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Original poster

Epic fantasy fiction books

46 replies

Thepigeonsarecoming · 04/06/2020 03:59

What would you recommend? I tend to only read books which are at least a trilogy and are already finished (I hate waiting on a cliff hanger!)

Some examples I’ve enjoyed

JRR Tolkien
GRR Martin
Robin Hobbs
Tad Williams
Robert Jordan
Brandon Sanderson
Terry Brooks
Trudi Canavan

I read a lot and with lock down I’ve started re-reading books I’ve already read. Would love to discover other unknowns though

OP posts:
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GhostTypeEevee · 20/06/2020 18:55

I really like Brent Weeks and Maria V Snyder

PetraDelphiki · 20/06/2020 18:52

But read saga of the exiles first otherwise something of the other series doesn’t make sense!!

RoryGilmoresEvilTwin · 19/06/2020 23:26

The Jack the bodiless series and the saga of the exiles by Julian May are excellent.

GBroGal · 15/06/2020 09:10

Mervyn Peake - the Gormenghast trilogy

homemadecommunistrussia · 15/06/2020 07:33

Oh wow i think you are right! Bloody Terry Brooks. I totally forgot and only think of the Shanara ones. Thank you so much. GrinCake
And there are sequels.....

Ohffsanywilldo · 14/06/2020 22:22

Colin Wilson's spiderworld series is excellent.

MinesAPintOfTea · 14/06/2020 22:11

I was about to recommend Temeraire!

If you like young adult fantasy, tamora pierce's tortall and circle of magic series are both very good

Emmagen · 14/06/2020 22:10

@homemadecommunistrussia

Argh sorry I'm wrong it's not Uprooted (although weirdly similar tarnish idea) your think of my other fave Blush called Migic Kingdom for sale -sold! By Terry Brooks.

Emmagen · 14/06/2020 22:07

@homemadecommunistrussia I've read that one it's Uprooted by Naomi Novak. Brilliant book!

I was actually going to recommend a series by Naomi Novak, the first book is called Temeraire and is a reimagining of the Napoleonic wars in which dragons are a thing and there is a air corp where aviators man dragons as sailors would man a ship. Sounds bizarre but is really well written and gripping. Plus the series is complete already. The middle books can get a bit slow in places but still enjoyable reads and it picks back up by the end.

NoFanJoe · 14/06/2020 21:55

Elizabeth Moon
Tanya Huff

Caaarrrl · 14/06/2020 20:37

I love Terry good kind.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 14/06/2020 19:53

Rothfuss ain’t never going to write that book

I like Joe Abercrombie
Mark Lawrence
Scott Lynch
Jay Kristoff
Ursula LeGuin
Brian Staveley
Peter M Brett

I don’t like
David Eddings
Robert Jordan
Anne McCaffrey, all a little dull and cliched.

Looking at the recommendations on here with interest

forgetthehousework · 14/06/2020 19:43

I think I preferred the trilogy that Raymond Feist wrote with Nanny Wurts, which actually overlaps with the Riftwar books, 'Daughter of the Empire', ' Servant of the Empire' and 'Mistress of the Empire'.

resskiestonight · 12/06/2020 13:35

Lyonesse

PomBearWithoutHerOFRS · 11/06/2020 18:06

Maia by Richard Adams.

BookWitch · 10/06/2020 23:24

@LostaraYil

Loving this thread for suggestions! I also recommend Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence, Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie. Off to kindle store to find the Deryni books now...
Enjoy the Deryni books, they are among my favourites. I might have another go at Joe Abecrombie
LostaraYil · 10/06/2020 17:06

Loving this thread for suggestions! I also recommend Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence, Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie. Off to kindle store to find the Deryni books now...

ClementineTangerine · 10/06/2020 16:56

I'm glad there's someone else that enjoyed the riftwar series!

I haven't finished it, I read several of the books quite a few years ago and I'm not sure why I never carried them on, I think I just became really busy and forgot to go back to them!

This thread has motivated me to actually start them again from the beginning though!

merryhouse · 10/06/2020 16:49

Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (2x3, only one of which I've finished though I keep meaning to go back to them), Mordant's Need (The Mirror of her Dreams and A Man Rides Through) which I enjoyed and isn't quite as dark, and The Gap Cycle which is really sf but inspired by the Ring Cycle (but is definitely dark - I only read the first book).

Jasper Fforde - Thursday Next series - not really epic but enjoyable and fun

Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality - has all the usual issues with Anthony, but a hugely enjoyable read.

Steven Erikson - Malazan Book of the Fallen (ten massive books)
Elizabeth Haydon - Symphony of Ages series, beginning with Rhapsody

Disclaimer: I haven't read either of these last, but husband has them. He also reads Tolkein, Eddings, Gemmell, Feist, Martin, and Donaldson, as well as Fforde Rankin and Pratchett.

forgetthehousework · 10/06/2020 16:28

PrincessSarene, she was a lovely person, always so kind to us fans.

I remember her reading from 'The Ship Who Sang' for us and we were all in tears ( won't say which bit - spoilers - but if you know the story you can make a good guess).

LassoOfTruth · 08/06/2020 18:18

Don't think it's been mentioned yet but Stephen King's Dark Tower series is also excellent (and definitely fantasy not horror). Some great suggestions here!

helpfulperson · 08/06/2020 18:11

Asimov foundation saga.

HelenaJustina · 08/06/2020 18:08

I enjoyed Patrick Rothfuss’ latest trilogy Kingkiller Chronicles, except it’s not a trilogy yet and it feels like we’ll be waiting for ever for the third one!

PrincessSarene · 08/06/2020 18:02

@forgetthehousework

Another deryni fan here, in fact I was rereading them just last year.

I love Anne McCaffrey but she is on record as saying her books are not fantasy but science fiction as all the biology is science based so I didn't include her in my suggestionsGrin.
(Name dropping I know, but I actually met her several times and she gave me a name for my dragon or fire lizard - should I ever be fortunate enough to have one).

I’m rereading the Pern series at the moment. I agree that the premise is sci-fi but the setting and style would be very comfortable for pure fantasy fans.

Also v jealous that you go to meet her. And you got a dragon/fire lizard name! Amazing!!

PrincessSarene · 08/06/2020 18:00

You’ve got a few of my favourite authors on your list there OP, so here are my suggestions:

Glenda Larke
Karen Miller
Brent Weeks
Peter V Brett
Anthony Ryan
Mark Lawrence
Stephen Aryan
Sarah J Maas
Tasha Suri
Scott Lynch
Melissa Caruso
Emily R King
James Islington
Janny Wurts
Jay Kristoff
James Maxwell

Also second the recommendations for David Eddings & Anne McCaffrey.