any good fantasy books?

Question

are there any really good fantasy books out there and if so what are they?

Answer 1

The following series are good fantasy reads: (these include the summary of the first book of each series listed)


Pendragon by D. J. Machale

Book one: The Merchant of Death

BOBBY PENDRAGON is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby.

He is going to save the world.

And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he though it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.

If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning...

The Immortals Series by Tamora Pierce

Wild Magic:

Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a knack with animals, but it’s not until she's forced to leave home that she realizes it's more than a knack-it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but also she can make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student.

Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she begins to sense other beings too: immortals. These bloodthirsty monsters have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years, but now someone has broken the barrier, It's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an immortal attack.

The Harper Hall Trilogy by Anne McCaffrey

Dragonsong:

So fire lizards weren't boy talk!

Awed, Menolly watched the swift, graceful flight. The queen had led her swarm so high that the smaller ones, the blues and greens and browns, had been forced down. They circled now at a lower altitude, struggling to keep the same direction as the high fliers.

They had to be fire lizards! thought Menolly, her heart almost stopping at the beauty and thrill of the sight....

Last fall her brother Alemi had claimed he'd seen fire lizards there at dawn, feeding on fingertails in the shallows. His report ad set off another rash of what Petiron had called "lizard-fever," Every lad in the Sea Hold had burned with plans to trap a fire lizard.

It was just as well that the crags were unapproachable....But, if anyone had been sure there were fire lizards there....Well no one would know from her.

The Inheritance Trilogy (Books one and two are out) by Christopher Paolini

Eragon

One boy...
One dragon....
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling. Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fat of the Empire may rest in his hands...

The Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce

First Test

In the medieval and fantastic realm of Tortall, Keladry of Mindelan (known as Kel) is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that permits females to train for knighthood. Up against the traditional hazing of pages and a grueling schedule, Kel faces only one real roadblock: Lord Wyldon, the training master of pages and squires. He is absolutely against girls becoming knights. So while he is forced to train her, Wyldon puts her on probation for one year. It is a trial period that no male page has ever had to endure and one that separates the good-natured Kel even more from her fellow trainees during the tougher first year. But Kel is not a girl to underestimates, as everyone is about to find out....

Deltora Quest (all three series) by Emily Rodda (but get the combined sets, not the ones with all of the small individual books)

Deltora Quest (Special Edition: Books 1-4)

Deltora is a land of magic, monsters, and danger. The evil Shadow Lord has taken over the kingdom...and only three people can save it. Lief, Jasmine, and Barda have nothing in common--and everything to lose. They must embark o a perilous quest to recapture the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. Only when the Belt is complete once more can the evil Shadow Lord be overthrown.

The obstacles are many. The risks are real. But Lief, Jasmine, and Barda must defeat the darkness--or else Deltora will perish.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, is not a series but a single book, that it really awesome

At her birth, Ella of Frell, was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift--The "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order giver to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsister, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse-once and for all.




The following are books that are also good, but I don't have them on me to provide an adequate summary:

Deltora series by Emma Rodda
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Children of the Lamp: (Book 1 and 2) by P. B. Kerr
The Two Princesses of Bamarre and Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo and Leven Thumps and Whispered Secret by Obert Skye
Dragon Rider, Inkheart, and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
Tricker's Choice and Tricker's Queen, and the Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce (well, everything by her is fantasy, and she is one of my favorite authors)

Source(s):
Book one: The Merchant of Death by D. J. Machale
Wild Magic and First Test by Tamora Pierce
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Deltora Quest (Special Edition: Books 1-4) by Emily Rodda
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Answer 2

Fantasy has got various sub-genres and I suppose it really depends which one you prefer the most. But here's a sampling acros sub-genres which you might want to consider:

High Fantasy (with wizards, and dragons, and rescuing princes and stuff):
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Earthsea Cycle - Ursula Le Guin
Hero & the Crown - Robin McKinley
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle

Young Adult Fantasy (they just wanna grow up normal and kickin' ***)
Harry Potter - JK Rowling
Over Sea and Under Stone - Susan Cooper Series
Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen- Garth Nix (3 separate books)

Vampire Lore / Seele & Unseelie /Goth
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Tithe - Holly Black

Humorous / Satire
Terry Pratchett - any of his great books will do


Everything In Between
Neverwhere / Stardust / American Gods / Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
Beauty - Robin McKinley
Once Upon a Time Series -- look for Cameron Dokey's works

Hope something here will help you. :)

