Questions about Fantasy books

[Wesobi]

Can anyone recommend me decent Fantasy style books? I don't really have a certain type I like, but i'd really like to catch up on some reading while my pc is being repaired.

Anything from Elves and dragons, to wizards, goblins, knights, whatever...

Thanks, yarrr.

[Ishikage]

The Black Magician Series by Trudi Canavan is good. Also Children of the Amarid and the following series by David B. Coe

[Wesobi]

Thanks!

[Caliburn]

Well Lord of the Rings is still the origin of all Fantasy-books. You can try the Inheritance Cycle and the books of Robin Hobb should keep you bussy for quite a while.

[Vìncent]

its a bit of a wierd one but its still under the fantasy genre, try the bartimius trilogy by jonathan stroud...

[Wesobi]

Well, I already devoured LOTR so I'm looking for other stuff that people seem to like.

I'll look up what everyone posted, thank you guys.

[Grencia]

The Belgariad by David Eddings (5 book series) is a good read, and easy if you've already been through LotR. He did another series that followed it, but I didn't like it as much.

Personally, I love Patricia McKillip's works--The Riddle-Master Trilogy is great if you want a long read, or try Alphabet of Thorn or Forgotten Beasts of Eld for a single novel.

For a series with a great hero/anti-hero pair, try The Coldfire Trilogy by C. S. Friedman.

One of Tolkien's influences is Lord Dunsany--take a look at The King of Elfland's Daughter if you're interested in reading pre-Tolkien fantasy. If you're up for a challenge, try one of William Morris's fantasy novels (like Wood Beyond the World)--the language is rather stilted, but if you get the hang of it, you're in for a treat. Morris was even more of an inspiration for Tolkien than Dunsany, and would probably more rightfully be considered the father of fantasy, if modern readers could deal with his style. (On the other hand, if you found Tolkien difficult to read, you will probably not like Morris.)

You're probably already familier wih C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia--if you liked it but want something "more for grown-ups" try Til We Have Faces.

As with all my recommendations, I *strongly* suggest you check them out at the library or at least peruse them at the bookstore before buying--nothing worse than buying books that you find you don't like.

Depending on what you do like, I could probably recommend more stuff.

Also, I know I am going to come back to this thread as I am always looking for new fantasy to read. I get kinda picky about what I like in fantasy sometimes, so I have started whole bunches of novels and series and never finished, because I didn't care for them (like the Shannara series, the Thomas Covenant series, and the Riftwar saga--all of these are well-liked by others but I didn't care for them myself and never finished them).

[-Vio-]

I've recently been reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It has been interesting so far. Check it out.

[cows0816]

Beautiful Creatures (about a witch) and its sequel Beautiful Darkness, Wings and Spells (about fairies), and Glimmerglass (another fairy story)... those are the most recent ones that I've read and liked that I can remember at the moment.

[rockerstud]

try

pendragon 1-7
it will keep you to the very end

and the eragon series
im still wating on the forth and final book

[Ereelthaden]

The writer I am going to recommend to you that I am currently a HUGE fan of right now is Jim Butcher.

His first series is an urban fantasy setting called The Dresden Files. Now if you have seen the Sci-Fi Channel's (SyFy now... Ugh) TV show The Dresden Files, I apologize. That show was absolute crap. The books however are great!
There are currently 13 books. I had the pleasure of going to a book signing when he was in Omaha, NE when I lived there and he said the series is going to go up to around 20 something and be this all out war and just pure awesomeness.
Harry Dresden is the main character and is a wizard living in Chicago, Ill. He uses his abilities to solve cases that are just too odd for the police to figure out. It starts out as this detective/mystery type story but as the series progresses it really amps up the fantasy elements. On top of the gripping plots, the characters - especially Harry Dresden - are very likable. Dresden is so sarcastic, sometimes at the worst of times, that I am often laughing out loud (Reason I no longer read these books in public. I've made a fool of myself many times laughing my butt off and sometimes in tears).
Seriously, you have to check out The Dresden Files. I recommend this series to everybody whenever I can. Haha.
Book 1 of the Dresden Files is Storm Front.

Jim Butcher wrote another series called The Codex Alera series. This series is only 6 books and sadly did not seem to get as much of a fan base as The Dresden Files. I understand why though. Most went into the series expecting The Dresden Files, but he did a great job writing something quite different. The series is a high fantasy setting and it starts out a bit slow unlike The Dresden Files. The magic system is really interesting being that everyone in the world has it, except the main character.
I don't want to talk about it too much out of fear of giving anything away. But believe me, I know it starts slow but stick with it and read them all. You won't regret it one bit. The realm the series takes place is in quite interesting (on top of the unique magic system) because it is very similar to the Roman empire (Roman military ranks and combat doctrine, the cities and the peoples culture).
Book one of The Codex Alera series is Furies of Calderon (quite slow, gets good around middle/end but good beginning for the series as a whole).

If you love Lord of the Rings you seriously have to check out The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. His writing was a major influence to Jim Butcher and to a lot of other current fantasy writers (on top of J.R.R. Tolkien). This series is often compared to being similar to Lord of the Rings in its writing, story, depth, etc.
Book one is The Eye of the World. There is a prequel before the first book called New Spring that takes place 20 years before, but I went with the original order he wrote them. He didn't write the prequel until after book 10.
Sadly the author Robert Jordan died after book 11 while working on book 12. Brandon Sanderson has been working on finishing the series though (chosen to complete the series by his wife . They are currently working on book 14 and it is due out early 2012.

Well those are my suggestions :P
Jim Butcher's books are shorter but very good and enjoyable and I can't speak highly enough for his works.
If you have a Used Bookstore near you I recommend you go there for Robert Jordan's books. I got the first 6 for around a dollar each (and these books aren't tiny). Jim Butcher's would probably be there for a cheap price as well.

[Algalon]

Well, I already devoured LOTR so I'm looking for other stuff that people seem to like.

I'll look up what everyone posted, thank you guys.

i see you have already read the best fantasy book


have u read the silmarillion and the children of hurin?

and there are other scripts of tolkien that are good

and i hear lord of the flies is a good book too (dunno exactly what its about though)

or you could always go look at some warcraft storyline

[Hakachi]

I'd say to try out the Septimus Heap books by Angie Sage, as they are actually very good. I also recommend the Sea of Trolls trilogy by Nancy Farmer, which I believe is a VERY good series.

[Ereelthaden]

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is great novel but it does not take place in a fantasy setting. It is about children who are stuck on a deserted island and they try to govern themselves. The results are not very pretty. It has been quite a controversial book about human nature and individual welfare vs the common good.

[Zerabitu]

What's a book ?

I believe George R.R. Martin has some fantasy books aswell as Rick Riordan.
I don't read fantasy books my self but I tried asking around

Put those fantasy books down and grab a Stephen King book

[Pineapple]

the percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is pretty good

[darknesscreater]

try reading the pendragon series, its an interesting series

[Wesobi]

i see you have already read the best fantasy book


have u read the silmarillion and the children of hurin?

and there are other scripts of tolkien that are good

and i hear lord of the flies is a good book too (dunno exactly what its about though)

or you could always go look at some warcraft storyline

I actually read all the War of the Ancient Books of the warcraft storyline, which are very nice in my opinion. The Last Guardian aswel!