DarthSnuggles Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Hi guys! I'm looking for reccommendations for swashbuckling and sword&sorcery books. I feel like I've read some of the more commonly-reccommended stuff, but I'm sure there's a lot out there that I haven't heard of, and maybe some of my fellow Rebels have. As a rough idea of the kind of stuff that I'm looking for--and maybe to give someone else a new author or title to try--here's a short list of what I'm already familiar with. - Alexandre Dumas (like...all of them)- Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories- R.A. Salvatore- The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcok- Robert E. Howard- Ed Greenwood (I kind of loved the pulpy, goofy Band of Four novels)- Robin Hood (any version)- The Once and Future King by T.H. White- The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey Does anybody know of anything along those lines that I could add to my reading list? 1 Quote Dwarven Adventurer, level 0. "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." (Flemeth, Dragon Age II) Target Weight: 200lbs | Starting Weight: 262lbs | Current Weight: 253lbs I'm all about that bass. Link to comment
Hong WeiLoh Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Not really "swashbuckling" but pure awesome: The Black Company series by Glenn Cook. Accurately described as "Sword & sorcery Vietnam war fiction on peyote"... it's a very definite departure from the usual formulaic fantasy stuff. Give the first compilation (they're only sold in compilations of 3 books under one cover now) a shot. I'd very highly recommend it. 1 Quote Insert witty & pithy saying here. Link to comment
TMedina Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 Wheel of Time, by Robert JordanGame of Thrones, George "Character killer" MartinThe First Law, Joe Abercrombie ...urgh...brain failing, brain failing! Quote Imaginary Human Male Dilettante Trainer, Level 1 Spoiler How to: Add the status bar to my signature How to: Spruce up your profile Where to start: General Fitness questions How to: Declutter your life, a minimalism thread How to: Slay your budgeting woes (or at least, start the quest) Link to comment
Kevin Mack Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Rafael SabatiniA lot of Tim Powers' work would fit, check out On Stranger Tides or The Drawing of the Dark. All of his protagonists tend to be smart and these two books involve a lot of swordplay (and pirates, demons, black magic and quantum mechanics).Silver by I can't remember. It's an unofficial prequel to Treasure Island (unrelated to Black Sails on Starz) with a lot of historical fiction thrown in. I'll let you know if I think of any more. Quote Character Sheet MyFitnessPal Jefit Link to comment
Strickland5 Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Robert E Howard's Conan and Solomon Kane - you only mention his name so yeah David Eddings's The Elenium and The Tamuli series Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series I second the Black Company series! 1 Quote Half-Ork Scout Leader Running PRs : 5K 24m16s | 10K 53m32s | 15K 1h18m09s | Half Marathon 2h1m44s | Marathon 4h42m2s Past Challenges #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 Current Challenge : Don't Call It A Comeback Link to comment
stonegirl77 Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive (two books, many thousands of pages). They're a bit slow to start with, but they are, to my thinking pretty classically in Sword&Sorcery. (That is if you like Sanderson. I know some people don't) If you like the Horatio Hornblower type of book, David Drake's Daniel Leary series is pretty good. I think the first one is "With The Lightnings"... Best, Petra Quote PetraAssassin Level 0Battle Log, Intro, Challenge #1 (Sept 15) Link to comment
Kevin Mack Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive (two books, many thousands of pages). They're a bit slow to start with, but they are, to my thinking pretty classically in Sword&Sorcery. (That is if you like Sanderson. I know some people don't) If you like the Horatio Hornblower type of book, David Drake's Daniel Leary series is pretty good. I think the first one is "With The Lightnings"... Best, Petra I'm in the middle of Mistborn right now and I'm really liking it so far. Quote Character Sheet MyFitnessPal Jefit Link to comment
Gobnait Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 Steven Brust Novels like Jhereg. 1 Quote I have conditions that affect my social awareness. If I am rude, tell me what I could do better. 5'8" & 220 260 pounds | Miles Walked: X 2019: | 1 | 2 | 3 | Pre 2017: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | * | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Link to comment
MasterOfCows Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 In the vein of "The Once and Future King," check out Jack Whyte's Camulod series (or if you're in Canada, the whole series is called A Dream of Eagles). Don't forget the semi-stand alone Uther. Bernard Cornwall writes possibly the best battle scenes ever. The Sharpe books are pulpy fun, and I really enjoyed the "Thomas of Hookton" books as well.Steven Erikson's Malazan series is complicated, but awesome. If you check out The Black Company books mentioned above, and like them, the dark tones are quite similar, and both focus on a group of soldiers.I've read the first two of David Anthony Durham's Acacia books and they are great. The Dagger & the Coin series by Daniel Abraham is also fantastic. If you're looking for some traditional type fantasy, Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow & Thorn series is one of my favourites.This might not be quite up your alley, but I recommend Pat Rothfuss' Kingslayer Chronicles to everyone I meet. Best books I've read since Game of Thrones. 1 Quote 1st Challenge 2nd Challenge 3rd Challenge 4th Challenge - if you can call it that 5th Challenge 6th Challenge 7th Challenge Battle Log Link to comment
