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• Reputation: 103 Q&A: 3 0 0 45 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 5 topics Books & Writing Book Recommendations General Book Discussion Other Books & Writing Book Club- A Visit from the Goon Squad Follow Following 0 mishalibrarian

  2 0 I will second the Rothfuss--I am looking forward to digging into the Wise Man's Fear, the second book, soon. But I am shelling out cash to get A Dance With Dragons at the George R. R. Martin event this Friday. I have also been hearing good things about Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings. But for some other fantasy series that have shorter waits at the library, try Naomi Novik's Temeraire series starting with His Majesty's Dragon (dragons during the Napoleonic wars!) or John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series starting with The Ruins of Gorlan. mishalibrarian answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report 2 comments by sublevelthree and Tracy M… 1 0 I second novick that series rocks napolianic war with dragons. You can't go wrong with that! sublevelthree commented 10 months ago | Report 1 0 Ohhh, look at you including fancy hyperlinks! (That's actually said appreciatively, not sarcastically. It's a great idea and I just wish I'd thought of it before rambling about my faves, below). I'll be checking out the Temeraire series myself now. Thanks. Tracy M commented 10 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0   The complete series from Award Winning Author Ursula K le Guin 'A Wizard of Sea' The Earthsea Quartet ( all four books..a must read) by Ursula K. Le Guin http://t.co/6tzQZhz Absolutely my favorite author and the best Fantasy. Comparable to Tolkien but deeper and more balanced and heartfelt. And for something influenced by both le Guin and Tolkien there is newcomer and NY Times Best Seller Patrick Rothfuss ' The Name of The Wind'http://t.co/oxSD8rm Enjoy! Carlos da Silva answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 I like Neil Gaiman because his stories are simple and weird, and he doesn't get too epic about shit. Plus he can be pretty funny. Stardust is a WAY better book than movie and is definitely ripe with mythical fuckery. Neverwhere is also great, but is a little bit further on the mythical realism side of the fantasy spectrum, which might not be your thing. I had to stop reading the Graveyard Book because I was too upset that it didn't come out when I was 10. 10-year-old me would have loved that shit. Rock Jocelyn answered in Book Recommendations 9 months ago | Report 1 comment by Black Beetles in Amber… 0 0 "I like Neil Gaiman because his stories are simple and weird, and he doesn't get too epic about shit. Plus he can be pretty funny." I like that, there's definitely a heavy "human" quality to his storytelling, even relating to the supernatural. There's not much that's un-knowable, cryptic and alien. Black Beetles in Amber commented 9 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 1195 Q&A: 21 0 13 542 42 3 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 2 Sphinx

  1 0 The majority of these are fairly well known, so hopefully you won't have already read all of them: If you enjoyed Nix's Shade's Children, I'd give his Abhorsen cycle a go (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen)- they're some of my favorite fantasy books to come out in recent years. He also wrote a loosely connected anthology of stories called Across the Wall, worth checking out if you end up liking the series. The Ragwitch is not, in my opinion, worth your time. For more epic, richly detailed fantasy you could try Richard Adam's Maia and Shardik. Very well built and believable (though in many ways detestable) worlds here. For darker stuff, check out China Mieville's trilogy Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Iron Council. I LOVED this series (though it broke my heart over and over again), but I haven't been enamored of his more recent novels (The City and The City, Kraken). I also have to plug The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, though the rest of her work seems to be utter claptrap. I read this book for the first time when I was just a wee preteen and it was my first real introduction to the Arthur canon, so my judgement as to its literary merits is probably somewhat shaky. A recent novel that I enjoyed quite a bit was In the Night Garden, by Catherynne Valente- it's a puzzle narrative steeped in traditional folklore-lots of fun. Its sequel (In the Cities of Coin and Spice) and the one other book by the same author I picked up (Palimpset) didn't grab me the same way, though. I'm also a fan of Charles de Lint, who writes urban fantasy. Some of his work is a bit too simplistic for me, but for the most part I appreciate his mixed-up stew of traditional Celtic and Native American cultural motifs in modern settings and the helping of traditional fairytale-esque moralizing he adds to it. I think his anthologies showcase his work much better than his novels, however. Check out Moonlight and Vines, Tapping the Dream Tree, Dreams Underfoot, etc. for short stories and then maybe dip into The Onion Girl, Memory and Dream, or Widdershins if you like what you saw. I agree the wait list at the library for A Song of Ice and Fire is insane- if you've got the extra cash, though, Amazon is selling a box set of the first four novels for only $20- which is smoking deal, especially if you're a slower reader than me (reading the first four only provided me with about a week and half's entertainment). On the (really off) chance that you haven't already read them, you should check out Susan Cooper's Dark Is Rising series (it's children's literature, but it's AMAZING) and anything and everything that Ursula K. Leguin ever penned. Since you mention 100 Years of Solitude I'll throw out another magical realism suggestion- Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya (I read this for a college class and enjoyed it thoroughly). Sphinx answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 775 Q&A: 20 0 3 266 6 11 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 Tracy M

