Favorite Epic Fantasy Authors

[walkertexasdruid]

Ever since I stopped reading Star Wars Novels, at age fifteen, I got into epic fantasy novels. I have been reading them for a long time now and I would like to recommend some authors to those who may interested. As always feel free to recommend your own favorites, and to make any comments that may come to mind. My favorites are as follows:

David Eddings (Especially the Belgariad and the Mallorean series)
Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Go Dragonlance!)
David Drake (Lord of the Isles)
Terry Brooks (Shanarra and The Magic Kingdom of Landover)
R. A. Salvatore (Go Drizz't!)
Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time)

These last three are not recommended for younger readers but are still good:

Stephen R. Donaldson (Thomas Covanant series)
Sara Douglas (All of her books are good but definately out there)
Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth; "The Legend of the Seeker" is I would very loosely based on this series of books)

Well there you have it. If I think of any more I will post them later. I hope hear from the rest of you soon.:cool:

[Magus]

Have to second Robert Jordan, I hope the new author does justice to the final novel. Been looking forward to it. Thank you for reminding me to get into David Eddings, people keep telling me about the Belgariad so I think that will be on the list.

Dragonlance's third novel didn't really impress me, which is probably unfortunate because I guess I missed out on Raistlin doing all kinds of crazy stuff in later novels.

Also I think Drizzt should be retired, I mean, Icewind Dale trilogy is good but at this point I find myself trying very hard to care about that on-going (and on-going, and on-going) series.

Going to read A Song of Ice and Fire series for my next fantasy series, everyone here seems to like recommending it.

For my own recommendations, you can't go wrong with Michael Moorcock's Elric series, or The Eternal Champion series. Pretty good epic fantasies. And of course he has lots other books which aren't exactly in that vain but still quality as fantasy novels.

[Odjn]

Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth; "The Legend of the Seeker" is I would very loosely based on this series of books)



I am seriously convinced the universe wants me to be sad.

I liked the first two of Ender's Game. They were not completely Cardshit like the rest of the series.

I remember Shannara as kinda cookie cutter, to be honest. First book was good, second book alright, third blugh.

[Mr.Bookworm]

George RR Martin. Though genre-ically speaking, I don't know if ASoIaF actually qualifies as "epic" fantasy.

Tolkien, of course. Even if I don't like the books themselves that much, I like the whole mythology and can certainly respect the massive influence he's had on the genre.

I've read like half of the first Wheel of Time book, and I remember it being pretty good.

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are totally great if you can get past the literary style.

[Kepor]

Wheel of Time, highly recommended.

A Song of Ice and Fire, likewise.

Shanarra, never really got into it. Just wasn't interesting.

Sword of Truth, well now.

[BitVyper]

Tolkein, first of all. The stuff he did was downright incredible.

Honorable mention goes to Evan Dahm for making Rice Boy, which I was just introduced to a few days ago thanks to this forum. Rice Boy feels like what I think Tolkein's stuff would have felt like when it was originally published.

Not really a novelist, but Genndy Tartakovsky made Samurai Jack, and I think that qualifies him here.

I have a lot more, but I can't really think right now.

[Mirai Gen]

I gotta hand it to Mercedes Lackey for having a strong set of characters, be it female or homosexual, while all the while introducing an intense amount of political intrigue and widespread warfare and conflict.

[Fifthfiend]

The one Sara Douglass book I read was either a great story about horrifying things or just completely fucking horrifying; I still can't decide.

I liked Terry Brooks' Nest Fremark books up to the point where I heard he wrote one that makes it a Shannara prequel and fuck that. I liked the Scions of Shannara series out of his Shannara books which had some interesting things going on and also IIRC giant mutated magitek ants.

[Jagos]

I gotta hand it to Mercedes Lackey for having a strong set of characters, be it female or homosexual, while all the while introducing an intense amount of political intrigue and widespread warfare and conflict.

One thing that stuck with me. She literally drops mountains on these people and puts them through turmoil to show what type of person they truly are. I'm thinking specifically of Vanyel but even then, the fact that her books are very good is an understatement on my part.

[Eldezar]

I gotta hand it to Mercedes Lackey for having a strong set of characters, be it female or homosexual, while all the while introducing an intense amount of political intrigue and widespread warfare and conflict.

That description sounds remarkably like the books by Jennifer Fallon, which is my recommended author. Rated G, yet borderlines a little bit into R.

[Loyal]

How do you go straight from G to R?!

