Any fantasy books as good as this out there?

[Dale]

Anthony Ryan's Blood Raven read a review and see for yourself

[Michael]

Michael wrote: "Has anyone read Traitor's Blade by Sebastein De Castell?"

It's freaking awesome

[M]

cool, I'll add it, meeting the author in a week, may have to go find it fast.

[Dale]

bit too expensive for me on the kindle. If it is more than $10.00 out of my budget.

[Dale]

Michael wrote: "cool, I'll add it, meeting the author in a week, may have to go find it fast."

Book isn't scheduled to come out until July 1

[M]

cool Traitor's Blade is only 2 bucks

[Allison]

not sure if these have been mentioned, but for contemporary fantasy I would recommend Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" (truthfully, anything by Neil Gaiman is worth reading) and Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series (1st book is called "Hounded", there are currently 6 books out in this series)

[Michael]

also check out Brian Staveley's The Emperor's Blades

and Will Wight's Traveler's Gate books https://www.goodreads.com/series/1084...

and Michael Manning's Mageborn books https://www.goodreads.com/series/6758...

[Austin]

I would recommend Blood Song, as well as The Warded Man both books are very engaging although they are of different styles of writing than Patrick Rothfuss. Sanderson's Mistborn and The way of Kings (Stormlight Archives), Abercrombies First Law series (as well as his other stand alone books), are all excellent although more dissimilar to Rothfuss. Two other series that may be worth looking into as well are Brent Weeks Lightbringer and Night Angel series. They might not be on par with the other books mentioned but are very enjoyable reads.

[Benjamin]

Robert wrote: "My book,Riddle in Stone, isn't nearly as good as The Name of the Wind. Not by a long shot!! Still, if you're interested in a dark fantasy with a twisted sense of humor... :)

[book..."ill give your book a try sound's interesting can i buy it at barrens and nobles

[Benjamin]

well the best fantasy series I ever read was by Stephan king and it's called the dark tower series you might want to give it a try i'm reading book seven of wheel of time and its good but not nearly as good as the dark tower I couldn't get into a song of ice and fire but the dark tower series is nothing like kkc if I was to suggest something similar it would have to be harry potter which was excellent far better than kkc imo but then again in harry potter the first two book sucked compared to the first two in kkc and we are still waiting for the third so maybe that statement is premature anyways just try the dark tower when you have time or harry potter and try not to let the harry potter stigma stop you from reading them the books are really wonderful even for an adult

[M]

don't believe him, the dark tower series it terrible.

[Benjamin]

terrible well what was terrible about it I thought it was original and very good I loved It even loved the ending did you even read it I've never met anyone who said it was terrible but your entitled to your opinion even if it's a bad one

[Boostamonte]

Seriously, anything by Brandon Sanderson. You'd be stupid to pass up his books. His Stormlight Archive will be the greatest Epic Fantasy novel to ever be written. the first 2 books already shame Lord of the Rings...So go read them.

[Ken]

shame Lord of the Rings? That is a mighty bold claim.

How do they do so? I'm curious, not being skeptical.

RE Benjamin, his punctuation (or lack thereof) should indicate the demographic to which he belongs. It's not a bad thing. Likely at his age Dark Tower might be the best thing he'd read - so far. That will change with time.

[Michael]

Kenneth wrote: "shame Lord of the Rings? That is a mighty bold claim.

How do they do so? I'm curious, not being skeptical.

I don't necessarily agree with the statement because they are two very different authors, but I do love all things Sanderson.

For me it has to do with his character- and world-building, as well as his unique magic systems. All of his books exist in the same universe, or Cosmere as he calls it, and there are subtle clues and references hidden throughout that reinforce that. It adds an entirely new level of meta-story which I find really awesome, and a huge community has developed who speculate on what's going on and what's coming next.

Once I found out about the connectedness of his novels I went back and reread them and it was entirely new experience, like reading the books for the first time again.

The magic systems are so thoroughly fleshed out and unique, but they also benefit from the interconnectedness of the Cosmere, and certain fundamental laws of that universe add a consistency to things and make them feel real. Instead of magic being just a guy with a beard waving his hands around, there are incredibly well-thought-out systems that govern things and make them seem plausible in the context of the Cosmere's alternate reality.

[Boostamonte]

Lord of the Rings brought about a revolution of the Fantasy genre, the credit is due to that, but the book is very old fashioned and it is limited. Sanderson builds worlds better than Tolkien, his characters are better--deeper. His magic systems are far better than Tolkien. Everything in general is better. And, finally, Stormlight Archive will be vastly larger by scope and range than anything Tolkien wrote.

My point is, while everyone is striving to write a book like Tolkien or to reach his level, Sanderson is surpassing it and viewing Tolkien as a stepping stone and reaching deeper to find the unexplored reaches of the Epic Fantasy genre.

Just read them, and find out!

