tiffany Aching series, which is also set in Discworld but is separate.

He wrote some books that are one-shots and have nothing to do with Discworld and he co-wrote the Long Earth series which is also one of my absolute favorites.

 

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15 minutes ago, Evren said:

The Color of Magic is the first in the Discworld series (which is where most of them are from). You don't really have to read Discworld in order but it does have a continuity and you might be confused if you start outside of it.

The books get better after the first couple or so, in my opinion. Those first couple do lay the groundwork, but are generally having fun with fantasy tropes, while later books often deal with all sorts of topics (gods, Hollywood, postal systems, etc.)

 

17 minutes ago, Evren said:

Wee Free Men is the first in the Tiffany Aching series, which is also set in Discworld but is separate.

The Tiffany Aching stories seem closer to English folklore to me than some of the other books. In a good way.  Both have their appeals and I enjoy them all.

 

I don't know what types of fantasy you like, but I'll mention a couple of series I really enjoyed:

1. Kelly McCullough's Fallen Blade series - vaguely east Asian noir-ish stories about a fallen assassin who starts getting his life back together and becoming a good guy.

2. Jim Hines' Goblin Quest trilogy - about a hapless runt of a goblin who becomes a hero

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I love the Tiffany books, but then, like Tiffany, I live on chalk. Mind boggling to think how it was formed.

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itsmeelysemarie

Try the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Or the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. 

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2 hours ago, daveb said:

The books get better after the first couple or so, in my opinion. Those first couple do lay the groundwork, but are generally having fun with fantasy tropes, while later books often deal with all sorts of topics (gods, Hollywood, postal systems, etc.)

 

The Tiffany Aching stories seem closer to English folklore to me than some of the other books. In a good way.  Both have their appeals and I enjoy them all.

 

I don't know what types of fantasy you like, but I'll mention a couple of series I really enjoyed:

1. Kelly McCullough's Fallen Blade series - vaguely east Asian noir-ish stories about a fallen assassin who starts getting his life back together and becoming a good guy.

2. Jim Hines' Goblin Quest trilogy - about a hapless runt of a goblin who becomes a hero

Thanks for your addition 💕

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1 hour ago, CummingDelights said:

Try the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Or the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. 

Will do!

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2 hours ago, Madao said:

Fantasy novels! I have some, which you can check out. Stormlight archive series and mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson have an excellent world building. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K Jemisin is one of my favorites too! Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch is very interesting too, the main character is a thief, though I have read only first book of that series. I thought Kingkiller Chronicles had ended a long time ago. I guess I was wrong. I had only finished its first book. 

Thanks for your suggestion. And yes there are two other books and the one that Rothfuss is currently working one is the last of the main plot. 

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Celyn: The Lutening

Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series, starting with Assassin's Apprentice. And anything by Jim Butcher - he was one of the first Urban Fantasy writers with the Dresden Files, but I preferred Codex Alera - a high fantasy that started out as the prompt "Roman Legions meet Pokemon."

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LadyWallflower

Some of my favorites:

 

Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke This is a pretty long novel, but it is completely worth it. It mixes a Jane Austen-esque writing style with fantasy. It is also an old look at fantasy, in which there is a faerie world which strangely mixes with our own. There is very little magic at the beginning, because the world has lost its magic (although not really), but as the book progresses it becomes apparent that magic is not gone, and things become quite magical, as the fey world becomes entangled with the real world. I would 100% recommend this book.

 

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) - Katherine Arden This is a very atmospheric novel, based on old Russia, in the snowy northern regions, where Christian and pagan elements intermix. It is based on Russian fairytales. The world is surrounded in magic, yet the story is historically accurate. I don't want to give much away, but the writing style and atmosphere and mystery are wonderful. You never know what is going to happen next.

 

A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #1) - Marie Brennan There are many novels in this series, but I haven't had the opportunity to read them all yet. I plan to. In this book Dragons really exist. In our world, many people went on scientific adventures to study animals and the world. In this novel, Lady Trent does the same, although she is studying dragons. There is a confirmed asexual side character in this series too, although I don't believe she is in the first book? I can't remember.

 

Also just the other day I read an extremely short fantasy story The Faerie Godmother's Apprentice Wears Green - Nicky Kyle, which has a main character who is an ace. It basically takes the entire "dragon takes a princess" trope and turns it upside down. You could probably read the story in 1 or 2 hours.

 

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I'm trying to get more people into Tad Williams. 