[Eldezar]

Because some idiot had the bright idea to claim they were rated G. It was supposed to have a link provided with it, and now I can't find it.

[Solid Snake]

I remember a close friend of mine in high school recommending me a Mercedes Lackey book and me having a very difficult time with it because the main character in said book was a gay male and I was wondering if she was implicitly trying to tell me she thought I was gay. (Remember, this was high school, I wasn't exactly the epitome of mature in handling these issues.)

Turns out Kate really just wanted to ease me into the revelation that she was a lesbian. You see I had plans to ask her out that were fairly obvious, because she was single and we seemed compatible. She revealed this to me about six months after the fact and we had a fair laugh about it.

But now that I'm reminded of Mercedes Lackey I actually remembered that I liked the first book in the series (and could subtly relate to the main character's struggles, insofar as his struggles with his sexuality seemed in some strange way to correlate universally with my personal struggles as a dorky 'outcast'.) But I refused to continue reading and investing in it. I may have to consider picking them up again now that I'm mature enough to handle the content without feeling vaguely threatened.

I'm a huge fan of Christopher Moore, though not all of his books really fit into the realm of "fantasy." They almost all have fantasy twists in them, though, and they're all really hysterical. If you ever feel less in the mood for 'epic' and more in the mood for 'a good laugh,' I'd strongly encourage them, particularly "Lamb" and "Fluke."

Also, although they're referred to often as children's fiction (and admittingly, deservedly so, the material is not adult-oriented or dense) I strongly recommend the Prydain Chronicles, which actually do fit into the realm of 'epic fantasy.' The dialogue between Taran and Eilonwy remains my favorite pseudo-romantic dialogue between male and female leads in all of fantasy, and it was written for kids. Nonetheless the characters are all memorable and delightful and they all have those little flaws and idosyncrasies that make them fun to follow. If you can stomach the occasional plot-twist-geared-for-eleven-year-old-audiences, you'll enjoy Prydain.

George R.R. Martin is also amazing but he's already been covered a zillion times. But his style of sociopolitical intrigue in massive fantasy casts spanning countries in real, gritty, bloody situations fits my own personal style of writing the most. So I dig it.

[Eldezar]

You reminded me of Gerald Morris. He has done some great new versions of the King Arthur legends. His main characters are actually original characters, with the different King Arthur stories going on in the background. They are focused on teen and preteen, but great for any adult who enjoys Arthurian tales.

[RickZarber]

I totally recommend Joe Abercrombie (http://www.joeabercrombie.com/)'s The First Law trilogy.

Also, check out this list of awesome fantasy books (http://www.bestfantasybooks.com/top25-fantasy-books.php)! I cannot claim to have read even a fraction of them, but it seems like a quite the list! (Also, Matt Stover gets a well-deserved nod in there, so that makes it legit in my mind.)

[Mirai Gen]

But now that I'm reminded of Mercedes Lackey I actually remembered that I liked the first book in the series (and could subtly relate to the main character's struggles, insofar as his struggles with his sexuality seemed in some strange way to correlate universally with my personal struggles as a dorky 'outcast'.) But I refused to continue reading and investing in it. I may have to consider picking them up again now that I'm mature enough to handle the content without feeling vaguely threatened.
You really should. I have yet to pick up Herald Mage despite all the great things I hear about it due to my first introduction to Lackey being the entire Arrow series, which I have nothing but the softest heart for. It fit well to introduce the next in line to be the Queen's Own, and while no character stands out to me currently they are all equally realized and fleshed out.

She's also not afraid to execute a few here and there, which to me makes the world so much more dangerous that a main character can very well die at any time.

I did have a slight problem, and that was that Talia and whatshisname got trapped in the snow and boned, but didn't consider anything of it afterwards which seemed odd when I first read it (when I was like...17?), but it sort of fits their culture and the scenario itself, so I'm okay with it now.

[Fifthfiend]

How do you go straight from G to R?!

I'm picturing Sound of Music and then every so often someone prison-shivs a nun.

[Satan's Onion]

Hey guys, Robin Hobb. Try the Farseer Trilogy or the Tawny Man trilogy. The world-building she's done is marvelous, but I for one was hooked by the characterization. Every last one of the protagonists feels so fully realized--and, well, human--that either they took a fuckton of effort or she really is that awesome. (I'm placing my money on the latter.)

[walkertexasdruid]

Sorry about not mentioning Tolkein, I read the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and they were great. Loved the movies too.

