# Recommend some fantasy to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159 "2013-06-04T22:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/21 "2013-06-05T05:08:35Z")
The Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan are quite enjoyable, I thought. Not really great, but enjoyable. One of my favorite series, aside from Discworld (mentioned above), is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. It’s not the high fantasy sort like the titles mentioned in the OP, it’s set in modern day Chicago for instance, but I think it’s worth giving a recommend anyway. The first few books are generally considered not that great, so if you do give it a go try the 3rd or 4th books first. They’re pretty episodic so you can read them out of order without really spoilering anything. The same author also has another series of books, completed, which is more high fantasy named the Codex Alera, which I’d also recommend. Someone upthread mentioned the Gentleman Bastard series from Scott Lynch, and while I too quite like the books, I’m not sure I’d recommend them. Mainly because it’s not only an ongoing series two books in, the publication date for the third has been put off something like three or four years so far. As wonderful as the previous books were, you may want to consider the chance of becoming invested in a series that will probably have quite a long time between publication dates. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/22 "2013-06-05T05:14:12Z")
Robin Hobb’s Farseer books, Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion books, Mistborn, as mentioned above (I’ve only read the first, but it was really good), or Guy Gavriel Kay’s Sarantine Mosaic duology. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/23 "2013-06-05T05:42:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For the record, there are five novels and some short stories in the Earthsea setting. Maybe I misunderstood lisiate’s post. I was thinking it was one of those “I didn’t like the later works in a series so I pretend they don’t exist” things. It was definitely the latter. And I was being snarky. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Yeah, I was trying to figure that out. I’m not a big fan of Tehanu–it’s a little too much “Men!!! AmIright, ladies??!” for my tastes–but I thought The Other Wind was a stellar conclusion to the series. So, not sure whether lisiate was serious and unaware, or just snarky :). > > One very weird series not mentioned yet is China Mieville’s **New Crobuzon** books. The first is **Perdido Street Station** , and I’ve met very few people who feel neutrally about it. Some people hate it, either because of the in-your-face leftist politics or because of the total grab-bag approach to worldbuilding. I have no problem with the former and think he explains the latter well enough, and I think the book is muscularly creative and among the best fantasy of the past couple of decades, but it’s definitely not for everyone. > > There’s also Phillip Pullman’s **His Dark Materials** , with similar strong reactions provoked in readers. _Perdido Street Station_ is excellent, I didn’t care for the others (but still acknowledge their existence). _His Dark Materials_ is 2 and 1/2 of a great trilogy in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/24 "2013-06-05T06:53:37Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion books I have read Bujold’s fantasy and I liked most of them. It’s a good example of the fantasy I read - it’s often some author whose science fiction I read first and then crossed over to read their fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/25 "2013-06-05T07:06:11Z")
Jack Vance did a trilogy called **Lyonesse** which I enjoyed greatly. In addition to Vance’s sly humor and wondrous use of the language, the books have several other good points: absence of dragons, and almost no one speaks in verse. The only title I am sure of is **The Green Pearl** , the second of the series. Maybe one of the other Vance fans here can add more. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/26 "2013-06-05T07:21:51Z")
Lyonesse is great, the books are _Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden_, _The Green Pearl_, and _Maduoc_. And of course you must read the _Dying Earth_ books as well. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/27 "2013-06-05T10:59:35Z")
Vance is another crossover writer whose fantasy work I’ve read. Also Zelazny, Turtledove, Niven, and (before he got completely unreadable) Anthony. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/28 "2013-06-05T11:21:31Z")
On the lighter side, the Thraxas series used to be complete but he’s just published another one. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/29 "2013-06-05T11:30:25Z")
