Modern Good Reads discussion

Hi gang! Same story as the others--I want your favorite recommendations for fantasy. Get it started!

Giants of the Frost by Kim Wilkins :)

I'm going to cheat a bit here, Michelle, and tell you my favourite fantasy SERIES. It's 'The Eternal Champion' series by Michael Moorcock. Unfortunately, not all of the books are currently in print *sighs* but maybe some day ...

I keep hearing about Moorcock! Tell us more. You too Georgie!

Michelle wrote: "I keep hearing about Moorcock! Tell us more. You too Georgie!"

*Takes a deep breath* OK. The idea behind 'The Eternal Champion' series is that there is not an Universe, but a Multiverse, where a never-ending battle rages between the forces of Law and Chaos. In each version of reality there is a 'Champion' whose job it is to ensure that the Cosmic Balance doesn't tip too far in the direction of Law or Chaos - but the Champion is a different person/being/incarnation in each version of reality. So, for instance there is the Champion Elric (an albino with a sword 'Stormbringer' who steals souls), Corum (the Prince of the Silver Hand), Dorian Hawkmoon (who has a jewel in his skull that might eat his brain), Erekose, etc etc. Rather complicated to explain, but owes a lot to Hindu mythology, and the stories are all rattling good tales and interconnected in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways.
You know how I like the idea of interconnection!
And as for Moorcock's imagination ... awesome AND poetic!

Angels & Warriors: The Awakening by Dawn Tevy. Great book that I read recently. First in a series, but the others aren't out yet. Driving me crazy!!
The Eye of the Hunter is my all time favorite, I read it over and over and over (gone through 3 copies, and I handle my books soo well!)
Anything by Rick Riordan, though I don't know if that really counts, it is more urban fantasy, I suppose.
The Dragon Lance Series is amazing, and of course The Inheritance series. Sad, I love fantasy, but I am drawing a hard-core blank on titles atm :(

RA Salvatore and the Sellsword Series. I love Artemis Entreri. =)

Road to Underfall

Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set - One of my favorite authors. I have read everything by him. I will say that it was hard to transition from Robert Jordan to him in The Wheel of Time, but once he started telling the story in his own style, I was entranced.

A Spell for Chameleon - or anything Xanth. I will say I tired of them after 15 or so. He is punny. I find it amusing.

Dragonlance Chronicles

Dragonlance Legends


Magician: Apprentice - And anything else in this series. There are a ton of books by Feist. I got to 13 or 14 before I called it quits. I was on 2nd or 3rd generation.

The Demon King - All of her books have been good.

My qualifications for good fantasy are how much fun they are to read. Many of these I have read on my Kindle, so I deal with misspellings and errors in text. All of the authors have various levels of writing skill and they span a bunch of different styles. Fantasy is one of my obsessions if you couldn't tell...

George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. So mainstream now, I know, but it's the first time I ever read a fantasy novel that didn't feel predictable. I love the fact that main characters can and do die unexpectedly and that there are no guarantees that the "good guys" (a very subjective term in Martin's world) are going to triumph over "evil."

To me, the characters are so much more compelling than in most fantasy I've read.

John wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I keep hearing about Moorcock! Tell us more. You too Georgie!"

*Takes a deep breath* OK. The idea behind 'The Eternal Champion' series is that there is not an Universe, but a Mult..."

I second the praise about Moorcock's eternal champion series. Great stuff,very inspiring.

So far my favorite fantasy story is Karen Ann Moning Fever Series about the Fae for adults. Now that I've read Christopher Shields "The Stewart", it's now my fav YA in Fae Fantasy.

I like the Fever series. It was awesome.

Yakara wrote: "I like the Fever series. It was awesome."

It had me up on my toes, I thought the storyline was going to go one way but turned around and did a complete 360. Especially after the second, the ending threw me for a loop.

The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings 1,2,&3. To me it also has to have dragons. Harry Potter. Percy Jakson. Anything like that.

Anybody into Robin McKinley's books? Some good stuff, there.

I am frantically adding things to my Tbr. Okay!

Oh Dragonlance. It was goofy fun but the poetry in the original quartet killed me. I howled with laughter reading it.

I admit to a love of Fire and Ice too. Martin is kind of a vad feminist and his last two books were poorer, and I do not always agree with his plot direction...but they were awe inspiring nonetheless.

Has anyone read Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom series or Discworld? I love Discworld deeply.

