uhhh, the next best fantasy book/series after ASOIAF?
(bar the obvious Tolkien oldies)
Books Fantasy Reads
- Thread starter Alock1
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(bar the obvious Tolkien oldies)
So, multiple POVs, complex world, good guys and bad guys, some mystery/magic involved etc? Major battles?
I just want a good fantasy book/series, why is this getting so complicated?
Because it is subjective what is a good fantasy series. Someone loves Malazan-series, others hate it.I just want a good fantasy book/series, why is this getting so complicated?
I liked KingkillerC, while i do understand that someone might not like it.
As for the "best" out there of the newer generations:
First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. Finished.
The Gentlemans Bastard by Scott Lynch. 4th book is coming out soon.
Thanks man, I'll look into it.
I do prefer more adult series, that's about all I can say. I don't have many preferences other than that.
Then, definetively First Law World. And if you have some time on your hands and like complex series: Malazan book of the fallen.
@Massive Spanner I'd second First Law or Gentleman Bastards. First Law is the second best fantasy series behind ASOIAF for me and the two books I've read so far of Gentleman Bastards have been great.
You literally just put down a book alot of people think is good and now you're wondering why people are asking your preference.I just want a good fantasy book/series, why is this getting so complicated?
First law is nice and gritty and turns certain character tropes on its head. If you want the best of epic fantasy Wheel of Time is always a contender. It's a bit more classical in its style where most of the violence is implied or left to your imagination. Like a child might die but it won't walk you through the soft cracking of its skull as it's brains plaster the walls like GRRM would.
I don't want to harp on about this, but you could cut a hell of a lot of the slog out of Lord of Chaos if you just cut out all of the unnecessary Aiel descriptions, descriptions of their thoughts, their reactions to every single action, moments when characters start thinking like an Aiel, descriptions of entirely irrelevant Aiel that happen to be in the vicinity of the POV character and the Aiel in general.
Rand and Egwene chapters are just beat down with them. There's a bit Rand decides to go to Shadar Logorth which is cool, but instead of just getting on with it we have to know what the Aiel in the vicinity think, how many of them turn up, how this affects their jietoh, what they had for breakfast, nonsense about veils and so on. Even when they get there it gets bogged down with Aiel. There's a bit Egwene goes into a tent to talk to Aiel women, who may as well all be the same person anyway and there's paragraphs describing each servant that happens to be milling around. "He must have been a craftsman, but now he wears the headband of the dragon reborn along with his white gaishan robes. None of the Aiel women seem to mind." He's never mentioned again, I get it's bringing up some political movement within the Aiel, but I stopped giving a single feck about them long ago because I've been beaten over the head with how great and how stubborn they are for two books at least now.
The Egwene chapter had been very good up until that point, but then it's "Eugh! These cnuts again!" as soon as she went back to the tent. I am enjoying it again, but it's made me racist against a fictional race, which is worrying. I genuinely hope at some point in the story there's some sort of Aiel genocide and I never have to read about the boring smug cnuts and their spear dancing again. Even the nudey hot one is a twat.
Mat chapters are great though. I long for a Nynaeve chapter because I know there are no Aiel there. She can tug her braid all she wants as long as she doesn't mention jietoh.
Look at how much I just typed about the fecking Aiel. It's like a curse!
Rand and Egwene chapters are just beat down with them. There's a bit Rand decides to go to Shadar Logorth which is cool, but instead of just getting on with it we have to know what the Aiel in the vicinity think, how many of them turn up, how this affects their jietoh, what they had for breakfast, nonsense about veils and so on. Even when they get there it gets bogged down with Aiel. There's a bit Egwene goes into a tent to talk to Aiel women, who may as well all be the same person anyway and there's paragraphs describing each servant that happens to be milling around. "He must have been a craftsman, but now he wears the headband of the dragon reborn along with his white gaishan robes. None of the Aiel women seem to mind." He's never mentioned again, I get it's bringing up some political movement within the Aiel, but I stopped giving a single feck about them long ago because I've been beaten over the head with how great and how stubborn they are for two books at least now.
The Egwene chapter had been very good up until that point, but then it's "Eugh! These cnuts again!" as soon as she went back to the tent. I am enjoying it again, but it's made me racist against a fictional race, which is worrying. I genuinely hope at some point in the story there's some sort of Aiel genocide and I never have to read about the boring smug cnuts and their spear dancing again. Even the nudey hot one is a twat.
Mat chapters are great though. I long for a Nynaeve chapter because I know there are no Aiel there. She can tug her braid all she wants as long as she doesn't mention jietoh.
Look at how much I just typed about the fecking Aiel. It's like a curse!
You literally just put down a book alot of people think is good and now you're wondering why people are asking your preference.
First law is nice and gritty and turns certain character tropes on its head. If you want the best of epic fantasy Wheel of Time is always a contender. It's a bit more classical in its style where most of the violence is implied or left to your imagination. Like a child might die but it won't walk you through the soft cracking of its skull as it's brains plaster the walls like GRRM would.
I know but I honestly don't have much of a criteria for fantasy books, I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to them. I'll give First Law a look.I always thought WoT went to shit for the last few books, no?
Unfortunately you'll have to endure a lot more Aiel slog in the coming books.
Goodreads and reddit fantasy are two places to start. Also, buy a kindle.
I always thought WoT went to shit for the last few books, no?
Have a kindle
Saved me a decent amount of money buying the books on the Kindle. The only issue is that the future physical bookshelf will be mostly empty.Have a kindle
The Malazan Book of the Fallen. You are welcome.
