Fantasy Novels

[Nancy Flynn]

Ok, so I love fantasy novels. By that I don't mean Sci Fi (nothing against it), but more lord-of-the-ringsey, fairie-type ones that take place in fictional semi-medieval (or generally historic) places. I am also keen on the more rare ones where fantasy interrupts reality in the modern world. Anyone have suggestions?

To start it off, here are some of my favorites:
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
The Little Country, by Charles DeLint
King of Morning, Queen of Day by Ian McDonald
The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bjuold
anything by Juliet Marillier
Sarah Ash's two books
anything by Paula Volsky (she is genius!)
David Eddings-- the first 6-book series...
Garth Nix series-- Sabriel etc.

I'm going on a trip soon, and would love suggestions for others-- esp. in mass-market paperback. I'm cool with young adult too (sometimes the best end up in that section).

[Ads]

[tootsiecat]

i can't reccommend phillip pullman's "dark material trilogoy" enough. it starts with "the golden compass."
this is young adult fantasy. but so fun.

[athena]

i second tootsiecat's rec. i don't usually read fantasy, but these books are some of the best of any genre i've ever read.

[redheadedali]

Stardust and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman are both good. I love Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (don't even get me started on the movie - it was very distressing to see my beloved Ella Shrek-ified). Tithe by Holly Black is also good - very dark (many of the human characters are rather icky), but has the advantage of a smokin' hot fairy knight. And I'm just finishing Jeff Smith's Bone series - wonderful!

Alison

[Sabriel Olive]

I absolutely loved His Dark Materials, and the Abhorsen Chronicles. I love the Narnia Chronicles. I have started the Earthsea Chronicles, it seems pretty good so far.

[Nancy Flynn]

yay! thanks everyone. i loved His Dark Materials too-- I couldn't stop reading. And Neil Gaiman... although American Gods was, um, well.

Keep 'em coming!

[Athos]

i'm so glad someone mentioned the david eddings series - i loved the first series, thought the second was okay, and then after that couldn't bring myself to even read the summaries on the back. awful, awful awful!

[Schmatta]

Just finished Kafka on the Shore. By Japanese man whose name I cannot recall (book's at home, I'm at work). Ohmigosh. It is wonderful
Also Life of Pi.
Also loved the Philip Pullman books.

[anati]

Gosh, the Ella Enchanted movie got me so upset.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card is pretty good.

In my junior high years I was obsessed with Tamora Pierce's books (Alanna, et cetera).

Also young adult: I love Donna Jo Napoli's books--they are mostly retold fairy tales. My favorites are Zel (Rapunzel), Crazy Jack (Jack and the Beanstalk), the Magic Circle (Hansel and Gretel), and Spinners (Rumplestilskin).

I love fantasy, but lately I've been too busy with books for English class to read anything for fun.

[brdgt]

Historical sci fi (which is sorta like fantasy): Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book and Dan Simmons Ilium.

Young Adult fantasy: His Dark Materials and the Abhorsen trilogy.

Classics: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey (funny how it's all women...)

I also prefer fantasy to Sci Fi, although I do love Neal Stephenson and classic Sci Fi, like Philip K. Dick, Alfred Bester, and Frank Herbert.

I got Neil Gaiman's American Gods for xmas, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

If you like Tam Lin, you might want to check out Diana Wynnes Jones, especially Fire and Hemlock