Fantasy Book Club discussion

Can anybody recommend me fantasy books where music plays a big role? I was thinking about something like the Kingkiller Chronicles by Pat Rothfuss.

Thank you :)

There's Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages series, beginning with Rhapsody: Child of Blood.

I recommend Anne McCaffrey's book(s) The Harper Hall of Pern, even though much of this series is science fiction, this is more to the fantasy side.
Anne McCaffrey also has a musical background. I find many of her books have music involved in some way....you might check out some of the others. ;)

Thank you very much Brenda and Joseph,
I marked both series / authors as to read :3

There a very important inclusion of song in the role of seductress in my opening epic fantasy, The Snowmelt River, if that counts as music in fantasy.

It does count, thanks a lot Frank. :)

If you are thinking about Kvothe I would also recommend The Wars of Light and Shadow, my favorite epic fantasy series. The main character has a talent and deep longing for music, and this skill has an important part throughout the story. The descriptions are very immersive, I wasn't surprised to learn that the author plays, too. My spoiler free review.

I would also recommend a standalone book, which I've enjoyed a lot, Song of the Beast. The protagonist is a bard, a gentle soul, and there are dragons to boot. Again music has not a cosmetic role in the tale. My spoiler free review.

I've not read the book yet, but I've recently shelved Last Song Before Night because of the music elements in the blurb (there is also a reference to the name of the wind) and the good reviews.

EDIT: I've read Last Song Before Night and I liked it, though I wasn't overwhelmed. The element of music is important because the protagonists are warrior bards.

Oh, and duh, I can't believe I didn't think of these earlier: Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull. The Gypsy by Steven Brust. And just about anything by Charles de Lint, although it's been long enough since I read his stuff that I'd need to go back and check for specific titles.

I'll second Song of the Beast, and add that the author, Carol Berg, is one of my very favorite authors.

A Song for Arbonne

Check out Mercedes lackeys "bardic voices" series. starts with a typical coming of age story of a young heroine who has great musical talent; she soon falls in with a group of buskers/performers who are not all they seem. Set in a medieval type world. Great characters and story line.

Thank you very much for those great suggestions Alissa, Joseph, Kyra, Caitlin and Jennifer :).
Much appreciated and all marked as to read.

Here is another series with music that plays an important role.
A Trio for Lute by R.A. MacAvoy. It's sort of little known, as I don't know many that have read it.
The first book, if you get the three separate, is Damiano.


Also, a book that magic is done with music Spellsinger by Alan Dean Foster. I never finished this series, though.



Oh, and The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip. Again, some music, a lot involves harps.

I loved the Damiano books! Really should revisit them someday.

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Here is another series with music that plays an important role.
A Trio for Lute by R.A. MacAvoy. It's sort of little known, as I don't know many that have read it.
The..."

R. A. MacAvoy's work is tremendously underrated. She also did a sequel to Tea with the Black Dragon called Twisting the Rope that revolves around a touring Irish traditional band, so there again, music as a main theme.

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Here is another series with music that plays an important role.
A Trio for Lute by R.A. MacAvoy. It's sort of little known, as I don't know many that have read it.
The..."

I've shelved it a little time ago, recommended?

Looks like, at least, three of us recommend the trilogy.
:)

No Earthly Sunne by Margaret Ball has music interegral to the plot.

LaylaNoir, come back and let us know if you liked the "music" fantasy recommendations.

Though I've only read the short story incarnation of The Harp of the Grey Rose in Swords Against Darkness IV it was a fantastic story, and I imagine the fully expanded version would be just as good. De Lint has beautiful prose that fits a story about a musician perfectly.

Thanks for the all the fantastic recommendations.
I am actually currently reading one of them, "A song for Arbonne", the other ones are on my giant to read pile.
So far, "A song for Arbonne" is really good, I love the world and I am really enjoying it.

Dan wrote: "Though I've only read the short story incarnation of The Harp of the Grey Rose in Swords Against Darkness IV it was a fantastic story, and I imagine the fully expanded v..."

