want fantasy novel recommendation

[Syunsuke]

Well, I'm Japanese, so English is not my first language. But I want to try some English fantasy novel for both practice and fun.
That's why I want some recommendation.

Some more background;
I think I have decent experience about reading(but not writing/speaking) English. Though I have to consult dictionary occasionally, I don't have much trouble about reading D&D rule books, forums like here or text books(I've studied chemistry in university).
But I haven't read much novels/stories in English. And now I want to try some.

I've tried Lord of the Rings. While it's understandable, but not easy to enjoy. And it's too long as a starter.
I want something simpler and shorter.
I don't have much interest in politics and history in fantasy world (real life is more than enough about them). I want to read about adventuring in fantasy world, monsters and magic. Not about pseudo-history with dash of fantasy flavor.
I want something you don't have to have megabytes of background knowledge to enjoy.
I think series of short stories works best, for I can get familiar with setting and I don't have to read thousands page to see conclusion.

Some my favorite series (I read them in Japanese translation);
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (Fritz Leiber)
Dilvish, the Damned (Zelazny)
Conan (Robert Ervin Howard)

Eternal champions (Moorcock) aren't bad, but I want something about less "destined" people this time.
I like some of Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey). I like Tarma and Kethry' story, but I feel other series are tend to contain too much politics...(well, I read only some of them.)

Well, I'm getting feel demanding too much.
So, would you recommend something?
(Oh, I can try my favorites in English. How do you think about English/writing style of them?)

 

[GreenLantern]

Try the Daughter of the Empire series -- one of my favorite trilogies ever, complete with a pseudo-asian/sci-fi setting.

 

[horacethegrey]

Hey you're Japanese? Cool. I have a question if you don't mind. Would recommend The Guin Saga as good fantasy reading? The first three volumes are available in English, and I've read nothing but great reviews for them, yet I'm still unsure of whether to try them out. Being as they originally came from your country, are they any good?

As for your criteria of what fantasy lit you'd like me to recommend, I'm afraid I've nothing to offer except the Forgotten Realms novels by R.A. Salvatore. Not all of them mind you, The Dark Elf Trilogy and The Icewind Dale Trilogy are good reading, the rest meander from middling to crap in my view. The Dragonlance Chronicles are also worth looking in to. Beyond that I've no other recommendation, as I'm really only a light fantasy reader.

It's too bad though that you don't want fantasy stories involving politics and history. Otherwise I would have recommended to you George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire in a heartbeat. Believe me when I say that they're probably the best fantasy novels published since The Lord of the Rings.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I'd recommend the Runelords series

 

[drothgery]

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos books (except arguably Teckla and to a lesser extent Phoenix). The Book of Jhereg is the first three books in the series by publication date.

 

[Thanee]

The Dragonlance Chronicles (Chronicles Trilogy - Dragons of Autumn Twilight and so on; which encompasses the original story).

Anything from Terry Pratchet (Diskworld). It's not adventerous fantasy, but rather comedy fantasy with modern analogies, but generally highly recommendable.

The Quicksilver Trilogy (Quicksilver Rising/Zenith/Twilight) by Stan Nicholls is a fun and light read. It does have politics and there are also analogies to the modern world, but it's very light reading generally and quite fun. Maybe The Orcs from him might be a good read as well (havn't read it myself).

The Amber Chronicles (Nine Princes in Amber, etc. pp.) by Roger Zelazny is one of my all-time favorites and certainly ranks very high in the list of the best fantasy novels ever written. It's not pure fantasy, though. It starts in the real world and moves on from there. But it's simply awesome! Oh yeah, and it's totally about politics, intrigue and everything, but trust me when I say, that it is totally worth it.

The Lies of Locke Lamora - havn't read it (yet; bought it a while ago already), but it makes a good impression and should be fun.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Asmo]

I don't have much interest in politics and history in fantasy world (real life is more than enough about them). I want to read about adventuring in fantasy world, monsters and magic. Not about pseudo-history with dash of fantasy flavor.

Try the Daughter of the Empire series -- one of my favorite trilogies ever, complete with a pseudo-asian/sci-fi setting.

It´s been a while since I read these 3 books ( he wants something short),but isn´t the Empire series choke full with just this: politics and pseudo-history with very little magic and monsters?

Asmo

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Try out David Gemmell's Drenai novels, starting with Legend. He has very little in the way of politics, lots of weaponplay, a decent amount of sorcery (usually evil, by the villians), and quite a few monsters, some of the human variety. He also writes very cleanly, so he should be easy to read.

Brad

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

My suggestion is the Goblin Quest trilogy from Jim C. Hines, the main character is a goblin, the whole "world" is a section of a mountain. Its a fun and simple read which doesn't require you to understand anything about the world other than your basic stereotypes (goblins, ogres, pixies, dragons, necromancers).

 

[Pyrex]

I can't believe no one has recommended the Harry Potter books yet.

And I second the recommendations for the Discworld and the Runelords series.