Have you read Gene Wolfe? The Soldier series is my favorite fantasy, although he’s best known for The Book of the New Sun. The Wizard Knight is a nice fantasy, too, but it’s not in the same rank, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/30 "2013-06-05T13:53:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I have read Bujold’s fantasy and I liked most of them. It’s a good example of the fantasy I read - it’s often some author whose science fiction I read first and then crossed over to read their fantasy. Okay, then I would definitely lean toward recommending the Hobb Farseer books. She has other trilogies that spin out from that. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/31 "2013-06-05T14:32:31Z")
Shannara is trash, Robert Jordan is an even worse hack than the shameless Terry Brooks. Run away! SOIAF is a good series but GRRM’s writing is fairly uneven. When he was good he was very very good and when he was bad … He was just straight-up lazy. If I see him use the word “garron” one more time I’m going to mail him a thesaurus. I wasn’t too familiar with Bujold’s fantasy work but I recently read “The Spirit Ring” and enjoyed it. Earthsea I enjoyed but I read it in middle school, so I can’t say how it reads for adult. I’d also suggest The Age of Unreason series (beginning with “Newton’s Cannon”). It’s set in an alternate Colonial era in which alchemy is real. Benjamin Franklin stars as our foxy young action hero. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/32 "2013-06-05T14:37:56Z")
Well, it’s sad that no one has been willing to offer their opinions - or at least not the right ones 😃 - I’ll have to jump in and give you the benefit of my own great wisdom. I’ll only mention the ones I’ve read personally. Song of Ice and Fire - I think this is an essential series. Love it or hate it, it’s hard to claim to be a fantasy fan if you haven’t read it. It’s probably not the best jumping in point for a lot of reasons, including the fact that it’s not finished, and also because a big part of its fun is that it really plays havoc with your expectations, and those expectations will have been built up by reading other fantasy. But it’s definitely a must-read sooner or later. A Wheel of Time - this is the other recent fantasy series that I would call essential. Again, you don’t have to love it, but you must have read at least the first few to call yourself a fantasy fan. In fact, you’d arguably get more credibility if you hated it. I’m one of the relatively rare supporters. Even the really bad books in the middle are better than I recalled upon rereading. The series is done, and the last few were written by Brandon Sanderson, and they are really quite excellent. I think it’s worth slogging through the few real clunkers to get to the end. Earthsea - Meh. Not my thing. Too poetic and vague for my taste. The Sword of Truth - the first book is a pretty OK ripoff of your standard fantasy series. Poor nobody farmboy type finds out he’s special, goes off on a journey with a wise old mentor, yadda yadda. You know, Star Wars. The books go downhill fast after that. I stopped reading after whichever book it was that was basically 500 pages of telling us how bad communism is. Belgariad/Mallorean series - I LOVED these books. When I was in junior high. That’s the target audience. Adults will find them less enthralling. Malazan Book of the Fallen - I’ve read the first three or four of these, and the rest are still on my to-read pile. But for me, they’re a slog. When I’m reading one, I find myself keeping one eye on the page number to keep track of how close I am to being done so I can read something else. That’s never a good sign. A lot of people praise these books for bravely launching right into the action and forcing you to figure out vast swathes of backstory on your own, which is fine if that’s your thing. Me, I figure that there are really good reasons why most authors find a way to give you the relevant backstory - it’s so that you can know what the HELL IS GOING ON. The ones I’ve read have also been Grim with a capital Grim. They’re unrelentingly bleak, focusing on war and death and annihilation and whatnot. Again, that’s fine now and then, but I can only take so much. Black Company - weirdly, considering what I just said about Malazan, I quite liked this series. A lot of the same criticisms apply - it’s pure military, war, bleakness - but I liked it. I can’t explain why. There’s a bit more lightness in the Black Company, with the occasional people falling in love for a bit here and there. Maybe that helps. Mistborn - really, truly excellent. I’ve read just about everything Sanderson has written, and while I haven’t yet found one of his I’ve disliked, I do think Mistborn is the best. It’s nice that the trilogy is finished, and the three books make up a complete, satisfying story, but it’s worth noting that it was planned to be the first trilogy of three. The first was set in your standard sword-y medieval setting, the second would be in the same universe, but in a more modern time, and the last would be set in the far future, which I think is a fantastic idea. None of those other books have been written yet. To further complicate things, he HAS written and