Looking for good world building in a fantasy setting

[Selene]

Haven't been able to read for a while, mostly because nothing catches my attention, so I'll give this a shot.

I would like an adventure book (not YA, though) that has a lush and well-developed setting. It can be whimsical (like Neverending Story), or slightly dark (like in the movie The Fall). Something that is fascinating, but not overly burdened by the common fantasy cliches. I'd take a story with really good characters and setting.

Not looking for something with an "epic" plot, a la Lord of the Rings... more of a well done exploration of the setting.

Thank you, this is a great idea for a group :)

[peg]

Murakami is very imaginative and surreal, have you read any of his works?

[Christy]

This doesn't quite count as adventure, but it's definitely fantasy and it includes some fantastic and fascinating worldbuilding: Daniel Abraham's The Long Price Quartet (first two books collected here: Shadow and Betrayal). It starts a little slow, but it gets so good. One of the best fantasy series I've read.

[Betsy]

Two fantasy series come to my mind immediately:

The Riddle of the Stars by Patricia McKillip, starting with The Riddle-Master of Hed. The world -- known as the Land -- is composed of a number of different kingdoms. The ruler of each kingdom is tied so closely to his domain that he can sense what's going on within it with the plants, the animals, even the minerals. He is also responsible for their well-being to such an extent that he can be cut off from this sense, and his right to rule, if he abrogates it. Learning is accomplished through riddles. I've always thought it was a fascinating world view. And it's a very enjoyable read.

Another is the Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara West, beginning with Cast in Shadow. It's not the standard heroic sword and sorcery, although it does have magic and lots of fantastical creatures. It centers around the large city of Elantra peopled by a variety of races, including dragons, leontines, aeryans, and humans, and other strange types. The heroine escapes from a life of abject poverty and degradation in the lawless slums and fights to become a member of the Guards that patrol the City to keep order, mostly among the humans. There are mages among several of the races but not humans. However, Kaylin, the main character, who is human, has a strange magic not exhibited by any one else. Parts of her skin are covered in runes, like tattoos, that give her a lot of power that she neither understands nor knows how to control. There are tensions among the various races, of course, and Kaylin, who is something of a screw-up, usually seems caught in the middle. I've always thought this was an interesting world, although the setting is very much subordinate to the characters in the storytelling. This is a very enjoyable fantasy, but it's long -- already eight books and not finished yet.

[Selene]

Thank you very much for your responses!

Peg, I enjoy Murakami greatly! However, recently I can't seem to get into ANY of his (or most) books. Need to get the reading ball rolling again.

Christy, thank you! I will try to find that book now... city-states often make very interesting settings, and the thought of a "poet-sorcerer" intrigues me!

Betsy, those two books look fascinating, the first one you mentioned in particular. Though it may have nothing to do, the learning-through-riddles reminds me of the way zen Buddhist masters teach. The second book you mentioned reminded me a whole lot of the Black Magician's trilogy, which, if you haven't read, I recommend (though the first book is kind of a slow burn, but it's very good).

I'll check those three books out and report back here once I'm done. Thanks again! :)

[Robert]

I am going to highly recommend The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith and it's sequel Passenger Not only is the fantasy world highly original, but it is sure to leave a lasting memory with you. I won't give away any spoilers, but I do hope you will give it a go, it is well worth the time and effort.



Cheers!

[Selene]

Thank you Robert! For some reason, the summary reminds me a bit of Neil Gaiman. I'll have to give this a read, definitely! :)

[jo]

i have some recommendations but i'm kept in check by your saying that you prefer the books not to be YA then give as an example The Neverending Story. is that not YA?

[Lacey]

Wandering Stars (The Awakened book #1-3) by Jason Tesar... I would try to explain the greatness of this story but I think reading the summary for yourself is best.

[Robin]

The Magicians and the sequel The Magician Kingis a fun fantasy world. Well, "fun" could be relative... The books were explained to me as the love child of Narnia and Harry Potter, but with angst (drugs, sex, cussing, etc.)

[Lisa]

Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time Series.

[Anna]

Try Saving Connor a HP fanfiction that in later books creates unforgettable world.

And yep, GR allows to add fanfics

[Sara]

Selene, would you mind elaborating on the common fantasy cliches that bother you? Each person has different pet peeves and sometimes they're really idiosyncratic (John Scalzi, for example, hates stew), so it'd be helpful to know what to look out for :D

For now, I'll recommend The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells. It's set in a fantasy world populated by non-human (but somewhat human-like) creatures. It follows Moon, an orphan who doesn't know what sort of creature he is...until he accidentally encounters someone who looks like him. He reluctantly agrees to follow the stranger back to his group.

I really liked the setting and characters, though I had trouble telling some of them apart. I felt like I was exploring a colorful new world.

[scherzo♫]

The settings in David Eddings' Belgariad series are fascinating and memorable. I read (and reread) the books decades ago and still vividly remember many of the countries and societies. (Plot is fairly high up on the epic scale, though.)
http://www.goodreads.com/series/40739...

First book is Pawn of Prophecy

[scherzo♫]

Another series with memorable settings is Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. Definitely dark. (Also leans toward epic.)
http://www.goodreads.com/series/49526...
First book is Lord Foul's Bane

[Grey]

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

And for a one-off not really on-topic but one I recommend whenever I mention Mr Wolfe, "There Are Doors" is beautiful and fascinating

[Taylor]

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy is the all-out best worldbuilding fantasy I've read. The magic system is the most solid, intriguing piece of work I've ever seen, and the culture is rich and well-defined. You can actually find this in any of his novels, but Mistborn has a swashbuckling feel to it that is just marvelous.