[Kevin]

Everyone's taste is different. I got about 160 pages into Mistborn and was too bored to continue reading. I got about 50 pages into The Way of Kings and hated it. IMO Brandon Sanderson is very overrated but other people feel he's awesome. I have greatly enjoyed the Kingkiller Chronicles and the Lightbringer series by Weeks. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Boostamonte]

Brandon rewards the patient reader, and his endings are explosive. The twists and turns are awesome. It sounds like you gave up before you ever got to the good stuff. 50 pages is far, and I can't imagine being bored by then...but you are right, taste does matter and adds an extra amount of uselessness to this whole thread. No one can say what is better than what really since reading is a very personal thing.

[Joshua]

Boostamonte wrote: "Seriously, anything by Brandon Sanderson. You'd be stupid to pass up his books. His Stormlight Archive will be the greatest Epic Fantasy novel to ever be written. the first 2 books already shame Lo..."

I read mistborn all the way to the end and did not like it. maybe his other books are good but I don't think I'll be giving him another chance. I did however love the Lies of locke Lamora and the other two gentleman bastard books. I just started the warded man series and It looks very promising. Starts slow but well worth the wait.

[Kevin]

I loved The Lies of Locke Lamora. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

[M]

I found Sanderson's book The Way of Kings good, but his writing is/was a bit formulic.

[Anoop]

try reading Malice and Valor by John Gwynne, its awesome.. also try a bit of urban fantasy reading, immortal and hellenic immortal by Gene Doucette; also books by Steve Mchugh, crimes against magic series...

[Jordan]

The Wheel of Time is what I started after finishing the first 2 King Killer books.

[Patrick]

All great recommendations but yeah, nothing is quite the same as The Name of the Wind. Here's my recommendation, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, which is part 2.5 of the series! Comes out this October hopefully.

[Mike]

It's not 2.5 in the series. Goodreads just has it listed as such. It's not part of the KKC. It simply focuses on one of the characters from that series. You can read it apart from the KKC and it make no difference as far as needing it to further the KKC. Likewise TNoTW and TWMF can be read apart from this novel and not be impacted.

[Alex]

ive found some great books on this list, locke lamoora, blood song, abercrombie's blade itself and emperors blades. The only ones i havnt read that keeps popping up is Brent Weeks and Brandon Sanderson, am i missing out?? what do u recommend ??

[Austin]

You're definitely missing out if you haven't tried Sanderson. I would recommend the Stormlight Archives over the mistborn series. I found both books in the series hard to put down. Brent Weeks' books are also quite good and very enjoyable reads, but I think Sanderson is better written.

[Joel]

Gosh, if you are a fantasy fan you definitely need to check Brandon Sanderson out. He is my number 1 favorite author. I have loved everything he has written. He is also a very fast writer. He turns out 2 to 3 books a year, so you never have to wait very long for something new from him. I would probably recommend starting with his Mistborn Trilogy. All of his fantasy books are related to, they all take place in the same universe called the Cosmere. But you don't have to know that to enjoy any of his books. You are definitely missing out if you haven't read his stuff. It's freaking awesome.

[Mike]

I would echo the gentlemen above me regarding Sanderson. I only started reading his works this year and have burned through five or six of his novels. Definitely begin with the Stormlight Archive books as they are awesome and his most recent publication is part of that series. The Way of Kings Words of Radiance. Read up on his Cosmere as it just makes the reading that much more fun. Here's a link to get you started: http://www.reddit.com/r/Stormlight_Ar...

I would add though that not all of his works as previously mentioned take place in the Cosmere. There are several though that do. Just google cosmere for additional info.

I also enjoyed his superhero venture with Steelheart. Not everyone has but it takes a stab into the genre from a different approach which I really liked.

[Mike]

You mentioned Brent Weeks too. I have found his writings very enjoyable as well. Granted, I've only read The Black Prism and The Blinding Knife they were both great and I definitely recommend them.

One last recommendation that I thoroughly enjoyed is Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. While it is more Sci-Fi, it is awesome! One of my favorites and I highly recommend it.

[Alex]

mean! thanks

[Joel]

Mike wrote: "I would echo the gentlemen above me regarding Sanderson. I only started reading his works this year and have burned through five or six of his novels. Definitely begin with the Stormlight Archive b..."

I really liked Steelheart as well. I've already preordered Firefight. Can't wait.

[Jeff]

I know this is a dead topic, but seriously check out the mistborn trilogy by Brandon sanderson. Name of the wind is my favourite novel and mistborn blew me away. Check out my page for other books, I tend to only read sci fi and fantasy. Anything Sanderson is a gem! Cheers

[Mike]

Benjamin wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "shame Lord of the Rings? That is a mighty bold claim.

How do they do so? I'm curious, not being skeptical.

RE Benjamin, his punctuation (or lack thereof) should indicate the demog..."

You're....lol I'm messing with you. I couldn't resist, let this stuff roll off your back man. You're gonna find all kinds of ppl on the net man, cursing all of the ones who anger you will consume your life. Don't play down to anyone else's level.

I think it's funny that in your about me section you already put it out there... "I am a chef I suck at grammer and spelling..."

By the way what's your pic referencing?

[Benjamin]

Mike wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "shame Lord of the Rings? That is a mighty bold claim.

How do they do so? I'm curious, not being skeptical.