Another good one I read recently is Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, and I definately want to read the sequels. Definately a different take on the Hero taking on the Evil Emperor.

The Gueniverre Trilogy by Rosaland Miles is also a great series.;)

[Lost in Time]

I like Brandon Sanderson, I only read so far the Elantris novel which was pretty good. I own the Mistborn Trilogy, I just haven't gotten around to reading them yet.

[Mirai Gen]

Sorry about not mentioning Tolkein, I read the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and they were great. Loved the movies too.
There was a time in high school where I read Tolkein and disliked it due to the sluggish pace and choppy pseudo-oral language. But that was during my literary/film snob phase so I need to look it up again, cause I'll probably like it.

[Odjn]

Steven Brust and Roger Zelazny are awesome dudes I cannot believe I forgot to mention them.

[krogothwolf]

David Gemmell was sweet. Druss the Legend! The Rigante! Huzzah! A Shame he passed away. I actually really enjoyed his Troy Series. David Eddings is also one of my Favs. I'm currently like Steven Erikson Series "Malazan Book of the Fallen"

[walkertexasdruid]

Another good one I forgot to mention was David B. Coe. His Winds of the Forelands series is great. If you are looking for fast-paced action, assasinations, and so much political intrigue that Machiavelli would wet himself if he read it, this is definately series for you.

I also read The Pheonix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey, which was a great read. The villain is a very sympathetic figure this time around, which is different than what you usually get in this genre.;)

[Magus]

Also, although they're referred to often as children's fiction (and admittingly, deservedly so, the material is not adult-oriented or dense) I strongly recommend the Prydain Chronicles, which actually do fit into the realm of 'epic fantasy.' The dialogue between Taran and Eilonwy remains my favorite pseudo-romantic dialogue between male and female leads in all of fantasy, and it was written for kids. Nonetheless the characters are all memorable and delightful and they all have those little flaws and idosyncrasies that make them fun to follow. If you can stomach the occasional plot-twist-geared-for-eleven-year-old-audiences, you'll enjoy Prydain.

Another Lloyd Alexander fantasy series worth checking out is the Westmark (Westmark, The Kestrel, The Beggar Queen) trilogy, which isn't exactly epic fantasy but it has political intrigue and a fantasy setting, and starting with the second book, The Kestrel, delved into the main character fearing he is losing his humanity through the acts of violence he is forced to commit in his command of the army. All in all it seemed a bit more adult than The Chronicles of Prydain, though in all seriousness I thought Prydain wasn't just your run of the mill fairy tale fantasy for kids either, it just seemed like light fantasy as opposed to "childish", which are very different things.

Also it technically turns out to be Sci-Fi but John Christopher's The Sword of the Spirits trilogy (The Prince in Waiting, Beyond the Burning Lands, The Sword of the Spirits) has all the trappings of epic fantasy and is pretty awesome to boot (all in all I'd say it's steampunkish at its "worst").

Really, something being "young adult" shouldn't really turn adults away from a series, especially if done with the maturity many writers put into their works. Heck, adults read Harry Potter, after all, and I can say that either of those two trilogies I mentioned are probably arguably much more "adult" than Harry Potter.

[BitVyper]

There was a time in high school where I read Tolkein and disliked it due to the sluggish pace and choppy pseudo-oral language. But that was during my literary/film snob phase so I need to look it up again, cause I'll probably like it.

It helps you appreciate exactly what Tolkein did if you're familiar with his sources and middle English literature in general. Even then, it's not something you would generally read just for leisure when you're bored. It's like how you don't just pop in Schindler's List some random evening.

[walkertexasdruid]

Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Series is very good. I also read young adult series from time to time. Go Eragon and Saphira!;)

Harry Potter is great as well, and I looking forward to The Hallfblood Prince in July.:cool:

[Magus]

Yeah, people seem to like Eragon--I'm assuming the movie didn't do it justice (as usual).

Regarding Tolkein, while it is even harder to read than the regular series, when I finally got into The Silmarillion I thought it was the best thing ever. Really great book. I wouldn't mind reading The Children of Hurin sometime (I forget exactly who Hurin is or what wasn't covered in The Silmarillion about his children but I'll probably remember when I get around to reading it).

[GARUD]

Eddings' first works were some of his best in my opinion, but both the Belgariad and the Mallorean were great series. The Ellenian and Tamuli, not so much, but were entertaining none-the-less.

I liked Raymond E Feist also, he had an interesting series of books, although I disliked his need to pair everyone up.

