Book Recommendations

[Andrew the Great]

Agreed.  just watch out for Midnight Tides if you get that far, its dense.

I found House of Chains a lot harder than Midnight Tides - I just didn't care about Karsa at all for forever and a day. Once we got past the point where it was all from his point of view, I loved it. (House of Chains was my least favorite malazan book). Midnight Tides took some getting used to, what with the completely new culture, but I liked the characters much more and I was very interested in what was happening.

Also, Tehol. And Kuru Qan (the spelling of which I doubt I got right. I'm referring to the Ceda). No more need be said.

In the interest of this thread not turning into "Discuss Malazan Book of the Fallen," I'm currently reading The Darkness that Comes Before from R. Scott Baker. Being pretty good so far. Though it took me a while to get into.

[SOM1else]

I just finished Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card, when I read the first chapter set it in a time period similar to mountain men time, chapter two starts on a spaceship though so I was kind of confused. Just for the sake of clarity, if you read it the time period is more like the Renaissance. The fact that there's a space ship makes more sense later on.

[Joe ST]

Tad Williams' Otherland is just an awesome blend of scifi/fantasy.

I'm a-liking myself some Peter F Hamliton, Alastair Reynolds and Dan Simmonds for the scifi.

[Darth Squirrely]

I have to recommend the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix, they're superb. They were my favorite books of all time until I found the Wheel of Time.

Also, anything by Kenneth Oppel--he's more of a YA writer, but his stuff is pretty good. His Silverwing books really left their mark on me as a reader.

If you like steampunk, read the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. Only 2 books are out so far, but they're amazing.

That's all I can think of for now. >.>

[Emeralis00]

If you like steampunk, read the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. Only 2 books are out so far, but they're amazing.

There is also the Court of Air for more steampunk awesomeness.

[ZeldaDad]

I just started Leviathan. Haven't read enough to know if I like it yet, but I think I will.

I also started the Septimus Heap series like 3 years ago and got through 2 and a half of them but stopped. Thinking about picking it back up from book 1 at the library. Anyone read them?

Edited April 15, 2011 by Endra kin'Fox

[Zayde]

I have to say, I really enjoyed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's definitely on my top five list of favorite books. It's written as a kind of annotated description of this documentary about a family who move in to this house that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And the annotations themselves tell another story about the guy who finds the documents that you're reading. It's a pretty amazing read.

[pv3Hpv3p]

The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie quickly became one of my favorites.

It's dark and heady, and he has a excellent writing style and really good character development.

The first book is called "The Blade Itself", and one of the main protagonists (Logan Ninefingers) is one of my favorite characters in fiction.

The trilogy is great, and he wrote two stand-alones in the same 'world'... "Best Served Cold", was good but just got a little too depressing for me in the end... And "The Heroes" which was absolutely fantastic... I can't wait for his next book(s) to come out. I would recommend this to even people that don't dig on fantasy, but for fans of the genre, I think these are a must.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

But Vin still beat Logan in the first round of the Deathmatch. Booyah. XP

[pv3Hpv3p]

But Vin still beat Logan in the first round of the Deathmatch. Booyah. XP

Wow... haven't been able to check out or see what the death matches are... But am not surprised to see someone best Logan, but find it hard to believe anyone can take the Bloody Nine

That's a pretty tough matchup for the first round...

Edited June 7, 2011 by pv3Hpv3p

[ChimeraRuin]

Animorphs was great, I was at the right age for it to catch it as it started and would jump at each new book as it came out.

and I'll third the Lies of Locke Lamora, another great fantasy/hiest series.

Biggest recomendation I can give for fantsay is to Jim Butcher's Codex Alera books. book 1 is a good stand alone novel, then 2-6 are a long series of elemental awesomeness.

for modern day Magic and Mystery his Dresden Files books are enterly worth it.

I read Butcher first and his books got top shelf on my bookcase, of course now its an epic king of the hill battle between Butcher and Sanderson for Favorite author.

[Emeralis00]

Animorphs was great, I was at the right age for it to catch it as it started and would jump at each new book as it came out.

and I'll third the Lies of Locke Lamora, another great fantasy/hiest series.