Michelle wrote: "I am frantically adding things to my Tbr. Okay!

Oh Dragonlance. It was goofy fun but the poetry in the original quartet killed me. I howled with laughter reading it.

I admit to a love of Fire a..."

Yeah, that poetry was pretty bad. Loved the original trilogy. After that, it went downhill.

I love Jennifer Roberson's books; she just published a new one in her Tiger and Del series, called Sword-Bound.

I agree with Michelle and Brian about George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It might be mainstream, but why should we no longer enjoy a book simply because other people start liking it too? If anything, now I have more people to talk to about the book! That works for me.
The intricate world GRR Martin created, the vast plots and complicated characters certainly warrant all the attention, in my humble opinion. However, one of the issues I have with his books is the fact that each book doesn't seem to have a arching plot. There are numerous smaller plots, but nothing unifying a single story. There is no beginning middle or end. The books just seem to stop in the middle of the action. Is there anyone else out there who finds that as maddening as I do?

D, I definitely do! I think his plotting got out of control. Martin needs an editor. I have mad respect for his realism and beautiful moral greyness, but I think a mix of writing himself into corners after killing too many characters and a bloated plot have jeapordized the future of the series. Also, grumble grumble, I wish he would write women warriors a bit better; the Sand Snakes have been SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER useless!

Michelle wrote: "D, I definitely do! I think his plotting got out of control. Martin needs an editor. I have mad respect for his realism and beautiful moral greyness, but I think a mix of writing himself into corne..."

I think because they have been such a success, editors are reluctant to rein in Martin. George Lucas went down the same road and the end result was the phantom menace!

I really enjoyed the original Wraeththu trilogy by storm Constantine . I found the language and world to be quite exotic and exciting. I have read this one many times over

Anything by Anne Bishop I've loved reading. Especially her Black Jewels series and her newest novel Written in Red.

My head just wants to explode when you say Fantasy. My list is as long as your arm.
My favorite right this minute is:
A Memory of Light I read the preceding 13 books 3 times while I waited for it to come out.
My next all time favorite is: The Name of the Wind

And, of course there is Terry Pratchett. Who for me, is in a category of his own. I would read a street map if he wrote it. . .Oh, hold on. . . he did that. And I have it. Here it is:
The Discworld Mapp: Being the Onlie True and Mostlie Accurate Mappe of the Fantastyk and Magical Dyscworlde

Dragonlance, how could I forget them? Forgive me! :)

Rebecca wrote: "Anything by Anne Bishop I've loved reading. Especially her Black Jewels series and her newest novel Written in Red."

I really enjoyed the Black Jewel series. The first three anyway. I couldn't get into the other books in the series.

Anything by Meredith Ann Pierce. I love every one of her books.

Karen, I LOVE that you included Terry Pratchett's Discworld map. Too funny!

Yes, it is so difficult to pick a favourite. Often, the books I love best change depending on my mood. Plus, I like different books for different reasons. Does anyone have a favourite book to fit a black mood, while you have an other type you prefer for a different mood, like when you're on vacation?

DEFINITELY. I tend to go in streaks and spurts for my reading materials. I like sad Russian books for a thoughtful humour. This is fantasy, though, so I'll mention that I like Pratchett for a serious fantasy craving that also involves humour and Garth Nix for a dreamlike or gothy day. Neil Gaiman is just good everyday too!

Ancient Canada

This is a book with suspense! It also makes you think. Criston Festa has become a friend as I participated at Groupreads at one of my groups where we read his book. I don't think I had read fantasy for years. This book has original creatures and original paranormal powers.

Dragonlance Chronicles was my first Fantasy book, and possible book of any genre, that I fell full on into. I was hooked both on that and on reading, but that was a long time ago. Like Michelle laughing at the poetry, I did not enjoy when I tried reading a later book in that series last year. So many adverbs and just overall wasn't interesting.

I recently read No Return by Zachary Jernigan. It has some gratuitous violence and sex, which even as someone who doesn't like to read detailed sex scenes I found they served a purpose. The part that really impressed me was his characters and worldbuilding.

First and all time favorites, Lord of the Rings and the Narnia books.(read when younger and still re-read), Loved the Dragon Riders of Pern, loving Elizabeth C. Mock's "Children of Man" series, waiting for more, and Melissa Williams "Shadows Gray" series, waiting for more (which may be more paranormal?). Ted Dekker for alternate reality with his "Cirlce Trilogy". Read so many can't remember half of them! These are top picks.

