Good fantasy books? | General Discussion

[quote name="Nekron" date="2018-03-13 23:34:44" ] Read The Neverending Story. The movie has a lot of nostalgic charm but it only covers literally half of the story and completely misses the point at the end. The book is unique, wondrous, touching and surprisingly very, very deep. [/quote] @Nekron Huh. I always knew the film was based on a book, but I never knew it was only half the story. I might have to check that out myself seeing as the movie itself is one of my favourites, thanks!

hinotoriii

223

99

728

2124

March 16, 2018 14:37:56

Nekron wrote on 2018-03-13 23:34:44:

Read The Neverending Story. The movie has a lot of nostalgic charm but it only covers literally half of the story and completely misses the point at the end. The book is unique, wondrous, touching and surprisingly very, very deep.

@Nekron Huh. I always knew the film was based on a book, but I never knew it was only half the story. I might have to check that out myself seeing as the movie itself is one of my favourites, thanks!

@Rainforest

Some great YA fantasy reads: (FYI I work in a bookstore so literally read all the time so anyone looking for fantasy/sci fi/ kids/ history recommends hmu)

Ink by Alice Broadway

In Leora's world, every significant moment in your life is tattooed on your skin, and after you die, this is preserved as a marker of your life - if you lead a good one. As a result, crime is nearly non existent, and people live in perpetual fear of the "Blanks" - those who shunned the tattoos. Leora believes her father was a good man. But part of her father's story is missing, and Leora doesn't know what to believe any more...

A truly unique story, (and not as grim as the idea of skin books sounds, I promise!). Ink is filled with rich folklore, mystery and wonder.

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

Every Seven years, something disappears in the town of Sterling. The stars, reflections, the ability to dream. When Aila is sent there to live, she rapidly realises that her family is intertwined with the town's mysterious heritage, and that she might hold the key to stopping the disappearances for good.

A mystery of epic proportions, I was gripped!

Northern Lights (and the rest of the His Dark Materials Trilogy, and The Book of Dust) by Phillip Pullman

A world full of Dust, Daemons and Intrigue.

Lyra Belacqua is an orphan, raised in Oxford College and a delinquent child who spends more time throwin mud at rival children and playing pranks with her daemon Pantalaimon. But her powerful uncle, Lord Asriel, is investigating dangerous things, and Lyra is thrown into a world of Gobblers, Witches, and Armoured Polar Bears in the far north of the world.

This is one of the best series ever written! It's exciting, full of magic, and part of a richly created world. If you haven't read this, you really have to!

Also second the recommendation you got earlier for The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud!

kathyy

0

80

207

904

March 16, 2018 14:59:18

@Rainforest

Some great YA fantasy reads: (FYI I work in a bookstore so literally read all the time so anyone looking for fantasy/sci fi/ kids/ history recommends hmu)

Ink by Alice Broadway

In Leora's world, every significant moment in your life is tattooed on your skin, and after you die, this is preserved as a marker of your life - if you lead a good one. As a result, crime is nearly non existent, and people live in perpetual fear of the "Blanks" - those who shunned the tattoos. Leora believes her father was a good man. But part of her father's story is missing, and Leora doesn't know what to believe any more...

A truly unique story, (and not as grim as the idea of skin books sounds, I promise!). Ink is filled with rich folklore, mystery and wonder.

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

Every Seven years, something disappears in the town of Sterling. The stars, reflections, the ability to dream. When Aila is sent there to live, she rapidly realises that her family is intertwined with the town's mysterious heritage, and that she might hold the key to stopping the disappearances for good.

A mystery of epic proportions, I was gripped!

Northern Lights (and the rest of the His Dark Materials Trilogy, and The Book of Dust) by Phillip Pullman

A world full of Dust, Daemons and Intrigue.

Lyra Belacqua is an orphan, raised in Oxford College and a delinquent child who spends more time throwin mud at rival children and playing pranks with her daemon Pantalaimon. But her powerful uncle, Lord Asriel, is investigating dangerous things, and Lyra is thrown into a world of Gobblers, Witches, and Armoured Polar Bears in the far north of the world.

This is one of the best series ever written! It's exciting, full of magic, and part of a richly created world. If you haven't read this, you really have to!

Also second the recommendation you got earlier for The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud!

Last edited on Mar 16, 2018 14:59:50 by kathyy

Another recommendation for the Mistborn Series/anything else by Brandon Sanderson. Very good story, I haven't enjoyed a series that much in years.

Trianna

0

61

99

34

March 16, 2018 15:21:51

Another recommendation for the Mistborn Series/anything else by Brandon Sanderson. Very good story, I haven't enjoyed a series that much in years.

I have a lot of books I recommend. If you want some more just ask. Some good ones are Janitors by Tyler Whitesides, Leven Thumps by Obert Skye, Half Upon a Time and Story Thieves by James Riley, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Children of the Lamp by Philp Kerr, Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, and finally Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
All of these books are the first in a series of books. I recommend especially Serafina and the Black Cloak. Its my favorite book of all time.

