Recommendations on good fantasy epic series/trilogies?

I haven't ever been a huge fan of fantasy, but recently a friend of mine lent be a copy of the first book in the George RR Martin series, and I loved it.

Now I'm looking for advice on more solid epic series or trilogies that I can look for. Please recommend which ones are worth reading. Also please note if the series is complete or still being written. Thanks!

Did you look into any of the literature that was suggested to you in the General Book Discussion Thread?

Regarding Epic fantasy series (and noteing you enjoy Martin, thus have some sene of good taste), I'd recoomend these:

-R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy:

The Darkness that Comes Before
The Warrior Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought

This was recently completed, and will be extented by another duology or trilogy in the future. Bakker is a powerful writer. To get some background onthe series I briefly interviewed Scott here.. I recently reviewed the last book, but to avoid spoilers, I reviewed the first book, here, if looking for a general idea of the series, This is a incredibly unsentimental book, andemplys a narrative style thatis perhapsthemsot ambitious in epic fantasy.

- Steve Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen:

u]Gardens of the Moon[/u] (available in the U.S)
DeadHouse Gates (available in the U.S)
Memories of Ice (available in the U.S)
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
BoneHunters
Dust of Dreams (forthcoming)
Hounds Toll (forthcoming)
Reapers Cale (forthcoming)
Crippled God (forthcoming)


There are also two Malazan related novellas by Erikson, Blood Follows and The Healthy Dead, as well as a novel written by Ian Cameron Esslemont, called Night of Knives, that serves as a prequel to Gardens of the Moon. Esslemont is also working on his next effort, Return of the Crimson Guard.

Those 2 series (and Martin's) represent he 3 outstading spiec series in recent years IMHO (and some of the best ever).

On a level below that (but still good) I also liked JV Jones, Sword of Shadows trilogy:

A Cavern of Black Ice
A Fortress of Grey Ice
A Sword from Red Ice (forthcoming)

Greg Keyes' Kingdom of Thorn and Bone:

The Briar King
The Charnel Prince
The Blood Knight (forthcoming - but I read it, it's solid)
Book IV forthcoming

Guy Gavriel Kay's Sarantine Mosaic:

Sailing to Sarantium
Lord of Emperors


Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy:

Assassin's Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin's Quest

Braided Path by Chris Woodling

The Weavers of Saramy
Skein of Lament
The Ascendancy Veil

You may also went to check ou John Macrco and Paul Kearney.

Yes you cant go wrong with Erikson but the first book take a lil bit to get into after your into your hooked

Right now I'm reading the Council Wars series I'm 525 pages into the first book which is called "There will be dragons" so far the book has been good.The books in the series are long which I like.

So what do you guys think of the council wars series?

Also I own the first two books in the Malazan Book of the fallen series they are in my TBR pile

I was in our local bookstore today and was convinced (by a young woman named Serenity -- is that not a wonderful name?) to buy yet another book for my g'kid. The author is named Tamora Pierce, and apparently the series(es) she writes are magnificent choices for young women.