Recommend me some epic fantasy

[Morrigan]

The plot works out fine, character development and especially description of the setting are simply not Cook's strong points.

While I like world-building, it's pretty secondary to characters and plot to me so if the plot works out great, all the better.

I agree about William's prose, but the main character is so g-d unlikeable that by the end of the first book I had lost any interest in finding out what happens to him whatsoever. I wouldn't read the rest of the series on a salary.

I agree that Simon/Simeon is a bit boring and often annoying, and so is Miriamel, but at least the other characters make up for them: Isgrimnur is badass, and there's Binabik, Maegwin, Tiamak and Joshua, they're all pretty cool, and the story compensates for the annoyance of Simon/Miriamel IMO.

 

[SimonD]

I've read both Tailchaser's Song, and The Dragonbone Chair, and neither really held my interest. They weren't bad, but the pacing is just. . . very. . . slow. That's not meant as a criticism, but just a warning for anyone else who may have difficulties getting engaged by slower-paced works.

Don't read his 'Otherland' series then . One book to many. It was a good concept, he just explored the world he had created just a little to much.

 

[ReverendClog]

I don't know if they have been mentioned, but Micheal Scott Rohan's, 'Winter of the World ' books are very good too, although as has been said the 'Malazan' books are probably the gold standard.

 

[ReverendClog]

On reflection I feel compelled to add, Phillip Jose Farmers 'Riverworld' series, Stephen Donaldsons 'covenant chronicles', Peter Hamiltons 'space opera's', Piers Anthony, 'The Blue Adept', and Raymond Feist's, 'riftwar saga'.
Oh and add Anne mcaffery's 'Dragon' books, and Julian May's 'The Many Coloured Land series.
And Guy Gavriel Kay, 'The wandering Fire' series is just beautiful.
I have just read this thread through and I see some of mine are just repeats of other peoples suggestions. sorry.
Its good to see a consensus though.

 

[kbm99]

On reflection I feel compelled to add, Phillip Jose Farmers 'Riverworld' series,

Quirky. Not bad.

Stephen Donaldsons 'covenant chronicles',

Dreadful.

Raymond Feist's, 'riftwar saga'.

Dreadful.

Oh and add Anne mcaffery's 'Dragon' books,

Dreadful.

and Julian May's 'The Many Coloured Land series.

I read this many years ago. Mid-80s maybe. I remember liking it but I also suspect if I were to pick it up again I'd be less thrilled. Tastes change, or maybe I'm just better read now, it takes more than sex & violence in a (admitted crazy-ass) prehistoric setting to hold my interest.

Its good to see a consensus though.

Sorry about that . . .

 

[ZirconBlue]

Quirky. Not bad.



Dreadful.



Dreadful.



Dreadful.



I read this many years ago. Mid-80s maybe. I remember liking it but I also suspect if I were to pick it up again I'd be less thrilled. Tastes change, or maybe I'm just better read now, it takes more than sex & violence in a (admitted crazy-ass) prehistoric setting to hold my interest.



Sorry about that . . .

Oh, good. An expert has shown up to impart their vast wisdom and tell us all how our tastes are wrong. Everyone else, pack it up. kbm99 can handle all the book recommendations from here on out.

 

[Newtons Bit]

I think it depends on what you mean by epic. If you mean the quality of writing (characterization/plotting/authenticity) then it is a - virtually unmatched - epic. (Not least in the number of books in the series - 20)

If one is refering to the scope of the action (i.e. "The fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance!") then not so much, as the novels really focus on a few individuals cramped up in a small vessel of no intergalactic importance.

I'd say:

If you like Jane Austen but wished there was somewhat more to her plots, you'll like Patrick O'Brien.

If you think that Tom Clancy novels are the epitomy of writing, you'll be happier with C.S. Foresters Hornblower books.*



* Not that there's anything wrong with Hornblower. I read them and enjoyed them myself. When I was a boy.

And I like the Jane Austen novels as well...

 

[Cuddles]

I'd agree with that as well. It started out amazingly but towards the end I felt almost as if I were finishing out of respect for the story it could have been.

Personally, I'd say the decline had started by around the second book in the series. Finishing the Corwin cycle was rather a drag, and I could never get in to the Merlin half at all.

One thing I did quite like of Zelazny's was Jack of Shadows.

I'll echo the Robin Hobb recommendations, though I've not read all the series, the ones I have read were very good.

I'm still not convinced by Robin Hobb. The Assassin series was good in places and pretty dire in others, and the end was a horrible anti-climax that seemed more as if she'd run out of space than that was actually where it was supposed to end. Liveship Traders was again OK, but was generally rather predictable, especially knowing her style from the first series. I've been told the Fool series is the best, but haven't read that yet.

On the other hand, the Soldier Son series looked fairly promising, although I haven't had the chance to finish it yet.

While we're at it I recommend Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy. It's epic, it's primarily Sci-Fi, but with elements of fantasy, and strong elements of horror. The first one is The Neutronium Alchemist.

