Epic fantasy fiction books

[Thepigeonsarecoming]

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

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!

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).

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.

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!

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...

@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

Maia by Richard Adams.

Lyonesse

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'.

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

I love Terry good kind.

Elizabeth Moon
Tanya Huff

@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.

@homemadecommunistrussia

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

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

Colin Wilson's spiderworld series is excellent.

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

Mervyn Peake - the Gormenghast trilogy

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

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

I really like Brent Weeks and Maria V Snyder