# Looking For A Great Fantasy Series



## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I am just getting into the Fantasy genre. My husband and I watched Clash of the Titans last night and I loved it. I usually do not like these kinds of movies but I really liked it. Can anyone recommend a good series to start.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Wow that is a tough question because the field of fantasy is HUGE.  I think I'd recommend browsing around on Baen webscriptions and trying some of the authors for free (a lot of the first books in a series are free.)  Given that movie...you might look up Eric Flint on Baen.  I also like David Weber and there's another David...Drake!  You might like those.

I  tend toward the less serious fantasy most of the time:  Frank Tuttle (good cheap read:  Wistril Compleat) or urban fantasy (a mix of fantasy elements in a contemporary setting) such as John Levitt.  But as I said, "Fantasy" is a very broad field!!!

Enjoy.  You have a lot of good reading ahead!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

So many to choose from, but where to start?

I suppose the obvious places to start would be the greats whose shoulders most fantasy writers are standing today. The first to come to mind would be J.R.R. Tolkien's _The Hobbit_ followed by his _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy (_The Hobbit_ being its prequel). Or more of the pure "swords and sorcery" genre would be Robert E. Howard's works, the best known being his "Conan" books and stories. And C.S. Lewis's "Narnia" books might be another good choice.

My personal favorites are the works of Roger Zelazny, with his "Amber" books probably being the most generally popular (but unfortunately none of his work is available for Kindle) and the "Discworld" books of Terry Pratchett. Pratchett's books are satirical, tend to parody many of the conventions of the genre, and are simultaneously hilarious and profound. You could start with the first book, _The Color of Magic_, or you might find either _Guards! Guards!_ (first of the City Watch cycle) or _Wyrd Sisters_ (first of the Lancre Witches cycle) to be better starting places, as they are both written when Pratchett was really getting into his stride both as a writer and in his concept of what he wanted to write about.

My favorite relatively new discovery is _The Name of the Wind_ by Patrick Rothfuss. I believe the 2nd book in the series is due out this spring.


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## Lori Devoti (Oct 26, 2010)

Hyperion by Dan Simmons 
George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series
And, of course, Lord of the Rings!
Lori


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## Lori Devoti (Oct 26, 2010)

Oh, my husband also loved, Glen Cook's Black Company series.


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## dmspen (Jan 12, 2011)

One of my favorites was the Terry Goodkind series starting with Wizard's First Rule. It's an 11 book series and may not be available entirely in ebook formats.
As stated, the genre is huge. The tone of of every author is so different - some very serious, some very light, etc.
Also check out the Dragonlance series and follow-ons.
My all time favorite fantasy author is probably Raymond Feist and his Riftwar Saga.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Oh... this one is easy.... our very own Michael Hicks has an awesome fantasy series that many of us here at KBs absolutely love. He's also writing three prequels - two done... one more to go.
Here is the Omnibus which is actually three books in one (also available as three separate books):


Then, here's prequel #1:


And, prequel #2:


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## TheRiddler (Nov 11, 2010)

Song of Fire & Ice has been mentioned.

Wheel of Time is good

David Eddings is where I started my fantasy reading (although it may be dated now? Haven't read his stuff for many a year).

If you want more urban fantasy, Jim Butcher is pretty decent, as well as being an easy read.


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

Someone already said it, but certainly Tolkien.  His books are the standard bearer of the genre for a reason.  Fun, fascinating, and filled with original twists on the mythical sensibility you enjoyed in "Clash."  

If it's Greek mythology you like, Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Firebrand" tell the story of Troy.  Also, "Mists of Avalon" retells Arthurian Legend from the point of view of the female characters.  All very interesting.  Riordan's Percy Jackson books combine old and new really well. 

Also Mary Renault's "The King Must Die," is a great read.  It's a retelling of the Theseus myth, but not so much fantasy as thoroughly researched speculative history.  She writes about the legendary story as it might have actually happened.  Not exactly what you're asking for, but maybe a nice bridge.

