Fantasy recommendations

Waylander · 02-05-2014, 11:34 AM

Please could someone recommend me some good military type fantasy? I didn't get on with Paksenarrion, giving up about 100 pages in. I also can't get on with Steven Erikson or George R.R. Martin. Yes, I know this is practically heresy, but Erikson's plots are too convoluted and Martin's works are too violent for no particular reason. I do like authors like David Gemmell, just to start things off.

WillAdams · 02-05-2014, 11:40 AM

The Black Company is the canonical exemplar.

Jack Vance's Lyonesse Trilogy does have some military (feudal) elements, including some sieges. A bit of violence, but mostly off-camera.

Usually Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champions get involved in military endeavors on one side or other (but they can be fairly violent, though there's usually a reason).

HarryT · 02-05-2014, 11:50 AM

Must it be fantasy, rather than SF? The "General" series by S.M. Stirling and David Drake, published by Baen, is an excellent military SF series.

mewmartigan · 02-05-2014, 12:22 PM

I would also recommend the

Empire of Man series by David Weber and John Ringo

Military Scifi i would definitely recommend David Weber's Honor Harrington series...you can get the first book "On Basilisk Station" for free from Baen or Amazon and give it a shot.

I wouldn't have considered Martin's work military fantasy...more like epic fantasy that happens to have some military in it. If that is more what you seek, I would recommend the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb which starts with "Assassin's Apprentice".

bfisher · 02-05-2014, 12:52 PM

Have you read Lawrence Watt-Evans "The Misenchanted Sword"?

Waylander · 02-05-2014, 01:34 PM

Thanks for the replies. I tried Weber's Harrington series and thought it dull, but lots of other people seem to love it. I have all the "General" series by Stirling and Weber, as it looks really good. I didn't like the Empire of Man series, or Assassin's Apprentice. I'll have a look at The Misenchanted Sword though, thanks for the suggestion.

ametzler · 02-05-2014, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waylander

Please could someone recommend me some good military type fantasy? I didn't get on with Paksenarrion, giving up about 100 pages in. I also can't get on with Steven Erikson or George R.R. Martin. Yes, I know this is practically heresy, but Erikson's plots are too convoluted and Martin's works are too violent for no particular reason. I do like authors like David Gemmell, just to start things off.

Paul Kearney's "The Ten Thousand."

Waylander · 02-05-2014, 02:31 PM

Thanks for the replies. I have read the Macht trilogy, which counted as three of my best books of 2013.

Dngrsone · 02-05-2014, 10:34 PM

Hrm... you didn't like Paksenarrion?

Have you tried Tolkein? How does that sit with you? If you like the LOTR series, then you might try the Shannarra books by Terry Brooks. He also has a more lighthearted fare in the Landover series.

If you don't mind/actually like puns, then Piers Anthony's Xanth series will entertain, and Robert Asprin has a similar type of comedy in his Myth series.

Peter S. Beagle did a pretty good job satirizing the Fantasy Genre in his one-shot book The Last Unicorn, which was a pretty good read for me.

I also enjoyed the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander.

If you can narrow down your preferences, I may be able to give you more titles...

GeoffR · 02-05-2014, 11:34 PM

I enjoyed reading these last year, although it might be a bit of a push to class them as military fantasy:

Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven. (I haven't read the sequel River of Stars yet.)
Gene Wolfe, Soldier of the Mist, Soldier of Arete. (The third in the series, Soldier of Sidon, I didn't enjoy so much.)

mikemc2 · 02-05-2014, 11:40 PM

Try the "Dread Empire's Fall" trilogy by Walter Jon Williams. More "realistic" space warfare than the Honor Harrington series (which is basically Napoleonic naval warfare in space).

bfisher · 02-06-2014, 12:02 AM

You might look at Cameron Miles "The Red Knight" (The Traitor Son Cycle), a combination of medieval warfare and magic.

mewmartigan · 02-06-2014, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waylander

Thanks for the replies. I tried Weber's Harrington series and thought it dull, but lots of other people seem to love it. I have all the "General" series by Stirling and Weber, as it looks really good. I didn't like the Empire of Man series, or Assassin's Apprentice. I'll have a look at The Misenchanted Sword though, thanks for the suggestion.

haha, i'm batting 1000!

