Any good fantasy books?

Question

If you know of any little known authors/books that you think a teenage girl who is relatively intelligent and loves to read would like, feel free to post. If you could also tell what it's about that would be great. Some examples of books I've read/am reading:
Pendragon series
Lord of the Rings
Eragon, Eldest
Harry Potter series
Series of Unfortunate Events
Dragonlance Chronicles
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series(by Tad Williams)
Rhapsody, Prophecy, Destiny(three books in a series by Elizabeth Haydon)
Inkheart, Inkspell

Just because I don't have a book on the list doesn't mean I haven't read it (Chronicles of Narnia, Stephen King, Cornelia Funke, etc.). I'm 16 but I've read a lot, so don't be afraid that whatever you reccomend is too much for me.

Otherwise thanks for the great answers so far.

Answer 1

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Anne McCaffrey's books. Her Dragonriders of Pern series is a mixture of SF and fantasy, and I really enjoyed them at your age. I believe Dragonflight was the first in the series, and it's a great saga. You'll find a new insight into Paolini's source material (the author of Eragon borrowed several ideas and concepts from McCaffrey). You should enjoy them quite a bit.

You may also like the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It's quite an involved series and a lengthy one, too. Jordan takes some ideas from Arthurian legend (though many are nearly unrecognizable) a long with Tolkien-style adventure series. He mixes them with his own unique fantasy world and quite well-crafted characters. The result is a series that's engaging, despite being long-winded at times. If you liked Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, and the Pendragon series, you should give the Wheel of Time books a shot.

Another series, though with significantly more adult themes in it, is George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. At sixteen, I think you'd be able to handle the concepts and actions in the books. Martin's series is fantasy like no other. His books are dark, gritty, and highly gripping. Each chapter is narrated from the perspective of a different character, giving his world a very multi-faceted feel. There are no good guys or bad guys, just people with there own motivations and ambitions. This is one of the best fantasy series published since Lord of the Rings.

If you're interested in modern fantasy, I highly recommend Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series. The first two books have just been released in English, as Lukyanenko is a Russian writer with a decent following in his native country. His books are set in modern Moscow and feature the Others: magicians, shapeshifters, and vampires all living among humanity. Though forced to choose the Light or Dark, you'll find the supposedly "Good" side committs heinous acts of evil in the name of its cause, and vice versa. Awesome series, it's getting a lot of acclaim and praise from critics. I wouldn't be surprised if more of this Russian writer's books find themselves translated into English.

Back in the realm of high fantasy, you may also enjoy Elizabeth A. Lynn's Dragon Winter. This is a single book (the sequel Dragon's Treasure is out, but not as good). I find this one book to be one of the most beautifully written stories ever. I read it as a teenager and every time I reread it I'm struck by the eloquence and poetry of Lynn's language. Lynn also crafts a real history and mythology for her world, which she weaves into the text as stories related between characters. Very great narrative, I think you'll like this one.

I think you may also enjoy Kate Elliot's books, which begin with The King's Dragon. Elliot splits her first book between two principle characters, and expands this view to include other narratives in subsequent novels. Her books focus on the politics and intrigue of her fantasy world, and the rise and fall of different characters. There are also several romantic subplots, and the whole thing comes together quite nicely. This is a good, underrated series on the market right now.

Hopefully that'll give you an idea of where to start. Other authors you might enjoy include Terry Goodkind, Janny Wurts, Roger Zelazny (he's a classic, read his Chronicles of Amber series if you liked Lord of the Rings), Margaret Weis (she's done several books outside the Dragonlance series that you might like), and Mercedes Lackey.

Answer 2

I'd recommend you start on the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

Don't get put off by what you know about other Stephen King books, this isn't a horror story. It has more in common with Lord of the Rings than any of his previous work. In fact King says Tolken was an influence on the story (He started it before he'd even released his first book, and the last one only came out a few years ago.

After reading the first book of the series, The Gunslinger, I was hooked. I would recommend it to anyone. Take a look at the link below for more details

Answer 3

I am totally with Flower. I also like those books and Quest for a Maid, Midnight Magic, BOTH of the Cornelia Funke books, Inkheart and Inkspell.

Answer 4

I'm 14, and these are the books I love:
Tithe by Holly Black (great dark faerie fantasy, and there are sequels)
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (very popular, very good. I'm not really a vampire person, but it's such a great book.)
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (It's a future book, but really good. Deals with the idea of what beauty is and what we'll do to get it.)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (not fantasy, but I really loved this book. It was very easy to read and I liked the story.)
And since you read ASOUE, you might want to try Spiderwick Chronicles (also by Holly Black). They're really good, even though they're for little kids. And it's being made into a movie, so it might be fun to see how it all turns out.

Overall, I'd recommend Tithe if you're sure you can handle it. It's not well known, but very good.

Answer 5

If you like Tad Williams, try his first book: "Tailchaser's Song," a wonderful cat fantasy with slight shades of Lord of the Rings parody.

"Song Quest" by someone or other- about an group of people who make magic through music, and there are half-human half-animal creatures, like mermaids (merlee), that some of their children can hear. Quest to save the almost-humanly intelligent merlee from being killed for their eggs.

"Wind Singer" by William Nicholson. Girl and two friends leave a strict, unhappy society to find a magic device that will free the society from fear and hate (or at least diminish them greatly.) On the way, they encounter "old children," land ships, and people that live underground in filth, but are perfectly cheerful. On the way back, its a race against time, against what I can't tell you, because that would be telling. =)

Answer 6

I see you've forgotten Chronicals of Narnia! It's a great fantasy book.

Also try Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. The Divide trilogy by Elizabeth Kay. I loved it. Here is some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Divide_trilogy

Good luck. ^^

Answer 7

Look into Tamora Pierce and Brian Jacques - both outstanding authors in my book!

Tamora Pierce has penned some strong feminine novels that focus on the great things women are capable of. I highly recommend her books! Great fantasy!

Brian Jacques is the author of the Redwall series - wonderful tales of an Abbey of mice and other forest creatures, with wonderful descriptive passages! - and also the 'Tales of the Flying Dutchman'.

Answer 8

Here's one I'm pretty sure you don't know about: Elaine Isaak's The Singer's Crown. It was just released a couple of years ago, and it's her very first novel. I highly recommend it. I almost didn't buy it after reading the back cover, but I went ahead, and it's the best fantasy I've read in a durn long time.

Answer 9

Look into the author Ursula K. LeGuin, especially the Earthsea series.

Answer 10

Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.