What are some good fantasy books to read?

Question

I love Tamora Pierce books (all Tortal books), read Twilight series, Eyes of a King (said to be next J.K Rowling/Harry Potter) Winds of the Forelands series. Looking for other good series/books.

Answer 1

anything by Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett, they are both genius.

terry brooks is also good

Answer 2

You may want to try Michelle Sagara's series. The next ' Cast In ' book in the series isn't coming out until October and it is a great series. Originally supposed to come out this month, which is a bummer because I have waited almost all year for it. John Ringo and David Drake have several series out also and Raymond Feist has a great signature series out that has lasted almost 20 years. Have fun and enjoy. Oh, before I forget, there is also a great ' Wolf ' series by Jane Lindskold that may appeal to you as the heroine is a young girl who lives and talks to wolves and other creatures.

Answer 3

Hi, you might want to try my own recently published book, entitled "The Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle".

You can download the first three chapters for free, at http://www.talesoftanglewood.com

Within the pages of the book, readers will discover Colin, a child who is fully aware of the hidden world of myth and wonder hiding within the woods just beyond his home, long kept secret by old magic. Only the fey magic which runs through his veins has enabled Colin to find what others cannot; the Tanglewood, the 'wood within the woods.

Full of odd characters and creatures of the fey, the Tanglewood is a world of magnificent folklore come to life. As Colin begins to explore the Tanglewood, he will find friendship with the ferrish Ailfrid, the elfin girl Deidre, and Doc Muffingrow, a wise druid.

Colin will also find that there is much magic in himself, as well as dangerous enemies who will not let him find solace in the wood so easily. Ailil, King of the Sprites and ruler of The Below, has laid claim to his spirit, and Colin will need the help of his friends and quite a bit of magic to save himself.

The Tanglewood is a place like no other, and Colin is a boy like no other. Throughout his adventures, he will uncover the secret of the fey blood within him, and help dispel the poisonous corruption and hidden dangers that threaten the inhabitants of the wood and the Tanglewood itself.

For more details and to download the first three chapters for free, go to http://www.talesoftanglewood.com

or you can check out the reviews at Amazon.com

Answer 4

Come check out the Fangs Fur & Fey community on livejournal--we're all urban fantasy writers, and there's links to all our books and websites so you can browse and see if anything catches your eye!

http://community.livejournal.com/fangs_f...

Answer 5

um Uglies series. it kinda takes place in the furture, and it kinda doesn't. they are really good books and my favorite series next to Twilight

Answer 6

Hey, I know you mentioned that you are no longer a young adult, but I would strongly suggest Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard series.  You can pick up the first 3 books in an omnibus set used at Ama er, I am not sure I can say that, but you can pick it up for about a buck and 4 bucks shipping; so less then 5.

Answer 7

I can't believe no one's recommended George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice & Fire' series ('A Game of Thrones' is the first book).  This is one of the best fantasy series out there; an incredibly mature work.

Roger Zelazny's 'Amber' books.  There are ten books altogether, but you can find them in a single volume.  The first five especially are terrific.

Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods', and the companion book 'Anansi Boys'.  Everything he writes is some shade of genius, but 'American Gods' is Gaiman at the top if his game.

Patrick Rothfuss' 'The Name of the Wind'.  I found this a refreshing and original take on high fantasy concepts; can't wait for the second book next spring!

If you like a little horror in your fantasy, check out Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' series.  I'm not much of a King fan, but I'm glad I read these.

Raymond E Feist's Riftwar Saga (starting with 'Magician: Apprentice') is a fun read.  High fantasy; sort of a "Lord of the Rings Lite".

Susanna Clarke's 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' is dense but brilliant; it's the history of magic in an alternate 19th-century Great Britain.

If you like comedy (particularly British comedy), Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' books are hilarious.  (Since you like YA books, also try his Bromeliad trilogy.)

Emma Bull's 'War of the Oaks' is an old "comfort read" of mine.  It's about a struggling rock musician who gets sucked into a war in faerie.

This is technically science fiction, but you might like Connie Willis' 'Doomsday Book' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog.'  These are set in a world where historians use time travel to study different time periods.  Willis' writing is delightful; she has a deft way with words and characters that I think you would enjoy.  (This is 'soft' sci-fi, so the emphasis is less on the technical jargon, more on the "mucking about in the past").

You should be able to find all of these at Amazon.

Answer 8

Uh, MissiM Luvie Duck, it's Lirael, not Loriel, and The Blue Sword, not The White Sword. I do agree with a lot of your suggestions, though.

Answer 9

Uglies, Ray Bradbury's short story The Veldt, anything by Margret Petterson Haddix or Michael Crichton

Answer 10

well i loved a series of unfortunate events, they are so easy to read and i just couldn't stop. (oh and i just read that you want adult books so sorry he he) for that matter though, i loved the hobbit. and i don't know if you would consider this fantasy but sophie's world by jostein gaarder is amazing! kinda compicated though

Answer 11

Nora Roberts has written a couple of fantasy series. The Circle Trilogy is among my favorites. She also has a couple of other trilogies/series that I have not had the pleasure of reading, all of which would definitely classify as an adult series due to Robert's (tasteful) adult themes/scenes.

Another TERRIFIC author who I feel deserves a place among writers like Terry Prachett, Neil Gaiman, Tamora Pierce, etc., is Ted Dekker. His books are classified as contemporary Christian, because there are overtones/undertones of Christian doctrine, but they are often played out in such fantastic ways that it doesn't matter if you are Christian or not (I for one, am an atheist/agnostic, but I find his books to be very close to my sense of spirituality). Dekker's books are filled with fantasy, romance, heartbreak, and thrilling action. They can also veer heavily into the strange and macabre, but in a most delicious and life-affirming way. His Circle Trilogy (not to be confused with the Circle trilogy I mentioned above) is to date the BEST books I have ever read. I encourage you to take a look at his website, www.teddekker.com, and visit your local library or discount book store (a haven for book junkies like me). If you're a fan of adult fantasy, you owe it to yourself to check him out.

Answer 12

Anything, and I mean that, ANYTHING by Terry Pratchett.

Answer 13

The Eragon/Inheritance Series.  

The Fablehaven Series

Garth Nix Books Sabriel Loriel etc.

Checkout Shannon Hales - Goose Girl Enna Burning

Artemis Fowl Series

Pendragon Series

Robin McKinley's Beauty, Spindle's End, The White Sword, etc.

Terry Goodkind- 10 book series.  Husband loved them, and they are adult.

And for great reading go for The Lord of the Rings/Hobbit  the master of them all.

I have read all of these books as an adult. Didn't discover fantasy books until my 20s.  Even though they might be classified YA.  You are never to old to read a good book

Answer 14

Try Ray Bradbury...he has lots of books.

Answer 15

Read the Outlander series, it will change your life.  By Diana Gabaldon,  I loved all of those books too, esp Tamora Pierce and Harry Potter

Answer 16

The Ghormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake .

:0)

Answer 17

Try the The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonothan Stroud

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

My sister tells me the Inheritance Cycle is really good. Haven't gotten around to reading it myself yet... but I will eventually.