Book recommendations, give 'em to me!

[barsoomcore]

I will add my vote to the Steven Erikson platform. The man is a bleedin' god.

Now, I love Brust like nobody's business and I love Erikson, so maybe it won't be for you. On the other hand, people who like Erikson claim to like GRRMartin, so perhaps it will work for you. Myself, just the knowledge that someone who doesn't like Brust (HOW is that possible?) DID like Martin is enough to make me extremely wary.

I don't buy fantasy novels unless I am without doubt that I will like them.

 

[Harlequin]

I very highly recommend the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Excellent series.

1. Assassin's Apprentice
2. Royal Assassin
3. Assassin's Quest

I these were only a notch or two below Martin which says allot because I'm picky and I think Ice & Fire is just about the cream of the crop.

She has a second trilogy in the same world already finished.
The Liveship traders series is almost as good as Farseer.

She just published the first book of her new trilogy "The Tawny Man Trilogy" which goes back to the original Characters from the Farseer Trilogy.

I agree wholheartedly

I havent read George RR Martin yet
but they are next after i finshed Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales


Harlequin

 

[Obese Squirrel]

David Eddings - Very enjoyable books. Very easy to read and his characters are excellent. ( Belgariad & Mallorean are great,
as the Elenium and Tamuli series. Belgariad series is his most well known)

Sara Douglass - Hard to put down her books. ( Axis Trilogy, Wayfarer Redemption Series)

Katherine Kerr - Very groovy Deverry Series. Has a lot
of Celtic based stuff. Excellent reads.(Deverry Series or something like that, and Westland Cycle series)

Raymond Feist - The Magician is the first book of the Riftwar saga which he's most well known for. Pretty cool series.

Terry Goodkind - Apparently supposed to be really good.
A Wizard's First Rule is the first book of the series which I've been told is excellent.

 

[Wild Karrde]

Edit by me:
Terry Goodkind - Apparently supposed to be really good.
A Wizard's First Rule is the first book of the series which I've been told is excellent.

I'll second Goodkind. I love these books. The sword of truth series rocks. I seem to be in the minority on these books when it comes to these boards but I really, really enjoyed them. This series is second only to George R.R. Martin's series.

And of course the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It gets slow in some places but in others you can't put them down.

 

[Speaks With Stone]

Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is a collection of comics in graphic novels (fancy word for fat comic). But don't be fooled by the format. This is one of the most inspiring, offbeat books you can read. The imagery is absolutely amazing and the stories are very finely crafted. These books rewrite all sorts of mythological stories with brilliant twists that when you see them you go, "Perfect."

I also strongly support the others who suggest Glen Cook. The Black Company series is awesome. The Garrett books are amusing, but not a must. They show a sort of Spencer for Hire detective in a fantasy city. Sweet Silver Blues is the first in that series.

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman is one of my absolute favorites. It begins with a minor rewrite of the end of Dracula. (He isn't killed). And the whole story is set in an England crawling with legalized vampires. You get to meet all sorts of characters such as Inspector Lestrade (of Sherlock Holmes fame), Dr. Moriarty, Dr. Moreau, Bram Stoker's wife, Jack the Ripper, Dr. Jekyl, and many other great references to other characters of the time period.

Also, anything by Morgan Llewellyn gets my vote. She writes celtic historical fantasy like no other.

 

[theburningman]

I'm damned glad to see Robin Hobb start getting some recognition. IMO, she is the only epic medieval fantasy author out there who can compare with GRRM. The Farseer books are fantastic, and she deserves the kind of success that Martin, Jordan, and Goodkind are having (as a matter of fact, her quality of writing deserves success more than Jordan or Goodkind).

Check her out.

 

[Caliban]

I would feel remiss if I didn't mention Terry Pratchett, his Discworld series is Fantasy/Comedic genius. And he's a great storyteller on top of it.

He also wrote "Bad Omen" with Neil Gamen

 

[Umbran]

He also wrote "Bad Omen" with Neil Gamen

Um, actually, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman wrote Good Omens.

 

[Caliban]

Um, actually, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman wrote Good Omens.

Good, Bad, their the ones with the book.

 

[Eridanis]

Erikson, etc.

Based on a prior discussion and recommendation, I've tried to track down used or new copies of Erikson's books here in the States, and he is definitely not published in the U.S. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and order from amazon.uk...

I'm a huge fan of Brust and Glen Cook, as I've said in the past, but I had forgotten about Kim Newman's ANNO DRACULA. I don't normally read horror, but these are well-written novels with an interesting milieu. There are (I think) two more novels set in that universe - THE BLOODY RED BARON and another one set in 1960 that I haven't tracked down yet. Worth picking up if you see it in a store.

I also like to recommend Julian May's GALACTIC MILIEU series. If you like your science fiction with heavy does of fantasy, action-adventure with world-shattering psionic derring-do, and an interesting stable of characters, this is the series for you. Start with THE MANY COLORED-LAND. It gets better through the next three books.

Edit: poor pronoun usage.