Good fantasy books to start off with?

DroneLore · Nov 19, 2007

LostLass said:

Some "old school" pre-LOTR fantasy is great. The King of Elfland's Daughter, Lud In The Mist, The Well at the End of the World ... are all great and very well written.

An excellent introduction to fantasy is the original Wizard of Earthsea trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin. The series was later expanded to include 2 more novels and a collection of short stories. IMO, A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan are the best of the lot.

Judith Tarr wrote some amazing books collectively called "The Hound And The Falcon" series and two related novels, Alamut, and The Dagger and the Cross.

George RR Martin's above mentioned series is awesome... complex and well written. Then there is Phillip Pullman's series His Dark Materials (The Amber Spyglass, et. al.)

Guy Gavriel Kaye is a good fantasy writer.

What about the Redwall series by Brian Jacques?

If you want fantasy that borders on the surreal and horror, Try Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs or Bones of the Moon. Along the same fantasy/surreal/horror line is The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce; I think it will be read in literature classes a hundred years from now, assuming the Earth is not a charred cinder in space.

Piers Anthony is fun to read but all the slapstick gets old after the first few books. I have tried for years to get into Terry Brooks novels but I find them a bit stale and unoriginal.
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Excellent post, I'm going to have to check some of that out.

Roffa · Feb 10, 2008

I'll second the recommendation for the Earthsea series. I've just read the first 4 novels straight through in less than a week. The fourth novel is very different in tone from the others, mostly taking place on a much more mundane level and dealing with issues of female empowerment vs patriarchy, though thankfully not using those precise words.

And do check out the earlier, pre-Tolkien stuff; you shouldn't miss out on the likes of Lord Dunsany and George MacDonald.

Sera Michele · Feb 17, 2008

Black Jewel Trilogy is good. I don't read much fantasy but I liked those. Anne Bishop is the author, I believe.

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Good fantasy books to start off with?

DroneLore h8rs gon h8, I stay based

Roffa Senior Member

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Good fantasy books to start off with?

DroneLore h8rs gon h8, I stay based

Roffa Senior Member

Sera Michele Senior Member

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