Recommend a book please

[ArmorOfGod]

I need something new to read. I want it to be epic, meaning it can be up to 4 books long if it is worth reading.
I just finished the first 4 books of the Fire and Ice Series (Crown of Swords, Feast of Crows, Game of Thrones) by George Martin and it was amazing. I didn't like any of the Tolkein books and the Wheel of Time series became far too hard to enjoy after about book 6 due to his writing style. I grew up on the Shannara books by Terry Brooks, so you can look at that and see what I am kind of looking for. The Recluce books by Modessitt were amazing as well and fit what I am looking for right now.
I don't want anything space based and I like things that are semi-realistic (like the George Martin books) with a little bit of magic thrown in. I liked some of the Discworld Terry Pratchett books, but I am not looking for anything particularly humorous.
Any suggestions?

AoG

AoG

 

[Flying Crane]

Fire and Ice was kick-***, I was gonna recommend it but you've already done it. I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for book five.

Another good choice is Dies the Fire, by S.M. Stirling. It's a present-day setting, but takes place after a mysterious "Event" that inexplicably makes all modern technology non-functional worldwide, including firearms, electricity, automobiles, etc. So everyone who manages to survive, is thrown into a sort of Midieval existance. There are currently 4 books in the series, but book five is still in hardback so I'm waiting for the paperback.

I just picked up World War Z, I forgot the name of the author. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I've spoken with people who give it very high praise. It is written in a sort of documentary style of interviews, with people who survived the Great Zombie Apocalypse, or something like that. Supposed to be very gritty and quite good. I just watched 28 Days Later, and 28 Weeks Later, so I'm kind of on a zombie kick right now.

This same author has also written a survival guide, on how to prepare for and survive a zombie invasion

 

[Kacey]

Anything by Anne McCaffrey, but especially the PERN books - not quite space-based (in the original set, the settlers have forgotten how they got there), plus dragons... real, big enough to ride, dragons.

Scott Westerfield has a 4-book trilogy (I know... it was a trilogy, but then he wrote another one) that I really enjoyed - Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras. If may be in the juvenile/teen section of the bookstore/library, but a very thought-provoking series that I quite enjoyed.

Katherine Kurtz' Deryini may fit your requirements quite well - set in pseudo-historical England (Gwynnedd), with the Deryini - humans with a little extra "plus"; some abilities are innate, requiring only training, while others require magical rituals. Set between (roughly) 1000-1200 AD, with the appropriate technology and social strata. The original trilogy was a little rough around the edges, but once you get into the first book, a great read!

 

[CoryKS]

Try "The Belgariad" by David and Lee Eddings. Five books, but it's easy and highly entertaining reading. There's also a sequel series of five books called "The Malloreon", but the first set is complete if you don't wish to continue.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

Wow!
Thank you everyone!
Still, keep the suggestions coming.
My library system is made up of 14 libraries. They will ship any book from any library to my library for free and I can reserve them over the internet.
Please, keep adding. This will make my reading list for the next several months.

BTW, Flying Crane, Fire and Ice is maybe the best series I have read yet. HBO has licensed it for a series, but I hope it doesn't happen. There's far too much blood, incest, and young people doing very grown things to make it work for the small screen.

AoG

 

[Flying Crane]

Wow!
BTW, Flying Crane, Fire and Ice is maybe the best series I have read yet. HBO has licensed it for a series, but I hope it doesn't happen. There's far too much blood, incest, and young people doing very grown things to make it work for the small screen.

AoG

Complete agreement on all counts. It would almost have to be a rated X movie, for violence and sex, but it wouldn't be a true porn flick.

When I was younger, I read a lot of fantasy stuff, until I finally figured out that very little of it is truly unique, and much of it is really poorly written. So I drifted away from it for years.

A couple years ago I began to drift back into it again, and re-read some of the old things that I had read when I was younger (some good, much bad). Then I went into a neighborhood bookstore that specializes in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror/Gothic Fiction, and asked for some recommendations. Fire and Ice was the first of their recommendations that I read, and I was just blown away. The quality of the writing was just WAYYYYY above the average crap that makes up the bulk of the genre.

Then I stumbled into Stirling's Dies the Fire, and I think he's in a pretty close second place, as far as quality of writing. I mis-spoke in my prior post, book FOUR is still in hardback, there is no book five and I don't know if there ever will be or not.

I'll list a few of the other books I've read, that you might want to check out.

Ursula LeGuinn's Earthsea stories, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea, started as a three volume trilogy, but has grown to 6 or 7 now. They are all fairly short, but I believe were very well written. It involves a main character who studied at a Wizarding University (I believe Harry Potter is a VERY CHEAP rip-off of this story), but set in its own Midieval universe. This series was begun quite a while ago, probably the 1960s or 1970s, so it's been around for a while.

