Recommend some engrossing epic fantasy?

[OverHaze]

Hi, can anyone recommend some good engrossing (possible Wheel of Time style) epic fantasy novels? I love A Song of Ice and Fire as much as the next guy but right now I'm looking for something more D&D than War of the Roses.

Any ideas?

[AnemicOak]

For something epic try...

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series

[Graham]

Originally Posted by OverHaze

I'm looking for something more D&D than War of the Roses.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

For something epic try...

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series

Agreed, though technically that's more GURPS than D&D.

Erikson and Esslemont based their novels on their shared GURPS fantasy campaign. The first of Erikson's novels, Gardens of the Moon, reads like that as well. As we've recommended before, stick with Gardens, even though it seems to meander for the first 400 pages, because it breaks loose eventually, and the sequel, Deadhouse Gates, is brilliant.

Graham

[Graham]

With regard to having more of a D&D feel, have you read Robert E Howard's Conan stories, Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, and Jack Vance's Dying Earth books?

Graham

[mewmartigan]

I would recommend

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

and

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.

[Penforhire]

+1 for Joe Abercrombie. Some of his follow-up books are even better than the First Law trilogy (thinking of Best Served Cold and Red Country). But read the trilogy first.

[jehane]

There are some books based on D&D, but I haven't read them. I have read the following, but mostly back in the late 80s/early 90s.

Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame series, follows characters pulled into the world of their RPG. Written in the 80s, so it's old-style gaming with dice and a board. Haven't re-read it, but he did some interesting things with characterisation that stuck in my memory all these years.

Traditional fantasy with easy to spot good band of Companions vs supernatural evil:

Tolkein - LOTR From where all the tropes descend...

David Eddings - start with the Belgariad (5 books), then if that's not enough read the Mallorean, which is pretty much identical. Standard (but immensely popular in its day) Tolkein imitation.

Terry Brooks - the Shannara series.

Once you've had enough of the epic fantasy tropes:

Diana Wynne Jones - The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Better than tvtropes. Also proof that female British writers *can* write decent books about boy wizards. ;P

[Waylander]

Give Paul Kearney's Macht series a go. Also Michael J Sullivan's Ryria Revelations, David Gemmell's Rigante series, Drenai series and Troy series second Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series, Gav Thorpe's Crown of the Blood trilogy, Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy, Chris Wraight's Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance, The Company books and Dread Empire books by Glen Cook, Daniel Abraham's works, James Barclay's Raven and Elves series, as well as his Ascendants of Estorea duology, The Sigmar trilogy by Graham Mcneill, J.V. Jones books such as A Cavern of Black Ice etc, Markus Heitz's Dwarves series and Stephen Deas' Memory of Flames, as well as all the above.
Hope this helps.

[WillAdams]

Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books --- very influential on D&D.
Steven Brust's Dragaera books were actually based on a role playing game campaign.
Poul Anderson's _The Broken Sword_ and _The Merman's Children_ make a nice pairing.
Judith Tarr's _The Hound and the Falcon_, _Alamut_ and _The Dagger and the Cross_

[owly]

Have you been to your local library and seen what they have? :-)
Tad Williams first series MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN that starts with the "Dragon Bone Chair" is quite nice as well as the first Feist series that starts with "The Magicians apprentice". Then the most epic of all Robert Jordans "Wheel of Time" series that starts with the first book "The Eye of the World".

[OverHaze]

I've started the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and so far I have to say I'm really enjoying it!

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

+1 for Joe Abercrombie. Some of his follow-up books are even better than the First Law trilogy (thinking of Best Served Cold and Red Country). But read the trilogy first.

Along similar lines, I would also recommend Brent Weeks and Peter V. Brett.