Looking for some 90's fantasy nostalgia that I missed out on

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Hey everyone, how's it going?

First of all, once again I wrote way too much, so I'll just ask you to read the next 3 paragraphs. After that feel free to respond.

I don't know if I mentioned this, but when I was a teenager in junior high I read quite a bit(at a considerably slower pace than I do now) but I read horror with stuff like Fear Street by R.L. Stine. Well, I've wondered what I missed out during that time.

I'm looking for some suggestions for some either young adult(yep people that know me, you heard me!) or adult fantasy novels. Stuff that I could have gotten at the library if I had just had the interest in such things that came out in the 90's.

Oh, and I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I'd also like to create a topic for it where I act like I'm posting on a blog back from this time and I'm posting for my online friends, and maybe some of you can respond to him.

Ok, you read the essential part. Feel free to stop reading and respond now.

=======

Here's what I'm looking for. However I"M VERY flexible on all of this if you explain yourself.

-nothing from modern day. Preferably medievil, but it doesn't have to be, just need something from the past. When I was a teen, I wanted to escape into the past.

-The whole series can't be more than 1200 pages, no matter how many book it is. Hoping for a trilogy. My teen and also modern self gets excited by trilogies!

Bonus optionals.

-preferably a series that was completed by the year 2000 at the latest.

-preferably something that's doesn't really deal with shades of gray(when I was a teenager, I looked at things in a very black and white sort of way)

-Preferably something with a really really cool title

This is some popular stuff that I've looked at so far that doesn't work.

Harry Potter
A song of ice and Fire(this is more of a high school me.)
Wheel of Time(this is more of a high school me.)
His Dark Materials(i'm looking for young adult to adult, this seems to be aimed at 10 year olds)
Terry Pratchett books(i might have read this as a teen, but only to pretend that I like it to seem cool.)
Tad Williams books(they sound so promising, why do they have to be 900 pages long? It's not fair! :( )
Terry Goodkind(Just NO! Just NO!)
Dark Tower(I'd be turned away by the fact that it's Stephen King)
The Coldfire Trilogy(anyone kne anything like this series that's shorter, it';s about 500 pages too long)

Here's some things that I've found that might work

Farseer Trilogy(The literally better than nothing pick. hopefully we can think of something better)

The Sword of Shannara(I know it's like 750 pages, but at the same time the title would have really pulled my teenage self in, and from what I hear you can read the book by itself and be fine. I know it's not known as a good series, but again, my teen self would have loved it. Again though, hopefully we can think of something better.)

DragonRiders of Pern Trilogy(ok, it's actually from the 70's but my teenage self actualy wanted to read this, but he never got the chance because he couldn't find it. Again, hopefully we can find something better.)

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

oh, you're missing out if you think His Dark Materials is too young. There are some great big concepts in there. I read it at 12-13.

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Really? Tell me about the concepts?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

(view spoiler)[ It quickly turns into an exploration of religion, innocence, and what is right. There is one of the most touching scenes I've ever read as an angel does what he must and knows he'll never see his lover again. There is a whole "what if" about symbiotic evolution, and the nature of light. All with the veneer of knives that cut through dimensions and armored polar bears and the i-Ching. (hide spoiler)]

Now that I'm at a computer, Tamora Pierce is a YA must read. I think for you maybe start with The Lioness series Alanna: The First Adventure.

Robin McKinley's Damar "series" is just a couple of books in the same world and both make me crazy nostalgic. The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown.

And then of course there's Sabriel. The rest of the initial trilogy were written early 2000s...I think 2002 was the last of them. So maybe not quite the same thing, but I don't know a fantasy reader from the 90s who hadn't read Sabriel.

The Belgariad is also a classic staple for that time period, it finished being written early 90s if I recall correctly.

You can't go wrong with Sharon Shinn and Tannith Lee, too. Heart of Gold was one of the first sci-fi books I read that tackled race. And Tannith Lee writes beautiful, wretched worlds.

Ach, I am already feeling wist. I hope some of these have magic that survive this more suspicious era!

[Aidan]

I'm interest in what's up with Terry Goodkind?

I read Wizard's First Rule many years ago and stopped after that. I thought it was a good book, but didn't see what else could happen that required another 12 books..... So I stopped while I was ahead. Apparently, I didn't miss much!

[Scott]

I consider His Dark Materials to be an adult series that just happens to have kids as main characters (just my opinion).
Original.
Great concepts.

[Sarah]

I agree about His Dark Materials. There's a lot of adult things happening there.

