Alternatives to Mercedes Lackey???

[moonstorm]

I love the Heralds of Valdemar, but need something new. I love the way her books can be exciting and thrilling, or just a long cosy ambly where nothing really happens. I'm not fussed about great writing - just wonderful stories.

I love fantasy/ science fictions, so can anyone suggest anyting elso for me to read??? Thanks

She co wrote some with Anne McCaffrey. More fantasy, the brainships and such.
If you like those McCaffrey is one of my favorite authors so I highly recomend her.

I quite like Macaffrey, but haven't got the 'must read the next one' bug - I enjoy one, then a year or so later I think I might reasd another.

I like David Eddings as well - not well written again, but great stories.

I'm a big fan of Tad Williams - at least of some of his writing. Worlds and characters you really believe in and care about, and a good deal of humour along the way. I loved the Memory Sorrow & Thorn trilogy and War of the Flowers.

The Blue Sword

Any of the Liaden stories by Lee and Miller

Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold

Or by Wen Spencer

Thanks - have ordered and am now awaiting The Blue Sword and a Tad Williams (can't remember which I looked at a few).

How about Julian May's "The Many Coloured Land" and "Galactic Milieu" books? I can't remember how many there were in the end, but I thought they were an engrossing read, and a bit different from the run of the mill fantasy.

Or "The Golden Key" by Melanie Rawn, Jennifer Roberson & Kate Elliot.

If you have a Kindle or similar there is a fair bit of free fantasy/sf on the Baen Free Library site - including some by Mercedes Lackey I think!

I agree with CoffeeDodger about Katherine Kerr's Deverry series by the way, but as I think it ended up at about 17 books long, you need to be pretty brave to start on it. Mind you, it does make for a good long read.

Sorry just have to mention I thought this was in baby names

I think I may have had enough wine now

Skoda slave by the way was my answer

OK - I have LOADS :)

Anne Bishop

Peter S Beagle (Wrote The Last Unicorn, always makes me cry)

Octavia Butler - bit more thought provoking, not so much fantasy

Jacquline Carey

Diana Duane - And Here for a link to a book she has written for free

Diana Wynne Jones - more young adults, but very readable

Geroge RR Martin - Song of Ice and Fire series, Game of Thrones is currently on Sky, although I've not seen it yet. More political fantasy

Naomi Novik - Dragons and Napoleon

Maria Snyder - not amazing, but an easy read

Sherri S Tepper - slightly feminist sci-fi fantasy

Jane Yolen

Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm v good, as are the others mentioned above.

For free short stories www.freesfonline.de is pretty good - not all sci-fi, a really mixture.

www.tor.com is a great blog if you need any more inspiration.

I have too many books :)

Everything CoffeeDodger has suggested. She has clearly been looking at my bookshelves!

Oo, and Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series - also slightly feminist, psychic powers stuff. Written in the 70s so a bit dated in places, but still good. And Mercedes Lackey co-wrote one of the Darkover books with MZB.

If you enjoy the blue sword also try The hero and the crown, by the same author. They are my favourite books.

Maria Snyder and Anne Bishop rock. You may also like Patricia Briggs Hurog Series. Tamora Pierce, the books are slighlty younger, but I read these before I found ML. Toby Bishop's Airs series, is similar to Arrows. Dawn Cook's series Truth Series, this is a pseudonym for Kim Harrisson, who writes some great Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.

Jacqueline Carey's series are great, very deep and the plot is quite tricksy at times.

Have you read the anthologies like the Sun in Glory, set in the Valdemar world. I love these, though they are other authors glimpses into ML's world. If you already have them, some are great fantasy writers themselves.

George Martin for complex sprawling brilliantly characterised story

Robin Hobb for wonderful focused first person tales - she writes people and emotion brilliantly