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Rimstalker
Germany734 Posts
On October 10 2012 18:59 Sedzz wrote: Just wondering if any of you have read the Drenai Series by David Gemmell? And what were your thought on it? I like Gemmell in general. A bit shallow at times, but the best heroic fantasy. Personally, the newer books I didn't like much, but the first couple of books of the Drenai saga were pretty sweet. | ||
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Yaj
Canada15 Posts
On October 18 2012 17:07 CaM27 wrote: Has anyone read the dresden files? Wikipedia doesn't reveal much about it!  Yes I have, and it is very good. Starts off easy and then quickly ramps up with each book. It also gets a bit darker with each one up to Changes as Harry is stretched further to survive and keep his friends, Chicago, and the world safe. Butcher also has some fun takes on vampires and werewolves that would unfortunately be spoilery  I don't know if you are still trying these, but I've also read the Malazan books. Suffice to say I enjoyed them despite (also because of) the feeling of being dumped in the deep end with concrete footwear. Erikson really expects that you will figure out most things on your own which I found quite refreshing. To stretch that metaphor a bit I found I had to just keep walking along the bottom, trusting that eventually, with effort, things would start to make sense. If you want a hand at following some plot or clearing up a character the people at malazanempire.com are helpful and have a subforum for each book to help avoid spoilers. Happy reading! | ||
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solsken
Sweden182 Posts
The kind of fantasy I enjoy is foremost the kind where good and evil intertwine, my favourite series are a song of ice and fire, malazan book of the fallen and also dresden files. I can't really stand books written for teenagers like Eddings etc. I enjoy when the plot escalates and becomes more and more epic in it's reach. I've tried reading the chronicles of thomas covenant but that series is just too depressing for me. | ||
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Rimstalker
Germany734 Posts
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Andre
Slovenia3523 Posts
Would highly recommend it, if you like some alternate history mingled with fantasy. | ||
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TehRealSulfur
United States21 Posts
Some of my favorites are the Mission Earth decalogy (L.Ron Hubbard, u crazy imaginative bastard), the Myth series(a little bit lower level reading but funny and awesome) and the Stainless Steel Rat books (think James Bond in a sci-fi future, but the best criminal/thief in the universe). | ||
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Wesso
Netherlands1245 Posts
On October 18 2012 19:47 solsken wrote: I've been looking for new fantasy to read, maybe you guys can help me find a good series for me? The kind of fantasy I enjoy is foremost the kind where good and evil intertwine, my favourite series are a song of ice and fire, malazan book of the fallen and also dresden files. I can't really stand books written for teenagers like Eddings etc. I enjoy when the plot escalates and becomes more and more epic in it's reach. I've tried reading the chronicles of thomas covenant but that series is just too depressing for me. Maybe the Black Company Chronicles? I always find it hard to explain what a book is like, so I won't try, but it's good gritty fantasy so it might be up your alley. | ||
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YourGoodFriend
United States2197 Posts
On October 18 2012 19:47 solsken wrote: I've been looking for new fantasy to read, maybe you guys can help me find a good series for me? The kind of fantasy I enjoy is foremost the kind where good and evil intertwine, my favourite series are a song of ice and fire, malazan book of the fallen and also dresden files. I can't really stand books written for teenagers like Eddings etc. I enjoy when the plot escalates and becomes more and more epic in it's reach. I've tried reading the chronicles of thomas covenant but that series is just too depressing for me. Read the night angel trilogy fantastic books where good and evil definitely intertwine and not written for kids. All of my favorite series have been talked about on this forum. One series to add that I really enjoyed was the Symphony of Ages by Elizabeth Haydon it follows a main character who is a girl named Rhapsody who becomes entangled with the affairs of demons and immortals and seeks to re-write the lives of the people around her. (btw that's purposefully vague don't know how else to describe it with out ruining the first book) | ||
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Sealo
Germany10 Posts
