Fantasy recommendations

[HarryT]

Can anyone recommend some good fantasy that I might not have read? My favourite type of fantasy is the "epic quest" type of book. I enjoy Tolkien (obviously!), Brandon Sanderson, David Eddings. Any recommendations to books in a similar style would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[HarryT]

Other authors I've enjoyed are Raymond Feist, Stephen Donaldson, and Robin Hobb.

[caleb72]

Have you tried Patrick Rothfuss yet? I really enjoyed The Name of the Wind and I've read people comparing the writing style to Robin Hobb's.

[David Munch]

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan is as epic as it gets.. Otherwise I've personally enjoyed the Dragonlance series immensely, and most of the core trilogies in the series are quite epic.

[HarryT]

Thanks, yes, I've read the "Wheel of Time" series.

[Rev. Bob]

I'm more into modern/urban "low fantasy" than the Tolkienesque/medieval "epic fantasy" stuff, but just in case there's any crossover for you or anyone who stumbles in here later...

If you liked Douglas Adams's style in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, run to your favorite ebook vendor and pick up some Tom Holt for about $6 each. His later work (since The Portable Door) has tended to define a loose series, but everything before that stands on its own. Flying Dutch is an excellent place to start, being the story of the Flying Dutchman and his critical importance to the global economy. (Yes, he writes that sort of inspired lunacy.) Note that he's written some historical fantasy as well as the comedy; the comedic ebooks are easily recognized by their "stick figure" covers - with the exception of his three most recent, which are still cartoony and/or named Doughnut.

I'm about to finish book seven out of nine in C.E. Murphy's "Walker Papers" series, about an Irish/Native American cop/mechanic who unexpectedly becomes a shaman. Book eight just came out, the conclusion's about a year away, and there's a tenth book of short stories called No Dominion that's already out; the short-book-length title story runs parallel to book seven, but there was no place in the main series to tell the story...

Speaking of magical mechanics, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "Mercy Thompson" series by Patricia Briggs, about a werecoyote among werewolves. Solid stuff, but a bit closer to paranormal romance than the Walker Papers.

Kim Harrison has a truly smashing series going with "The Hollows," about a present-day that diverged about forty years ago when a genetic tinkering accident brought the paranormals out of the shadows. Aside from the novels, there are two "prequel" graphic novels, a short story collection, and a "fact book" disguised as an outsider's story. Highly recommended.

Jim Butcher has a great thing going with his "Dresden Files" series, which I see has its own thread here. He also writes traditional fantasy, which I haven't read but feel confident recommending just on the strength of his Dresden books.

Simon R. Green has several series that wind up weaving together. "Hawk and Fisher" is part of the "Forest Kingdoms" (aka "Haven") world; that's traditional fantasy that stays pretty well off to the side, despite a couple of cameos elsewhere. However, "Nightside," "Secret Histories," "Ghostfinders," and even his SF "Deathstalker" series mingle quite a bit, especially in the most recent volumes. It doesn't hurt to read them independently, but you'll pick up on several references if you read them all. (Go with publication sequence and read 'em in parallel, though.)

Closer to "standard" fantasy, but with a strong comic/satiric bite, is Robert Asprin's "Myth Adventures" series. They tend to be short, quick reads, and even though Asprin died a few years ago, the series is in the capable hands of his eventual co-author, Jody Lynn Nye.

If you like urban fantasy with a decent sense of fun that doesn't go for comedy, try Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty the werewolf" series. She's a late-night talk-radio host who goes public about being a werewolf, whereupon fame and adventure ensue.

Lilith Saintcrow has written a couple of series for Orbit that are somewhere between urban fantasy and cyberpunk, and both are available as "complete series" omnibus volumes at a bargain price: Jill Kismet and Dante Valentine run about ten bucks each.

That's a solid chunk of material off the top of my head, enough to keep you busy for a while. If you like these, look me up on Goodreads and feel free to plunder my shelves for more stuff; there's a lot there.

[HarryT]

Thanks for the suggestions, but urban fantasy just doesn't float my boat . That's why I specifically mentioned the "epic quest" subgenre in my original post. But I do appreciate the suggestions.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks for the suggestions, but urban fantasy just doesn't float my boat . That's why I specifically mentioned the "epic quest" subgenre in my original post. But I do appreciate the suggestions.

There's some non-UF in there, too - just not a lot, I fear. Also, I tend to recommend Holt every chance I get; he's just that nifty.

[rhadin]

Harry, take a look at the various series by Richard S. Tuttle. I have purchased and read every one of his books and specifically wrote him asking to be told when new books are released (something I do not do with many authors). I have not read -- yet -- his latest release Avenging Shadow, which is the first book in his new Amica Saga. I'm just waiting for it to become available in ePub in a few weeks.

His writing is largely for young adults, but don't let that put you off. His books are available at Smashwords (and probably also at Amazon) and the following two are free to introduce you to his writing:

Sapphire of the Fairies (Sword of Heavens #1)

Young Lord of Khadora (Forgotten Legacy #1)

Another author you might try is Tracy Falbe. I have also bought and read all of her books and asked her to notify me when more are released.

[HarryT]

Thanks, Richard - appreciate the suggestions.

If you can get behind the idea of fantasy novels based around Dungeons & Dragons, then I'll go ahead and second a gander at the Dragonlance novels and I'll also throw in the Forgotten Realms novels - especially The Legend Of Drizzt by R.A. Salvatore.

I'll also suggest Tim Severin's Viking trilogy. More GoodReads users have filed it under 'historical fiction' than 'fantasy', but if you like fantasy and you like, for instance, Bernard Cornwell, you might just enjoy Viking.

[DrNefario]

Recently, I very much enjoyed The Adamantine Palace by Stephen Deas. It's not so much epic fantasy as The Godfather with dragons, but it was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

In fact, I'm kind of struggling to think of the last quest-type fantasy I enjoyed. Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy, beginning with The Blade Itself kind of subverts the form, and he has some of the greatest characters anywhere in the genre, but it's a brutal, gritty fantasy and might not be what you're after.

I was kind of enjoying Kate Elliott's Crossroads trilogy, starting with The Spirit Gate if I'm remembering right, but I've put off reading the third book for a couple of years, now, for no particular reason except that it's in paper. It's a more traditional "mysterious evil rising" sort of book, but there's not much sign of a quest, and I don't remember any farm boys turning into legendary heroes.

There's Peter V. Brett's The Painted Man (Warded Man in the US), which is an unusual and interesting angle on fantasy. I thought it had some problems in structure, but it's worth a look.

Two series I didn't like that a lot of people do: Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth - predictable and bland; Stephen Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen - poor characters and badly broken dynamic range.

[smithno]

I found the Rys Chronicles by Tracy Falbe excellent! First book was free. I bought the whole aeries before I had read half of the first book...

Norm

[Dr. Drib]

A couple of fantasies by Fletcher Pratt.

I read these years ago, when Ballantine Adult Fantasy re-published them as part of their Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series.

I don't know if they're available as ebooks; if not, they're worth searching for in paperback.


Don

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I was kind of enjoying Kate Elliott's Crossroads trilogy, starting with The Spirit Gate if I'm remembering right, but I've put off reading the third book for a couple of years, now, for no particular reason except that it's in paper. It's a more traditional "mysterious evil rising" sort of book, but there's not much sign of a quest, and I don't remember any farm boys turning into legendary heroes.

I like the "farmboy turning into legendary hero" type of book. That's why I so much enjoy David Eddings (all of whose books are basically the same story, endlessly recycled, but it's a good story!) and also Elizabeth Moon's "Paksenarrion" series.