[Sarah]

I'll add a suggestion too though, I haven't read this particular series yet but it seems to meet most of your requirements and I love his other stuff:

The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell:

Starts at The Winter King
Is a trilogy
Written in the 90s
Completed by 1999
Is a re-telling of King Arthur
Cornwell only knows how to write adult, and most of his stuff is pretty black and white
Set in the Dark Ages (which is not technically medieval but pretty close)
Clocks in at about 1200 pages total (each book is about 400 pages long)

I've read his Last Kingdom series and some of his other works and I've never not liked one of his books. This is pretty high on my priority list for TBR.

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Allison wrote: "[spoilers removed]

Now that I'm at a computer, Tamora Pierce is a YA must read. I think for you maybe start with The Lioness series Alanna: The First Adventure.

Robin McKinley's Dam..."

First of all, that is pretty damn cool that it explores those themes, it's gutsy, especially by kids book standarrds. Maybe I'll read it one day, as I'm trying to be more open-minded, hence why I'm opening myself to your adult fantasy novels. That said, I'm not there yet. I'll probably get there in a year or two though.

*hipster dickishness removed I apologize for putting it in*

Darksword is a book that I wish that I had read about a decade ago. Thanks for reminding me of it, Definately checking it, and It'll probably be what I read first when I pick up this project again.

Alanna sounds it actually sounds kinda interesting. added it to the pile!, Blue Sword also sounds interesting. So does Sabriel.

Hoping that since I'm being real again you'll recommend a starting point for abitha Shale And Tabitha Lee. If not, I understand, I was a dick after all.

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Sarah wrote: "I'll add a suggestion too though, I haven't read this particular series yet but it seems to meet most of your requirements and I love his other stuff:

The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell:

..."

you're a girl after the thirteen year old inside of my heart! :D

---

*continues through his local library*

Whoah, King Arthu!. I'm not even gonna read the decription, I'm so grabbing High Queen.

Ad what's this? The Warlord Chronicles? It's also King Arthur! Awesome! So getting!

Ok, so that's three books so far. Which should I make the last two? Gotta keep looking!

[Megan]

I'm going to have to backup Allison and endorse The Belgariad series and beyond by David Eddings. He was my gateway drug. I think I read the most books of my life during the 90s as a teen, and his books got me started.

I also loved Raymond E Feist, Guy Gavriel Kay, Anne MaCaffery, and Mercedes Lackey. I'm sure there are others I'm missing.

The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword, and Deerskin are my three books that I will actually reread from way back when. Not sure why. But they just made my little teenage heart happy.

[Megan]

And Piers Anthony. Those Xanth books were pretty silly though. They were amusing at 12 and 13 but not sure if they'd be for you.

[Sarah]

MorteTorment(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'll add a suggestion too though, I haven't read this particular series yet but it seems to meet most of your requirements and I love his other stuff:

The Warlord Chronicles by Berna..."

Haha (well don't tell anyone, but I'm still 13 on the inside.) I hope you like them!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

MorteTorment(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Allison wrote: "[spoilers removed]

Now that I'm at a computer, Tamora Pierce is a YA must read. I think for you maybe start with The Lioness series Alanna: The First Adventure.

Robi..."

Haha well, given how the definite black and white books got dismissed, I'm going to suggest postponing Sharon Shinn and Tannith Lee.

Sabriel is about people who go and fix what necromancers have done--the good guys, with an interesting band of heroes and really cool magic.

Alanna is not like Freaky Friday, it's more like Mulan, except instead of heading to war, she, the Prince of Thieves, her talking cat and a bunch of other friends tackle things like bullies, dark magic users, and ancient demons!

Blue Sword does have a small section about a war, but it is 100% about someone with a cool sword kicking butt with a small band of friends and is even more about a quest to find who you are and embrace magic. Hero and the Crown is mostly about fighting a dragon!

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Allison wrote: "MorteTorment(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader) wrote: "Allison wrote: "[spoilers removed]

Now that I'm at a computer, Tamora Pierce is a YA must read. I think for you maybe start with The Lioness..."

I apologize for acting like such a hipster dick before. I heavily edited my post from before, please check it out if you're willing to give me a second chance.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

All good, dude.

[EchoBaz(Unofficial World's Fastest Reader)]

Thanks.

[Heidi]

I loved the Dragon Riders of Pern series, and Sword of Shanara. I was all excited to watch the Shanara Chronicles on Netflix with my kid and about 10 minutes in I was like "Wait... WHAT?! This is not the Shanara I was expecting!" Lol Makes me want to go back and re-read the books!

Have you read Eye of the Hunter? The Eye of the Hunter it was published in 1993. I never realized they made more books, but apparently it has developed into a whole world with several spinoffs just like Shanara did. Just added 19 books to my TBR because of your little challenge ;) Thanks for the fond reminisce back to my 90's reading habits!