The first one is The Reality Dysfunction. Followed by The Neutronium Alchemist and The Naked God.

 

[Hokulele]

And I like the Jane Austen novels as well...

Have you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies yet?

 

[Fireshadow]

Agreed. I was going to mention For Love of Evil, but forgot the title. I also liked Bearing an Hourglass. The Nature and God volumes I thought were the weekest.

Well, to be fair, it's hard to explore God in the framework given in Incarnations of Immortality. I quite enjoyed And Eternity, and Being a Green Mother is probably my third favorite of the series...the ones that I liked least were Wielding a Red Sword, mostly because I found it very difficult to relate to Mym's worldview, and With a Tangled Skien--for reasons I can't quite articulate.

Another good series of his was the Mode books (at least, Virtual Mode and Fractal Mode--the other two were somewhat of a let-down). Much like the Apprentice Adept series, those were an intriguing blend of sci-fi and fantasy, and some of his deepest characters. There are also some good things to be said about his Tarot series, but it's been awhile since I've read them.

 

[Giz]

Have you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies yet?

I think I'll wait for Patrick O'Brien's:

Master and Necromancer
The Far Side of the Tomb
And
The Moldy Admiral

 

[ZirconBlue]

Have you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies yet?

I picked this one up the other day, but haven't gotten around to reading it, yet.

 

[ElMondoHummus]

Since the OP is asking for medieval epic fantasy, has no one whipped out one of the standbys yet? The Mists of Avalon?? If you're not familiar with it, it tells the King Arthur legend from the perspective of Morgan Le Fay (named "Morgaine" in this telling). As a single novel epic, it covers the story from well before Arthur was born to an epilogue quite a number of years after his death. From a timeframe perspective, that's pretty damn epic.

 

[Jason Smith]

While we're at it I recommend Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy. It's epic, it's primarily Sci-Fi, but with elements of fantasy, and strong elements of horror. The first one is The Neutronium Alchemist.

Dear Zeus, no.

I wanted to like this entire series, I really did, but the ending is a complete deus ex machina. I went through 5.95 heavy volumes, only to be completely let down. There was some good stuff along the way, but the ending just ruins the journey.

Oh, and the "future Satanists that the government don't crush because they find them useful" bit just killed all my suspension of disbelief. Ghosts coming back and possessing the living -- no problem with that at all. Space satanishts -- no way. What can I say? Everyone's suspension of disbelief has different breaking points.

 

[oggiesnr]

Dated but classic has to Asimov's "Foundation and Empire" trilogy (ignore the later add ons)

Fun and equally dated E.E. (Doc) Smith "Lensman" Series.

Newer but equally "old School" Julian May "Pliocene" series.

Also fun but relativle old, Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat" series.

As I read a lot of the newer stuff it amazes me just how many echoes I hear from the past.

Steve

 

[Disbelief]

Well, to be fair, it's hard to explore God in the framework given in Incarnations of Immortality. I quite enjoyed And Eternity, and Being a Green Mother is probably my third favorite of the series...the ones that I liked least were Wielding a Red Sword, mostly because I found it very difficult to relate to Mym's worldview, and With a Tangled Skien--for reasons I can't quite articulate.

Another good series of his was the Mode books (at least, Virtual Mode and Fractal Mode--the other two were somewhat of a let-down). Much like the Apprentice Adept series, those were an intriguing blend of sci-fi and fantasy, and some of his deepest characters. There are also some good things to be said about his Tarot series, but it's been awhile since I've read them.

I have found with most of Anthony's work, he starts off great but his books get weaker and weaker as the series goes on.

 

[Kevin_Lowe]

Quirky. Not bad. Dreadful. Dreadful. Dreadful.

You are perfectly right of course, they're terrible rubbish, but can you please recommend some better stuff?

 

[Morrigan]

Oh, good. An expert has shown up to impart their vast wisdom and tell us all how our tastes are wrong. Everyone else, pack it up. kbm99 can handle all the book recommendations from here on out.

Well, he IS completely right about the Riftwar saga at least... terrible stuff, to be sure. Not Goodkind-bad (nothing is), but pretty damn bad.

 

[ZirconBlue]

Well, he IS completely right about the Riftwar saga at least... terrible stuff, to be sure. Not Goodkind-bad (nothing is), but pretty damn bad.

I don't really care whether he's "right" or "wrong", when someone's asking for recommendations, saying something is "dreadful" without any further explanation is less than useless. IMO.

 

[Morrigan]

Performing necromancy on Resurrecting this thread (it wasn't too dead, I think) to say that I'm far along the third book of the Black Company trilogy, and I've revised my initial lukewarm opinion (as I suspected I would, actually, but not quite that much): it does kick ass after all. The second volume actually really grabbed me; I couldn't stop reading about that poor bastard Shed's misfortunes. I took several weeks reading the first volume but finished book 2 in like 2 or 3 evenings, and now that we see a bit more of the Lady (Bomanz's story tidbits were cool too), I'm actually quite interested in where this is all going. I just hope the ending doesn't disappoint.