Stringing Words - Discussion Forum: Good Fantasy Books?

Good Fantasy Books?
Subtle Kisses	#1 Posted on 13-04-2009 15:49
Veteran Member Posts: 753 Joined: 20.03.09	Hi guys Well if anyone's read my 1000 books in a lifetime thread, you may know that I've just finished George R.R. Martin's 'A Game of Thrones' ... And adored it I loved the gritty, real feel of it. In the fantasy books I've read (shamefully not many considering it's my favourite genre to write!) the main characters tend to get away with murder. They face whole armies by themselves and come away with scratches, or despite the odds they all come home from the adventure happy, whole and unhurt. George R.R Martin's book wasn't like that at all - it felt real because the characters acted like real people. They got hurt, tortured, betrayed, killed etc. Being a main character was far from a promise of safe return and happiness - being a main character meant you were probably going to die. I'm going to stop rambling about it now, but I was just curious what other good Fantasy series are there out there? They don't all have to be as 'real' as George R.R. Martin's, I just want to explore the genre further. So ANY good fantasy series, or one off books would be appreciated. Thanks guys "It's the Opheliac in me"


Alan Scott	#2 Posted on 15-04-2009 20:47
Junior Member Posts: 32 Joined: 20.03.09	Subtle Kisses wrote: I'm going to stop rambling about it now, but I was just curious what other good Fantasy series are there out there? They don't all have to be as 'real' as George R.R. Martin's, I just want to explore the genre further. So ANY good fantasy series, or one off books would be appreciated. Thanks guys I'm surprised no one's answered this one yet, as many fantasy fans as there seem to be around here. If you want to explore the genre, you've got to read Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. It's kind of the grand-daddy of the entire fantasy genre. If you like Martin, you might also like Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Among its other virtues, it's complete--no waiting years for the next book to come out. The first book is The Dragonbone Chair, followed by Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower. The last book is published in two parts. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is often compared to Martin. The first few books of the series are very good, but somewhere in book 4 or 5 Jordan seems to lose focus and his story wanders all over the place. A lot of his fans say it gets better again in later books, but I haven't read them. The series starts with The Eye of the World; it and the second book, The Great Hunt, are definitely worth reading. Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is very popular. I've only read the first book, Wizard's First Rule, and it was very good. Going a few years further back, Raymond Feist has written several inter-connected series, starting with Magician, which is sometimes published in two parts as Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. I got away from reading Feist when I got away from reading so much fantasy; I can vouch for his first half dozen books. Terry Brooks has written a long series of Shannara books, beginning with The Sword of Shannara, which is heavily influenced by Tolkein. I've found some of them to be very good, and some to be totally forgetable. Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series has some sci fi elements, but reads like fantasy. Start with Dragonflight. Stephen R. Donaldson is probably best known for his Thomas Covenant books, starting with Lord Foul's Bane. He does a wonderful job of world building, but his main character is very much an anti-hero, and will be offensive to some. These books seem to be more popular with men than with women. I think Donaldson's Mordant's Need is much better. Two books, The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through. Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books, like McCaffrey's books, also have sci fi elements, but many of them read like good fantasy. Also check out her The Mists of Avalon, a re-telling of Arthurian legend from the points of view of the female characters. C. J. Cherryh's Morgaine Cycle is one of my favorites. Gate of Ivrel, Well of Shuian, Fires of Azeroth and Exile's Gate. The first three are fairly short; I think they're available in an omnibus set. I'm also a huge fan of Katherine Kurtz's work. She has 15+ novels set in her Deryni world, starting with Deryni Rising. David Eddings is another prolific writer, beginning with he Belgariad series, the first book of which is Pawn of Prophecy. I liked the Belgariad, but the more of Eddings I read, the more it seemed he was doing the same story over and over, and eventually he bored me to the point I quit reading. Among young adult stuff, check out C. S. Lewis' Narnia books. Did you know Lewis and Tolkein were good friends? Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books are very good. The first is A Wizard of Earthsea. Andre Norton's Witch World books are also a lot of fun, if you can find them--I think they're long out of print. (But mentioning them just reminded me of a bunch of books I left off my 1000 books list!) And Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series is wonderful. The first book is The Book of Three. The last book, The High King, was a Newberry winner, and the Disney movie The Black Cauldron is loosely based on the series. I've probably forgotten a lot of books, just as good as any I've named, and there's probably just as many more I've never even read. Exploring the fantasy genre could turn into a full time job. Have fun!