Biggest recomendation I can give for fantsay is to Jim Butcher's Codex Alera books. book 1 is a good stand alone novel, then 2-6 are a long series of elemental awesomeness.

for modern day Magic and Mystery his Dresden Files books are enterly worth it.

I read Butcher first and his books got top shelf on my bookcase, of course now its an epic king of the hill battle between Butcher and Sanderson for Favorite author.

Second the Dresden Files.

[daranthered]

I recommend "His Majesty's Dragon." First in the Temeraire series. Dragons during the Napoleonic wars !

I love this series. I wish Naomi Novik would write another in the series, and try writing something else. I think she's an under appreciated writer.

I'll also second anything by Jim Butcher -Dresden or Alera- he's really become one of the people you must read.

Malazan and Rothfus are on my tbr list.

Recently I've been reading the collected works of Robert E. Howard (who did Conan among others). He only did short stories and novellas. You can read three or four in one sitting. They are tremendous fun.

[Syborae]

Hmm, I'll try and recommend some that haven't had any reccs yet!

• The Kushiels' novels by Jacqueline Carey
  
• God's War by Kameron Hurley
  
• The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
  
• The Sevenwaters novels by Juliet Marillier
  

The Kushiels novels are a must read for me but beware if you don't like sex in your novels. God's War is a recent book, lovingly deemed bugpunk and it is bloody and puts you in deep without a lifejacket but it was amazing, The Curse of Chalion was just so well written and engaging and the Sevenwaters novels start with the retelling of a myth The Wild Swans.

[Sigyn]

Has anyone recommended P.C. Hodgell? If not, I'm doing it now. The first two books have been republished together as The God Stalker Chronicles, and it has a terrible, terrible cover, but don't let that put you off. It tells the story of Jame, a young woman who can't quite remember the last ten years of her life. She ends up in Taitastigon, a city of gods both forgotten and not. She ends up being trained as a thief (much less cliche than it sounds) and trying to figure out if the local gods are real or not by sort of killing one. It's weird and different and a lot of fun.

[Alliare]

You guys have recommended most of what I wanted to recommend.

You already mentioned the Time Master trilogy by Louise Cooper... trat one keeps a fight against Mistborn for #1 trilogy in my list of preferences (and it's losing it).

Same with The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, and the second part, The Wise Man's Fear (I know the trilogy is called The Kingkiller Chronicles, but it just doesn't seem to fit... yet).

So, let's say something new:

The Tamír trilogy, by Lynn Flewelling, composed of The Bone Doll's Twin, Hidden Warrior and The Oracle's Queen, also fantasy, is wonderful. The author is better known for her Nightrunner books, starring Alec and Seregil, whick are very good, but personally I think the Tamír trilogy is better.

The author Mercedes Lackey has many books that take place in her world of Valdemar, a place where laws, well-being and order are enforced by Heralds, people chosen by Companions, a sort of divine beings in white horse form and who have mind powers. Of those books, I especially like The last Herald-Mage trilogy, and, if you read it, falling in love with the main character, Vanyel, is a must

And, to finish, I'll just say that The Obsidian trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory is something you definitely want to read if you have the time to spare.

-------------------------------------------

Hmm, what else can I reccomenend.

Trudi Canavan's The Age of the Five trilogy was interesting.

I think I have to disagree there...

It started well.

It ended up being an essay in Canavan's personal opinions, somehow.

And it became pretty obvious that she wouldn't put what she thought aside for the good of the plot.

So when I finished reading, I was rather disappointed.

(And with my head full of reasons of why things didn't have to be that way, just logically speaking, or in a court-of-law speaking sort of way XD)

However, I have to agree the idea was very good.

[Joe ST]

And, to finish, I'll just say that The Obsidian trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory is something you definitely want to read if you have the time to spare.

it was quite good yes

I think I have to disagree there...

It started well.

It ended up being an essay in Canavan's personal opinions, somehow.

And it became pretty obvious that she wouldn't put what she thought aside for the good of the plot.

So when I finished reading, I was rather disappointed.

(And with my head full of reasons of why things didn't have to be that way, just logically speaking, or in a court-of-law speaking sort of way XD)

However, I have to agree the idea was very good.

Aye the Age of Five had some rather interesting ideas, but they weren't pulled off very well. Especially not as well as her Black Magician tri. The same can be said of the Traitor Spy so far; its not as good as it could have been.

[Alliare]

Same here about The Black Magician/The Traitor Spy (both by Trudi Canavan). The first is good, and easy to read (and quick, something good when I have to study a lot and need something to distract me but can't afford to lose too much time). But, when I got halfway through the first book of the Traitor Spy trilogy, I was just like: "Wait... this makes no sense! You're just throwing half of your universe's rules out of the window!" And why do your characters don't think, either?"

Of course I am exaggerating, but you get the picture

Think I went a little off-topic... sorry ^^U

[TheGr8Skeeve]

I have to recommend M.Y.T.H adventures by Robert Asprin. I challenge you to find a funnier fantasy book. Extremely addictive, a fast and light read.

Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay is very good. Actually anything by GGK is awesome.

If you don't mind a heavy fantasy book the the Farseer series by Robin Hobb is good. But I gotta warn you it's pretty heavy. My mind was kinda affected by it for a week after I read them.

Oh and about Mercedes Lackey, her Obsidian trilogy was decent but her Valdemar series and lot of her other works are not. Nobody would accuse her of producing literary works, and this comes with a lot of love from a former fanboy. It's embarrassing to admit but a few years back I went through this phase where I read almost all her Valdemar books and a few of her other series. I still think she is an entertaining writer but just not in the league as Brandon,GGK and co.

[WriterDan]

My favorites:

Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham -- Absolutely awesome eastern-based fantasy. First book was solid. Second was really good. Third blew my socks off. Fourth was a near perfect ending. Seriously good stuff here. Also, I've enjoyed just about everything else he's written under this name and his pseudonyms (MLN Hanover--UrbanFantasy, James SA Correy--SciFi)

Prince of Nothing Trilogy by Scott Bakker -- Seriously cool series, though the second trilogy is shaping up to really be less than stellar.

Engineer Trilogy by KJ Parker -- Just about everything in this series pushed my buttons. Loved it. But then of course, I'm an engineer.

Serial Killer books by Dan Wells -- Awesome. Just. Sheer. Awesome. READ HIM!

Malazan book of the fallen by Steven Erikson -- As with what has been said previously, read the first three books before you give up on this series. Third book was the goods. I had issues with the first two. Took two tries to get through the first, and three tries to get through the second. Third one I blew through without issue and loved every minute of it. Don't let this one pass you by.

Abercrombie rocks. Everything he writes is really good. Though Best Served Cold did drag on a bit for me near the end. Heroes rocked the block. Can't wait for A Red Country.

Burton and Swinburne books by Mark Hodder -- Alternate Victorian Steam-punked History and WAY fun. Though the second was better than the first, I'm so stoked for the third to come out later this year.

Jasper Kent's Danilov Quintet -- Three books out now. Seriously good stuff here. Starts in Twelve with REAL vampires in the Napoleonic wars against Russia. No sun-sparkly pansies here.

Anything by Alastair Reynolds. Can't get enough of this guy. Though he really does write SciFi and not Fantasy. One of the few SciFi authors that I really dig.

Scott Lynch has a lot of good stuff in the Gentlemen Bastard series that he's doing too. It's been a while since the second book came out, but I'm glad to see that he's been doing much better lately with his personal life and am really excited for Republic of Thieves.

[Alliare]

Oh and about Mercedes Lackey, her Obsidian trilogy was decent but her Valdemar series and lot of her other works are not. Nobody would accuse her of producing literary works, and this comes with a lot of love from a former fanboy. It's embarrassing to admit but a few years back I went through this phase where I read almost all her Valdemar books and a few of her other series. I still think she is an entertaining writer but just not in the league as Brandon,GGK and co.

For 'coming with a lot of love', it really seems you don't like her at all. I might like an author or not, but to come as far as saying nthat it would be embarrasing to read most of his/her books..

Oh, well, as I suppose any reason I might give to you would make no difference, you can go tell Patrick Rothfuss. He has The Last Herald-Mage listed in his '40 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books you must read', before Ender's Game itself.

[almeldiel]

For those who don't mind reading younger, I recommend the new release, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. This veers into paranormal romance, but the worldbuilding and the writing is exceptional. There's also Scott Westerfeld's rather ambitious steampunk/alternate history series which just concluded, the Leviathan series.

[Syn]

Basically anything by Robin Hobb, but especially the Liveship Traders trilogy.

I love Robin and highly recommend her as well! Although I must say that I only read first book of the Liveship Traders, but I would most kindly recommend The Farseer Trilogy and then The Tawny Man Trilogy.

M.Y.T.H. Adventures are brilliant (I've read about five or six books only, though), and if you love funny fantasy, you should definitely give it a try. Personally, I prefer MYTH to Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide because the humor and jokes actually make sense and are much more clever and IMO better thought of than just being random.

Which reminds me of the good old MYST series. Special worlds created in books that one could enter and live in? HELL YEAH!!!

[Serack]

I second those that recommend Jim Butcher and Patrick Rothfuss.

Especially now that Butcher's 13th book in the Dresden Files is out. Waiting for that sucked, so it's easier to recommend people start reading without fearing that they might stab me while I'm sleeping for introducing them to a series that was currently stopped between books on a major cliffhanger.

Jim Butcher is a realllllly great guy too. And if you get a chance I recommend you watch this

where Patrick Rothfuss reads an article he wrote for an "advice column" when he was in college. It made me laugh so hard I cried.

Edit: I just watched it again, and my ribs hurt.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Serack

[Shivertongue]

My favorites:

Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham -- Absolutely awesome eastern-based fantasy. First book was solid. Second was really good. Third blew my socks off. Fourth was a near perfect ending. Seriously good stuff here. Also, I've enjoyed just about everything else he's written under this name and his pseudonyms (MLN Hanover--UrbanFantasy, James SA Correy--SciFi)

I tried the Long price Quartet - the first book, at least - and just found it a chore to get through. The writing was stellar, but the story just did not engage me, and aspects of it just didn't make any sense. Oddly, though, the hardest thing for me to get past was the concept of the 'poses'. I couldn't help but picture them as full body spasms, and then trying to picture people having conversations while doing this...

I've seen your reviews of his work on EBR, and one of these days plan to pick up another of his books. Hopefully I'll be able to get into it more than Long Price.

Serial Killer books by Dan Wells -- Awesome. Just. Sheer. Awesome. READ HIM!

Seconded. Seconded so much, I'm also thirding, fourthing, and fifthing this.

Malazan book of the fallen by Steven Erikson -- As with what has been said previously, read the first three books before you give up on this series. Third book was the goods. I had issues with the first two. Took two tries to get through the first, and three tries to get through the second. Third one I blew through without issue and loved every minute of it. Don't let this one pass you by.

This... this has long been my issue with Malazan. It should not take three books to hook me on a series. It shouldn't even take one book. Ideally, I should be hooked by the first line, first page, or by the end of the first chapter. If I'm not hooked by the halfway point, I'm more likely than not to put the book down. Getting through Gardens of the Moon was a chore that took three attempts to accomplish, and Deadhouse Gates is still sitting on my shelf, where it has been for the past year, with a bookmark around page three.

But then, I've gone on about how I feel in regards to Malazan at least twice on this thread, so I won't go any further.

Abercrombie rocks. Everything he writes is really good. Though Best Served Cold did drag on a bit for me near the end. Heroes rocked the block. Can't wait for A Red Country.

Took me a while to get through The Blade Itself, but I loved it. The writing itself was what drove me more than the characters, honestly. I was a bit disappointed that the entire book seemed to be set-up for the big quest in book two, and it's probably because of that I haven't cracked open Before They Are Hanged. It's on the pile though, as is Best Served Cold. Both keep getting pushed down, though, and I've only come to the conclusion that 'low-magic fantasy' just isn't what I'm into.

I recommend not reading any of Sand dan Glokta's chapters while in the dentist's waiting room.

Scott Lynch has a lot of good stuff in the Gentlemen Bastard series that he's doing too. It's been a while since the second book came out, but I'm glad to see that he's been doing much better lately with his personal life and am really excited for Republic of Thieves.

I think I've mentioned Scott Lynch before, but I have to add on further agreement to this. The Gentleman Bastards series is fantastic, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Also check out Queen of the Iron Sands, a sci-fi serial done in the style of 50's pulp, posted for free on his website.