Just got into fantasy, any recommendations.

[Tessliketrees]

I have always been a prolific reader who would give anything ago apart from fantasy and sci-fi. I made an exception for a couple of fantasy books a year ago and am now hooked.

I have read a fair few more recent offerings but am coming up against more and more shite now. Any recommendations?

[MotherCupboard]

Robin hobb.. start with the assassins apprentice trilogy and then go onto the liveship traders trilogy. Best fantasy books ive ever read.

Uprooted by naomi novik is brilliant too.

[MotherCupboard]

Wheel of time is very long and derives a lot from other, better authors.

[ghostiechicken]

I couldn't hack Wheel of Time past book 3 I think all that fucking braid pulling but the first book works pretty much completely as a standalone novel, so worth picking up at least that one even if you have no intention of reading any of the others

[Coloursthatweremyjoy]

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. "Neverwhere" is my favourite ever book.

[NeganLovesLucille]

Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. First one is Wizard's First Rule. fantastic series that I have read many times.

[CakeBeTheFoodOfLove]

FurryDogMother I've just started the first of that series, enjoying it so far. Are the other books in the series as good or do they get a bit 'samey'? (Sorry for the slight thread hijack!)

[PetraDelphiki]

Janny wurts mistwraith series.
Raymond feist magician series

All time favourites Julian may (read saga of the exiles, then intervention then the galactic milieu trilogy - it’s publication order and definitely the most sensible otherwise whole plot twists are ruined)

[PetraDelphiki]

Katherine Kerr deverry series also good...and I second the robin hobb/Katheryn Kurtz recommendation too! Robin hobb is lovely - have met her a couple of times!

[lessworriedaboutthecat]

As others up thread have suggested Robin Hobb. The Assassin's apprentice trilogy and subsequent series are probably my all time favourites. Perfect if like me you enjoy reading, Fantasy and recreational crying.
I wouldn't waste your money on the Wheel of Time Series. I started reading it when I was 16 and stopped about 13 books later aged about 30 no closer to the end. The first books are brilliant but after that there is a massive drop in quality. From book 6 onwards its all just padding. Endless descriptions of what every minor character is wearing, day by day accounts of journeys that could be skipped over in a paragraph, plus constant braid pulling and switching's. By the time I quit I was finding it increasingly dull and misogynistic. That several hundred pounds I will never see again. I think GRRM Games of Thrones series went the same way IMO. From a Feast of Crows onwards its a bit of a waste of time.
Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is one I would recommend. Its relatively short 3 normal sized books long plus two related books. I liked the little twist in it where it departed from where I thought it was going. The whole grim dark classification of it is a little harsh too compared to the nastiness of GRRM and later WOT.
The Dragonbone chair is also brilliant. I've just finished the sequel the Last King of Osten Ard and I'm intrigued and slightly worried to see where Tad Williams goes with it.
For an immensely long series of 13 doorstep sized tomes I would recommend the Malazan books of the Fallen. Although it has many of the things I didn't like about GRRM and WOT it also has flashes of brilliance and spectacular battles, flashes of humour which nicely break up the gloomy philosophising. And unlike Jordan, Martin and Rothfuss, Steven Eriksson actually managed to finish it.
Recently I read the Wall of Night series by Helen Lowe. The first book Heir of Night is fun fairly young adult stuff. Two Teenagers with magical powers embark on LOTR style quest. The second book the Gathering of the Lost opens the World up and you can feel the author improving as a writer. The third book so far Daughter of Night is another step up.

I would recommend the OP and everyone else read the Wall of Night. It s well written with likeable characters and strong female one's at that. No overly graphic descriptions of physical or sexual violence. I would class it as good escapist fun.
www.amazon.co.uk/Heir-Night-Wall-Book-One/dp/0356500012/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Heir%20of%20night&ie=UTF8&qid=1514547529&sr=8-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

www.amazon.co.uk/Gathering-Lost-Wall-Night-Book/dp/0356500039/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&refRID=AS7YBFPM2DX00D0XEZAA&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

www.amazon.co.uk/Daughter-Blood-Wall-Night-Three/dp/0356500055/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&refRID=ZFKVS1ZXX4XQAVX33X4K&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[FurryDogMother]

Cake I've not found them samey, mainly because the author alternates between two 'theatres' as it were, and has enough strong central characters to keep me interested. I'm on the final book now, still enjoying it!

[Layla75]

Agree strongly on The Demon Cycle and all the Fitz books by Robin Hobb.

Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is fantastic- starting with The Way of Kings. 3 books so far and 10 planned so it will involve some waiting but we’ll worth it.

