**Fantasy Addicts Anonymous (FAA)** - A place for those experiencing Brandon Sanderson withdrawals. What do I read next?

[wocka duckbill]

Also wrinkle in time is always a good book to read.

[jondoe]

Lynch has mentioned that he is battling depression before....I give him a pass. Rothfuss not so much...

[Ammanas]

If anyone wants to give Lynch a try, but is worried about starting a series that might never be completed, I would recommend reading the first book The Lies of Locke Lamora. Not only is it the greatest thing the author has ever written (and probably ever will) but it can be read as a standalone. Books 2 and 3 both have a cliff hanger of some sort.

[Arash.F]

I don't think I can ever read any other fantasy book before Sanderson finishes Cosmere series. I feel like it would destroy my presence in the Cosmere or somehow make me lose my Bonds!!! Dunno how to explain it. I know, it sounds foolish!

[The Fray]

18 hours ago, wocka duckbill said:

I can tell you what NOT to read and that is brandon mull i used to read his books a ton until i realized something THEY suck. The characters are like robots. in every series it's basically the same with boy that uses a sword and a girl that has super magical powers it SUCKS.

Haha, ill take it. Half the battle is knowing what NOT to read!

[Lanny]

I recommend reading the Darker Shade of Magic series by V E Schwab. This series was excellent. It’s not often that a book really grabs me and pulls me in but this series did that for me. I am also always looking for a good book to read. Thanks for starting this chain. 

[RiyriaMistborn]

I just finished Throne of Glass yesterday and can honestly say I hated it, sorry.  ^^'  Celaena was such a brat and the rest of the characters weren't any better.  There was an almost literal Deus Ex Machina at the end, and Maas kept referencing things and characters like they were supposed to make sense without giving any sort of background or explanation as to why.  I kept expecting a BadA assassin like Vin and got stuck with Charlotte La Bouff from Princess and the Frog instead.
I finished Oathbringer in a week.  It took me four months to slog my way through Throne of Glass. It's definitely not one I'd recommend...

Anyway!  Some of my top books are:

*Kingkiller Chronicles: Pat Rothfuss
*Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles: Michael J. Sullivan
Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study): Maria V. Snyder
Sword of Truth series: Terry Goodkind
(YA) The Shattered Realms series: Cinda Williams Chima
(YA) Tortall books: Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, Protector of the Small Quartet, etc - Tamora Pierce
(YA) The Great Tree of Avalon trilogy: T.A. Barron

Those are some of my favorite series that I've reread several times each.

(*All-time favs next to Cosmere books!)

Edited March 16, 2018 by RiyriaMistborn

[The Fray]

On 3/9/2018 at 5:31 PM, Arash.F said:

I don't think I can ever read any other fantasy book before Sanderson finishes Cosmere series. I feel like it would destroy my presence in the Cosmere or somehow make me lose my Bonds!!! Dunno how to explain it. I know, it sounds foolish!

Haha, I know what you mean. However, if thats the case, we wont be doing much reaching the next 20 years haha

[The Fray]

On 3/10/2018 at 3:32 AM, Lanny said:

I recommend reading the Darker Shade of Magic series by V E Schwab. This series was excellent. It’s not often that a book really grabs me and pulls me in but this series did that for me. I am also always looking for a good book to read. Thanks for starting this chain. 

Thanks.

Glad to help people find some great books to read.

[The Fray]

On 3/16/2018 at 8:51 AM, RiyriaMistborn said:

I just finished Throne of Glass yesterday and can honestly say I hated it, sorry.  ^^'  Celaena was such a brat and the rest of the characters weren't any better.  There was an almost literal Deus Ex Machina at the end, and Maas kept referencing things and characters like they were supposed to make sense without giving any sort of background or explanation as to why.  I kept expecting a BadA assassin like Vin and got stuck with Charlotte La Bouff from Princess and the Frog instead.
I finished Oathbringer in a week.  It took me four months to slog my way through Throne of Glass. It's definitely not one I'd recommend...

Anyway!  Some of my top books are:

*Kingkiller Chronicles: Pat Rothfuss
*Riyria Revelations and Riyria Chronicles: Michael J. Sullivan
Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study): Maria V. Snyder
Sword of Truth series: Terry Goodkind
(YA) The Shattered Realms series: Cinda Williams Chima
(YA) Tortall books: Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Quartet, Protector of the Small Quartet, etc - Tamora Pierce
(YA) The Great Tree of Avalon trilogy: T.A. Barron

Those are some of my favorite series that I've reread several times each.

(*All-time favs next to Cosmere books!)

Hi RiyriaMistbourn,

Thanks for the recommendations, I am not familular with most of those.

