Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library discussion

Hello, and thank you for your help. I am looking for a well-written, mature fantasy novel/series featuring a bard as the protagonist.

Any recommendations are helpful, thanks again!

Damiano's Lute by R.A. MacAvoy

mercedes lacky's stuff? Bardic Voices, Lark and the Wren, Robin and the Kestrel, Eagle and the Nightengale?

Also Rhapsody (and that series) by Elysabeth Haydon, but she isn't really a bard.

Any other clues you can give us?

Are you looking for suggestions, or trying to track down a specific book?

My novels feature a man who has the position of Singer in his village (much like a bard) who gets drafted by the gods to do the things gods can't do. One of the consequences is that his every sung word now has unintended magical side effects. A great portion of the story is him having to rebuild his life after this happens.

Oh, sorry if there was any confusion. I'm looking for recommendations of fantasy novels based around the travels of a bard.

And, as to Mercedes Lackey, I've heard nothing but absolute terrible things regarding her books. I really do appreciate the input, though.

I'm not very familiar with Lackey's work, but the only novel she wrote solo that I've attempted to read is Firebird. I didn't like that one well enough to finish it, which may be indicative.

Castle of Deception, though, which is co- written by Lackey and Josepha Sherman and features a young apprentice bard, is a pretty good coming-of -age fantasy tale. (Maybe Sherman's influence helps? :-) ) It's part of a series called The Bard's Tale, which I'm not otherwise familiar with; my impression is that it's a spin-off from an RPG, or vice versa. Our hero gets made leader of a search party hunting for a missing heiress --but not everything is as it seems to be. A renegade Dark Elf and a tough woman warrior are also part of the group.

An old one I liked is Born to Exile
by Phyllis Eisenstein

Summary: The solitary wanderings of a minstrel with preternatural powers lead him to many adventures before he is ultimately restored to his supernatural antecedents

can't think of any others right about now.

Thank you all so very much for the suggestions! I will certainly look into Castle of Deception and Born to Exile - I've read up on the others recommended here.

In any case, I really appreciate the help, thank you!

I'm very sorry to hear you've heard about a wonderful author from some people with very poor judgment. Mercedes Lackey is a wonderful, fun read and I highly recommend all of her books. Sure, there are some I didn't enjoy as much as others, but overall her books are very good.

Bedlam's Bard is the first in her Bardic Travels universe. But my favorite (nothing to do with bards at all) is the Dragon Jouster's series.

I suggest giving her books a try and use your own judgment rather than listening to others.

While not specifically about the *travels* of a bard, Anne McCaffrey's books about the Harper Hall of Pern are wonderful. They include Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums, and The Masterharper of Pern.

Travis, Sabrina does have good advice about Mercedes Lackey; just because some people haven't liked her doesn't mean you won't. (Indeed, there are quite a lot of readers who do!) We're all unique individuals, and our reading tastes differ from person to person. Besides, my experience with her work is a pretty limited basis to judge by --there are probably a lot of writers I've read and liked who may have happened to write one book that didn't appeal to me, and if I'd started with that one and generalized from it, I'd have missed out on some great reads. Maybe if I'd stuck it out with Firebird, I'd have liked it in the end; and even if not, if you read it, you might think it was the best work of fantasy ever written since Lord of the Rings! :-)

I agree with the recommendation for Anne McCaffrey. There's also - if I have the name right - a good tale by R A MacEvoy - Damiano's Lute. Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg is more about a travelling entertainer than a bard, but is also a good tale. (I'm giving these names from memory, apologies if I have any wrong!)

And finally, the minstrels are message-givers and key characters in my own Shaihen Heritage series, Cloak of Magic (available now) Staff of Power (published next month.) and Spirit of Shehaios (work in progress.) Details on http://www.shehaios.co.uk

Thank you, everyone! I may just pick up an Anne McCaffrey novel the next time I'm at the bookstore!

Bard by Morgan Llewelyn
This is the tale of the coming of the Irish to Ireland, and of the men and women who made that emerald isle their own.
It's on my 'to read' list. I've read other novels by her and they are enjoyable, rich in the settings and characters.

I like Morgan Llewelyn who has novelized Celtic myth, primarily Gaelic with a few forays to the continent. Bard, The Red Branch and Epona are among my favorites. For novelizations of the Welsh myths primarily from the Mabinogion, check out Evangeline Walton's works.

Another author who writes in this category (historical-mythological-fantasy) is Juliet Marillier. A new book in her Seven Rivers series has just appeared in the US.

Bill

I have one of Juliet Marillier's novels: Wolfskin but I'm waiting to read it after I get the sequel. I dislike having to wait, so I generally hold books until I have them all and can read them back to back.

I'll look into Seven Riders, thanks!