You left out The Other Wind.
What are some of your favorite fantasy novels?
- Thread starter Argus Skyhawk
- Start date
In the order that they come to me:
The Last Herald Mage:
Harry Potter
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
The Lord of the Rings
The Last Herald Mage:
- Magic's Pawn
- Magic's Promise
- Magics Price
- Winds of Fate
- Winds of Change
- Winds of Fury
- Storm Warning
- Storm Rising
- Storm Breaking
Harry Potter
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever
- Lord Foul's Bane
- The Illearth War
- The Power That Preserves
- The Wounded Land
- The One Tree
- White Gold Wielder
The Lord of the Rings
- The Fellowship of the Rings
- The Two Towers
- The Return of the King
- Interview With the Vampire
- The Vampire Lestat
- The Queen of the Damned
- The Witching Hour
- Lasher
- Taltos
GRUNTS! by Mary Gentle-funnnnnnnyyyyyyy! And sick.
The Neverending Story.(book version with the green and red)
Quest for the Faradawn
World Enough, and Time-james Kahn
the Spellsinger series by Foster
The Wizardry series by Cook
Dhalgren by Sam Delaney
Magic Kingdom for Sale-Terry Brooks
Tea with the Black Dragon
The Land Of Laughs
anything by Charles deLint-but I like Svaha the best
The Compleat Enchanter-Lester Del Rey
The Warlock In Spite of Himself-Christopher Staffesh
The Practice Effect-David Brin
Tailchaser's Song
Watership Down-Adams
Peter Pan by J M Barry
Bored Of the Rings-Harvard Lampoon
notice no Tolkein, Covenant, or Potter....More to come.
The Neverending Story.(book version with the green and red)
Quest for the Faradawn
World Enough, and Time-james Kahn
the Spellsinger series by Foster
The Wizardry series by Cook
Dhalgren by Sam Delaney
Magic Kingdom for Sale-Terry Brooks
Tea with the Black Dragon
The Land Of Laughs
anything by Charles deLint-but I like Svaha the best
The Compleat Enchanter-Lester Del Rey
The Warlock In Spite of Himself-Christopher Staffesh
The Practice Effect-David Brin
Tailchaser's Song
Watership Down-Adams
Peter Pan by J M Barry
Bored Of the Rings-Harvard Lampoon
notice no Tolkein, Covenant, or Potter....More to come.
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I can't pick a single book from a series, so:
The Belgariad & The Malloreon by David Eddings
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (RIP)
The Deryni Cycle by Katherine Kurtz
Incarnations of Immortality and The Apprentice Adept by Piers Anthony
The Deathgate Cycle by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
The Myth Books by Robert Asprin
The Belgariad & The Malloreon by David Eddings
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (RIP)
The Deryni Cycle by Katherine Kurtz
Incarnations of Immortality and The Apprentice Adept by Piers Anthony
The Deathgate Cycle by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
The Myth Books by Robert Asprin
I love the Word and the Void trilogy, but the first book of the bridging series 'Armageddon's Children' was pretty sub-par. The gritty subdued fantasy of the original trilogy was turned much more overt with demons quickly morphing into beastial forms, humans mutating into various sub-species, monstrous creatures coming up from the bowels of the earth, a secret society of elves in the pacific coastal mountains, etc. John Ross is gone of course, since it takes place somewhere around a century later, and the two Knights of the Word characters are pretty sub-par compared to him.
Overall, I get the impression that rather than earth transforming into Shannara over thousands of years (or any such thing which would actually be interesting to follow in a long series) there is going to be a big magical event that either transports some of the characters (and surrounding humanity) from earth to Shannara or immediately renews the broken earth into the lush magical world.
It is very sad. I may read the rest of the story just to fill in some of my 'popcorn reading' between heavier stuff, but I think I'll likely keep the original Word and Void series separate in my mind since it stands so much stronger than his other work IMO. (much like I do the Star Wars OT)
A second Feist, simply because no one seems to read him.
His fantasy, including those "co-author" books, are just fun to read and don't seem to have the pretentiousness that prevades other similar high fantasy. He doesn't try to be too fancy, he just tells you, for the most part, what happens in an interesting way.
The Michael Bay of fantasy, I suppose.
