Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

We all love Tolkien. He is the grandfather of epic fantasy. I'm not a historian, but I'm bold enough to make the sweeping statement of: before Tolkien fantastical stories were mainly fairy tales.

Since The Lord of the Rings was published, fantasy has seen peaks and troughs in the general consciousness of western culture. Some of the stuff out there is great. Some is piss poor. Go figure.

If we disregard everything that has been made into a TV or film franchise, and give appropriate credit to Brandon Sanderson now, what other fantasy is there that you enjoy? I don't care if it's urban fantasy, high fantasy or anywhere in-between.

Personally I'd recommend everyone try the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. It's a quirky urban fantasy with a nicely thought out magic system. Also the Priestess of the White by Trudi Canavan is a gem.

Joe Abercrombie!! <3

Does sci-fi count as fantasy?

I'd put Song of Ice and Fire up fairly high on my fantasy list.

Ducky: I'd argue that sci-fi could probably fit into the fantasy genre. And veering a bit into that genre, I would add CS Lewis' Space Trilogy into my (rather short) list of favourite fantasy.

Anything by Michael Ende!

I enjoyed David Gemmell. I loved his characterisation: the journeys he takes his characters on are always real and cathartic.

I'm afraid other recommendable fantasy, for me, takes us back to my childhood. I loved Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising sequence, and Ursula le Guim's Earthsea trilogy.

I got bored with ASOIAF and RJ's Wheel of Time after initially good starts. But I tend not to read fiction now.

Feel free to join us book lovers here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=77&start=50

Favorite fantasies I've found since LOTR way-back-when:

The Dragon Jousters series by Mercedes Lackey - so immersive. I need to re-read this, honestly.
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - *fascinating* worldbuilding, but not overbearing. Was not as impressed with Shadow Scale--the sequel--from a story perspective, but still enjoyed delving into the world again.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik - I have a Thing for sentient trees, ok? But the rest of the story was also awesome.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - This one ruined me in so many ways that I'm still processing it.
Treason's Crown (novella) by Anne Wheeler - My most recent binge-fantasy read. Christian undertones, but not preachy, and a really fascinating look at duty vs love.
The Staff & The Sword series by Patrick W. Carr (Christian fantasy, but so well done) - borderline preachy, but a series that I *needed* at the time I read it when going through some hard things.
His Fair Assassins series by Robin LaFevers - Assassin nuns. Gods walking the earth. So many twists and morally ambiguous characters. And there are so many quotes from these books that I love, and this one in particular really helped me a lot when my grandmother passed away rather unexpectedly and traumatically:

“What is it like?"

"What is what like?"

"Death. What is death like?"

"He is quiet and still, and oh, so peaceful. Fear will no longer hold any sway over you, nor will worry or sadness. Can you think of a time when you were especially tired? Perhaps after a long day of travel? Do you remember how lovely it was to climb into your feather bed that night? How grateful your tired limbs were? How welcoming it felt? How delicious to close your eyes and finally rest?"

"Yes."

"It is just like that.”

I have not had the chance to read the new Courting Darkness (set in the His Fair Assassins universe) books yet, but SOON.

I very much enjoyed reading Patrick Rothfuss, but I don't hang on to authors who can't follow through with their work. That said, though, I've met him in person and have signed copies of the first two books, plus got to *extensively* question him about worldbuilding and I would not trade that experience for anything.

Btw if anyone likes SoA and LOTR, then Jonathan French's books are quite good, easy read and compelling characters :)

I've been meaning to start Jonathan Strange @Eldy Dunami -- your endorsement might make me take the plunge.
I've been on a sort of American Gothic kick lately. Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country is excellent -- and handles, I think, some of the flaws in our beloved genre very well.

Some of my favorites (this list could get really long and this is without including the sci-fi ):

Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Dresden Files (urban wizards) and Codex Alera (Lost Roman Legion plus mash-up) series by Jim Butcher
The Black Company series by Glen Cook
Inversions by Iain Banks - almost straight-up fantasy, not nearly as dark as his usual stuff
Earthsea novels by Ursula K. LeGuin
Amber novels by Roger Zelazny (and most anything else he wrote)
Bascially anything by Terry Pratchett or Diana Wynne Jones

And lately I've been working through a bunch of stuff by Mercedes Lackey (mostly with co-authors) that I found in my compilation of old Baen free e-book files. Not a favorite yet, but some really imaginative ideas.

Among possibly less-known current authors, I'd recommend Laura Bickle, on the basis of the one book (Nine of Stars) I've read. I keep not getting around to finding more of her stuff but it's an oversight.

Looooved Codex Alera <3

i just finished reading the Tales of Prydain (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, The High King) with my son. It's similar to LOTR in a medieval type setting but geared towards younger kids (3rd-6th grade level). They are still quite entertaining as an adult as well, but if you have kids in that age range, I'd recommend them.