Another series was written for a younger audience, is the 5 volume Prydain stories by Lloyd Alexander, beginning with A Book of Three. It is another midieval type setting, drawing heavily on Welsh mythology, good vs. evil and such. In a way, it's sort of a Tolkienish story aimed at a younger audience, but I loved it as a kid. I read it again a few years ago as an adult, and found that it is still a very good story. Well written, and certainly not "dumbed-down" for children like much of today's writing is. Again, these were written in the 1960s.

Another series that I liked when I was younger is the Book of Swords, by Fred Saberhagen. I read them again as an adult, and I don't think the writing is of the same caliber as some of the others, but I found the idea behind the story to be compelling. The series starts with The First Book of Swords, and is a trilogy. Then, he continued the story with the Books of Lost Swords, of which there are 8 or so volumes, I haven't read all of these.

The idea in this story is that the gods (Greek archtypes) are very petty and selfish and small-minded. They ask Vulcan to make 12 swords of power, to be distributed among the humans, basically to see what happens, and for their amusement. So these swords, each possessing one unique magical quality, are sprinkled by the gods among the various human populations, and a certain amount of chaos ensues as people try to possess them and fight over them and whatnot. Then it is discovered that these swords can kill the gods themselves, and suddenly the gods want them back.

There is one situation in one of the later volumes of Lost Swords, the story of the sword Farslayer, that I found pretty amusing. The power that this sword has is that you can magically fling it away, and it will kill your enemy from a distance. The sword vanishes when you throw it, and it reappears with the blade buried in the chest of the enemy you have named, no matter where he is. No amount of distance or protection or armor or fortifications can stop it. It is a guaranteed kill. The problem is, once you have used it, it doesn't come back to you. It stays where it is until someone else picks it up and uses it.

This sword falls into the hands of a family that was in the middle of a generations-old blood feud with another family. And they just take turns flinging the sword back and forth, killing each other off, one at a time until both families are decimated. Every time someone used it, they knew retribution would be visited upon themselves, but they just couldn't help it. They kept using it. I really liked that whole idea, thought it was pretty funny.

Here's another idea: have you read the Beowulf epic poem? It's a bit different from a modern novel, but is an inspiration for many of the fantasy stories of today. It might be a good one to check out, if you haven't. There are numerous translations on the market, so you ought to be able to find one that works for you. Most of them are translated from the Olde English into modern English, but try to retain the poetic style of narration. If you aren't used to this kind of thing you may need to struggle with it a bit, but it's a great story. And stay the hell away from the new, animated Beowulf movie with Angelina Jolie. I see there is also a novel on the market, based on this movie version. Absolute garbage, and a real disgrace.

A novelized rendition of the Beowulf story that I found compelling is Whose Song is Sung, by Frank Schaefer. In this novel, the story is told from the point of view of one of Beowulf's companions. It's pretty hard-core with violence and stuff, and a very good read. I stumbled onto it in a used book store, and found it to be pretty good.

anyway, hope some of these ideas work for ya. I'll try to think of some other good ones...

 

[Archangel M]

Joel Rosenberg's "Guardians of the Flame" series.

(Didnt like Tolkien???...GASP!)

 

[Flying Crane]

Try "The Belgariad" by David and Lee Eddings. Five books, but it's easy and highly entertaining reading. There's also a sequel series of five books called "The Malloreon", but the first set is complete if you don't wish to continue.

I felt that the Belgariad had a higher quality of writing overall, than the Mallorean.

There are also two separate volumes in this story where the Wizard Belgareth and the Sorceress Polgara each narrate the events of their long lives, spanning several thousand years each. Those are not badly written.

 

[Flying Crane]

Joel Rosenberg's "Guardians of the Flame" series.

(Didnt like Tolkien???...GASP!)

ah, this is the one where the D&Ders get magically transported into their characters, right? I had forgotten about those, I think I only read the first volume. I can't remember much of anything about it.

 

[Sukerkin]

Some very good recommendations, ladies and gentlemen.

The Deryni books are marvellous and complex but be warned, they presage the modern trend for 'grittyness' and any character you grow to like, love or admire will probably get killed by someone you despise (and any good that was achieved through great sacrifice will be undone by the next book) . Brilliant for ideas and creativity but marked down for being a bit too 'real' in that regard.

The Earthsea trilogy {I've not read the others} was very good. Simply written but rich, like so much of Le Guins work.

I'm at a bit of a loss, AoG, how can you prefer the copyist Brooks over the original Tolkien?

 

[Archangel M]

ah, this is the one where the D&Ders get magically transported into their characters, right? I had forgotten about those, I think I only read the first volume. I can't remember much of anything about it.

Yup..good pulp action fantasy/fiction. Book 1 was ok, but I got hooked after book 2.