And, if you are interested in fantasy that's still rooted firmly in the real world, "one step off the visible path" type fantasy - I won't be shy.  Read the product description of the first book in my sig below.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

Thank you all for the suggestions. I know nothing about the Fantasy genre. I have always read thrillers and mystery/horror books. I assumed that as with every genre of books there is one or two stand out writers that is everyone's favorite and when they release a new book it is one everyone has to have. I have not read the Narnia books but loved the movie so I may try those. I also watched The Last Airbender and really loved it and I really hope they go ahead and make the next two movies.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

I second starting with the classics like The Hobbit and LOTR.

Some "lighter" fantasy, before you get into things like Wheel of Time and Song of Ice and Fire would be Terry Brooks' Shanarra series, and I always love plugging The Last Run series by Mark Anthony.


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## Chris Northern (Jan 20, 2011)

As intro's I would go with Robin Hobb and The Liveship Traders, or Anne Mcaffrey and Dragonflight.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Oh, gosh.  Well, a couple of general things:
1) There's epic fantasy and urban fantasy.  I tend to define "epic" as being pre-industrialization and "urban" as being post-industrialization.  Both are great - that's just to say you might also enjoy urban fantasy as well as the more classic fantasy of Tolkien, etc.
2) I'd recommend getting the first book in any series.  Some that are highly rated are barely tolerable, and it's nothing wrong with the actual book - it's just that people's tastes vary.  A case in point - George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice & Fire.  Lots of people swear by it (and it's been mentioned in this very thread ) but I couldn't get past book 2.

That said - some of my favorites:
1) Steven Brust - some of his work isn't available on Kindle yet, some is.  I adore his Vlad Taltos novels (see signature ). 
2) Robin Hobb - I adore all of her stuff.  She's got three inter-related trilogies (9 books), then a separate trilogy, and then she's recently returned to the world of the original 9 books.  I notice someone else mentioned her Liveship Traders - that's actually the second of the first three trilogies.  It does stand on its own, but there's also a lot of linkage to the first trilogy and also, later, the third.
3) Jim Butcher - He's got two series.  First one is The Dresden Files - this is urban fantasy.  Great reads, still ongoing.  The other series is the Codex Alera.  That was six books, the series is complete.  It's an epic fantasy series.  I was especially fascinated in that it was based on a more Roman-style world as opposed to the more European medieval setting of most fantasy.
4) David Dalglish - He's actually an author here on KindleBoards. His Half-Orcs series is pretty darned good.
5) Daniel Arenson - Also a Kindleboards author.  He's got three fantasy novels out that are all great, as well.


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## crosj (Nov 8, 2008)

I always recommend starting out with something light and fun such as
Xanth books by Piers Anthony.  He is a punster and his books will keep
you entertained. He was my first adventure into Fantasy.


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## WestofMars (Sep 16, 2009)

Chris Northern said:


> As intro's I would go with Robin Hobb and The Liveship Traders, or Anne Mcaffrey and Dragonflight.


Yes! You took the words out of my mouth.

Also, for lighter stuff, Piers Anthony's Xanth series. Although I preferred the Apprentice Adept series, myself.

Did anyone mention Terry Brooks? The man's prolific and good.

Arkali, I ADORE the Vlad Taltos books. I came upon them over the past couple of years and have been slowly working my way through them. Slow to savor them; they're a hoot.


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

I actually wouldn't recommend starting with Lord of the Rings.  It's a classic, surely, but it doesn't really meet modern expectations.  It's something you have to want to read (and you should read it), and really only appeals to people who are already interested in the genre and want to see its roots.  I also would avoid Terry Goodkind, as his writing tends to be very polarizing, mostly due to his political views.

- A good starting point would be The Hobbit, definitely.  It's far more approachable than Lord of the Rings.

