Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hello,
And welcome to The Fantasy Book Club here on GoodReads. We are a group dedicated completely to the fantasy genre. We read a book (or set of books) in one month and discuss them in the following month:

In May we are Discussing:
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Cloak of Magic by S.A. Rule
Neverwhere A Novel by Neil Gaiman

In May we are reading:

Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Storms of Vengeance by John Beachem

In June we are reading:

The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurtz
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Previous reads include:


We're glad to have you here and hope you'll invite your friends who are fantasy fiction fanatics like us to join the fun.

--Robin, AKA Welcome Wagon

Please forgive my ignorance. How does this work? The March books - are they to be read during March and discussed in April? Or are they to be read on time to begin discussing in March?

Hi Heather,
We hold the book discussions the month after we've read the book.

Mistborn The Final Empire: Read in December, discussed in January.

Griffin's Daughter: Read in January, currently being discussed.

The Name of the Wind: Currently reading, to be discussed in March.

The Crown Conspiracy & The Princess Bride: To be read in March, to be discussed in April.

The poll for our April read will be opening on February 15th.

Hope that helps!

Thanks so much, Becky! That's exactly what I wanted to know! (So I know how much time I have to get my hands on The Princess Bride and get it read!)

You're welcome! :)

Hey there! I am so excited to be reading fantasy books with others! I just got into the genre a few months ago and am ripping through tons of them and loving it! Looking forward to getting to know some of you and enjoy some good books!

Hey Emily, welcome to the group! I'm fairly new to fantasy as well. Any favorites so far?

Hmm... lots!

I really like the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, but am reading them slooooowly so as not to catch up with his maddeningly slow writing schedule.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was amazing once you got through the first part. :)

I thought Lies of Locke Lamora was great.

I am really enjoying the beginning of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, but hear it gets pretty awful by book 7 or 8. I'm willing to read until then, though, because the first 2 were good!

I also really liked the first book in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

And though it's pretty different, I love the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Addictive and different.

For a more fun-hearted romp kind of book, you can't beat any of Jasper Fforde's series - Eyre Affair or the Nursery Rhyme storeis are both great.

So, yes, lots! Anything good I missed?

I didn't mention Name of the Wind since it's discussed here, but I REALLY liked that one, too...

Welcome, Emily. It seems your tastes match my own in some areas. There is a Wheel of Time thread in here that discusses the series, and of course there will be one for Name of the Wind next month. We probably need threads to discuss other things as well, such as GRRM's Ice and Fire series. I could talk about Goodkind's too. Anyway, welcome and happy reading!

Emily, I posted my take on the middle-later books in Wheel of Time on that thread....

Hey, Chris! I'm excited to get some book recs from you!

Emily wrote: "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was amazing once you got through the first part. :)..."


I'm glad you liked JS&MN. For me it was just too dense and slow. I finally finished it but felt like it was more a chore then a joy. I think the writing was really good, don't get me wrong just not as good as some other things I've read lately.

-- Wife of GR author Michael J. Sullivan: The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

Hey all - I've been swamped at work so not around much lately - welcome to all new people!

Hi - I'm here because I am a huge, longtime reader and enthusiast of fantasy literature. I've read very widely, and am always looking for another undiscovered thrill.

I like books that have creative prose style, characters with emotional depth and scope, and story lines that are not only inventively logical, but wildly unpredictable, with experiences that bring changes to their world settings and their protagonists. The best books haunt me, years later, often provoking all kinds of imaginative thought.

My favorite writers are too many to list! But to mark a handful whose fantasy works have never let me down, I admire Guy Kay, Sarah Zettel, C. J. Cherryh, R. A. MacAvoy, Barbara Hambly, Patricia McKillip, and Ursula LeGuin. This is by no means a complete list, but an off the cuff sampling to illuminate my taste.

I like music and pets and wilderness trips, on the water and on horseback, and make my living as an author/illustrator.

Welcome to the group, Janny. I hope you have a great time here and read everything that I recommend.

Seriously though, it's a great group. I've only been here a couple of months, but I am loving it....

Hi Janny and welcome. I, too, love the wilderness, hiking, and horseback riding, and many of the same writers you do.

Do you have a website? I'd love to see examples of your illustration work.

Chris wrote: "Welcome to the group, Janny. I hope you have a great time here and read everything that I recommend.

Seriously though, it's a great group. I've only been here a couple of months, but I am loving..."

Hi Chris - thanks for the welcome - what do you recommend? I'll let you know if I've read it already, or if not, ask you questions to know if it might run up my alley.

Leslie wrote: "Hi Janny and welcome. I, too, love the wilderness, hiking, and horseback riding, and many of the same writers you do.

Do you have a website? I'd love to see examples of your illustration work."

Hi Leslie - thanks for the welcome. If we share interests, we may like some of the same books, too.