Kate Forsythe had decent series, just can't remember what it's called.

[RickZarber]

Regarding Tolkein, while it is even harder to read than the regular series, when I finally got into The Silmarillion I thought it was the best thing ever. Really great book. I wouldn't mind reading The Children of Hurin sometime (I forget exactly who Hurin is or what wasn't covered in The Silmarillion about his children but I'll probably remember when I get around to reading it).Yeah, the book does a pretty good job of setting things up for you, even going so far as to list in brief some of the differences between the two versions of the story and why, in fact, they exist as such. And even though I don't generally like them, I highly recommend the audio book for Children of Húrin. It's read by Christopher Lee, and Christopher Tolkien reads the intro!Even then, [Lord of the Rings is] not something you would generally read just for leisure when you're bored.Speak for yourself! :p I managed to memorize almost 200 lines from the Lay of Leithian last month! (For those who don't know what that is, and of those, for the tiny percent who might possibly care. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lay_of_Leithian))

[TheSparrow]

Eddings' first works were some of his best in my opinion, but both the Belgariad and the Mallorean were great series. The Ellenian and Tamuli, not so much, but were entertaining none-the-less.


I'm gonna say, after having read 'The Rivan Codex', that is because his work tends to run formulaic. He studied Medieval Romance, which he claims is the basis for epic fantasy, and it seems like he feels he has figured out exactly how it is to be done. It makes for a great story, but its the same story over and over, with the same characters, and the same personalities.

I really noticed this when I started reading The Dreamers, and certain characters talked in certain manners and i find myself thinking of a character from The Belgariad.

As he said in The Rivan Codex "I put so many literary hooks in the Belgariad, that if you read the first hundred pages, 'I got ya'"

[walkertexasdruid]

I'm gonna say, after having read 'The Rivan Codex', that is because his work tends to run formulaic. He studied Medieval Romance, which he claims is the basis for epic fantasy, and it seems like he feels he has figured out exactly how it is to be done. It makes for a great story, but its the same story over and over, with the same characters, and the same personalities.

I really noticed this when I started reading The Dreamers, and certain characters talked in certain manners and i find myself thinking of a character from The Belgariad.

As he said in The Rivan Codex "I put so many literary hooks in the Belgariad, that if you read the first hundred pages, 'I got ya'"

You know, I was pretty disappointed with "The Dreamers", at least with the last half of the last book. If you have read this series then you know what I am talking about. The first three and a half books were pretty good, not the best by Eddings but decent. But then he must have, for whatever reason, felt like he had painted himself into a corner somehow. In the last half of book four, he basically renders the previous efforts by his heroes irrelevant, and he pats himself on the back for his "ingenious" solution! :stressed: It made me wonder why I bothered read the whole series in the first place.

As I have mentioned before, though, his previous works were very good, especially the Belgariad and the Mallorean.;)

[Magic_Marker]

Yeah, people seem to like Eragon--I'm assuming the movie didn't do it justice (as usual).


Can't really tell you for sure. I read only the first 100 pages; its alright, your general fantasy affair really. I can see why someone would like it. I kinda think of it like Naruto.

Naruto is like candy, its not good for you and over all you shouldn't be reading it but its a guilty pleasure in a way.

On Topic: Dragonlance, the first two Trilogies Tasslehoff never dies damnit

A Song of Ice and Fire is a must.

I'll get to Robin Hobb when I get to Robin Hobb. I have the audio books but I'm in the middle of Prachett's, Lovecraft's, Poe, Tolkien, Bram Stoker, and Gaiman's stuff to go trough.

[walkertexasdruid]

"Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" by Tad Williams Is very good but has very lengthy books, especially the final book, "To Green Angel Tower". It is kind of slow-paced, but manages to keep your interest with some pretty good and frenetic action sequences. So if you are looking to read a good trilogy that will take quite a while to read, this is the series for you.

[t_catt11]

I agree wholeheartedly. I LOVE Tad Williams' work - but be prepared. You're going to get multiple threads with multiple characters (and perspectives), and some sort of an "end of the world" plot.

I have yet to find a Willaims novel I did not enjoy. Heck, I have even read "Tailchaser's Song" about fifteen times.

Others I really enjoy:

Terry Goodkind (though the Sword of Truth books got a bit repetitive after number six or so).

Mickey Zucher Reichart

Not epic fantasy, but if you like "realistic" science fiction, try on David Feintuch sometime.