For Fantasy book lovers ......
 

I'd like a web site/forum recommendation. I rely heavily on my gaming forums (GB, JA and AG) to provide good information and lively discussion about Adventure games. I imagine there must be something similar for fantasy readers. I'm fairly new to the genre (other than Tolkien, of course http://www.gameboomers.com/ubboard/smile.gif )and have picked up most of my recommendations from word of mouth.

I got many good suggestions from the other Fantasy thread recently. I'm reading the Black Jewels trilogy, and have Garth Nix waiting in the wings.

I'm a big fan of anything by Raymond E. Feist. I was introduced to his books by playing the rpg game, Betrayal at Krondor, that Dynamix/Sierra released back in the early 90's.

oooh Deja vu

http://www.thefantasyforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=216

http://www.fantasybookspot.com/forum/

Never been to either so no idea what they are like.

Here's some I found.
SSFworld.com
Chronicles-network.com
Xenite.org - I'm a member here already at the Tolkien and the Inklings forum.

Thanks for the links, Lucien.

If any of you find the perfect forum (you know, like the Adventure Gamers of Fantasy), keep me updated, because I really could use recommendations.

By the way, colpet, I'm not sure whether you've read Robin Hobb or George R R Martin? If you haven't I'd recommend them hearthily, in that order. Hobb's the woman (and it shows in the way she writes, IMO), and she made me feel for her character (I'm talking about the Farseer Trilogy), and Martin weaves some amazing Borgi-esque stories (with the associated subtle characters).

Well, I've perused SFFworld.com (American) and Chronicles-netwok.com (UK), and liked what I saw. Both have an extensive home page with news and reviews. I've registered at both (under my alias, elvet ), and will let you know how they compare to my gaming forums. So far I'm really a novice. It reminds me of when I first started posting at GB, there were so many unfamiliar games to learn about. I've looked through the recommendations threads and have seen both Hobb's and Martin's names mentions many times. Definitely being added to my growing list of books to read.

Oh, and while I'm at it, what about Zelazmy's Amber? This series has got to be the most magical of all the series I've read.

And there's always Robert Jordan, for some fun and epic (good, but not as interesting as the others I've cited) fantasy.

I read the Chronicles of Amber, and had a hard time with it. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get a grasp of the character's powers. They always seemed to develop a new trick or attribute that helped them with their adversity. It was all too much in flux.

Read up on R.A. Salvatore. His Icewind Dale Trilogy and Dark Elf Trilogy, actually his whole Drizzt saga, are quite engrossing. Oh and Lloyd Alexander. The Chronicles of Prydain (Black Cauldron, et al) are some classic, albeit a little youngish, fantasy novels.

Jordans far too long winded. His series is up to book 11 I think and shows no sign of stopping. Plus it got rubbish about book 6 or 7.

I agree. Robert Jordan's series is getting a bit zzzzzzzzzz....

If you want THE most engrossing series, check out the "Dark Sun : Prism Pentad" series by Troy Denning. A five book series, this set is by far my highest recommendation. It's from the early 90's so you may need to look on eBay or Amazon for older copies.

I also really enjoy Rovert Silverberg's writing - especially the novel "Kingdoms of the Wall"

We've already been through this, but... :)

12 is suppposedly going to be the last one.

The 6th and 7th books are great.
8 is average.
9 is very good.
10 is shitty.
11 is good.

Ok, so I need some recommendation fast (before saturday). :)

I love George R R Martin (Song of Ice and Fire), Robin Hobb (Farseer Trilogy), Robert Zelazny (Amber)

I like Greg Keyes (Charnel Prince, etc...), Tad Williams (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Otherland), Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time), Terry Pratchett (Discworld).

I don't like Anne Mc Caffrey, Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth), Tolkien, or anything that's too conventional or black and white, or plain boring.


I need to find some new books to read (preferably a series) for next week... Suggestions, anyone?

EDIT: Something original would be a plus.

Have you read Steven Donaldson's Thomas Covenant trilogies? Other suggestions - Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry, Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, and Tad William's War of the Flowers.
BTW, I'm enjoying the information on the Chronicles forum. You may find some suggestions there.
http://www.chronicles-network.com/

Tad Williams last fantasy novel "Shadowmarch" has just been released on paperback in the UK.

Have you tried China Meivelle. I'm not a huge fan, but a lot of people like him.

Oooohhhh! I second the recommendation for Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. I absolutely adored it.