DarthSnuggles Posted September 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Thanks so much, guys! I kind of forgot about this thread for a few days, but what a great list to come back to! Robert E Howard's Conan and Solomon Kane - you only mention his name so yeah I have read some of the Conan stuff, and a lot of Solomon Kane, starting with "Skulls in the Stars." I got into Howard as a contemporary of Lovecraft (probably my favorite writer of all time), so Solomon Kane is right up my alley. I'll have to check the others out, though. Rafael SabatiniA lot of Tim Powers' work would fit, check out On Stranger Tides or The Drawing of the Dark. All of his protagonists tend to be smart and these two books involve a lot of swordplay (and pirates, demons, black magic and quantum mechanics).Silver by I can't remember. It's an unofficial prequel to Treasure Island (unrelated to Black Sails on Starz) with a lot of historical fiction thrown in. I'll let you know if I think of any more. Oooh, those all sound great! Thank you! My local library has a few of Tim Powers' books, and I know they have Sabatini, so I'll have to look for them when I return my current batch of books. Not really "swashbuckling" but pure awesome: The Black Company series by Glenn Cook. Accurately described as "Sword & sorcery Vietnam war fiction on peyote"... it's a very definite departure from the usual formulaic fantasy stuff. Give the first compilation (they're only sold in compilations of 3 books under one cover now) a shot. I'd very highly recommend it. With the number of people urging me to read the series, I'm definitely going to have to give it a look. Thanks!In the vein of "The Once and Future King," check out Jack Whyte's Camulod series (or if you're in Canada, the whole series is called A Dream of Eagles). Don't forget the semi-stand alone Uther. Bernard Cornwall writes possibly the best battle scenes ever. The Sharpe books are pulpy fun, and I really enjoyed the "Thomas of Hookton" books as well.Steven Erikson's Malazan series is complicated, but awesome. If you check out The Black Company books mentioned above, and like them, the dark tones are quite similar, and both focus on a group of soldiers.I've read the first two of David Anthony Durham's Acacia books and they are great. The Dagger & the Coin series by Daniel Abraham is also fantastic. If you're looking for some traditional type fantasy, Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow & Thorn series is one of my favourites.This might not be quite up your alley, but I recommend Pat Rothfuss' Kingslayer Chronicles to everyone I meet. Best books I've read since Game of Thrones.Hmm, several of these sound interesting to me. I'll look out for them. Also, I've been putting off picking up Game of Thrones since it seems like a huge investment of time. (I'm one of those people who can't not finish a series once I start it.) Is it really as great as everyone keeps telling me? Quote Dwarven Adventurer, level 0. "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." (Flemeth, Dragon Age II) Target Weight: 200lbs | Starting Weight: 262lbs | Current Weight: 253lbs I'm all about that bass. Link to comment
MasterOfCows Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 If you want to finish a series once you start it, hold off on GOT. The wait between books is excruciating. But they really are that good. Quote 1st Challenge 2nd Challenge 3rd Challenge 4th Challenge - if you can call it that 5th Challenge 6th Challenge 7th Challenge Battle Log Link to comment
Maj. Bloodnok Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Second the recommendation on Bernard Cornwell! He's got a three-volume Grail Quest series (The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, Heretic) set in the 1300s. Lots of fighting, blood, mud, etc, but no magic. A short, but very funny book is "Gentlemen of the Road" by Michael Chabon. It's a big hat-tip to Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, set in the Caucasus circa 950 AD. No magic per se, but if you like Fritz Lieber, you'll dig this. 2 Quote "If you get into trouble, you can always eat something, blow something up, or throw penguins." - Jim Henson Link to comment
mkdutch Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Songs of the Lioness is a 4 book series about a little girl that wants to be a knight. There is sword play, magic, and thieves. It is a wonderful book series! 1 Quote Race: Tiefling Class: Assassin [Level: 2 | STR 3 | DEX 2 | STA 2 | CON 2 | WIS 1 | CHA 2 ] I don't want to be skinny. I want to be dangerous. Link to comment
Maj. Bloodnok Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Oh, by the way, check out Rafael Sabatini's "Scaramouche". Classic French Revolution-era three-fisted tale of adventure, intrigue, and swordplay, with a twist at the end. Also, check out Arturo Perez Reverte's "Captain Alatriste" series (life of an early 17th century Spanish professional duellist and soldier, with some famous secondary characters) and "The Fencing Master". The Fencing Master is more of a mystery, set in Madrid during the 1920s, but the story hinges on a distinctive technique. He's an excellent writer and former war correspondent, so he knows how to write action. He's also a huge Dumas fan. Quote "If you get into trouble, you can always eat something, blow something up, or throw penguins." - Jim Henson Link to comment
MasterOfCows Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Second the recommendation on Bernard Cornwell! He's got a three-volume Grail Quest series (The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, Heretic) set in the 1300s. Lots of fighting, blood, mud, etc, but no magic. A short, but very funny book is "Gentlemen of the Road" by Michael Chabon. It's a big hat-tip to Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, set in the Caucasus circa 950 AD. No magic per se, but if you like Fritz Lieber, you'll dig this.Yeah! The Grail Quest series were the books I was talking about, but could only remember the protagonist's name. There's a fourth book out now called 1356. Quote 1st Challenge 2nd Challenge 3rd Challenge 4th Challenge - if you can call it that 5th Challenge 6th Challenge 7th Challenge Battle Log Link to comment