Pretty much makes the whole rest of the genre obsolete
Obviously! But, starting on the best series, will as you say make the other books less enjoyable. Better to incrementally increase the quality of the books you read, instead of peaking immediately, and then everything is downhill from there.The Malazan Book of the Fallen. You are welcome.
Pretty much makes the whole rest of the genre obsolete
Witcher seriesI just want a good fantasy book/series, why is this getting so complicated?
Wheel of Time
Riyria series
First Law series
Im 10 books deep. 7-10 are considered the "slump" where it all slows down a bit. But 11 to 14 are supposedly firecrackers. I dont think the slump was that bad but maybe when you arent waiting several years inbetween books its more forgiving.
I always thought WoT went to shit for the last few books, no?
There is one series thats a bit under the radar and thats Prince of Nothing trilogy followed by the Aspect Emperor quartet. It's especially dark and the prose is a bit grandiose but its definitely something unique if not a little divisive.
It still is a decent light read. Just don't have high expectations.
I'm currently reading a book that a couple of others have described as 'as good as Malazan'. Now that is a claim I can't accept without getting myself stuck in. 50 pages in and I like the theme. Writing style has similarities, but not at same level as SE. The plot is unique though and I'm intrigued as of now on how this will play.The Malazan Book of the Fallen. You are welcome.
Pretty much makes the whole rest of the genre obsolete
Death's Merchant by Justan Henner.
Do you finish every book you start or do you ever stop after 100-150 pages?
I think you should check out Rogers Zelazny's Amber series (especially the first 5)
One of the most underrated and forgotten (and best) fantasy ever written.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/316876.The_Chronicles_of_Amber
Because just like movies, it has so many sub genres.I just want a good fantasy book/series, why is this getting so complicated?
Classic Fantasy - Wheel of Time, Stormlight Archive (Unfinished)
Urban Fantasy - Dresden Files
Dark Fantasy - First Law, Prince of Thorns
Offbeat - Divine Cities Trilogy
Steampunk - Ketty Jay, Aeronaut's Windlass.
Finished every book I started. If I hate something or just don't feel it, I speed read over segments and just browse through only following the story till the end.
Huh, odd. Why do you do that? Is it because you bought the book already and feel you need to justify spending the money?
Just an obsession to see how bad it is till the end.
Second Apocalypse is good, but at some parts it was too dark even for me. Bakker makes the likes of Abercrombie, Lawrence or GRRM look like puppies when it comes to grimdarkness in the books.
Second apocalypse is interesting because it has all the things that normally make me stop reading something outright(sexism, racism, too much rape, etc), ans they are even a big part of it. The only likeable main characters are esmenet in the first trilogy and mimara in the second, but at this point i just want them all to die horribly
And yet, i can't stop reading. The plot is just awesome
I listened to the audiobooks in the commute to work, I honestly zoned out a few times when shit like that was happening.
Mat might have a more cool story going on at points in the series because, it's not another chapter of Rand being berated by yet another person for the 50th time that book about how they used to change his diapers, so they don't care if he's a mythical god-like superhero with the weight of the literal world on his shoulders, he's not above a smacked bottom and good telling off.
Some of it is a slog, but I feel like you have to get through all that world building to fully appreciate the pay off's to come. Everyones story is a building block to the end game.
I think that's the problem though. It's gone past world building now, it's all been established and it's just the same thing over and over again. It's still very good, it just feels like needless bloat that's causing it to take me months to get through instead of days or weeks.
It was for sure an issue in the books that it meandered around, Rand's story actually regresses a few times but I feel like when Sanderson takes over the writing it starts to pick up the pace.
Needed a quick light read, so just started....
Is this part of his Cosmere series?Needed a quick light read, so just started....
Don't think so. Has starships and alien invasions... Reckoners style book, I think.
Skyward
- Brandon Sanderson
A light YA novel about humanity stranded on a different planet losing their history and surviving against a continuous alien threat. The story is about a young girl surviving the fallout of her hero father turning bad.
Decent read. Bulk of book is spent on 'training' though Brandon keeps the story taut and moving leading to a climax that's grand but slightly underwhelming (like a visually good hollywood movie that lacks a bite). Still a good time-pass read
6/10
- Brandon Sanderson
A light YA novel about humanity stranded on a different planet losing their history and surviving against a continuous alien threat. The story is about a young girl surviving the fallout of her hero father turning bad.
Decent read. Bulk of book is spent on 'training' though Brandon keeps the story taut and moving leading to a climax that's grand but slightly underwhelming (like a visually good hollywood movie that lacks a bite). Still a good time-pass read
6/10
Just finished reading The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams.
Very good read. Had very likeable lead characters with an interesting plot.
Very good read. Had very likeable lead characters with an interesting plot.
I'm thinking of dipping back into the Feist Riftwar Saga, has it dated badly or is it still a decent read, thinking of taking them as holiday reading.
actually just had a squint on amazon, is this any good?
The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) - Brian Staveley
actually just had a squint on amazon, is this any good?
The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) - Brian Staveley
Riftwar - From what I recall, both start and end of the saga were good with a dip in the middle. Was browsing through Magicians few weeks earlier and still found if fresh.
Asl to Emperor's Blades, it is a decent read. I did not find it that interesting to continue to trilogy though.
Asl to Emperor's Blades, it is a decent read. I did not find it that interesting to continue to trilogy though.
Rosamund Pike casted as Moiraine for Wheel of Time. Very weird choice considering that Moiraine is black haired and all the time mentioned to be extremely short.
Should have been someone that looks similar to Natalie Portman.
Should have been someone that looks similar to Natalie Portman.
Yeah, I'm not seeing her as Moiraine at all. Odd choice, plus Aes Sedai are supposed to look young or at least ageless. She doesn't look old, but she has to be at least late 30's.