Looking for New Fantasy Series

[Robpocalypse]

The Sword of Truth series by Goodkind was pretty good too, just be forewarned it's a little bondage-y at points. More high fantasty than political imo but I have heard different opinions on that point.

Also Andy Remic has a series called Rage of Kings that is decent, first book is called The Iron Wolves. I just finished and was decently impressed.

[wooflee90]

I tend to like Epic, gritty fantasy with war and politics, aka Game of Thrones.

 

Who is the author of Epic?  I looked on Amazon, but only saw a multi-author series due out early in 2015.  Is that what you're talking about?

[laodamaren]

Dune is a fantastic trilogy. It's also been filmed, so if you don't have enough time to read, you can also just watch it

[stuwat]

Assassins Apprentice - Robin Hobb

 

It's first of a trilogy, and the first trilogy of 5 trilogies. I guarantee you that if you read Assassins Apprentice, you will read all of them.

[Robpocalypse]

Assassins Apprentice - Robin Hobb

It's first of a trilogy, and the first trilogy of 5 trilogies. I guarantee you that if you read Assassins Apprentice, you will read all of them.

That was an excellent series, I had forgotten about it. I never did read the Rain Wild Chronicles, I have to go back and finish those.

[stuwat]

That was an excellent series, I had forgotten about it. I never did read the Rain Wild Chronicles, I have to go back and finish those.

 

i am reading it now, First book is a little slow, but just the started the second and really good.

[Maj. Bloodnok]

Two pages in and nobody's mentioned Terry Pratchett's Discworld series?  Wow.

 

If you need good reading, this is it.  Start with 'The Colour of Magic' and work forward through some thirty-odd novels, each one funnier than the last. Orcs, dwarves, wizards, homicidal luggage, high adventure and low humor.

 

On the urban fantasy tip, read Charles Stross' 'Laundry Files' series.  It's a mashup of spy novels and H. P. Lovecraft, about a UK government agency charged with keeping 'eldritch, creeping horrors' out of our dimension.  Lots of H. P. Lovecraft  and Ian Fleming hat tips, very funny and quite gripping in all the right places.  Of course, according to the author, the most fantastical element is that a government agency could function so efficiently and for so long.

[Starfire1003]

So many good suggestions going on in this thread...I love finding new books to read!! [emoji7]

Some of my fav fantasy novels include:

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (the sandman series is also excellent if you like graphic novels)

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper

[Heironymus]

The Magician's by Lev Grossman is a pretty good series. I have read two of the three and will tackle the third one soon. It kind of combines Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Chronicles of Narnia into an urban fantasy series.

[BMK]

Yes I've read the LOTR, Hobbit and Silmarillion, all excellent fantasy classics I loved Greek and Celtic mythology when I was a child! Aswell as Narnia and the Harry Potter, and Inheritance books

 

I've heard alot of good stuff about Wheel of Time and I know 14 books means Ill have alot of reading material but Im actually intimidated to start a book series that long I dont know why xD

 

I have the perfect answer to this dilemma for you - try The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay.  It's only a trilogy, so no worries about a long series - I finished the entire trilogy in a month.  It's a perfect blend of literary and accessible.  His work is Tolkein-influenced (he helped edit the Silmarillion!) and steeped in Celtic mythology, but the series carries a unique voice and charm all its own.  And he's a Canadian like me, so I feel an extra urge to push his work. 

[Iron Centurion]

1. The Dresden Files. It is not set in a typical fantasy world (Modern day Chicago), but is probably the most entertaining series I have ever read. Plus, there is a zombie T-Rex. And Bob.

 

2. The Wheel of Time. A bit long and slow at times, but still good.

 

3. Anything by Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn, Elantris, Warbreaker, The Stormlight Archive, the Reckoners, all of it is great.

 

Also- Black Company, First Law, The Warlord Chronicles (not really fantasy, but good none the less), and anything by David Gemmell, especially the Troy saga.