Yes, I do have a website:
www.paravia.com/JannyWurts

To view the illustration work, you'd select the Gallery menu - that's not the complete portfolio, but a sampling overview. Be my guest, and enjoy.

If you happen to live anywhere near Wilmington, Delaware, one of my oil paintings in the Delaware Art Museum's collection hangs in their illustration wing.

Welcome to the group Janny!
I really enjoyed the Empire series you wrote with Raymond Feist!

Well, Janny. To start it off, I enjoy the following fantasy authors: Stephen King, Steven Erikson, Patrick Rothfuss, George R.R. Martin, Raymond Feist, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodkind. Goodreads has introduced me to Michael J. Sullivan and Leslie Ann Moore, and I definitely recommend both of their debut novels.

I'm looking to work Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Robin Hobb, Roger Zelazny, R. Scott Bakker, and Joe Abercrombie into my lineup as well, along with others I'm sure. These particular authors seem to fit the brand of fantasy I enjoy, at least.....

Carolyn wrote: "Welcome to the group Janny!
I really enjoyed the Empire series you wrote with Raymond Feist!"

Carolyn - thank you for the lovely compliment. The books with Ray were a joy to write, and an amazing experience.

Chris wrote: "Well, Janny. To start it off, I enjoy the following fantasy authors: Stephen King, Steven Erikson, Patrick Rothfuss, George R.R. Martin, Raymond Feist, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodki..."

Hi Chris - I am quite familiar/have read something if not all of most every author on your preferred list - except for the two you mention as intruduced to you by good reads. (Exepting those two, that I do not know) indeed, you are fearless, since not all of those authors are easy or comfortable reads. That's an interesting spread, too, between edgy stuff and more traditional epic.

On your second list, looking forward, I've read/checked out all but Bakker's work. You've hit a front list author of mine, in that line up - Zelazny. Given that you enjoy the sprawling, astonishing imagination of Erikson, you may well enjoy Zelazny - his stuff isn't as magnificent in scope, but the mix of elements and startling imagination and brawling gods (thinking of Lord of Light, here) are amazing. It's a good list, there, with significant merits. Let me know how you like Zelazny - I own every book he ever did, and a long time ago, had the privilege of collaborating on a compendium of his short stories, writing up the summaries for the publication - he wrote literally hundreds of works of short fiction, and the challenge was in finding all the sources where they were published. I'd almost say he could be Erikson's precurser, except the credit for that seems to go to Glen Cook. Both have stunning and unpredictable imaginations.

Janny - wow. That was great. Thank you very much for that analysis of my reading preferences. It was certainly insightful to have it shown by another.

Yes, I've heard/read enough positive about Zelazny that I figured he is something I should try. A lot of authors and readers that I respect have great admiration for his work. I've actually considered tackling the Amber series, or at least the first one to begin with. Maybe the group will pick a Zelazny book to read and we could see some great discussions on it...

Thanks again for taking the time to go over my list like that....

Chris wrote: "Janny - wow. That was great. Thank you very much for that analysis of my reading preferences. It was certainly insightful to have it shown by another.

Yes, I've heard/read enough positive about..."

Chris, the Amber series is perhaps the easiest place to start - the first book, Nine Princes In Amber was a ground breaker. I recall discovering that one, an accidental grab in the library it had me completely enthralled. If you liked the movie Mad Max, try Damnation Alley. For the ultimate in whacked antiheroes, Jack of Shadows, and for manic gods doing battle, Lord of Light. Zelazny was a fencer, so you'll find his sword fights are riveting. I could go on...this author is completely one of a kind, there is no one else like him, anywhere. Have fun, and why wait for a group pick? I'd bet if you started a discussion, other Zelazny readers would chime in.

I actually read Damnation Alley when I was a kid. I don't remember it that well, except that I did like it. I think I even read it before I watched Mad Max.

The other choices look very interesting too. I'll definitely keep these recommendations handy. Thanks again!

Ahhh, kindred spirits. I have a hard time finding others in the real world who enjoy this genre.

I cut my teeth on Weis/Hickman and the ever popular Dragonlance books (which I still have and still go back to read) and have been reading Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss, Raymond Fiest, E.E. Knight, Katherine Kerr, Robin Hobb, George R. R. Martin, Mindy Klasky, Guy Kay, Brandon Sanderson...well, the list goes on.

I'm just happy to be here. :)

Welcome Jennifer - that is a fine list of favorite authors. I'm sure you will find people of like minds here.

Hi Jennifer - we share lots of reading in common.

Have you also heard of these? Based on your list, you may well also enjoy Jennifer Roberson's Karavans #1 and sequel, or her Tiger and Del series, and also Sarah Zettel's Isavolta series. Both have great unpredictable plots, superb character building, and lovely prose. I these authors would follow closest to your stated preference for Katherine Kerr, Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss, and Guy Kay in particular. If the list goes on, you may know of these already!

