Best Fantasy Books

Recommendations, discussions, and odes to your favorites
wetair
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by wetair » July 22nd, 2010, 8:04 pm

i've read some of the house of night series. it starts out okay, but later on, the mc turns into bit of a mary sue.

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Robin
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Robin » July 22nd, 2010, 10:59 pm

Was hoping this would come up, but I have to admit I LOVE Dune, by Frank Herbert. I loved the first 2, but didn't get into the last 3. Any love for Dune?
Anyone, Bueller, Bueller... ;)
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Bohemienne
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Bohemienne » July 23rd, 2010, 5:00 pm

Heather B wrote:Has anyone read the House of Night series by P.C and Kristen Cast? I've bought them for the cool covers but I 'm hesitant to read them due to the amount of books P.C. Cast pumps out. It may be naive of me but I have doubts on the quality.
The prose is hardly deathless, but the stories are entertaining enough. I bought them because the daughter goes to my alma mater and they're set in my hometown.

Also chiming in with the Jacqueline Carey love!

And adding: Juliet Marillier (I recently finished Daughter of the Forest and was blown away), Scott Lynch (Lies of Locke Lamora is so brilliant--like a fantasy Burn Notice!), and Lynn Flewelling (her Tamir Triad books are what kept me interested in the fantasy genre in high school once I grew sick of Wheel of Time).

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NHWriter
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by NHWriter » July 23rd, 2010, 5:24 pm

I have to agree with Ink, Tad Williams is one of my favorite fantasy authors. While the epic trilogy Memory, Sorry, and Thorn made him a best seller, I usually introduce people to him with the stand-alone novel THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS. Urban Fantasy enthusiasts will enjoy that one as well, I think.

I also enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold's work. THE CURSE OF CHALLION and the Sharing Knife series were both very enjoyable.

I really liked my first read through of George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire (at least those books that are finished), but when I tried to reread it recently, I found myself skipping entire chapters of characters I didn't care about.

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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Sleeping Beauty » July 23rd, 2010, 9:58 pm

I'd recommend the DRAGONLINKS series by Paul Collins.

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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Taggie01 » July 24th, 2010, 1:28 am

Because I'm Australian, I really must list at least two of the best Australian authors of my experience.
Juliet Marillier (all her books. Adult and YA)
Cecilia Dart Thornton(particularly the Bitterbynde Saga) Both use folklore and myth as a subtle foundation for what are wonderful mythic tellings in their own right. Both are award winners with a huge worldwide fan-base.

Both have proved a huge inspiration to me in my own writings.

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HillaryJ
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by HillaryJ » July 24th, 2010, 2:02 am

As a kid, I loved, loved, loved:
Piers Anthony's Xanth and Incarnations of Immortality series, Robin McKinley, and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. I think my first novel could be considered fanfic of the Pern series. *blushes*

Now, I'll go with Joe Abercrombie (nice addition, Ink), Charlie Huston, Lilith Saintcrow, Ilona Andrews, and many more I can't think of right now.
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Rachel Capps » July 24th, 2010, 3:43 am

What a great idea! A really inspiring thread - now my recommended reading list has beef! Yeah! Thanks everyone :)

I've seen heaps of great authors already mentioned, but some of my other favourites are: David Gemmell starting out with Legend and ending with the Troy series, Fiona McIntosh the Trinity series, a new Aussie author Duncan Lay starting with The Wounded Guardian, Raymond Fiest/Janny Wurts the Daughter of the Empire series and I've been told Sara Douglass Battleaxe is a must read (I mean to read it as soon as I finish Joe Abercrombie's books). I'm sure there are more ...

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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by Callum » July 24th, 2010, 7:52 am

Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy is awesome. Read it if you like a good, bloody fantasy with some brilliant (although I did guess a few before they happened) twists! I'm currently reading his latest 'Best Served Cold' based in the same universe but different land called Styria which is based, as far as I can tell, on Italy.
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treeoflife
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by treeoflife » July 24th, 2010, 1:21 pm

/agree with many of the above, but I have to add props to Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for their Dragonlance Chronicles series... reading those as a kid had me hooked on fantasy ever since.

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MosesSiregar
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by MosesSiregar » July 24th, 2010, 2:49 pm

Here are a couple of quick, fun reads I've recently enjoyed from some lesser known authors.

Adam Slade, A Reaper's Tale (also for Kindle)

Michael J Sullivan's series. The first one is called, The Crown Conspiracy.
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lotrconfan
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by lotrconfan » July 24th, 2010, 4:56 pm

Wow, lots of books here that I've never heard of.

A couple books I really like are Green Rider by Kristen Britain and By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. HillaryJ mentioned Robin McKinley, I loved her books when I was younger. I still go back and read them once in awhile.

CK

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HillaryJ
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by HillaryJ » July 24th, 2010, 8:34 pm

lotrconfan wrote:Wow, lots of books here that I've never heard of.

A couple books I really like are Green Rider by Kristen Britain and By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. HillaryJ mentioned Robin McKinley, I loved her books when I was younger. I still go back and read them once in awhile.

CK
I still read her too! Hero & the Crown is my go-to when I'm feeling down.
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lotrconfan
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by lotrconfan » July 24th, 2010, 9:37 pm

I loved Hero and the Crown, but I think my favorite was The Blue Sword. I always used to wish I was Harry, even though the poor girl had a boys name.

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CharleeVale
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Re: Best Fantasy Books

Post by CharleeVale » July 25th, 2010, 12:24 am

I love Robin McKinley! Longest sentence structure in the world, but good.

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