[Maj. Bloodnok]

Another couple of good series, kind of off the beaten path: "The Neddiad", "The Yggyssey", and "Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl" by Daniel Pinkwater.  They're not exactly a series, but they are interconnected in that they share a common milieu.  They involve a kid named Neddie Wentworthstein, his friends Seamus Finn and Yggdrasil Birnbaum, a Navajo shaman named Melvin, and a lot of ghosts, interdimensional travel, bad puns, and general weirdness.  They're wonderfully ridiculous.

 

Then there's "Akata Witch" and "Breaking Kola" by Nnedi Okorafor.  They're the first two books in a planned trilogy about a girl named Sunny.  It's a sort of standard 'kid learns magic' story, except it's set in contemporary Nigeria.  The author draws on traditional folklore and religion, as well as contemporary culture. It's one of very few books I've reread immediately upon finishing

[Kevin Mack]

Just finished the Mistborn trilogy. What's next? The Laundry Files , The Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle  or The First Law?

[Mitski]

Just finished the Mistborn trilogy. What's next? The Laundry Files , The Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle  or The First Law?

 

I've never read The Laundry Files, but I personally enjoyed The Kingkiller Chronicle the most out of the others.

[Hulk In Nerds Clothing]

Just finished the Mistborn trilogy. What's next? The Laundry Files , The Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle  or The First Law?

Well, next you start with "The alloy of law" and continue on your mistborn adventures with a completely new "hero" and so much fun ;D

And then you wait like the rest of us on the other books of the "new" Mistborn Trilogy to come out ^^

 

(All the others but First Law (which I haven't read) I can also recommend heartily)

[Rurik Harrgath]

I just replied to the "What novels do you read over and over again?" thread and thought I ought to suggest Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles.  It's around 7 volumes at this point in time, and while not fantasy in nature, it has all of the political intrigue and battle and bloodshed that makes Game of Thrones great, and is soon to be made into a television series by BBC America.  It focuses on the exploits and experiences of a Saxon man raised by Vikings in the very early Viking age shortly after the 8th Century Lindisfarne raid.  Give it a go sometime if that peaks your interest.

[Mekong]

I just replied to the "What novels do you read over and over again?" thread and thought I ought to suggest Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles.  It's around 7 volumes at this point in time, and while not fantasy in nature, it has all of the political intrigue and battle and bloodshed that makes Game of Thrones great, and is soon to be made into a television series by BBC America.  It focuses on the exploits and experiences of a Saxon man raised by Vikings in the very early Viking age shortly after the 8th Century Lindisfarne raid.  Give it a go sometime if that peaks your interest.

omgomgomgomg I wrote about Saxon Tales up thread but I didn't know it was turning into a series!

 

WoW movie, Maggy the Frog has been cast, Vikings is back in a week and a half, now this.  Truly, this is a great time for Middle Ages Fantasy nerds. Thanks, man!

[Rurik Harrgath]

Sorry to step on your toes there, Mekong.  I must have missed your beating me to the suggestion!  I've been with Uhtred since The Pale Horseman and have eager devoured each yarn Cornwell weaves in his wyrd every since, and I just keep loving it more.

 

Check out IMDB to see who's who.  The actor playing Ragnar is the same guy who played Rhesus (the centaur-not centaur in The Rock's Hercules) and that sort of excites me. 

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4083737/?ref_=tt_cl_t5

[Mekong]

Sorry to step on your toes there, Mekong.  I must have missed your beating me to the suggestion!  I've been with Uhtred since The Pale Horseman and have eager devoured each yarn Cornwell weaves in his wyrd every since, and I just keep loving it more.

 

Check out IMDB to see who's who.  The actor playing Ragnar is the same guy who played Rhesus (the centaur-not centaur in The Rock's Hercules) and that sort of excites me. 

