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On April 09 2011 11:01 uhohh wrote:
i read every post and no-one has mentioned raymond e feist??? magician is world-renound best-seller (atleast i thought) i've read alot of teh books and authors mentioned in this thread and feist shits on every single one, seriously the best fantasy author out there in my eyes.
I've read about half of Feist's books... trying to remember the books, Daughter of Empire, which was like 3 books iirc and Prince of the Blood as well as Magician(wasnt it made into two books or something? I would say that they are worth the read but (IMO anyways) doesnt stand out as an amazing writer, but then again I gravitate towards certain styles of writers. To each their own 
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Good thread.
I am currently traveling South est asie for 4 months, giving me time to read. However the booktrades / bookshops i run into are rarely very coordinated which means i buy any 'first of a series' book i find so i will have something to read whenever i cant find the book i need in whatever series i am reading. This means i am currently reading 4 or 5 series simultaneously (and about to start on a 5th)
Anyways, My thoughts on different series:
Wheel of time
Good series, some people seem to think this the greatest work of all time. I disagree, but still it is a good read. Very complicated storyline - and i am waiting for #9 as it has been abolished from vietnamese bookshops, I will probably have to read it all again when i get home.
It is 14(?) books so before you start be willing to spend a little time on it
Dresden Files By jim butcher.
Great series, one of the best i have read. (read all the books)
MankyYen said it before me:
On April 09 2011 08:38 ManKyYen wrote:
Hmm. Since the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher were only mentioned once in passing in this thread I really need to hold up the flags for those books a bit more.
The Dresden Files are classified as Urban Fantasy, that is fantasy books that play in our present world with some differences, in this case the existance of magic and a whole lot of stuff resulting from it. The main character, Harry Dresden, is a wizard that makes his living as a PI. The books are written from his perspective in a case format, basically one case per book. Harry himself is basically a very genre-savvy nerd, only instead of fantasy, sci-fi and computers his passions are fantasy, sci-fi and magic. Which results in him quoting Star Wars regularly and making fun of ancient evils for nor getting pop culture references.
What makes this series stand out from many others is the fact that Butcher planned out the overarching storyline before he began writing the first book. As a result the story-universe is remarkably consistent and complex and the main-storyline is moving towards a well planned conclusion. It's not unusual after reading the newest book to recognize foreshadowing of things that happen in it as far back as in the first book.
At the moment 12 books out of a planned 24 are out and while the first one is pretty good I can honestly say it's the worst in the series. It was the first book Butcher ever published and since then his skills as a writer have continued to steadily grow.
I've read a good portion of the books recommended here until now and I have yet to find a series that is better than the Dresden Files.
Also: Day[9] reads it and has recommended it on stream numerous times, if that means something to you. :D
Also try reading butchers High fantasy work Codex Alera which i found almost as good. It is set in buthcers own world where he plays with a new sort of 'magic' called furies. Highly recommended.
R.A Salvatore
I started with the icewind dale trilogy, which was a great series, then i moved on to the drizzt books, i found the first couple (Darkelf trilogy) pretty good. After that the books are simply too similar for my liking. All the plot lines seem indestinguishable.
+ Show Spoiler + Drizzt and friends want to go on adventure.
Great threat to their lives and loved ones emerge.
They almost overcome the enemy through cunning and bravery though greatly outnumbered.
Enemy has ace up his sleeve.
Drizzt kills big boss to save the day.
(someone dies and is found to not have died after all.)
And i think he uses way too much pagespace on the 1on1 fights.
I will give the cleric quintet a whirl though.
Currently i am reading Silverthorn by raymond E feist (Just finished Magician). Decent books, but there are alot of other series i would rather be reading.
Will probably update this post whenever i find the time.
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On April 09 2011 11:32 sc14s wrote:Show nested quote +On April 09 2011 11:01 uhohh wrote:
i read every post and no-one has mentioned raymond e feist??? magician is world-renound best-seller (atleast i thought) i've read alot of teh books and authors mentioned in this thread and feist shits on every single one, seriously the best fantasy author out there in my eyes. I've read about half of Feist's books... trying to remember the books, Daughter of Empire, which was like 3 books iirc and Prince of the Blood as well as Magician(wasnt it made into two books or something? I would say that they are worth the read but (IMO anyways) doesnt stand out as an amazing writer, but then again I gravitate towards certain styles of writers. To each their own
Raymond E Fiest is a FANTASTIC author overall. He has some great characterization and his story lines have some epic twists. Something I also really enjoyed was the depth he put into some of the ideas behind his world. The world he writes in develops over all his books, and whilst the setting varies for some, its still the same world. The same "rules" apply, and he builds and builds upon that, making it a really enjoyable read.
The best part about it all is that its still a series in progress, even though its like 12+ books in. Hes co written with some great authors, and theres even smaller bookers that focus on a single character that have been co written. His books were so great that a game was made on one of them (It was crap, but not because of the story).