published one follow-up book set in a railroady Wild Westy time that was apparently supposed to be a one-off just for fun, but which confusingly was clearly ended with a sequel in mind. Well, whatever. Just read the first Mistborn trilogy and enjoy it. Seek out more after that if you like. In fact… Sanderson in general - he’s working on an epic 10-volume massive fantasy series, of which only book 1 is out. The Way of Kings, it’s called, and I enjoyed that book more than just about anything I’ve read in the last decade or so. Sanderson has been tremendously prolific. While I have really enjoyed everything of his I’ve read, he’s not without flaws. This is turning into another thread. I’ll stop there. But all his stuff is definitely in the “to recommend” list. Temeraire - this is the “dragons fighting in the Napoleonic wars” series. I’ve read or listened to them all, and they’re OK, but with such a tremendously silly premise that I have a hard time taking them seriously. It doesn’t help that much of the dialogue, especially in the early books, seems to have been written by someone trying desperately to carry on a conversation with Jane Austen. As a biologist, I’m also constantly annoyed by how little thought is given to how the world would have adapted differently to the presence of dozens of breeds of sentient giant predators, but that’s just me. Gentlemen Bastards - I really really enjoyed these, too. They’re not typical fantasy books. Think more Oceans’ Eleven in a world where magic is going on in the background. Very fun reading. The Kingkiller Chronicles - Also really really excellent. I’m waiting eagerly for the last book. Highly recommended. Discworld - also great, but I don’t think of them as a sort of Series that Must Be Read. Back when I had time to read a lot, I’d throw in a Discworld book in between more serious novels. Sort of like a palate cleanser. There’s a lot of complexity in the series (serieseses?), so do some homework before launching in. They’re funny, incidentally - more parody of fantasy than fantasy - if that hasn’t been made clear yet. His Dark Materials - I read them. I don’t have much memory of them. If you want young adult fantasy, there are better options, starting with Harry Potter. Dresden Files - I sort of hesitantly like this series. Much like Discworld, they’re silly enough that you feel more like you’re being entertained rather than reading literature, if that makes sense. The first four or five books give the impression that the whole series is going to be very formulaic, but after that he breaks out of the mold and ends up doing some genuinely interesting things with the characters. Some of these choices have been more popular than others. Guy Gavriel Kay - I really like his stuff, apart from the Fionavir Tapestry, which I couldn’t get through because it felt so much like Tolkein. His other stuff is really excellent. The Sarantine Mosaic duology is my favorite as well. His books are set on a world that is very reminiscent of times and places in Earth’s history, with just a touch of magic to make it fantasy rather than historical fiction. The Sarantine Mosaic is set in a civilization very similar to the Byzantine Empire. Read those, and if you like it, you’ll like most of his other stuff as well. I’m trying to think of ones that haven’t been mentioned yet. Nothing comes to mind now. I’m sure I’ll come up with more as time goes on. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/33 "2013-06-05T16:57:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve never been a big reader in the epic fantasy genre. I’ve read Tolkein and a few other incidental books but never really got into it. > > So I’m thinking about checking out some of the well-known series. And I’m open to recommendations from people who know the genre. > > Some possibilities I’m considering: > > _The Wheel of Time_ by Robert Jordan. Pros: Popular series. Cons: I’ve heard the series goes downhill as it goes along. Plus it’s unfinished and the author’s dead. No. Save yourself the headache. Sucked like a Hoover on steroids. > [@](#): > > The _Belgariad/Malloreon_ series by David Eddings. Pros: It’s a completed series. Cons: A little long but divided up into two series. People have a love/hate relationship with Eddings. He happens to be one of my favorite authors and I love these books. > [@](#): > > _Chronicles of Thomas Covenant_ by Stephen R. Donaldson. Pros: Highly acclaimed. Cons: Nothing particular. May have gone on too long. Run away from this like a cat runs away from water. > [@](#): > > _Black Company_ by Glen Cook. Pros: Heard it’s “grittier” than regular fantasy. Cons: Heard it declines in quantity as the series goes on. Black Company was good, but his Garret, P.I. series is much, much better. Much. And I would also add in the Harry Dresden novels by Jim Butcher. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/34 "2013-06-05T17:56:51Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _The Wheel of Time_ by Robert Jordan. Pros: Popular series. Cons: I’ve heard the series goes downhill as it goes along. Plus it’s unfinished and the author’s dead. It goes downhill and basically grinds to a halt midway through the series. Fortunately, you can skip the grindy books, read a wiki recap, and pick up when Sanderson takes over writing and things get moving again. Actually, I found Sanderson’s writing better than Jordan’s, since he didn’t use Jordan’s linguistic crutches. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The _Earthsea_ series by Ursula K. LeGuin. Pros: Regarded as a classic. Relatively short series. Cons: Never been a huge fan of LeGuin’s work. Plus I read the first book and a half in the series many years ago and didn’t complete it back then. Tone and mood of the books shift dramatically between the ones she originally wrote, and the ones she wrote much later. Understandable, but utterly jarring. If you didn’t like _A Wizard of Earthsea_ – an epitome of the Boy’s Own genre – don’t bother. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The _Shannara_ series by Terry Brooks. Pros: Popular series. Supposed to be pretty accessible. Cons: Heard it starts out weak before getting better as the series moves along. Really long series - twenty-five books so far, I believe? - but broken up into trilogies. It starts out weak, and gets weaker, IMO. Although I stopped after a half-dozen. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The _Belgariad/Malloreon_ series by David Eddings. Pros: It’s a completed series. Cons: A little long but divided up into two series. Pro/Con: You only need to read one of the series – all the others are retreads of each other! It’s like knocking 20 books off your To Read list by only putting in effort for 5. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _Chronicles of Thomas Covenant_ by Stephen R. Donaldson. Pros: Highly acclaimed. Cons: Nothing particular. May have gone on too long. The initial trilogy is actually a deconstruction of the epic fantasy genre – and of the _fans_ of the genre. It can be _very_ uncomfortable reading for people looking for escapist fantasy to an epic fantasy world. And the protagonist (not hero) is a prat – Donaldson loves using broken, unsympathetic people as his main characters. Covenant is broken and unsympathetic. _And_ the first book was his first book, and really isn’t written well. But it’s got the nastiest Dark Lord in epic fantasy – Lord Foul would make Sauron and Morgoth run home from the playground crying. And the Land is an utterly compelling fantasy world (as it needed to be for what Donaldson’s intent was). And in the end, what you think Donaldson’s thesis was, turns out to be completely different. It’s an interesting series to read… if you’re not just interested in epic fantasy. The subsequent books hove a bit closer to the genre. Heck, the last few have been almost action-packed at times. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _Mythago Wood_ series by Robert Holdstock. Pros: Critically acclaimed. Relatively short. Cons: Might not be accessible. Pretty good series, not accessible. Almost impenetrable, in some parts. But cool idea for the setting. Best epic fantasy series: _The Riddle-Master of Hed_, by Patricia McKillip. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/35 "2013-06-05T18:03:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Good to know. I thought it was a completed series. The Malazan book of the fallen is a complete 10 book series that is finished, there are other books set in the same world and while quite good on their own they are not necessary or part of the series. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/36 "2013-06-05T18:16:14Z")
\*\*Song of Ice and Fire \*\*is phenomenal. People whine about the 4th and 5th book’s pace being off from the previous books, but they are great books in their own right, it’s just that GRRM set the bar SO FREAKING HIGH with book 3 it was hard to maintain the momentum. But the 4th book is great, just be ready for a lot of new settings and characters you weren’t previously familiar with. Book 5 has a LOT of great stuff, and some tedious stuff. I am on a 2nd read-through of book 5 and I am enjoying it immensely, ALL of it. **The First Law Trilogy** – really enjoyed this too, from start to finish. I have tried some of the other books set in the same universe though, and haven’t been able to get into them. But the main 3 books that make up “First Law” are great. \*\*Wheel of Time \*\*-- slooooooowwwww pace. I gave up before finishing the 1st book. **Malazan** – bizarre and ridiculous. Characters are blank slates. If you enjoy reading because you relate and care about the characters, avoid this like the plague. Minor spoiler: in this series, magic users are able to wipe out entire armies with a single powerful spell. In this universe, wouldn’t you expect armies would stop assembling?! Warfare would be done by subterfuge and assassins, trying to take out the other side’s wizards. But no, armies are wiped out by magic several times within the first few hundred pages of this series. That’s why I decided it was completely ridiculous and gave up on it. **Sword of Truth** – not bad, but quite formulaic and written more for middle schoolers. That was my impression of the 1st book, at least. I did not continue and further. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/37 "2013-06-05T18:34:44Z")