  1 0 I'm a fan of Guy Gavriel Kay. He's very prolific, but unlike many fantasy authors, most of his series are only 2 books long, and he even writes stand-alone novels, too. My absolute favorite is "Tigana". It's epic fantasy, full of complex characters, all in interesting shades of grey. Can't remember if there's actually a map in it, but it's sure the type of story that could USE a map. Also, his two book series that begins with "Sailing to Sarantium" is very good...it's set in a fictional land, but mirrors much of the Byzantine Empire. Both of these have magic and complex politics, but I don't remember too many magical creatures. "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch which was recommended to me by a Third Place Books employee. They kept telling me how funny it was. When I started it, I was skeptical...took a bit for the funny to show up, but it did have me laughing. Although, I'd emphasize the funny less, and pump up the ACTION more. Common story of master thieves/con artists. The capers/heists are great fun, and there are all kinds of twists and turns. Saw someone compare it to Ocean's 11. Not sure about that, but I can see what they were going for. Although, this book does NOT pull any punches. The stakes start out relatively high and things keep getting more intense. It's totally a stand alone book. Although the author has now written a second book that follows the gang in a new caper. These are page turners, not "LITERATURE," but they are well crafted and wonderfully plotted. "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss is great. It's the first in a trilogy (the 2nd book only just came out a few months ago, so if you're averse to waiting, maybe hold off). But it's great pacing, as our hero recounts his life story. The kind of thing that keeps me up late because I have to know how it ends. Newly crafted world, with its own countries, languages, and religions, etc. There's magic and adventure and sorrow and demons, etc. And I know for a fact IT HAS A MAP!! Lois McMaster Bujold writes a ton of stuff, much of it more sci fi than fantasy, and I find space/aliens snooze-inducing. However, "The Curse of Chalion" (and there's a sequel, I forget the title) is fantastic, and it also has maps. I read this almost in the early 2000's so I am rusty on particulars, but I remember loving it. The world she's crafted is fantastic, and I found the religions created to be fascinating. In lighter fantasy, there's the Kushiel triology by Jacqueline Carey. I'm almost positive it has a map (although the author creates a world modeled after Europe, so it's kind of a cheating map, still). The first three are decently entertaining, following a courtesan/spy specializing in bondage (although I had one friend quite disappointed that this wasn't more erotic...author tends to "set the scene" and then "pan to the fireplace"). Although now she's written about 5 or 6 books, I'd suggest stopping at the 1st 3. It completes the story and is plenty. I almost want to call this "fluffy," it's perfectly entertaining, but not THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER! Still, a decent way to pass the time. This doesn't quite fit your fictional map fantasy category, but I adored it so much, thought I'd share: "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller, Jr is a classic from the 50's, i think, that I'd never heard of before. Just found it last year (thanks to Half Price Books employee): IT IS BRILLIANT! This is a small book, but it is fully-packed and super clever. Post-apocalyptic and fascinating, especially with a catholic school upbringing. Very wry, too. This is some arch smart stuff. Tracy M answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 If you are okay with urban fantasy Jim butchers dresden files are fantastic. It's got the wizards, fae, several types of vampires, fallen angels , werewolves and all kinds of nasties duking it out in present day Chicago with wiZard/pi detective Harry dresden. The first book isn't as involved as the rest of the series but the world get crazy complex and the characters are great If youre looking for just sword and horses type fantasy his other series the codex allera is more up this alley and also good but totally different and maybe more what your looking for but you might wanna give both series a try. There ia book order info at Jim-butcher.com And when you get the chance do read sublevelthree answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report 1 comment by sublevelthree… 0 0 Acck it cut me off . Do eventually read the game of thrones series it's fantastic, but obviously you'll be in line for a while. The first book is pretty close to the tv series(just not as in depth) so if you saw it you could skip the 6000 people in line for the first book and go back to that one later sublevelthree commented 10 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 It is being busy with our own little online book suggestion service, but here's a little list of some recent titles for your consideration, most readily available at the libe. David Wright answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report 1 comment by David Wright… 0 0 Of the titles and series I threw together for ya on that list, I think the one I would bring to your special attention is the Ken Scholes, especially because I don't see him mentioned elsewhere here, and he really should be much better known. This is a post-apocalyptic fantasy hybrid, and is exceptionally good. David Wright commented 10 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Everyone has made good suggestions, but I have a few to add: See if you can get hold of Kylie Chan's "White Tiger". It is the start of a series about a woman working in Hong Kong whose boss turns out to be one of the Chinese gods... It is a lot of fun and very interesting about Chinese myths and legends. They are now starting to be published in the US. If you like a bit of Chinoiserie, get ahold of the books by Barry Hughart, starting with "Bridge of Birds". They are classics - funny, clever and totally engaging. Sadly there are only three. Finally, if you want to try something a bit sharper, after all the candy, read Richard K Morgan's "The Steel Remains". It is very dense and rather scary. I have this mental picture of "The Steel Remains" being in a fight with all the other fantasy novels, beating them and then leaving them sobbing hysterically in the corner. ozchick answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Check out Steven Erikson and his Malazan Book of Fallen series if you like grand, epic fantasy that does not skimp on either the usual off the charts magical action or the not so usual blood, gut, gore, treachery etc. Joe Abercrombie wrote the "The First Law" series which, while not as ambitious a story arc, is nonetheless one of the better fantasy series for character development. His Logan Ninefingers may just enter the pantheon of fantasy legends alongside Conan, Frodo, et al Tom answered in Book Recommendations 10 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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