Oh forgot, Brent Weeks is pretty darn good too. He has several good series that are worth a read.

Echoing what several others have said re: Earthsea, I really wish I'd discovered it earlier in my reading career. Something about its approach to worldbuilding feels refreshingly free. I mean, I love Tolkien and Sanderson for sure, but sometimes just enjoying a book where you really don't have to worry about who did what when to lay down an ancient prophecy and can just...go on an adventure is what you need. I also really enjoy Sparrowhawk as a character; his arc is great an believable, and the fact that his power ultimately comes from being thoughtful and from his hard-won humility, not being teh chozun wizrid or something.

I also went through N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy earlier this year. It was interesting, definitely a nice change of pace. I'm not sure I prefer my fantasy to be quite so bleak, but there was some really clever narrative structuring going on that I want to reread someday. I also intend to revisit some of Guy Gavriel Kay's stuff; I tried to read The Fionavar Tapestry in high school and bounced off it, but I'd like to revisit it at some point.

Edit: Oh, and I read the first half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun last year. Not sure what I expected, that definitely wasn't it, I fully intend to finish it and would probably be doing so about now if my reading time hadn't become so precious and I was willing to be a bit more patient with something...

Almarëa Mordollwen wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:11 pm
Terry Pratchett, all of Discworld
C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia
J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter series
Eoin Colfer, the Artemis Fowl books
William Goldman, The Princess Bride

Ha, better memories than mine help ... I also seem to remember some more YA ... it's all very vague though.

Sarah Rees Brennan's Demon's Lexicon trilogy, such a clever writer. I liked her fanfic coda to the end of the Harry Potter series too. It's canon for me.
Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy
The Labyrinth - book of the film - who wrote this? I do not know, but I loved it.

Lirimaer wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:14 pm The Labyrinth - book of the film - who wrote this? I do not know, but I loved it.

ACH Smith

@KingODuckingham - seeing as they're often shelved together as Sci Fi/Fantasy, I don't see why not.

I like how you made your list @Almarëa Mordollwen so I styled mine similar. I think I need to get The Natural History of Dragons on my to-read list!

My other favorite fantasy would have to be:
Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Harry Potter, doe I need an author here?
Seraphina and Tess of the Road, Rachel Hartman (I am with you @Taethowen I did not love Shadow Scale, either)
The Riyria Revelations, Michael J. Sullivan (and to a slightly lesser extent, the Riyria Chronicles)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patricia C. Wrede (pretty much fav of my youth!)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (also the second volume, but did not love the third so much)
Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett (LOVED Shorefall!)
The Copper Promise, Jen Williams
The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman
The Final Empire and Mistborn Era 2, Brandon Sanderson (I did not love Well of Ascension or Hero of Ages...)
Queens of Renthia series, Sarah Beth Durst
The Thief's Gamble, Juliet E. McKenna (plus most books that followed)
The Light Between the Worlds, Laura E. Weymouth
The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey (maybe more magical realism, but gosh this book was beautiful)
All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders (probably borderline fantasy/sci fi)
Strange the Dreamer, Laini Taylor

Others I quite liked a lot, but not quite favorites:
The Emperor's Edge, Lindsay Buroker
Age of Myth series, Michael J. Sullivan
Dreamer's Pool, Juliet E. Marillier
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemison
The Dalemark Quartet, Dianna Wynne Jones
Discworld, Terry Pratchett (ok haven't read them all but enjoyed the ones I did)
Shades of Magic, Victoria Schwab

And some I did not like:
Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin (couldn't even get through book 1)
The Summer Tree, GGK
The Blade Itself, Joe Abercrombie
The Dragon Keeper, Robin Hobb
The Shadow of What Was Lost, James Islington
The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (not that I disliked it but I found it incredibly dull to read)

Wooooot! You didnt like Joe!??? Omg :(

Too much torture for me, Windy! I managed to actually get through it without giving up though!
I am certain a lot of those books I did not like are going to be unpopular, but, its the truth and everyone's got to love different books, right?

Ok I will let you off on that one then ;)

Seconding the love for the Garth Nix Abhorsen books. There's the original trilogy, as well as a prequel set long before, and a sequel set just after. There's also some compilations of short stories, though not all of them are set in the same universe.

Thanks @Taethowen

@Aethelu oh really, he wrote more? I missed those.

I also vaguely remember enjoying Sarah Monette's Melusine (Labyrinthine) series ... quite adult in theme, I feel. They belong, for me, in that class of books which you enjoy once.

Whereas I, with my addictive personality, like books which call you back time after time.

I know it is technically sci fi, but my all time favourite fantasy stories are the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey - I could read them over and over and over and love them the same every time.

