Which Fantasy book to read?

[PhoenixMaster00]

Ok so due to now finding myself with a bit of spare time i notice that i have two fantasy books to read. The problem is they have sequels so chances are which ever one i get into the other is going to collect dust for a bit. So i need help from people who have read these books on which to read first!

The Fate Of The Fallen by Ian Irvine

or

Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky

or

alternatively any other good fantasy/sci-fi novels i should seek out first?

Thanks people

[sambita]

How about Assimov's Foundation saga? i had a great time reading those!

[PhoenixMaster00]

How about Assimov's Foundation saga? i had a great time reading those!

Yeah read them all loved them to Assimov was a genius.

[Exershio]

I myself am a HUGE fan of R.A. Salvatore. His books are just absolutely genius. I never used to read but once I picked up one of his books I was hooked like coke.

I would highly recommend starting with The Dark Elf Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Collectors-Homeland-Exile-Sojourn/dp/0786915889/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-1), then if you want some more, check out the Icewind Dale Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Icewind-Trilogy-Collectors-Forgotten-Omnibus/dp/078691811X/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-4).

[PhoenixMaster00]

I myself am a HUGE fan of R.A. Salvatore. His books are just absolutely genius. I never used to read but once I picked up one of his books I was hooked like coke.

I would highly recommend starting with The Dark Elf Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Collectors-Homeland-Exile-Sojourn/dp/0786915889/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-1), then if you want some more, check out the Icewind Dale Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Icewind-Trilogy-Collectors-Forgotten-Omnibus/dp/078691811X/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-4).

Its ironic since when i bought Empire in Black and Gold, Dark Elf was one of the others i was looking at. Sounds interesting though will be adding it to my wish list. It can go next to the Peace and War Omnibus by Joe Haldeman a sci-fi book that sounds quite fascinating.

The wierd thing is i can never get into a book straight away no matter what (unless its a sequel to something). Northern Lights took 2 months before i got into it then i read Subtle Knife and Amber Spy Glass in a week.

[Exershio]

Hah I guarantee you Dark Elf Trilogy will have you hooked at least in the first 40 pages. And it only gets better from there. It's really a great book. Definitely the best series of books I've ever had the pleasure to read.

A must have for any fantasy lover IMO :guitar:

[MarblePanther]

I'm currently enjoying Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson.

It's great!

[PhoenixMaster00]

Hah I guarantee you Dark Elf Trilogy will have you hooked at least in the first 40 pages. And it only gets better from there. It's really a great book. Definitely the best series of books I've ever had the pleasure to read.

A must have for any fantasy lover IMO :guitar:

Your confidence has my interest peaked lol Good price on Amazon to so may just to purchase that one


I'm currently enjoying Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson.

It's great!

Another good suggestion. Gonna have to tell my gf im gonna be unavailable for a while if this keeps up :P

[MarblePanther]

Ah, I just remembered this true classic:

The Sword of Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks

Also I recommend by him Running With the Demon (first of the Word and the Void trilogy)

:) that'll keep ya busy

[Ewingo401]

I'm currently reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss...I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and its been an excellent read so far.

[bsharp]

The Godless World trilogy by Brian Ruckley. They are relatively new and the third book will be out this May.

They are considered epic fantasy, but his writing style is so realistic, it is like reading a fictional take on something that actually happened.

Start with Winterbirth:
http://www.brianruckley.com/winterbirth.htm

[handy]

I discovered audio books a while back, & find they greatly appeal to me.

Some of them have magnificent casts of actors reading the different character voices, music, sound effects; it's like a movie but you supply the imagination. :-)

BBC make some great quality audio books; The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings come to mind.

All of the 36 or more Terry Pratchett - Discworld books & some of his other stories are available.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thomson. (Not a great deal of fantasy in that one).

Charles Dickens, Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl; all of the Harry Potter books, Kurt Vonnegut Juniour, Tom Robbins, Stephen Donaldson's - Thomas Covenant series.

You can fill your MP3 player up with these things & find wonderful stimulation in otherwise boring situations. :-)

[MikeTheC]

My Favorites:

Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series
Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber series
Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide series and his Dirk Gently series

[markusf21]

I myself am a HUGE fan of R.A. Salvatore. His books are just absolutely genius. I never used to read but once I picked up one of his books I was hooked like coke.

I would highly recommend starting with The Dark Elf Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Collectors-Homeland-Exile-Sojourn/dp/0786915889/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-1), then if you want some more, check out the Icewind Dale Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Icewind-Trilogy-Collectors-Forgotten-Omnibus/dp/078691811X/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-4).

+10 both of those are excellent. I am about halfway thru book 1 of the third series

[treesurf]

I'm currently enjoying Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson.

