What's some of the absolute best in epic/high fantasy novels?

Question

Aside from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter... :)

Answer 1

I strongly second reading the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix.  It's very unique; I haven't read anything else like it.

The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) are also excellent.

The Dragonlance books are less literary and more Dungeons & Dragons, but they're still fun to read.

Elizabeth Kerner has three excellent books about dragons: Song in the Silence, The Lesser Kindred, and Redeeming the Lost.  I highly recommend them.

Juliet Marilier's Sevenwaters trilogy is a fantasy, but it also deals with ancient Ireland and its legends.  Another very good fantasy series.

Answer 2

I made up a list of my favorites just for this type of question, here it goes.

Shannara Series by Terry Brooks.

http://www.terrybrooks.net/bio.html

This is epic fantasy (14 books) with LoTR overtones but set in a post apocalyptic world where magic has replaced technology. The first book that was written, The Sword of Shannara, follows Shea Olmsford in his quest to recover the magical sword and use it to defeat the evil Warlock Lord. When this book was first published it rocketed up the best sellers lists, and with good reason. This is high fantasy at its best and a must read for anyone who loved Lord of the Rings.

Mithgar Series by Dennis L. McKiernan

http://www.amazon.com/Mithgar-Dennis-L-M...

The first book was originally written as a sequel to LoTR, but once written the Tolken family backed out the deal. So in an attempt to save the story, McKieran rewrote it, changing a few elements, names and so forth to make it unique. But its still an LoTR sequel and that doesn't remove its charm. He went on to write 17 books in this series, and each was better then the last. The battle scenes are better, the characters are portrayed with more warmth and as long as you realize the parallels are intentional, you'll enjoy these as much as LoTR.

They have all of the ingrediants of high fantasy, elves, dwarves, warrows (hobbits), orges, trolls (by other names) a group of loyal companions on a quest against evil. I stumbled onto this series late (Hel's Crucible). By then his writing had greatly improved and I enjoyed the books throughly. Purists may wish to start at the beginning and watch the story, and the writer, grow but you can start on later books and not really miss out on anything. Fun reads.

Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne Mcaffery

http://www.iblist.com/series130.htm

Anne Mcaffery is one of those authors whose books just leave you feeling good once you read the last page. While a combination of Sci-fi and Fantasy (the argument continues about which one it is) they sit on my fantasy shelf. Anyone who has ever dreamed of riding a dragon should read these.

Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey

http://www.mercedeslackey.com/biblio_ser...

This is a large collection and every book in it is excellent. The concept of being *chosen* by a companion, which is essentially a telepathic horse with amazing powers, is delightful. Once chosen you become one of the elite heralds, protectors of the realm. Start with Arrows of the Queen.

The Belgariad (5), The Malloreon(5), The Elenium (3), The Tamuli(3) by David and Leigh Eddings

http://www.eddingschronicles.com/index.h...

I can't say enough good about these books. They are full of rich content, fantastic worldbuilding and plenty of sorcery. One of my biggest draws is the humor, the interaction between characters can be side splitting at times. They are rift with dry wit, affectionate banter and personal quirks. My favorite books hands down.

Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist. Start with

Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_E._...

Pug, an orphan boy is apprenticed to a magician and begins a set of adventures with his friend Thomas as their world is invaded by aliens who enter through a portal. These books were originally created as an alternate D&D world and quickly grew in popularity causing him to write a lot more books to add to the series.

Forgotten Realms books by R. A. Salvatore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_R...

There is no easy way to summarize these books, the scope is just too large. Best I can do is say they are full of adventure, elves, magic, and alternate worlds. Once you start reading these you will find yourself hooked.

The Wheel of Time (11 in print, 12th book to be written by Brandon Sanderson) by Robert Jordan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_o...

This huge sage takes place in a medievil type world where magic is called the One Power and can only be used by women. Men who are born with this ability are fated to go insane, if they live that long as once found are usually killed first. The saga centers around one man who, born with the One Power, is fated to save the world, while trying to save himself from insanity. The first book takes off slow as the extensive worldbuilding begins to take shape but once you get past that part you will never regret it.

A Song of Ice and Fire Series (4 in print, 3 planned) by George R. R. Martin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_I...

A ruthless story about a ruthless world where harsh winterlike conditions make for harsh and gritty characters. This series has all the typical elements of sword and sorcery; wars, prophecy, dragons (later in the series), invading creatures from another land, treason, betrayal, love, death and loyality. Martin tells this tale from the viewpoint of many different characters, each bringing a unique perspective on the unforgiving land in which they live. This series is rift with s*x and violence and I do not recommend for younger teens.

The Sword of Truth, written by Terry Goodkind

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_o...

Set in a medieval type world, Richard Cypher, a woods guide, lends a hand to a stranger who is searching for a nameless Wizard who disappeared many years ago. Along the way Richard is challenged in every way possible, physically, mentally and emotionally. This series showcases the virtue of remaining true to yourself and your morals, regardless of what life throws at you. The author himself says he wrote this series with adults in mind because of the focus on philosophical themes

Answer 3

The best fantasy novel I've read lately is The Bartimaeus Trilogy. It's about magicians and the spirits they control. Really funny, well-written series. The first book in the series is called the Amulet of Samarkand.

The Chronicles of Narnia mantains a place in history as a classic kid's fantasy. I loved the books when I was little, and I still enjoy reading about the magical world of Narnia today.

I just started reading Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, and it's great. Not your average fantasy, that's for sure. Still, I'm hooked on these books. Original and adventurous, this series is on my list of great fantasies.

Finally, I just thought I'd address the Eragon comments. If you like well-written, original books, you'll hate Chris Paolini. He took Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and a few bits and scraps from his garbage can, and made a (for lack of a better word) book. It was boring, there was no imagery, and if you wanted to read a good book with the same plot, just read Lord of the Rings. Really, he should be sued for plagiarism.

Sorry for the rant, but Eragon is definitely NOT one of the absolute best fantasies. The Bartimaeus Trilogy and The Dark Tower Series are excellent fantasies (not to mention bestsellers), and Narnia is a classic. Read those.

Answer 4

Okay, first ill second the Wheel of Time suggestion. its lord of the rings minus the wimpy hobbits plus a h**l of a lot more action.

my largest suggestion though would have to be The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. im reading the series for the 13th time and i read it once in three days. i introduced it to my friends and they now own the books and have reread them several times. once u try it, u will never escape! each book is roughly 400 pages. its dark fantasy and i can honestly say it has changed my life. the characters are realistic and Saetan, one of the main male characters, is what i aspire to be like.

if u read this, let me know so i can talk with u.

Answer 5

The Illiad and....THE ODESSY!!!

Answer 6

Wheel of time series by robert jordan

game of thrones by george r r martin

Eragon by christopher paolini is good to

The lost years of merlin by TA Baron

Answer 7

Garth Nix's series ( i don't think it actually had a name) with the books Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (in that order) were quite good.

Heralds of Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey

Dragon Lance chronicles by a myriad of authors

Inheritance Cycle (was trilogy by Christopher Paolini)

and

So You want to be a Wizard if you don't mind tween problems through out, granted i read it when i was 13)

Answer 8

Beowulf

The Odyssey

Nibelungenlied