What other fantasy books do YOU read?

[Thinlómien]

Has anyone else read the Acacia trilogy (The War with the Mein, The Other Lands, The Sacred Band) by David Anthony Durham? I read it this summer/autumn and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Durham follows, in a way, in George R.R. Martin's footsteps: epic high fantasy peppered with sometimes ugly realism and a world where nothing is black-and-white.

I was fascinated with Durham's frequent balancing between traditional fantasy clichés and more unconventional ideas - the first book is a story of the old emperor's four children, two girls and two boys, all of whom have a different destiny when their father is assassinated and they have to regain the throne. Yawn? Well then, what if I told you the empire was founded on slave trade and drugging their own people with an opium-like substance? Much more intriguing, says I. Durham's world is populated with humans and it has a very historical feel. There are fantasy creatures, but they are either just animals that don't exist in our world, or then monsters created by misuse of magic. Magic itself is rare but it does play a key role in the trilogy, as do human souls and boundaries between life and death.

It was also very nice to read basic entertaining high fantasy which is not a tad sexist (the female characters are just as important and active as the male characters, and none of them fall into the marysue category, or maybe a few, but the male characters are just as garysues!), has homosexual heros and heroines as well as stuff like communists opposing the monarchy (!!! that was totally unexpected and funny, and they were not any better or worse people than the main guys) and preaches co-operation, tolerance and trust in other people over other things (okay, to be fair, these are pretty common themes/values in fantasy, but it still makes me happy).

All in all, Durham writes more contemporary, liberal and realistic fantasy than many fantasy authors who seem still to live a bit in the past and harbor some sort of macho hero mythology. It doesn't prevent him from writing an intriguing and entertaining traditional epic fantasy plot (his twists and turns kept surprising me all the time) and having wonderful heroes you can root for and baddies you can dislike with all your heart. Also, Durham's world seems pretty real and thoroughly built, which is always cool.

I had a few grievances with the books too, but all in all I was impressed. I would warmly recommend the Acacia trilogy to anyone who wants something refreshing and a bit but not too much different in their epic fantasy diet. (And apparently I'm not alone in my appreciation - I heard that Durham's sales went up when George R.R. Martin praised him recently. So all Martin fans, here's something you might want to try. )

[Aganzir]

I just finished my third reread of K.J. Bishop's The Etched City. It's magical. I know I've praised it before on this very thread, but I've got to do it again. Read it.

[Lalwendë]

It's not fantasy but it's one of the most geek-friendly books I've read in a long time - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

It's set in 2044 and the world is a rotten place. The narrator is a 17 year old lad who is addicted (like almost everyone else) to a virtual reality 'world' (more of a 'verse) called the Oasis. He even plugs in to go to school. He's also a huge geek hunting an Easter Egg hidden by one of the creators (another geek, and fan of 80s pop culture), because finding it means winning the billions he left in his will. It's all about gaming: online gaming; D&D; arcade games etc. And stuffed full of references to: Tolkien; Star Wars; Firefly; Doctor Who; John Hughes films; Rush etc. And has quite a lot to say about online friendships and what happens when people meet in real life.

Give this one a bash. It's good fun.

[Glorthelion]

I tried reading [B]Eye of the world[B] by Robert Jordan. I didn't last the first chapter. My book savvy friends recommended the series. It has to be a rip-off of Tolkien. I might give it another go in the future.

[Thinlómien]

Since the year is nearing its end, why not make a list, everyone? Makes for a nice recommendation list to anyone looking for holiday entertainment.


Here's my list (in no particular order)

1. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
An alternative history epic set in medieval (?) China. Political plotting, poetry, spirits of the dead and tragic love stories. I also warmly recommend everything else by Kay, this is just his newest book.

2. The Acacia trilogy by David Anthony Durham
More in this post.

3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Not sure if this one counts, but it's an epic parade of different literary genres, often bordering on science fiction and connected by a sort of thread of karma or rebirths. You can't explain this book, you have to read it.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A very catchy and entertaining story and a grisly dystopy at the same time. If you've seen the movie, you don't really have to read the book though, they are 95% similar (the book just makes a little more sense).

5. Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt
A compact and a very beautifully written retelling of the Northern mythology with unavoidable allusions to WWII and today's world.


I just realised I've read very little fantasy/science fiction this year. Weird. Also by the way (since I've been rereading that), for anyone out there who hasn't read George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series or seen the HBO series, I can say once again: you are missing something awesome. I can also recommend The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún to everyone who enjoys his/her mythology.

Now it's your turn.

[elvet]

I'm a big time fantasy reader, and have just lately been branching out into SF. I used to read mysteries when I was younger and still enjoy the odd one. For those of you on http://www.goodreads.com/ my user name is the same as here.
Favorite Fantasy authors:
Joe Abercrombie
Steven Erikson
G.R.R. Martin
Guy Gavriel Kay
Michelle Sagara West

My 2012 five star books on Goodreads:
Hydrogen Sonata by Ian M. Banks
The Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson
Sharps by K.J. Parker
Skirmish by Michelle Sagara West
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Caliban's War by James Corey
Long Price Quartet (4 book series) by Daniel Abraham

[Sapphire_Flame]

Emerging from a lengthy absence to splutter indignantly over the lack of Brandon Sanderson in this thread. (What, three mentions so far?) His books are amazing! They're wonderfully thought-out and don't just "rearrange the furniture in Tolkien's attic," to quote Mr. Gaiman. The characters are well-rounded, the settings are unique and intriguing, and the magic systems are just short of jaw-dropping. Come on, guys, please go check out Mr. Sanderson's work! One of his novels is even readable for free on his website!

*sigh*

Well, since there's been a call for end of the year recommendations, I'll go ahead and list my top five (aside from Tolkien, which I'll assume we've all read. )

1) Brandon Sanderson - Just...everything he's written. I'm not joking.

2) David Eddings - The Elenium trilogy is the best, but I'll always love the Belgariad too.

3) Brandon Mull - The Fablehaven series. Yes, it's for 10-12-year-olds, but it's clever, fun writing, and I'm always in favor of clever, fun writing.

4) H.P. Lovecraft - Pretty much everything here, too, but I'll give a particular nod for "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and "Pickman's Model".

5) Howard Andrew Jones - The Desert of Souls, which is a great Arabian Nights-esque sword-and-sorcery novel. The sequel's just come out too, and I'm hoping it will be just as good.

Good reading, everyone!