War of the Flowers is a standalone book but he has a couple of series that I have enjoyed over the years.

 

I also just reread Sara Douglass' Wayfarer Redemption series which I would recommend for a curious read.

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Can I ask what you liked about the Kingkiller Chronicle?

It's one of my favourites, but there's so much going on there, and something for every taste, so I'm curious about what attracts you about it to better suggest further reading ^^

 

I'll second both N.K. Jemisin and Susanna Clarke though.

N.K. Jemisin is reshaping fantasy as we know it, she expertly conjures complex, sprawling, unique worlds, and fills them with a more diverse and intersectional cast than I thought possible, with a grasp on theme that is unparalleled.  It's epic, but requires effort, will challenge your heart, mind and soul.  The Broken Earth trilogy is best, but The Dreamblood duology is also very worth it!  Pretty dark though.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is also amazing.  It's written like a historical novel, with footnotes and everything.  I can sometimes tire a little of all the courtesy and politeness, but the richness of the writing and the world and the attention to detail makes for a riveting brick of a book.  It has a warm, British humour to it.

 

I'm always trying to get people to read Patricia A. McKillip, she has a very lyrical style and a unique perspective.  A much narrower scope than most fantasy writers, character-driven, you come closer to the people than the plot.  I adore The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, but the Riddle-Master trilogy is also great, and I loved Winter Rose which is a retelling of the Ballad of Tam Lin.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is also great, it has the same type of always-expanding story that the Kingkiller Chronicle has.  Also character-driven.

I've also hear Guy Gavriel Kay suggested for people who love Patrick Rothfuss, but I haven't come around to reading his stuff myself.

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Celyn: The Lutening
On 5/28/2018 at 6:56 AM, Pallid said:

I'm trying to get more people into Tad Williams. 

War of the Flowers is a standalone book but he has a couple of series that I have enjoyed over the years.

 

I also just reread Sara Douglass' Wayfarer Redemption series which I would recommend for a curious read.

TAD WILLIAMS YES!!! I'm nearly finished my second reread of Dragonbone Chair, then I'll go on to Shadowplay.

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EggplantWitch

I could talk about Discworld aaaaall day, but it's already been covered, so I won't. Instead I'll talk about the highly underrated fantasy-crime-humour 'Rivers of London' or 'PC Peter Grant' series by Ben Aaronovitch. They're laugh-out-loud funny (if you liked Percy Jackson's narration style as a child, you'll probably like Peter Grant) and shockingly decent on the representation side of things all things considered - the protagonist is mixed-race, there are a lot of black goddesses knocking around, and there are canonically gay and trans supporting characters discussed as such within the book. It's set in modern-day London but the world building around the return of magic after WW2 is very good, and never cumbersome or unecessary - plus, I enjoy the fact the facade is maintained by British apathy rather than any Rowling-esque wink-nudge secrecy. The stories in each book are largely separate from one another but there's an overaching plot too, more like a modern television show than a typical book series (fittingly enough; Aaronovitch wrote for various shows including Doctor Who). I really recommend it to anyone who gets a bored of the standard swords-and-sorcery poe-faced style of fantasy!

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@EggplantWitch  I am just re-reading Rivers of London now!!!  :D  They are awesome!  My favourite is Whispers Underground and maybe Foxglove Summer.  

Highly recommended!  I actually bought Rivers of London for my German exchange student for Christmas, as a follow up to getting him hooked on The Kingkiller Chronicles earlier :P  I haven't heard how he liked it yet, but he loves crime novels, and The Kingkiller Chronicles were his first introduction to fantasy, so I was trying for something with the same sort of scientific approach, and lots of diversity and character over busy plots.

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EggplantWitch
10 hours ago, Hild said:

@EggplantWitch  I am just re-reading Rivers of London now!!!  :D  They are awesome!  My favourite is Whispers Underground and maybe Foxglove Summer.  

Highly recommended!

It might perhaps be too much to hope for, but I've seen Aaronovitch tweet about asexuality before so maybe, just maybe, he might include a canon ace character in one of his new books. I'll just keep headcanoning Nightingale as aroace until then.

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On 5/29/2018 at 5:42 AM, Hild said:

Can I ask what you liked about the Kingkiller Chronicle?

It's one of my favourites, but there's so much going on there, and something for every taste, so I'm curious about what attracts you about it to better suggest further reading ^^

 

I'll second both N.K. Jemisin and Susanna Clarke though.

