So what's a good book then

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

I assume, most of you think that the best fantasy book is LOTR, but in terms of all these myriad of universes such as Forgotten Realms and D&D, what's a good book to read?

A good one, not something like what most Sci-fi people churn out nowadays such as Games Workshop compost or Tamriel fanfic.

EDIT: No classics, I've read them all.

[balthier99]

Автор сообщения: Raz

Sometime in 90s Ive heard of seeker series, anyone read that? It's like a desert phantasy/sci-fi thing... Also since we touched on scifi what do you think of Empire of fading suns?

Are you maybe thinking of Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" series? It had a short run on television of a few years ago as "Legend of the Seeker" -- reviews show that most have a love/hate relationship with the books, as well as the show adaptation.

Alternatively, and more along the YA lines, The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper was prominent in the 80s--but that's less DnD (as well as the previous series) and more Welsh folklore/fantasy. That series is very enjoyable. (EDIT: Forgot to mention this also had a horrific movie adapation called "The Seeker" in the 2000s, so not sure if maybe that's what you might be remembering).

Personally, I've read and enjoyed Weis and Hickman's The Darksword Trilogy. Center's around a man born with no magic in a world where everyone is born with it, and a prophecy centering around such an event that is the mark of the end of the world. IMO, a quite enjoyable read.

[Toaster]

The "Book of the New Sun" series by Gene Wolf.

It reminds me a lot of Planescape, and is also very similar in many regards to the Soulsborne games.

Overall it's my favorite fantasy series ever... if it can be called that.

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

All I remember is a few pictures of an alpha-build of a game that was heavily advertised in a famous Russian games magazine at the time. The universe was described as a sort of a Dune/Sand world or something (and Dune being my favourite book of all time, I got intrigued, but the game ws never released). Maybe I'm getting my facts mixed up, but that's it. It was Legend of The Seeker I think, or at least it had a Seeker in it and was an established Universe. But now that I look at it it's about some medieval dude.

[sick duck]

I thought LOTR needed more detail. I've read it, and people on the internet seem to understand the book a whole lot better than I do, talking in great length about some comments the characters made.

[Lametta]

How about the Dark tower saga from Stephen king.
It spans 5 books and as a setting is a post apocalyptic western with magic and remnants of advanced technology.

One of the best book series ive ever read with mindfrek ending.

[Fork_Q2]

Автор сообщения: Lametta

How about the Dark tower saga from Stephen king.
It spans 5 books and as a setting is a post apocalyptic western with magic and remnants of advanced technology.

One of the best book series ive ever read with mindfrek ending.

I've read the first one, and really liked it, but never read the others. I've been told the books published after 2000 took a nosedive in quality, is this true?

[Lametta]

Автор сообщения: Fork_Q2

Автор сообщения: Lametta

How about the Dark tower saga from Stephen king.
It spans 5 books and as a setting is a post apocalyptic western with magic and remnants of advanced technology.

One of the best book series ive ever read with mindfrek ending.

I've read the first one, and really liked it, but never read the others. I've been told the books published after 2000 took a nosedive in quality, is this true?

imo the first one started of slow the books after were in a sense better in some parts. The first book is more grounded anyhow and in the other books it gets "crazier" with magic and tech etc. (maybe thats why some ppl dont like it?) Even though the main character and his tools stay the same those are the "obstacles" he faces.

Dont want to spoil anything but there are things story wise you ll either like or dislike depending on your preferences and well i liked them.
İmo this book at least settings and lore wise tries to do things differently and that's why liked it anyhow.

[captainwiseass]

I'm-a recommend Tad Williams as one of the best fantasists currently working. Here's his stuff by series:

Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn: Most of the contemporary epic fantasy mentioned above wouldn't exist without these books.
The Dragonbone Chair
Stone of Farewell
To Green Angel Tower (so big they had to release the MMPB in two volumes)
The Heart of What Was Lost (bridge novel to a new series set in the same world)
The Witchwood Crown (first book of that new series, out in June)

Otherland: Smart, intriguing cyberpunk with a lot of fantasy-inspired virtual worlds.
City of Golden Shadow
River of Blue Fire
Mountain of Black Glass
Sea of Silver Light

Shadowmarch: Haven't read it, but heard good things, and it's on my list.
Shadowmarch
Shadowplay
Shadowrise
Shadowheart

Bobby Dollar: Urban fantasy starring an angel who advocates for the dead at their judgment.
The Dirty Streets of Heaven
Happy Hour in Hell
Sleeping in on Judgment Day

The War of the Flowers: Standalone in which an Earthman is drawn into a war in the realms of Fae.
Tailchaser's Song: His first novel, featuring the journey of a heroic cat in the tradition of Watership Down.

[UselessJack]

Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams

Literally every single book by Terry Pratchett. Each. And. Every. Single. One.

[Rednak]

I've been reading fantasy for years now and my favourites are:

TIGANA by Guy Gavriel Kay. (great writing, one of the coolest antagonists ever IMO and great ending. It's only one book but worth a whole series, might be my all time favourite).

Rothfuss (kingkiller, has been mentioned by others)

Tad Williams' otherland series is imo his best work and worth reading.

Sanderson has written great books, mistborn and its sequels, kingkiller saga (only two books are published so far).

It's actually Science Fiction but I can't not mention this one: Hyperion and Fall of hyperion by Dan Simmons.

Finally some other fun reads are Dresden files: detective meets fantasy. It's fun, not to complicated with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour. (some 15 books but they read rather quickly) Feist's best books imo are The empire trilogy (you need to have read Magician). Also worth mentioning: the Farseer trilogy by Feist.

As opposed to some other posts, I found Deathgate disappointing, as the writing is too simple for my tastes. I've read The dark tower (Stephen King, actually seven books) again and didn't find the writing as good as I did when i was a late teenager. It's still rather fun though.

[WiPiton]

+1000 for Joe Abercrombie!

His Circle of the World books are exceptionally good and of it "The Heroes" is a true masterpiece without any doubts.

Reread it several times already, pure joy.


I can also recommend

- Guy Gavriel Kay ("The Sarantine Mosaic" especially)
- Patrick Rothfuss ("Kingkiller Chronicles")
- Glen Cook (first 3 books of "The Black Company")
- R. Scott Bakker ("The Prince of Nothing")
- Jim Butcher ("Dresden Files", first books are so-so, but the series greatly improves later)

[bigfuzzymonster]

Another vote for Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I've read it several times, and I simply cannot recommend it enough.

[themazingness]

Brandon Sanderson. Humble Bundle has some of his books up right now.

[Arbiter Libera]

I saw Steven Erikson recommended earlier and I'm seconding for his Malazan series. It's staggering how much he has managed to write for Malazan and how fast he did it. It is a fair warning to say the very first book, Gardens of the Moon, is a very difficult read that put off a lot of people because it's so densely written with tons of characters, story arcs and potential hooks that take entire future books to develop properly.

And yes, Jack Vance with his Dying Earth which was also recommended. It feels distinctly weird compared to modern fantasy, but you'll also witness where D&D stole its Vancian spellcasting system from. I'd start with the original The Dying Earth short stories collection. Technically, Dying Earth should be a classic, but many people have overlooked it.

[DrinkingSong]

Michael Moorcock the Runestaff series. You should check it out, sir