Fantasy fans, recommend me a book!

[MegBusset]

I used to read a lot of fantasy when I was younger and quite fancy a bit of escapism now. I don't mind straightforward swords 'n' sorcery but needs to be reasonably intelligent and have good characters. Not so keen on SF.

Authors I have enjoyed: Tad Williams, Stephen Donaldson, Weis & Hickman (I was obsessed with Dragonlance as a teen), Hugh Cook, Tolkien, Philip Pullman...

susan price is excellent, often in teen fiction but well worth seeking out.

and lois mcmaster bujold although i read them out of order by mistake.

stephen donaldson has got a final thomas covenant trilogy out.

Anything by Ursula K Le Guin. Try the Earthsea series, and then she has written others. Some of them are slightly more Science Fiction, but with the emphasis more on the fantasy worlds and people's relationships rather than very sciencey.

Hi, I´ve just finished reading the Redemption of Althalus by David & Leigh Eddings and can highly recommend it. He has written quite a lot so definately an author to look out for if you´re into that sort of thing

sleepycat, I used to be a Dragonlance obsessive as a young'un as well (had a terrible book crush on Tanis ). Sadly they don't really stand up so well to rereading as an adult, although they're still rollicking good adventures.

SMTB, I love the Earthsea books. There's something about the way she writes. ?

Mark Chadbourn - absolutely excellent, and his mythology is tiptop.

Terry Goodkind is a bit annoying IMO, as he wanders around for 300 pages, and everything happens in the last 70.

Garth Nix's Abhorsen series is great, and very unpublicised imo.

Terry Brooks, all the Shannara series, there are quite a few.

Terry Goodkind the whole Sword of Truth Series
David Eddings, the Belgariad series, then the follow on Malloreon series. He also wrote The Elenium series (I think that's what it's called...quite good).

Katherine Kurtz...can't remember the name of the series, but based on a combination of Celtic/Arthurian legend, involving magic.

Raymond E Feist, got loods of them in 3 series plus some stand alones. There are the Riftwar series, the Serpentwar series and most recently the Darkwar series. THey all follow on from each other.

(deep breath)

Garth Nix - (Old Kingdom trilogy - Sabriel etc)
Lois McMasters Bujold - Chalion series
Katherine Kerr - Deverry series
Susan Cooper - Dark is Rising series (but dont bother with the film its dreadful!)
Tamora Pierce - Lioness series
Raymond E Feist - Magician, etc, also the Empire trilogy.
Michelle Sagara - Elantra series
Terry Pratchett - esp the Witches and Guards ones.
Guy Gavriel Kay - Fionovar Tapestry / Tigana

Loads more I'm sure but that is enough to start with..!

Forgot, Feist's Empire Series good too!

Loads of ace reading suggestions here. We need a regular Fantasy Reading Room thread!

Robert Jordan - am currently on book 10 and its been a bit of a slog.. Really gripping when you get into it, but the books are HUGE. And after book 6 or so the story is shared between so many characters the story moves at a snails pace..

And yes sadly RJ died recently, before completing book 12. This guy is finishing it from RJ's notes: link

Thanks for all of these, will be checking them out in the library!

Re: Dragonlance crushes, mine was Raistlin

Tamora Pierce-Lioness series
Garth Nix-Sabriel series
Tad Williams- greenangel tower series
McKinley-Spindles End
Arrows of the queen series by Mercedes Lackey
JV Jones-bakers boy series

are all ones I have enjoyed recently, but I also read the Green Rider and First Rider's Call by Kirsten Britain (part of a partly completed series) and for the first time ever am actually considering buying a book in hardback-the third in the series as I got completely hooked.

Which MNer's hubby has just got a book deal for a series about dragons? Can't remember and I was determined to look out for them when they were published

Haha Meg I must admit that while Tanis filled all the manly hero requirements, after a while my affections did wander over to the dark side and Raistlin's more complex charms. I had a few rather feverish moments while reading the Twins trilogy.

The thing about Tanis is that, when you read the books back as an adult, he's actually kind of a wanker - totally weak and vacillating, always making excuses for stringing Laurana along. At least Raistlin was a straight-up selfish bastard

Heliconia trilogy by Brian Aldiss. I know he's really a SF author but it's more fantasy than true SF.

OrmIrian, aren't you going to recommend your own book?

Skyatnight, have you read Gifts, Voices and Powers by Ursula Le Guin? I have read Gifts, and am halfway through Voices at the moment. I'm really enjoying it.

SMTB, no, I've only ever read the Earthsea books. I will give the ones you mention a try. Thanks.

Hope you enjoy them!

I'm another Trudi Canavan fan. The Black Magicians triology was very good indeed! I have the first book of her next trilogy untouched, lol.

I also enjoyed The Tales of the Otori trilogy by Lian Hearn.

I second DC J Cherryh. There's always Terry Pratchett. You might like Diana Wynn Jones though you might find them a little young.

I'm sure it's already been said, but I vote for the Robin Hobb nonology (is that a word?! there are 9 of them anyway).

Start with Assassin's Apprentice, read that trilogy, then Liveship traders trilogy, then Fool trilogy.

I was a bit dissappointed with the last couple of books - they relied too much on people not talking to each other / asking the obvious question, which is an annoying device imo - but the first seven were all great. Her Forest Mage trilogy not so good I thought.

Oh, and for a bit of kid's reading - The King of the Copper Mountains has just been republished, albeit with new illustrations (boo). It was my favourite book when I was little and could well be an intro for younger DCs to the genre... Perfect for bedtime stories, now dd (1yo) just has to get a little bit older..