What to read?

[Mat Cauthon]

I have just finished the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Now I am looking for what to read. There are plenty of lists that I have seen for favorite fantasy series, but I don't know exactly what they have read. Obviously someone who never read the Wheel of Time series couldn't put in their list. So I want to ask about a few series which I have seen quite a lot in the lists. If you don't see your favorite series on this but you think it is good then please just put it on.

 

For the record the series which I have read:

Wheel of Time

A Song of Ice and Fire

Chronicles of Narnia

Lord of the Rings

Space Trilogy (C.S. Lewis) only the first two...

Harry Potter

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The books I have heard a lot about:

Belgariad

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

Sword of Truth

Dune

 

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If you have read any of these could you post a short review (again, you can do one for the best fantasy series which isn't listed here if you think it deserves one). Just put if you liked it or not and if you would recommend it. Put the positive and negative aspects and maybe a brief overview of what the series is about.

 

I just want to see what I should start reading next and any help from the people here at DM would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you to everyone who helps.

[Werthead]

The obvious one to go for is The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. The first novel is Gardens of the Moon. It can be a bit gruelling on a newcomer to get into (the first 150-odd pages can be pretty hardcore), but it's well worth making the attempt. After ASoIaF it's probably the most critically-acclaimed fantasy series out there. It's a ten-book series with the seventh volume out next month and the author already halfway through writing the eighth book. This is literally the only series I know which is bigger and more complex than even Wheel of Time. However, Erikson never lets the pace sag as Jordan does at times and the structure of the series is far more original. And no-one writes battle sequences like Erikson, particularly in the third volume.

 

I'd also strongly recommend Scott Lynch's series, The Gentleman Bastard. The first book, The Lies of Locke Lamora, is out now and the sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies, is out in the summer. It's more stand-alone than other series (at the moment anyway), with the same characters engaging in different adventures, but it's great fun, really well-written. There will be five more books featuring the same characters.

 

Of the ones you list, I wouldn't touch Sword of Truth with a fifty-foot barge-pole (the main character becomes a mass-murdering fascist dictator over the course of the series and apparently that's a good thing according to the author). The Belgariad is an excellent beginner's fantasy, maybe for 10 or 12-year-olds, and may be of historical interest for older readers. However, it doesn't really stand up to the modern fantasy epics. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is very enjoyable and well-written, and is of great influence on the genre as the series which inspired GRRM to write ASoIaF. It's a bit long-winded though. Dune is an excellent, classic SF novel of tremendous influence on the genre. I'd recommend giving it a try.

[Mat Cauthon]

Thank you for the response Werthead. I appreciate it. I have heard so many mixed reviews on the Sword of Truth series. A lot who like it and a lot who think it is horrible.

 

I was thinking of adding The Malazan Book of the Fallen but i decided against it.

[Silver]

yeah, Belgariad is a great fun read. it's not as heavy as WoT or aSoIaF

 

and yeah, i wish i've never touched Sword of Truth. barely got into the second book before i just stopped

[Tommar]

There are so many series out there. the Sword of truth books... if you are interested read the first one then stop cuz the rest is a waste of time for good fantasy reads.

 

There are so many series out there, I suggest just picking one at random and read it, David Eddings wrote many light fantasy series that I enjoyed. I call them light because they are a good enjoyable read without the heavy politics and complications of modern fantasy. The Elenium and Belgariad/Malloreon were both nice series.

 

The Runelords series by David Farland was an enjoyable original work I thought as well.

 

If you have not read the Dune series (the original) then I highly suggest you do, it is close to tLotR's for influence in todays fantasy and sci-fi. I have not read any of the newer series done by Brian but the original was a great read.

[DubbleChrisP]

I honestly think you should go for the Coldfire trilogy. It's a Sci-fi/Fantasy novel that takes place a thousand years or so after Earth colonists land on a planet that strips them of all their technology because of a force called the fae. The fae is probably the most interesting aspect of the series. It's kind of like magic, but it has a sort of matter, and it has currents that eddy and swirl around different areas of the planet, and surge during natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

 

The series follows a warrior-priest, one of the last who follow the religion of the One God in a world of daemon worshippers. It's been a LONG time since I read the series, so I'm a little foggy on the details, but the core theme of the series is the necessity of alliance between good and evil to defeat a greater evil, and the philosophical and personal struggles that the priest must overcome in doing so.

[Werthead]

I've just picked up the first book of The Coldfire Trilogy. Slightly unbelievably, it's never been published in the UK before (I think it came out in the USA about 15 years ago). A series of similar reknown is Michelle West's Sun Sword series, which is also supposed to be great and similarly I think gets its first UK release later this year or next year.

 

I'd also add to my recommendations:

 

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. The first two books (The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged) are out now (in the UK) and Book 3 is out next March. Pyr Books are publishing the US editions starting in September. It's a very enjoyable series, fast-paced with a great sense of humour, but a real sense of depth and character to it as well.

 

JV Jones' Book of Words Trilogy is decent, if a little bit more oriented to the YA market. However, it's worth reading because the sequel series, The Sword of Shadows (two books out of four out now, the third in December and the fourth apparently not too long after) is absolutely superb, one of the best epic fantasy series of the last ten years.

