Fantasy book recommendations

[T1berious]

I'm looking for a new fantasy book / author to try. Just recently finished the Locke Lamora series of books, really enjoyed them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Joe Abercrombie books but have struggled to find anything as darkly humorous.

Have read a fair bit of Robin Hobb, Raymond e Feist and David Gemmell so any new recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

T1b

[jet_noise]

Terry Brooks.
Ann Mcaffrey.
Robert Silverberg Majipoor series.
Terry Goodkind.
Trudi Canavan.
Roger Zelazny Amber series.
Derek Landy.

[Wayoftheflower]

Read the first two of "The Kingkiller Chronicles" then become enraged the author hasn't yet written the third (and final?) book in the last eleven years.

They're deliberately tropetastic but the Belgariad and Malorean by D&L Eddings aged pretty well last time I went back to them.

I did enjoy the first Locke Lamora, except for the glass torture scene which was so horrific I haven't gone back to the series.

The first few of Jhereg series by Steve Brust were also good IIRC but it has been a while.

[MBBlat]

Wayoftheflower said:

They're deliberately tropetastic but the Belgariad and Malorean by D&L Eddings aged pretty well last time I went back to them.

The Belgariad was deliberately written to be the heroes journey made interesting. No trope left untouched, usually by improving it.

[T1berious]

In the end I went for Trudi Canavan, Thief's Magic It's alright so far

I had read D&L Eddings, Mark Laurence and Patrick Rothfuss.

Had tried N.K. Jemisin but couldn't stick with it.

[cherie171]

T1berious said:

In the end I went for Trudi Canavan, Thief's Magic It's alright so far

I had read D&L Eddings, Mark Laurence and Patrick Rothfuss.

Had tried N.K. Jemisin but couldn't stick with it.

I was going to suggest Mark Lawrence. If you've not read all of his yet, I'd recommend reading all trilogies.

As for Jemisin... if it was The Fifth Season, then I'd say it's polarising with the different narratives styles, but there is a reason for it, and it's only the first in the trilogy that has it. If it was any other of her books, I can't comment, as I've not read any others of hers yet.

There's the obvious suggestions like Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan and George RR Martin, but I'll throw in some lesser known favourites of mine.

Django Wexler - Ashes of the Sun & Blood of the Chosen (3rd book is due next year)
Ed McDonald - Blackwing, Ravencry & Crowfall
Jim Butcher - Furies of Calderon (Furies of Calderon book 1 of 6)
Ursula Le Guin - Earthsea Quartet
Brent Weeks - The Way of Shadows (was a trilogy, but a 4th book is due next year)
Mark Chadbourn - Worlds End (first of three trilogies, and not easy to find a reasonably priced paperback these days, but the kindle version is cheap enough)
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Dragon Wing (Death Gate Cycle book 1, again, not as easy to find as they're out of print now, but there will be 2nd hand copies knocking around)

[ozzuk]

I stumbled on the Dungeon Lord LITRPG series last week and already half way through book 3. It won't be to everyone's taste, took me a while to balance the style, it's a little young, but I'm a huuuuge Dungeon Keeper fan (PC game) and it's a shameless rip off of that.

The mechanics aside, which aren't too badly integrated, the fantasy element is simple and refreshing, small number of good characters, interesting story and I've not ready anything like it.

[tertius]

jet_noise said:

Terry Brooks.
Ann Mcaffrey.
Robert Silverberg Majipoor series.
Terry Goodkind.
Trudi Canavan.
Roger Zelazny Amber series.
Derek Landy.

This, especially the first one - Lord Valentine’s Castle - is simply wonderful, I could read it endlessly.

[RichTT]

China Mieville and his Bas Lag series if you fancy Terry Pratchet mixed with HP Lovecraft and a bit of Steampunk themes.

Currently re-reading The Scar having just finished re-reading Perdido Street Station and the Iron Council.

[T1berious]

tertius said:

jet_noise said:

Terry Brooks.
Ann Mcaffrey.
Robert Silverberg Majipoor series.
Terry Goodkind.
Trudi Canavan.
Roger Zelazny Amber series.
Derek Landy.

