Recommend a Fantasy Book to Me

[Richards]

Gene Wolfe's "New Urth" series, beginning with Shadow of the Torturer.

Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" series, beginning (not surprisingly) with The Dying Earth. Both of those take place on Earth millions of years in the future; the former is science fiction with a very fantasy-like feel to it, while in the latter magic has risen again (and in fact is the progenitor of D&D's "fire and forget" magic system).

Alternately, Jack Vance "Lyonesse" trilogy, beginning with Suldrun's Garden, takes place immediately before the King Arthur saga (if I remember correctly), and is a more "traditional" fantasy setting.

Johnathan

 

[Elf Witch]

I highly recommend Katherine Kurtz Deyni series. They are well written set in a pseudo medeval world with a strong church sometimes at odds with a magical race. Kurtz has a degree in history and her books ring true because of this.

Judith Tarr has some excellent stand alone novels as well as several series including her The Hound and the Falcon series.

 

[RetroGameView]

These are excellent suggestions. I'm bookmarking this thread just to make double-sure I can refer to it later whenever I'm looking for something new.

 

[Zaukrie]

Guy Gavriel Kay is the best writer, imo. But there is not much fantasy in his fantasy. I could review each book if you want......I would not start with his recent Chinese books, though.

 

[WayneLigon]

Here's the most recent fantasy I've read, that I'd recommend
The Sorcerer's Widow (Legends of Ethshar)
The Unwelcome Warlock: A Legend of Ethshar -- Lawrence Watt Evans
Point of Hopes: A Novel of Astreiant
Point of Knives: A Novella of Astreiant -- Melissa Scott
A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance 1) -- David Dalglish
Crossed Blades (A Fallen Blade Novel)
Blade Reforged (A Fallen Blade Novel) --Kelly McCullough
Throne of the Crescent Moon (Crescent Moon Kingdoms) -- Saladin Ahmed
A Thief in the Night: Book Two of the Ancient Blades Trilogy -- David Chandler
Shadow's Son (Shadow Saga) -- Jon Sprunk
Among Thieves: A Tale of the Kin -- Douglas Hulick
The Emperor's Blades -- Brian Staveley
Blood Song (A Raven's Shadow Novel) -- Anthony Ryan
The Grim Company -- John Scull
The Desert of Souls -- Howard Andrew Jones
The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles)
The Rose and the Thorn (The Riyria Chronicles) -- Michael J. Sullivan

You might be able to tell I like books about rogues

 

[sabrinathecat]

There was a fun one called Nightfall. Can't remember the author off the top of my head, but Amazon will be happy to supply the info.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Howzabout the Thieves' World shared-world short story anthologies and novels?

 

[Dioltach]

I read the first book of the Riyria Revelations, and thought it was one of the worst fantasy novels I've ever read.

 

[Hand of Evil]

David Dalglish has been putting out some great stuff.

 

[AuroraGyps]

Since you like The Dresden Files, you might like The Keeper's Chronicles by Tanya Huff. For more fantasy/humor, I also recommend Zelazny's Bring Me the Head Of Prince Charming (there are follow up books to this, but I have not read them) and Esther Friesner's modern fantasy Elf Defense.

Speaking of Zelazny, I can't recommend the Amber Chronicles books enough. The first series, featuring Corwin, is better than the second one, that features Merlin (not the Arthurian one), which starts out ok in the first few books and then turns into a bit of a jumbled mess.