Fantasy fans - any recommendations?

[holmessweetholmes]

I am particularly keen on Tolkien (obvs), Neil Gaiman, and the wonderful Patrick Rothfuss but am keen to broaden my range of authors fantasy-wise. Can anyone recommend anything they've really loved (old or new)? Thanks!

Black Trillium by Marian Zimmerman Bradley.
The sequel, Blood Trillium, is excellent also.

A second recommendation for Robyn Hobb. The books do interrelate to an extent so it's worth starting with the first Fitz book and going from there!

I've just read White Tiger by Kylie Chan. Was a Kindle cheapie. Really enjoyed it and buying the next one. About Chinese mythology.

New-ish - I just read Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman and enjoyed it. I guess it's urban fantasy, I really liked the main character. And minimal violence and gore, which I much prefer.

An old favourite, more of a classic fantasy writer - Mercedes Lackey, particularly the Magic's Pawn series (apart from the fact that it always makes me cry!)

Thanks Badgerlady - I've just started the first Fitz book and am definitely enjoying it! Thanks again everyone for the recommendations.

Dragonlance. Love Drizzt D'Urden series.
Terry Brooks shannara series and the word and the void.
Dragons of autumn twightlight series.
Michael Moorcock.

if you haven't already, trial kindle unlimited free for a month. I started today using my android. Going to use it to gen up on new authors.

Agree with you that Patrick Rothfuss is amazing. So in return, I recommend Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, and Peter V Brett's Painted Man/ Warded Man series. (One is British title, the other American title).
Although not so much fantasy, (once you get past the timetravel bit) I also love Diana Gabaldons Outlander series. She and Pat Rothfuss are both authors who I find write bery well indeed.

I loved Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. There's quite a few in the series all set in the world of Pern.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke is brilliant.

Some lesser known fantasy authors include Ricardo Pinto (his Stone Dance of the Chameleon series is hands down the most different, inventive series I've ever read - not to everyone's taste though), Chaz Brenchley, Kate Elliott... Also try The Lies of Locke Lamora, and Tad Williams (particularly The Dragonbone Chair series - every fantasy cliche known to man; still great).

They don't make fantasy like they used to.

Guy Gavriel Kay - Fionavar Tapestry. I've just re-read this for the umpteenth time and still cry every time. Also, Tigana, equally good.
Robin Hobb, Farseer and Liveship
Patrick Rothfuss Kingkiller chronicles
Peter V Brett Demonwar saga, I'm reading this now and really enjoying it
China Mieville- Perdido Street Station, very different and a bit steampunk
Brandon Sanderson Mistborn series
Trudi Cannavan Black Magician and Age of Five. I think I'm one of the few who preferred age of five.

Try Barbara Hambly.

I love Guy Gavriel Kay, Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey (ruder).

Thanks! I keep popping back to this thread and finding a few more recommendations. Still really enjoying the Robin Hobb book. Not quite in Rothfuss ' league, but then I'm not sure anyone is! I'm a bit evangelical about him. The first time I read his first one, I just turned back to page 1 and started again!

Robin Hobb
Ricardo Pinto
James Clemens
Brent Weeks (the light bringer series)
Eric Van Lustbader has a great fantasy series that he refuses to finish because he is making too much money with the Bourne stories (boo)
Jacqueline Carey
Terry Goodkind (well, the first books at least)
Glenn Larke (The Last Stormlord)

If you like urban fantasy
Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels series; their other stuff is not as good)
Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson, Alpha and Omega)
Kelley Armstrong (Otherworld)
Kalayna Price (grave witch)

Should have been Glenda Larke

I second lots of the authors already recommended - Raymond Feist, Guy Gavriel Kay, early Eddings.

Would add C.S. Friedman's Coldfire trilogy (may be hard to come by but very worth tracking down) and K.J Parker's Fencer trilogy (dark stuff but very good). Another possibly out of print classic (but may be available as e-books) is Peter Morwood's Clan Wars series - four books starting with the Horse Lord.

Lastly I'd recommend Stephen Donaldson's First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (6 books in all) but not the three following on, they are dire and book 6 is a perfectly good stopping point.

I've given up on Terry Goodkind, should have stopped after book 4 really.

Oopsie and I forgot Donaldson's two best books - The Mirror of her Dreams and A Man Rides Through.

I have just finished The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Its awesome and I cannont recommend it enough.

I've read the Thomas Covenant books, but not Donaldson's others - will check those out. That Goblin Emperor book looks good from the Amazon reviews.

Some of these may be harder to find (am still trying to track down books by both Katherine's at a non-extortionate reasonable price)

Katherine Kerr (Deverry Series)
Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series)

Both fantasy with a historical aspect

For comic fantasy anything by the lovely Terry Pratchett or Robert Asprins Myth or Phule series

This popped up on my Facebook feed where the author www.johnplogsdon.com/179ae46349cf/ is offering 3 books for free. (Disclaimer very light reading only and for one of them Robert Asprin did it first and better but free books! )

Simon R Green; Blue Moon Rising, Blood and Honour, the Hawk and Fisher books and then Beyond the Blue Moon.

The Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley (if it hasn't been mentioned already) its the story of King Arthur from Morgaine's point of view.

Another vote for the Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz, I loved them as a teen and now listening to them on Audible- a lot of them are out of print now though (The Bishop's Heir and the King's Justice were the best IMO)

I've just finished the first Farseer book and lost interest towards the end (but loved the first two thirds or so. Might give the second one a go.

Loved David Eddings as they came out in the 1980s. Not sure about re-reading them, do you think they have dated a bit?