Next, with added significance in that this series got me into Fantasy in the first place - The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce, and then all of her other books as well - currently rereading the wild magic ones.

Also worthy of note - Terry Pratchett, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, C. S. Lewis (esp Horse and his Boy), Robin Hobb, Stephen Hunt, and Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising.

Others fall into a weird category where I love the story but don't enjoy the reading - such as Philip Pullman, David Gemmell, Terry Goodkind and Guy Gavriel Kay. Maybe I should try them again now I'm older.

Aethelu wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:29 pmSeconding the love for the Garth Nix Abhorsen books. There's the original trilogy, as well as a prequel set long before, and a sequel set just after. There's also some compilations of short stories, though not all of them are set in the same universe.

Adding my support for the Abhorsen books! If memory serves me right I've read the first 3 books (Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen), I don't think I've read the rest. I'll have to correct that when I do a reread. :-)

@Mojo I'm on with Chronicles of Prydain now! Currently reading the third book. Enjoying them now and would've loved this as child.

More sci-fi than fantasy but I love Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series and its sort-of prequels. And if you want a sort-of LotR parody for juniors his Goblins series is good fun.

Seconding the love for Pratchett, Cornelia Funke, Eoin Colfer and William Goldman too.

@Lirimaer, @Nessa Saelind There's 2 full length novels and 2 short stories in a collection:

Clariel is a prequel to the trilogy
Goldenhand is a sequel to the trilogy
Across the Wall is the first short story collection
To Hold the Bridge is the second short story collection

I think in the short story collections only one story is set in the Old Kingdom and the rest are some original short stories. I haven't read them in a while so I can't totally remember

@Elarith I forgot about Mortal Engines, it's such an interesting world.

Ahhh, I remember Across the Wall ... the title at least!!

Everything by Ursula Le Guin.
Terry Pratchett
Stephen King (Yes he does fit into fantasy)

Mine aren't too bad, but I can't really advertise on the Plaza.....

My favourite fantasies other than the works of Tolkien would have to be (in no particular order, and echoing many others in this thread):
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
The Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander (coincidentally the second series I ever read as a child)
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Farseer Trilogy - Robin Hobb
Ranger's Apprentice Series - John Flanagan
Brotherband Series - John Flanagan
The Edge Chronicles - Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
The Pooh Stories - A.A. Milne (I think this counts as domestic fantasy?)

@Hanasian - honestly, I wouldn't bother reading any of the books from GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire saga until he finishes the series. I'm regretting reading the main series as the books came out because now too much time has passed and I'm kind of at the point where I don't remember much of the plot that has happened and don't really care what will happen. Even to the characters that I really liked. I might revisit the series after he finishes it.

By the by I understand and sympathise with GRRM and the writer's block that is affecting him when it comes to the ASoIaF saga. I grumble, but I understand that sometimes you just can't write the thing you want to write in the way you want to write it. However, I also understand the fans and why they are disappointed and angry with him. It's a dumb situation however you look at it.

I've come to the realization that I want/need more steampunk novels and series in my reading pile.

GIVE ME RECOMMENDATIONS!

@Prometherion Brandon Sanderson! Mistborn and the Maximillian ones

@Prometherion may I introduce you to the wonderful Dead Djinn Universe of steampunk Cairo and the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities created by the marvellous P. Djèlí Clark?

The Angel of Khan el-Khalili, the short story that opens the Dead Djinn Universe was first published in Clockwork Cairo, but Tor has republished it. You can read the story that got the whole thing rolling A Dead Djinn in Cairo - pure awesomeness. <3 Although not part of the Djinn Universe, Djèlí Clark's The Black God's Drums is also great.

I also liked the Clocktaur War Series by T. Kingfisher if you haven't read that.

That's me so far, if I remember anything else I shall bombard you with suggestions I shall also summon @Tharmáras here, because he also loves steampunk so he might recommend MOAR things

@Hanasian I also loved the Lies of Locke Lamora, was less enthused with Red Seas Under Red Skies and really did not love The Thorn of Emberlain to the point where I'm not sure I care what happens next.

@Prometherion ok I am by no means any kind of expert on steampunk, but I'd like to read it more and I'm interested in what else gets recommend. I would absolutely agree with Mistborn especially the new era ones starting with Alloy of Law!

My only other recommendations which might be slightly less "typically" steampunk are:
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett - I can't express how much I love this book and its sequel (Shorefall). It's a hard one to categorize but is like fantasy meets cyberpunk meets steampunk. There are multiple POVs but it starts with a thief, Sancia, who takes a job and then everything spirals from there.

Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft - it was originally indie published and is also hard to categorize. It's like sci fi/steampunk with a semi-dystopian undertone. Take a pretty naive character and throw him into a world of chaos, crime and corruption. It's hilarious and dark and full of cynicism about humanity.