On October 18 2012 20:00 Andr3 wrote: I just recently finished reading the first three novels of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. It's really a fun read, basically it deals with Napoleonic Wars with the addition of dragons as an air force. Would highly recommend it, if you like some alternate history mingled with fantasy. I could not agree more with you! Right now, I am reading the sixth book and still there is something special about it. Also I think Brandon Sanderson is the best modern author in the world.  | ||
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Kyuki
Sweden1867 Posts
I would like to give a hollar for The gentlemen bastards series by Scott Lynch and Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn. Awesome books | ||
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openbox1
1393 Posts
Try the books: Daughter of the Empire / Servant of the Empire / Mistress of the Empire. Its got insect warriors, spy masters, magic, scheming clan feuds in a old style feudal honor above everything Japanesque setting. Awesome. A good stand-alone novel is Master of WhiteStorm. Its a typical cliche driven fantasy novel and a great read for younger readers starting their reading, but I like the way Ms. Wurts chronicles the typical brooding, angsty emo but obviously brave and clever protagonist. The Wars of Light and Shadow are her on-going novel based on two half-brothers locked in a feud by magic. Its an alright read but a little too angsty for me. The main character has got some cool abilities along with his brother and typical to Ms. Wurts books, they use them creatively but he beats himself up so much its kinda depressing. It doesn't help that she's spinning the story for as many books as possible like Robert Jordan did with his Wheel of Time. | ||
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zalz
Netherlands3704 Posts
His Second Apocalypse series is unrivaled in the world of ongoing fantasy series. He's also got a great prose that never feel pretentious, whilst never becoming dull or simplistic either. I even feel his characters are stronger than any of GRRM's, who easily writes some of the best characters in Fantasy. A very unique universe with a great prose makes for a fantasy series that everyone should be reading. Can't wait for the "Unholy Consult". | ||
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KaiserJohan
Sweden1808 Posts
The best stuff from the most badass fiction of all time. IRON WITHIN, IRON WITHOUT! | ||
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Martyrc
217 Posts
PS. Don't touch anything from Terry Brooks, his books are good until you reach the mental age of 12, and then it becomes boring, stereotypical, unimaginative crap. Literally, do not give more money to this man, he is arrogant as hell, and hasn't written anything decent in 30 years. EDIT: And WHY did I forget The Malazan Book of the Fallen. That series (twelve 800 page long books) is GREAT. They say G.R.R. Martin's stuff is revolutionary. They should think again. Malazan book of the fallen has one of the best, most convoluted yet never bogged down plots of all time. The characters are amazing, the world is beautifully crafted, with cultures being very distuingished, to the point where you can guess where a character is from, without the writer telling you or giving you any obvious hints (like accent or something). You can really feel that Steven Erikson has studied anthropology, and knows his stuff. One potential thing (that you shouldn't let stop you from reading this) is that this series is very hard to get into, for the first 2 books or so you will be lost like a fish on dry ground. It's worth it though, definitely. I can't stress how much Erikson pulls at the boundaries of what is defined as ¨fantasy¨ and makes it almost a literary experience, but with clear high fantasy marks. Really good. If you haven't read this, you're doing it wrong. | ||
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ZerG~LegenD
Sweden1179 Posts
On November 21 2012 07:14 Martyrc wrote: You want to read good books? Read Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller series. They're some of the best fantasy books around. The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under a Red Sky are great too. (forgot the author's name.) For urban fantasy you should like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. The TV series is awful, but the books are very good, though it seems to often be a love it or hate it thing. You should also read the First Law trilogy, by Joe Abercrombie, amazing characters, very gritty style of writing. (Glokta is a badass and morally challenged handicapped torturer who used to be a military hero, for example). Lastly, you might like Brandon Sanderson good, though I find his prose to be a bit simplistic (this also applies to Jim Butcher, but the Dresden Files aren't epic fantasy). His new mammoth series, think Wheel of Time scope, has had an amazing debut with Way of Kings, which is a definite must-read for epic fantasy fans. PS. Don't touch anything from Terry Brooks, his books are good until you reach the mental age of 12, and then it becomes