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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4784030" data-attributes="member: 80487">David Drake's Lord of the Isles series is the first "epic" fantasy really to capture my attention since The Lord of the Rings. That it has run to so many volumes suggests that it has a wider audience as well. Although one chapter after another suggests a D&D scenario to me, it does not feel like game-informed fiction. It's more like picking up Fritz Leiber's tales of his duo's adventures and misadventures and recognizing an aesthetic in common with the game. One would like one's campaign to be so vibrant, and might even imagine particular players in the roles!The Recluse series, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., is another notable work of recent years. I had some difficulty getting into it at first due to a mismatch of the writer's style with my taste -- and the first volume may not actually be the best point of entry -- but it has turned out to be rich in pleasures. The title of one volume, The Magic Engineer, suggests one aspect of the flavor.As Tor publishes both series, I wonder whether their exposure to those who are not also fans of science fiction has perhaps been less than warranted.</blockquote>