High Fantasy Elite

[zzyzx_scarecrow]

Yes.  I'm a newbie.  Hopefully this is an appropriate board to post this.

 

My question is what authors should I try now that I've got into RJ?  I guess, first of all, I need to clarify that I prefer the "high fantasy" sub-genre to sword & sorcery kind of stuff.

 

I've read:

 

George R. R. Martin (whom I loved)

Terry Goodkind (sucks, IMO)

Brandon Sanderson (who shows a lot of potential)

R. A. Salvatore (meh, not my favorite)

Tolkien (great writer, classic literature, still hard to get through at times)

C. S. Lewis (enjoyed the religious themes)

 

 

Who should I try next?

[Guest leebarr]

Steven King is good if you like dark fantasy

[xander]

I really enjoied:

 

Robin Hobb:  Asassain's Apprentice (It's a trilogy byt the name escapes me)

            Tawny Man Trilogy

 

Anything David Gemmell but start with Legend.

 

Jim Butcher:  Codex Alera

 

A series called Runelords

[slayerA]

Might try the search feature, there are couple of other post that all ready cover a lot of good books.

 

[zzyzx_scarecrow]

Steven King is good if you like dark fantasy

 

Yeah, the Dark Tower series was great.  I forgot about that.

[Razor]

I think his name is Stephen Donaldson, the trilogy about the Leper, Thomas Covenant.

 

Terry Brooks Sword of Shannara books

[zzyzx_scarecrow]

Might try the search feature, there are couple of other post that all ready cover a lot of good books.

 

Sorry.  Maybe I am retreading old ground.

 

 

Can I refine my question to include what book should I start with?  For instance, which Terry Brooks book do I start with?

[42Bonzo88]

    Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is really good, more SF than fantasy.

David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Just to name a few.

 

[Werthead]

My suggestions would be:

 

STEVEN ERIKSON

His colossal Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence starts with Gardens of the Moon. A huge narrative covering an entire planet with more storylines and characters than RJ, with the difference that Erikson keeps the pace rammed up for all seven of the books published so far (with three more to come; he's currently halfway through writing Book 9 and Book 8 isn't even out for another four months!).

 

SCOTT LYNCH

His first nove is The Lies of Locke Lamora, a great story about theives and conmen in an excellently-realised city.

 

JOE ABERCROMBIE

His First Law Trilogy, commencing with The Blade Itself, is excellent fun. Especially recommended if you like George RR Martin.

 

I'd also suggest taking a look at Raymond E. Feist (Magician), Tad Williams (The Dragonbone Chair), Scott Bakker (The Darkness That Comes Before) and Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind). I'd skip Terry Brooks, though. If you're already reading GRRM and Tolkien, you're already above Brooks' level of writing and his signature novel, The Sword of Shannara, is a pretty poor rip-off of Lord of the Rings.

[zzyzx_scarecrow]

I'd skip Terry Brooks, though. If you're already reading GRRM and Tolkien, you're already above Brooks' level of writing and his signature novel, The Sword of Shannara, is a pretty poor rip-off of Lord of the Rings.

 

Thanks for the warning.

[Kaznen]

 

Robin Hobb:  Asassain's Apprentice (It's a trilogy byt the name escapes me)

            Tawny Man Trilogy

 

It is called the Farseer Trilogy.  Talk about dark.

[Kravchenko]

I read Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy and thought it fantastic.  My heart goes out completely to FitzChivalry.  I want to read her other books in the land of the Elderlings, but I decided to read her Soldier's Son trilogy 1st. It is set in a new world and the premise seemed interesting.  Big mistake.  I bought them, so I guess I should read them... but they aren't strong.

[Korin Caylin]

How about Eragon and Eldest from the Inheritance Cycle? Written by Christopher Paolini. I like them a lot.

[Barmacral]

I've read the Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, and that was an enjoyable series.

 

Also, I haven't read any of his work, but you might try David B. Coe, we did a Q&A session with him here on DM recently, and he's a pretty good guy, I've also heard positive reviews of his work.