TL:DR
Raymond E Fiest comes highly recommended
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On April 09 2011 11:52 Wetty wrote:Show nested quote +On April 09 2011 11:32 sc14s wrote:On April 09 2011 11:01 uhohh wrote:
i read every post and no-one has mentioned raymond e feist??? magician is world-renound best-seller (atleast i thought) i've read alot of teh books and authors mentioned in this thread and feist shits on every single one, seriously the best fantasy author out there in my eyes. I've read about half of Feist's books... trying to remember the books, Daughter of Empire, which was like 3 books iirc and Prince of the Blood as well as Magician(wasnt it made into two books or something? I would say that they are worth the read but (IMO anyways) doesnt stand out as an amazing writer, but then again I gravitate towards certain styles of writers. To each their own Raymond E Fiest is a FANTASTIC author overall. He has some great characterization and his story lines have some epic twists. Something I also really enjoyed was the depth he put into some of the ideas behind his world. The world he writes in develops over all his books, and whilst the setting varies for some, its still the same world. The same "rules" apply, and he builds and builds upon that, making it a really enjoyable read. The best part about it all is that its still a series in progress, even though its like 12+ books in. Hes co written with some great authors, and theres even smaller bookers that focus on a single character that have been co written. His books were so great that a game was made on one of them (It was crap, but not because of the story). TL:DR Raymond E Fiest comes highly recommended
Don't get me wrong, as i said hes worth reading but hes not like say my top 10 but hes certainly a good writer.
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I'd contribute something more worthwhile to this thread, but if the OP didn't touch on my favourite books or series, other people did. Really, I'm just chiming in to approve of this thread and its contents. =P
Still, while people have mentioned Terry Pratchett, no one has mentioned Discworld yet, so I will. Read it. Especially the ones about the Night Watch. Seriously.
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On April 09 2011 08:38 ManKyYen wrote:
Hmm. Since the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher were only mentioned once in passing in this thread I really need to hold up the flags for those books a bit more.
Do they get better after the 2nd book? Because I do enjoy them, but they don't grip me because of the lack of character development and main story line. With that I mean it feels like I'm watching a tv-series like CSI. It's fun, but every episode is almost the same with a puny bit of main story line.
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On April 09 2011 17:51 Wesso wrote:Show nested quote +On April 09 2011 08:38 ManKyYen wrote:
Hmm. Since the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher were only mentioned once in passing in this thread I really need to hold up the flags for those books a bit more.
Do they get better after the 2nd book? Because I do enjoy them, but they don't grip me because of the lack of character development and main story line. With that I mean it feels like I'm watching a tv-series like CSI. It's fun, but every episode is almost the same with a puny bit of main story line.
honestly they get AMAZINGLY better towards the 4/5th book and onwards, before then there just isn't enough time to get the backstory for the characters developed, after that point it SAILS forward and is absoultely incredible.
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On April 09 2011 17:51 Wesso wrote:Show nested quote +On April 09 2011 08:38 ManKyYen wrote:
Hmm. Since the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher were only mentioned once in passing in this thread I really need to hold up the flags for those books a bit more.
Do they get better after the 2nd book? Because I do enjoy them, but they don't grip me because of the lack of character development and main story line. With that I mean it feels like I'm watching a tv-series like CSI. It's fun, but every episode is almost the same with a puny bit of main story line.
It's like Enderbantoo just said. The first three books, while good and worthwhile reads in their own right mainly develop the setting and set the tone of the books. The finale of book three basically starts off the first really big plotpoint of the series. The consequences of the actions Dresden takes there spin wildly out of control in the following books.
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On April 08 2011 13:46 Tejin wrote:
I'm not 100% sure what the series is called, but I think it's called The Gentleman Bastards or something along those lines. The author is Scott Lynch and the first two books are The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies. The stories have a really interesting chronological structure, bouncing between flashbacks, the present, and you get really attached to the main characters as their friendship is developed. The characters get into really absurd situations and end up on fast-paced adventures. Lynch also tries for the most part to make his fiction a "logical fiction" as the OP put it, doing his best to explain most of the aspects of the world in a more realistic sense.
Just like to reiterate how good The Gentleman Bastards series is so far. This plot is by far the most entertaining and drawing in ive read. The world and the characters are so well portrayed and i would recommend these books any day of the week.
Another author who ive read most of the books for (and there are alot of books) is David Gemmell. He somehow links completely different worlds throughout different series in a way that has blown my mind.He tends to focus on a group of characters and the trials that these characters go through (In the best fantasy world ive seen). I would suggest if you want to read a Gemmell book, you start off with 'Legend' or 'Waylander'...SO EPIC
He has also written an interpretation of Troy which explores different concepts and introduces characters that aren't popularly used in other versions of the Homer saga. Definitely better than the movie...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell
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Recommending WOT over ASOIAF = fail 
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On April 09 2011 19:43 writer22816 wrote:Recommending WOT over ASOIAF = fail
Not at all. WoT might be worse from a literary standpoint (which it probably is, but even that is too subjective to really say), + Show Spoiler +but a lot of people don't like dying main characters.