Ravanger

0

20

8

104

March 16, 2018 17:51:40

I have a lot of books I recommend. If you want some more just ask. Some good ones are Janitors by Tyler Whitesides, Leven Thumps by Obert Skye, Half Upon a Time and Story Thieves by James Riley, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty, Children of the Lamp by Philp Kerr, Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, and finally Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.
All of these books are the first in a series of books. I recommend especially Serafina and the Black Cloak. Its my favorite book of all time.

@Rainforest

My all-time favorite fantasy series is the Inkheart trilogy. The first book isn't completely in a fantasy setting, but has many elements of it. After that the other two are absolutely deep fantasy, but the entire series is wonderfully imagined and the characters are all intriguing. It's the kind of series that caters to the reader in that we get to see a bookworm girl suddenly be thrust into a tale much like the ones that she reads. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy lover.

Lineko

504

267

1074

1020

March 16, 2018 18:24:33

@Rainforest

My all-time favorite fantasy series is the Inkheart trilogy. The first book isn't completely in a fantasy setting, but has many elements of it. After that the other two are absolutely deep fantasy, but the entire series is wonderfully imagined and the characters are all intriguing. It's the kind of series that caters to the reader in that we get to see a bookworm girl suddenly be thrust into a tale much like the ones that she reads. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy lover.

the lunar chronicles!!

@rainforest

Despairing

334

116

770

14489

March 16, 2018 18:25:15

the lunar chronicles!!

@rainforest

bartimaeus trilogy and the mortal instruments gotta be two of my favs. There aren't really a detailedly oriented "good" and "bad", and has great plots. I especially love the play on what's "right" and such in mortal instruments.

fontana

115

51

235

9838

March 16, 2018 20:34:31

bartimaeus trilogy and the mortal instruments gotta be two of my favs. There aren't really a detailedly oriented "good" and "bad", and has great plots. I especially love the play on what's "right" and such in mortal instruments.

back from hiatus #5 (;-_-)/
sketch shop here!

Definitely give The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E. Owen a try! The first book in the series, Song of the Summer King, is one of my all time favourites. It has gryphons, wolves, lions, african wild dogs, and of course dragons - what more do you want?

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan is a really good book series that treats dragons like actual animals instead of magical beings. The story is set in Victorian times, has lots of well written characters and the dragons are awesome.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has only mild fantasy in it, but it's still one of the best books I've read in a long time. Just make sure to have a box of tissues ready, because this book will rip your heart out more than once.

You could also try out The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle - it's a classic after all!

applejuice

373

223

905

9055

March 17, 2018 03:43:15

Definitely give The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E. Owen a try! The first book in the series, Song of the Summer King, is one of my all time favourites. It has gryphons, wolves, lions, african wild dogs, and of course dragons - what more do you want?

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan is a really good book series that treats dragons like actual animals instead of magical beings. The story is set in Victorian times, has lots of well written characters and the dragons are awesome.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has only mild fantasy in it, but it's still one of the best books I've read in a long time. Just make sure to have a box of tissues ready, because this book will rip your heart out more than once.

You could also try out The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle - it's a classic after all!

Anything by Neil Gaiman forever. If you like shorts, Fragile Things has some great stories. However, if you stick mostly to the medievalist/high fantasy setting some of his stuff may not be for you.

Newtegon

0

48

121

618

March 17, 2018 08:04:13

Anything by Neil Gaiman forever. If you like shorts, Fragile Things has some great stories. However, if you stick mostly to the medievalist/high fantasy setting some of his stuff may not be for you.

First up I fully second the recommendations for
Robin Hobb's work - I'd suggest starting with Assassins's Apprentice. Whilst each of her book series stands alone they run one into the next and if you skip on you are likely to miss out on some key bits of info or characters. Rather more mature writing here overall.

Temeraire - dragons and cannon and warships. Lot of fun in this series and well worth reading if you're a dragon fan

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings - The Hobbit is far more accessible and easier to read so is a great starting point; LotR is a bit heavier in content but equally a great story and one of the big inspirational works of modern times. There are also several editions of both with great artwork in them if you hunt them down.

Seraphina - As said earlier this is a very unique and different take on dragons. I enjoyed reading it and haven't yet delved into the second book

His Dark Materials - Great fantasy adventure and far far superior to the film that was made.

Sabriel - a really powerful opening book and a great start to the series (I felt the first two books were great, the third a bit weak and eager to finish things a bit too fast).

And now for new suggestions, I'm no good at telling where young adult starts and finishes though I'm sure @kathyy would be able to give a better guideline on that score if one is interested

1) Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey - aka the "dragon lady". One of the longest series of books focused on dragons there is and a major work in its day and still today. You might find the writing a little more of a challenge to read than more modern books, but the style is easy to get used too once you get into the story.