boring, stereotypical, unimaginative crap. Literally, do not give more money to this man, he is arrogant as hell, and hasn't written anything decent in 30 years. EDIT: And WHY did I forget The Malazan Book of the Fallen. That series (twelve 800 page long books) is GREAT. They say G.R.R. Martin's stuff is revolutionary. They should think again. Malazan book of the fallen has one of the best, most convoluted yet never bogged down plots of all time. The characters are amazing, the world is beautifully crafted, with cultures being very distuingished, to the point where you can guess where a character is from, without the writer telling you or giving you any obvious hints (like accent or something). You can really feel that Steven Erikson has studied anthropology, and knows his stuff. One potential thing (that you shouldn't let stop you from reading this) is that this series is very hard to get into, for the first 2 books or so you will be lost like a fish on dry ground. It's worth it though, definitely. I can't stress how much Erikson pulls at the boundaries of what is defined as ¨fantasy¨ and makes it almost a literary experience, but with clear high fantasy marks. Really good. If you haven't read this, you're doing it wrong. Guess I better pick up the Dresden Files and First Law trilogy. I really loved every other book that you mentioned. I'll recommend C. S. Friedmans magister trilogy, I don't think anyone else has mentiond it yet. Here are some reviews. | ||
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sc14s
United States5052 Posts
On November 21 2012 08:07 ZerG~LegenD wrote: Guess I better pick up the Dresden Files and First Law trilogy. I really loved every other book that you mentioned. I'll recommend C. S. Friedmans magister trilogy, I don't think anyone else has mentiond it yet. Here are some reviews. well i did recommend it in the OP I feel like a lot of people come in to post and don't really read the OP too much :-/ i put a lot of effort into it! GrrsI kinda wanna raise this from the dead as it has so much good reading that i didn't want to let it die :D Anyhow who is looking forward to the last Wheel of time book as well as Brandon Sanderson's 2nd book to The Way of Kings? I'm glad in a weird sort of way in that i can finally have some closure[about WoT].. i feel bound to finish the series even if it isn't my #1 series or anything to read i just have invested so much time in the series that i just have to finish it. Also has anyone found any new fantasy that is worth reading? Mostly i mean non-mainstream stuff since i already have read most of the mainstream things. Recently I've been reading Brent Weeks, which iirc was a recommendation on this thread almost finished reading all of his books now and I want to move on to new pastures soon | ||
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sc14s
United States5052 Posts
On October 18 2012 20:27 Sealo wrote: I could not agree more with you! Right now, I am reading the sixth book and still there is something special about it. Also I think Brandon Sanderson is the best modern author in the world. Hes my favorite author currently too :D I hadn't read any of his stuff until he started writing the last couple Wheel of Time books then i went back and read all of his books + the ones that hes come out with after. I have enjoyed every single one of his books. I think the pull for me is all of his magic systems are not only unique but really interesting. Brent weeks has a similar idea with his stuff too in that each series has its own unique magic system so if you like Brandon Sanderson I would highly recommend checking out Brent Weeks. | ||
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McBengt
Sweden1684 Posts
Cool thread btw, would read again. | ||
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sc14s
United States5052 Posts
On January 04 2013 10:44 McBengt wrote: I'll give a shout out to a young up and coming author named Sam Sykes who has just released his third book, the last in the Aeon's Gate trilogy called Skybound Sea. He is still very much learning the ropes, which is very evident in how his writing progresses, and his style is rather unconventional, but I definitely enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of Steven Erikson and the lamentably unheralded Ian Esslemont, but sometimes it's fun to just kick back with something slightly more lighthearted, and Sykes fits the bill perfectly. Cool thread btw, would read again. thanks for the recommendation I'll definately check him out. | ||
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McBengt
Sweden1684 Posts
On January 04 2013 10:49 sc14s wrote: thanks for the recommendation I'll definately check him out. Any time man. If you like fish demons, angry purple women, pseudo-elves who consider farting humans in the face the pinnacle of comical achievement and, of course, carnivorous hats, you may very well like this series. | ||
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