I need a new fantasy series to read

[Kelthaz]

Since finishing A Dance With Dragons I've tried to find something to tide me over until the next book is released sometime next century, but it's not going so well. I'll list the series I tried reading and why I gave up on them. I rest all my hopes on you. Find me something good to read.

Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

The book starts off well, but Kvothe is too much of a Mary Sue. It wouldn't be quite so bad if the other characters were interesting, but there are no other characters. He's the only important character in the book. After hundreds of pages reading about how awesome and special and intelligent this dick is I just gave up. I couldn't take any more of it.

Malazan, Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

Again, very interesting start, but I'm convinced that Mr. Erikson has ADHD. Hell hounds wiped out a city, a mage is killed twice and turned into a puppet, an army is assaulting the city of Pale, Pale gets support from Doom Island, the army defeats the rock in combat, Captain Paran is killed and resurrected by the God of Death, and now we're invading another city. This all happens in about 150 pages. Focus, damn you! Focus! I read a few reviews on Amazon and even fans of the series admit that this remains a problem. This series is not for me.

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

It's been years since I tried to read this series, so my thoughts aren't very clear on why I stopped reading. All I remember is making it through the first half of the first book before I gave up from boredom. If I hear some praise for the series I would be happy to give it a second chance.

Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

I don't need spoilers for this, but I like to keep things consistent. These books give you about 2-3 lines of fantastic storytelling for every 2-3 pages of purple prose. No, I don't give a damn about some King from 10,000 years ago or the unique colour of the trees. It's just not worth it when I have the movies at my fingertips.

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Put down the pitchforks. I love this series, but I'm in the mood for something more serious to scratch my fantasy itch. Although I do love this series, so maybe that helps? Maybe not?

[Sindatur]

The First, Second and Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

First and Second Chronicles (Each a Trilogy) have been completed for decades. Final Chronicles (A Quadrilogy) has it's final bppk coming out in the Fall

[Evil Twin]

This might help.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php...ations-series/

[Klaus]

Sindatur wrote:

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The First, Second and Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

First and Second Chronicles (Each a Trilogy) have been completed for decades. Final Chronicles (A Quadrilogy) has it's final bppk coming out in the Fall

Covenant is the classic love-it-or-hate-it series... I love it. If you want something shorter, Julian May's Boreal Moon trilogy was great, like all of her stuff is.

[Brendan Moody]

A lot of people who enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire also enjoy R. Scott Bakker, so you might want to check out his work. The Darkness that Comes Before is the first book.

[sidious618]

Brendan Moody wrote:

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A lot of people who enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire also enjoy R. Scott Bakker, so you might want to check out his work. The Darkness that Comes Before is the first book.

I haven't heard of him so I'll have to check it out since I'm a big Martin fan. In general, Martin has ruined me for fantasy as I find that nothing else holds a candle to ASofIaF.

[Gaith]

[Lindley]

Have you read The Dresden Files yet? The only downside is they've started releasing them in this terrible oddly-sized paperback format, but they're great reads.

[backstept]

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is quite good. I'm working my way through it right now.
The Shannara series by Terry Brooks is good, but there are tons of books. (looking at the list I can't believe I've read most of 'em :P) The first trilogy, with a prequel, The Heritage Tetralogy, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, the High Druid trilogy, the genesis trilogy, and the legends duology . . . and he's still writing more!
His Landover series sounds good, but I haven't read 'em. I highly recommend his Word and Void trilogy too.

[IcecreamLtDan]

I was actually going to mention The Dresden Files myself. If you have an ereader they have two collections that consist of books 1 -6 and 7 - 12 and the rest are separate books so you can go that route and save some bucks.

[stj]

Gaith wrote:

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A strong hand, but I see you with Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, and raise you with Alan Garner's Weirdstone trilogy.

[Greg Cox]

And there's always the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser series by Fritz Leiber.

[Rulius]

Try Glen Cooks the Black Company; Brandon Sanderson the Way of kings, mistborn trilogy; David Eddings the Belgariad; Katherine Kerr Daggerspell; Raymond Feist Magician;
NK Jemisin the hundred thousand kingdoms.

[Greg Cox]

There's also the "Eddie LaCrosse" series by Alex Bledsoe, which is about a hard-boiled private swordsman investigating mysteries in various fantasy kingdoms. Think Raymond Chandler meets Dungeons & Dragons. I've been enjoying them so far.

(Full disclosure: I also wrote the jacket copy for most of the books.)

[Kegg]

The Bas Lag series. Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Iron Council.

It's not much like Martin beyond being mature and serious takes on fantasy, but it's a good example of how to do fantasy that's really, really big on being actually fantastical and yet keep it grounded and lovely and fantastic and the rest of it. It's more like a Discworld that's grown up and gone weird than it is Westeros.

All said, check it out.