His fantasy, including those "co-author" books, are just fun to read and don't seem to have the pretentiousness that prevades other similar high fantasy. He doesn't try to be too fancy, he just tells you, for the most part, what happens in an interesting way.
The Michael Bay of fantasy, I suppose.
Jim Butcher's Dresden File books are my favorites. The next one comes out this month, YAY!!
Simon Green's Nightside series.
Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) series.
Yasmine Galenorn new series-Witchling, Changeling, Darkling books
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony (the best of the series)
Simon Green's Nightside series.
Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire) series.
Yasmine Galenorn new series-Witchling, Changeling, Darkling books
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony (the best of the series)
How fortuitious! This thread and the 'Fav Sci Fi novels' thread are giving me titles to look for in beach reading whilst I'm stranded on a desert island next week.
I had been thinking of bringing my Tolkien library - not just Hobbit and LOTR. My favs are The Silmarrion and the other lost and half finished tales. My mind gets busy fleshing them out!
Other fantasy books dust-free on my shelves are
The Prydrain series by Lloyd Alexander. [which should be a movie series]
and
Narnia by CS Lewis [though the movies are ruining them].
I had been thinking of bringing my Tolkien library - not just Hobbit and LOTR. My favs are The Silmarrion and the other lost and half finished tales. My mind gets busy fleshing them out!
Other fantasy books dust-free on my shelves are
The Prydrain series by Lloyd Alexander. [which should be a movie series]
and
Narnia by CS Lewis [though the movies are ruining them].
You are correct but I only left it out because it's the one book in the series that I haven't read yet.
It's actually on my hold list for the next trip to the library.
VenardhiRe: What are some of your favorite fantasy novels?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowdarzz
The Word and the Void Trilogy by Terry Brooks
I. Running with the Demon
II. A Knight of the Word
III. Angel Fire East
I really don't like the fact that Brooks has decided to fold this trilogy into his Shannara series. However as I have not read the Shannara series, this opinion may change once I do.
I love the Word and the Void trilogy, but the first book of the bridging series 'Armageddon's Children' was pretty sub-par. The gritty subdued fantasy of the original trilogy was turned much more overt with demons quickly morphing into beastial forms, humans mutating into various sub-species, monstrous creatures coming up from the bowels of the earth, a secret society of elves in the pacific coastal mountains, etc. John Ross is gone of course, since it takes place somewhere around a century later, and the two Knights of the Word characters are pretty sub-par compared to him.
Overall, I get the impression that rather than earth transforming into Shannara over thousands of years (or any such thing which would actually be interesting to follow in a long series) there is going to be a big magical event that either transports some of the characters (and surrounding humanity) from earth to Shannara or immediately renews the broken earth into the lush magical world
Thats unfortunate. Well based on that and what others have told me, I figure I'll just read the Shannara series starting with First King, then when I'm finished I might check out Armageddon's Children and its two sequels.
Ah, very good. If you enjoyed the first five, you'll love The Other Wind.
It's almost impossible to list just the novels, as so many good books are part of an even greater series.
Incarnations of Immortality-Piers Anthony
The Icewind Dale Trilogy-R.A. Salvatore(the first three are the best, but the whole series is good)
Castle for Rent-Dechancie (i think they're meant for kids but i did really enjoy them..ahem, years and years ago)
Lord Valentines Castle-Silverberg
The Warlock in Spite of Himself-Stasheff
The Pendragon Series-Lawhead
Incarnations of Immortality-Piers Anthony
The Icewind Dale Trilogy-R.A. Salvatore(the first three are the best, but the whole series is good)
Castle for Rent-Dechancie (i think they're meant for kids but i did really enjoy them..ahem, years and years ago)
Lord Valentines Castle-Silverberg
The Warlock in Spite of Himself-Stasheff
The Pendragon Series-Lawhead
I haven't read much fantasy but I'm just getting into Lois McMaster Bujold's Paladin of Souls. Great stuff!
JOOC, why am I like the only person who didn't recommend whole series of books? I feel weird because of it.
