The "Can't Miss" fantasy books!

[JSWolf]

David Gemmell's Drenai Saga is a can't/shouldn't miss series.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

David Gemmell's Drenai Saga is a can't/shouldn't miss series.

Agreed. And if you had to pick just one as a 'can't miss' then I'd say it has to be 'Legend'.

Graham

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Graham

Agreed. And if you had to pick just one as a 'can't miss' then I'd say it has to be 'Legend'.

Graham

Your Amazon link is invalid. It links to a version that's not for sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Drenai-...0054130&sr=8-1

As for picking just one, forget it and go for the entire series.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Your Amazon link is invalid. It links to a version that's not for sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Drenai-...0054130&sr=8-1

As for picking just one, forget it and go for the entire series.

I enjoyed them, but they get a bit much all at once - all too much the same for my tastes. But they are entertaining if taken in small doses.

[Rbneader]

Andre Norton's Witch World and other fantasy books. She wrote several series loosely linked by place/time in her main setting Witch World, and then several other unrelated series

I particularly like:
The Crystal Gryphon http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Grypho...dp/B008XMMQN6/
Scent of Magic http://www.amazon.com/Scent-Magic-Fi...dp/B008XMZ9S0/
Lost Lands of the Witch World http://www.amazon.com/Lands-Witch-Wo...dp/B003J5UHVU/
Key of the Keplian http://www.amazon.com/Key-Keplian-Se...dp/B001H4R21S/
Gates to the Witch World (3-in-1 volume which includes Year of the Unicorn)

You can try some of her older fantasy and sci fi books from Project Gutenberg to. These were all published a long time ago so they're a little different than her later works, but still good. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7021

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

You can try some of her older fantasy and sci fi books from Project Gutenberg to. These were all published a long time ago so they're a little different than her later works, but still good. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7021

Note that these are probably only out of copyright in the US. In many other countries (including the UK) they are still in copyright.

[Geralt]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Note that these are probably only out of copyright in the US. In many other countries (including the UK) they are still in copyright.

Well this guy/gal is from Brazil and there it's Life+70 years copyright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...t_length#Table

Witchworld was published in 1963.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_N...hy#Witch_World

So 1963 + 70 years is 2033.
Which means it's 20 years away from becoming a public domain in Brazil.


Is this how it's calculated though? I am never sure

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Geralt

Well this guy/gal is from Brazil and there it's Life+70 years copyright
So 1963 + 70 years is 2033.
Which means it's 20 years away from becoming a public domain in Brazil.


Is this how it's calculated though? I am never sure

Life+70 means just that. The lifetime of the author plus 70 years. Andre Norton died in 2005, so her works won't be out of copyright in life+70 countries until 1st January 2076.

I would be eleventy one then. I doubt that I'll see it.

Some countries apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. That is, if a work is out of copyright in the 'foreign' country, then it is also out of copyright in the 'home' country. Since Andre Norton's works are US works first published in the US, those of her works that are out of copyright in the US will also be out of copyright in countries that apply the rule of the shorter term.

As far as I can tell, Brazil doesn't apply the rule of the shorter term.

Apologies for the diversion into copyright law.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Your Amazon link is invalid. It links to a version that's not for sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Drenai-...0054130&sr=8-1

As for picking just one, forget it and go for the entire series.

Thanks for supplying a better link.

I agree that all the Drenai books are a great read, but most are variations on a (great) theme. Legend stands out as being an archetypal fantasy story in its own right. It has classic story themes in its DNA. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.) That's why I'd class it as the 'can't miss' book.

Graham

[BeccaPrice]

I'd recommend Lois McMaster Bujold (but I always recommend Bujold) Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, and also her Sharing Knife quartet. They're not wizards and dragons and elves fantasy, but they're fantasy none the less, and some of the best written books around.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I'd recommend Lois McMaster Bujold (but I always recommend Bujold) Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, and also her Sharing Knife quartet. They're not wizards and dragons and elves fantasy, but they're fantasy none the less, and some of the best written books around.

Agreed, particularly Paladin of Souls.

I enjoyed the Sharing Knife quartet, but I wouldn't put them in the "can't miss" category as a whole - the first book presents us with the core fantasy idea - and it's gripping - while the others run with the ensuing soap opera.

Graham

[Graham]

Since we've drifted a little from the epic vein of the OP, I think I'll punt for Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw.

Dragons, channelled through Trollope. Brilliant.

Graham

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Graham

Since we've drifted a little from the epic vein of the OP, I think I'll punt for Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw.

Dragons, channelled through Trollope. Brilliant.

I heartly agree with the recommendation of Tooth and Claw, although I feel there's more than a little Jane Austen in there too.

[ucfgrad93]

I would recommend in no particular order....

Honor Harrington series by David Weber. (I know it isn't fantasy) You can get the first 2 books free!

The Eagle series by Simon Scarrow.

The Shannara series by Terry Brooks.

[caleb72]

I'm not as widely read in fantasy as some others here, but if you want Wow! and mention Tolkien I would agree with the Raymond Feist Magician/Silverthorn/Darkness at Sethanon suggestion. I've largely gone off the author now. He didn't move on so I did instead - but those original three books were amazing.

I'd also put in a strong recommendation for the Feist/Wurts x of the Empire trilogy. I found it possibly even better than Feist's trilogy, although perhaps not as Tolkien-ish.

I'm a big big fan of Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising sequence. It's bloody marvellous and a pretty easy read as well. It's YA but as you've mentioned Harry Potter, that shouldn't be an issue.