Recommended FANTASY books, Other fantasy containing might and magic |
  Jan 28 2005, 01:40 PM
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#21
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Just Through the Brick Wall  Posts: 4 Joined: 12:49pm January 28, 2005 Location: Canada  |
I'm pretty sure nobody else mentioned The Sword of Truth series so here I am
 The first of the series by Terry Goodkind is called the Wizard's First Rule and I recommend it to everyone (well maybe everyone 15+). It is an extremely well-written fantasy novel about Richard, a good guy forced to help "save the world." I know it sounds very much like every other book out there but this one creates a very magical but scary world. Richard is kind of like Harry in the sense that he grew up in a non-magical community not knowing that he is very closely linked to magic. Just a warning to younger readers... this would definitely be a PA movie if they ever did that. -------------------- ! Nhi !
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Jan 28 2005, 01:58 PM
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#22
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 159 Joined: 9:33am January 28, 2005 Location: the corner table of the prancing pony |
another group of books along the HP line are jill murphey's "the worst witch" series... very good and alot of scholars believe them to be better written than harry potter-can you believe that...also i'll also recommend pullman's dark materials series. i was turned on to them by my one of my professors who recommended my reading them. she always teaches the golden compass when conducting her adolensent lit class
-------------------- Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
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Jan 28 2005, 02:37 PM
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#23
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 134 Joined: 9:27am January 28, 2005 Location: Brooklyn, NY |
I also enjoy Phillip Pullman immensely. "His Dark Materials" Trilogy is fascinating, and daring in how it takes on "The Church." Pullman also wrote some very good Victorian Era Mystery stories featuring a cagey lass named Sally who solves the crimes. Look for "The Ruby in the Smoke" and "The Tiger in the Well."
-------------------- Pimp My Wizard Ride!
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Jan 28 2005, 03:03 PM
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#24
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 6 Joined: 9:14am January 28, 2005 |
QUOTE(Arithma @ Jan. 27 2005,2:37) I also enjoy Phillip Pullman immensely. "His Dark Materials" Trilogy is fascinating, and daring in how it takes on "The Church." Pullman also wrote some very good Victorian Era Mystery stories featuring a cagey lass named Sally who solves the crimes. Look for "The Ruby in the Smoke" and "The Tiger in the Well." I'll just add myself to the list of people who love Phillip Pullman. I enjoyed his provocative "His Dark Materials" series as well as his Victorian mystery novels. I also would recommend, "The Tin Princess" from the same Sally series. Tamora Pierce's books are awesome as well. She has several quartets that target 12 years and up. I personally recommend these: The Lioness Quartet: Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant - First series of this author that I ever read. Revolves around Alanna a young girl in Tortall who persuades her twin brother to switch places with her so that she might train to become a knight. The books tell her trials of trying to train as a page in the Castle, while hiding her gender and dealing with her magical powers. The Immortals Quartet: Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods -Tells the story of Duane, a young girl with mysterious powers struggling to find herself in the world of Tortall. Sort of ties in with the Lioness Quartet. Another Tortall quartet that is very good is Protector of the Small: First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight Ties in with the other books. I can't really summarize without spoiling the other two, so I would recommend starting with the Lioness Quartet. City of the Beasts and Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabel Allende A story of adolescent discovery set in mysterious places. Alexander Cold joins his fearless explorer grandmother on her trips, along with Nadia a girl from the Amazon. Beautifully written and a great read. I believe the creator of this thread mentioned the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey. Another great series, that I recommend as well. I might pop in with some more fantasy books, but these are all I can think of for the moment |
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Jan 28 2005, 03:34 PM
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#25
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Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 45 Joined: 1:01pm January 28, 2005 Location: Flourish & Blotts |
QUOTE(nhi @ Jan. 27 2005,1:40) I'm pretty sure nobody else mentioned The Sword of Truth series so here I am I have to point out a bit of info on this. Terry Goodkind has just rewritten Robert Jordans' Wheel of Time series in fewer books and with a faster pace. If you've read both, the similarities will be easy to pick out. I am usually biased against things I veiw as copies of others works, and that's why I dislike the series. However, I also don't enjoy Wheel of Time too much either. It's far too slow and Jordan becomes quite sexist and boring in later books, and the series goes nowhere. Goodkind, however, has just added more sex and action...eliciting a much more enjoyable read despite characters that are, IMO, less fleshed out. A better read than Wheel of Time, but not the original story. As for books I enjoy, my guilty pleasure was likely the Artimis Fowl series. I got pulled into the first book after a Childrens' Lit discussion and found the rest quite entertaining despite the level they were written for. Maybe I just enjoy young genius Brits >.> it's a possibility. I'll also throw in my AVID support for Tamora Pierce. Her Immortals quartet hooked me from the start. I cannot gush enough about that woman. |
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Jan 28 2005, 03:47 PM
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#26
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 1 Joined: 3:32pm January 28, 2005 |
Anyone looking for something a little bit different from the normal run-of-the-mill fantasy books might want to give The Age of Misrule and Age of Darkness trilogies by Mark Chadbourn a try.