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4083737/?ref_=tt_cl_t5

Nah, half the reason I followed this topic was in hopes that I might find some other Cornwall fans, since they're a rare find out in the wild. 

I saw Hercules but don't remember that actor, particularly.  The Uhtred actor is intriguing, I only know him from American Horror Story, so it'll be interesting to see him in a very different role.  Beocca's actor looks about perfect though.

[Rurik Harrgath]

Well you've found another Cornwell fan here.  I've also read his Stonehenge and Agincourt works too, but I haven't been up to the arduous task of tackling his Sharpe series.  I've seen a few episodes because I'm a fan of Sean Bean's work but I must admit that the Napoleonic Wars and their ilk isn't a particular interest of mine.  I prefer the pre-Renaissance days of swords, bows and arrows, and the like rather than arqebus and cannons.

[Mekong]

Well you've found another Cornwell fan here. I've also read his Stonehenge and Agincourt works too, but I haven't been up to the arduous task of tackling his Sharpe series. I've seen a few episodes because I'm a fan of Sean Bean's work but I must admit that the Napoleonic Wars and their ilk isn't a particular interest of mine. I prefer the pre-Renaissance days of swords, bows and arrows, and the like rather than arqebus and cannons.

Agreed, I prefer the Medieval weaponry. I know he has a Civil War series I'll eventually get to, but I don't assume it'll live up to how much I love The Saxon Tales and The Warlord Chronicles. The Grail Quest series is decent too. I started Sharpe's Tiger but, like you, didn't have huge interest/knowledge in the period. It goes in the Eventually pile, along with the rest of the Wheel of Time series and Pride and Prejudice. [emoji1]

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[NeverThatBored]

If you're looking for some long term readibility- The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and completed after his death by Brandon Sanderson) is pretty epic. Fourteen books covering one massive story arc and each book is pretty hefty. I've read it through twice and it's definitely my favourite fantasy series.

 

I second this rec! The Wheel of Time isn't as gritty as GOT, but it's very interesting and large-scale epic fantasy. As a bonus, the series is actually complete. 

 

I'd also like to second the recommendation for Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles. It's simply the best fantasy series I've read in years.

 

My favoritefavoritefavorite series is The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. I cannot recommend it enough. If you like the way GOT sets up hints of things to come books ahead of the actual event, I think you'll really like Wurts's books. Her characterization and writing are both fantastic.

[Rurik Harrgath]

I recently dove into the Ranger's Apprentice young adult series and I'm very much enjoying it so far.  Definitely fits the bill for my 'sword and sorcery' fix!

 

I've got Abercrombie's The First Law series coming in on inter-library loan sometime in the near future, after I'm done with Ranger's Apprentice.

 

After that... well, I'm sure I'll come back to this thread for further inspiration.

[KrystalWolf]

Hiya! 

 

Firstly, I have loved seeing all these book ideas. It's great, especially as nothing makes me happier than a decent fantasy series that I can immerse myself in for a good long while I'm eyeing the Kingkiller Chronicles as next in line.

 

As others have mentioned, Robert Jordan, David Eddings, and Robin Hobb all have good books. Kate Forsyth, Jacqueline Carey, and Anne Bishop too, and Terry Brooks is another fav of mine. I just finished the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor, and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 

Happy reading

[MasterOfCows]

Wow.  Lots of good recommendations here already.  I echo Rothfuss, Abercrombie, Cook and Lynch wholeheartedly.

 

A couple I haven't seen mentioned - Dagger and Coin series by Daniel Abraham, a lot of folks seem enamoured with the Long Price Quartet series, but I like D&C better.  Mark Lawrence has an excellent series (starts with The Prince of Thorns) if you're into anti-heros.  And for epic fantasy, dark intrigue and books that make you put some of the pieces together yourself, look no farther than The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.  Just fantastic.

For you Cornwall fans above, check out Jack Whyte.  Really solid, captivating historical fiction.  He actually got me into Cornwall, because the two authors are often compared online.