What other fantasy books do YOU read?

[Thinlómien]

Welcome to the Downs, BGreg! I can warmly recommend Guy Gavriel Kay, he's one of my favourite authors. He's just fascinatingly skilled with words and has a breathtaking sense of drama.

I quite like George R.R. Martin too and I'm anxiously waiting for the next novel to the series. Sadly, he seems to be a rather slow writer...

[Andsigil]

Not exactly fantasy, but historical fiction are two of my favorites:

The Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell

The Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser.

I can't recommend them both highly enough!

[Beregond]

Count another fan of A Song of Ice and Fire. Wish they weren't so crude at times, but they are realistic, I guess. And I'm not always a great fan of books that blur the line between good and evil, but George Martin's books have an amazing allure. One of the hardest series of books to put down once you start reading. Many sleepless nights are attributed to ASoIaF. They got me more interested in medieval study/way of speech a few years back when I read them.

I met G.R.R. at a book expo in New York in '05, he signed a preview of the fourth book. That was kind of neat! He looks the same in person as he does in pictures.

Following his blog is really frustrating though. All he talks about is American football - when me and thousands of fans are screaming for him to get on and finish Dance of Dragons (book 5, which was scheduled for release last year). I almost hate to say things like this, but after the death of Robert Jordan, I can't help worrying about whether we'll see the end of this series. G.R.R. seems to have lost interest, for the moment. I know if I were a writer I'd have the same problem finishing books, but...I'm not, and he is, and it's not fair that we have to wait!

[Lariren Shadow]

I've heard good and bad things about the Fionavar books. I've had friends swear by them and friends who thought they were cliche. I do know that Guy Gavriel Kay did write them after working on something Tolkien related(right now it escapes me as to what it was).

I pretty much love anything by Neil Gaiman, especially Stardust. I highly recommend any of his books.

Currently I am reading The Time Traveler's Wife. It's very good and I would consider it sort of fantasy/sci-fi/a whole new breed of fiction all together. It's very good and highly recommend it.

Other than that I do tend to read the books in the teen/young adult section mostly because I'm(at least possibly) going to be teaching high school students soon(ah, real world!) and should know what they are reading. The answer: vampires. A lot of vampires. Some faery too, but mostly vampires.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Lariren Shadow

I've heard good and bad things about the Fionavar books. I've had friends swear by them and friends who thought they were cliche. I do know that Guy Gavriel Kay did write them after working on something Tolkien related(right now it escapes me as to what it was).

He helped Christopher Tolkien to edit the Silmarillion. But anyway, I can offer yet another opinion on Fionavar. They are downright cliché. Probably one of the most clichéish fantasy books I've read. But they are still simply brilliant, because Kay can pull it off. It doesn't matter if you've got all kinds of seers, dark lords, King Arthurs, semi-Beren&Lúthiens, elves sailing to west, werewolf liutenants trees of life and prophecies in the same book if the author knows how to use the elements exactly correctly. At times it's breathtaking.

I must say, though, that even though Fionavar is very good, I like many other books of Kay's better. Perhaps you could try them too if you're afraid of clichés? Tigana is a lovely, tragic fantasy epic. And if you're into sort of alternative history, you must read The Lions of Al-Rassan (I'm convinced that book is just perfect) and A Song of Arbonne. They are set in worlds very much like Spain under the Arab rule and medieval France, respectively, and they are among my favourite books, both of them.

Originally Posted by Lari

Currently I am reading The Time Traveler's Wife. It's very good and I would consider it sort of fantasy/sci-fi/a whole new breed of fiction all together. It's very good and highly recommend it.

I read it after three downers had praised it, but it was a kind of disappointment. Yes, it was nice, but that's it. I didn't find it especially moving or exciting or well-written or original. For me, it was too much like the sort of icky romantic women's literature...

[Lariren Shadow]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I must say, though, that even though Fionavar is very good, I like many other books of Kay's better. Perhaps you could try them too if you're afraid of clichés? Tigana is a lovely, tragic fantasy epic. And if you're into sort of alternative history, you must read The Lions of Al-Rassan (I'm convinced that book is just perfect) and A Song of Arbonne. They are set in worlds very much like Spain under the Arab rule and medieval France, respectively, and they are among my favourite books, both of them.

I read it after three downers had praised it, but it was a kind of disappointment. Yes, it was nice, but that's it. I didn't find it especially moving or exciting or well-written or original. For me, it was too much like the sort of icky romantic women's literature...

I think my other thing that would stop me reading Fionavar is that my name is Jennifer and, well, I never liked Guinevere.

I do have another Kay book in my room at home, Ysabel. I started in a bookstore and then decided not to buy it(poor college student and it being in hardcover). Then I found it for five dollars at a book sale so it's now sitting in my room at home(because it's still hardcover and really heavy to bring places). I have looked at Tigana and been recommended it before so I think I need to go buy it.

As for The Time Traveler's Wife, I can see what you mean, but I still love it.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Lariren Shadow

I do have another Kay book in my room at home, Ysabel. I started in a bookstore and then decided not to buy it(poor college student and it being in hardcover). Then I found it for five dollars at a book sale so it's now sitting in my room at home(because it's still hardcover and really heavy to bring places). I have looked at Tigana and been recommended it before so I think I need to go buy it.