They are set in modern Britain, and detail the slow collapse of society as the world enters a new dark age when magic and the ancient Celtic gods return to the land. They are very well researched and are a great read, but I should point out that due to some graphic content they are not suitable for very young readers!. -------------------- There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children's book. - Philip Pullman
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Jan 28 2005, 05:14 PM
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#27
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Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 50 Joined: 2:45pm January 28, 2005 Location: Home of the Liberal Elite |
Nymphadorable beat me to the recommendation of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell as well as anything by Neil Gaiman.
The narration of Jonathan Strange won me over from page 1 and didn't let me down at all throughout. The characters are not always sympathetic, but that only serves to make them more believable. I couldn't put the book down 'til I finished it, and considering the size, that was quite a feat of strength.  And Neil Gaiman is just a genius and I love him. I can't wait 'til his new book comes out. I saw a video of him reading from it and it sounds hilarious. Also, I'm throwing another vote in for the Discworld series. Anyone who hasn't read them has been deprived of a great experience. My personal favorites are Jingo and Night Watch, but with 30 books in the series, you can't really go wrong. One of them's bound to catch your fancy. I have to admit that it took me two attempts to get through the first book of Pullman's trilogy, but by the time I finally did finish it, I loved it. I have yet to read the next two. As for things that haven't been recommended before, Melanie Rawn's Exiles trilogy is interesting... at least, what there is of it. I don't know that the third book will ever actually be written, but I did like the first two very much. Even if she has a nasty habit of killing off most of my favorite characters. ETA: How could I forget anything by Jonathan Carroll? His books are sometimes a little too... sentimental, I suppose, for me, but he's a very talented writer. Also, Will Shetterly's Dogland was an excellent read. It's not so much overt fantasy as a sort of magical realism. To catch the fantasy in it, you have to be fairly familiar with the mythology of various cultures. -------------------- Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.
~Terry Pratchett, Hogfather |
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Jan 28 2005, 05:54 PM
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#28
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Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 45 Joined: 4:56pm January 28, 2005 Location: KY, USA |
One fantasy series I'd recommend isThe Enchanted Forest Chronicales by Patricia C. Wrede. It's a really great series full of tongue-in-cheek humor and is just terribly amusing. Follow the link if you want to know more. :type:
Another book I'd recommend is The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine. It's a very interesting tale of two completely different sisters and one timid sister's quest (Addie) to help her sick and dying brave sister (Meryl). I'll also echo the recs for His Dark Materials. Those are definitely a good and thought-provoking read! -------------------- I walk in the air between the rain
Through myself and back again Where? I don't know. Round Here -- Counting Crows The OFFICIAL Flying Giraffe Wrangler |
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Jan 28 2005, 06:02 PM
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#29
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 2 Joined: 1:58pm January 28, 2005 Location: Birmingham, UK |
Hi,
I would recommend the majority of Tom Holt's work. Although not strictly fantasy-it has a wealth of fantastical characters and Mr Holt has a great capacity for knowing what I call "stuff". Hence his books are very informative too-but I don't think he meant them to be. I would strongly recommend Faust Amongst Equals.Spectral Warriors, Marlowe,Bird Headed Fiends and Heironymus Bosch! What more do you need? US Readers may find it a little Brit-centric but stick with it. Everyone has been suggesting really interesting books-I may have to go and investigate. Skeleton_Key p.s he isn't a poor man's Terry Pratchett.He kindly drafted one of my assignments, when I was at university, so I won't hear a bad word against him! |
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Jan 28 2005, 06:17 PM
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#30
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 9 Joined: 5:08pm January 28, 2005 |
Nymphadorable and Blaise!
Yes! I was about to mention Gaiman (journal link) and Clarke. I can't recommend Neil Gaiman enough, simply brilliant, funny writing. Who else then? Hmm. How about Diana Wynne Jones? (fansite link) I only read Howl's Moving Castle because Hayao Miyazaki has made an anime film out of it. How glad I am that I did. It is an incredible book, very funny and charming. Set in a medieval fantasy world, it's filled with magical transformations, impossible moving residencies, and magical mystery. Well worth a good read. Peace, Joe J. -------------------- Peace,
Joe J. "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau" (The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine). ~~Mental Contagion |
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