[epicfantasynerd]

Enjoy reading diverse epic fantasy stories. I've read a lot of the usual suspects: GRRM, SE/ICE, WoT, Bakker, Butcher (finished Codex Alera and Dresden to Ghost Story), Feist, Guy Kay (everything). every Shannara, and even the first 5 Goodkind books pls don't hate me. Also Tad Williams, Tolkien of course, Kurtz (Dernyi), Glen Cook, Lian Hearn, James Barclay, Weis and Hickman, LeGuin,Robert E Howard, Joe Abercrombie, the husband and wife duo (Belgariad et al). Very recently picked up Patrick Rothfuss (Name of the Wind) - excellent and waiting on pre-ordered sequel, finished the first Brent Weeks trilogy (Night Angel) and started Lightbringer and really enjoyed the first 2 Peter V Brett novels (Warded Man and Desert Spear).

Although I appreciate novel ideas and perspectives on magic and such - I'm more of a meat and potatoes sword and sorcery type of fan. I read solely to be entertained - doesn't need to be deep or "literature" - just fun.

I know there are a tonne of good authors out there I haven't run in to yet, but just going to a bookstore is tough as the choice appears endless and some are bound to be even worse than Goodkind. Rothfuss, Brent Weeks and Peter V Brett were recommendations by a fellow epic fantasy nerd at a local Chapters and gotta admit I enjoyed all three and look forward to more but that was just sheer luck to run in to a helpful person.

Appreciate my fellow aficionado's thoughts.

Thanks

[Abyss]

I'm afraid you've read everything there is to read.
Have you considered Hallmark's Paranormal Romance line?




I'll throw Guy Gavriel Kay out there. His works are generally self-contained or short trilo/duologies, minimal fantasy elements but awesome characters and solid writing. LIONS OF AL'RASAN is brilliant.

And then, there's Stover. HEROES DIE. BLADE OF TYSHALLE. CAINE BLACK KNIFE and the soon to be released CAINE'S LAW. More of a fantasy/sf mashup, but fucking brilliant. This is fantasy with balls. Other fantasy series' balls. That it tore off with its bare hands and then raised them bloody in the air as a warning to all comers.

I'll also word up Richard Morgan. His LAND FIT FOR HEROES is great fantasy, but start with his Takeshi Kovacs sf series (first is ALTERED CARBON). You won't be sorry.

[champ]

What, no David Gemmell?

Read... like now!

edit

http://en.wikipedia....i/David_Gemmell

For a full list of his works, not one book of his disappointed me!

This post has been edited by champ: 13 February 2012 - 07:19 PM

[worry]

Maybe Greg Keyes? I didn't love his series (Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone), but I'd still call him better than competent (and even competent is better than incompetent eh?). Some pretty cool characters though, on top of some maddening ones.

Kate Elliott's "Crown of Stars" series is seven books long and complete. It's probably the series that gave me the biggest shift from totally frustrating ---> totally satisfying I've ever had. Tad Williams gets accused of slow pacing, but he's The Flash compared to this one. Still, there's tons of groundwork laid and none of it goes wasted.

Uh you mentioned WoT but not Brandon Sanderson on his own, so there's him.

The best author, IMO, that you didn't mention is Robin Hobb, who has several interconnected trilogies (that should be read in publishing order) as well as one unconnected trilogy I haven't read.

None of those are particularly meat and potatoes though. Keyes is the easiest read of all of those. Uh, JV Jones does meat and potatoes stuff, though I've never seen her get particularly high praise.

[Obdigore]

Silly Abyss, he already read GGkay.

Richard Morgan is awesome, I liked his Kovacs novels and his Land Fit for Heroes stuff, as Abyss posted.

You could also check out Brandon Sanderson. He has (not counting his Wheel of Time work) 8? out now. I enjoyed them all and he just started his own Epic Fantasy series with The Way of Kings.

I enjoy Modesitt Jr. Although is books are pretty 'formulamatic' I enjoy them, and they all build on each other although they are in very different time frames.

You could also read Terry Pratchett. The man has a veritable library of Discworld books out that are pretty entertaining, and are fun to read.

If you are just reading for fun you could check out the Gotrek & Felix omnibuses (Warhammer).

[Salt-Man Z]

• Stephen R. Donaldon's Thomas Covenant books (2 completed trilogies, plus 3/4 of a third and final series) and Mordant's Need duology. (Also, his 5-book sci-fi Gap Cycle is superb.)
  
• Roger Zelazny's Amber sequence.
  
• I'll second Hobb, Gemmell, and Matthew Effing Stover.

I see you've read Robert E. Howard, but what about some of the other "forefathers" of the genre? Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, H. P. Lovecraft, Mervyn Peake...

[Use Of Weapons]

Janny Wurts: Wars of Light and Shadow (huge, unfinished), Cycle of Fire (trilogy, complete)
Melanie Rawn: Dragon Prince (trilogy, complete), Dragon Star (complete)

[QuickTidal]

Yeah, I've gotta second the Robin Hobb recco. The Farseer series is excellent. The main series is quite brilliant and the sequel series delves even further into the story. Probably in my top five fave completed series.

[Chance]

C.S Friedman - Cold Fire Trilogy

Seems like a no brainer dark fantasy at its best. Thought I should be getting tired recommending it.

Steven Brust - Jhereg series

A pretty good series about a human in an inhuman empire making the best of things an assassination or crime at the time (at least in the begining) while more and more emphasis/act like the natives and increasingly alienated from other humans.


Hobbs first Farseer series mentioned above and the Kovacs series are about as good as it gets while the later is SF most people seem to enjoy it.