Regarding your thoughts on Throne of Glass, I dont agree with you, but I apprecaite the alternative perspective. I actually really enjoy most of the characters - other than selective moments where I did find them frustrating - however, those have been exceptions rather than the norm. I agree that MaaS doesn't always explain everything, but I actaully apprecaite that sometimes becuase I have experienced the opposte and it has ruined entire series for me. Case in point, Malazan book of the fallen tries to explain everything and even has entire books on tangents that frankly dont matter, just to explain something that I would have figured out in the narrative as the story progressed. Either way, thanks for the thoughts

Brandon Sanderson all the way!

Frazer

 

[Tesh]

On 3/6/2018 at 11:02 AM, Farnsworth said:

If you like Science Fiction, which is almost as good, you might like Asimov. He's the Sanderson of the SF world. Not only are his books among the best ever written, but he wrote over 400 in his lifetime.

I just looked it up: 515

I thought thirty was a lot. (Well, it sortta is if you write bricks).

[Tesh]

On 3/8/2018 at 0:48 PM, wocka duckbill said:

I can tell you what NOT to read and that is brandon mull i used to read his books a ton until i realized something THEY suck. The characters are like robots. in every series it's basically the same with boy that uses a sword and a girl that has super magical powers it SUCKS.

(Sorry for the double post).

Just keep in mind Fablehaven was his first published series. They are books for middle grade readers too. I read them in third grade and loved them.

I personally think his Byonders trilogy is best, though. I really really really liked them, and I just read them last year. I am actually working on his Five Kingdoms series right now. Hope I can actually read the second book before I completely forget about the first!

(And I did feel a little responsible for sticking up for Mull, so sorry).

[Arash.F]

On 3/18/2018 at 8:43 AM, The Fray said:

Haha, I know what you mean. However, if thats the case, we wont be doing much reaching the next 20 years haha

Yeah I know  I can't help it though

[Kidpen]

I've been reading a series called Cradle that is a little less well known, but I have been loving the series. The basic idea is that everyone has a soul that let's them do magic, and when they turn 8 they find out what type of magic they can do. But it doesn't work for this one kid, so he is unsouled. He then has to try to do magic anyway. There are 4 books in the series, with a fifth to come at some point.

Edited March 24, 2018 by Kidpen

[SilverTiger]

My reccomendations:

To Ride Pegasus, by Anne McCaffrey. Also Decision at Doona. She is one of the greatest SF writers (not just my opinion), and those are my two favorites of her many books. The Ship Who Sang is also good.

Mercedes Lackey's Obsidian Trilogy (The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle, When Darkness Falls) is really good. Magic, elves, demons trying to conquer the world... Oh, and a unicorn.

Actually, Mercedes Lackey has a lot of books written, but most are adult books. I found her Doubled Edge series and 500 Kingdoms books all good. Doubled Edge is set in England, right before the time of Elizabeth I, and has elves in it. 500 Kingdoms is fairy-tales based, but with interesting twists and more grown-up. Sadly, her more recent books are very good, so I'd recommend not reading the Hunter Trilogy (it really sucks).

David Eddings' Belgariad and Elenium series(s). A bit formulaic, but well-written.

R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt books might not be the best out there, but they're fun reads. There's a lot, though.

Dragonlance Chronicles is a classic. A good classic.

The Frostborn series by Jonathan Moeller is really good. Interesting characters, plot, and world.

[The Fray]

On 3/25/2018 at 6:16 AM, Kidpen said:

I've been reading a series called Cradle that is a little less well known, but I have been loving the series. The basic idea is that everyone has a soul that let's them do magic, and when they turn 8 they find out what type of magic they can do. But it doesn't work for this one kid, so he is unsouled. He then has to try to do magic anyway. There are 4 books in the series, with a fifth to come at some point.

Awesome. Its always fun to find something that falls under most peoples radar. Thanks

Edited March 29, 2018 by The Fray

[thorongil]

I (and my girlfriend) had a great time reading The Broken Earth trilogy (N.K. Jemisin) last year, and The Three-Body Problem (Cixin Liu) before that. I would wholeheartedly recommend both series.

On another note, Philip Pullman has recently released The Book of Dust, which we also enjoyed a lot. In (the off-)case one hasn't read His Dark Materials before - it's a must-read in my opinion. It is just that good.

Edited March 29, 2018 by thorongil

[Delightful]

On 3/7/2018 at 9:27 PM, jondoe said:

Lots of threads on books to read...

Lots of good books mentioned here.

Currently listening to Book 3 of Pierce Brown Red Rising Series and have really enjoyed them and I am not a big SF person.

I liked Peter V Brett's The Demon Cycle...He just finished the 5 book series.

Brian McClellan Powder Mage books are excellent

I loved Anthony Ryans Blood Song but hated the other 2 books in the in the Ravens Shadow series. His new Series Draconis Memoria is pretty good. Have enjoyed the first 2.

