Something like The Name of the Wind

[Becky]

Get a room. :P

[Becky]

Somewhat on topic and for what it's worth, I didn't care for The Magicians at all and didn't finish it. I did like NOTW but haven't read WMF yet. I think I liked the style and the feel of the writing more than the actual story being told... I liked it, but just liked the style more. *shrug*

I shall be reading Lies of Locke Lamora soon... *cough* I promise, Ala. O_o

[Chris]

Awesome....

[[deleted user]]

mark wrote: "crazyapple - don't be put off by The Blade having a disfigured torturer as a lead character. the tone is much more light than Game of Thrones. it is a fun book. "

I've read both series, and would have to say that The First Law trilogy(and the two subsequent standalones) are about as dark as A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Megan]

I would say Blade is darker. Or at least, I would say that Ice and Fire is realistic in its depiction of darkness, whereas Blades tends to be more dark for the sake of being dark. Which was interesting as first, but for me it got old. On the other hand, Ice and Fire has no trouble holding my interest.

[Chad]

I was going to recommend the Belgariad series, but I think one someone beat me to that

Did anyone mention A Wizard of Earthsea
or A Shadow in Summer?

[Evilynn]

Well, there's no sex in A Wizard of Earthsea, but as long as s/he sticks to book #1 and #3 in the series there aren't any girl germs either. ;)

Maybe Roger Zelazny's Amber books would work? Male POVs through all 10 of them and they're not overly dark.

[Maggletooth]

Kim wrote: "I don't really see a similarity in writing styles with Brandon Sanderson. The first Mistborn book didn't grab me like The Name of the Wind. I would say the First Law books would be closer."

Agreed. Rothfuss' prose and character believability are the most captivating elements of his writing. there are a million 'similar' books in theme and scope that won't do. Personally I tried to read Mistborn and hated it. I suggest the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.

[Thomas]

I can suggest Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series (Wizards First Rule through Confessor) and the Rhapsody series by Elizabeth Haydon. Also, for more contemporary fantasy, Mark Chadbourn's Age of Misrule, The Dark Age and Kingdom of the Serpent. All will engage you...:)

[A.G.]

I'm not sure if these have been suggested, but I like books by Raymond E. Feist, Kristen Britain and Jim Butcher.

[Darp]

I feel like everyone is missing out on a few gems! The Seven Realms Series is YA but very similar to tnotw! The protagonist is a rejected orphan lives on the streets......realizes he's the only descendant of the most powerful wizard to ever live.......lives with natives, makes friends with a young man who loves to craft magical items, goes to a magic school, and learns forbidden secrets of magic and life. Anymore would destroy the book for you! Read it, it will change your perspective of the entire YA fantasy scene

[Nayeomi]

Anthony Ryan's Blood Song is similar (both even has a Chronicler) to Rothfuss work. :) i've read both and enjoyed them.

[[deleted user]]

I think that the Daimbert series qualifies . It follows a main character who is very similar to Kvothe, maybe lacking the musical talent. There's a magic school, a kingdom, even the very same nymph. Seriously, I think this is the series where Rothfuss got all his ideas from.

I'm still looking for reading material myself. Just finished The Slow Regard of Silent Things which was nice, but altogether too short. It takes ages for the next book to come out...

I'm still going through the recommendations in this thread and looking for more. I can vouch for The Curse of Chalion; as for Grossman's Magicians, I didn't like/understand it at all.

At this point I wouldn't even say no to some indie titles. The Unsuspecting Mage was horrible to read, but oddly satisfying at the same time. Hopelessly overpowered main character blasts everything that gets in his way. Oh well.

[Maria]

The Lies of Locke Lamora, Mistborn Trilogy and Robin Hobb are always good choices, to repeat what others have said.
Patricia Briggs' Dragon Bones and it's sequel are also good contenders. She's mostly known for being the reigning queen of UF werewolves these days, but her early epic fantasy is worth checking out. What all of these books have in common are their epicness [sic], well balanced tragedy and humor, lots of action and intimate scenes, great world building and being mostly driven by character, not divorced from plot.

[Maria]

Oooh, and The Curse of Chalion, and any other book by Lois McMaster Bujold is awesome and readable and amazing and all things good as well.

Lev Grossman's The Magicians is awesome as well, as long as you get that the derivative parts are that purposefully. If you've grown up reading every fantasy book under the sky, it's wonderfully refreshing. If you lack that vocabulary or just miss the point, well...

[Ella]

Hello. I am hoping to write a fantasy novel, but I would like to see what readers want more of in fantasy novels (magic, dragons, first person narrative, etc.).