Oh, I have to read that yet - I bought it for my sister (who is also a Kay fan) for Christmas and she just finished reading it, so I could pick it up now if I only had the time!

[Thinlómien]

Sorry to double post, but I've been considering reading Dune and Mists of Avalon, and I was thinking - could anyone give me opinions on them? What are they like? Are they worth the read? Are they something a busy student could read, or do they require more time and devotion?

edit: xed with Lari so I didn't double post, yay!

[Lariren Shadow]

Hehe, I shall add to that:

Dune I've only ever heard good things about. The sequals, however, I've never heard anything good about. It's been called The Lord of the Rings of sci-fi.

As for The Mists of Avalon, I read it after the mini-series was on tv and ended up trying very hard to finish it but never actually succeeding. It was really get and then it went on a really long kick where nothing really happened for a good over 100 pages. We're talking, excuse my opinion, worst than some of the longer more descriptive parts of Lord of the Rings(you know, where you are really appreciative of the way things are said and the language used but are wondering why the rock is being described for a really long time). I just, stopped. I couldn't get through the rest. It was a good story, but it just dragged.

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Lariren Shadow

As for The Mists of Avalon, I read it after the mini-series was on tv and ended up trying very hard to finish it but never actually succeeding. It was really get and then it went on a really long kick where nothing really happened for a good over 100 pages. We're talking, excuse my opinion, worst than some of the longer more descriptive parts of Lord of the Rings(you know, where you are really appreciative of the way things are said and the language used but are wondering why the rock is being described for a really long time). I just, stopped. I couldn't get through the rest. It was a good story, but it just dragged.

I totally agree. I'm so far along I refuse to give up now. But there are hundreds of pages where it's nothing but Morgaine lamenting her lost feminist powers and Lancelet pining for Arthur's queen. When the story progresses and Avalon's plans are revealed and there's a plot it's great. I personally liked the mini-series better because it didn't get bogged down with fifty pages of Morgaine's feelings about the same thing over and over again.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Sorry to double post, but I've been considering reading Dune and Mists of Avalon, and I was thinking - could anyone give me opinions on them? What are they like? Are they worth the read? Are they something a busy student could read, or do they require more time and devotion?

My dad has told me for the longest time to read Dune, if I want to understand economics (it has something to do with spices and empires and stuff). But I haven't, because I don't know where he placed our copy. But I think it really is a good book; my dad maybe a book lover but he is mostly an economist.

I found The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie at the university book stalls, and had a pretty good bargain. The cover had a pretty good review from Ursula K. Le Guin (who I don't really love, but appreciate nonetheless), and was described by others as 'postmodernist magic realism.' I still haven't finished it, but I think it's very worth the money I put in. Imagine a great conqueror with a very large empire getting so lonely as to create his own imaginary wife a la children's imaginary friends.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Sorry to double post, but I've been considering reading Dune and Mists of Avalon, and I was thinking - could anyone give me opinions on them? What are they like? Are they worth the read? Are they something a busy student could read, or do they require more time and devotion?

edit: xed with Lari so I didn't double post, yay!

Mists of Avalon does have slow parts, but it's also tremendously atmospheric - and if you are interested in reading Arthurian stories, it's good to read one from a wholly different perspective even if you end up not liking it! Though I'm sure you will like it.

It's especially evocative if you know the locations used, the West Country and the Vale of Avalon.

And it's very Pagan and feminist - I like that as someone who's tackled Women Who Run With The Wolves

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Sorry to double post, but I've been considering reading Dune and Mists of Avalon, and I was thinking - could anyone give me opinions on them? What are they like? Are they worth the read? Are they something a busy student could read, or do they require more time and devotion?

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Mists of Avalon does have slow parts, but it's also tremendously atmospheric - and if you are interested in reading Arthurian stories, it's good to read one from a wholly different perspective even if you end up not liking it! Though I'm sure you will like it.

It's especially evocative if you know the locations used, the West Country and the Vale of Avalon.

Not wishing to sound like a chauvinist, but I found Mists of Avalon dreadfully boring and devoid of humor. I prefer T.H. White's retelling of the Arthurian cycle in The Once and Future King. Mary Stewart's Merlin series (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, etc.) is interesting in parts, but is rather somber, and tends to meander later on in the series.

The Dune series is excellent, an intriguing tale straddling fantasy and science fiction with a depth both politically and religiously which transcends most everything in the genre (save for maybe Asimov's Foundation trilogy). Read Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and God Emperor of Dune, but go nae further. It gets silly afterwards, particularly since the original author died and the story was taken up by his not-so-talented son and a ghost writer. The amount of time the story spans is reminiscent of Tolkien, chronologically speaking.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

[And it's very Pagan and feminist - I like that as someone who's tackled Women Who Run With The Wolves

My significant other (who is glaring at me rather wolfishly at the moment), is an advocate of Clarissa Estes; therefore, rather than imperilling my very soul, I won't comment any further.

[Snowdog]

I'm doing a casual re-read of the Black Company series by Glen Cook.
An interesting perspective in a rather dark world.