Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

I'm sure we've all had that moment. You're carrying around a giant fantasy novel and just about everyone you encounter HAS to comment on it.

Friends ask you to recommend fantasy, but they say, "none of those bricks you carry around."

So what are your favourite fantasy reads that you couldn't use as a defense if someone tried to attack you? Can be either a series with shorter books or a standalone, under 400 pages.

Bonus question: what giant book have you carried around that everyone gave you those googly eyes, looking at you like you are insane for wanting to read such a big book?

ooh this is a tough one as a lover of doorstoppers

Most of the Saxon Stories are quite good, but not fantasy
Vicious
The Handmaid's Tale

and also, I'm carrying around Memories of Ice to my breaks at work, getting a few looks

1. Mistborn Era 2 - The Alloy of Law - the only series on my list that all of the books are under 300 pages (so far).

2. Harry Dresden - Storm Front - two of the books in the series are under 400 pages, including the first one, and all are around 400-500 pages.

3. Bloodsounder's Arc - Scourge of the Betrayer - only the first one is under 400, but this series really doesn't get enough attention.

Special mention - Riyria Revelations - Theft of Swords - if you count them individually and not with the published omnibus versions.

Margret wrote: "and also, I'm carrying around Memories of Ice to my breaks at work, getting a few looks"

Yeah, I got some looks for Malazan too. The most recent for me was Oathbringer because I was carrying the hardcover everywhere with me.

Jenna wrote: "1. Mistborn Era 2 - The Alloy of Law - the only series on my list that all of the books are under 300 pages (so far).

2. Harry Dresden - Storm Front - two of the books..."

oh I wasn't sure if those Era 2 books would make the cut! I absolutely loved them!

1. The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer - great book about a caravan smuggling stolen cargo through the mountains
2. Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham - really sad that I don’t have an Abraham series to read this year
3. Yarnsworld by Benedict Patrick - great short books(around 200 pages) with a mythological feel to them. Each one has a really unique setting.

Been a few years but I’ve lugged around some massive tomes in my time. The largest probably being Outlaws of the Marsh which is so big it is sometimes split into 4 smaller books but I just had to get it all in one.

1. The Emperor's Soul
2. The Whitefire Crossing
3. Nice Dragons Finish Last

This is hard because I do love a doorstopper. However, I am a big fan on Naomi Kritzer and her Eliana's song duology Fires of the Faithful and Turning the Storm are both short novels.

1. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
2. The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson
3. Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock

As for giant book: To Green Angel Tower, the one volume edition. Either that or Gaiman's The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

PersonallyI would not call 400-page books short but I'll play :D

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Rowling)
2. Children of Hurin (Tolkien)
3. Guards! Guards! (Pratchett)

For the bonus question, all ASOIAF books fit the bill especially A Dance with Dragons.

1.) The Crown Conspiracy
2.) Half a King
3.) Steelheart

And for the Bonus Question: I choose Oathbringer: The Stormlight Archive Book Three too! I don't even read the Hardcover, but the UK Paperback. It has these strangely shiny and thick pages and is way heavier than it looks 😅 And every time someone pick up my bag, they ask if I got bricks inside...

Let's see...

1. The Hobbit
2. The Last Unicorn
3. Small Gods - though I believe most of the Discworld is under 400 pages and you really can't go wrong with any of them

Bonus: I got weird looks at work when I was reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone last month. Not really a door stopper but it is over sized so I think it fits. Otherwise it was back when I read the Malazan series.

All 4 books in Long Price Quartet A Betrayal in Winter

Both books to date in John Nyquist A Man of Shadows

The Rose and the Thorn Book 2 of Riyria Chronicles, the best of that series and only behind Heir of Novron in all of Sullivan's works.

Also considered:

The Hobbit
Ghosts of Tomorrow

I was surprised how many historical fiction books I had on my 5* shelf which were under 400 pages. Really some great stuff.

I'm going to cheat here and recommend 6, because I simply can't decide 🤗

Everybody sees the ants by a. s. king (incredible, recommend to anyone)
Ready player one by ernest cline
The martian by andy weir
Red rising by pierce brown
I am the messenger by markus zusak
The seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid (phenomenal)

(sidenote: I've always pegged myself as a total fantasy reader, but recently discovered that waaay more of the books i absolutely loved are actually scifi!)

Heart's Blood
The Emperor's Soul
The Bird and the Sword

The giant book I got the look -and even comments- over was one of the last Wheel of Time books. I think it was Towers of Midnight.

Doorstoppers are really hard to carry dont they? I had to bring my hard copy of A Dance with Dragons for several occassions and it is killing my back and take all the spaces in my backpack. How do you guys carry your doorstoppers around?

I love all my 'real' books - but just recently succumbed to a sale and purchased a Kindle Paperwhite. Have to admit it's very convenient, certainly much easier to carry around!

Still prefer reading the actual doorstoppers when at home though :-)

I love my Kindle. No clutter (Niki), all my books are in perfect condition, I can search for a part of quote fast and easy, whispersync , no extra space when traveling for multiple books, I can have a new one instantly and without a trip to the store and can download on the spot.

:P

Ooh I forgot to answer the bonus question.

Mine was definitely Quicksilver and the whole of the Baroque cycle. A trilogy where each installment is over 800 pages! trying to read those on a packed tube was interesting!

I've been buying the smaller, mass market paperbacks, because apparently they're splitting the three giant tones into 9 more manageable books. So far, I've only bought Quicksilver

I'm not sure 400 pages equals short but here are some of my favourite non-weapon books
Fated
Moon Called
Magic to the Bone

Then again maybe it is shorter than I thought, most of my absolute favourite pure fantasy are longer