HarryT · 02-06-2014, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mewmartigan

haha, i'm batting 1000!

Could you translate that into English?

Dngrsone · 02-06-2014, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Could you translate that into English?

It means that all his recommendations were shot down. It is a baseball reference.

02-05-2014, 11:34 AM	#1
Waylander Guru Posts: 678 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 5 16GB, Kindle Paperwhite 6, Kobo Clara,	Fantasy recommendations Please could someone recommend me some good military type fantasy? I didn't get on with Paksenarrion, giving up about 100 pages in. I also can't get on with Steven Erikson or George R.R. Martin. Yes, I know this is practically heresy, but Erikson's plots are too convoluted and Martin's works are too violent for no particular reason. I do like authors like David Gemmell, just to start things off.

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02-05-2014, 11:40 AM	#2
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,260 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	The Black Company is the canonical exemplar. Jack Vance's Lyonesse Trilogy does have some military (feudal) elements, including some sieges. A bit of violence, but mostly off-camera. Usually Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champions get involved in military endeavors on one side or other (but they can be fairly violent, though there's usually a reason).

02-05-2014, 11:50 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Must it be fantasy, rather than SF? The "General" series by S.M. Stirling and David Drake, published by Baen, is an excellent military SF series.

02-05-2014, 12:22 PM	#4
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	I would also recommend the Empire of Man series by David Weber and John Ringo Military Scifi i would definitely recommend David Weber's Honor Harrington series...you can get the first book "On Basilisk Station" for free from Baen or Amazon and give it a shot. I wouldn't have considered Martin's work military fantasy...more like epic fantasy that happens to have some military in it. If that is more what you seek, I would recommend the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb which starts with "Assassin's Apprentice".

02-05-2014, 12:52 PM	#5
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	Have you read Lawrence Watt-Evans "The Misenchanted Sword"?

02-05-2014, 01:34 PM	#6
Waylander Guru Posts: 678 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 5 16GB, Kindle Paperwhite 6, Kobo Clara,	Thanks for the replies. I tried Weber's Harrington series and thought it dull, but lots of other people seem to love it. I have all the "General" series by Stirling and Weber, as it looks really good. I didn't like the Empire of Man series, or Assassin's Apprentice. I'll have a look at The Misenchanted Sword though, thanks for the suggestion.

02-05-2014, 02:31 PM	#8
Waylander Guru Posts: 678 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 5 16GB, Kindle Paperwhite 6, Kobo Clara,	Thanks for the replies. I have read the Macht trilogy, which counted as three of my best books of 2013.

02-05-2014, 10:34 PM	#9
Dngrsone Almost legible Posts: 1,457 Karma: 4611110 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: In a high desert, CA Device: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab A (2017), Likebook P78	Hrm... you didn't like Paksenarrion? Have you tried Tolkein? How does that sit with you? If you like the LOTR series, then you might try the Shannarra books by Terry Brooks. He also has a more lighthearted fare in the Landover series. If you don't mind/actually like puns, then Piers Anthony's Xanth series will entertain, and Robert Asprin has a similar type of comedy in his Myth series. Peter S. Beagle did a pretty good job satirizing the Fantasy Genre in his one-shot book The Last Unicorn, which was a pretty good read for me. I also enjoyed the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. If you can narrow down your preferences, I may be able to give you more titles...

02-05-2014, 11:34 PM	#10
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	I enjoyed reading these last year, although it might be a bit of a push to class them as military fantasy: Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven. (I haven't read the sequel River of Stars yet.) Gene Wolfe, Soldier of the Mist, Soldier of Arete. (The third in the series, Soldier of Sidon, I didn't enjoy so much.)

02-05-2014, 11:40 PM	#11
mikemc2 Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 7878 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Milwaukee,WI Device: Sony PRS-505,Kindle 3,Nook HD+,iPod Touch,Kindle PW2	Try the "Dread Empire's Fall" trilogy by Walter Jon Williams. More "realistic" space warfare than the Honor Harrington series (which is basically Napoleonic naval warfare in space).

02-06-2014, 12:02 AM	#12
bfisher Wizard Posts: 1,638 Karma: 28483498 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)	You might look at Cameron Miles "The Red Knight" (The Traitor Son Cycle), a combination of medieval warfare and magic.