Good fantasy or science fiction book please

[SlothWithACloth]

I’d love a good well written fantasy or science fiction book with some romance in it.
Any recommendations?

Thank you so much everyone. I wasn’t expecting so many suggestions. I’m going to check them all out tonight and buy myself a few for Christmas

If you like paranormal fantasy then the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter is really good as is her Soulwood series. There is some nice romance in them and lots of relationship stuff but it doesn't overtake a good plot and well paced story telling. Also the Penric & Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold are great fun, more traditional fantasy style and anything by T Kingfisher is worth reading (the latter two authors I've solely got on Kindle).

Good grief can't believe I quadrupled up on the Bujold recommendation, never come across anyone else reading them 🤣

Light hearted fantasy/romance go to for me is the psychangling series by nalini Singh. Not particularly high brow but engaging books that are easy to get lost in.

The Earthsea quartet of books by Ursula Le Guin are one of my favourites. They have a wonderful gentleness to them, and a growing relationship for that bit of romance too.

The author you are looking for is Bujold, as a few people have already said. Really well-written, wonderful characters, fascinating world-building. Not romantic novels as such, but most have a romantic sub plot, and some have more.

For Sci Fi, start with Shards of Honor, and then read your way through the Vorkosigan saga, until you get to Komarr and A Civil Campaign. The ones after that are not bad (esp Captain Vorpatril's Alliance) but A Civil Campaign is the climax really.

For Fantasy, read Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, and then Paladin of Souls - both brilliant. I don't enjoy her Sharing Knife books as much.

Another author who does fantasy with a romantic thread is Sharon Shinn. I recently read her Twelve Houses books, and enjoyed them.

But Bujold is wonderful.

Juliet Marillier
Sevenwaters trilogy is probably her best work.
A lot of Romance but set in a fantasy setting.
If you like the trilogy you can look into the rest of her books but after a while they do get a bit formulaic.
The above would be the starting point.

Doomsday book by Connie Willis is a great book about an historian who time travels to the middle ages, with an element of romance

Have you read anything by Ursula le Guin? Lots of her books include an element of romance, although it isn't central to the plot. The lathe of heaven is one of her best, it is about a man whose dreams change reality. I also rate the Dispossessed, and left hand of darkness (which centres on a close friendship, rather than a romance)

One Damned Thing After another - author escapes me

I came on to recommend Patrick Rothfuss too but it's already been recommended. I love The Name of the Wind, it just absorbs you into the pages.

T. A. White’s series which starts with Age of Deception is terrific space opera. There is a nice romance, but the characters don’t lose their minds, which makes a change.

Im so spoiled for choice here
I’ve looked at Bujold and her books look like just what I need at the moment.
I’ve also looked at a lot of the others and I’m drawn to lots. I’m limiting myself to 3 at the minute. I’ve chosen The Name of the Wind as one of them so I’m just deciding on one more.
No doubt I’ll be buying more of the series and more throughout next year. I’ve realised I’ve missed this genre a lot. I’m so excited to read these books. Thanks so much

I’ve chosen The Name of the Wind as one of them

Yay! Jealous of you reading it for the first time.

Did Rothfuss ever get around to finishing the series though? I like Name of the Wind but I’ve grown weary of fantasy authors who don’t finish series.

Of course they are not readers’ bitches and can do what they want but I do think if you should start a story, you should do your best to finish it (looking at you, GRRM).

Nope, the last Rothfuss book in the trilogy hasn't been released yet. Living in hope though.

Anything by Claire North for example -
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
The Sudden Appearance of Hope

@Standrewsschool

One Damned Thing After another - author escapes me

Jodi Taylor

Following for recommendations. I only ever remember Dune as its fantastic.

Recursion by Blake Crouch - very mind bending time travel sci-fi with romantic subplot.

Oh and moderate sci-fi but lots of relationships - The One by John Marrs, quite Black Mirror esque about a near future where you can be matched to your genetic soulmate. Ridiculous book but lots of fun.

Bujold is very good. Can also recommend Sharon Shinn's Elemental Blessing series, starting with Troubled Waters

www.goodreads.com/book/show/7908762-troubled-waters

They are less complex than Bujold, who can be dark sometimes (but is also warm and funny).

Kelley Armstrong has some great fantasy stuff. The women of the otherworld series is really good, and does feature some romantic relationships, but they aren't really the focus.

An old one, but I loved the Empire series by Janny Wurts. Daughter of the Empire, servant of the Empire and mistress of the Empire. It's been a while since I read them but they made a lasting impression on me.

An old one and probably not too easy to get hold of, but try The Darkangel trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Also the Mortal Engines quartet by Philip Reeve. Not much romance in them but the Ketty Jay quartet by Chris Wooding are great fun and crying out to be filmed.