Anyway, here's some more reccommendations, which are all 'series-based':
The 'Chalion' series ("The Curse of Chalion", "Paladin of Souls", and "The Hallowed Hunt") by Lois McMaster Bujold
The 'Redwall' series by Brian Jacques
"The Fionovar Tapestry" ("The Summer Tree", "The Wandering Fire", and "The Darkest Road") by Guy Gavriel Kay
"The Bitterbynde Trilogy" ("The Ill-Made Mute", "The Lady of the Sorrows" and "The Battle of Evernight") by Cecilia Dart-Thornton
"The Echorium Sequence" ("Song Quest", "Crystal Mask", and "Dark Quetzal") by Katherine Roberts
"The Magickers" ("The Magickers", "The Curse of Arkady", "The Dragon Guard", and "Gate of Bones") by Emily Drake
"The Death Gate Cycle" ("Dragon Wing", "Elven Star", "Fire Sea", "Serpent Mage", "The Hand of Chaos", "Into the Labyrinth", and "The Seventh Gate") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"The Sovereign Stone Trilogy" ("Well of Darkness", "Guardians of the Lost", and "Journey into the Void") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"The Rose of the Prophet Trilogy" ("Will of the Wanderer", "The Paladin of the Night", and "The Prophet of Ahkran") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
I'd also reccommend the entire 'Drizzt Chronicles' (actually comprised of several trilogies, some of which were repackaged, not as the 'Drizzt Chronicles' as I thought, but as the 'Legend of Drizzt'), 'Dark is Rising Sequence', 'Time Quintet', 'Young Wizardry', and 'Merlin's Descendants' series:
Drizzt Chronicles/Legend of Drizzt
Homeland (Book I; originally published as Book 1 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Exile (Book II; originally published as Book 2 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Sojourn (Book III; originally published as Book 3 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Streams of Silver (Book V; originally published as Book 2 of The Crystal Shard Trilogy)
The Halfling's Gem (Book VI; originally published as Book 3 of The Crystal Shard Trilogy)
The Legacy (Book VII; originally published as Book 1 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Starless Night (Book VIII; originally published as Book 2 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Siege of Darkness (Book IX; originally published as Book 3 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Passage to Dawn (Book X; originally published as Book 4 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
The Silent Blade (Book XI; originally published as Book 1 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
The Spine of the World (Book XII; originally published as Book 2 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
Servant of the Shard (Book XIII; originally published as Book 3 of a series called Paths of Darkness; is also Book 1 of a series called The Sellswords)
Sea of Swords (Book XIV; originally published as Book 4 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
The Thousand Orcs (Book 1 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Lone Drow (Book 2 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Two Swords (Book 3 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Dark is Rising Sequence
The Dark Is Rising (Book 2) (Note: much, much better than the bastardized movie, which I never saw)
Greenwitch (Book 3)
The Grey King (Book 4)
Silver on the Tree (Book 5)
The Time Quintet
A Wrinkle in Time (Book 1)
A Wind in the Door (Book 2)
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Book 3)
An Acceptable Time (Book 5)
Young Wizardry
So You Want to Be A Wizard (Book 1)
Deep Wizardry (Book 2)
High Wizardry (Book 3)
A Wizard Abroad (Book 4)
A Wizard's Dilemma (Book 5)
A Wizard's Holidy (Book 7)
Wizards at War (Book 8)
Merlin's Descendants
Guardian of the Balance (Book 1)
Guardian of the Trust (Book 2)
Guardian of the Vision (Book 3)
Guardian of the Promise (Book 4)
Anyway, here's some more reccommendations, which are all 'series-based':
The 'Chalion' series ("The Curse of Chalion", "Paladin of Souls", and "The Hallowed Hunt") by Lois McMaster Bujold
The 'Redwall' series by Brian Jacques
"The Fionovar Tapestry" ("The Summer Tree", "The Wandering Fire", and "The Darkest Road") by Guy Gavriel Kay
"The Bitterbynde Trilogy" ("The Ill-Made Mute", "The Lady of the Sorrows" and "The Battle of Evernight") by Cecilia Dart-Thornton
"The Echorium Sequence" ("Song Quest", "Crystal Mask", and "Dark Quetzal") by Katherine Roberts
"The Magickers" ("The Magickers", "The Curse of Arkady", "The Dragon Guard", and "Gate of Bones") by Emily Drake
