Fantasy Aficionados discussion

So like the title suggests, I am looking for some fantasy novels with a military feel to them. I have always liked a good war or soldier story. And while modern, historical and science fictions seem to be full of them, it seems like in my favorite genre they are few and far between. Any help adding a few books to my To Read list will be appreciated.

Elizabeth Moon's Deeds of Paksenarrion series.

Off course, Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company.

Mary Gentle Ash: A Secret History

Black Company
Deeds of Paksenarrion
Malazan
and The Ten Thousand

Just how military a feel are you looking for?

I'm not exactly an expert on defining military fantasy but these might fit the bill:

The Misplaced Legion by Harry Turtledove (Videssos Cycle book 1)
Orcs by Stan Nicholls (Orcs: First Blood 1-3)
Forest Mage by Robin Hobb (Soldier's Son)

There might be others but this is what came to me right off the bat.

A recent pair would be Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven and River of Stars, both set during wars in a world based on ancient China. The stories are quite character driven, but do focus a good bit on the mechanics and experience of warfare!

Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes
"3 days, 1 battle, no heroes." As the blurb goes.
One of his standalones set in his First Law universe.

Joel Shepherd A Trial of Blood and Steel series, starting with: Sasha (completed series, 4 books)

Oh, also the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. Napoleonic Wars with dragons.

Thanks everyone, already read some of these, but the others are finding their ways to my To Read list as we speak.

Even if its not strictly military, I would suggest Kristin Britain's Green Rider series. They are a Messenger Service, but it does have a military-like feel.

Dave Duncan's King's Blade series ( http://www.goodreads.com/series/40795... ) also has an interesting military spin. The kings blades are like a mercenary/guard institution, but for them to serve they are magically bonded to their charge. I read it years ago and really enjoyed it.

Mercedes Lackey. Valdemar series.

writes her story mostly in triologies about young girls and boys, chosen by companions (great magic horses wich are good from the core out) and trained to handle special missions for king and country. A few of her books are about the wars with neighbouring contries.

Emelie wrote: "Mercedes Lackey. Valdemar series.

writes her story mostly in triologies about young girls and boys, chosen by companions (great magic horses wich are good from the core out) and trained to handle..."

Good point. Book 2 in her vows and honor series is set within a mercenary company.

Oh! One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Inda. You may have read that one already.

These are military SF, but really good series, lots of action and great characters

Legion of the Damned- William Dietz (cyborgs, aliens)
The Heart of Valor - Tanya Huff

And Steven Brust's Viscount of Andrilanka (sp) series is fantasy with several books recounting battles, including one with Vlad Taltos shanghaied into the army led by vampire Sethra Lavode

The Malazan is pretty heavy in military theme while still epic in scale. But I think someone mentioned that already.

Authors that tend to write very heavily in the 'military sci-fi' vein are probably authors you are already familiar with ... my personal favorites are David Weber, David Drake, Eric Flint, S.M. Stirling as well as Lois Bujold's "Vorkosigan" series.

You might like the Terrarch Chronicles (muskets meet magic) by William King.

I am...totally astounded to not see Gardens of the Moon (Malazan) recommended here.

10 books of military, war and death? IDK, I've not read them but they are very very popular.

The Black Company probably the best military Fantasy I have ever read... but I know many who don´t like his writing style so try it out before buying the whole series.

Gardens of the Moon is a great book if you have the patience for it.. I read the first 3 books and still have no real idea what is happening.

A Game of Thrones Very dark setting with very few likable characters but it is full of war and the political aspects of it.
(I wouldn´t recommend it normally because I think the series has too many open plots and that Martin can´t write any sort of female perspective but it feels wrong to have a discussion about military books without it.)

His Majesty's Dragon The first books in the series are interesting but as the series continues I came to dislike the MC immensely. The French are pretty much superior in any way but somehow are still the bad guys.

Death's Angels and The Heroes are great books and are both set in grimdark worlds. (I especially like the idea behind the Terrach series.. very cool)

And here a few others.

Prince of Thorns

Legend very oldschool but it also aged very well.

The Darkness That Comes Before Surprised nobody mentioned this before... deals heavily in the more physiological and mystic aspects of war.

Across the Nightingale Floor A historical AU set in Japan..

Furies of Calderon especially books 2 and 3.

david weber writes several series with a military theme to them one a series of books about tanks in the future

Thank you all again. Yhough i should say again, the quest is for fantasy novels with the military feel. I really do like military SF but those are also really easy to find

I recommend:
the Tir Tanagiri series by Jo Walton
the Vows and Honor series set in the Valdemar universe by Mercedes Lackey
all of the Kings Blades and Kings Daggers series by Dave Duncan
the Borderlands series byLorna Freeman

Wow, I had no idea there were so many military fantasy series! I definitely need to check them out. I thought I had a new idea, darn it.

Are any of these modern eera, with special forces types? (that's the angle I went for)

Oh, and there's Myke Cole's series as well:

Definitely The Black Company.

You could try Harry turtledove he does alt history

Thought of another one... William Forstchen's Rally Cry series. A civil war regiment gets transported to an alien planet where humans are slaughtered and eaten by these nomadic bigfoot-like creatures that have a decidedly Mongol-like society. Sort of Scifi, sort of fantasy.

Good (but not great): A lot of L E Modesitt Jr.'s books. In particular, the first few books of the Corean Chronicles and Magi'i of Cyador/Scion of Cyador. I haven't read them in a while but I enjoy Modesitt's tales of quiet, moral, yet powerful soldiers rising through the ranks. On the other hand, each character of his seems like the same person transported to a different world. Didn't see his books mentioned here, and I think they're worth the shoutout.

I also love military style fantasy and would definitely recommend Joe Abercrombie and Naomi Novak , Glen Cook I got a bit bogged down in the Malazan books but the one where the tribe of nomads is on that death march was good
A couple of guys not mentioned who write military themed stuff are KJ Parker and Daniel Abraham and I like them both a lot

One of the best: Chris Bunch's The Seer King, The Demon King, and The Warrior King. And don't forget Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, that shows an army both from a lord and the arrow-fodder's view.

Have you read Blood Song by Anthony Ryan?

I second Moira on Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven and River of Stars.

Brent Weeks's Night Angel trilogy also has some good military scenes.

I second Valerie's suggestion of Blood Song (Ryan)- very good-