Top 15 Fantasy Books To Read

[Ashartus]

There's a pretty wide range of different styles in fantasy these days. I really enjoyed the Malazan books, but can see how the huge scale and high-powered characters might not appeal to everyone. R. Scott Bakker's books (another Canadian) are also decent, though a bit dark for some. At the other end of the spectrum is Guy Gavriel Kay (yet another Canadian) writes more historical novels with a bit of fantasy. Since this is turning into a Canadian fantasy writers post, I'll also mention Dave Duncan, who until recently lived in Calgary - his books are generally lighter reading, but he's got a great imagination and might appeal to people who like Dungeons & Dragons-style books but are looking for something a bit more original.

[troutman]

Pathfinder comic book:

http://www.dynamite.net/htmlfiles/vi...=DF-Pathfinder

[Top Shelf]

I finished Malazan and after I was still like WTF just happened the last 10 books?

I'll re-read it one of these days and it will probably be much easier to follow, but yeah it was a bit on the heavy side and not linear at all.

If the last book is out for WoT I might finally get around to the picking it up again.

[cral12]

Agree with dissentower about these authors:
Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch (if he ever finishes...latest ETA of Oct 2013 for Book 3), Brent Weeks,and Patrick Rothfuss - all are relatively newer guys on the block, but all very talented.

I also enjoyed Brandon Sanderson: Mistborn trilogy and The Way of Kings.

Trying to decide what to tackle next...

[JerzeeGirl]

Another series that I loved and happily would recommend is Patricia Kennealy's books of The Keltiad.

[Mike F]

Haven't read fantasy in a while, but...

Books 2-8 (or so) of the Wheel of Time are at the top of my list. Haven't read any of the Brandon Sanderson ones, though.

May be just lingering fondness from my childhood, but David Eddings' Belgriad, Mallorean, Elenium, and Tamuli series were all great.

For anyone interested in low magic fantasy, Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons trilogy was very good.

[GreenLantern]

Anyone who put down the WoT series I understand why, but I do urge you to pick it up again.

The last two books have been among the best writing in any series I have seen. The way Sanderson has taken a hold of this story is what we were hoping for all along. I know Jordan knew how he wanted to end the series, but he had no idea how to get there. Sanderson has the vision and is doing a tremendous job of closing it out. The last book had me going #*@! YEA about ten different times. When I closed the book at the end I actually said out loud, "Wow." And only a Dance with Dragons has done that to me otherwise.

[Sr. Mints]

Currently reading the Sword of Truth series. I've just begun Temple of the Winds (book four) and am really digging it.

At the risk of getting crucified, some of the Warcraft novels are pretty solid--the ones written by Knaak come to mind. There was a trilogy I read by him which I really quite enjoyed. I wouldn't put those books anywhere near a top 15 list, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Also, pretty much the rest of the Warcraft novels were terrible.

[troutman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chr...homas_Covenant

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a series of ten high fantasy novels written by American author Stephen R. Donaldson. The series began as a trilogy, entitled The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. This was followed by another trilogy, The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and finally a tetralogy, The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

[SoulOfTheFlame]

Sanderson's The Way of Kings is a great read!

[Ashartus]

Another good series is the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham - very different from most of what is out there. Unlike a lot of other modern fantasy, it has only a couple of major characters and very little action/violence - almost the opposite of Malazan (plus it's relatively concise and it's finished).

I thought Sword of Truth started out with some promise (albeit rather cliched) but turned awful around book 5 and I wouldn't recommend it when there's so much better stuff out there.

[Knalus]

Rereading Wheel of time now, too. Just started the second book again, which I first read in grade 8. I am now 33.

Two authors not mentioned yet, which should get more love than they do, is David Gemmell especially his Greek, and Drenai books, and L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s Saga of Recluse. Both are great, high quality stuff.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Currently reading the Sword of Truth series. I've just begun Temple of the Winds (book four) and am really digging it.

At the risk of getting crucified, some of the Warcraft novels are pretty solid--the ones written by Knaak come to mind. There was a trilogy I read by him which I really quite enjoyed. I wouldn't put those books anywhere near a top 15 list, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Also, pretty much the rest of the Warcraft novels were terrible.

Sword of Truth has a strong start, but it had no way to keep that strength going, and really putters out. I can't believe how many times I said "REALLY?" to myself in the last three books. Goodkind really didn't know to do, and so he gets awfully preachy instead of you know, moving the story along. Also... "oh jeez, a woman hasn't been abused/raped in a while, better fix that!"

As for the Warcraft book, Knaak's earlier stuff was pretty good, but Stormrage was really bad and his incessant need to include his pet characters in his books is frustrating.