I’m going add another vote for the Mistborn Trilogy. This is what introduced me to this whole genre. Until then, I thought everything was dragons, swords, and Gandalf-esque wizards. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/38 "2013-06-05T18:48:44Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > One very weird series not mentioned yet is China Mieville’s **New Crobuzon** books. The first is **Perdido Street Station** , and I’ve met very few people who feel neutrally about it. Some people hate it, either because of the in-your-face leftist politics or because of the total grab-bag approach to worldbuilding. I have no problem with the former and think he explains the latter well enough, and I think the book is muscularly creative and among the best fantasy of the past couple of decades, but it’s definitely not for everyone. I’ll add a third caveat. While Martin and Erikson are frequently quite grim they will dole out passably happy endings to a select few. Mieville is whole 'nother level of _cruel_ to his characters - I didn’t really fell that great for anybody at the end of any of his books that I’ve read. They are wonderfully inventive and engaging, but I’ve decided Mieville is not for me for much the same reason I’ve mostly given up on watching unrelentingly bleak films, no matter how artfully done. But make no mistake - he’s a strong writer, just not quite to my taste. Cast me with the anti-Brooks people. I’m pro-Vance\*, Lynch, Martin, Erikson, Esslemont somewhat ( but you probably need to read Erikson first ). I think **Smeghead** ’s take on Butcher’s _Dresden Files_ is dead on - formulaic but tolerable through the first few, then improving. Donaldson is a coin flip if you accept it as a deconstruction of the fantasy hero, but I wouldn’t go back to his books at this point. Of the young adult books I like LeGuin’s _Earthsea_, think Pullman is a much better writer than Rowling ( but the different series might be a matter of taste ) and would suggest you not forget Lloyd Alexander’s _Prydain_ books. - I wasn’t clear if you have read the _Lyonesse_ books from your post, but if you haven’t I might start there as a tribute, since he just passed away. I really enjoyed them. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/39 "2013-06-05T18:51:47Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Mistborn - really, truly excellent. I’ve read just about everything Sanderson has written, and while I haven’t yet found one of his I’ve disliked, I do think Mistborn is the best. It’s nice that the trilogy is finished, and the three books make up a complete, satisfying story, but it’s worth noting that it was planned to be the first trilogy of three. The first was set in your standard sword-y medieval setting, the second would be in the same universe, but in a more modern time, and the last would be set in the far future, which I think is a fantastic idea. None of those other books have been written yet. To further complicate things, he HAS written and published one follow-up book set in a railroady Wild Westy time that was apparently supposed to be a one-off just for fun, but which confusingly was clearly ended with a sequel in mind. Well, whatever. Just read the first Mistborn trilogy and enjoy it. Seek out more after that if you like. In fact… > > Sanderson in general - he’s working on an epic 10-volume massive fantasy series, of which only book 1 is out. The Way of Kings, it’s called, and I enjoyed that book more than just about anything I’ve read in the last decade or so. Sanderson has been tremendously prolific. While I have really enjoyed everything of his I’ve read, he’s not without flaws. This is turning into another thread. I’ll stop there. But all his stuff is definitely in the “to recommend” list. This. I can’t say that I think Sanderson is a brilliant writer or incredibly creative with his plots or some kind of genius at character building. What he is is a tremendous storyteller, and seems able to toss off incredible, fun, likeable books with great ease. I’ve read everything he’s written and will continue to; his books are easy-to-read page-turners that are just plain fun. And for the other Sanderson fans here, if you haven’t checked out Brent Weeks’ Black Prism series, they’re worth reading. Only the first two are out now, but I read him on Sanderson’s recommendation (I think Weeks was a former student) and they’re very much in the same vein. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159/40 "2013-06-05T18:54:36Z")
Abercrombie - IMO, the best in the list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-fantasy-to-me/660159.md?page=3)