Answer 3

I'd recommend a book called "Justin Thyme" - although it's a teen book, it looks like it's getting quite a cult adult following (if the web site is anything to go by). It isn't your typical magic-filled elves and dragons type fantasy ... it's somewhere between fantasy and science fiction - sort of science fantasy. It includes: the Loch Ness Monster, a teenage billionaire, a mysterious Scottish Laird, a celebrity cryptozoologist, a computer-literate gorilla, a Shakespearean gardener, a gigantic bald woman, and an eight-legged cat! I found it fascinating - the theories about the nature of time itself, and trails of hidden cryptic clues embedded into the text. Even the identity of the author is concealed somewhere in the book. And although I'm far older than the target audience, I find myself continually being drawn back to it, hoping to discover just one more clue!
If you want to check out the book on Amazon click here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/justin-thyme-tar...

Answer 4

Fantasy is my favorite genre to read and write about! There's the Harry Potter series, the Eragon series, the Sword of Shannara series, the Deltora Quest series, the Lord of the Ring series, the Inkheart series, the Chronicles of Narnia series, the Hobbit, The Bartimaeus trilogy, Star Wars, ect... There are a lot of choices to choose from!

Answer 5

It really depends on what you're looking for! There are so many different sub-genres within fantasy that it's hard to tell you what to try if I don't know what pushes all your joyful buttons. Is it romance? Comedy? Action? A blend? Serious old-school fantasy a la dragons and elves, or newer, somewhat more inventive worlds and universes?

Anyhow, a couple of authors that I love, who range more on the newer side are Diane Duane and Terry Pratchett. Seriously- Terry Pratchett. Give him a look. I think everyone needs to read at least one book of his. If they don't like it, fine, but chances are they won't be able to stop reading his immense collection . . .

Answer 6

Depends on what you like. I like the soldier son trilogy, by Robin Hobb. There's also the Dragon Bone Chair ( I don't remember the author. My books are packed away for moving right now!) That's actually the first of a trilogy also. The Eldest trilogy, first book Eragon, is actually quite good. One of the best I've read in a while. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Anything by Tamora Pierce or Anne McCaffrey are great fantasy books. A book by James Patterson that I highly reccomend is Maximum Ride.

Answer 8

The Hobbit, and Lord or the Rings trilogy are excellent, so are the C S Lewis books starting with the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe-Chronicles of Narnia books.

Answer 9

Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series - On a Pale Horse is the first book

Answer 10

There's a new medieval fantasy series in hardcover that you might like. The title of the first episode is THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY. It's 445 pages of action, adventure, magic, mystery and mayhem. If you're a fan of Conan, LOTR or Wheel books, this is one you'll enjoy. A Hollywood producer said it was, "Like Braveheart meets Lord of the Rings." (See other comments & reviews below.)

Good luck, whatever you decide to read!

Major Media Reviews:

Publishers Weekly said in a rare STARRED Review:

"A fast pace, sly humor, amusing dialogue and a richly researched background lift Baxley's fantasy, the first of a new series set in medieval Britain. When Merlin's long-ago apprentice Kruzurk Makshare (aka the Boozer) receives a dreamlike visitation from the legendary mage, he learns he must destroy another former apprentice, the villainous Seed of Cerberus. To do so will require a visit to the demon-guarded Blackgloom Keep. Enter young Daynin McKinnon, who discovers a curious rune-covered headstone, which may be the fabled Blackgloom Bounty, and brings it to Kruz's attention. Kruz believes it will provide entry into the fortress, while Daynin hopes the sale of the stone will restore his family's fortunes. The colorful cast of good guys and ne'er-do-wells includes the Pictish ghost of Brude McAlpin liberated from his tomb, assorted pursuing Caledonians and a bemused Prior Bede, whose monastery serves as a hiding place for the Blackgloom Bounty. Suitable for fantasy enthusiasts of all ages."

Library Journal said:
"This series opener...is a good choice for fans of epic-style sagas and Scottish history."

Harriet Klausner, Amazon's #1 Ranked Reviewer said:
"This terrific medieval fantasy...will elate readers for its fast-paced, action-thrilled story line starring a strong cast."

Nancy McCulloch, PRWEB Article:
"Two thumbs up for a colorful cast of characters, nonstop, rapid-fire action and compelling storyline!"

Fantasybookspot.com Review:
"Taking place in Medieval Scotland, this tale of magic, adventure and love really captured my attention..."

Blackgloom @ Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594144...

Answer 11

The Mists of Avalon, The Lathe of Heaven, The Left Hand of Darkness, the Dune series.