Also, not everybody likes the same writing styles.
Saying other people's tastes are wrong = fail
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On April 08 2011 22:14 Betalump wrote:
The sword of truth series, faith of the fallen is one of my all-time favorite books.
The name of the wind - The best "low-key" fantasy book I've read, the sequel is due to come out soon (meaning now) I think its supposed to be a trilogy when its completed.
I'll have to agree. The Name of the Wind was by far the best "low-key" fantasy book that I've also read. The sequel was also good but it didn't have that refreshing feel as the first book of the series. However, definitely a must read for any fantasy lover.
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I am such a book noob. I bought a nook and haven't finished a book on it yet. I spend most of my free time playing Starcraft but I really want to get into reading more Fantasy/Scifi stuff. I see lots of really good suggestions here want to check out A song of Ice and Fire series.
Some of my favorite novels are the Dune Series, Hitchhikers guide, and Disc world novels. So where would be the best place to start? I think my biggest problem is I want to read like 50+ books all at the same time, Oh also I absolutely love Steampunk Genre and Post apocalyptic stuff if you guys know of any good books like the Road... Thanks Great OP 
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On April 09 2011 22:44 IronFenix wrote:Show nested quote +On April 08 2011 22:14 Betalump wrote:
The sword of truth series, faith of the fallen is one of my all-time favorite books.
The name of the wind - The best "low-key" fantasy book I've read, the sequel is due to come out soon (meaning now) I think its supposed to be a trilogy when its completed.
I'll have to agree. The Name of the Wind was by far the best "low-key" fantasy book that I've also read. The sequel was also good but it didn't have that refreshing feel as the first book of the series. However, definitely a must read for any fantasy lover.
I agree with all points above.
The sequel WAS good and it didn't have that refreshing feel but that isn't fair.
It's like eating the best dinner you've ever had.
Then having the same thing again the next day.
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United States10328 Posts
I found L'Engel's A Wrinkle in Time series to be pretty good, but perhaps more suited for children. Of course Tolkien is awesome (though I think I still haven't finished reading RotK loooool despite reading the Silmarillion and Tales of Hurin...)
On an unrelated note, I totally thought this was a fantasy league for book discussion upon first glance :/
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On April 09 2011 22:58 SigmaoctanusIV wrote:I am such a book noob. I bought a nook and haven't finished a book on it yet. I spend most of my free time playing Starcraft but I really want to get into reading more Fantasy/Scifi stuff. I see lots of really good suggestions here want to check out A song of Ice and Fire series. Some of my favorite novels are the Dune Series, Hitchhikers guide, and Disc world novels. So where would be the best place to start? I think my biggest problem is I want to read like 50+ books all at the same time, Oh also I absolutely love Steampunk Genre and Post apocalyptic stuff if you guys know of any good books like the Road... Thanks Great OP
If you like steampunk you might also like cyberpunk, in which case you want to read Neal Stephenson, particularly The Diamond Age and Snow Crash. William Gibson's stuff is another good choice; if you haven't read Neuromancer you're missing a major pillar of sci-fi. You're venturing into the sci-fi genre at this point though so it doesn't quite fit in this thread.
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In order of personal preferences for series I'd say
1. George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice. However I'll be dead before the series is done so maybe good for people being born this year.
2.Robin Hobb's Farseer + Tawny Man + Liveship trilogy + Dragon keeper. Lots of good books, deep if you want them to be, good narrative and amazing characters (especially the Fool).
3. Prince of Nothing + Aspect Emperor trilogies by R Scott Bakker. Judging Eye was the worst of his books so far and even that was fun to read (despite no Kellhus). The best characters of all fantasy because no one is good, no one is evil, everyone is selfish and deceptive. Awesome stuff.
4. Wheel of Time by Jordan. I have to say I do not like Sanderson's take on the writing, I am just continuing to read it so I can pay off my investment of 15 years into the books.
Individual fantasy/SciFi books,
1. Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKlipp.
2. Left hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.
3. This Alien Shore by CS Friedman
Also I hate HATE with a passion the Malazan books. As good as the first 2 were, the rest have been an exercise in frustation. The plot has lost so many threads, the characters are inconsistent and annoying and the writing is overwrought and needlessly expansive. The 2nd last book (Reaper's gale) is the first time I can recall that I have no interest in finishing a book that I started. Erikson needs an editor like you can't imagine.
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While I agree that books 5-7 of wheel of time can drag on, it's because it tries to be semi realistic.
He always explains everything is super detail, even the minor characters.
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The Malazan Book of the Fallen, easily the best fantasy series i've ever read. And I've read a lot.
Also, Modesitt's Saga of Recluse is under-rated
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EPT