[HPLovecraft]

The Sword of Truth stuff was the absolute worst fantasy I've ever read, personally, and that's saying something considering how much bad fantasy material is out there.

[nwflamesfan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathlands

I'm 28 novels in to this series and it's definitely a fun read.

[Daradon]

Didn't read a ton of fantasy but I had one series that I loved. Roger Zelazny's Amber series. It's actually two separate series, the first with one main character, and the second with his son.

The first series is your typical more serious, political type fantasy adventure series. The second is more off the cuff, almost flippant, with a lot of humour.

The writer was very famous with fantasy and sci-fi themes. He devloped a large cult following and people even developed an MMO based on his Amber series.

I'll tell you now that this series exists in a multiverse sort of universe, and they even spend some time on Earth, so if you don't like that in your fantasy, don't go for these books.

The royal family from Amber are a lot like the swordfighters in Highlander. To be honest, I'm not sure which came out first. Guess I could go look it up.

The first book is called Nine Princes in Amber. Seasoned fantasy readers would probably find the books are short, but they are a great read.

He was going to do a third series, but he died before hand. He spent a lot of time writing other books and different projects, experimenting with different writing styles, something a lot of writers especially in the fantasy genre, don't do. Some will like that, some won't.

Another book, not of the Amber series, of his I liked was A Night in Lonesome October in which Jack the Ripper, one of the witches from MacBeth, Doctor Frankenstien, Sherlock Holmes, and all sorts of other famous literary characters of the Victorian Age are mashed together in one story. Oh, and it's written from the point of view of Jack's dog.

Starts off almost like a Dick and Jane primer, and ends up philosophical and dealing with existentialism. Heavily influenced by Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft.

Roger won the Nebula award three times and the Hugo award six times.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Highlander came out 16 years after the first Amber book. I was pretty sure that was the case, but I wasn't sure if the movie was based on some other writings or book. Couldn't find anything that suggests the idea was older than 1970 when Nine Princes of Amber came out.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

Currently reading the Sword of Truth series. I've just begun Temple of the Winds (book four) and am really digging it.

And that's about where you should stop. Those books should have only been 4-5 books but the writer signed a huge contract for 10 books (or so) and it turned to crap. I loved the first two. They were dark, gory, and amusing... Then slowly they became a chore to read.

Joe Abercrombie is awesome. The Blade Itself - From Amazon - Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it. Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glotka a whole lot more difficult.

David Gemmell is a bit formulaic but I love his books. Start with Legend.

Neil Gaiman - American Gods, Anansi Boys, Stardust

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by troutman

The Malazan Book Of The Fallen

/thread

http://www.sfsite.com/05a/ma343.htm

Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen has single-handedly raised the bar for fantasy literature. Its full impact upon the world of writing in general probably won't be felt for several years, but for fans of the genre and of the series, its impact is immediate and world changing. After I finished The Crippled God, I closed the book and reflected back upon what I had just read and realized that this series of books is surely the best fantasy series that has ever been written. In fact, I couldn't think of anything even close. However, I took it one step further and asked myself if this once obscure series genre writer from Canada has created the crown jewel of fiction? The answer is, arguably, yes and why not? If you don't believe me, read it and then you tell me the work that you believe surpasses it. I dare you.

In conclusion, reading The Malazan Book of the Fallen is an experience. It will amaze you in more ways then I can predict. I can't put these novels in perspective because it has created its own perspective. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is the series to which all other significant fantasy series will be compared. It may not be my favorite series or even the most popular series in fantasy, but I can say, without a doubt, it is the most masterful piece of fiction I have ever read. It has single handedly changed everything we thought we knew about fantasy literature and redefined what is possible. Fantasy aficionados all know that it is quite possible that we may not ever see a work of this scope and magnitude again. It is the vision of a lifetime and Steven Erikson, with The Malazan Book of The Fallen, has ascended to the pinnacle of his genre and established himself as one of the most visionary authors living today. We can only hope that someday we will see its equal, but I am not holding my breath.

I'm looking at this series once I finish "Best Served Cold" by Joe Abercrombie.

[TSXCman]

Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth. My all-time most enjoyable series. Never watch the tv show of it... quite terrible.

Peirs Anthony - Xanth stuff, Incarnations series (atleast Mars, Death, Time).

EDIT*** I see the Goodkind discussions and I agree with the strong start then it getting worse. I stopped after 5 or 6, but the first few are amazing.

[GreenLantern]

FYI, book 14 of the Wheel of Time series was released on Jan 8th.

The first novel in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time®, The Eye of the World, was released on January 15, 1990. Now more than twenty years later, Tor Books is thrilled to announce the official publication date for the final novel in the series.
A Memory of Light will release on January 8, 2013, in the final month of the Year of the Dragon.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/the...t-has-been-set