This, especially the first one - Lord Valentine’s Castle - is simply wonderful, I could read it endlessly.

I might try Robert Silverberg as the Trudi Canavan might be one of few books I can't be 4r5ed to finish...

It started well and reminded of a world by another author I read years ago but then went a bit teenage angst.

Cheers for the tips!

[tertius]

T1berious said:

I might try Robert Silverberg as the Trudi Canavan might be one of few books I can't be 4r5ed to finish...

It started well and reminded of a world by another author I read years ago but then went a bit teenage angst.

Cheers for the tips!

Just be aware that Lord Valentine’s Castle and the other Majipoor books are a bit of an outlier in Silverberg’s output - I’ve certainly not read any others of his that are of that ilk.

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Malazan Book of the Fallen - a 10 book masterpiece. Once you have read it all other fantasy will feel slow placed & simple. It is different to tradition fantasy as the world is not a drop in replacement for medieval Europe (like GRRM, Feist, Tolkien etc.) and there is no Dark Lord, evil entity etc.

The writing style is different and it can take some getting used to but well worth it.

[p1doc]

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Malazan Book of the Fallen - a 10 book masterpiece. Once you have read it all other fantasy will feel slow placed & simple. It is different to tradition fantasy as the world is not a drop in replacement for medieval Europe (like GRRM, Feist, Tolkien etc.) and there is no Dark Lord, evil entity etc.

The writing style is different and it can take some getting used to but well worth it.

looks good added to my list just reading city of last chances by adrian tchaikovsky good so far

[tomw2000]

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Malazan Book of the Fallen - a 10 book masterpiece. Once you have read it all other fantasy will feel slow placed & simple. It is different to tradition fantasy as the world is not a drop in replacement for medieval Europe (like GRRM, Feist, Tolkien etc.) and there is no Dark Lord, evil entity etc.

The writing style is different and it can take some getting used to but well worth it.

Have started the first one in the series based on this recommendation. Not found a decent fantasy series to get stuck into for ages :-)

[jesusbuiltmycar]

tomw2000 said:

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Malazan Book of the Fallen - a 10 book masterpiece. Once you have read it all other fantasy will feel slow placed & simple. It is different to tradition fantasy as the world is not a drop in replacement for medieval Europe (like GRRM, Feist, Tolkien etc.) and there is no Dark Lord, evil entity etc.

The writing style is different and it can take some getting used to but well worth it.

Have started the first one in the series based on this recommendation. Not found a decent fantasy series to get stuck into for ages :-)

The first book is very difficult to get into - and very confusing. It took me two attempts, the first time I tried I read the first section, until it moves location and introduces a complete new cast of characters, second time I stuck with it and was impressed.

The second book, "Deadhouse Gates" is awesome - some people even recommend starting with it... (BTW only 4 of the characters from book 1 are in book 2 as it takes place on a different continent).

[tomw2000]

Thanks for the info. I'm trundling through it well enough.

I did notice the shift in scene/characters - just as I was starting to enjoy the first ones.

I'm now into the assassins bit. Enjoying so far - and I'm seeing the first book as 'context building' - looking forward to the second

[ILikeCake]

I've enjoyed the first couple of books in the 'Shadows of the apt' serie by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

He also does a good sci fi... Children of Man

[DodgyGeezer]

VERY late to the party but..


Paul Kearney - The Monarchies of God (quintet) and The Macht (trilogy based on Xenophon). Cracking read

Possibly Jim Butcher - Dresden Files (urban fantasy)

The original Conan books might be worth a try, certainly differently written compared to pulp fiction these days...

[jako1]

The demon cycle Peter Brett.

[jet_noise]

ILikeCake said:

I've enjoyed the first couple of books in the 'Shadows of the apt' serie by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

He also does a good sci fi... Children of Man

I've just finished the 1st - Empire in Black & Gold.
Took a chapter to get hooked.
2nd is reserved