The quest for a "Good read"!

[Lady Dragon]

Terry goodkind's sword of truth series is fantastic,I've read all seven books.Also anyting by David Eddings,Raymond Feist ,Terry brooks,Weis and Hickman,And R.A.Salvatore are good reads

Another good series which although not directly fantasy related are the books by Jean Auel The fifth one is finally due out after a twelve year hiatus.There is a certain fantasy feel from these stone age books The first one is of course clan of the cave bear these are all being rereased because of the newest one.The series is called The earth children I think.

I've read dozen's of fantasy related novel but my favorite series are As I said the sword of truth and Edding"s Belgariod

 

[Rune]

Up until that single volume requirement, I would have just said, go read some of the story hours at these boards. Many of them would be just what you're looking for!

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

What about memory, sarrow, and thorn by Tad williams.

Felix and gotrek are real good, that one actually surprised me.

the sparhawk books by eddings were good, well the elenium was any way.

You can't go wrong with anything by R.A. Salvatore.

The Elric saga, a real classic.

David Gemmell writes some real action parted stuff, legend and the quest for lost heroes were particularly good.

Forgotten Realms City of Ravens was excellent, and Temple Hill wasn't bad.

If you feal like going slightly out side the genra Neil Gaimin is good, I couldn't put down neverwhere, stardust, or american gods.

the sword of truth, by Terry Goodkind

The Wheel of Time, of course

Any Conan by Robert E. Howard

If you like the origainal dragonlance trilolgy try the Rose of the prophet trilogy, i think it's Wies and Hickmans best series. I've read that one three or four times myself.

The list is really endless, so I'll stop there, hope this helps.

 

[PeterLind]

For good rolicking heroic fantasy, I recommend:

1. David Gemmel's Drenai novels. David Gemmel's style of heroic fantasy has been compared with Robert E. Howard.

2. Simon Green's Hawk & Fisher stories. Action-packed stories with a contemporary flaire: first Blue Moon book, Swords of Haven collection, Guards of Haven collection, second Blue Moon book.

 

[Erekose13]

i know some have suggested Moorcock's elric series, but i gotta say that i like his other stuff too, specially his Corum series and the Blood series. all of it is really good tho.

 

[Oogar]

Steven Brust, the Vlad Taltos books.

Joel Rosenberg (sp?) The Sleeping Dragon. Stop after reading The Sleeping Dragon, don't look at another one. If desperate read 2, but whatever you do, stop before you get to number 4. You really should stop at the first one. Really. I promise.

I second a few that were already mentioned, but I did not see these, so they are my contribution.

 

[The Lost One]

I know, I know, the call for good reading material goes out quite often on this and other similar boards. But please bear with me.

Here are the conditions:

- Heroic Swords and Sorcery adventure fiction. No namby pamby political/intrigue/"inner journey" type of stuff. Sure, it can contain that, but it must contain lots of ass kicking and rollicking good times.

- A single volume, or a complete series.

- Currently published (I hate scouring through used book stores).

This is harder than I expected... I must read too much namby pamby stuff.

But here are a couple that I think fit:
Grunts by Mary Gentle... this book turns many,many fantasy stereotypes inside out, is very funny, and it has orc marines (semper fi!).

Dave Duncan's tales of the King's Blades-- sort of a series and sort of independent books (related stories, but standalone books). There is a bit of intrigue mixed in, but there is also a lot of swashbuckling action.

As for novels already mentioned: Croaker (of the Black Company)is my hero. And the Wizard's First Rule truly is an incredible book, the Sword of Truth series has started to drag now (on its 5th, 6th?) novel, but the First Rule rules.


- The Lost One

 

[EOL]

What about memory, sarrow, and thorn by Tad williams.

Doh! I can't believe I forgot about Tad Williams. Memory Sorry and Thorn is excellent. And though it's not traditional fantasy his Otherworld series is also very, very good.

 

[kenjib]

Your description really seems to describe the pulp classics like Robert Howard (Conan, Solomon Kane, etc.), Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, Barsoom, etc.), and Fritz Leiber (Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser).

You might have already read all of this stuff, or you might not like the era, but it's worth giving it a shot if you never have. Just make sure you don't mistake William S. Burroughs for Edgar Rice Burroughs or you might be in for a nasty (albeit perhaps perversely pleasant) surprise.

 

[tribeof1]

I have to second David Gemmel and Tad Williams. I devoured all of the Drenai books by Gemmel in about a week and a half (as fast as I could find them at the store) and Memory Sorrow and Thorn was excellent, though they are longer reads. Saberhagen's Swords books are also quite good. And you really should give Glen Cook another shot

As far as game-inspired books, I remember enjoying the Dark Sun Prism Pentad books quite a lot, as well as the Tribe of One trilogy (damn, there I go giving away my secrets...) Actually, all of the Dark Sun novels that I remember reading were pretty good, there were even several by Lynn Abbey of Thieves World fame (or maybe it was Aspirin, can't remember)

Amos