2) Dragon Champion by E E Knight - one of the fewer books out there where the lead character is a dragon. No dragon riders, dragon tamers etc...; in this first book of the series you follow a single dragon. The following books start off following others from the same clutch of eggs and how these dragons interact and shape the world around them.

3) The Colour of Magic by Sir Terry Pratchett - the beginning of the huge Discworld series which focuses on a mad world of magic wizards witches and more. Witty and intelligently written and great fun. Each book stands on its own, but if read in order they carry links; you'll see familiar characters, notice running jokes and themes and also see the general huge strides the Discworld takes in, well, modernizing!

4) Legend by David Gemmell - mighty heroes, impossible odds and a fortress at siege. High sword swinging adventure with a touch of magic. Gemmell is a great read and this is the first of a series of similar books.

5) Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr - the start of a long running series of books. Set in a mythical realm that gets ever more magical as the series progresses. With a heavy influence of celtic background to it. Welcome to a world of round castles, roving warriors, dispossessed princes and more. A bit of a complex series in how the characters work, but a great one to be sure

If you've got an Amazon account (and especially if you use an e-reader, but you can read them on your computer as well) then I'd recommend a subscription to "Fantasy and Science Fiction" magazine. It's very cheap and you get a choice selection of short stories every few months. A great way to get some varied short fantasy and sci-fi stories; many a big author has often started with such short stories so you can find new authors to look up.

If you're after more mature reading in fantasy then I'd suggest
1) A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin - its only downside is that its not finished (yet) but otherwise is an epic world of low magic but epic fantasy with a huge roster of mortal characters.

2) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - like game of thrones this has huge armies, many many characters and epic events; however this series is both finished and also complete with a huge amount of magic, gods, spells, inhuman characters and more.

Overread

359

84

1030

1121

March 17, 2018 10:18:39

First up I fully second the recommendations for
Robin Hobb's work - I'd suggest starting with Assassins's Apprentice. Whilst each of her book series stands alone they run one into the next and if you skip on you are likely to miss out on some key bits of info or characters. Rather more mature writing here overall.

Temeraire - dragons and cannon and warships. Lot of fun in this series and well worth reading if you're a dragon fan

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings - The Hobbit is far more accessible and easier to read so is a great starting point; LotR is a bit heavier in content but equally a great story and one of the big inspirational works of modern times. There are also several editions of both with great artwork in them if you hunt them down.

Seraphina - As said earlier this is a very unique and different take on dragons. I enjoyed reading it and haven't yet delved into the second book

His Dark Materials - Great fantasy adventure and far far superior to the film that was made.

Sabriel - a really powerful opening book and a great start to the series (I felt the first two books were great, the third a bit weak and eager to finish things a bit too fast).

And now for new suggestions, I'm no good at telling where young adult starts and finishes though I'm sure @kathyy would be able to give a better guideline on that score if one is interested

1) Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey - aka the "dragon lady". One of the longest series of books focused on dragons there is and a major work in its day and still today. You might find the writing a little more of a challenge to read than more modern books, but the style is easy to get used too once you get into the story.

2) Dragon Champion by E E Knight - one of the fewer books out there where the lead character is a dragon. No dragon riders, dragon tamers etc...; in this first book of the series you follow a single dragon. The following books start off following others from the same clutch of eggs and how these dragons interact and shape the world around them.

3) The Colour of Magic by Sir Terry Pratchett - the beginning of the huge Discworld series which focuses on a mad world of magic wizards witches and more. Witty and intelligently written and great fun. Each book stands on its own, but if read in order they carry links; you'll see familiar characters, notice running jokes and themes and also see the general huge strides the Discworld takes in, well, modernizing!

4) Legend by David Gemmell - mighty heroes, impossible odds and a fortress at siege. High sword swinging adventure with a touch of magic. Gemmell is a great read and this is the first of a series of similar books.

5) Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr - the start of a long running series of books. Set in a mythical realm that gets ever more magical as the series progresses. With a heavy influence of celtic background to it. Welcome to a world of round castles, roving warriors, dispossessed princes and more. A bit of a complex series in how the characters work, but a great one to be sure

If you've got an Amazon account (and especially if you use an e-reader, but you can read them on your computer as well) then I'd recommend a subscription to "Fantasy and Science Fiction" magazine. It's very cheap and you get a choice selection of short stories every few months. A great way to get some varied short fantasy and sci-fi stories; many a big author has often started with such short stories so you can find new authors to look up.

If you're after more mature reading in fantasy then I'd suggest
1) A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin - its only downside is that its not finished (yet) but otherwise is an epic world of low magic but epic fantasy with a huge roster of mortal characters.

2) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - like game of thrones this has huge armies, many many characters and epic events; however this series is both finished and also complete with a huge amount of magic, gods, spells, inhuman characters and more.

The Great Library
Come share your favourite books and find some more to read!