DarthSnuggles Posted September 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Songs of the Lioness is a 4 book series about a little girl that wants to be a knight. There is sword play, magic, and thieves. It is a wonderful book series!I'm pretty sure, if it's the series I'm thinking of, I read that one back in middle school. By Tamora Pierce? I love all her books! Quote Dwarven Adventurer, level 0. "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." (Flemeth, Dragon Age II) Target Weight: 200lbs | Starting Weight: 262lbs | Current Weight: 253lbs I'm all about that bass. Link to comment
DarthSnuggles Posted September 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 A short, but very funny book is "Gentlemen of the Road" by Michael Chabon. It's a big hat-tip to Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, set in the Caucasus circa 950 AD. No magic per se, but if you like Fritz Lieber, you'll dig this.That sounds awesome! I'll definitely have to look for that! Quote Dwarven Adventurer, level 0. "We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly." (Flemeth, Dragon Age II) Target Weight: 200lbs | Starting Weight: 262lbs | Current Weight: 253lbs I'm all about that bass. Link to comment
MasterOfCows Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Oooh! "The Gentlemen Bastards" Series by Scott Lynch. I'm almost done the 2nd book and a great portion of it takes place on a pirate ship. Third book should be out later this fall. 1 Quote 1st Challenge 2nd Challenge 3rd Challenge 4th Challenge - if you can call it that 5th Challenge 6th Challenge 7th Challenge Battle Log Link to comment
Maj. Bloodnok Posted September 24, 2014 Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Oooh! Saladin Ahmed's "Throne of the Crescent Moon"! The Arabian Nights meets 1980s Dragonlance novels via Douglas Fairbanks. Ghuls! Shapeshifters! Ancient forbidden magics! Killer dervishes! Cardamom tea! And the most original take on magic I've seen in a long time. (Most writers treat magic as a technology, which works whether or not you believe in it. In this book, magic is an expression of personal faith, and spells are invocations of the Almighty.) Quote "If you get into trouble, you can always eat something, blow something up, or throw penguins." - Jim Henson Link to comment
Northlander Posted September 25, 2014 Report Share Posted September 25, 2014 Oooh! "The Gentlemen Bastards" Series by Scott Lynch. I'm almost done the 2nd book and a great portion of it takes place on a pirate ship. Third book should be out later this fall. I can't second this recommendation hard enough. These are probably the most fun fantasy books I've read. Quote Northlander -- Viking Wannabe"It is no use saying 'we are doing our best'. You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary." - Churchill Challenges: 1/2/Current Pushups - 141 of 1000 14%14% Link to comment
rketterman Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Im going to second the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. They are fantastic and yes you have to invest some time but they are so worth it. Also, all of the books are out now so once you finish one you can start the next. Quote "Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it's a plan." -The Doctor Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm Possible. Link to comment
Squeak Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Check out S.M. Stirling's Emberverse. The first is called Dies the Fire deals with all of our high level tech being taken away, no electricity firearms or steam power over a certain level, and the people who survive the subsequent die off rebuilding civilization with preindustrial tech. 2 Quote Sweat dries, Blood clots, Bones heal. Suck it up Marine.Semper Fi, Do or die! Link to comment
PolishRifle Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 An off the radar series I've been reading is Lev Grossman's The Magicians. It's more magic and sorcery but some swashbuckling adventures are in the second book (haven't started the third yet. I saw the author speak and a charity dinner and basically he describes his series of "the stuff that happens off screen of Hogwarts." Basically teenagers are teenagers and they'll find ways to get into trouble etc. When you read them you can see he borrows from Harry Potter, Narnia, etc but his spin is just a little different. 1 Quote PolishRifleLevel 3 Jedi KnightSTR: 1 DEX: 1 STA: 5 CON: 4 WIS: 7 CHA: 5 "Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."Reduce Body weight from 230lbs to 180lbs (lose 50 lbs) Currently 214lbs 32%32% Link to comment
nemers Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I can't second this recommendation hard enough. These are probably the most fun fantasy books I've read.I third this series with an extra two thumbs up, and will add that the audio version from audible is fantastic. One of the best narrators around with fantastic characterisation and superb dramatisation. Quote Chapter 1 - Our Protaganist Sets OutHuman Level 0 STR0 DEX0 STA0 CON0 WIS0 CHA0“Difficult" and "impossible" are cousins often mistaken for one another, with very little in common."― Scott Lynch, Red Seas Under Red Skies Link to comment
Quill Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Jim Butcher's codex Alera series. Starts with Furies of Calderon. Quote Current Challenge: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/60953-challenge-1-take-2/ Battle Log: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/60532-battlelog-no-excuses/#entry1384657 "That which does not kill me had better run like hell as I'm coming for it" Link to comment
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