Michael J Sullivan's Books are all great.

Scott Lynch Gentlemen's Bastard series as good...As is Jim Butchers Codex Alera...

 

 

I second Scott.Lynch and Jim Butcher.

[Avandar]

Read furies of Calderon (and the next 5 in the series)by Jim Butcher. 

Great coming of age story with cool magic system. 

[+Wax]

On 3/9/2018 at 2:37 PM, Ammanas said:

If anyone wants to give Lynch a try, but is worried about starting a series that might never be completed, I would recommend reading the first book The Lies of Locke Lamora. Not only is it the greatest thing the author has ever written (and probably ever will) but it can be read as a standalone. Books 2 and 3 both have a cliff hanger of some sort.

I've critical of a number of more popular series and just never went past couple of books in the series.  These included

Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch - just didn't grab me as something spectacular despite a couple of interesting hooks.

Jim Butcher's Dresden files - read book 1 and gave up.  Terribly cliched women characters (damsels in distress archetypes, anyone?)

Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles (loved the first 2 books and still hated myself for reading them - coz I really wanted for Denna to marry a rich dude or fall off a cliff so that the story could move on).  But yeah, book 3 is nowhere in sight 7 years after book 2 was released.

---

Again, if OP is into this medieval fantasy genre (swords and magic) - then I highly recommend Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion (link).   Far above the stuff pedalled by the above and as a standalone is a winner of multiple awards.  Its stand-alone follow up with some side characters taking front and centre is also multi-award winner as well (Hugo) - Paladin of Souls (link).

These 2 books are a proper adult fantasy in being considered and deliberate rather than just slap-dash juvenile action.

I also suggest that OP considers more genre than just fantasy.  Some of my recommendations while crossing genre's are:-

 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (60s fiction)

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (memoir now being converted into a movie) - NY times bestseller for more than a year in 2017

Farewell My Lovely and The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (detective noir 30s) - Raymond Chandler is considered the father of noir and both these books were done up as movies by Alfred Hitchcock

The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (50s-60s memoir/comedy) - promise that the reader will be in hysterics for days whenever the word toidi jar comes up. 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Wax

[AngelDeath]

On 3/9/2018 at 4:50 AM, wocka duckbill said:

Also wrinkle in time is always a good book to read.

I was just thinking about how those books are similar to the Cosmere. In that the magic is mixed in with real science, and there are a bunch of interconnected books that can be read independently of each other.      

---

I finished Crown of Stars and loved it right up until the end. The ending felt too rushed. As long as the series was it still seamed like it needed another book. Or at least a sequel series. Still one of the best completed fantasy series I've read though. I was thinking I liked it more then Stormlight, then that I liked it less. But now I've realized I can't really compare a completed series to an ongoing one.       

---

I tried reading Throne of Glass and found the writing style too painful. So I just went straight Crown of Midnight and enjoyed it, but don't think I'll be reading anything more by Sarah J Mass. I might have liked them when i was younger, but; nope not now. 

[Ink]

What I did when I got caught up? I reread them, but it just isn't the same. I am reading the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. It's good, but no book that I have found can match Sanderson's (I think it'd be funny if he found out just how much some of us are obsessed)

[Dahak]

Things not mentioned that should fit for Sanderson readers.

The Web novel The Gods are Bastards. The Age of Adventurers is over and for the first time in decades the Goddess of War has chosen a Paladin. And promptly sent her on a quest to go to university...

Lawrence Watt-Evan's Ethshar books. Start with With a Single Spell or Ithanalin's Restoration. Most of the rest other than Spriggaqn's Mirror are stand alones usually show casing a different one of the magic systems.

Lyndon Hardy's' Master of the Five Magics. Roffuss credited this tale ofan apprentice learning each of the loacl five magics as influential for the Kingkiller chronicles. Megadeth wrote a song about it.

Terry Pratchet's Discworld novels.

Mamare Touno's Log Horizon. The Yen Press translations are an excellent look into our heroes and others suddenly waking up as their characters from a long running MMO. Unlike Sword Art Online this has actually been written by someone who understands what an MMO is like and then promptly has his veteran players look at the edge cases between the game rules and the world they were supposed to represent.

Ben Aaranovitch's Rivers of London. Our hero Peter Grant's first introduction to Newtonian Wizardry is when on his last day as a trainee cop he interviews a ghost as a murder witness.

The Palace Job, first of Patrick Weekes' Rogues of the Repulic fantasy caper stories. Loch—former soldier, former prisoner, current fugitive assembles a crack team of magical misfits that includes a cynical illusionist, a shapeshifting unicorn, a repentant death priestess, a talking magical warhammer, and a lad with seemingly no skills to help her break into the floating fortress of Heaven’s Spire and the vault that holds her family’s treasure.

Edited April 16, 2018 by Dahak