Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I've been told if I like the game of thrones I would like Ambercrombie's first law series and robin Hobbs far seer series. Also Scott Lynch's series. Any thoughts? What about brandon Sanderson 's mystborn series? Any other recommendations? Typing on phone so sorry for typos.

I haven't read Abercrombie yet, but lots seem to like him. I should get to that eventually too. LOL

I've read the first Farseer book, and thought it was decent, but it's not anything at all like ASOIAF, so if you're going into it looking for something similar, I don't think you'll enjoy that one as much.

Pretty much anything by Brandon Sanderson is worth reading, in my humble opinion, but I especially loved his Mistborn series and The Way of Kings.

The Dragon's Path - it's inspired by that vein of fantasy.

Elric of Melniboné perhaps but it's an older style (still got that kind of gritty fantasy feel to it)

I haven't really been interested in starting George RR Martin. The first book was on a Nook I borrowed, but I got partway through a forest scene and quit--not very many pages in. I don't like the thought of the series being endless, and more about politics than fantasy elements, with characters frequently being killed off. So I'm taking a pass on the series.

I hadn't heard of the dragons path. I enjoyed the first book in Martins series and I think it will end in a few years given the pace of the excellent hbo adaptation.

Ed wrote: "I hadn't heard of the dragons path. I enjoyed the first book in Martins series and I think it will end in a few years given the pace of the excellent hbo adaptation."

It came to my attention when it was nominated here for best fantasy book. It was quite good, I preferred it over Martin's work in fact.

Ed wrote: "I hadn't heard of the dragons path. I enjoyed the first book in Martins series and I think it will end in a few years given the pace of the excellent hbo adaptation."

GRRM himself loves Abraham. They're friends and they work together often. Abraham writes for Wild Cards and he has adapted some of GRRM's stories into graphic novels. He's probably not a bad one to check out.

I will definitely add that to my list. Thanks!

Guy Gavriel Kay's stuff is good-I especially liked and The Lions of al-Rassan, Tigana and The Fionavar Tapestry (that last is a trilogy)

Thanks. Now I have a reading list to get me into summer.

Have you heard of Steven Erikson's Malazan series? It's often been compared to ASOIAF for its length and breadth. Unlike ASOIAF, Malazan is finished. The first book is hard to get through, but the books do get better as the series goes on. Or so I hear, I'm slowly making my way toward book 3.

These days, I select my reading based on the reading recommendations of my favourite authors, one of whom is George R.R. Martin. His recommendations have been pretty solid, in my opinion. If you like older fantasy, he's suggested stuff like Jack Vance(The Dying Earth series), Ursula K. Le Guin(the Earthsea books), Fritz Leiber(Fafhrd And The Grey Mouser), and Mervyn Peake(Gormenghast). For more contemporary authors, he recommends Robin Hobb(The Realm Of The Elderlings), Tad Williams(Memory, Sorrow, And Thorn), Joe Abercrombie(First Law), Patrick Rothfuss(The Kingkiller Chronicles), Scott Lynch(The Gentlemen Bastards), and R. Scott Bakker(The Prince Of Nothing). Enjoy!

No, I haven't heard of the Malazan series but I really am a late arrival to a number of these series. One of my good friends have recommended for years that I read Vance's Dying Earth series. Thanks for all the recs!

Joe Abercrombie is definitely someone to check out if you're looking for ASoIaF like authors.
Robin Hobb's books are fantastic, IMO they're different from GRRM's stuff though. Much more introspective and focused on character. I do recommend them highly.
Brandon Sanderson is also a great author. Fantastic worldbuilding, great plots, very imaginative, lots of fun. His characters aren't as morally grey as Martin's and Abercrombie's stuff though. It doesn't fit in that "gritty" fantasy niche, so take that into account if that is what you're looking for in ASOIF-like books.

Now to recommend something that I haven't seen mentioned yet: The trial by blood and steel series starting with Sasha by Joel Shepherd. (Ignore the atrocious cover.) It's four books long and tells the story of a continent spanning war with lots of factions and moving parts. It's mostly told through the eyes of an exiled (warrior) princess (Sasha) whose family and friends end up on different sides of the war (some she gets along with still, some she doesn't, but all of whom she cares about). So there's no straight forward good vs evil, but plenty of moral and political complexity.

Fantastic recs. thanks so very very much. I've ordered those I can find at the local library. So much great reading!

Ed wrote: "Fantastic recs. thanks so very very much. I've ordered those I can find at the local library. So much great reading!"

GR people have a way of adding to one's to-be-read list. :) I naively thought I was 'running out' of good fantasy until I joined GR. Now there isn't enough time!

Yes. Haha. I have noticed always that goodreads can reduce my reading and running times.

I didn't like the Malazan Series. I finished the first four books, but to tell you the truth, I was losing interest by the second.

I didn't like his style and I always found my mind wandering off the page. Still, he's quite popular and it's a long series. Maybe I'll have to give it a chance again in a couple more years.

I had heard of the Malazan Series but had never seen it in the bookstore. I will check the library.

Found the first book of the Malazan series and Sasha as well at the library. Thanks!

Carol wrote:
GR people have a way of adding to one's to-be-read list. :) I naively thought I was 'running out' of good fantasy until I joined GR. Now there isn't enough time!

Ha! Feel exactly the same! :D

I love Robin Hobbs book, also The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain. Love GRRM, although when I started the first book I couldn't understand what was going on but I have read the series twice now just waiting for the next one.