"The Death Gate Cycle" ("Dragon Wing", "Elven Star", "Fire Sea", "Serpent Mage", "The Hand of Chaos", "Into the Labyrinth", and "The Seventh Gate") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"The Sovereign Stone Trilogy" ("Well of Darkness", "Guardians of the Lost", and "Journey into the Void") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"The Rose of the Prophet Trilogy" ("Will of the Wanderer", "The Paladin of the Night", and "The Prophet of Ahkran") by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
I'd also reccommend the entire 'Drizzt Chronicles' (actually comprised of several trilogies, some of which were repackaged, not as the 'Drizzt Chronicles' as I thought, but as the 'Legend of Drizzt'), 'Dark is Rising Sequence', 'Time Quintet', 'Young Wizardry', and 'Merlin's Descendants' series:
Drizzt Chronicles/Legend of Drizzt
Homeland (Book I; originally published as Book 1 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Exile (Book II; originally published as Book 2 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Sojourn (Book III; originally published as Book 3 of The Dark Elf Trilogy)
Streams of Silver (Book V; originally published as Book 2 of The Crystal Shard Trilogy)
The Halfling's Gem (Book VI; originally published as Book 3 of The Crystal Shard Trilogy)
The Legacy (Book VII; originally published as Book 1 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Starless Night (Book VIII; originally published as Book 2 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Siege of Darkness (Book IX; originally published as Book 3 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
Passage to Dawn (Book X; originally published as Book 4 of a series called Legacy of the Drow)
The Silent Blade (Book XI; originally published as Book 1 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
The Spine of the World (Book XII; originally published as Book 2 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
Servant of the Shard (Book XIII; originally published as Book 3 of a series called Paths of Darkness; is also Book 1 of a series called The Sellswords)
Sea of Swords (Book XIV; originally published as Book 4 of a series called Paths of Darkness)
The Thousand Orcs (Book 1 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Lone Drow (Book 2 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Two Swords (Book 3 of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy)
The Dark is Rising Sequence
The Dark Is Rising (Book 2) (Note: much, much better than the bastardized movie, which I never saw)
Greenwitch (Book 3)
The Grey King (Book 4)
Silver on the Tree (Book 5)
The Time Quintet
A Wrinkle in Time (Book 1)
A Wind in the Door (Book 2)
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Book 3)
An Acceptable Time (Book 5)
Young Wizardry
So You Want to Be A Wizard (Book 1)
Deep Wizardry (Book 2)
High Wizardry (Book 3)
A Wizard Abroad (Book 4)
A Wizard's Dilemma (Book 5)
A Wizard's Holidy (Book 7)
Wizards at War (Book 8)
Merlin's Descendants
Guardian of the Balance (Book 1)
Guardian of the Trust (Book 2)
Guardian of the Vision (Book 3)
Guardian of the Promise (Book 4)
Grunts by Mary Gentle
Imagine the standard evil vs. good fight but evil has actually won! The evil overlord sends a bunch of Orks to raid a dragon lair for the loot. They slay the dragon and amongst his hoard discover our contemporary weapons, i.e. machine guns, RPGs, Jeeps, Helicopters.
However these weapons are enchanted so anyone who picks them up will instantly know how to use them including our military style.
So imagine a bunch of Orks suddenly turning into Ork Marines with state of the art weapons running around a fantasy world. They are Marines yet also Orks.. hilarious to no end.
I've never seen such a funny book that makes fun of every fantasy cliche out there.
Definitely recommended for some light and extremely funny reading.
Imagine the standard evil vs. good fight but evil has actually won! The evil overlord sends a bunch of Orks to raid a dragon lair for the loot. They slay the dragon and amongst his hoard discover our contemporary weapons, i.e. machine guns, RPGs, Jeeps, Helicopters.
However these weapons are enchanted so anyone who picks them up will instantly know how to use them including our military style.
So imagine a bunch of Orks suddenly turning into Ork Marines with state of the art weapons running around a fantasy world. They are Marines yet also Orks.. hilarious to no end.
I've never seen such a funny book that makes fun of every fantasy cliche out there.
Definitely recommended for some light and extremely funny reading.