- The David Edding's "Belgariad" series is a great place to start.  He basically set out to write a series that would be a hurricane of fantasy cliches without sacrificing an ounce of charm.  It's a great way to acclimate yourself to the fantasy genre.

- I have to echo the Pratchett recommendation earlier, especially the part about starting with "Guards! Guards!" or "Wyrd Sisters".  "Color of Magic" probably isn't the place to start, since it parodies a genre you're just starting to read.

- If you're a fan of 19th century fiction, try "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrel."  It's basically what would happen if Jane Austin wrote fantasy.

- But the best place to start is probably "The Princess Bride" by S. Morgenstern.  If you saw the movie, you basically know what you're getting into, but it's even better in book form.


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## Laura Lond (Nov 6, 2010)

I m currently reading _The Riyria Revelations_ series by Michael J. Sullivan, also a KB author, and I love it.


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## nmg222 (Sep 14, 2010)

Two words: DARK TOWER


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## Susan Seeming (Jan 25, 2011)

I enjoyed David Eddings, Raymond E Feist and Steven Brust. There are others, but those three stick out in my mind.


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## jhanel (Dec 22, 2010)

There are two series that I'm enjoying right now. Both are authors from KB!! Download their samples and see if you like them. (again, not every fantasy book is the same feel!! Your mileage may vary.)





Both are very different, but I'm enjoying the first book of each right now.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

WestofMars said:


> Arkali, I ADORE the Vlad Taltos books. I came upon them over the past couple of years and have been slowly working my way through them. Slow to savor them; they're a hoot.


He's honestly one of my favorites. All of his books are great, and if you liked The Three Musketeers, then you'll adore the Khaavren Romances. Same world, before the Interregnum. Hilarious. Even his non-Dragaeran books are great. If you're a Firefly fan, he's got a free Firefly novel on his web site that he wrote with the Creative Commons thinger. Also, the next Vlad book is coming out like... in the next day or three.

Ermmm. Did anyone mention The Valdemar Books by Mercedes Lackey? I'll vote for those. Also The Sunrunner Books by Melanie Rawn. I remember enjoying them back in the day. Of course... that was years ago. I might read them today and think they were dreck. Funny how our tastes change


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Some of my favorite fantasy books were in Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle series. I highly recommend The Dispossessed, The Telling, and The Left Hand of Darkness. The books in that series all take place in the same universe, but I don't think you have to read them in any order. They don't directly relate to each other and I don't recall being too confused when I just randomly picked up one of them up (which is great, because if you get stuck on one and don't feel like finishing it, you can just skip directly to another in the series).


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

I think most of these have been mentioned by now but I'd weigh in with:

David Eddings Belgariad series, or his Elenium series

Anne McCaffrey's Dragoinriders series or her Crystal Singer series (a personal favorite), or, for that matter most any of her other series.

C. S. Marks Alterra trilogy  (Kindleboard member Archer)

Tolkien 

Piers Anthony's Xanth series (his early works, his later works were not nearly as good IMHO)


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## dmspen (Jan 12, 2011)

OK, One more series...

I ran across the Recluce series a while ago by L. E. Modesitt Jr. I really liked these because it's about Chaos and Order. Certain people have the ability to creat Order or Chaos. What's great is that Order is Black and Chaos is White - a sort of reversal of expectations.

All in all, you need to get to a library and check out the fantasy section and grab a few samples of all these books before spending your hard earned cash.

Some of these authors are very easy to read with laess complex story telling. Others are deep and complex, so it all depends on what you want. Best of luck. I've spent 3+ decades reading fantasy and I've yet to make a dent in the overall genre. What's interesting is, except for the Indie authors mentioned here, I've read everything mentioned in this thread! Many several times.

Grab a book and get to it!


