Fresh Fantasy -- Recommendations

[Spilt-pea Soup - Member]

Hey y'all, I'm looking for some recommendations for fresh fantasy, or at least some thoughts on a few books I'm thinking about picking up but haven't yet.

 

Recently, I've read Nights of Villjamur and loved it, as well as all the Joe Abercrombie Books.  Of course, I like WoT and ASOIAF.  I've also recently read Acacia and The Other Lands and loved them, as well as Lamentations and Canticle.  I was disappointed with Gregory Keyes' Thorn and Bone Series (I couldn't finish the last book, which to me was a big macguffin bomb that didn't compel).  So hopefully this gives you an idea of what I like.  Dark and epic, multiple PoV, not opposed to magic, but not hung up on it.  Realistic fantasy.

 

Suggestions?

 

I've been thinking about getting into Brent Weeks and maybe Peter Brett.  Also, was wondering about the series with insects (wasps?) and maybe the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham.  Guess I just haven't pulled the trigger on those as I'm not sure they'll satisfy.  In anycase, I would love some suggestions.  Definitely looking for something very engrossing, compulsively readable but not poorly written, and grand and fantastic.

[Nightstrike - Member]

I really like the stuff that J V Jones has written. Especially the "Sword of Shadows". I think you might like reading her as well. RJ himself recommended her.

 

There's an excerpt from the upcoming book (April 2010):

 

http://jvj.com/journal0110.html

 

 

 

[Caedda_Sedai - Member]

What about the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" set by Tad Williams?  Been around for a little while, but really good.  I have the set as 3 books but believe the last book was split into 2 when it was printed in paperback as it's quite large!

[Sirayn - Member]

Sam Sykes' "Tome of the Undergates" was touted to me as the second coming of Joe Abercrombie, so despite Werthead's mixed review (and I generally find that we have similar tastes in fantasy) I'm going to give it a shot.

 

Couple of other good recent fantasies: Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, and Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls.

 

edit: Since you enjoy the other doorstopper epic fantasies, you might have a crack at Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars.

[Caedda_Sedai - Member]

There's also a set by Katherine Kerr - the Deverry series - I read those years ago and they were very good indeed, although I don't think I ever got round to finishing the series.

[Spilt-pea Soup - Member]

There's also a set by Katherine Kerr - the Deverry series - I read those years ago and they were very good indeed, although I don't think I ever got round to finishing the series.

 

Hey just looked these up, and while I'll probably have to hunt around in the second-hand stores, it looks like exactly what I'm looking for.  (Dark, eh?) 

 

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Also, JV Jones and Kate Elliot up thread.  This is the third female recommendation, and considering I haven't read a book by a female in a long time, someone might be trying to tell me something.

[Sirayn - Member]

JV Jones beat her previous work hands down with the Sword of Shadows series. I enjoyed the Book of Words trilogy and the standalone Barbed Coil, but her Sword of Shadows series is pretty damn awesome. That's high on my list to read when the series is finished. (I read the first two when they were first published and lost track before the third came out.)

[Talmanes - Member]

Something new would be Warbreaker by BS;it's really good and I've heard a lot of good things about Mistborn too.

[Caedda_Sedai - Member]

 

 

Hey just looked these up, and while I'll probably have to hunt around in the second-hand stores, it looks like exactly what I'm looking for.  (Dark, eh?) 

 

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Also, JV Jones and Kate Elliot up thread.  This is the third female recommendation, and considering I haven't read a book by a female in a long time, someone might be trying to tell me something.

 

LOL have just realised that I think I have the first 5 or 6 of the Deverry series (Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell, Dragonspell, A Time of Omens, A Time of War), but the last ones have actually only just come out which might explain why I've never actually finished the series  :)  I haven't read any of these since the very early 90s though but I remember that I did really enjoy them. Perhaps they're not up there on the scale of WoT, but they are good.

 

I also like the "Dragon Prince" and "Dragon Star" series by Melanie Rawn, they're worth a look. 

 

And if you want something well, more sci-fi-ish, which is HELLISHLY complicated, then the Tad Wiliams "Otherland" series is good but very very very complex - all to do with virtual worlds and simulcrums and virtual realities.  "War of the Flowers" is also good but that's a standalone.  :)

 

[Spilt-pea Soup - Member]

Just figured that out this morning as I sat down to read Book One of the Song of Wrymm and realized it was actually the second half of the whole Deverry series. 

 

Confusing!

[Werthead - Contributor]

I'd say definitely give the Long Price Quartet a go. Excellent series.

 

Also, thanks to the power of omnibii re-releases, Paul Kearney's stupendous Monarchies of God series is going to be reissued in the summer as two volumes, Hawkwood and the Kings and Century of the Soldier. I'd definitely grab those when they come out.

[Joebiwan - Member]

The Malazan Book Of The Fallen by Stephen Erikson is amazing, and he goes out of his way (but in a good way)to be non cliche. I must warn that he throws you right into the middle of his world and story, so Gardens of the Moon (the 1st book)can be difficult to really understand fully, but imo it makes it even better. Also, Mistborn, Elantris, and Warbreaker by BS are awesome books, def worth the read.

[musiclover7 - Member]

Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy was dark and excellent..  Plus it is finished, and has a killer ending.. 

[Caedda_Sedai - Member]

Pants  >:(  After recommending it, I decided to re-read the Deverry series, only to find that I've managed to mislay the second book somehow.  Dagnamit!!!!!

[Kimarja - Member]

Just finished An Autumn War, the third book of The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham, starting the fourth. The series is definitely worth a read; Abraham gets better with every book. His style reminds me of George R.R. Martin with all the plot twists and complex characters.

 

I would also recommend books by Guy Gavriel Kay. He writes fresh, dark, realistic fantasy, Tigana might even make my list of top ten fantasy books. Of course, most of his books are stand-alones so not true epic.

[Rinkai - Member]

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott lynch! I can't recommend this book enough. There are sequels, but the first book is good enough and has enough closure that it stands alone. Go now! Read it! I'm watching you. I really mean it. Go to borders and get this book. You won't be disappointed.

 

-Rin

 

[Lord_Naryb - Member]

I just finished Jim Butchers Codex Alera series. I quite enjoyed it.