I enjoyed David Farland's Runelords series. It has a unique magical system which I found fascinating. I liked it a lot but the series received mixed reviews, I think.

I don't recommend the Fionovar Tapestry. It was so sexist and shit (at least the first two books that I read). I hated hated HATED that series.

As already mentioned, Raymond E. Feist is good. He's written maybe 20 books by now, all set in the same universe, but in a number of different sagas, all of which are set in different times/places and stuff. Aside from the earliest books, they're fairly short in length too, and never get boring.

Just reread American Gods! :P I am loving that book. :)

I'm reading that right now. Compared to other fantasy books, it's a little above average, but not good enough to get me interested. There's a number of similarities to A Song of Ice and Fire, and I wonder how much of it was conscious copying.

I recommend The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick. It's not a series or a pure fantasy story, but it is original; I've never read anything like it. It's not a great book, but it is a good read if you want something different.

Ok guys, thanks for your recommendations.
Here are the books I'm considering:

J. V. Jones : Sword of Shadows

Steven Erikson : Garden of the Moon

David Farlan : The Runelords

Glen Cook : The Black Company

Sara Douglass : The Axis Trilogy

Kate Elliot : Crown of Stars

Jennifer Fallon : one of her books - can't remember the titles right now...

Opinions?

Out of these, David Farland, no contest.

Sara Douglass is ok too but she's no Robin Hobb in my opinion.

I personally couldn't get into Glen Cook at all. I have two books of sitting only half read but he's very popular.

I don't know, I liked Neverwhere better. And of course Good Omens can't be passed up.

Good Omens would have been better without Pratchett.

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Dan Simmons:crazy:

The Hyperion series has got to be one of the best sci-fi/fantasy sagas ever:D

The Dragon Lance books are all pretty good, IMHO. I also liked Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest books...the third and last one isn't out yet.

I've read it, but I would classify it as ScFi.

I've finally decided on trying J.V.Jones's Sword of Shadows.
I'm halfway through the first book, and I like it so far.

I haven't tried any on your list; I have heard of Elliot, Erikson and Douglass.
I'm hankering for a good series now, too. I found the Belgariad (David Eddings), all 5 volumes in omnibus form. I also got the Abhorsen trilogy patiently waiting for me.

I suppose it is, but I don't really see a great distinction between Sci-Fi and Fantasy:)

Sci-fi - fantasy, same thing right? :P

The Belgariad is fun and cute. Easy read.

Otherwise, well, I still recommend Hobb and Martin. :)


They're certainly very similar, but I don't know, they don't feel exactly the same to me, and I can't read ScFi when I'm in the mood for Fantasy.

There must be, because I definitely gravitate more towards fantasy than Sci-fi. However, it is probably a nebulous distinction, sort of like trying to define an adventure :devil: .

No doubt I'll be getting these eventually. I've been on a book buying binge recently. It reminds me of my early days of gaming when I just had to catch up on all the oldies I had missed.

Some bad news on the fantasy front: Robert Jordan is ill.

People always joked about how he would die before he finished Wheel of Time. I hope that doesn't happen.

I hope he gets better.

I did enjoy his earlier books.

Being told you have 4 years (More or less) to live is harsh.

Maybe it will light a fire under his ass and he'll finish up the series with the next book. I'm dreaming, aren't I.

I second the recommendation for George R.R. Martin.

I used to be a huge Terry Goodkind fan about five years ago, but not so much anymore. It's probably a combination of his writing style getting progressively preachier and my tastes maturing somewhat.

Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages was a favourite of mine as well at one point, but might be too estrogen-filled for some people here. There also used to be an excellent community surrounding these books, but it's declined in quality over the last year or so... too many middle-aged women and such.

Tolkien and Jordan bored me so much that I couldn't get past their first books, and so did Tad Williams, though slightly less so. Then again, I have a short attention span.

Gaiman is awesome (especially Neverwhere and his book of short fiction, Smoke and Mirrors), and Pratchett is funny but not really all that engaging.

I recently picked up Legends II from the bargain bin at our local Chapters. It's got new short stories by:
Raymond Feist
George R.R.Martin
Robin Hobb
AnneMcCaffrey
Robert Silverberg
Neil Gaiman
Tad Williams
Terry brooks
Orson Scott Card
Elizabeth Hayden
Diana Gabaldon
It's a great smorgasbord of fantasy, and its helping me get a little taste of each author.

So which ones do you like best? :)