She fits 100%. It’s all medieval politics from top to bottom. The magic in the stories is completely intertwined with medieval religion. It’s unclear if those that can practice get their powers through ESP or from a god. Or both. I’m speaking specifically of he Deryni books. I would recommend reading them in the order they were written rather than in chornological order. Specifically the first two trilogies. Kind of like watching Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars first. Those 6 are the best of her works.
In my opinion she is the most enjoyable out of all of them.
If I like the political scheming aspect of fantasy more than the dragons and magic, I might like ___
China Mieville’s “Bas-Lag” novels use politics as a major component of their world-building. (Also, political oppression and resistance are major themes.)
Post War of the Roses but would strongly recommend Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies; they’re set in Henry VIII’s reign and are all about the politics of power.
Well, of course there is always George RR Martin’s “Song of Fire and Ice” trilogy. Which as we all know launched the insanely popular–and good!–HBO TV series *Game of Thrones.
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And you might try Jim Butcher’s "Furies" series. Good fantasy there, and lots of power plays and scheming between warring factions. (Butcher is most famous, however, for his Harry Dresden series. The guy who is a modern-day wizard in Chicago? There’s about 20 of those novels out.
Anything by Robin Hobb is good fantasy “swords and sandals” stuff. Replete with dragons! In many ways her stuff is similar to GOT, I always thought. Though decidedly not nearly as dark or violent.
I came in specifically to mention her. The Deryni novels abound with politics and scheming.
The Foundation series by Asimov.
I’ve only read the first so far, but The Powder Mage Trilogy seems like it might be up your alley.
That Amazon synopsis is a bit badly edited, but the actual book is written competently. Now, if you want weird and badly written…
Hmm…they might qualify, but IMO they’re not very good. Don’t get me wrong, I read every one of them, because I’m a goober, and they passed the time admirably; but I’d only recommend them for a turn-off-your-brain read.
These, on the other hand, are kick-ass books where you don’t have the option of turning your brain off: they’re dense and enjoyable as hell. Perdido Street Station, the first in the trilogy, is one of my all-time favorite novels.
I agree that Mieville’s books are excellently written, but I didn’t find them very fun to read. The author comes across as a very… angry person.
I was about to comment that the incest vibe turned me off, but that was Kerr, not Kurtz.
Turns out I DNFed the only Kurtz book I’ve tried to read.
Is it specifically political scheming that you’re looking for, or scheming in general? Glen Cook’s The Black Company series centres on a mercanary company hired to fight in a war by a powerful sorceress. The thing is, on both sides of the conflict are magic users who badly outclass the Black Company, who are mostly mundane soldiers with a handful of low-level wizards thrown in. Much of the book revolves around the Black Company dreaming up dirty tricks to screw over their latest overpowered foe, because in anything resembling a fair fight they’d get wiped.
In other words, it’s about a bunch of red-shirts fighting in a war featuring great heroes and terrible villains, with the red-shirts doing whatever it takes to survive.
I love Kay. Tigana always makes me cry.
I ***highly ***recommend this book.
Agreed! My only complaint was the length of the names caused me some issues. But that might just have been me.
Colleen McCollough’s Masters of Rome series was good. Just scheming and war and politics in the late republic era.
Me too. Hence my username.
I recommend The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold.
You won’t find them in the Fantasy section of the bookstore or library, but Watership Down scribe Richard Adams, when not writing about rabbits or other animals, wrote two low-fantasy (invented pre-medieval world, some mysticism, but not magic, monsters, or non-humans) novels called Maya and Shardik. Other than being set in the same place, there is no connection between the novels, but they are both about a person in a low position ( a slave girl, and solitary hunter) ended up becoming people of power and influence. Full of politics and scheming.
Huh I wasn’t aware of a single one of his other works. Good to know.