I generally tell Martin readers to check out the earlier fantasy titles by Matthew Woodring Stover, though his latest was in another league altogether - for that one, you'd need more than a thick skin, probably bunkered armor. His earlier books are edged, but the latest - absolutely not for the squeamish. The one I actually had in mind to start with is Jericho Moon if you can find a copy.

Hi Janny! I love talking books and I'm just so over joyed to find others that enjoy the same authors. I've also enjoyed your collaborative trilogy with Raymond Fiest as well!

Thank you for the suggestions. I'm always on the look out for new authors to devour, I mean read. I will certainly check those out. I do love Guy Kay's writing. A friend turned me on to the Summer Tree trilogy and we actually attempted some role playing with it as a model. It was a good time with a fun group. Katherine Kerr is another favorite of mine and as soon as I see her new work on the shelf I grab it up without a second thought.

I suppose there are worse vices than developing my own library....

Jennifer wrote: "Hi Janny! I love talking books and I'm just so over joyed to find others that enjoy the same authors. I've also enjoyed your collaborative trilogy with Raymond Fiest as well!

Thank you for the s..."

Jennifer, thank you.

I remember discovering Katherine Kerr very well - and I bought Kay's The Summer Tree when the second two were not published, yet. Always a favorite, and it started me on a lifelong Kay binge. There is a bit of an inside joke about the Fionavar covers, if you have the newer Roc trade paperback editions. ;)

Around the same period, Megan Lindholm published The Limbreth Gate. Did you ever encounter this little trilogy? This is the same person, who later became Robin Hobb. If you haven't, I'd think those stories fit right there with Kerr and Kay's early series.

Welcome to the group, Jennifer...

Thank you Chris!

Janny, now I'll have to dig out my Finovar books to see which covers I do have. I think one was pink and one was blue... I really enjoyed Hobb's Fool and Assassin trilogies and I'm waiting on the last book to come out in paperback on her newest series (to add to my ever growing collection of course). I will definately have to look up her works as Lindholm.

This is going to be a fun group!

Hi I'm Rob,
I've been into fantasy / science fiction books ever since I was a small child, and I'm still reading them now that I'm a fully grown child. To be up front I've also just published my first fantasy book but I'll try to refrian from plugging unless anyone directly asks me.

I've been commenting left and right so I guess I should make an introduction. My name is Libby and I'm a book junkie. I was a literature major in college and love Goodreads because it’s like being in a GIANT lit class. I simply love being able to discuss so many books and see other reader’s thoughts.

Fantasy is my favorite genre followed by Mystery & Suspense, then SciFi . I generally lean towards satire and also enjoy Young Adult literature. My #1 favorite author is Terry Pratchett who I don't believe has been mentioned yet in this thread. Terry Pratchett I think the man is simply genius. His wit is unmatched.

I also love Neil Gaiman and Jasper Fforde. I've read the works of Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, and while I love Fantasy some of the sword play adventure novels are a bit too graphic for me. Of course, I adore the classics - Lewis and Tolkien. I'm a sucker for Arthurian tales and loved Marion Bradley's work in the Mists of Avalon books - superb female characters there. Finally, I also enjoy urban fantasy such as Charles deLint.

Best thing so far about Goodreads is finding new authors and new books! I have already found many great books I otherwise would not be aware of and/or purchase. I especially like that GR is a platform for authors who are not as well known to showcase their work. A prime example is The Crown Conspiracy. I would have completely missed this book if not for GR and I loved it. Can’t wait for the rest of the series and now I’m sharing my copy with others.

I'm really enjoying the chats since most of those commenting really know their books and truly share the love of literature.

QUESTION: I noticed that Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint is very highly ranked on the best Fantasy list. It's #8 in the series. Do I have to read the first 7 or can I just jump in?

Tom wrote: "QUESTION: I noticed that Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint is very highly ranked on the best Fantasy list. It's #8 in the series. Do I have to read the first 7 or can I just jump in?"

Hi Tom,

I had no problem jumping into the middle of this series. I actually started with Onion Girl which was written after Someplece to be Flying and worked my way through the series sideways. The series does have some continuity in the fact that they generally move forward in time and there is a group of major characters, the MAIN character is often different in different books so its not the type of series that is so dependent on reading a then b then c. And Someplace to Be Flying is definitely a wonderful book. It took me a little while to get into it, but the payoff was weel worth the wait.

Jo wrote: "Tom wrote: "QUESTION: I noticed that Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint is very highly ranked on the best Fantasy list. It's #8 in the series. Do I have to read the first 7 or can I just jum..."

Agreed - I also started with The Onion Girl (Newford Book 11) and then went onto Widdershins (Newford Book 16). When I later develed into some the early stories, the ones I had read made more sense and things fell into place but I don't think reading the later works first was a problem.

