Looking for an enjoyable fantasy...

[FrodoLIVES]

I'm looking for a good fantasy book that I can really get into and enjoy. I've been dissapointed with the books I've read lately and was wondering if any of you could recommend something that I would like. My favorite fantasy authors are George R.R. Martin, Terry Goodkind, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I've also read some Terry Brooks, Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, Raymond E. Feist, Juliet Marillier, Robert Jordan, Marrion Zimmer Bradley and Christopher Paolini.
Authors I couldn't get into were Anne Bishop, Terry Pratchett, and Steven Erickson.
I've been looking at Kate Elliot, Tad Williams, and Neal Gaiman recently and wondering if they were any good.
I hope you can help me. I know there's a lot of good books out there--but where are they???

 

[scooter13]

Three words for you ...

Guy Gavriel Kay.

He is a fantastic author. "The Lions of Al-Rassan", "A Song for Arbonne", and "Tigana" are all great books. (And notice how I left the word "fantasy" out of that?) All three are considered fantasy, but probably can stand outside the genre.

I will also say that "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman is another excellent book.

 

[FrodoLIVES]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitley check out some books buy Guy Gavruek Kay. I've heard from a few other people that Neverwhere is good as well...it sounds interesting.
Thanks again

 

[RaidofPhantasy]

American Gods

No one posted anything, so I thought I'd have a fair shot in a suggestion; American Gods by Neil Gaiman. enjoy, and if you read it, you have to come back to tell me, I keep a tally on what books of mine I get people to read.

 

[FrodoLIVES]

I have been meaning to read American Gods for a long time. Now I have some extra motivation! I'll definitley tell you once I read it.

 

[Proxy]

I used to be a fantasy book reader.. Jordan, G.R.R.M. , Tolkien, etc.

You mentioned Tad Williams and I think he is worth you checking out. Try the Dragonbone Chair, book 1 in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. I was in a book store and had someone recommend that book to me. I read the first 50 or so pages, found myself uninterested, and put it under my bed. About 2 years later I was bored and gave it a seconed shot. I finished the whole four book series in about a month I got so into it. Get through the beginning and it's very enjoyable.

 

[FrodoLIVES]

I have the first book sitting on my bookshelf. It should be the next book I read. I've read another book by Tad Williams (The War of the Flowers) which I loved so I bet his series is great. Thanks again.

 

[Arrdu]

um. well if you like George R R Martin you may want to try "The Pendragon" seriese by Steven Lawhead. shorter than martins song of ice and fire but just as good. Another book i would suggest is Stormrider by David Gemmell. again a short book but very good.. once i started reading it i couldnt put it down.

let me know if these help oh and could you tell me what books by Feist you have read?

thanks

 

[SevenWritez]

The purest fantasy novel that I have ever read and enjoyed is the three-set Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johnathan Stroud. Comical, witty, innovative, yet very emotionally and characteristically deep in its ending climax. If you enjoyed Harry Potter or any of those high and mighty fantasies, this is surely a must.

If you're patient and don't mind slow beginings (as the book I'm about to suggest's author is horrible with), then The Dark Tower books by Stephen King are a great read, if you can pick up on the hintings towards something epic and deal with his younger-style of writing for the first novel (and the bad pacing of the second). Stick with it till the end and the ever-expanding storyline and stupidly inter-book-twisting characters will make you happy. It is, in my opinion, the best fantasy series ever written.

 

[Occlith]

I suggest A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle. Here's a description from the (Unofficially) Peter S. Beagle site

Michael and Laura, two recently dearly departed, meet each other's ghosts in the shady setting of a cemetary. Their burgeoning semi-affair is watched over by a hermit who lives in one of the mausoleums, Mr. Rebeck, whose retreat from life these past dozen or so years (with only a foul-mouthed klepto raven for company) is about to be interrupted by a loud and loveable, yet at times abrasive, widow Klapper.

Beagle is the author of The Last Unicorn, which I also recommend if you have not yet read it.