Exilian
Art, Writing, and Learning: The Clerisy Quarter => Writing, Poems, AARs, and Stories - The Storyteller's Hall => Topic started by: Tusky on March 14, 2018, 11:16:47 AM
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Greetings Exilians!
I'm looking for a recommendation for a fantasy book / series to move on to. I just finished the night angel trilogy by brent weeks and really liked those. Also really liked his dark materials, and the mighty song of ice and fire etc
Anyone reading anything juicy at the moment - or maybe recently completed a great book?
I'm hoping to remedy my so-seldom-its-nearly-nonexistant post schedule - so thanks in advance ;D
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I just read La Belle Sauvage, the new book by Philip Pullman, and I think it's extremely good, if you haven't got it yet :) other than that, I think the last novel I read cover to cover was the first book in the Derring-Do series, which is fun and rather pulp-adventurey steampunk-victoriana with zombies and stuff.
I'd also happily get some new recommendations, too...
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I don't think I can do new recommendations, since I haven't read much new fantasy for quite a while. But I can definitely do old recommendations, so here goes:
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings - ignore the film and read the book, because it treats the characters and the plot much more subtly. Also much else that he wrote.
- Guy Gavriel Kay: my favourites are Tigana and "The Sarantine Mosaic" books (Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors). The Sarantine books got me hooked on 6th century Byzantine history.
- Patricia McKillip: my favourites are the Riddle-master series: The Riddle-master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind.
- Mary Gentle: Ash: a Secret History and her "White Crow" sequence, especially Rats and Gargoyles
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I should really read the Sarantine books, being a sort of half-Byzantinist myself... also most others on the list! I'm thinking of digging into Ursula Vernon's non-comic fiction as well sometime. I really ought to carve out more time for fiction reading; I think it'd be good for me, especially as I'm under medical orders to cut down stress.
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Oh dear sorry to hear that. Reading can be great to help with stress busting. Personally I try to do a little reading last thing before bed - rather than nodding off in front of netflix or something, which I can slip in to the habit of doing sometimes
I have certainly read LOTR books and wholeheartedly agree that the books surpass the films in a number of ways. Not all though - some of the battle sequences are fantastically realised in the movies. Plus I am ashamed to admit that I may have skipped a few of the lengthy song sections on my last readthrough.
La Belle Sauvage looks fantastic, wasn't aware of it so thanks for that suggestion. Will definitely be checking that out. Tigana and riddle master looks very good too. Looks like I've got plenty to be going with already!
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Yes, I try and do that but I need to get better at it!
I should reread His Dark Materials sometime, I love those books and it's a while since I last read them... I should also read more children's literature generally since I'm writing a book I'm that genre!
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Depends on how much of a Labyrinth (as in, the 1986 film) fan you are, but I read Wintersong last year, and got the sequel Shadowsong just after it came out a few months ago. I absolutely loved Wintersong, haven't read Shadowsong yet because oh my goodness did I ever experience such emotional turmoil at the hands of a novel. xD
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I'm a big fan of Michael Scott Rohan, his winter of the world series is a series. His stand alone novel lords of the middle air is one of my favourite books ever but it's not a series.
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Another thumbs-up for Michael Scott Rohan from me.
And another author: John Crowley - in particular:
Engine Summer: possibly this should be categorised as SF rather than fantasy, but to me at least it has a very 'fantasy' feel. A beautiful description of a young man's journey through a post-apocalyptic America - and also a complex and fascinating puzzle, with assorted hints and clues, for those who like such things. I haven't seen it published on its own, only as part of a collection entitled Three Novels or Otherwise.
Little, Big: this is definitely fantasy, albeit set in a near-future America. It can be read just as a story, but it's marbled with hints and allusions drawing in elements of many myths and legends.
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Another vote for Guy Gavriel Kay. Lions of Al-Rassan and Song for Arbonne are both incredible. I found I couldn't get into the Sarantine Mosaic books as easily.
EDIT* Maybe a little difficult to get your hands on, but Corsair by Chris Bunch is a good read.
I'm also a big fan of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy.
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I had seen the night angel trilogy but have not had a chance to read yet. I imagine since I liked way of shadows et al I will like that one too.
Lots more to add to the list. Thanks all :) Don't suppose anyone has read way of kings by Brian Sanderson? It rates quite highly on the goodreads website's fantasy section but I'm not sure about it
Oh by the way if anyone else is here browsing for suggestions I can also heartily recommend Legend by David Gemmell. It's quite the hammer
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If you'd like to give something a bit off-the-wall a try, I can recommend The City Of Dreaming Books, by Walter Moers.
It's about a writer travelling to a city where everything revolves around books and publishing to look for the author of a short story manuscript.
Said writer is a dinosaur, and he finds more than he bargained for, tangling with book hunters (murder hobos looking for rare first editions in the book-and-monster-filled catacombs under the city) and discovering plots and secrets.
(Another fantasy adventure slightly closer to the usual by the same author is Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, which I also like.)
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Ooh nice! That sounds different.
You've made the suggestion right as I have a gap in reading things, so think I'll check it out!
Just finished The wise man's fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Was quite good, although not sure it warranted the hyping up that one of my friends gave it.
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sorry, wrong thread
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If you're into mythology based books, I adore Joanne Harris' Runemarks series! I also just read The Ocean at the End of the Lane which is like, spooky childhood horrory fantasy. And two of my favorite books ever are The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. They have just fully curled up in my brain to stay there forever. Piranesi feel like you're exploring some strange mythological pocket universe in detail, and Night Circus is the perfect magician fantasy book. Can fully recommend those too :)
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Just finished The wise man's fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Was quite good, although not sure it warranted the hyping up that one of my friends gave it.
I think Rothfuss is almost the antithesis of Martin in some ways: Martin is all plot writing and a pretty average prose stylist, Rothfuss' plots meander but the quality of his prose is very good.
I will reiterate a couple of strong general recommendations I didn't have when we first did this thread but which I've probably mentioned elsewhere: Rogues of the Republic for silly bouncy heist fantasy and Daevabad for non-European-centric classic epic stuff and lots of djinn. I really should pick up some of the other recommendations here!
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Just finished The wise man's fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Was quite good, although not sure it warranted the hyping up that one of my friends gave it.
Been a while since I last read it, iirc I found about half of it very very good, maybe a quarter of it was decent and the remainder was "wtf, why did he write so much plot based on his weird sexual fantasies and maybe orientalism hard on". Overall I enjoyed it and I'm sure I'll read the final book if it ever comes out, but as Joobs said the plot is not the best in this one. The Slow Regard of Silent Things is really good though, it doesn't need plot.