Top-quality fantasy literature?

Question

Can anyone offer some advice to a voracious reader whose insatiable hunger for fantasy is causing her cruel torment? In other words, I’ve read pretty much every fantasy book that I can think of, aside from those paperback, beach novels that offer nothing more interesting than a few Harry Potter rip-off moments. Could anyone suggest some delightful fantasy novels? I will read short stories, but I prefer novels when it comes to fantasy. I like fresh, imaginative tales that just sparkle with magic. I do not want to read anything that is poorly written, cliché, awkward, crammed with gratuitous sex scenes for the *soul* purpose of getting a childish book into the adult’s section at a library, and so forth. Any suggestions? Oh, and please do not recommend books like The Lord of the Rings, or the C.S. Lewis books. I have already read them. ;)

Answer 1

Try some real cyberpunk - "Neuromancer,
the Diamond Age, Clockwork Orange or Glen Cook's Garret series. They are a bit hard to find but worth it.

Answer 2

Here are a few author's that you should check out: Jane Lindskold, Dennis McKiernan, David Weber, David Drake, David Gemmel, Raymond Feist, Robert Heinlein, Frederick Pohl, Ursula K. LeGuin, Mercedes Lackey, Margaret Weiss, Michelle Sagara and the list goes on and on. Feel free to contact me with any more requests. I am also a voracious reader and tomorrow March 13 I turn 59. I have read almost a half a million books in my lifetime and only slowed down because books cost so much more than in my youth. But I do frequent the used book stores whenever I can. I have been looking for 'The Thread That Binds the Bones' for awhile. It was written by Nina Kiriki Hoffman and the cheapest I can find it is $17. Which I don't want to pay for a paperback. It is also a cross between horror and fantasy which I really enjoyed until it was stolen.

Answer 3

I'll recommend authors as opposed to books, since I generally find that if I like one book by an author I'll enjoy the rest.

Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/ ) - writes dark, lyrical fantasy that incorporates elements of world mythology. I'd recommend starting with "Neverwhere" and then on to "American Gods".

Charles DeLint (http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/ ) - Canadian author who is one of the big names in urban fantasy. Most of his novels are set in or around the mythical city of Newford, Canada. Newford is a city that seems normal, but many who live there are not quite human. He writes beautiful stories about the intersection of fantasy and reality. I'm not sure exactly which would be the best place to start - maybe try Jack of Kinrowan (a modern retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk) or Dreams Underfoot (short story collection that may give you a feel for his writing).

Connie Willis - her work is more science fiction, only not. I honestly don't know how to describe it. I'd start with "The Doomsday Book", which is about time travel going horribly awry and a modern plague. It's a really great book. Follow that up with "To Say Nothing of the Dog", which is a humorous book set in the same universe. It's got a very dry sense of humor, much like Wodehouse, if you're into that.

Naomi Novik (http://www.temeraire.org/ ) - Her Temeraire series is great. It's set during the Napoleonic era, only each side has an air force made up of dragons. The best part of the books is the relationship between the men and the dragons and how the dragons see things in a different way (including one who is becoming a campaigner for civil rights for dragons). These books are really fun and delightful, especially the voices of the characters.

Martha Wells (http://www.marthawells.com/ ) - her Ile-Rien books were a breath of fresh air to me - fantasy set in a world that was much closer to the Renaissance than the usual medieval period.

Patricia C Wrede and Carolyn Stevermer - These two have a delightful fantasy trilogy (so far) that begins with the book "Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country " (how's that for a title?). It's set in an alternate London where magic is real, during the Regency period. The book is told in the form of letters back and forth from two cousins, who are also best friends. One has come to London for the season and stumbled across a magical mystery, while the other is stuck in the country and also stumbles into danger. Really fun and whimsical.

These are oldies but goodies - have you read Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series (http://www.deryni.net/ )? I haven't kept up with them, but the early novels were good, or so I recall. I was particularly interested in the way she wove religion and magic together.

Answer 4

Have you read Piers Anthony at all? His Xanth series is pretty good (the land is shaped like Florida, the author's home) and the characters are colorful - it's full of puns as well. I really enjoyed the first ones.

I think I liked his Adept series better - believe it's only 3. The main character is trying to live in parallel worlds where his role is very different.

And I loved his On a Pale Horse, the first of the Incarnations of Immortality series. I never finished all of them.

Have you ever read Katherine Kurtz? She has a series about the Deryni, a magical race that were almost erased. They have to come back to set things right.

I'm an Anne McCaffrey fan as well and loved Dragonriders of Pern series. I also fell in love with her Crystal Singer series - only 3 books I think - it was one of those where I wanted more.

That's all I have for now. Good luck.

If you use Amazon to search for books, you can click on the place that says "Explore similar items" when on a book's page and get more ideas - up to 50 at a time. Enjoy!

Answer 5

You should absolutely read David Gemmell. Chivalry is not dead in these books and he really knows how to create a character! Also Sara Douglass an Australian fantasy author her bad guys are loathsome. R A Salvatore is a brilliant author and his collaboration with other authors on a series called The War of The Spider Queen is a must read. Stating the obvious you cannot overlook Terry Brooks Shannara series an absolute epic.

