Fantasy Book Club discussion

I've noticed a lot of members looking for recommendations, so I moved this folder to a more prominent place.


Feel free to open a new topic within this folder or recommend here.


When you ask for recommendations, please try to return to the thread and let the members know how they worked out.

There's been quite a bit of discussion (in different threads) about Brandon Sanderson's books/series. Which book/series of his would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who has not read any of his books?

Monica wrote: "There's been quite a bit of discussion (in different threads) about Brandon Sanderson's books/series. Which book/series of his would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who has not r..."

The Mistborn series was how I started and there was no turning back after that. That said, you might want to start with Elantris first, although being his first novel it's not his best.

Once you hit The Stormlight Archive, everything pales in comparison. At least to me, it does.

TS wrote: "The Mistborn series was how I started and there was no turning back after that. That said, you might want to start with Elantris first, although being his first novel it's not his best."

Thank you, TS. Much appreciated!

I actually started with the way of kings, and only read the Mistborn trilogy because of it, Mistborn is fairly YA being honest and the 2nd 2 books arent as good in my opinion, Elantris is a average book.

Sam wrote: "I actually started with the way of kings, and only read the Mistborn trilogy because of it, Mistborn is fairly YA being honest and the 2nd 2 books arent as good in my opinion, Elantris is a average..."

Thanks, Sam. I downloaded Brandon Sanderson Sampler: The Way of Kings and Mistborn, free from Amazon.

This is a link to "The Last Ringbearer" it is a LOTR story from the other side.

http://ymarkov.livejournal.com/270570...

and then click in the "I now offer this work for your perusal" link.

Monica wrote: "Sam wrote: "I actually started with the way of kings, and only read the Mistborn trilogy because of it, Mistborn is fairly YA being honest and the 2nd 2 books arent as good in my opinion, Elantris ..."

Monica, I highly recommend the "Way of Kings". It is a long read but well worth it.

I'd actually recommendElantris, whcih was his first published work, and is mostly stand-alone.

YOu'll get a good idea of his thought processes and writing style, and you won't have to invest in thousands of pages of book immediately.

If you like that, then most anything Sanderson writes will appeal to you, I would think. Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set is then a natural progression, IMO, since it's a completed trilogy.

If you're not averse to wating, the Stormlight Archive is a projected 10-book series, the first 2 of which are out currently (and are each in the 1,000+ page range category.)

In non-Brandon Sanderson news...

Here's some other reccs for series I enjoyed. (I posted some "Standalone Book" reccs in another thread, so this list will be for series; I'm posting the link to the first book of each of these series.)

This just barely scratches the surface, though! Feel free to browse my shelves for other ideas; fantasy is my preferred genre!! :)


RECCS:

The Dwarves
The Curse of the Mistwraith
Embers at Galdrilene
Century of Sand
The Year of the Dragon Omnibus Edition
Stormdancer
Roil
The Inheritance Trilogy
The Deed of Paksenarrion
Den of Thieves

Tnkw01 wrote: "Monica, I highly recommend the "Way of Kings". It is a long read but well worth it. ..."

Thanks! I've almost finished The Farseer Trilogy and was wondering what to read after that. I'll give it a go.

I have heard a lot of positive reviews of The Way of KingsThe Way of Kings but abandoned it after about 30%. Is the beginning of the book representative of his style for adult novels? I would have stuck with it except the thought of reading 10 books like that was unacceptable to me.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "In non-Brandon Sanderson news...

Here's some other reccs for series I enjoyed. (I posted some "Standalone Book" reccs in another thread, so this list will be for series; I'm posting the link to th..."

There are some great books in this list. :) The Inheritance trilogy has been one of my absolute favourite series in recent years, and I'll pretty much read anything Jemisin writes now. Stormdancer has been on my TBR list for a while, too. It looks like a lot of fun.

On the subject of Sanderson, I read Elantris and enjoyed it but didn't love it. Knowing it was a debut, though, I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt, so I've got a copy of The Final Empire waiting to be read soon. Not sure I'd commit to the Stormlight Archive unless I really like Mistborn though!

Thanks; that means alot! :)

I've been reading fantasy since I was a little kid (MANY years ago!!), so I've read ALOT, and I tend to gravitate towards the classic, the obscure, and the new authors. (I"m still entering older stuff I've read on Goodreads; I've forgotten alot of it, so it's making me go back and want to re-read stuff, which is kinda fun!!)