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2011)

jhanel said:


> There are two series that I'm enjoying right now. Both are authors from KB!! Download their samples and see if you like them. (again, not every fantasy book is the same feel!! Your mileage may vary.)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the shout-out, Jerry! I appreciate it!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

dmspen said:


> ...
> All in all, you need to get to a library and check out the fantasy section and grab a few samples of all these books before spending your hard earned cash.
> ...


Or just visit the Amazon Kindle store and download samples. 

Anyway, while there are a lot of good suggestions here, you'll find a lot of them are almost nothing at all like "Clash of the Titans". For instance, I, too, love the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust, but it may be a bit of a leap to think that someone who liked the movie "Clash of the Titans" would also necessarily care for these books -- but they're still definitely worth a look, mind you. However, I would tend to think that Brusts's "Khaavren Romances" books -- a sort of prequel to the Taltos series -- would be closer to that movie, having more of a heroic, epic fantasy feel (and written in a style that is a sort of loving parody of the Dumas swashbucklers).


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## jhanel (Dec 22, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> Thanks for the shout-out, Jerry! I appreciate it!


You're welcome.... =) It's a great series so far.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2011)

jhanel said:


> You're welcome.... =) It's a great series so far.


I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for reading!

I'll toss Nancy Farmer's "The Sea of Trolls" series into the ring!


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Jessica Billings said:


> Some of my favorite fantasy books were in Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle series.


Oooh. Also the Earthsea books.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

padowd said:


> Thank you all for the suggestions. I know nothing about the Fantasy genre. I have always read thrillers and mystery/horror books. I assumed that as with every genre of books there is one or two stand out writers that is everyone's favorite and when they release a new book it is one everyone has to have. I have not read the Narnia books but loved the movie so I may try those. I also watched The Last Airbender and really loved it and I really hope they go ahead and make the next two movies.


Two things.

1: If you're looking for books sorta like Clash of Titans (over-the-top action, tons of fantasy creatures) then I recommend Dragons of Autumn Twilight (first of a Trilogy) recently released to Kindle. It's by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, and they're a wonderful, easy introduction into Fantasy. You can also try the Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore (I'd recommend Homeland...probably my favorite of all of us, and a solid introduction to his main staple characer). Then when you're ready for something grittier, try A Game of Thrones by G. R. R. Martin.

2: If you liked that (horrible, imho) Avatar movie, then you MUST go find the actual episodes and watch them all. They are freaking wonderful, and I believe they're all on Watch-Now if you have Netflix.

David Dalglish


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## Cardinal (Feb 24, 2010)

Arkali said:


> Also the Earthsea books.


Which sadly aren't on the Kindle.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I am only wanting books that I can read on my Kindle and nothing to harsh to begin with. I have never read a fantasy book in my life and I have no idea what to expect. I have watched a little of Lord Of the Rings with my husband but that was a while back and didn't really care for it that much but we watched The Last Airbender and Clash Of The Titans over the weekend and loved them so I am now wanting to watch the Lord of The Rings again. I think I would like The Hobbit and I will check out Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Thanks for all the great suggestions.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> I recommend Dragons of Autumn Twilight (first of a Trilogy) recently released to Kindle. It's by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, and they're a wonderful, easy introduction into Fantasy.


Ooh! Their Deathgate Cycle series was utterly brilliant!!


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## Rory Miller (Oct 21, 2010)

Pratchett's Discworld series is fantastic.  Small Gods is my favorite but it's dismissive towards organized religion so that might not be your cup of tea.  You can read Color of Magic to get an almost traditional style Fantasy book (with humor) or pick one more your suite.  Guards Guards starts the policemen type story series, but there are books about practically everything in this series.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Cardinal said:


> Which sadly aren't on the Kindle.


No!!! *gasp* Seriously? Those [bleeping] [bleepstages] (a nod to another thread). That seriously bites. *sigh* There are a lot of old faves that I wish they'd get Kindle-ized.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Cardinal said:


> Which sadly aren't on the Kindle.


Oooh - I just noticed that we're siggy-buddies  You, my friend, have seriously good taste in books


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