RE Benjamin, his punctuation (or lack thereof) should i..." it's a picture of the dark tower! I know what your saying, I shouldn't get worked up about that guys comments. they just felt very condescending so I thought i would just rant at him a little bit. he really shouldn't have said that i have a narrow demographic of reading, because he doesn't like the books i do. but whatever... hope i made my point clear.

[Mike]

Benjamin wrote: "Mike wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "shame Lord of the Rings? That is a mighty bold claim.

How do they do so? I'm curious, not being skeptical.

RE Benjamin, his punctuation (or lack ther..."

You did. Now, let me ask another question if you will. I started the dark tower series a couple years ago and got about half way through the first book and put it down telling myself I'd come back to it, but never did. It was just kinda out there for me and I was having difficulty following some of it. Does it get better and start making sense?

[Benjamin]

the first book is very boring the first 2/3 and yes it gets way better the drawing of the three was excellent and so was the waste lands

[Benjamin]

the gunslinger is better after you read the whole series. it's one of those books you'll look back on with love, but it's by far the most boring one in the series. the reason i liked the books so much was because of roland there was something very appealing to me about his character i would suggest reading the first two book and if you don't like it after the drawing of the three than it's probably just not for you.

[Mike]

You've convinced me to pick it back up. I went over to the reviews and read Kempers and he says pretty much the same as you. I'll read it now. It just wasn't making a lot of sense to me at first so I put it down. Thanks for the added insight.

[Benjamin]

good deal! wish i could be reading them again for the first time i hope you enjoy them.. " go then there are other worlds than these." jake chambers.. lol i thought that quote would be suiting for someone who is about to start the dark tower for the first time. you'll understand it later

[Ken]

Way to go and prove every opinion generated about you true with that last tirade of ad hominim attacks, rife with grammatical errors.

[Mike]

Kenneth, let it go.

[Ken]

sorry, I got drawn in.

[Anoop]

Just did a back to back read of Promise of Blood and Crimson Campaign...bloody awesome... a must read

[Michael]

Anoop wrote: "Just did a back to back read of Promise of Blood and Crimson Campaign...bloody awesome... a must read"

agree completely. held off for the longest time because I don't generally like firearms in my fantasy but it's totally different than I thought and is really unique and awesome.

[Joshua]

I just finished the blade itself trilogy and loved it. Great books! I have found so many great books just off of this one thread its insane.

[Cory]

Can't add much else as a lot has been covered. Though I will plug RA Salvatore's Drizzt series since no one else has listed. They got me into fantasy books back in middle school (long time ago). Early books were great (Icewind Dale Trilogy and Dark Elf Trilogy - at least I remember them as great :)), middle books hits and misses but push story along (I actually stopped reading them somewhere in the middle), more recent 2 apparently back to being good (Companions is good - reading it now and Night of the Hunter - yet to read but good feedback). Another one due out this Fall.

[Sarah]

I would suggest 'Songs of the earth' by Elspeth Cooper

[Abrahem]

here is a list of Books that I enjoyed and what I enjoyed in them briefly. I tried to arrange them in order of what I found most enjoyable. please if you have other recommendations let me know.

1- A song of fire and ice - George R R martin
arguably the best fantasy book ever written. has all elements really, coming of age, magic, gritty, humor,war.

2- raven's shadow - anthony ryan
one of the best fantasy books out there. coming of age + abilities + some grittiness.

3- First Law - Abercrombiel Joe
a must read if you like gritty fantasy. magic, war, and logan F**king 9 fingers!

4- The king killer's chronicle - Patrick rothfuss
great story, coming of age.

6- The storm light archive - Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson is arguably the best fantasy author. i liked all the main characters in this book. I hope he kills some of them though and introduce new ones.

7- The broken empire - Mark lawrence.
good gritty fantasy. coming of age, post-apoclyptic. i lmainly liked hw different the main character is from all other books.

7- The black Prism - Brent weeks
it gets much better in the second book. coming of age mainly.

8- Foundation trilogy - Isaac Asimov :
if you are going to read 1 sci fi fantasy, then this is it.

8- Commonwealth saga - Peter F hamilton
a solid sci fi..it gets slow at times due to abundance of unimportant side characters. but the story is very interesting.

9- Riyria revelations - michael J. sullivan.


10- The mistborn - Brandon Sanderson :
especially the first book. you don't really need to read the whole trilogy.

11- Zero Sight - Justin B. Shier
coming of age, magic. kind of like harry potter for adults.

12- The vampire chronicle - Ann rice
if you are going to read one book about vampires, then this is it. up to the end of "queen of the damned" is a beautiful read.

>>other notable mentions : a deepness in the sky (Vernor Vinge), the emperor's blades (brian staveley), dance of cloaks (david daglish), the painted man (peter v brett), the night angel trilogy (brent weeks), ender's game

>>Book I didn't enjoy : Steven Erikson - the malazan book of the fallen. robin hobb - farseer , Raymond E. Feist - magician, scott lynch - gentelman bastard, robert jordan-wheel of time(didn't give it enough time maybe), Michael G manning- mageborn, daniel abraham - dragon path,

Please share your thoughts and your recommendations.