Subtle Kisses	#3 Posted on 16-04-2009 22:22
Veteran Member Posts: 753 Joined: 20.03.09	Wow. What a list. Thank you very much - I've heard of a few of these and I've read a couple more. (Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and the first 4 of Robert Jordan) but there's definately some here I'm going to look into "It's the Opheliac in me"


misaditas	#4 Posted on 16-04-2009 22:44
Site Admin Posts: 740 Joined: 20.03.09	If you're after gritty fantasy, read Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. It's an epic tradegy that will change the way you view fantasy forever. I have to get another copy of this book, along with A Song for Arbonne. Website \| Blogspot \| Twitter "If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction. It's not earthbound. There are no conventions, other than the ones you want to break, and that's why it's so exciting." ~ Lani Tupu


Subtle Kisses	#5 Posted on 18-04-2009 09:58
Veteran Member Posts: 753 Joined: 20.03.09	Thanks - I'm gonna find a bunch of these books and read them over the summer "It's the Opheliac in me"


Daisy-la	#6 Posted on 29-04-2009 23:41
Member Posts: 111 Joined: 20.03.09	I LOVE the Warriors series. I guess it's more juvenile fiction, since I'm younger than most of you, but I really think people of all ages should read it. What I like is that there's never perfection. There's always something wrong. And there's no Mary Sues, as far as I can tell. And there's fighting and death. Which I like. Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George, is a fabulous read. Again, juvenile, and a bit perfect-perfect in the end, but I still like it. My favorite books of all time are the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I guess it's also a little sci-fi, but I think it fits into fantasy, too, what with the bird kids and all. Patterson is an amazing author, and there are lots of plot twists. Plus, there's action and humor. Those are my two must-haves in a book. I don't know why, the story just seems to suck you in. What I love is how realisticly it's told. I think Patterson is very skilled at putting himself in the character's place when he writes. The third book is by far the best. And I love the characters,; they seem like real people. I was laughing out loud throughout the entire series. Even though the book was writtn for young adults, its's so popular among adults that it was only in the adult section in Barnes&Noble. I'm done now. Warning: somewhat-antisocial/possibly psychotic teen author coming through. It is as bad as it seems and they are out to get you. At least, according to my muse -huggles muse-


late_stranger	#7 Posted on 28-05-2009 21:59
Senior Member Posts: 255 Joined: 23.03.09	Daisy-la, how far are you in the Warriors books? Because The Power of Three is a total soap. It's awful. The first two series(es?) are great, though. And Maximum Ride is also sadly going down hill, unless Max (number 5) is better than The Final Warning (4) (IMHO). If you're looking for not gritty, but also real fantasy, I would go for Terry Pratchett. His Tiffany Aching trilogy is AWESOME. I really like how his stories have tons of really deep philisophical stuff disguised by humor - you have to choose which level to read the book on. A funny story, or a philosophical appeal. The other one of his books that I've read is The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, which is another of the two level books in my opinion. You could read it as a silly story about talking cats and rats and people, or you could see it as a philosophy text on how our lives are and aren't like stories, and how much they rely on said stories. Really excellent, in my opinion. -stranger (Yes, I'm the same stranger every time) I'm being a dork and I choose not to explain myself -Hank Green