Libby wrote: "Jo wrote: "Tom wrote: "QUESTION: I noticed that Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint is very highly ranked on the best Fantasy list. It's #8 in the series. Do I have to read the first 7 or can..."

Can someone point me to a website that lists De Lint's work in chrono order? I tried his website but wasn't too successful.

(too bad there isn't a www.stopyourekillingme.com for fantasy, which lists all T/M writers' works in chrono order. or maybe there is and i don't know about it.)

As I'm a novice in Fantasy, this thread has definitely got my curiousity going and I am very intrigued by de Lint. If you can judge a book by its cover, then Someplace to be Flying is a sure winner.

Tom wrote: "Libby wrote: "Jo wrote: "Tom wrote: "QUESTION: I noticed that Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint is very highly ranked on the best Fantasy list. It's #8 in the series. Do I have to read the ..."

I did find a list once upon a time - let me snoop around. If you are newer to Fantasy De Lint is a great start. It's wonderful urban fantasy with rich characters. Contemporary or Urban Fantasy is a great starting point.

I'm going to start a new topic re Charles De Lint to see who has some resources so we don't bog down the Welcome thread

Libby wrote: "I'm going to start a new topic re Charles De Lint to see who has some resources so we don't bog down the Welcome thread"

If I would only pay attention Robin beat me to it.

Hi - I have been lurking for a while, so I figured I would introduce myself. I am a huge reader and consume books like they are food. I'm not sure why, but I have gone through 3 major phases in my life so far in terms of reading. I started out in middle school through the middle of high school reading almost all mysteries. Then I progressed to romances towards the end of highschool and college (hello! hormones) By the end of college til now, I have been firmly in the fantasy genre.

This isnt to say that I don't read other styles of books. I still read mysteries, the occasional romance, and a lot of general fiction, histories, and biographies. But I LOVE fantasy.

My favorite authors/books in the genre are:

Anne Bishop - Black Jewels Trilogy
Kelly Armstrong - Women of the otherworld
Kim Harrison - Rachel Morgan series
Jasper Fforde - Both Nursery Crime and Thursday Next
Mark Danielewski - House of Leaves
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Laurell Hamilton - Anita Blake 1-8
i love vampire/faery/werewolf/witch stories too.

I havent really quite progressed to the more 'stereotypical' fantasy novels. (I know that's the wrong term!)By that I mean the Robert Jordan's and the George R.R. Martin's of the genre. It's strange, because I know I would like them, but haven't really broken that barrier yet. I have had Eye of the World sitting on my shelf for about a year and hope to crack it open during the summer.

In the meantime, I am looking to interact more with the community here and see what other great books I may be missing out on.

I'm halfway through Mark Helprin's Winter Light, which is definitely fantasy. I also think Stephen King's The Stand is fantasy, as opposed to his horror novels, like The Shining.

Libby wrote: "I'm going to start a new topic re Charles De Lint to see who has some resources so we don't bog down the Welcome thread"

How is this bogging down the discussion if we are talking about a very popular fantasy writer? Isn't that what a discussion is supposed to be?

Guess I worded that badly - nice thing about Goodreads is that you can have an endless number of topics in the group so its easy to find pertinent discussions. This is a intro type thread. I thought if we created a de Lint topic that we'd get more responses because it stands out. That way people can talk about de Lint in a separate area and the topic won't get lost. If you go to Group Main for this group there is a topic for this question.

Hi Libby! I'm new here, but I see we share some ofthe interests. I love to talk about books and look forward to participating in some discussions. I'm glad to be here on goodreads and to be a part fo this group. Just recently I read my first Neil Gaiman book- American Gods- wow! was it good. Do you have any recommendations for Gaiman's books or any other books you've read that you think I'd like? Thanks.
Angel
Libby wrote: "I've been commenting left and right so I guess I should make an introduction. My name is Libby and I'm a book junkie. I was a literature major in college and love Goodreads because it’s like being ..."

I wish Neil would write more novels but he doesn't have too many. Check out Anansi Boys A Novel and The Graveyard Book.

Bobbie wrote: "Do you have any recommendations for Gaiman's books or any other books you've read that you think I'd like? Thanks..."

hey Bobbie, and welcome - for me I was not a fan of Stardust but I did enjoy Neverwhere and loved Good Omens.

American Gods has stayed with me for a couple of years now, as it really opened my eyes to so much in human thinking and belief. But just for fun, I recommend Anansi Boys. It's much lighter and just a good read.

Hi Libby! thanks for the recommendation. I appreciate it. I loved American Gods, but like I said it's the first Gaiman book I've read. I've heard Neverwhere is rather dark, so I'm not sure I'd like it.

Libby wrote: "I wish Neil would write more novels but he doesn't have too many. Check out Anansi Boys A Novel and The Graveyard Book. "