Well I’m craving something in this genre but I’m a bit overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. So many titles and yet I’m not sure what to read. Maybe you can help?
I’m looking for something in a high fantasy setting. I’m not too keen on heavy politics and war driven plots (though, I can read that ). What really gets me is interesting characters, good action and magical creatures.
I’ve loved anything Discworld and I’ve also enjoyed the First Law books by Abercrombie.
I’m finding that Tolkien, Sanderson and George RR Martin appear on every fantasy list I come across, so if you do recommend something I’d appreciate it be something other than that.
I highly recommend the Earthsea book by Ursula Le Guin (I actually recommend all of her books) and the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Frtiz Lieber. Especially if you are looking for something that is a quick read and not a 20 book, 50 billion page series.
Also the Drizzt novels by R. A. Salvatore, while not the same level of quality, are fun.
I’ve read only The left hand of Darkness by Le Guin and I totally didn’t cry, you understand? If at any point anyone tells you that, they’re disgusting liars trying to tarnish my reputation. That aside, I really enjoyed the book and Earthsea was on my list of potential reads. I’ve never heard of the other recommendations, will keep in mind. Thanks
I recently reread The Dark Elf Trilogy after a long, long time and I still quite liked it. It’s funny how differently I see the themes of the first book now than I did as a teenager.
I also remember Weis and Hickman’s Draconlance Chronicles trilogy being a fun read back in the day.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series is a good one. Unlike most authors in this genre who tend to be overly descriptive and feel the need to develop the lore of every squirrel in the kingdom, Le Guin writes really tight, well thought stories, where every word is important to the story.
Ooooh
Terry Pratchett!!
The Name of the Wind By Patrick rothfuss.
Still waiting on that third book 5o come out though. It’s only been 17 years. It’ll happen any day now. 🥲
At least we have a novella coming out in 2 weeks…
But Rothfuss still owes us the full cast reading of the first few chapters of Doors of Stone. That he set as a fundraiser goal two years ago and promised would be available the following February!
My personal favorites are the Assassin series, starting with Assassin Apprentice by Robin Hobb.
Some of the best most heartfelt characters I have read in any modern fantasy, with a brilliantly unique type of magic and adventure. There is some political intrigue, especially within the first trilogy, but it isn’t overly burdened by it.
The whole series has continued to be a heavily character driven emotional roller coaster that I would love to be able to forget just so I could read them again for the first time.
My wife got me to read the first trilogy, they’re pretty good. There’s also some weird writing at times that made me think it was very much “men writing women”. And a weird scene at the end of book 3 where >!Fitz (nephew) and Verity (uncle) do a Freaky Friday body swap so Verity could fuck his wife while in his nephew’s body and impregnate her.!< I didn’t read the other books lol.
To be fair, I’ve read all of Wheel of Time and loved the series, and while it’s not as bad as Discworld, it’s still pretty weird and misogynistic at times.
You are the first person I ever know to say Discworld is bad. It’s usually love, ignorance or indifference with Pratchett’s work, may I ask why the hate?
It’s definitely good and entertaining, but I found it almost distracting how he described women. I’ve been told it was actually intentional, like he was making fun of other fantasy tropes, but it sorta turned me off to it. I only read Color of Magic.