 

R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing Trilogy is the third of the 'Big Three' modern fantasy series (after Martin and Erikson). Although the story is totally different, the style of writing is very similar to that of Dune, so if you like Dune you'll know to pick up this trilogy as well.

 

And of course there are The Classics. After The Lord of the Rings the most essential foundation-series for modern fantasy are Jack Vance's Dying Earth series (four books), Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy and Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (four books), although the latter two are quite literary and challenging.

[Amethea]

I'd suggest trying the Belgariad - or any of the earlier series by Eddings - as a possibility. They aren't the most challenging of reads, but they do hold interest and the characterizations are fairly good. Some of the early Anne McCaffrey Pern books are quite good, too, although the later ones get more into sci-fi than fantasy.

[Kadere]

Haha. Well I'll be the one to say, go ahead and read SoT. It's total testostorne. Lot's of violence. Richard doesn't become a facist murdering psycho as many like to think. He's a reasonable man who's fighting for the protection of his people. The entire series is a fantasy lovers guide to Objectivism and Libritarianism, much like Robert Hienlien and Ayn Rand. Each book gives you a thesis in it's Wizard's Rule, and then the rest of the book expands on why that rule is important in each individuals life and why you should live by it.

 

At it's heart the story is a love story of Richard and Kahlan. Some (though few) of the main secondary characters do die, and the action scenes can be very brutal at times. But it's a fantasy series. It's like watching 11 Arnold Schwartzanhiger films back to back. It's really quite fun. Terry Goodkind is not the best writer, there are TONS of better writers out there, but the series is fun and thought provoking, and if you can understand what he's trying to say about life, you might even learn a thing or two.

 

Another great reason to start reading them is that the FINAL book in the series will be released this November, so really you're coming into at just the right time.

[battousai]

a memory, sorrow thorn should be a good read. I havent read it, but since its only a trilogy, it will occupy the time u have right now. Plus I know people that have read it and say its definitely worth a read.

[Mat Cauthon]

Thank you all for your advice.

 

Right now my list is:

 

The Name of the Wind

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn

Malazan Book of the Fallen

The Belgariad

Dune

The Last Unicorn

[Moseley]

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series is really good. it's one of the better fantasy series i've read. i'm also reading Canticle for Leibowitz, which is really interesting. its more sci-fi, but it's still good.

[Xeonicus]

I really have to agree about the Coldfire Trilogy. It was fantastic as one of the above posters said.

 

I read the first 5 or 6 books of the Sword of Truth series. It was okay. It is full of rape and torture and brutal violence, just a forewarning. It can be a tad excessive at times. I also thought the way the author tied together plot threads was a bit contrived (though someone I know tells me this is supposedly explained later in the series... personally, I think thats a cop out for bad writing *shrug*). My biggest issue with the series was how badly it seemed like the author ripped off ideas from the Wheel of Time. I found it to be a decent way to pass the time, but not a incredibly fulfilling series.

 

Now, if you like sci-fi I'd suggest the Neuromancer series of books from William Gibson. Those are some of my favorite. Think cyber punk, megacorporations, cyberspace, drugs, spiritualism, etc.

[Essy]

Can't speak much for these books people are telling you; never heard of them!

 

My favorite series, and pretty much tied with Wheel of Time is the Fall of Troy by David Gemmel. 2/3 are out, first one being Troy - Lord of the Silver Bow.

 

HIGHLY suggested.

[Rufae]

I think a great series is David B. Coe's series called Winds of the Forelands. It is 5 books long and is a great read. It goes pretty deep with political intrigue but has some good battle/fight scenes. There's castles seiges, assassinations, power plays. One of my favorite characters in all of SF/F is in it, Cadel. He is an assassin that you can't help but like, before he slices your throat at least. It really is an enjoyable read. You can find out more about it, the author, and plenty of sample chapters at: http://www.davidbcoe.com .

 

Others to try would be Terry Prattchet and his Discworld series. Lots of books and all of them great if you like a comedic spin on the Fantasy point of view. He's kinda like Douglas Adams meets Fantasy. I would start with The Colour of Magic and then the Rincewind books. Follow that up with Guards! Guards! and the City Watch books. Then go with Mort and the DEATH books. They are like a bag of Lay's potato chips, one bite and you can't put'em down.

 

 

Other than that, I would recommend Feist and the Riftwar Saga. It is a good read and not too deep or gorey.

 

Anne McCaffery's Pern is another good read although some people have a problem with some of the later books story arc. She takes an essentially Dark Age society and boosts them to knowledgable about computers/space in a matter of a year or two book time.

[Ihsara]

I'm glad that Dune is on your list. It's a good book, with a plot that's rather similar to WoT and Rand's situation.

 

You can also check out The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov. I've only read a couple but they're really interesting.

[Miraj]

I would have to agree with Rufae, and say that the Raymond E. Feist books are really good. Not as in depth as WoT, but definately a good read.

[Lady Saravhem]

Sara Douglas :Wayfarer series, Crucible Series, Troy Game Series, Beyond the Hanging Wall

 

Robin Hobb: The farseer tril; the liveship tril; the golden fool tril(to be read in that order)

 

David Gemmell: Any and all books by him

 

Elizabeth Hayden: The Rhapsody Books.

[DragynFli]

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again.

 

The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman