Selfish Post - Need Personal Recommendation

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

 I'll try to make this quick -- I need a book recommendation (or multiple) to hold me over until Words of Radiance comes out. Preferably one that has an audiobook version. 

 

Recently I have read:

 

Fantasy: Almost all Brandon stories, Kingkiller Chronicle, LOTR and Hobbit, Wheel of Time, The Host (long story...). In the past I have tried Jim Butcher... the story about the wizard detective guy, but I didn't really like it. 

Action/Adventure: Lots of Matthew Reilly, love it. 
 

SciFi: Pretty much just Enders series, but love it. 

So there is a bit of a taste profile for me recently if anyone feels like taking a shot at it. I'd really appreciate any help. Someone recommended Malazan, and I might give that a shot, but it is pretty long, so I'd also appreciate some reviews of it before I decide if I want to get moving on it.

Thanks!

[The Rooster he/him]

Leviathan Wakes is the first in the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey it's kind of like Firefly in our solar system.  Really good audiobooks. 

 

Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch,  Promis of Blood by Brian McClellan is an awesome new one,  Anything by brent weeks especially his current series.  Or you could go Standalone and do Tigana by Guy Gavirel Kay (super awesome)

[Aether he/him]

I'd recommend one of the classics: The Earthsea-trilogy by Ursula LeGuin. It is not that long, but it's good. 

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Thanks guys, I think Tigana  and Earthsea sound like a good fits for me, so I'm going to see how fast I can read Tigana, and then start on Earthsea if I think I can finish it before WoR (I bet I can). Appreciate the help!

[Kurkistan he/him]

I quite like the Vlad Taltos ("It's pronounced tal-tosh!") books by Steven Brust (pronounced "broost"). There's about a dozen of them out now and their good reads.

[cem he/him]

How far into the Dresden Files did you read? Because the first three books are mostly crap and tend to discourage people a bit. But the series get a whole hell of a lot better which each book after that. Summer Knight is pretty good, and pretty much every book once you get to Dead Beat is god-tier.

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

How far into the Dresden Files did you read? Because the first three books are mostly crap and tend to discourage people a bit. But the series get a whole hell of a lot better which each book after that. Summer Knight is pretty good, and pretty much every book once you get to Dead Beat is god-tier.

 

 

I got through the third I think. Then sputtered out within 200 pages of the fourth.

[Moogle]

I'll recommend the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It's wonderful, but a hard read. Erikson has no mercy, and does no hand holding. 

 

Imagine if The Way of Kings didn't bother with the prologue or prelude, there were five times as many viewpoints, some taken from the perspective of people in the midst of plans you don't know the purpose of, and the history of Roshar was only half-alluded to, because the characters had no need to spell things out because they all knew the history anyways. Jasnah never teaches Shallan Soulcasting, Kaladin has no Teft for convenient information on Surgebinding. There's twenty Hoids, but ha! As if their motivations would be so clear as his. Honor didn't die, just faked his death, and he's actually worst enemies with Cultivation now, Odium never existed, except you don't know it's Honor or what he can do because the author would never be so kind as to tell you anything about the Cosmere.

 

(I have exaggerated, but not by much.)

 

If you can't get into the first book (I wouldn't blame you), then I'd recommend against continuing the series. The first book is hardest to understand, but the rest aren't all that much easier. Plots within plots, things that only make sense 3 books onwards, characters that drop in and out, disparate plotlines that only come together after you've forgotten them, Malazan has it all.

 

Other book ideas:

• Expanded Universe Star Wars novels, if that's your thing. The writing isn't stellar, and I never cared a lot for Star Wars' universe, but I enjoyed the Thrawn novels, and anything with Vergere/Jacen Solo. Oh, and the X-Wing novels. There's a lot of books, since there's quite a few authors working on everything. I'm not a fan of the latest ones, and stopped reading, though.
• A Song of Ice and Fire. Not for everyone.
• The Belgariad/Malloreon by Eddings are good, though you might find them a bit simple and trope-filled now. The genre's come quite a long way in the past two decades.
• If you liked Rothfuss, try China Mieville's Embassytown. Sci-fi, but more of a book read because the prose is nice than read for an exciting plot.
• The first book of the Sword of Truth series and then stop there were no sequels don't listen to anyone who says different.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Moogle

[Cracknut he/him]

Blood Song by Ryan Anthony. It has many similarities with Kingkiller Chronicle, except its different. Best book I've read in 2013, but there's only first book out of 3.

Malazan books are awesome, one of the greatest fantasy series out there and if you can get into it you'll love it but its not easy read.

Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett(not finished).

Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence. It's really dark though.

First Law by Joe Abercrombie if you like badassery and aren't looking for something with lots of magic and heroic quests about saving world.

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Yikes, sounds like Malazan is.... a task. Maybe what I'll do is start that after WoR. I tried it yesterday, and the audiobook is not at all for background absorption. So I'll pick one of the shorter series or something. Thanks guys.

[The Rooster he/him]

The Dresden files starts really hitting its stride after the third book.  I marathon-ed most of the series in a few months on audiobook and at first was was Meh, the first is just OK , the second book sucks.  But after the events that are kicked off int he third book it starts to come alive.  I feel like the richness in the story only increases and Butcher certainly has become a better storyteller with each book.  I'd say the series started out as 3/5 for me.  In book 5-10 they were 4/5  (except Dead Beat that's a 5 for sure).  Then all of the recent releases have been absolutely phenomenal.  It's really great stuff, deep serialized characters where serious stuff happens and things change drastically over time.   Ohh and James Marsters is great at performing the Audiobooks.

[Gamma Fiend he/him]

 

 

Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch,  Promis of Blood by Brian McClellan is an awesome new one,  Anything by brent weeks especially his current series.

These three recommendations right here. Enjoyed all of these.

Also, Joe Abercrombie books, the First Law Trilogy and subsequent standalones in the same world, good stuff. (Or at least I liked it)

Also, I hear there's this guy... Brandon Sanderson. Some of his stuff if pretty out there... but I hear he's pretty good.....

[cem he/him]

I got through the third I think. Then sputtered out within 200 pages of the fourth.

Yeah, I figured as much. I suggest you give it another chance and at least read up to Dead Beat because it becomes an excellent series later on. I pretty much agree with AG Rooster, except White Night is also 5/5 definitely.

 

Blood Song by Ryan Anthony. It has many similarities with Kingkiller Chronicle, except its different. Best book I've read in 2013, but there's only first book out of 3.

Malazan books are awesome, one of the greatest fantasy series out there and if you can get into it you'll love it but its not easy read.

Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett(not finished).

Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence. It's really dark though.

First Law by Joe Abercrombie if you like badassery and aren't looking for something with lots of magic and heroic quests about saving world.

I loved Blood Song as well. It doesn't seem to get much publicity, maybe because it was self-published before Ace bought it. But it's definitely an amazing book. The second book in the series, Tower Lord, is coming out in July.

[The Rooster he/him]

Yeah, I figured as much. I suggest you give it another chance and at least read up to Dead Beat because it becomes an excellent series later on. I pretty much agree with AG Rooster, except White Night is also 5/5 definitely.

 

I think I need to either revisit the whole series or reevaluate my rating retroactively because everything looks better in hindsight.  White knight is for sure 5/5.  I think what really hook me on the series was in Dead Beat

When they rode a necromantic T-rex to the beat of Butters' one man polka band. It was so off the wall bonkers and fun and awesome I was totally and whole heart-idly converted at that point.

[Ryan he/him]

Have you read Discworld? You must read Discworld. Terry Pratchett is win. I'm too tired right now to explain why and do it justice, but others on the Internet have done that job anyway.

 

For sci-fi, try Kristine Kathryn Rusch's wreck diving books (starts with Diving Into the Wreck). The books have structuring issues that mostly have to do with their origin as a series of novellas, but I find them exceedingly compelling. This review explains why better than Tired Brain Ryan can.

[Bloodfalcon he/him]

Have you read Discworld? You must read Discworld. Terry Pratchett is win. I'm too tired right now to explain why and do it justice, but others on the Internet have done that job anyway.

 

For sci-fi, try Kristine Kathryn Rusch's wreck diving books (starts with Diving Into the Wreck). The books have structuring issues that mostly have to do with their origin as a series of novellas, but I find them exceedingly compelling. This review explains why better than Tired Brain Ryan can.

haha, thank you. Discworld looks pretty crazy - I think I would enjoy it. Added to the list.

[Swimmingly he/him]

The Dresden files starts really hitting its stride after the third book. I marathon-ed most of the series in a few months on audiobook and at first was was Meh, the first is just OK , the second book sucks. But after the events that are kicked off int he third book it starts to come alive. I feel like the richness in the story only increases and Butcher certainly has become a better storyteller with each book. I'd say the series started out as 3/5 for me. In book 5-10 they were 4/5 (except Dead Beat that's a 5 for sure). Then all of the recent releases have been absolutely phenomenal. It's really great stuff, deep serialized characters where serious stuff happens and things change drastically over time. Ohh and James Marsters is great at performing the Audiobooks.

I agree 100%. It was nice when Dresden stopped brewing handy plot tickets and cashing them at the same point in each book - but that's just the first couple. From there on, yeah, phenomenal series.