Hey, so I'm just wondering what fantasy novels you guys read. Please no arguing over whose choice of books are better. I'm just out of fantasy books to read and was looking for some like J.R.R. Tolkin's books, Aregon, and Ranger's Apprentice. Many thanks for those who post!
There is no argument about this. My book choices are better than everyone else's.
As for suggestions... hmmm... I haven't been able to read a book for fun in a while. I've had to read way too many articles, and books for school. I might have a day or two over Christmas break that I can read something for fun.
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. (Heck, pretty much anything by him)
The Belgariad by David Eddings (and/or the Malloreon, the Elenium, and the Tamuli - stay away from the Dreamers 'cause I'm pretty sure they were actually written by his wife and they SUCK)
I'd have to spend more than a second thinking to list more, and I don't wanna.
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. (Heck, pretty much anything by him)
+1
Read it and it was pretty good. I was surprised, truth be told. Overall well worth checking out if you still haven't graduated from fantasy yet.
I recommand 50 shades of Grey. It's about someone who discovers a new universe and possibilities.
Totally. Blew. My. Mind. OP, you'd do well to read this.
On a personal note I don't read fantasy. The closest I've come to that has been a lot of Philip K
lately - and I'm not a sci-fi fan. 'Course he wasn't strictly a sci-fi writer. His later works, especially, had more of a philosophical/theological bent. At any rate, I'd have to guess that a fan of fantasy 'books' could pretty easily transition to his stuff ... and better themselves in the process.The Drenai series by David Gemmel.
The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. (Heck, pretty much anything by him)
The Belgariad by David Eddings (and/or the Malloreon, the Elenium, and the Tamuli - stay away from the Dreamers 'cause I'm pretty sure they were actually written by his wife and they SUCK)
I'd have to spend more than a second thinking to list more, and I don't wanna.
I read David Gemmel when I was in middle school. He was a step above the D&D books. Once you get out of that genre, you realize he isn't all that amazing. Still, I did enjoy the Drenai series.
If you haven't already, the Wheel of Time series. Not only is it ridiculously long and should occupy your attention for a while, but it's also really good.
Didn't that jerk die without finishing the series?
I read David Gemmel when I was in middle school. He was a step above the D&D books. Once you get out of that genre, you realize he isn't all that amazing. Still, I did enjoy the Drenai series.
Pretty much this. You think it's good stuff until you read good stuff. Some of it is still enjoyable, though.
Didn't that jerk die without finishing the series?
Not only that but the series, as I understand it from some friends that are big fans, is awful. Apparently the guy could wrote over 1k pages about one day. There's entire books that don't bother to resolve even one minor plot hook. It's just millions of words with nothing happening. You have to be a masochist to enjoy it.
Pretty much this. You think it's good stuff until you read good stuff. Some of it is still enjoyable, though.
Yup. I still find Gemmell enjoyable when I want a quick mindless read that has bad guys being bad and good guys being really bad and killing everything in site.
Not only that but the series, as I understand it from some friends that are big fans, is awful. Apparently the guy could wrote over 1k pages about one day. There's entire books that don't bother to resolve even one minor plot hook. It's just millions of words with nothing happening. You have to be a masochist to enjoy it.
That's what I've heard. It's probably what has kept me from picking up the series.
I would recommend Atlas Shrugged.
Except it's such a painful trainwreck that I'd rather recommend FATAL. (and I couldn't even make a finished review for FATAL despite trying for three years in a row now)
Unclean by Richard Lee Bryers was pretty good. It's a D&D book, but it's fairly well written.
The Dragonlance original trilogy is also really good. Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter night, and dragons of spring dawning. (and if you are on these forums and haven't read them yet... wtf is wrong with you?)
If you're willing to give scifi a shot, I highly recommend the X Wing / Rogue Squadron series. Lots of plots and subplots most if not all get resolved, and there's a good stable of characters to like and hate.
The Ravenor series by Dan Abnette is a very solid trilogy I highly recommend. It's a warhammer 40k set of books but it's more cerebral than the usual pulp you get out of Black Library.
The Reality Dysfunction is also a highly recommended series. Do note this series can get rather technobabble/theory heavy at times. But there's alot to like in it, it's a very complete universe the author writes in, and there's a rather massive cast of characters. My only gripe with the series is a couple of characters are a little too flat. (out of like 15 primary characters)
The Mindstar Rising books are also really good. 3 books, but 3 very good books.
Both of the above series are written by Peter F. Hamilton'
ZB: you know why they recommend it anyway? It's because Tolkien taught them you have to suffer through windbagged, nonsensical crap in order to enjoy any glimmer of a story. They weren't brought up on you know...........good books so they don't know better. You know what you must do to correct this error.
I'm fond of Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Some people don't like how his writing style jumps around between characters and times/locations, especially since his world is absolutely vast in both time and space and pretty much every single resident of that world is the main character for at least a page or two (lol). But the guy (a retired archaeologist and anthropologist) knows how to build a world.
I'm fond of Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Some people don't like how his writing style jumps around between characters and times/locations, especially since his world is absolutely vast in both time and space and pretty much every single resident of that world is the main character for at least a page or two (lol). But the guy (a retired archaeologist and anthropologist) knows how to build a world.
The Malazan series is alright. Erickson has a huge world. That is probably the best thing about his books. He is a geat world builder. The problem that I have with him is that his characters are constantly grunting and growling when they speak. Like seriously, look at one of the boooks (any book) and you'll see that everyone grunts or growls what they say. It's a wonderfully vast world with great histories... populated by cavemen.
Fantasy in the whole, the author was completely batshit crazy category, and the events in the world the book takes place are so skewed from reality that it's painful?
I would recommend Atlas Shrugged.
I see what you are doing there.
And then watched interviews with that author thereafter?
Completely Batshit man. Total fantasy world.
Ancient Aliens has more credibility and basis in fact. I guess that book and those interviews did prove one thing. Not every nut job got put in an Asylum or locked in an attic back then after all.
Did anybody mention the Wheel of Time? that was a good one!
Is the Wheel of Time about repeating the same thing over and over again?
Actually, yes. At least that's part of the backstory behind the world.
If you haven't already, the Wheel of Time series. Not only is it ridiculously long and should occupy your attention for a while, but it's also really good.
Didn't that jerk die without finishing the series?
Yeah he did but he had at least some notes and probably a partial draft so they've released two more books since then. The final one should come out next month I believe. I can't tell the difference in writing style so I'd say the new writer is doing a good job. Then again, when it's years in between books I suppose that might make it hard to tell.
How about R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy? Married guys should be able to relate
If the reader is, like, 12 and just starting out reading for funsies? Maybe. If they're an adult looking for something, I dunno, good? No. I read 'em and I liked 'em. And then I grew up.
Only man child who were looking for mommy discipline could relate.
So, you enjoyed it?