Series Recommendations

cocopuff · 09-05-2015, 10:30 PM

Hey all,
I am in need of a few good fantasy or historical fiction series to read. In the historical fiction vein, I have read most of Cornwell's stuff like the Sharpe series and loved it. I also adore the Hornblower series (reread them endlessly as a kid). My favorite fantasy series are Vlad Taltos, Song of Ice and Fire, Chronicles of Amber (if you haven't read this you definitely should). Anyways that kind of gives you an idea of what I like, let me know if you have read anything similar to these or if you have an all time favorite series that is worth reading. Thanks

MickeyC · 09-05-2015, 11:41 PM

Highly recommended the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser. Excellent and very funny historical fiction

Apache · 09-06-2015, 09:11 AM

Have you read the Khaavren Romances? They are also by Brust and I highly recommend them.

issybird · 09-06-2015, 10:50 AM

If you loved Sharpe and Hornblower, you also should love the (even better) Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian, which are set in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

MickiTee · 09-06-2015, 04:03 PM

If you're a Hornblower fan I would recommend Dudley Pope's Ramage series and Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho series.

pwalker8 · 09-06-2015, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

Have you read the Khaavren Romances? They are also by Brust and I highly recommend them.

This is definitely a different strokes for different folks. I really like Brust and wish that he would release the early Vlad Taltos books as ebooks (I believe that Book 8 - Dragon is the first that is available). On the other hand, I didn't like the Khaavren Romance books. It's basically an attempt to write in the Three Musketeers/Alexandre Dumas style. I grew up reading Dumas, Verne and other writers who wrote in older styles, so it's not that I dislike those particular styles. I just found the style by Brust forced and stilted.

Einnorottos89 · 09-07-2015, 03:38 AM

Try giving the Sword Of Truth series by Terry Goodkind a try.

dickloraine · 09-07-2015, 07:09 AM

Here some fantasy recommendations:
The Lies of Locke Lamora: If you like the Taltos books, this could be to your taste. It is excellent and one of the best fantasy books I have read.

The Garret P.I Series by Glen Cook: A match for Taltos too. A strange mix between hard boild crime stories and humor.

Martin is harder to match. I always recommend The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, but purly on how good it is (as martin is too). But it is otherwise very different. If you like the grim aspect, maybe Abercrombie would be to your liking.

A special one: The broken empire series by Mark Lawrence. The main character is a very bad person. It is very dark. But since you like martin and brust, this could be what you are looking for.

Oh, and don't read Goodkind

Nancy Fulda · 09-07-2015, 12:21 PM

You might try James Maxey's Bitterwood series or Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle series.

Also, I hear Joe Ambercrombie is pretty good, although I haven't read him myself. (Too dark for my tastes, but if you're a Martin fan then Ambercrombie will probably be right up your alley.

)

pwalker8 · 09-07-2015, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dickloraine

Here some fantasy recommendations:
The Lies of Locke Lamora: If you like the Taltos books, this could be to your taste. It is excellent and one of the best fantasy books I have read.

The Garret P.I Series by Glen Cook: A match for Taltos too. A strange mix between hard boild crime stories and humor.

Martin is harder to match. I always recommend The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, but purly on how good it is (as martin is too). But it is otherwise very different. If you like the grim aspect, maybe Abercrombie would be to your liking.

A special one: The broken empire series by Mark Lawrence. The main character is a very bad person. It is very dark. But since you like martin and brust, this could be what you are looking for.

Oh, and don't read Goodkind

I second the recommendation of Glen Cook and the Garret books. His Black Company books are also well worth reading. I've got all the Garret books in paper and all save "Old Tin Sorrows" and "Red Iron Nights" in ebooks. For some reason, neither of those books have come out in ebooks that I have found.

cocopuff · 09-07-2015, 01:45 PM

Thanks for all the recs so far, definitely have some books to check out now. I have already read the Aubrey/Maturin series, but will definitely look into the Bolitho and Ramage series. I have read the first of the Romances by Brust, enjoyed it, but I have to be in the right mood to read them as they require more in depth reading than the Taltos books. I'll check out the Garret series as I really liked the Black Company. Thanks again for the recs, should keep me busy for awhile

Apache · 09-07-2015, 02:51 PM

The Garrett books seem to be a what if Rex Stout wrote a fantasy Nero Wolf Series. They are definitely worth a read.
Apache

drofgnal · 09-08-2015, 05:49 AM

In the historical fiction category I like Follet's 20th Century Triology. I'd also recommend his Pillars of the Earth series, there are two now and he's working on the third.

Another historical fiction series I really like (at least the first two, I've yet to read the third) is The Physician by Noah Gordon and the sequel Shamam.