[Mulch]

Recent fantasy convert. Read the painted man and now hooked. Set in a world where "corlings" terrorise at night and magic is to be rediscovered. Can't recommend it enough and theres a whole series to enjoy

www.goodreads.com/book/show/3428935-the-warded-man

[TabbyM]

Try some Patricia McKillip for beautiful writing, Ben Aaronovitch and Emma Bull's War for the Oaks for urban fantasy, or Terry Pratchett ot Tom Holt for some comedy.

[Tessliketrees]

Okay doke, finished the Age of Myth and it's follow up. To be honest it was a bit simplistic but fun.

I was put off by the first scene of Age of Assasins I am not squeamish just caught me in the wrong mood so that is at the back of the pile.

I picked up The Goblin Emperor as I liked the name and wanted to try something from a female author (thanks Bab ). Starting it tonight.

I know I should be reading the Robin Hobb books because as well as all the recommendations here Amazon have been pushing me to them for ages. I just never fancied them (I know that's how I got into this not reading fantasy mess in the first place). It will either be that or Age of Assasins next.

I really appreciate the recommendations and find the views really helpful. I will try everything recommended.

I have already read ASOIAF (well not all of it obviously) and enjoyed the first few greatly and the second 2 not so much (but still would swap my first born for the Winds of Winter).

Also I have read a fair bit of Neil Gaiman over the years (another one I don't count as fantasy in my weird categorising) I find him to vary greatly. I suppose I don't see something as fantasy if it's set in a recognisable "our world" even if there are fantasy elements.

I should say (although a bit scared of being ran off the book boards) one of the reasons I decided "I don't like fantasy" is that I read (some of) LOTR and The Hobbit in my formative years and thought they were utterly terrible.

[JaimesGoldenHand]

I read Wheel of Time for most of last year. Tbh, I nearly gave up several times. The first 6 and last 4 books are good but the middle 5 are utterly tedious and consist largely of people curtsying and/or being beaten.

I really enjoyed Katherine Kuntz. Also Patrick Rothfuss is amazing - just wish he'd write book 3.

Neil Gaiman is always great - if weird but that comes with the genre to some extent.

Read David Eddings years ago. Might re-read them now. Well - after I've finished the new Jack Reacher!!

[Welshlovebicuit]

Edding's Belgariad and Mallorean definitely. Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern series Raymond E Feist.

[kesstrel]

For really well-written, compelling, intelligent fantasy, with strong female characters, Barbara Hambly is the best I know. She wrote most of her fantasy in the 80s and 90s, so most people haven't heard of her today, but she is fantastic. You can get most of her books secondhand on Amazon. This is one of my favourites:

www.goodreads.com/book/show/176277.The_Time_of_the_Dark

[MooseyMoo]

I've recently read some excellent fantasy books:

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series)
Female main character, great storyline and couldn't put down. Found the world Sanderson created unique.

The Painted Man by Peter Brett (Demon Cycle series)
Loved reading this though is a bit gory but I was totally hooked on the storyline and characters.

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards series)
Series based on a group of thieves

My DH, massive Fantasy fan, read these books first and recommended I read them too.

[PetraDelphiki]

Took me years to read the robin hobb..again never really grabbed me - but they are brilliant!!!

[HelenaJustina]

See you’ve read Name of the Wind but did you know that was no.1 of a trilogy? Second is called Wise Man’s Fear, equally lovely and loooong. I got it for Christmas, started it at the beginning of the week and am having to slow down so I don’t finish it too quick. The third isn’t written yet...

Would echo Pratchett if you haven’t already; political, satirical, witty and a huge canon to work through.

[HelenaJustina]

How about the classics? Ursula Le Guin? Haven’t read any of hers for ages and must hunt them out on Kindle

[MotherCupboard]

I'm jealous of anyone who has yet to read robin hobb's assassin and liveship trilogies. I wouldn't bother with the soldier son or rain wild trilogies though. She also writes as Megan lindholm and she's got some good books under that name too.

[SoupDragon]

the Katherine Kurtz Deryni series

They feature highly in my personal list of Favourite Books of all Time.

[JaimesGoldenHand]

HelenaJustina I felt that way about the second Patrick Rothfuss. I was so bereft when I finished it.

[ommmward]

Anything by Brandon Sanderson or Trudi canavan. I like the Empire trilogy by Raymond furst (or some such name). Female main character.

I'm actually a WoT junkie too. I skim read, so I don't mind when it gets slow. Well, I minded book 10, first time I read it, (very little happens) but in the context of the whole story arc (once the series was finished off) I could see why the lull was needed in term of pacing. And book 9 is adrenaline all the way, love it.

More sci-fi, but Enders game and Enders shadow are incredible. Also Ready Player One is utterly brilliant.