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Any fantasy recommendations?

22 replies

reallyneedmoresleep · 08/10/2019 23:10

I really like books with a bit of a fantasy element to them but not full on sci-fi. I guess I enjoy a bit of magic. I love time travel and writers who manage to make me laugh too.
Books I've enjoyed recently are The Magicians, Outlander, Robin Hobb's Assassin/ships series, A Discovery of Witches, some Lois McMaster Bujold, Game of Thrones, Time and Time Again.
Any recommendations for any more please?

OP posts:
AnOojamaflip · 08/10/2019 23:15

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Pashazade · 08/10/2019 23:23

If you want fun/light but still well written fantasy I've recently discovered T Kingfisher, lots of novellas and short stories on kindle. Really rather good. Minor Mage is the most recent one I've read, Seventh Bride is also good. Scott Lynch is another excellent author - The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first one. If you like Robin Hobb you may well enjoy JV Jones she came out around the same time originally. Baker's Boy was her first. Another excellent set are the Rivers of London, nice and contemporary by Ben Arronavitch. Oh and for fun the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher are good too. ( I could go on all night Blush)

SpoonBlender · 09/10/2019 00:19

T Kingfisher is the psuedonym of Ursula Vernon - she writes kids books under her real name, and is trying to avoid anykid searching for the new Hamster Princess book to find her horror stuff. She is excellent under both names - closest thing we have to Terry Pratchett now, in my "got all the books" opinion. Get all the books. You can read her long webcomic serial for free at diggercomic.com or try this short short as a sample: www.redwombatstudio.com/2014/06/26/toad-words/

Classic style fantasy? You've no doubt read Tolkein, Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, Jack Vance (Tales of the Dying Earth), Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea quintet, Diane Duane, Diana Wynne Jones? So on to slightly less well known ones:

David Gemmell, start with Legend.

Lawrence Watt-Evans "Ethshar" series are great, his protagonists are very sensible.

Comic wordplay and rampant surreality including occasional time loops? Jasper Fforde's "Tuesday Next" sequence.

Magic harnessed as economics, with undead liches running cities? Max Gladstone's "Craft" sequence.

Encrusted strangeness in fantasy worlds? China Mieville, "Perdido Street Station".

Byron/Cthulhu crossovers? Tim Powers, "The Stress of Her Regard" or for more pirates "On Stranger Tides"

Jack Vance style far future fantasy/scifi crossover oddness? Matt Hughes. "9 Tales of Henghis Hapthorne" is a good starter.

How about urban fantasy - magic, gods and elves in the 'real' world?

Ben Aaronovitch "Rivers of London" series for modern police and modern small gods.

Elves kicking ass in LA? Seanan McGuire's October Daye series.

Hard boiled elf detective in the 1930s? Ari Marmell's "Mick Oberon" books.

Magician in modern west coast America? Jim Butchers' "Harry Dresden" books.

Near future Chinese detective with a demon wife and a badger that is sometimes a teakettle? Liz Williams' Detective Chen books.

Like Pashazade, I could go on all night!

DeRigueurMortis · 09/10/2019 01:39

I can heartily recommend the Rivers of London series.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RiversoffLondon(novel)

A modern magical crime genre - brilliant books.

DeRigueurMortis · 09/10/2019 01:41

Also Jasper Forde, Thursday Next series.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Fforde

DeRigueurMortis · 09/10/2019 01:41

Opps - apologies for the name typo!

AvengingGerbil · 09/10/2019 01:56

Martin Scott’s Thraxas series - comedy fantasy noir sorcerous detective.

AvengingGerbil · 09/10/2019 02:01

And Martin Millar (same author,different name), Lonely Werewolf Girl + sequels, and The Good Fairies of New York.

reallyneedmoresleep · 09/10/2019 08:00

Ooh lots of recommendations! Thank you so much. I’ve read and enjoyed the Rivers of London series and absolutely adored the Thursday Next books.

OP posts:
Pashazade · 09/10/2019 08:51

SpoonBlender I think I would like to spend time with your bookshelves GrinGrin. OP all the Jasper FForde books are worth a read, particularly his Fifty Shades of Grey, a far superior item to its namesake! Also you might enjoy A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (the Matthew Swift Novels) they are a very good evocation of London. Also the Felix Castor series by Mike Carey. Sadly only 4 in the set but really good.

SpoonBlender · 09/10/2019 14:40

Mostly electronic now Pasha - much more convenient until you want to lend to someone...

I'll be picking up the stuff you're recommending, we have a lot of crossover tastes.

Another one: Best fantasy worldbuilding I've met in recent years, mildly reminiscent of Bujold's Sharing Knife world but totally different: Graydon Saunder's "Commonweal" books, but start with book two "A Succession of Bad Days" unless you really like a serious bit of in media res where you won't know what the fuck is going on. Took me three tries to get through the first one originally, though it is totally worth it.

KatsutheClockworkOctopus · 09/10/2019 16:48

I like The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Gorman.

KatsutheClockworkOctopus · 09/10/2019 16:49

Sorry Cogman.

Pashazade · 09/10/2019 17:54

Oh I should anything by Joe Abercrombie if you don't mind a bit of blood on the battlefield and The Left Hand of God (1st in a trilogy) by Paul Hoffman totally different and brilliant.

Disfordarkchocolate · 09/10/2019 17:56

Rivers of London series?

I'm currently working my way through the excellent audiobooks.

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 09/10/2019 18:37

SpoonBlender
Thank you!!!

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 09/10/2019 18:44

Disfordarkchocolate
The reader is great - luckily they have taken a different reader for 'October Man". I hope - when the German translation comes out - they take the proper speakers and make a real effort with all the accents, languages and voices Ben Aaronovitch describes.
He really puts a lot of work in getting it right.

rosegoldwatcher · 10/10/2019 22:22

A New York Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.
This was made into a dreadful film (with Colin Farrell) - the book is better.
Features a flying white horse!

MeOnScreen · 10/10/2019 22:23

The few men on here got so excited thinking thinking you were talking about fantasy football Grin

ChristmasFluff · 12/10/2019 22:25

You might like Clive Barker's Weaveworld

Blibbyblobby · 12/10/2019 22:47

Ooo, my kind of books!

Lots of my favourites have already been recommended but here’s a few more:

The Iron Druid series doesn’t take itself too seriously, definite Dresden influence

Shadow Police is another London magic police procedural series, quite dark

On the YA side, Charlie M Holmberg’s Paper Magician series and Numina series are really lovely reads.

Blibbyblobby · 12/10/2019 22:49

Oops forgot the authors. Iron Druid is Kevin Hearne, Shadow Police is Paul Cornell

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