HarryT · 09-08-2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

If you loved Sharpe and Hornblower, you also should love the (even better) Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian, which are set in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Royal Navy, please

. We have a Royal Navy and a Royal Air Force, but a British Army, 'cos that was founded by that nasty Oliver Cromwell who was kind of down on royalty

.

issybird · 09-08-2015, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Royal Navy, please

. We have a Royal Navy and a Royal Air Force, but a British Army, 'cos that was founded by that nasty Oliver Cromwell who was kind of down on royalty

.

Lol. Actually I knew that. You have a Royal Marines, too. But I think it's fair enough to choose to employ the term British small-n navy rather than Royal Navy, certainly as a citizen of a republic as opposed to a subject of a kingdom I'm more likely to gravitate to the first.

The British Army error was one of the many in the first pages of Outlander that caused me to toss that (weighty) book across the room. But then it's the Royal Army Medical Corps at that. Ah, foolish consistency, etc.

ETA: My apologies to Harry, whose post I did not edit (I wouldn't dare!). I fat-fingered the wrong button.

09-05-2015, 10:30 PM	#1
cocopuff Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 366520 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Nook Simpletouch Glowlight, Kobo Aura H2O	Series Recommendations Hey all, I am in need of a few good fantasy or historical fiction series to read. In the historical fiction vein, I have read most of Cornwell's stuff like the Sharpe series and loved it. I also adore the Hornblower series (reread them endlessly as a kid). My favorite fantasy series are Vlad Taltos, Song of Ice and Fire, Chronicles of Amber (if you haven't read this you definitely should). Anyways that kind of gives you an idea of what I like, let me know if you have read anything similar to these or if you have an all time favorite series that is worth reading. Thanks

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09-05-2015, 11:41 PM	#2
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Highly recommended the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser. Excellent and very funny historical fiction

09-06-2015, 09:11 AM	#3
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,277 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Have you read the Khaavren Romances? They are also by Brust and I highly recommend them.

09-06-2015, 10:50 AM	#4
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,290 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	If you loved Sharpe and Hornblower, you also should love the (even better) Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian, which are set in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

09-06-2015, 04:03 PM	#5
MickiTee Guru Posts: 863 Karma: 4097942 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: London, UK Device: Sony PRS-505, Pocketbook TL3, TL4, TL5	If you're a Hornblower fan I would recommend Dudley Pope's Ramage series and Alexander Kent's Richard Bolitho series.

09-07-2015, 03:38 AM	#7
Einnorottos89 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2015 Device: Kindle Fire	Try giving the Sword Of Truth series by Terry Goodkind a try.

09-07-2015, 07:09 AM	#8
dickloraine Guru Posts: 631 Karma: 7544528 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Berlin Device: PRS 350, Kobo Aura	Here some fantasy recommendations: The Lies of Locke Lamora: If you like the Taltos books, this could be to your taste. It is excellent and one of the best fantasy books I have read. The Garret P.I Series by Glen Cook: A match for Taltos too. A strange mix between hard boild crime stories and humor. Martin is harder to match. I always recommend The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, but purly on how good it is (as martin is too). But it is otherwise very different. If you like the grim aspect, maybe Abercrombie would be to your liking. A special one: The broken empire series by Mark Lawrence. The main character is a very bad person. It is very dark. But since you like martin and brust, this could be what you are looking for. Oh, and don't read Goodkind

09-07-2015, 12:21 PM	#9
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	You might try James Maxey's Bitterwood series or Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle series. Also, I hear Joe Ambercrombie is pretty good, although I haven't read him myself. (Too dark for my tastes, but if you're a Martin fan then Ambercrombie will probably be right up your alley. )

09-07-2015, 01:45 PM	#11
cocopuff Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 366520 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: Nook Simpletouch Glowlight, Kobo Aura H2O	Thanks for all the recs so far, definitely have some books to check out now. I have already read the Aubrey/Maturin series, but will definitely look into the Bolitho and Ramage series. I have read the first of the Romances by Brust, enjoyed it, but I have to be in the right mood to read them as they require more in depth reading than the Taltos books. I'll check out the Garret series as I really liked the Black Company. Thanks again for the recs, should keep me busy for awhile

09-07-2015, 02:51 PM	#12
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,277 Karma: 90000484 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	The Garrett books seem to be a what if Rex Stout wrote a fantasy Nero Wolf Series. They are definitely worth a read. Apache

09-08-2015, 05:49 AM	#13
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,400 Karma: 10519918 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	In the historical fiction category I like Follet's 20th Century Triology. I'd also recommend his Pillars of the Earth series, there are two now and he's working on the third. Another historical fiction series I really like (at least the first two, I've yet to read the third) is The Physician by Noah Gordon and the sequel Shamam.

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