Answer 6

I would recommend books by Diana Wynne Jones, there are some in the childish catergory but also some in the adult catergory. Problem is, most are just an okay read but not as good if youre looking to compete with Harry Potter. But there is one of her books that stands out and I think is brilliant, try "DEEP SECRET" by Diana Wynne Jones, you will not be disapointed. And at least its only till July for the next (and last *tear*) HP book.

Answer 7

Things to Read: The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix is very good. Also the gatekeeper's trilogy by Anthony Horowitz (targeted at teenagers, but not cliche or any other of the negative qualities you've listed). I'll assume you already read it from your "Harry Potter-rip off comment, but just in case, definitely read HP.

Don't waste your time reading Eragon. It is enjoyable enough for 10-13 year olds who have not read Tolkien, but is incredibly annoying to someone who has and has read many other good books. I find Paolini's overuse of the thesaurus amusing, so if you'd like to laugh at a terrible book than read this.

Answer 8

James Clemens "The Banned and the Banished" Series. Five Books, nicely written, imaginative, and a REAL twist on the very last page!

Trudi Canavan "The Black Magician Trilogy". Aimed more at younger readers, but gets better and better with each book.

David and Leigh Eddings "The Redemption of Althalus". Really funny and witty.

Answer 9

Dragonlance Series
The Death Gate Cycle
The Rose of the Prophet
The Darksword Trilogy
(All of the above by Weis and Hickman)

Watership Down - Richard Adams

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen R Donaldson

The Life of Pi - Yann Martel (not sure if that classifies as fantasy)

The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King

Hope that helps.

Answer 10

Read The Lightning Theif and Sea of Monsters. Those are the best fantasy books EVER!!!

They are about a kid, Perseus (Percy) Jackson, who finds out that his best friend is a Greek Satyr and that he is a Demi-God(half blood). In both books he goes on a quest that was given to him by Chiron the Centaur. Accompanied by that Satyr, whose name is Grover, and Daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase. This son of a sea god has the time of his life(or not if you think that fighting monsters and going to the darkest part of the underworld is fun.)

These books are more myth than fantasy but are still probably the best series I've read. (There are more books to come in the series.)

Answer 11

It sounds like you've probably read most of the mainstream fantasy novels out there (I know I have), so I'll recommend a few that are off the beaten path and still quite well-written.

Dragon's Winter by Elizabeth A. Lynn: I so wish more people would read this book. It is beautifully written, very lyrical and almost poetic at times. Lynn crafts a fantasy world with a developed history and mythology. The characters relate their beliefs and their culture in a believable fashion as the story unfolds, giving the whole novel a sense of realism and believability. I haven't read anything quite like this before or since. Lynn's world is populated with humans and shapeshifters. The most common of the latter are hawks and wolves and bears, but among them there is one recognized lord, the Dragon. But for their sheer power, there are usually only one or two Dragons around at one time. A very beautiful story. There are several references to romance, but nothing gratuitous or too explicit, and it's all in there for a reason.

Weapon of Flesh by Chris A. Jackson: This is an independent book available at http://www.jaxbooks.com. It won several awards the year of its publication, and for good reason. This is a thoughtful, character driven narrative the likes of which is so rarely seen in fantasy. Jackson's main character is a boy raised from birth to be a killer, but when his master is slain, he is allowed for the first time in his life to make his own choices. It explores the question of Nature versus Nurture in a very unique way.

Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko: This is a modern fantasy, but nothing like Harry Potter. It's a Russian import recently translated into English and set in present day Moscow. It imagines a city where magicians, vampires, and shapeshifters all walk among humanity without our knowledge. These Others are strictly divided into Light and Dark Ones, supposedly on their motivations of good or evil. But the story, narrated by a Light One, reveals that sometimes great acts of evil are committed by the side of good, and that evil does not only destroy, it can sometimes save lives, too. Very interesting, gritty read. It's a bit allegorical to the current political situation in Russia, too. The sequel, Daywatch, is due out soon, and I haven't been this excited about a book in a long time.

The Dark Glory War by Michael A. Stackpole: I like Stackpole because he doesn't feel compelled to write books with happy endings. This is the first book in the series, and does a great job of introducing gritty, realistic characters and a culture unlike any I've read in other fantasies. It's unsettling at times, but always well-written and always engrossing. The rest of the series is top-notch, too. I can't believe this hasn't gotten the attention of The Wheel of Time series or George R.R. Martin's Song for Ice and Fire.

The Art of Arrow Cutting by Stephen Dedman: This is a fun, witty book set in modern times. What differentiates it from other modern fantasies (especially in this post Harry Potter world) is the source of its magical elements. Dedman draws inspiration from Japanese mythology and he does it well and convincingly. The characters are all well-developed with distinct motives and personalities. The whole novel is very clever, and its sequel, Shadows Bite, is nearly as good.

If you haven't already, you'll also want to check out fantasy masters George R.R. Martin, Stephen Lawhead, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodkind (the early books in his Sword of Truth series were quite good, though they've lost their way lately).