Good fantasy reads?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Clive Barker Imajica

 

[Umbran]

I am late to the party, so I am extremely surprised that nobody has mentioned this. My apologies if I am repeating it. (Edit: Aha - Jasper mentioned it!)

The Deed of Paksennarion, by Elizabeth Moon, is one of the most D&D series out there that isn't published by TSR/WotC, and without mentioning a ruleset. Paks thinks she's a fighter. She's actually a paladin, but doesn't know it yet. These are her adventures.

The series may be found under the title above in an omnibus, or may be found as individual paperbacks with their original titles, The Sheepfamer's Daughter, Divided Legacy, and Oath of Gold.

 

[Mallus]

Clive Barker Imajica

I see your Imajica and raise you Barker's Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

One of my favorite books of all time. It's so wildly imaginative and vivid. I have a tattoo that is a band of the various symbols from the cover.

Clive Barker Imajica

When I was first getting back into fantasy literature back in the early 00s, I can clearly remember going to the library and picking up A Game of Thrones, A Wizard of Earthsea, and The Sheepfarmer's Daughter.

The Deed of Paksennarion, by Elizabeth Moon, is one of the most D&D series out there that isn't published by TSR/WotC, and without mentioning a ruleset. Paks thinks she's a fighter. She's actually a paladin, but doesn't know it yet. These are her adventures.

The series may be found under the title above in an omnibus, or may be found as individual paperbacks with their original titles, The Sheepfamer's Daughter, Divided Legacy, and Oath of Gold.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I see your Imajica and raise you Barker's Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show.

Was going to mention those, today.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

When I was first getting back into fantasy literature back in the early 00s, I can clearly remember going to the library and picking up A Game of Thrones, A Wizard of Earthsea, and The Sheepfarmer's Daughter.

I feel like I've read this; but besides one scene where there are two armies massed against each other, I completely forget it. I even remember liking it. Hmmm... Maybe I'm remembering another book...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Jaqueline Carey’s Kushiel series

Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clark

Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves & Whalestoe Letters

Mary Gentle’s Ash: A Secret History (published in the USA broken into 4 novels)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Barbara Hambly‘s Windrose, Darwath, and Sunwolf & Starhawk novel series. Bonus: her historical fiction featuring Benjamin January (a black pianist & MD in pre-Civil War New Orleans) are also excellent.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tanith Lee’s Flat Earth novel cycle and her short story collection, Red
as Blood, Tales from the Sisters Grimmer.

 

[Maxperson]

So, I got a hankering to get a D&D fix by reading something. Over the years I've read some Forgotten Realms novels, but...to be perfectly, brutally honest...they're trash. The writing is so bad it's painful. I just re-openend one of them, one that seems to be highly regarded, and I just wince at the sophomoric writing.

Authors/books I have liked:

• Tolkien. Duh.
• Bernard Cornwell
• The "other R.R." (Martin)
• Nicola Griffith, "Hild" (Historical fiction; I recommend it if you haven't read it.)
• Ishiguro, "The Buried Giant"
• The original REH Conan stories. Much less so de Camp and others.
• Neil Gaiman

Any other recommendations? It doesn't have to be full-on literature (as evidenced by my love for Howard) but neither do I want...Salvatore, for example. (I really don't mean to offend either Salvatore or his fans, but if that would be your recommendation, I'm not sure your advice is exactly what I'm looking for here.)

Brandon Sanderson is a good author. I especially like his Stormlight series. It's not finished, though.