Reading suggestions that include deft world-building and great characters please ...

[Nicole]

Just indulged myself with Andrea Host's Medair duology and Champion of the Rose. Loved all three, especially the second of the Medair books. Can anyone recommend anything similar in tone/subject?

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*, *good karma*]

I am not familiar with the books mentioned...but you might get more people looking/helping/suggesting if you:

A) edit your thread title to be more specific
B) Provide links to the books you've read already

[Nicole]

My apologies for the brevity of the first post; I flung it out there as I was leaving the house in the hopes that I'd find some interesting suggestions on my return. So I'll expand on it as per Mrs.Joseph's suggestions.
I read Andrea Host's Champion of the Rose Champion of the Rose based on a recommendation in another thread and really enjoyed it. Followed up with her Medair duology The Silence of Medair and Voice of the Lost and was bowled over, especially by the second. (Anyone know if she has any plans to turn this into a trilogy? I'd really love to know what happened next!)
I am looking for fantasy books that have a similar feel - deft, unobtrusive world building, unforgettable characters, and great prose. I know it's a pretty vague definition (my apologies for that) but if you're familiar with Host's stories, hopefully you'll know what I mean.
Many thanks

[Pauline]

Nicole wrote: "I am looking for fantasy books that have a similar feel - deft, unobtrusive world building, unforgettable characters, and great prose."

I'm a big fan of Andrea K Host too, but to be honest I'm not sure that anyone else is entirely comparable. She's one of a kind! She has written quite a few other books, so you have those to enjoy. There will also be a follow-up to 'Champion' soon.

Another author you might enjoy is Glenda Larke. The world-building is more in-your-face than Host, but great characters, great prose, yes, definitely, and she has the same unpredictability in the plot. Her first book, Havenstar, has just been re-released. It's a stand-alone.

[Sophie]

Unfortunately, I haven't read Champion of the Rose yet, but based on your other criteria the first things that come to mind (and I'm casting a wide net here with just world building and character as my guide) :

Charles de Lint's The Harp of the Grey Rose *not a series

Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel (characters) *not a series (one of my personal favourites, lots of intrigue)

Kristin Cashore's Graceling

Garth Nix's Sabriel (I highly recommend this one to everyone)

Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief

Tanith Lee's Black Unicorn

Pamela Dean's The Secret Country

All of these are part of a series or trilogy.

And anything by Robin McKinley and Tamora Pierce .

*edit* looking over the books you've discussed already, were you looking for self-published authors specifically?