The works of de Lint sound indeed amazing but several of them, among others The Harp of the Grey Rose seem to be out of print. Let's see if I can find a used exemplar of this somewhere ;)

Mary wrote: "No Earthly Sunne by Margaret Ball has music interegral to the plot."

Another book that sounds great. Thanks, Mary, Ive marked it as to read. This one sounds like it has a really evil villain too, does it?

: )
Hmmmm.....
does sound interesting.

LaylaNoir wrote: "This one sounds like it has a really evil villain too, does it? "

Hmmm. . . I wouldn't say so, but the -- ehem -- Good Folk are certainly showing their folkloric roots in their degree of concern about humans. . .

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay places a lot of emphasis on music. Although the music is not part of the magic, both the antagonist and protagonist love music and it plays an important role in their psyche and view of the world.

The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams where the immortal Sithi use music as means of magic.

A Song for Arbonne also by Guy Gavriel Kay has several music related plot points.

Songmaster by Orson Scott Card about an exceptional singer.

there's also the Quarters series by Tanya Huff. It's about a young bard in a world where music is used to invoke magic.

Jennifer wrote: "Check out Mercedes lackeys "bardic voices" series. starts with a typical coming of age story of a young heroine who has great musical talent; she soon falls in with a group of buskers/performers wh..."

Second this one. Terrific series. My jump-on point for Mercedes Lackey, who has always been one of my wife's favorite authors, and has become one of mine over the last few years.

I would also put forth L.E. Modesitt's Spellsong Cycle. I've only read the first entry thus far, but it's another interesting take on sung magic in which a woman is pulled from her troubled modern life to a fantasy land in need of desperate help - where she is a powerful sorceress instead of a dead-end music teacher.

Thank you all for your recommendations :)

Jingizu wrote: "Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay places a lot of emphasis on music. Although the music is not part of the magic, both the antagonist and protagonist love music and it plays an important role..."

I was one of the few people who did not like Card's writing in Ender's game too much, but the story of Songmaster sounds quite original. I'll definitely give this one a chance ;)

Michael wrote: "there's also the Quarters series by Tanya Huff. It's about a young bard in a world where music is used to invoke magic."

I had actually never heard of Tanya Huff before, but the premise of the quarter series looks interesting!

Daniel wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Check out Mercedes lackeys "bardic voices" series. starts with a typical coming of age story of a young heroine who has great musical talent; she soon falls in with a group of busk..."

I see you list the Stormlight Archives among your favorite books, so I'll definitely check these out :D

Just a warning about Songmaster, some find it disturbing.
I liked it, but there were some things in the book I could have done without.
'Course would the story be as impactful?
I find a lot of Card's books this way. :/

Try The Good Fairies of New York and Singer of Souls. I've not read Singer of Souls and it's not rated very high but it kind of fits your bill. However, the Good Fairies of New York was pretty good.

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Just a warning about Songmaster, some find it disturbing.
I liked it, but there were some things in the book I could have done without.
'Course would the story be as impactful?
I find a lot of Car..."

Seems like Card's book just polarize ;)
I'll have to read this one to find out.

Tnkw01 wrote: "Try The Good Fairies of New York and Singer of Souls. I've not read Singer of Souls and it's not rated very high but it kind of fits your bill. However, the Good Fairies ..."

Thanks for the recommendations, Tnkw01. What I find interesting about Singer of Souls is how people seem to either love it or hate it, so I'll definitely check this out ;)
Marked both as to read.

I haven't read Singer of Souls myself yet, but my GF liked it and its sequel.

More connections: The author, Adam Stemple is Jane Yolen's son. And he's a musician by trade -- he was the singer for Boiled in Lead for much of the 1990s and into the 2000s, and he's been a member of Cats Laughing, amongst others.

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett and The Name of the Wind series by Patrick Rothfuss both feature music. 🎶

Candice