Some of the fantasy books I've read have been a bit hit and miss and despite trying on several occasions I've never been able to get into the Game Aof Thrones books. However my standout fantasy novel is The Name of the Wind awesome world building and intriguing characters. I usually avoid really long novels as I tend to lose interest but I really couldn't put it down.

I just finished reading Neil Gaiman's latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and it is definitely become one of my favourites.

A book I just read, "Keturah and Lord Death" by Martine Leavitt -- now one of my favorites!

Also, I love anything by Meredith Ann Pierce, especially her "Darkangel" fantasy trilogy.

Both of these fantasy novels have a fairy tale feel...

R.M.F wrote: "Anybody into Robin McKinley's books? Some good stuff, there."

I am! I agree, R.M.F. Robin McKinley provides us with some good stuff. : ) I particularly like her story, "Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast." Have you read that one?

I have been reading the Witchling series by Lizzy Ford, which are amazing books centering around the elements. Autumn Dawn

Terry Goodkind (sword of truth series) and Jim Butcher, I love Harry Dresden

If urban fantasy falls under this category, then I'd have to say Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. Absolutely love her (and her husband's) wit and humor. And I would link a book if the add book/author link would do more than jump me to the top of this page >.<

Tessa wrote: "R.M.F wrote: "Anybody into Robin McKinley's books? Some good stuff, there."

I am! I agree, R.M.F. Robin McKinley provides us with some good stuff. : ) I particularly like her story, "Beauty: A Ret..."

No, just the blue sword, which I enjoyed, so I may start reading her other stuff. By may I mean I will!

Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake allow the reader to enter a very odd world of fantasy fiction, all told in fine prose by a writer who was a great artist and poet, which he reveals in his writing. The Odyssey by Homer is one of the first great works of fantasy fiction, complete with the meeting of the Cyclops in his cave. The Lord of the Rings is the finest work of modern fantasy fiction, I think.

Philip wrote: "

Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake allow the reader to enter a very odd wo..."

Excellent picks, Phillip!

All of Juliet Marillier's books are great, but these are my favorites.

D.H. wrote: "I agree with Michelle and Brian about George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It might be mainstream, but why should we no longer enjoy a book simply because other people start liking i..."

I think Martin is a tremendously talented writer and I absolutely despise the Fire and Ice series. The story he chose to tell isn't a story as much as it's a medieval soap opera. Each book averages 900 pages and I'm expected to spend my money and invest nearly three books worth of time into a rambling tale full of characters who surface or move without forwarding the plot. Most of them die shortly after - that's how necessary to the story they were. This should have been a trilogy.

I love it when Fantasy makes fun of itself. That being said, my favorite fantasy series is the Discworld by Terry Pratchett. I also enjoy fantasy when it is dark and encroaching on our world such as Simon R. Green's Nightside series

Timothy wrote: "Dragonlance Chronicles was my first Fantasy book, and possible book of any genre, that I fell full on into. I was hooked both on that and on reading, but that was a long time ago. Like Michelle lau..."

I am with you here. Dragonlance was my gateway book into fantasy, although its sad that re-reading it as an adult it didn't hold up for me. That could just be skewed memory changing my expectations.

I am a fan of the Sword of Truth series as well.

I lovers the Percy Jackson's of course. The inheritance cycle is still my favorite series of all time but Rick riordans books aren't far behind. I also loved the hunger games (who didn't) the secrets of the immortal Nicholas flamel are amazing. I have a couple other so here they are
Pendragon series, gracing series, adventures wanted series, rangers apprentice, Merlin, Alex rider, Gregor the over lander, beyonders, and wereworld. Those where all series's or trilogy's :) but they r some of my favs

My reading list swells.

Okay, I'm trying to recall the title of a book and it's driving me nuts. All I can remember is that the protagonist is male, there's magic and he's some kind of detective or his role in his society is seeking out evil doers and he's addicted to a drug of some kind ?????

I know I've given everyone so much to go on here. I hate it when this happens. Grr.

I'm actually shocked that no one mentioned David Gemmell. Next to Martin, he's my all-time favorite. His Troy Trilogy is among my greatest all-time reads (and it's about time for another read through!).

If you haven't read any David Gemmell, please go get one and enjoy! Don't do Troy right off the bat, it's his best work and you'd sploil it! LOL