Baron Of Hell

Indeed you are correct.

Axeramm

I really enjoy Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. Read his Dresden Files books and saw that he had written a fantasy series. 4 books so far with a fifth due this fall i believe.

Walker Boh

Seconded ... I'm a huge fan of the series, especially the four-part Scions of Shannara. It's the source of my username.

*edit* And I just realized I was replying to a post from 2001. Wow. At any rate, I got some good recommendations from a thread I hadn't seen before

eisenreich

Currently working through the Harrry Potter series (book 5) and as mentioned, the writing is surprisingly good.

Other suggestions that I've thorougly enjoyed throughout the years:

Tad Williams - Otherland series; perfect blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, four long books filled with some amazing characters, including one of my favorite villians of all time (Dread).
Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials trilogy; I think everyone's familiar, definitely warrants a read at some point

Tom Banjo

I agree with all the recommendations (from years ago) about Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. Great series!
I tried to wade through Erikson's Gardens of the Moon, and gave up halfway. It was torture on my short attention span. But I'll try it again one day soon.
Has anyone read Salvatore's Corona series? I just started The Demon Awakens, and wondering if I'll like the series. I've liked all his other books, so I have high hopes.

starman9000

I started that one years ago and gave up about halfway through. I can't really remember why, but I just wasn't drawn in.

Lastblade

Book 2 is alot better, once you are more familiar with the whole and the (very large) cast of characters. I am on book 4 now (House of Chains) and it is fantastic. Very different feel from GRRM's ASOIAF and abit dense at times, but still one of the better fantasy series I have read.

Gilgamesh1082

I'm waiting on the $160 limited edition Return of the Crimson Guard by Esselmont right now (side story that accompanies the Malazan Book of the Fallen) and patiently awaiting the release of the next book in the series proper, Toll the Hounds, in August. This series only gets better. Wait until book 5, Midnight Tides; it introduces the best couple in the series, Tehol Beddict and his manservant, Bugg. They steal every scene and book they appear in afterward.

In my opinion book 3, Memories of Ice, is the best book I've ever read and so far the best book in the series, although House of Chains came a close second for introducing Karsa Orlong.

benedict

I believe that Rob Holdstock's Merlin Codex sequence is complete, with all three now available in paperback.



I loved Gene Wolfe's first pair of "Soldier" books and consider that Holdstock's work has a similar feel in that he (kind of) puts fantasy in a "real" historical setting.

I have a treat coming up, having recently ordered Holdstock's The Broken Kings and Wolfe's Soldier of Sidon

arminius

I am reading Gemmells Troy series. They are quite good but more historic fiction than fantasy.

superdeluxe

Any new epic fantasy series that have popped up in the last 2 years that some should be looking for?

Sean O'Hara

Ken Scholes' Psalms of Isaac series. I thought it incredibly weak (cultures are all alike, world building isn't thought through, flat characters), but a lot of people apparently like it.

Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie have been getting good buzz, but I haven't picked up any of his works yet.

And if you've been holding off on Malazan because you don't like unfinished series, the final book should be out this year. (Yeah, that's right, a series where each volume is longer than the books of A Song of Ice and Fire, yet Erikson's managed to finish the series in the period when Martin's only done one freakin' book.)

johnnysd

I have struggled a couple times through the first 100 pages of the first Malazan book. Does it pick up?

mgbfan

I did the same. Tried hard to read it, but came to the conclusion that if the author could give me nothing within almost half of a book, he wasn't worth sticking with. That said, a lot of people seemed to like it based on this board.

benedict

On the weekend I read a very favourable review in Interzone of "Shadow Prowler", the first volume of Alexey Pehov's Chronicles of Sialaof sequence.

I would augment/qualify online information by saying that the Interzone review indicates that the first volume is certainly not as derivative as a publisher's summary might sound i.e. Pehov is adjudged to be adept in his particular use of fantasy clichés and tropes.

Scroll down here for an excerpt.

Sean O'Hara

The first book is a bit of a slog, but once you get far enough in that you can actually understand what's going on, it's pretty good. You might try starting with the second book, Deadhouse Gates, which takes place in a totally different part of the world and is much better.

xmiyux

I have been enjoying the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. I am a total fiend for his Harry Dresden books (modern fantasy) but had never checked out his traditional high fantasy series. It does not disappoint. A somewhat unique world, take on magic, and enough political intrigue to be interesting.

Lastblade

Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet is pretty good too. Although, I have only read book 1

Lastblade

Yes, but I can certainly understand if others don't find the first book interesting enough. If you are patient and like huge world, many fantastical races and a unique magic system, then you would really like it. The cast of characters do get a bit insane to keep track of (and I thought GRRM's ASOIAF was numerous).

Book 2 and 3 are really great.

johnnysd

I thought that it was quite good. Very low key and different. I look forward to his next series.

johnnysd

I highly recommend the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. Gritty, realistic with wonderfully deep characters. Highest recommendation.

MrE

I'm currently reading the historical fantasy "The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters" by Gordon Dahlquist and loving it. I know there's a second book, but not much more, since I don't want to get ahead of myself. Since it recent and underappreciated, used copies can also be found very inexpensively.

wmansir

I'm halfway through the series myself and am really enjoying it. Like the Dresden series it's not the most mature or complex material, but it's great pulpy fun with some good twists on the genre.

Book one had the usually first book issues. The basic setup was quite well worn, but it kept the action going while revealing the interesting world of Alera. Book two really tested me. I almost abandoned the series as the first half was heavily bogged down in politics. I just finished book three and it was easily my favorite so far. That book just hit the ground running and didn't let up. I just a few chapters into book four and it seems to be keeping that pace.

mlemmond

I haven't seen this one mentioned but I always enjoyed it.

Gilgamesh1082

I won't lie, I sank two weeks into the first two books, and the majority of that was on GotM. As Sean has mentioned, you slog through it, and by the time the last 100-150 pages comes around, you're on an even keel finally. And then he throws you across a continent to an entirely different set of characters for book 2. GotM was the author's first published work and it shows. By the time Chain of Dogs came out, he had developed as a writer tremendously. The quality pick up between books 1 and 2 is simply astounding. And somehow he manages to best that going into book 3, Memories of Ice.

I was warned by others going into the series that Gardens is easily its greatest trying point. But the reward is so colossal. You owe it to yourself as a fantasy lover to make it past those first 700 pages.