 

[Flying Crane]

I'm at a bit of a loss, AoG, how can you prefer the copyist Brooks over the original Tolkien?

aye, it does beg the question.

However, please see my tag line: de gustibus non disputante est. concerning taste, there can be no dispute.

 

[Archangel M]

Brooks stuff was OK. I liked it when I was in my teens-twenties, but couldnt get further than the third book. Then I lost interest.

Another series I LOVED as a teen but just couldnt re-read as an adult was the Thieves World series.

 

[Flying Crane]

Katherine Kurtz' Deryini may fit your requirements quite well - set in pseudo-historical England (Gwynnedd), with the Deryini - humans with a little extra "plus"; some abilities are innate, requiring only training, while others require magical rituals. Set between (roughly) 1000-1200 AD, with the appropriate technology and social strata. The original trilogy was a little rough around the edges, but once you get into the first book, a great read!

The Deryni books are marvellous and complex but be warned, they presage the modern trend for 'grittyness' and any character you grow to like, love or admire will probably get killed by someone you despise (and any good that was achieved through great sacrifice will be undone by the next book) . Brilliant for ideas and creativity but marked down for being a bit too 'real' in that regard.

I don't know anything about this story. Could you guys give me some more info? I'm also always on the lookout for some superior quality fantasy writing, and I'd hate to miss a good one.

Sukerkin: this same gritty trend is very prevalent in the Song of Fire and Ice. Check it out if you haven't. It is hands-down the very best fantasy that I have read in a very very long time. It is truly a breath of fresh air in a genre that is clogged with a whole lot of mediocre to downright poor writing.

 

[Flying Crane]

Another series I LOVED as a teen but just couldnt re-read as an adult was the Thieves World series.

ah yeah, that was one of mine as a teenager as well. I think I liked the IDEA behind the story better than most of the actual stories themselves.

 

[jks9199]

Well, in addition to Recluse (he's added a few more over the last few years), Modesitt's Corean Chronicles and Spellsong Saga are enjoyable.

If you want something more modern/historical, I'm currently reading a trilogy by John Birmingham called The Axis of Time; it starts with Weapons of Choice, and is about a mid-21st Century multi-national naval fleet that gets popped back to 1942, just in time to totally cluster**** Midway. Some interesting ideas about culture clashes and the impact of technology. It IS NOT a deus ex machina type of thing like so many of
Turtledove's seem to end up being...

 

[Sukerkin]

Whilst I think on it, The Many Coloured Land by Julian May is brilliant.

Donaldson's long twin series (with recent additions) of Thomas Covenant is a good (if frustrating at times) read. Be warned that you will in all likelyhood require a dictionary by the bed for these .

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I'm at a bit of a loss, AoG, how can you prefer the copyist Brooks over the original Tolkien?

I think my love of the Shannara books by Terry Brooks tend to come from a happy middle school memory rather than the quality of the books. I have read the second book (written second) the Elfstones of Shannara every October since I was 12 years old, although I have not read it in the past 4 or 5 years, so my tradition hasn't held up, but still.
My problem with Tolken and my way way bigger problem with the Wheel of Time books is they are almost a chore to read sometimes. Like I said though, Wheel of Time was far worse than Tolken, which was worth reading in the end. Right now, I want something indepth, a little gritty, and very detailed, but not something where I will have to take notes to understand what is happening halfway through the book.

AoG

 

[Archangel M]

I really didnt get hooked on Tolkien until I picked up one of those Tolkien dictionaries that described anything and everything throughout the series. Once I saw the depth of the story and all the backstory connections, I was an addict.

 

[jks9199]

Some very good recommendations, ladies and gentlemen.

The Deryni books are marvellous and complex but be warned, they presage the modern trend for 'grittyness' and any character you grow to like, love or admire will probably get killed by someone you despise (and any good that was achieved through great sacrifice will be undone by the next book) . Brilliant for ideas and creativity but marked down for being a bit too 'real' in that regard.

The Earthsea trilogy {I've not read the others} was very good. Simply written but rich, like so much of Le Guins work.

I'm at a bit of a loss, AoG, how can you prefer the copyist Brooks over the original Tolkien?

The original Earthsea trilogy is great; the 4 books (I think) that follow expand upon it in a very good, very believable way. All of them have a lot to say about responsibility... (One of the things I like about Modesitt's books is that there are always several messages running through them; accepting responsibility for one's choices and their consequences is almost always there.)

You might also look for The Initiate Brother and Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell. They're set in a place very much like the Far East, and have an interesting side story about martial arts...

Lately, I've also been getting into things like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books which are set in our world (or somewhere close), but with magic working. The Kitty the Werewolf books are another example... (Kitty and the Midnight Hour, Kitty Takes a Holiday, et al)...