recommended authors or series?

[Guest Egwene]

TaeaDawn If you like vampire type stuff, don't forget to check out Kelley Armstrongs website...

http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

 

you can get a really good idea about her writing style from the short stories there. And it's free!

[Taei]

Yeah! I love getting hugs from strangers! Now I feel special. :oops:

 

Sowwwy... :(

 

Oh, yes and one more author that I forgot to add earlier. Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I love them, but warning, they are only for the very mature and those that don't have a weak stomach. Let's just say that it's about the life of a Medical Examaner, aka Coroner, so be prepaired for graphic details and all kinds of weird twists and turns.

 

And I must add that I've read a lot of Star Wars and Star Trek books and have only not liked a few of them. Of course, I'm an avid SW/ST fan...

[Kadere]

Taei- That was suppose to be my blushing because I like the hug and felt special. There's no need to apoligize.

[joeybsmash]

I cannot recomend Terry Prachett's dicworld enough.

[joeybsmash]

the best fantasy novel i ever read was written in the 60's by an american author. i cannot remember his name nor can i rember a title. but it was the first of a series and a modernization of the odessy

[Sirayn]

Sirayn, I'd say you had pretty good taste in books!

Sirayn... good review.. though for me Terry Goodkind is upper end of Neutral.

 

I knew you loved me. 8)

 

Still, I don't think your description of the Wayfarer Redemption covers how truly dismal the books are ;) The whole trilogy is mindless drivel without a single ounce of inspiration or interest. How I managed to read them I never know, but i would rather have my fingernails pulled off one by one than go through the experience again.

 

Brother, you are a man after my own black and shrivelled heart. If I had the book to hand I would construct a more accurate and withering review, but I have repressed all the details to protect my fragile mind.

 

If you don't agree with the theory, that's one thing, I don't agree with some parts of it, but to expect him not to go on a "moralistic spiel" when that's his intent from the start, just means you're reading the book without knowing his purpose. The books are written FOR the spiel, if you're going to read the books you just have to except it.

 

Got to go with Winespring Brother on this one. The series is marketed as epic fantasy and a reader expects to find epic fantasy under the covers. I didn't find the philosophy to be all that strong myself, or maybe it's toned down for Wizard's First Rule and the entire book was so mediocre I never continued with it to plumb the depths of his Randian thinking, but the don't like don't read concept doesn't work if it isn't properly labelled.

 

Aramina,

 

And speaking of wierd sex life... the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. Don't read if you find S&M offensive. It's not the whole plot, but when they main character experiences pain as pleasure.. you're bound to see it a lot.

 

I don't know how I missed the Kusheline Cycle out of my positive reviews! The writing is elegant and the plot is interestingly political. Carey also writes the only sex scenes I enjoyed reading, possibly because they're less clinical than the frequent sex scenes in A Song of Ice and Fire, or possibly because they're from the woman's point of view. The down side to the Kusheline Cycle is that the protagonist, Phèdre, is a bit of a Mary Sue and succeeds in increasingly improbable ways.

 

Five stars, while I'm doing extra positive reviews, for The Dark Tower by Stephen King. This seven-book series is a fantastic mix of epic fantasy, apocalyptic sci-fi, the western and King's best known horror genre. I'm still mesmerised by it and I haven't picked it up in months. I say thankya, sai King. :D

 

Taei:

 

Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I love them, but warning, they are only for the very mature and those that don't have a weak stomach. Let's just say that it's about the life of a Medical Examaner, aka Coroner, so be prepaired for graphic details and all kinds of weird twists and turns.

 

I found the series to be very ... clinical. It was difficult to sympathise with the characters, particularly Kay Scarpetta, and it's tough going reading a series when you don't like the protagonist. All the cast seemed to do was snap at one another.

 

joeybsmash:

 

the best fantasy novel i ever read was written in the 60's by an american author. i cannot remember his name nor can i rember a title. but it was the first of a series and a modernization of the odessy

 

Are you thinking of Ilium by Dan Simmons? He's the only author I know who does sf/f renditions of Greek classics ... but that is the Iliad rather than the Odyssey and twenty years out so maybe he's not the one you're after. :D

 

Cheers,

Sirayn

[Moiraine Sedai]

I highly reccommend all R.A Salvatores books on Drizzt of course, All Dragonlance books following the main characters(tanis,Laurana,Sturm,Flint Etc..),David Eddings Mallorean and Belgariad, Starlight and shadows elaine cunningham,The last mythal vy Richard Baker,The Highway man R.A Salvatore Most Forgotten Realms Books Are decent as long as they are about 300 pages in length.

[Taei]

Taei- That was suppose to be my blushing because I like the hug and felt special. There's no need to apoligize.

 

Ah, okay... *was thinking that I had scared someone off...*

[Kadere]

You could never scare me off, I'm too addicted to this sight. :D

 

So, I'm on the last book of Dune (Chapterhouse Dune) and I highly recommend this series for people who like to think while reading. Very indepth, almost confusingly indepth.

[Ozhammer]

Has anyone read Earth Abides? I cant rememeber the author!

[Marak]

Quick opinions on others mentioned in this thread:

 

- The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass had so little original material it was actually remarkable. Every sentence contained a cliche' date=' every plot point was a cliche, the races were ripped off of equally uninspired cliches. All in all I found it dire.[/quote']

 

I really, really have to agree with you here. The Starman trilogy was quite good, it had an excellent plotline, good v evil with a necessary dash of betrayal and intruigue. The end of the Wayfarer Redemption was horrible. No explanation, no nothing. It was possibly the worst ending I've ever read.