It's great!

A great book, indeed. Also check out Diamond Age by the same author.

I'm not much use for fantasy, but if you're looking for sci-fi check out anything by Iain M. Banks.

My personal favorite sfi-fi author is Philip K. **** but his stuff isn't as exciting for the average reader.

[rickycodie]

really? no one here has said dune? if you haven't read that series, your lacking in the sci-fi area for sure.

also the ender saga by orson scott card is awesome. and hyperion, fall of hyperion, endimyion and rise of endimyion are fabulous, by dan simmions.

[swoll1980]

The Hobbit FTW

[Firestem4]

some of my personal favorites include the R.A. Salvatore Drizzt Novels. I really recommend them.

the Icewind Dale trlogy was written first, however the Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequal to them, and IMO it is much more fun, and interesting to read it starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy;: Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn.

Another of my favorites is the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.

Some more worth checking out:
Devil's Armor by John Marco
Scar Night by Alan Campbell
Kingmaker Kingbreaker by Karen Miller (It is a political novel based in a fantasy world. But it is surprisingly good)
Blood of the Flame trilogy by Tim Waggoner

if you are looking for a good sci-fi novel, hands down The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury is one of the best, and my personal favorite.

Eon by Greg Bear is another great novel.

[oedipuss]

really? no one here has said dune? if you haven't read that series, your lacking in the sci-fi area for sure.


I second that . Dune is fantastic.
Definitely worth reading multiple times.

[Exershio]

+10 both of those are excellent. I am about halfway thru book 1 of the third series

awesome, I'm on book 2 of the fourth series at the moment (Paths of Darkness). :D

[TombKing]

Or go with something completely different and take a stab at the tome I am working through right now. Moby ****. It is wonderful but very dense prose.

Also still at the top of my list right now and will probably get reread after the current one are the Nightwatch books by Sergei Lukyanenko.

[PhoenixMaster00]

I discovered audio books a while back, & find they greatly appeal to me.

Some of them have magnificent casts of actors reading the different character voices, music, sound effects; it's like a movie but you supply the imagination. :-)

BBC make some great quality audio books; The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings come to mind.

All of the 36 or more Terry Pratchett - Discworld books & some of his other stories are available.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thomson. (Not a great deal of fantasy in that one).

Charles Dickens, Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl; all of the Harry Potter books, Kurt Vonnegut Juniour, Tom Robbins, Stephen Donaldson's - Thomas Covenant series.

You can fill your MP3 player up with these things & find wonderful stimulation in otherwise boring situations. :-)

God point actualy Stephen Fry recommended them on Jonathan Ross's show maybe ill give that a try would certainly be a different experience

Ok so, so far i been recommended

Dark Elf
Icewind Dale
Snowcrash
Diamond Age
Sword of Shannara
Running with the Demon
The Name Of The Wind
Godless World
Apprentice Adept
Nine Princes
Dune
Sword Of Truth
Devils Armor
Scar Night
Kingmaker
and Blood Of The Future

Well i think im almost set for next weekend then with this lot :P (and a few others after that!)

[cjnkns]

I myself am a HUGE fan of R.A. Salvatore. His books are just absolutely genius.

I'd have to agree Salvatore's work is awesome.

[Denestria]

You can enter the name/author of a book you like and it will suggest others for you.
http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/books/search?email=

[PhoenixMaster00]

You can enter the name/author of a book you like and it will suggest others for you.
http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/books/search?email=

Thats quite gd definately worth using

[Icehuck]

I myself am a HUGE fan of R.A. Salvatore. His books are just absolutely genius. I never used to read but once I picked up one of his books I was hooked like coke.

I would highly recommend starting with The Dark Elf Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Trilogy-Collectors-Homeland-Exile-Sojourn/dp/0786915889/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-1), then if you want some more, check out the Icewind Dale Trilogy (http://www.amazon.com/Icewind-Trilogy-Collectors-Forgotten-Omnibus/dp/078691811X/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234573570&sr=8-4).

He is one of the worst authors that I ever had the displeasure of reading.

Every other sentence in his books can be summed up as, "No one in existence can do 'X', but 'protagonist A' can."

[darrenn]

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin.

[diskotek]

Julio Cortazar's any book... real fantasy coming from latin america and j.l.borges

[[h2o]]

I'm currently enjoying Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson.

It's great!

+1 Neal Stephenson is great.

I would however recommend the Baroque Cycle trilogy (Quicksilver, The Confusion, The System of the World) over Snowcrash.

[Firestem4]

Upon recommendation i picked up the Winterbirth nvoel by Brian Ruckley. I am only 30 pages or so in, but I really like it so far. Thanks!!!