This post has been edited by Chance: 13 February 2012 - 11:48 PM

[epicfantasynerd]

Awesome, didn't expect such a great response. I actually forgot Robin Hobb, read her. Also read Sanderson's Elantris and the trilogy about metal-based magic - am holding off on Way of Kings until WoT is finished. Also finished the Donaldson series, forgot that one too. I'm not big in to the sci-fi genre. Another I forgot is Piers Anthony - read about the first 12 Xanth novel and apprentice adept series and a sci-fi series I remember being sorta dark. But his favorite of mine was the Battle Circle trilogy. I really really enjoy duels and gladiator like battle themed books so if anyone knows of any in particular that are heavy on that theme - that would be great too.

Many authors on this list sort of ring a bell (and some are completely new to me) so it gives me a great list of stuff to start on once I finish OST (if it EVER arrives) an before Cold Days and Blood and Bone and the first Kharkanas book.

Thanks to all that have responded and keep them coming please if you think of any as yet unmentioned.

[champ]

These other threads may help...

http://forum.malazan...showtopic=21993

http://forum.malazan...opic=22691&st=0

http://forum.malazan...opic=21840&st=0

http://forum.malazan...opic=21116&st=0

Also check out the Malaz Must Read Tournament (the final link below but contains the full brackets)

http://forum.malazan...showtopic=20701

That should keep you busy!

[Baco Xtath]

Since no one's recommended it (I don't think), I'll throw in the Deathgate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (totally different and much better than their Dragonlance stuff, In my opinion).


edit:
ah...you've read Weis and Hickman. How about Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (not really epic fantasy but it is good, slow, but good).
And Gene Wolfe's Wizard Knight is really good.

This post has been edited by Baco Xtath: 13 February 2012 - 08:45 PM

[worry]

I always mention it like a broken record, and they are aimed at young adults, but the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander are quick, fun, smart, and sharp. And they aren't any more "kiddy" than The Hobbit or the Earthsea books. And though they seemingly take the template farmboy with a destiny path, LA excels with the character and thematic work, and plenty of humor. And they do the HP thing of maturing with each book. In a sense this series has a lot of the strengths of the Belgariad without any of the fat.

[Mentalist]

Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone is a great trilogy. Too bad the series was unfinished.


this is a subtle hint, not to read the fourth book, which ruins a great series.

[polishgenius]

Some that haven't been mentioned:


Daniel Abraham. His Long Price isn't really heroic fantasy, but really, if you like Guy Gavriel Kay and Robin Hobb you should lap it right up. He was one of the ones who made his debut at about the same time as Rothfuss, Lynch and Abercrombie and for my money he's the best of them (though it's a close run thing). He's started another series which is closer to the norm, Dagger and Coin, of which the second book is due this year.

And mentioning his name up there has made me realise there's no Scott Lynch. Doesn't fit the epic fantasy type so far as epic quests go, but for pure fantasy fun with lots of clever schemes and derring-do you really cannot get much better. Lies of Locke Lamora, read it.

Col Buchanan. This fella doesn't seem to get much internet hype but I'm really enjoying his Heart of the World series. The magic presence has so far been fairly low-key (though with hints of growing) but it's not wanting for spying, assassination, sneaky politics and the clash of armies. Plus, in books that are relatively short, he's shown a really good hand with his characters.

Mark Lawrence. This one's new on the block; Prince of Thorns, his first book, came out last year, the second is due this. Think something in the vein of Joe Abercrombie, but even more fucked up. Was one of the best books I read last year, very entertaining.

[Mentalist]

Also, Chris Wooding's "Braided Path" trilogy deserves a mention.

[Macros]

Kearney's "the ten thousand" and "corvus" are good reads imo. I haven't read his other stuff but I've heard good reports.
Thirding David gemmell, man was a prolific author and whilst yes some of its formuliac I thouroughly enjoyed all his books. In particular I'd recommend his Troy trilogy (I know I keep recommending it butits fucking awesome) and for Drenai stuff you simply have to start with Legend then dip from there. I forget the name of his other series, perhaps someone will help me out, it reads almost like an English conquering the highlands fantasy remake, 3 or 4 books but they're solid too.

Janny wurts, you mentioned Feist, but ifyou haven't read his collaborative trilogy with wurts based on the Tsurani empire stop everything and do it right now. Best thing he's ever been involved in. Also on fesit, if you haven't read Honoured Enemy go do that right now, before empire trilogy even.

For non fantasy hack and slash fun there's some great Roman fiction out there, try Simon Scarrow's ten? Book series based around two legionaries, frst book is called "Under the eagle" iirc, simple fare, expect Sharpe in the roman empire basically. Actually I think there might even be a series of sharpesque 2 hour shows based on the novels coming out.

And further non fantasy, a lot of people don't like him but I love Conn Iguldens Genghis khan quadology, just brilliant stuff.

[Mentalist]

Oh, Maccy, just reminded me of somehting

Paul Kearney's "Monarchies of God"
5 books, published as 2 MMPBs. Go get them now, thank us later.

[James Hutton]

epicfantasynerd, on 13 February 2012 - 06:58 PM, said:

I've read a lot of the usual suspects: GRRM

Have you also read "Tuf Voyaging" by GRRM? It's light and highly entertaining. It might be hard to come by though.

Edit: it is however not an epic series, but a couple of (six or so) short stories.

This post has been edited by James Hutton: 14 February 2012 - 01:07 PM

[Abyss]

Chance, on 13 February 2012 - 07:40 PM, said:

C.S Friedman - Cold Fire Trilogy
...

Mentalist, on 14 February 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

Also, Chris Wooding's "Braided Path" trilogy deserves a mention.

Seconding both of these.