N.K. Jemisin is reshaping fantasy as we know it, she expertly conjures complex, sprawling, unique worlds, and fills them with a more diverse and intersectional cast than I thought possible, with a grasp on theme that is unparalleled.  It's epic, but requires effort, will challenge your heart, mind and soul.  The Broken Earth trilogy is best, but The Dreamblood duology is also very worth it!  Pretty dark though.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is also amazing.  It's written like a historical novel, with footnotes and everything.  I can sometimes tire a little of all the courtesy and politeness, but the richness of the writing and the world and the attention to detail makes for a riveting brick of a book.  It has a warm, British humour to it.

 

I'm always trying to get people to read Patricia A. McKillip, she has a very lyrical style and a unique perspective.  A much narrower scope than most fantasy writers, character-driven, you come closer to the people than the plot.  I adore The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, but the Riddle-Master trilogy is also great, and I loved Winter Rose which is a retelling of the Ballad of Tam Lin.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is also great, it has the same type of always-expanding story that the Kingkiller Chronicle has.  Also character-driven.

I've also hear Guy Gavriel Kay suggested for people who love Patrick Rothfuss, but I haven't come around to reading his stuff myself.

Thanks for your suggestions. I really liked the Kingkiller Chronicles for many reasons but the main one being the way Rothfuss worded the books. I appreciate when an author takes time in choosing what they want to portray and his choice of words made the story interesting to read. 

 

I'm not too picky on plot as long as I can see it's purpose early on. Other things like Kvothe's rivalries and the Adem are what tops it off for me. New things are the best to read about (in my opinion) 

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Guest Falco Peregrinus

My two cents:

Six of Crows (sorry I don't remember the author's name and I'm too tired to look it up right now) is amazing

Dance of Cloaks (same dealio with the author) is also very good

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Seven Kingdom Trilogy by Kristin Cashore. I haven't read them all, just the first book Fire and I loved it :) It's just fantasy tho, nothing to do with psychology

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There are some great reads listed here already.

Suggestions:

 

Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka - Urban Fantasy, but fun to read - in the same vein as Harry Dresden and Peter Grant. Book 9 will be out on June 7! Alex Verus is a mage who finds himself swept into the politics of the Light and Dark Mages as well as the machinations of his former master.

 

Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne - Atticus O'Sullivan is a 2000+year old druid who does stupid things like killing gods and getting entangled in other people's arguments. Oberon, Atticus's Irish Wolfhound, is a hoot.

 

Though not technically fantasy, but definitely inspiration for a number of fantasy series (Lady Trent and Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate novels, for instance) - I highly recommend Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody Mysteries - great fun, full of Egyptology, improbable adventures, melodrama, silliness. Just pure mad fun.

 

Heartstrikers 1-5 - Rachel Aaron. Follow Julius Heartstriker, the youngest and smallest of his mother's children, as he changes the future of dragonkind forever. Great fun read.

 

Tufa by Alex Bledsoe - The Tufa are a mysterious people who live in the Appalachians, living their own truths and singing their own songs. They may or may not be fae. Helps to have a taste for bluegrass too, though not necessary.

 

Have you ever tried any Carol Berg? I recommend The Sanctuary Duet and Rai-Kirah 1-3.

 

Nightrunner by Llynn Flewelling follows Alex and Seregil through seven books as they carry out assignments for their Queen and discover their own truths.

 

Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, plus the novellas featuring Penric (set in the same universe, though in an earlier era), all great reads by Lois McMaster Bujold. I also highly recommend her space opera series Vorkosigan Saga.

 

Johannes Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard is about the necromancer Johannes Cabal and his brother, Horace (accidental vampire), and their quest to save Johannes' girlfriend from death and if they find other cures along the way, so much the better.

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Have you read The golden compass by Philip Pullman yet?  He started on a prequel series not that long ago wich is really good as well. The first one is called The book of dust: La belle sauvage.

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Julia Schwartz
On 6/1/2018 at 3:30 PM, imy said:

Have you read The golden compass by Philip Pullman yet?  He started on a prequel series not that long ago wich is really good as well. The first one is called The book of dust: La belle sauvage.

I love His Dark Materials so much! One of my all-time favorite series. The Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld is also really good, it's an interesting combo of fantasy and alternate universe sci-fi.

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Darwinia, by Robert Charles Wilson. Overnight, Europe and Asia are swept by a white light, killing all humans. There are strange plants and animals left there. Around the rest of the world, some people find out they're not only psychic, but immortal. Then it gets weird... 

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