Good fantasy books?

Question

any good fantasy books

Answer 1

It depends on the type of fantasy you're looking for. If you want swords and sorcery, there are already a lot of good recommendations on here, though I would also add "The Wizard Knight" books by Gene Wolf (and tell you that I absolutely couldn't take the Thomas Covenent books seriuously after hearing about Lord Kevin. Just me).

If you want something a little more off-beat, I'd recommend any of the following:

The Viriconium books by M. John Harrison. Weird and dreamy and kind of incomprehensible, but beautiful nonetheless.

The Westmark trilogy by Lloyd Alexander. Not exactly fantasy. These are set in a roughly enlightenment/early modern world very similar to France or Belgium. The characterization in these is extraordinary. Actually, pretty much anything by Alexander is good.

"Perdido Street Station," "The Scar" and "Iron Council" by China Miéville. A loose sort of trilogy. "The Scar" is my favorite, but they've all got good points. They're all set in the incredible world of Bas-Lag, and mix steampunk and fantasy with extraordinary ease and exuberance.

"City of Saints and Madmen" by Jeff VanderMeer. A strange collection of short stories by a man who must be some kind of mystic. Achingly beautiful and distressingly odd.

The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake. This has influenced many of the writers on this list. Written by a rough contemporary of Tolkien's, some would argue that these are, in fact, better than Lord of the Rings.

Anything you can get by Jorges Luis Borges. Although some say this is magic reality and many would hesitate to classify such a great writer as fantasy, Borges' short stories are always extraordinary and mind-bending.

Looking into any of these writers will lead you to many other wonderful figures, and all of these books have my personal seal of approval (that is, I own almost all of them or have read them more than once. Often both).

Have fun!

Answer 2

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. The first one is entitled The Eye of the World.

Surprisingly, Stephen King's Dark Tower series is also an excellent epic fantasy. The first book in that series is entitled The Gunslinger.

The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings is also a good, stand alone fantasy book.

Answer 3

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a great fantasy novel.
Probably my favorite novel ever. Don't miss this book. It is a very literate, funny, and sometimes scary story that asks you to think about the Ameriacan way.

"American Gods is like a fast run downhill through a maze -- both exhilarating and twisted. In it, Gaiman introduces a world where the dead past is all too alive, where gods struggle to keep a toehold on existence, and where reality's backstage is only a carousel ride away." --Jane Lindskold, author of Changer

Answer 4

Witches of Eileanan Series---Kate Forsyth
Finovar Tapestry---Guy Gavriel Kay
Codex Alera Series---Jim Butcher

Answer 5

My favorite fantasy series is The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. That hasn't changed, no matter how many great fantasy books and series I've read. Perhaps it never will change.

Answer 6

The double trilogy of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson.
The Xanth Series (dozens of books) by Piers Anthony.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Answer 7

I enjoyed Ballad of Iron Percy by Edward Clark but it's an audiobook. Good for when you want something like that but can't read a book, e.g. doing the dishes or exercising.

Answer 8

If you haven't read "Eragon" get, it's out in paperback now and worth its cover price. Perhaps not the five stars its fans have touted, but a pretty solid three, and arguably four. One advantage is it's a very thick book, and gives you quite a bit to chew on.

Answer 9

A new book that just came out called The Scroll of Kanavar. A must read. I can't put it down

Answer 10

Stephen King's Dark Tower series is the best. And it will keep you busy for a looooong time.

Amd of course the Harry Potter books!