 

 

On that note, Ian Irvine is pretty good. His original View from the Mirror trilogy was rather tedious, but the Well of Echoes is nothing more than plain awesome.

 

Oh, and regarding Harry Potter. Can't stand the books, personally. I've yet to feel for any of the characters, or even finish a HP book if I have anything else to do.

[Guest Egwene]

I wouldn't say Harry Potter is the best book ever written... BUT.... Every single writer in the fantasy genre(and others too) owes J.K.Rowling a huge thanks.

 

It has brought kids and adults to reading that haven't read before and increased readers interest in the whole field. Because of the Harry Potter success publishers now treat fantasy with a great deal more respect. It means more fantasy gets out onto the shelves. Our local bookshops stocks far more S&F books now than before Harry Potter. The Goblet of Fire has even made it acceptable to have books thicker than a chocolate bar for the younger age groups.

 

Personally, I enjoyed reading them. They are also great if you are trying to practise foreign languages because the one it isn't published in has probably not yet been invented. Sofar I have french, italien, dutch and english copies. A friend has over a dozen in different languages. Maybe in a thousand years time, it will become the Rosetta Stone of our age :D

 

So for me Harry Potter deserves a place in history the same as Lord of the Rings.

[Lady Cleo]

i compleatly agree with egwene, you never used to see kids reading when i went to school, now i get on a bus after a new harry potter has come out, and there are kids reading on the way to school.

 

Once they catch the reading bug, we can steer them in the direction of decent books (WOT etc)

 

To stay on topic, i would reccomend any terry pratchet, the only author i can't read in public because i get sent into giggles. Still it means i normally get a seat to myself on the train!

[Niamh Sedai]

I love Harry Potter and if I hadn't read it I would be here today. Fantasy is my favourite genre but I never would have known that without HP. In fact I picked up "From the Two Rivers" in the Young Adult Section of my local bookshop when I was 14.(I don't actually own a proper copy of EotW still!! lol)

 

Harry Potter's popularity has meant that books like WoT are made available to a younger audience. It's definately been good for fantasy as a genre.

[Guest Egwene]

My first Pratchett was 'The Monstrous Regiment'. It's so funny!!

 

Pratchett is co clever you could stick a tail on him an call him a fox

[Kadere]

yeah, I don't know about Egwene, Lady Cleo, or Niamh Sedai, but my friends and I have been reading fantasy novels since we were in third grade. Now I understand that that's about five years before Harry Potter was ever written, but for me it was my father reading Narnia to me when I was 5 and 6. Harry Potter's an alright series, but I've always found it rather sad that this totally exploted and over praised series gets ALL the credit, as though no one EVER read fantasy before it. There are a million children's fantasy series which, in my opinion, are better. Maybe if parents actually read to their kids, series like Narnia or The Hobbit, maybe we wouldn't blame tv for ruining our kids so much.

[Lanthirrhos]

At least it wasn't 'The Monsterous 12th Regiment'! :lol: I'da been hurt! :cry:

 

 

Camulod Chronicles (USA)

Dream of Eagles (UK)

 

I've posted so many time about these that I don't feel the need to do so again! Check 'em out!

[Alys Kinch]

**The end of the Wayfarer Redemption was horrible. No explanation, no nothing. It was possibly the worst ending I've ever read. **

 

keep in mind that if an american suggested these books then the whole thing is called the wayfarer redemption, and they aren't all out here. i think the first three were great, but the next two... seriously felt like they were forced.

[Guest Egwene]

Kadere... not suggesting people didn't read before. Just that Harry Potter has made a really big difference.

 

I used to read a lot as a kid... I think my local library ran out in the end... but than life kicked in, new jobs, hobbies other commitments and I got out of the habit of reading books. It was The Goblet of Fire that my husband brought home that got me back into reading. Since than I have bought literally over a hundred fantasy books.

[Darkhound]

My first exposure to fantasy was David Gemmel's Morningstar, and I fondly remember Dark Prince and Lion of Macedon. (Note that this was quite a while back.)

Maybe I only remeber this books as good because it was my first real step into the world of fantasy.

Have any of you read Gemmel? What are your opinion of his work?

[Kocisz]

I myself have started with Karl Edward Wagner's "The Death Angel's Shadow", which I actually found on my mother's bookshelf (she bought it by mistake). That gave me a start, after reading David Eddings' books I fell in love with fantasy genre. From there I took it to Rober Jordan, George R.R. Martin, R.A. Salvatore and all the others... :)

[Guest Karana Majin]

Stop discussing books here! If you guys love or hate Sara Douglass, start a thread devoted to her. Same for Robin Hobb.

 

And for god's sake, post on the GRRM thread! He's the top vote getter and no one wants to discuss him?

[Guest Egwene]

:shock: no one to discuss GRRM??

 

...sorry, but I can't help... not my favourite books by far.

 

Darkhound... I did read several of Gemmel's books, they are ok, but for me they are more gap fillers than favourites. Have to admit, I don't remember that much of the stories so maybe I should re-read a bit.

[Guest Karana Majin]

*pokes with a stick* Come on, guys! I didn't mean really stop discussing! I was trying to get people to start individual threads about certain authors, is all. This thread should be recommendations only! If you want to discuss certain authors' works, start a thread (such as the GRRM one *hint, hint*)

 

Otherwise, carry on here as normal!!! :D

[Kadere]

So I'm almost done with The Chronicles of Dune, I HIGHLY recommend books 1-3, book 4 is not so good, mostly a lot of repeating information through boring dialouge until the end, book five is almost the same way but the story is more interesting, and so far book 6 SUCKS!!!!!!!! But I still highly recommend the original trilogy.