And I find it's fun to discover the new GRRM before he (or she) BECOMES the next GRRM!!

Totally agree about the Inheritance Trilogy. For some reason it took me FOREVER to get to it, but when I did? Wow!!

I'd also recommend, additionally:
The King's Bastard- Anything by Rowena Cory Daniels, really. [I prefer King ROlens Kin over her other stuff, but YMMV.]
The Last Stormlord
The Summoner

Oh, and I've just added "sanguine" to my "To-Read" list; sounds right up my alley [and I love the cover art]! I'll likely snag it next time I make my Kindle order on amazon! :)

Reading Way of Kings requires a lot of patience, Heather. True, Sanderson's plot building is rather slow. It doesn't really ignite until your more than halfway done. But there's elements of the plot building that are vital to the climax

I am currently reading some Star Wars books. They are pretty good. They also have graphic novels This includes the Thrawn trilogy as well as YA the Young Jedi Knights.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "In non-Brandon Sanderson news...

Here's some other reccs for series I enjoyed. (I posted some "Standalone Book" reccs in another thread, so this list will be for series; I'm posting the link to th..."

added some to my to-read list

Cool!
Some good choices! :)

Curse of the Mistwraith? I love the "War of Light and Shadows" series! But (like the Malazan series) I have friends who fall on both sids of the fence about it. Janny Wurts is very deliberate in her pacing, structure and careful use of language and vocabulary. (I think that's what my friends who didn't like the series didn't care for.)

I think the most uniformly liked series from the set you chose was "The Dwarves" (which is actually a translation from it's orginal language.) (I'm still waiting for a good translation of Heitzs' "Ulldart" series; if there's one avaiable, I haven;t found it yet.)

Of the Star Wars books, the "Coruscant Nights" series, and the "Darth Bane" trilogy (other than the Tinmothy Zahn stuff!!) is my favorite.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "Thanks; that means alot! :)

I've been reading fantasy since I was a little kid (MANY years ago!!), so I've read ALOT, and I tend to gravitate towards the classic, the obscure, and the new authors..."

Thanks! Always good to know who's adding stuff! :)

Hah, Rowena Cory Daniels and Gail Z. Martin are also authors I keep meaning to read. There really aren't enough hours in the day to get to everything!

Time for a couple of recommendations of my own. I recently read A Shadow in Summer and thought it was absolutely brilliant. Quite slow-paced, but the writing is perfect and the characterisation is wonderfully subtle.

The Etched City is one of my all time favourites. It's often surreal, and I know it's not a book that's going to be to everyone's taste, but if you take the time to savour the world and the writing, it's an incredible book.

I'll second that recc for "A Shadow In Summer".

Actually the whole "Long Price" quarter is quite good, though the futher books fail to QUITE live up to the potential set by the first book. (Just my opinion of course; YMMV!!)

And it reminds to add them to my "Read Shelf." :)

And I need to get to the "Dagger and the Coin" series; hearing good stuff about that, too.

Has anyone read The Glasswrights' Apprentice series by Mindy Klasky? I really enjoyed that series.

I recommend this .


Parts remind me of The Eye of The World, and parts remind me of Harry Potter but it is neither.

I don't know how to link books in my comments but I recommend A Darker Shade of Magic, The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin, The Queen of the Tearling and The Devine Cites by Robert Jackson. All of these were amazing and I hope some of you will try them out!!

Nagarue wrote: "I recommend this .


Parts remind me of The Eye of The World, and parts remind me of Harry Potter but it is neither."

It reminded me of a better version of the Name of the Wind.

Shadowdenizen wrote: "I'll second that recc for "A Shadow In Summer".

Actually the whole "Long Price" quarter is quite good, though the futher books fail to QUITE live up to the potential set by the first book. (Just m..."

Dagger and the Coin series is brilliant. And it's complete which always good as far as I'm concerned.

I recommend Wheel of Time, Cephrael's Hand. And Dreams and Shadows by Jeffrey Collyer is book 1 of an incredible series.

I couldn't recommend Nevernight and follow-up books more - through and through great tension building and great imagination.
Also, House of Salt and Sorrows - victorian-like fantasy, with a great plot twist in the end :)