Grunts by Mary Gentle
Imagine the standard evil vs. good fight but evil has actually won! The evil overlord sends a bunch of Orks to raid a dragon lair for the loot. They slay the dragon and amongst his hoard discover our contemporary weapons, i.e. machine guns, RPGs, Jeeps, Helicopters.
However these weapons are enchanted so anyone who picks them up will instantly know how to use them including our military style.
So imagine a bunch of Orks suddenly turning into Ork Marines with state of the art weapons running around a fantasy world. They are Marines yet also Orks.. hilarious to no end.
I've never seen such a funny book that makes fun of every fantasy cliche out there.
Definitely recommended for some light and extremely funny reading.
This was the first book in my list. While not completely accurate or coherent(no offense) this is a fair synopsis-and a dead-on evaluation. This may be the funniest fantasy I've read in ten (that's 10) years, Discworld not withstanding. It is soooooo twisted and wrong you feel guilty enjoying it-but you will enjoy it. To be accurate-Evil doesn't win-the idea is that everybody KNOWS in the final battle Good will triumph-so where's the dividend in fighting on the side of Evil? This book answers that in a most peculiar way....
Lord of the Rings
The early Xanth novels were pretty good.
Dragonlance Chronicles
The first Incarnations of Immortality novel was very good.
I don't have that big of a list since I'm not a huge fantasy fan.
The early Xanth novels were pretty good.
Dragonlance Chronicles
The first Incarnations of Immortality novel was very good.
I don't have that big of a list since I'm not a huge fantasy fan.
I agree. I had forgotten them when I made my list. The first 5 or 6 were very good. Then they became like literary junk food and all the punning just got on my nerves.
1st
http://www.amazon.com/Shannara-A-Co.../lm/1VL96ARNUG83Q/ref=cm_lmt_srch_f_1_rsrsrs0
The Shanarra series by Terry Brooks 1st book he wrote was The Sword of Shanarra though as outlined on that page there are quite a number of books that are prequels that could be read first as in the world of Shanarra timeline they came before Sword. http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Brooks-.../lm/3DX811K3ZSF44/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_4_rlrsrs0 This link is the publication order.
2nd
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-nbsp-Ki...s/lm/2NF77SXOTWRSS/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks
3rd
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-Swor...r/lm/RNEF3OANH2N1J/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_5
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
4th
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-Inca...s/lm/10JV3XSLJFPHL/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_2
The Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony
5th
http://www.amazon.com/Xanth-nbsp-Series/lm/RDF5340JWQCTW/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_3
The Xanth series by Piers Anthony
6th
http://www.amazon.com/Apprentice-nb...ny/lm/2LKYFNUMT8AR/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony
7th
http://ww2.wizards.com/books/Wizards/Guides/default.aspx?doc=Dragonlance
All the various Dragonlance series by numerous authors
8th
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-life.../lm/R13FTCR5SX78HC/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Drizzt Do'Urden series by RA Salvatore
http://www.amazon.com/Shannara-A-Co.../lm/1VL96ARNUG83Q/ref=cm_lmt_srch_f_1_rsrsrs0
The Shanarra series by Terry Brooks 1st book he wrote was The Sword of Shanarra though as outlined on that page there are quite a number of books that are prequels that could be read first as in the world of Shanarra timeline they came before Sword. http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Brooks-.../lm/3DX811K3ZSF44/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_4_rlrsrs0 This link is the publication order.
2nd
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-nbsp-Ki...s/lm/2NF77SXOTWRSS/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks
3rd
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-Swor...r/lm/RNEF3OANH2N1J/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_5
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
4th
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-Inca...s/lm/10JV3XSLJFPHL/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_2
The Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony
5th
http://www.amazon.com/Xanth-nbsp-Series/lm/RDF5340JWQCTW/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_3
The Xanth series by Piers Anthony
6th
http://www.amazon.com/Apprentice-nb...ny/lm/2LKYFNUMT8AR/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony
7th
http://ww2.wizards.com/books/Wizards/Guides/default.aspx?doc=Dragonlance
All the various Dragonlance series by numerous authors
8th
http://www.amazon.com/The-nbsp-life.../lm/R13FTCR5SX78HC/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_1
The Drizzt Do'Urden series by RA Salvatore