Knowlege_Master	#8 Posted on 15-07-2009 00:38
Junior Member Posts: 15 Joined: 30.06.09	Late_stranger, I agree. Max Ride number five gets a little better, but Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports is still the best. I'm finding the Power of Three books really confusing, but I should probably go back and read the first two arcs again. I absolutely LOVELOVELOVELOVE Terry Pratchett. His books are amazing. The Tiffany Aching series is what got me started, followed by the Amazing Maurice. I read the first book of the Bromeliad trilogy, and wasn't too terribly impressed by it. If you liked Tiffany Aching and Amazing Maurice, you'll also like his adult series of Discworld books. They're in the adult section, but I'd say they could be read by anyone in middle school and above. There's occasional swearing, but not much. There's also a few 'adult' moments, but not that many, and not explicit. I really, really recommend them. If you want comparison. . . they put Harry Potter in the dust. Way, far behind in the dust. They're technically a series, but you can read them in any order. Sorry, I'm rambling. Ummm. . . Percy Jackson and the Olympians- very good. Greek mythology with a modern twist, but not cliched or cheesy. The first series just ended, and a movie's supposed to come out in 2010. It won't come close to the books. Nothing could. Tamora Pierce - I would say a specific series, but she's written a lot, all good. Just look them up. LOTS of books. The Name of This Book is Secret - really good, more fiction than fantasy, but with some mystical elements. Aimed toward kids, but worth reading. The sequel is called: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late Charlie Bone - kids book, but nice. All ends well, but they make some nice easy reading, with characters that aren't Mary-Sues, and a couple of interesting twists. IceMark Chronicles - takes place in a world that carries some resemblance to our own ancient history; chronicles the rule of Thirrin Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, as she takes the throne at thirteen when her father is killed in battle, and the consequent struggle to keep the Polypontian Empire from taking over her kindom of the Icemark. Really engrossing reading, and worth the time it takes. Series is composed of: The Cry of the Icemark, Blade of Fire, and The Last Battle of the Icemark Summerland - IMHO, the best baseball story ever written. Seriously. It blends tons of different mythologies, from all over the world, into an epic adventure that culminates in a baseball game to decide the fate of the universe. AMAZING. Last one, I promise: The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica - freaking awesome books. No kidding. The author outpaces JK Rowling by a lot, as far as interweaving plotlines, sudden twists, and unexpected characters go. And I say that with all due respect. You won't get it till you read them, but they're great. I love those books. And now I stop rambling, and going on and on. (I'm a fantasy fan, can you tell?) Happy reading!


Devon Donahue	#9 Posted on 16-07-2009 03:29
Junior Member Posts: 30 Joined: 06.04.09	The best fantasy books I've ever read is a trilogy that no one seems to have heard of. The trilogy is called "The Rai-Kirah saga", by Carol Berg. The books are Transformation, Revelation, Restoration. In that order. I can't say I have a super-extensive knowledge of fantasy, since I'm only 16, but I've read a lot of books and these are the best I've ever read, by far. I can't recommend them enough. I wonder...


ThornesQuest	#10 Posted on 16-07-2009 12:47
Site Admin Posts: 1116 Joined: 20.03.09	You folks have mentioned a lot of my fav series -- Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, Darkover, Pern -- but I have a few to add. I believe that one of the best series written is Barbra Hambly's series, The Darwath Trilogy, of which The Time of the Dark is the first. Misaditas mentioned Guy Gavriel Kay (a Canadian!), and I really like his Fionavar Tapestry, a series of 3 books about a group of Canadian uni students who get drawn into another world in order to save it. Other than that, Alan Scott mentioned a lot of my favs! Edited by ThornesQuest on 16-07-2009 12:48 . . . . . . . . Gale . . .


xdoo16	#11 Posted on 26-01-2010 22:40
Senior Member Posts: 283 Joined: 23.01.10	There are two series I REALLY enjoy and one i've read the first book of and really liked it (knowledge master mentioned it) and there is a trilogy i'm currently reading the 3rd(and last) book of the series(Knowledge master mentioned it also). the first is the Redwall series. It's about animals and they are pretty much in medival times. My FAVOURITE series of ALL time the second is the warriors series. (I at least think it's fantasy) it is about cats that live in a forest and they fight for prey and go on adventures and stuff. it's made of four series. i can't wait for the second book of the fourth series!! the third is the imaginarium geographica series. i agree with knowledge master about it being really good even though i've only read the first book and finally there's the Icemark. if you read this be prepared for alot of war. 4250 words! 26 Medals for CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


xdoo16	#12 Posted on 26-01-2010 22:41
Senior Member Posts: 283 Joined: 23.01.10	Oh didn't notice daisy mentioned warriors 4250 words! 26 Medals for CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


RedHead97	#13 Posted on 27-01-2010 00:57
Member Posts: 153 Joined: 22.04.09	I'm in the middle of the Power of Three (next one is Eclipse), and I adore Redwall. Right now I'm going to re-read them in chronological order. My blog, Hills and Corkscrews: http://hillsandco...


xdoo16	#14 Posted on 31-01-2010 22:13
Senior Member Posts: 283 Joined: 23.01.10	for anyone who likes Redwall I'm writing a fan fiction on Redwall it is not close to finished though. I'll email you just message me over SW (tell me your email) 4250 words! 26 Medals for CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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